Connector and housing thereof

A connector and the housing thereof, which is equipped with at least one light emitting element having at least one lead, are disclosed. The connector includes at least one connecting base, at least one light emitting element, and a housing. The housing covers at least a portion of the connecting base and has a body and at least one fastening structure. The light emitting element is accommodated in the body, and the fastening structure is connected with the body and fastens the lead of the light emitting element so as to connect and fix the light emitting element with the body.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 095147378, filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Dec. 18, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a connector and a housing thereof, and more particularly to a connector and a housing thereof equipped with a light emitting element.

2. Related Art

With rapid development of information technology, the applications of computers have become widespread. Since computers connect with the Internet and rapid development of network technology, people can quickly obtain the required information from the Internet or provide a variety of information services to others. Therefore, it has become a trend of the information era to connect computers or peripheral devices with the network.

In the prior art, the network and various kinds of conventional connectors are used to link electronic devices distributed at different places for signal and information exchanges. As shown inFIG. 1, a conventional connector1is made by combination of a housing12and four connecting bases11. Each connecting base11has a jack111and a plurality of terminals112embedded in the jack111. The jack111allows a plug101of at least one external connecting wire10to be inserted in for performing signal transmission. Both the jack111and the plug101have to satisfy a standard requirement.

In order to display different operation states of the network or electronic device connected with the connector1, the connector1is equipped with several light emitting diodes (LED)13, respectively disposed in the housing12corresponding to the connecting bases11so as to indicate the operation of each corresponding connecting bases11for identification. During the assembly process of the LEDs13and the housing12, the housing12has several sliding slots121for respectively allowing several leads131of the LEDs13to slide until appropriate positions. Afterwards, the glue14is dispensed around the leads131, and then the glue14is cured by baking so that the step of fixing the leads131to the housing12is completed.

However, once, only one or several LEDs13is out of functions, or the housing12is out of order during testing the assembled connector1with the LEDs13, the entire connector1has to be thrown away. Therefore, the production cost is increased. Moreover, the glue-dispensing and baking steps not only lower the production efficiency and increase working hour, but also raise the risk of defective rate of products due to mistakes caused by manual glue dispensing.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides a connector and a housing thereof that can raise the production efficiency and yield, and lower the production cost.

A housing of a connector according to the present invention which the connector is equipped with at least one light emitting element. The light emitting element has at least one lead. The housing includes a body and at least one fastening structure. The light emitting element is accommodated in the body. The fastening structure is connected with the body and fastens the lead of the light emitting element so as to connect and fix the light emitting element with the body.

A connector according to the present invention includes at least one light emitting element and a housing. The light emitting element has at least one lead. The housing has a body and at least one fastening structure. The light emitting element is accommodated in the body. The fastening structure is connected with the body and fastens the lead of the light emitting element so as to connect and fix the light emitting element with the body.

As mentioned above, a connector and the housing thereof according to the present invention utilize a fastening structure for fastening the leads of the light emitting element to the housing. In comparison with the prior art, the present invention avoids the steps of glue dispensing and baking for fixing the leads of the light emitting element to the housing. This can not only simplify the assembly between the light emitting elements and the housing, but also decrease the risk of defective rate of products due to mistakes caused by manual glue dispensing. As the results, the production efficiency and yield can be effectively raised, and also the production cost is lowered. Moreover, if rework is required after testing, the light emitting elements can be readily separated from the housing by simply releasing the fastening state between the fastening structure and the lead of the light emitting element. Thus, the operation of rework is facilitated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Please refer toFIGS. 2 and 3, a connector2according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes at least one light emitting element22and a housing23. In this embodiment, the connector2can be an RJ-11 connector, an RJ-12 connector, an RJ-45 connector or a USB connector. In this embodiment, the connector2further includes at least one receiving hole211and a plurality of terminals212.

The connector2in this embodiment includes four receiving hole211and four light emitting elements22, as an example. However, the amount of receiving hole211and the light emitting elements22can not be limited to this example. It can be changed according to practical requirement. The terminals212are embedded in the receiving hole211for allowing a plug (not shown) of an external connecting wire to be connected and coupled with. Also, the housing23has a plurality of pins24electrically connected with the terminals212, so that when the plug of the external connecting wire is inserted into the receiving hole211and the plug is coupled with the terminals212, the connector2performs signal transmission with an external system (not shown) through the terminals212.

The housing23has a body231and at least one fastening structure232. The body231covers at least a portion of the receiving hole211. The fastening structure232is connected with the body231. The fastening structure232can be integrally formed as a single piece with the body231. In this embodiment, the fastening structure232is directly formed at one surface of the body231. However, this is only an example and should not be used to restrict the present invention. The fastening structure232and the body231can be two separate components which are combined and connected with each other by adhering, wedging, locking or welding.

In this embodiment, the fastening structure232has a stopping hole232aand a fastening part232b. The fastening part232bis disposed adjacent to the stopping hole232a. More explicitly, the fastening part232bis disposed along one side of the stopping hole232a. The fastening part232bcan be elastically deformed, and the fastening part232bis a protruding block or a hook.

The light emitting elements22are accommodated in the body231of the housing23. Each light emitting element22has at least one lead221. In this embodiment, each light emitting element22has two leads221as an example. The leads221pass through the sliding slots233of the housing23and can slide freely therein. The elastic deformation of the fastening part232bfastens the lead221of the light emitting element22so that the light emitting element22can be fastened to the body231of the housing23. The leads221of the light emitting element22are disposed corresponding to the positions of the receiving hole211. The light emitting elements22provide an indication function. For example, the light emitting elements22display and show the connecting state between the external connecting wires and the terminals212. Besides, the body231in the circumference of receiving hole211is formed with at least one opening25for exposing a portion of the light emitting element22so that the lights emitted from the light emitting element22can be exhausted outside. The light emitting element22can be a light emitting diode (LED), an organic electroluminescent device (OLED) or a laser diode (LD).

In summary, a connector and the housing thereof according to the present invention utilize a fastening structure for fastening the leads of the light emitting element to the housing. In comparison with the prior art, the present invention avoids the steps of glue dispensing and baking for fixing the leads of the light emitting element to the housing. This can not only simplify the assembly between the light emitting elements and the housing, but also decrease the risk of defective rate of products due to mistakes caused by manual glue dispensing. As the results, the production efficiency and yield can be effectively raised, and also the production cost is lowered. Moreover, if rework is required after testing, the light emitting elements can be readily separated from the housing by simply releasing the fastening state between the fastening structure and the lead of the light emitting element. Thus, the operation of rework is facilitated.