Jack connector with reliably retained contacts

An electrical jack connector includes an insulative housing (10), a metallic shell (90), and a first, second, third and fourth electrical contacts (30), (50), (70), (80) mounted in the insulative housing. The first and second electrical contacts are similar in shape except that the first contact comprises a contact portion (36) for engaging with an engaging portion (73) of the third contact (70) when a complementary plug connector (95) is not mated with the jack connector. The first and second contacts are securely retained in a pair of recesses (120), (160) defined in a side wall of the housing. The third contact is securely retained by a cutout (21) in a top wall (17) of the housing and a pair of grooves (22) in a bottom wall (18) of the housing. The first, second and third contacts have relatively simple shapes and are thus easy to manufacture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly
 to an electrical jack connector which receives a plug connector therein.
 2. Description of the Prior Art
 Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional jack connector comprises an insulative
 housing 100 and a first, second and third electrical contacts 101, 102,
 103 mounted in the insulative housing 100. The insulative housing 100
 defines a pair of recesses 109 and a cavity 109' therein. The first and
 second electrical contacts 101, 102 are substantially identical in shape
 and each comprises a hollow frame portion 104, a tongue 105 upwardly and
 outwardly extending from a lower side of the frame portion 104, and a tail
 106 extending downwardly and opposite to the tongue 105 from the frame
 portion 104. The third electrical contact 103 comprises a pair of
 retention plates 107 and an intermediate portion 108 therebetween. The
 retention plates 107 are parallel to each other. The frame portions 104 of
 the first and second electrical contacts 101, 102 and the retention plates
 107 of the third electrical contact 103 are retained in the grooves 109
 and the cavity 109', respectively.
 Manufacturing the above electrical contacts 101-103 is complicated because
 of difficulties in forming the frame portions 104 and bending the tongues
 105 thereof. In addition, the retentions between the frame portions 104
 and the housing 100 and between the retention plates 107 and the housing
 100 are not reliable, particularly after the jack connector has undergone
 frequent mating/unmating cycles. Such faulty retentions adversely affect
 signal transmission between the jack connector and a complementary plug
 connector mating with the jack connector.
 Therefore, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the
 disadvantages of the prior art.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 A major object of the present invention is to provide a jack connector
 which includes reliably retained electrical contacts having simplified
 structures.
 An electrical jack connector of the present invention includes an
 insulative housing, a metallic shell substantially enclosing the
 insulative housing, and first, second, third and fourth electrical
 contacts mounted in the insulative housing. The first and second
 electrical contacts are similar in shape except that the first contact
 comprises a contact portion for engaging with an engaging portion of the
 third contact when a complementary plug connector is not mated with the
 jack connector. The first and second contacts are retained in a pair of
 recesses defined in a side wall of the housing. The third contact is
 retained by a cutout formed in a rear edge of a top wall of the housing
 and by a pair of grooves defined in a rear edge of a bottom wall of the
 housing.
 Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become
 more apparent from the following detailed description of the present
 embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector in accordance with the
 present invention comprises an insulative housing 10, a first electrical
 contact 30, a second electrical contact 50, a third electrical contact 70,
 a fourth electrical contact 80 and a metallic shell 90.
 The insulative housing 10 comprises a front wall 11, a side wall 12, a top
 wall 17 and a bottom wall 18. The front wall 11 defines an opening 110
 communicating with an interior space 115 of the insulative housing 10. The
 side wall 12 defines a pair of spaced recesses 120, 160 recessed inwardly
 from an outer side thereof. Each of the recesses 120, 160 is open at an
 upper end thereof and is bound at a lower end by the bottom wall 18. A
 pair of receiving slots 122, 162 is defined in an upper section of the
 side wall 12 in communication with the recesses 120, 160, respectively. A
 pair of through holes 123, 163 is defined from a lower section of the side
 wall 12 through the bottom wall 18. Each through hole 123, 163
 communicates with a respective recess 120, 160. The recesses 120, 160
 communicate with the interior space 115 via a pair of spaces 124, 164,
 respectively. The top wall 17 defines a cutout 21 at a rear edge thereof.
 The bottom wall 18 defines a pair of spaced grooves 22 at a rear edge
 thereof. Each groove 22 is L-shaped.
 The first electrical contact 30 comprises a main body 31, a mounting tail
 32 extending downward from the main body 31, a barb 33 extending from a
 lateral edge of a top section of the main body 31, a transition portion 34
 extending opposite to the barb 33, a contact portion 36, and a curved
 portion 35 between the contact portion 36 and the transition portion 34.
 The second contact 50 is similar to the first contact 30 in shape, and
 comprises a main body 51, a mounting tail 52, a barb 53, a transition
 portion 54 and a curved portion 55. The second contact 50 does not have a
 contact portion.
 The third contact 70 comprises an elongated major portion 71, a pair of
 retention portions 72 laterally and outwardly extending from opposite
 edges of a lower section of the major portion 71, and an engaging portion
 73 extending perpendicularly from the top of the major portion 71. The
 retention portions 72 are mirror-imagedly configured to correspond to the
 grooves 22 of the insulative housing 10.
 The fourth contact 80 is conventional and a detailed description of it is
 thus omitted herefrom.
 The metallic shell 90 is also conventional and a detailed description of it
 is also omitted herefrom.
 Referring to FIGS. 2-4, in assembly, the main bodies 31, 51 of the first
 and second contacts 30, 50 are received in the recesses 120, 160,
 respectively. The barbs 33, 53 are retained in the receiving slots 122,
 162, respectively. The mounting tails 32, 52 of the first and second
 contacts 30, 50 extend through the through holes 123, 163, respectively,
 thereby being positioned for being mounted to a mother circuit board (not
 shown), on which the jack connector is mounted. The transition portions
 34, 54 extend through the spaces 124, 164 whereby the curved portions 35,
 55 and the contact portion 36 extend into the interior space 115 of the
 insulative housing 10. The major portion 71 of the third contact is
 positioned between the top and bottom walls 17, 18 and the retention
 portions 72 are retained in the L-shaped grooves 22 of the bottom wall 18.
 The engaging portion 73 extends through the cutout 21 into the interior
 space 115 of the insulative housing 10. The fourth contact 80 is inserted
 into the insulative housing 10 and is retained therein by conventional
 means. The metallic shell 90 is assembled to the housing 10 in a
 conventional way.
 Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, in use, before a plug connector 95 is
 inserted into the opening 110 of the insulative housing 10, the contact
 portion 36 of the first contact 30 is engaged with the engaging portion 73
 of the third contact 70. When the plug connector 95 is fully inserted into
 the opening 110 of the jack connector, a first contact portion 96 at a
 forward end of the plug connector 95 mates with the curved portion 35 of
 the first contact 30, and a second contact portion 97 is engaged with the
 second contact 50. The engagement between the first and third contacts 30,
 70 is broken.
 The first, second and third contacts 30, 50, 70 are retained in the
 insulative housing 10 via the barbs 33, 53, the transition portions 34,
 54, the mounting tails 32, 52, the retention portions 72 and the engaging
 portion 73. All these barbs, tails and portions are reliably retained. The
 contacts 30, 50, 70 do not fall out of the insulative housing 10, even
 after repeated matings between the plug connector 95 and the jack
 connector. The contacts 30, 50, 70 are easy to manufacture, because there
 is no need to form the hollow frame portions of conventional contacts.
 Manufacturing costs are thus reduced.
 It may be noted that the first contact 30 and the second contact 50 are
 vertically inserted into the through holes 123, 163 from the top, and the
 fourth contact 80 is laterally and horizontally inserted into the housing
 10. Somewhat differently, the third contact 70 is first horizontally moved
 toward the housing 10 from the back until the retention portions 72 are
 positioned between the rear portions of the top wall 17 and the bottom
 wall 18, and then downwardly moved until the retention portions 72 are
 retained in the corresponding L-shaped grooves 22 of the bottom wall 18
 and the engaging portion 73 extends through the cutout 21 of the top wall
 17 into the interior space 115 of the insulative housing 10.
 It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics
 and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the
 foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function
 of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be
 made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of
 parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated
 by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
 expressed.