Abstract:
In an embodiment, a connector having at least one locking element configured to be movable between a first position retracted inside an elongate member of the connected and a second position protruding from the circumferential surface of said elongate member is provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to connectors. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Connectors are used to electrically connect two devices with each other. One type of connectors are audio connectors like so-called TS (tip sleeve), TRS (tip ring sleeve) or TRRS (tip ring ring sleeve) connectors which are for example used to connect headphones or loudspeakers to audio equipment, for example portable audio equipment, cell phones, personal computers and the like. Commonly used audio connectors include 6.35 mm, 3.5 mm or 2.5 mm audio connectors. Male audio connectors have a generally elongate form where areas of the circumference are insulated from each other to provide a plurality of contacts. For example, the tip of such an elongate connector may be insulated from one or more areas (ring areas) of the circumferential surface adjacent to the clip. Depending on whether such a connector is used for mono or stereo audio signal transmission, different numbers of contact areas insulated from each other may be used. Additional conducting areas may be used for additional signals like video signals. 
         [0003]    Such connectors besides the above-described male version (also referred to as plug) also have a female version (also referred to as socket), the male connector being inserted into the female connector for establishing electrical contact. However, there is the danger that the male connector is loosened, for example due to shocks, such that the electrical connection is interrupted. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a general need for male connectors which may be secured in corresponding female connectors. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In an embodiment, a connector is provided, comprising: 
         [0006]    an elongate member, that elongate member comprising at least two electrically conducting areas on its outer surface, said two electrically conducting areas being insulated from each other, 
         [0007]    at least one locking element configured to be moveable between a first position retracted into said elongate member and a second position protruding from the circumferential surface of the elongate member, and 
         [0008]    an ejection mechanism configured to move said at least one locking element from said first position to said second position. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the connector may be an audio connector, for example a 2.5 mm or a 3.5 mm audio connector. 
         [0010]    The at least one locking element may comprise at least one locking ball. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, the ejection mechanism comprises an ejection element having a slanted surface, said slanted surface being in contact with the at least one locking element and being movable to move said at least one locking element from said first position to said second position. In an embodiment, the ejection element is coupled with a resilient element like a spring, the resilient element biasing said ejection element to a position corresponding to said second position of said at least one locking element. A button may be provided coupled with said ejection element for pushing the ejection element against the biasing force of the resilient element. 
         [0012]    The at least one locking element may be coupled with a resilient element like a spring to bias said at least one locking element to said first position. 
         [0013]    The connector may comprise a ridge arranged at a side of said connector. 
         [0014]    The at least one locking element may be electrically conducting, said at least one locking element being electrically isolated from said at least two electrically conducting areas. At least two locking elements may be provided, each of said at least two locking elements being conducting and being electrically isolated from each other to form separate electrical contact areas. 
         [0015]    According to another embodiment, a connector is provided comprising: 
         [0016]    an elongate hole, 
         [0017]    at least two electrical contacts configured to contact two different portions of a further connector insertable into said elongate hole, and 
         [0018]    at least one circumferential groove portion in a sidewall of said elongate hole. 
         [0019]    The at least one circumferential groove portion may be electrically conducting and isolated from said contacts. 
         [0020]    The above features of various embodiments may be combined with each other unless specifically noted to the contrary. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional view of embodiments of a male and a female connector according to the present invention with locking elements in a locking position, 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with locking elements in a retracted position, 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of other embodiments of a male and a female connector according to the invention, 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of further embodiments of a male and a female connector according to the present invention, 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a partial cross sectional view of another embodiment of a locking element according to the present invention, and 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a cross sectional view of a further embodiment of a locking element according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are taken to be as examples only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that in the drawings, the elements are not necessarily to scale with each other, but have been depicted in a manner to convey an understanding of the features of the embodiments to a person skilled in the art. Any directional terminology in the following description like “left”, “right”, “up” or “down” is to be understood as being a reference to the way the embodiments are depicted in the drawings only and are not to be construed as limiting the present application to the directional arrangement shown. In particular, it is to be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be oriented in any suitable way. 
         [0028]    In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an embodiment of a male connector  33  and an embodiment of a corresponding female connector  23  according to the present invention is shown in cross section. The embodiment of the male connector  33  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  has the form of 3.5 mm audio connector in a so-called TRRS arrangement, i.e. a tip area  22 , a first ring area  20 , a second ring area  18  and a sleeve area  16  of an elongate member  34  of the male connector are electrically insulated from each other by insulation rings  17 ,  19  and  21  to provide separate electrical contacts. The sleeve portion  16  ends in a connector head  10 . 
         [0029]    The male connector  33  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is inserted in the corresponding female connector  23  which essentially comprises an elongate hole approximately matching the shape of the elongate member of the elongate member  34  protruding from head  10  which ends in tip  22  as shown in  FIG. 1 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the sidewall of the elongate hole of female connector  23  has openings through which contact  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  protrude to contact sleeve area  16 , first ring area  18 , second ring area  20  and tip area  22 , respectively, when the male connector  33  is inserted in the female connector  23  as shown. Contacts  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  may for example be made of resilient metal to establish contact with some pressure on areas  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  21 , respectively. In the inside of the male connector  33 , wires (not shown) or other electrical conductors may be connected to areas  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  22  to tap signals from these portions or to supply signals to these portions. Likewise, contacts  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  may be tapped or supplied at contacting portions  28 ,  29 ,  30  and  31 , respectively. 
         [0030]    In order to be able to securely lock male connector  33  in female connector  23 , a locking mechanism is provided. In male connector  33 , a locking mechanism comprises a button  11  connected via a rod  13  with an end portion  14 , and a spring  12  which, in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , biases the button  11  together with rod  13  and end portion  14  to the left, i.e. to the position shown in  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, the locking mechanism in male connector  33  comprises locking balls  15 , serving as locking elements. In the locking mechanism, button  11 , spring  12 , rod  13  and end portion  14  form an ejection mechanism for moving locking balls  15  to a position where they protrude from elongate member  34  in a circumferential direction. In the female connector  23 , the locking mechanism comprises a circumferential groove  32  at a position corresponding to the position of locking balls  15 . 
         [0031]    In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , end portion  14  has a frustro-conical shape with slanted side surfaces such that the diameter of end portion  14  increases from left to right in  FIG. 1 . In the position shown in  FIG. 1  as biased by spring  12 , end portion  14  pushes locking balls  15  to protrude from the elongate member  34  of male connector  33  into circumferential groove  32 , thus locking male connector  33  in female connector  23 . In order to unlock male connector  33 , for example in order to take male connector  33  out of female connector  23 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , button  11  is pressed againg the biasing force of spring  12  thus compressing spring  12  and moving button  11 , rod  13  and end portion  14  to the right. In this position as shown in  FIG. 2 , locking balls  15  may retract into elongate member  34 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , through the rounded form of the circumferential groove  32  and locking balls  15 , in case locking ball  15  do not retract by themselves into elongate member  34  when button  11  is pressed, when male connector  33  is pulled out of female connector  23  locking balls  15  are pushed into elongate member  34  by circumferential groove  32 . 
         [0032]    In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , locking balls  15  may be made of any suitable material including conducting materials like metals and non-conducting materials like some plastic materials. Likewise, end portion  14 , rod  13  and button  11  may be made of any suitable material. In case balls  15  are made of a conducting material, they may form part of the contacting area of sleeve portion  16 . In such an embodiment, the locking mechanism through the firm contact between balls  15  and groove  32  may decrease the contact resistance between sleeve portion  16  and the corresponding contact on the female connector side by making groove  32  conducting and part of this contact. In a different embodiment, balls  15  may be arranged in a different portion, e.g. one of the ring portions, to decrease a corresponding contact resistance. 
         [0033]    In the cross sectional view of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , two locking balls  15  are shown. The number of locking balls in embodiments of the invention is not restricted to two, but only one locking ball may be used, or more than two locking balls may be used. 
         [0034]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a further embodiment of a male connector  33 A and a further embodiment of a corresponding female connector  23 A according to the present invention will be described. The embodiments shown in  FIG. 3  are based on the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and like elements bear the same reference numerals. Therefore, in the following only the additions and modifications of male connector  33 A compared with male connector  33  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  and of female connector  23 A compared with female connector  23  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  will be described. 
         [0035]    In female connector  33 A, locking balls  36  are provided which are conducting locking balls. Locking balls  36  in the embodiment of  FIG. 3  are electrically insulated from elongate member  34  by insulating portions  37  surrounding the openings in elongate member  34  through which locking balls  36  protrude. Furthermore, a locking mechanism of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  comprises a button  11  connected via a rod  35  with an end portion  39 . Rod  35  and end portion  39  may have the same geometrical shape as rod  13  and end portion  14  of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , end portion  39  is electrically conducting such that in the locked position shown in  FIG. 3  corresponding to the position of end portion  14  of  FIG. 1  electrical contact between locking balls  36  and end portion  39  is established. Rod  35  also may be electrically conducting. Locking balls  16  together with conducting end portion  39  serve as a further separate contact. Correspondingly, circumferential groove  38  of female connector  23 A in the embodiment of  FIG. 3  is conducting and may be insulated from the rest of female connector  23 A. Circumferential groove  38  is connected with a further contact portion  42  via an electrical connection  41 . 
         [0036]    In male connector  33 A, a further wire or other electrical connection (not shown) may be coupled with electrically conducting end portion  39  or electrically conducting rod  35 . In a different embodiment, end portion  39  and rod  35  need not be conducting, and wires are directly coupled with locking balls  36 . 
         [0037]    Therefore, in the embodiment of  FIG. 3  via locking balls  36  and circumferential groove  38  a further contact apart from areas  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22  and the corresponding contacts  24 ,  25 ,  26  and  27  is provided. 
         [0038]    Otherwise, the functioning of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  and the corresponding locking mechanism is the same as already described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  and will therefore not be described again. 
         [0039]    In  FIG. 4 , a further embodiment of a male connector  33 B and a further embodiment of a female connector  23 B according to the present invention are described. The embodiments of  FIG. 4  are based on the embodiments of  FIG. 3 , and like elements bear the same reference and will not be described again. 
         [0040]    Similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , in the embodiment of  FIG. 4  locking balls  45 ,  49  are provided which serve as electrical contacts. While in the embodiments of  FIG. 3  locking balls  36  serve as a single electric contact, in the embodiment of  FIG. 4  locking balls  45 ,  49  serve as separate electrical contacts. In this embodiment, an end portion of the locking mechanism which is connected with button  11  via a rod  14  is partitioned by an insulation  46  into two electrically conducting regions  47 ,  48  being insulated from each other, wherein region  47  contacts locking ball  45  and region  48  contacts locking ball  49 . In such an embodiment, separate circumferential groove portions  52 ,  53  for receiving locking balls  45 ,  49 , respectively are provided in female connector  23 B. Instead of separate circumferential groove portions, a single circumferential groove with two portions insulated from each other may be provided. Circumferential groove portion  52  is connected via an electrical connection  50  with an electrical contact portion  51 , and circumferential groove portion  53  is connected via an electrical connection  54  with a contact portion  55 . In male connector  33 B, portions  47 ,  48  are coupled with separate electrical connections like wires (not shown). Therefore, in the embodiment of  FIG. 4  through the locking balls  45 ,  49  two additional electrical contacts are provided in male connector  33 B. 
         [0041]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , furthermore a ridge  56  is provided on head  10  which may engage with a corresponding nut (not shown) in female connector  23 B. Using ridge  56 , a fixed orientation between male connector  33 B and female connector  23 B may be established such that each locking ball comes in contact with a circumferential groove portion assigned to this locking ball. 
         [0042]    Otherwise, the functioning of the embodiments of  FIG. 4 , in particular as regards the locking mechanism, is the same as already described previously and will not be described again. 
         [0043]    The embodiments described above with reference to  FIGS. 1-4  serve only as examples, and in other embodiments numerous modifications and variants may be performed. For example, while in male connector  33 B of  FIG. 4  two locking balls are shown serving as two separate electrical contacts, more than two locking balls serving as separate electrical contacts may be provided. In another embodiment, more than two locking balls may be provided, where for example with four locking balls, two locking balls are assigned to the same electrical contact. In another embodiment, one or more locking balls may be used as electrical contacts as in  FIG. 3  or  FIG. 4 , while other locking balls are not used as electrical contacts like in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0044]    The locking mechanism shown in  FIGS. 1-4  also may be modified. For example, end portion  14  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may have a different shape, or the direction of movement and the direction of the slope of the slanted sidewalls of end portion  14  may be reversed. In another embodiment, a lever mechanism may be used to eject and retract the locking balls. 
         [0045]    Moreover, while locking balls have been described as locking elements with respect to  FIGS. 1-4 , other forms of locking elements may also be used, some of which will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
         [0046]      FIGS. 5 and 6  each show a partial cross sectional view of a male connector according to another embodiment and a female connector according to another embodiment, wherein compared with the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  the locking balls have been replaced with one or more different elements and the circumferential groove of the female connector has been adapted accordingly. Otherwise, the embodiments of  FIGS. 5 and 6  correspond to the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2  and therefore, only the above-mentioned locking elements and circumferential groove will be described in detail in the following. 
         [0047]    In the embodiments shown in  FIG. 5 , one or more locking elements  60  are provided which have a generally cylindrical shape, a slanted face adjacent to end portion  14  and a triangular cross section on the side facing female connector  23 . Correspondingly, the circumferential groove  61  of the embodiments of  FIG. 5  also has a triangular cross section. Also with such a triangular cross section, when end portion  14  is moved to the right in  FIG. 5 , for example by pressing a corresponding button  11 , locking element  60  may retract into elongate member  34  and, when the male connector is pulled from the female connector, locking element  60  is pushed into elongate member  34  by the form circumferential groove  61  and locking element  60 . 
         [0048]    In  FIG. 6 , still further embodiments of a male connector and a corresponding female connector are shown. In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , a locking element  65  is provided having a generally cylindrically shape with a slanted face facing end portion  14 . On the side facing female connector  23 , locking element  64  has a rectangular cross section. Correspondingly, in female connector  23 B a circumferential groove  68  is provided having a rectangular cross section. Furthermore, a circumferential protrusion  66  is provided on locking element  65 , and a spring  67  is provided between circumferential protrusion  66  and portion  16  biasing locking element  65  in  FIG. 6  downwards, i.e. into elongate member  54 . Therefore, in the embodiment of  FIG. 6  when end portion  14  is moved to the right for example by pushing a corresponding button  11 , locking element  65  is moved by the biasing force of spring  67  to retract into elongate member  34 . 
         [0049]    It should be noted that a biasing mechanism comprising protrusions like circumferential protrusion  66  and a resilient element like spring  67  may also be used with other forms of locking elements, for example with locking element  60  of  FIG. 5  or also with locking balls as in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1-4 . Instead of springs like spring  12  or spring  67 , other resilient elements like rubber elements may be used. Moreover, it has to be understood that in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , one locking element  60 ,  65 , respectively, has been shown for simplifying the illustration, but more than one locking element may be provided. While in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4  TRRS type audio connectors are shown, a locking mechanism as described may be used with any connector having an elongate member like elongate member  34 . For example, other kinds of audio connectors having less contacts, for example TRS connectors or TS connectors which have only one or no ring portion in contrast to two ring portions  18 ,  20  in the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-4  may be used. Also, as audio connectors, 2.5 mm audio connectors,  3 . 5  mm audio connectors or any other type of audio connector may be used. In an embodiment, the male connector part may be coupled to a neck strap and a head set, and the female connector part may be part of a portable audio device (or vice versa) to enable a user to wear the device when the connectors are coupled and secured by the locking mechanism. 
         [0050]    Therefore, numerous modifications and variants are accessible to persons skilled in the art, and the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.