Electric jack with a pivoted cover

An electric jack for the connection of a module plug for signal transmission, including a base, and a cover pivoted to the base, wherein the base has two parallel side walls, a raised block on the middle, two longitudinal grooves at two opposite sides of the raised block, two pivot pins at two opposite sides of the raised block, two tongues respectively raised from the side walls, a plurality of metal terminals mounted in respective insertion slots in the raised block, a stop block for supporting the inserted module plug; the cover has two front pivot holes respectively coupled to the pivot pins at the raised block, two parallel rails at a bottom side wall thereof for guiding the inserted module plug into position, two retaining blocks for engagement with two stop edges at the clip of the inserted module plug, and two locating grooves for engagement with the tongues at the side walls of the base to hold the cover in the closed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an electric jack, and more particularly to 
such an electric jack which can be opened for the insertion of a module 
plug, or closed to reduce its dimension when not in use. 
FIG. 15 is an exploded view of an electric connector according to the prior 
art. This structure of electric connector comprises two module jack shells 
5, each module jack shell 5 having a respective insertion slot 51 into 
which a module plug 4 can be inserted, two terminal holders 511 
respectively mounted in the module jack shells 5, each terminal holder 511 
holding a set of metal terminals 512, and a set of conductors 513 
connected between the metal terminals 512 at the terminal holders 511. 
This structure of electric connector needs much installation space. 
Furthermore, the assembly process of this structure of electric connector 
is complicated, and its manufacturing cost is high. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is one object of the present invention to provide an electric jack which 
can be opened for the insertion of a module plug, or closed to reduce its 
dimension when not in use. It is another object of the present invention 
to provide an electric jack which has fastening means for enabling two 
electric jacks to be fastened together. According to one aspect of the 
present invention, the electric jack comprises a base, and a cover pivoted 
to the base, wherein the base has two parallel side walls, a raised block 
on the middle, two longitudinal grooves at two opposite sides of the 
raised block, two pivot pins at two opposite sides of the raised block, 
two tongues respectively raised from the side walls, a plurality of metal 
terminals mounted in respective insertion slots in the raised block, a 
stop block for supporting the inserted module plug; the cover has two 
front pivot holes respectively coupled to the pivot pins at the raised 
block, two parallel rails at a bottom side wall thereof for guiding the 
inserted module plug into position, two retaining blocks for engagement 
with two stop edges at the clip of the inserted module plug, and two 
locating grooves for engagement with the tongues at the side walls of the 
base to hold the cover in the closed position. According to another aspect 
of the present invention, hooks and hook holes are provided at the back 
side wall of the base, so that two electric jacks can be fastened together 
by hooking the hooks at one electric jack in the hook holes at the other. 
According to an alternate form of the present invention, the back has pins 
and pin holes at its one end, so that two electric jacks can be 
longitudinally connected in a line by plugging the pins at one electric 
jack into the pin holes at the other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an electric jack is shown comprised of a 
base 1, and a cover 2. The base 1, comprises two parallel side walls 12, a 
raised block 11 on the middle between the side walls 12, two longitudinal 
grooves 121 at two opposite sides of the raised block 11 between the side 
walls 12, two pivot pins 111 aligned at two opposite sides of the raised 
block 11, and two recessed portions 125 respectively disposed at the side 
walls 12 on the inside at one end, namely, the front end. The cover 2 is 
pivoted to the raised block 11 for closing the base 1, having two pivot 
holes 222 bilaterally disposed at one end, namely, the front end thereof 
and respectively coupled to the pivot pins 111 at the raised block 11. The 
cover 2 comprises two parallel rails 22 longitudinally disposed at the 
bottom side wall thereof for guiding a module plug 4 into position, two 
retaining blocks 223 raised from the bottom side wall at one end, namely, 
the rear end thereof between the rails 22 for engagement with two stop 
edges 42 at the clip 41 of the inserted module plug 4, two raised portions 
225 respectively raised from the rails 22 on the outside at one end, 
namely, the front end for engagement with the recessed portions 125 at the 
base 1, and two locating grooves 224 respectively provided at the rails 22 
on the outside at one end, namely, the rear end. Beveled stop edges 211, 
212 and 221 are respectively formed at the top wall 21 and rails 22 of the 
cover 2 at one end. When the cover 2 is opened from the base 1, the 
beveled stop edges 211, 212 and 221 are respectively stopped at respective 
beveled stop edges 113, 122 and 124 at the raised block 11 and the 
longitudinal grooves 121 in the base 1 to limit outward turning angle of 
the cover 2 relative to the base 1, and at the same time, the raised 
portions 225 at the cover 2 are respectively engaged into the recessed 
portions 125 at the base 1, causing the cover 2 to be retained in the 
opened position. The base 1 further comprises a stop block 13 transversely 
disposed at the rear end between the longitudinal grooves 121, and two 
tongues 123 respectively inwardly raised from the side walls 12 at the 
rear end. The stop block 13 has a front slope 131 for supporting the 
inserted module plug 4 in position. When the cover 2 is closed, the rails 
22 are received in the longitudinal grooves 121 inside the base 1, and the 
locating grooves 224 are respectively forced into engagement with the 
tongues 123 at the base 1, thereby causing the cover 2 to be firmly 
retained in the closed position. Further, metal terminals 3 are 
respectively mounted in parallel insertion slots 112 and 132 at the raised 
block 11 and the stop block 13 for signal transmission to the inserted 
module plug 4 (the insertion slots 132 are not shown), and hooks 14 and 
hook holes 15 are provided at the back side of the base 1 for enabling two 
module jacks to be fastened together. 
FIG. 5 shows an alternate form of the present invention, in which two 
electric jacks are fastened together back to back in reversed directions, 
and the metal terminals 31 each have two horizontally suspended opposite 
ends respectively inserted into the insertion slots 112 and 132 in the 
raised blocks 11 and stop blocks 13 of the two electric jacks. When two 
module plugs 4 are respectively inserted into the electric jacks, the 
metal terminals 43 of the module plugs 4 are respectively disposed in 
contact with the metal terminals 31 to receive signal from the module 
jacks. 
Figures from 6 through 8 show another alternate form of the present 
invention, in which two electric jacks are longitudinally connected in a 
line. According to this alternate form, the base 1 of each electric jack 
comprises pins 16 and pin holes 161 at the front side. By means plugging 
respective pins 16 into respective pin holes 161, the electric jacks are 
connected together. Further, the metal terminals 32 are mounted in the 
insertion slots 112 in each base 1 of the electric jacks, each having two 
hooked portions 321 respectively hooked in a respective bottom hook hole 
17 at the base 1 of each of the electric jacks. 
FIG. 11 shows still another alternate form of the present invention. This 
alternate form is similar to the embodiment shown in Figures from 6 
through 8. However, in Figures from 6 through 8, the two electric jacks 
are longitudinally connected together with the respective cover 2 disposed 
at the same side. In FIG. 11, a first electric jack is turned upside down, 
and then connected to the second electric jack. 
FIGS. 9 and 10 show still another alternate form of the present invention. 
This alternate form is similar to the embodiment shown in Figures from 6 
through 8, however the electric jacks are provided with respective metal 
terminals 33, and the metal terminals 33 each have a curved front contact 
portion 331. When installed, the curved front contact portions 331 of the 
metal terminals 33 in one electric jack are respectively disposed in 
contact with the curved front contact portions 331 of the metal terminal 
33 in the other electric jack. 
Figures from 12 through 14 show still another alternate form of the present 
invention. According to this alternate form, the base 1 has bottom 
mounting hooks 14 respectively hooked in respective mounting holes at a 
circuit board 6, and the metal terminals 33 each have an angled connecting 
end respectively fastened to respective contact hole at the circuit board 
6. 
It is to be understood that the drawings are designed for purposes of 
illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and 
scope of the invention disclosed.