Abstract:
A tool-free microphone connector assembly with non-threaded engagement between parts is provided. New improvements in the present invention include a main body housing, a rear sleeve, and an annular tightening loop. The main body housing comprises a pressing button disposed thereon, a locking tube with a non-threaded outer tubular surface, and two projecting locking pieces. Each projecting locking body defines a locking contact and a guiding slope. The rear sleeve of flexure materials comprises a through bore at its one end and an engaging contact at the other end.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a microphone connector assembly, particularly to one firmly attached together as a unit through non-threaded engagement and without applying assembly tools. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A microphone is provided with a microphone connector for connection with a cable. A conventional microphone connector comprises a main body  1 ′, a plurality of terminals  2 ′, a cylindrical main body housing  3 ′, a cord clamping sleeve  4 ′, and a rear sleeve  5 ′, as shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . Most conventional microphone connectors resort to threaded engagement in assembly, and may also require tools in assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,601 by Lin is one of these cases: a rear male threaded portion is engaged with a rotatable constrict ring for securing. Furthermore, a screw is utilized in fastening the rotatable constrict ring to the microphone through a threaded hole of the rotatable constrict ring. 
         [0005]    For more related arts of the present invention, please refer to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . The main body  1 ′ is configured with several through-holes  11 ′ for insertion of a plurality of terminals  2 ′. The end of terminals  2 ′ connects to a cable  6 ′ to conduct electricity. An elastic piece  21 ′ is disposed at the other end of the main body  1 ′, opposite to the end of terminals  2 ′. The main body housing  3 ′, which receives the main body  1 ′, is a hollow cylinder composed of three cylindrical sections of various diameters. On the lateral side of the middle cylindrical section of the main body housing  3 ′ is provided with a pressing button  31 ′. The pressing button  31  ′ can be pressed down to reach against the elastic piece  21 ′ of the main body  1 ′. The engaging member  311 ′, next to the pressing button  31 ′, is attached to the main body  1 ′ in assembly. An annular threaded wall  32 ′ is disposed upon the outer surface of the rear cylindrical section of the main body housing  3 ′. 
         [0006]    A cord clamp  4 ′ is composed of several cord clamping posts  43 ′, each in the shape of a divided section of a headed cone. A plurality of axially extended grooves  41 ′ are formed in between neighboring cord clamping posts  43 ′. A cord receiving space  42 ′ is defined by its surrounding cord clamping post  43 ′. 
         [0007]    The rear sleeve  5 ′, shaped like an ice-cream cone with both ends open, is hollow within and is configured with through bores  51 ′ for a cable  6 ′ to go through. At the rear end of the rear sleeve  5 ′ is provided with a threaded section  52 ′ for engaging with the annular threaded wall  32 ′ of the main body housing  3 ′. Corresponding to the cord clamping posts  43 ′ is disposed a compressing member  53 ′ inside the rear sleeve  5 ′. 
         [0008]    When in assembly, the terminals  2 ′ (disposed inside the main body  1 ′) first connects to the cable  6 ′, which goes in through the cord clamp  4 ′ and the rear sleeve  5 ′. The main body  1 ′ and the cord clamp  4 ′ are then housed inside the main body housing  3 ′. Finally, the threaded section  52 ′ of the rear sleeve  5 ′ is rotated to mesh in with the annular threaded wall  32 ′ of the main body housing  3 ′. As a result, both the main body  1 ′ and the terminals  2 ′ are housed inside the main body housing  3 ′ as well as the rear sleeve in such a way that the former (i.e. the main body  1 ′ and the terminals  2 ′) will not easily fall off from the main body housing  3 ′. 
         [0009]    A disadvantage associated with the above-referenced prior art is that in assembly of the product, manual rotation for a threaded engaging is required between the threaded section  52 ′ (of the rear sleeve  5 ′) and the annular threaded wall  32 ′ (of the main body housing  3 ′). A second disadvantage is that a loose attachment between the microphone and the connector may occur when the microphone is inappropriate or accidentally rotated, which loosens up the threaded engagement between the threaded section  52 ′ and the annular threaded wall  32 ′. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    It is the goal of this invention to provide some feasible solutions for the defects encountered in the afore-mentioned prior arts. In it therefore an object of this invention to provide a tool-free microphone connector assembly with non-threaded engagement in assembly. 
         [0011]    Compared with the prior arts, improvements in the present invention are made in the following ways. 
         [0012]    1. The annular threaded wall (located at the rear end of the cylindrical main body housing) in the related prior arts is replaced with an annular non-threaded wall with two projecting locking bodies, configured on the top and bottom thereof. Each locking piece has a guiding slope inclined toward the center of the annular engaging tube. 
         [0013]    2. A barrel-like rear sleeve is configured to correspond to the physical structure of the main body housing equipped with projecting locking bodies in such a way that the former (i.e. the rear sleeve) is locked with the later (i.e. the main body housing). For the unitary appearance of the final product, the thickness of the engaging piece of the barrel-like rear sleeve is made to correspond essentially to its to-be-engaged partner of the main body housing. 
         [0014]    One advantage associated with the present invention is that the unique physical construction of the main body housing together with the rear sleeve offer a tool-free convenient assembly. A second advantage is that the projecting locking body (of the main body housing) comes in direct contact with the corresponding rear side of the elastic piece (of the rear sleeve), ensuring stability of assembly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates the initial assembly processing of the first preferred embodiment in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates the assembly processing after the step shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is the assembly view of the first preferred embodiments in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the second preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  illustrates the essential parts in assembling a conventional microphone connector; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a conventional microphone connector. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    Parts or elements referred to in the invention with a symmetrical structure and identical functions are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the entire disclosure. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the first preferred embodiment of this invention includes the following parts: a main body  1 , a plurality of terminals  2 , a main body housing  3 , a cord clamp  4 , a rear sleeve  5  and an annular tightening loop  6 . 
         [0026]    Similar to the above-discussed prior art, several through holes  11  are configured in the main body  1  for disposing terminals  2 , as  FIG. 1  shows. The main body housing  3 , which receives the main body  1 , is a hollow cylinder composed of cylindrical sections of various diameters, the front, intermediate, and the rear tube. A pressing button  31  is disposed on the outer wall of the intermediate cube, which can elastically move up and down. The rear tube, the locking tube  32 , is covered by a non-threaded outer tubular surface  324 , and is further configured with two projecting locking bodies  321  (also shown in  FIG. 5 ) on the top and bottom of the non-threaded outer tubular surface  324 . Each projecting locking body  321  defines a locking contact  323 , and a guiding slope  322  inclining towards the center of the locking tube  32 . 
         [0027]    The cord clamp  4  is also similar to the previously discussed prior art, composed of several cord clamping posts  43 , each in the shape of a divided section of a headed cone. A plurality of axially extended grooves  41  are formed in between neighboring cord clamping posts  43 . A cord receiving space  42  is defined by its surrounding cord clamping posts  43 . 
         [0028]    The barrel-like rear sleeve  5  is hollow within, made of materials of flexure with a through bore  51  at its one end and an engaging contact  52  at the other. The engaging contact  52  defines an engaging opening  520 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the thickness a of the engaging contact  52  is made to correspond to the margin b in such a way that the size of a is somewhat less than b. The margin b is defined as the axial distance between a point A on the circumference of the non-threaded outer tubular surface  324 , and a point B on the circumference of the intermediate tube (of the main body housing  3 ); an imaginary line connecting point A and B shall go through the center of the main body housing  3 . 
         [0029]    Two engaging slots  521  are provided over the engaging contact  52 , each corresponding to the projecting locking body  321  (of the main body housing  3 ). Inside the engaging slot  521  is disposed an elastic piece  522 , flanked on both lateral sides with a cavity  523 , and equipped in the front with a plurality of inlets  524 . The elastic piece  522  can move with flexure by way of these inlets  524 . The rear side  525  of the elastic piece  2  corresponds to the outer front side of the projecting locking body  321  in such a way that the former (i.e. the elastic piece  2 ) becomes in contact against the later (i.e. the projecting locking body  321 ) after being assembled. An annular female groove  526  is provided over the outer surface of the engaging piece  52 . Inside the rear sleeve  5  is further configured with a compressing portion  53 , which can be in close contact with the cord clamping post  43 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , sequential steps in assembly are given below. As the first step, a plurality of terminals  2  are inserted inside the through-holes  11  of the main body  1  in such a way that the cable  7  is electrically communicated to terminals  2 . As  FIG. 3  shows, the cable  7  then extends through the cord clamp  4  and the rear sleeve  5 , and the main body  1  and the cord clamp  4  are housed inside of the main body housing  3 . 
         [0031]    Referring again to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the rear sleeve  5  is then displaced in such a way that the engaging opening  520  (of the engaging piece  52 ) is mounted onto the rear of the main body housing  3  by way of the flexure property of the engaging opening  520 . As a result, the projecting locking body  321  fits into the engaging slot  521 . As a final step in assembly, the annular tightening loop  6  is mounted over its corresponding annular female groove  526 , and covers up the engaging slot  521 . Since the projecting locking body  321  is configured to correspond the rear side  525  of the elastic piece  2 , the rear sleeve  52  is firmly secured. Even when a user inappropriately rotates the microphone he is holding (not shown in the figures), the rear sleeve will not fall off. 
         [0032]    Furthermore, due to its flexure, the elastic piece  522  is capable of displacing along the guiding slope  322  when the rear sleeve  52  is mounted onto the main body housing  3 , and is also capable of returning back to its original position when the engaging slot  521  is placed at the projecting locking body  321 , contributing to great convenience in assembly of the present invention. As a final touch for adding to the overall unitary appearance and the positioning of parts, the annular tightening loop  6  covers up the engaging slot  521 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. At the rear of the main body receiver  8  is provided a fixing member  81  with the bore  811 . While at the front of the back sleeve  9  are disposed fixing opening  90 , and fixing part  91 . Corresponding to the bore  811 , the fixing body  911  (of the fixing part  91 ) is provided. Due to its flexure property, the back sleeve  9  can be displaced to engage the rear of the main body receiver  8 , while the fixing body  911  is fixed with the bore  811 . 
         [0034]    While the present invention has been described in connection with the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangement included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.