Abstract:
An electrical adapter for identifying the connection state to a network is presented. The adapter comprises a first member and a second member. The first member comprises a male end that is substantially similar in shape to a connector plug, and which electrically connects to a wall outlet or a female receptacle. A first female end is disposed at another end of the first member, which includes a hollow cylinder member and a display window. The second member comprises a second female end which comprises a push latch and a mark for identifying a connection state to a network. When the second member is pushed forward, the second female end is engaged with the first female end via the push latch, and a display window displays the mark that identifies the electrical adapter&#39;s connection state to the network.

Description:
[0001]    This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Taiwan Patent Application 101115432, filed on Apr. 30, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical adapter for identifying a connection state to a network, and particularly to a novel electrical adapter, such that while a network connector is still inserted into a network port of a device, there is no need to unplug the cord to disable the network for the device. 
         [0003]    A signal transmission cable, such as a telephone line, an optical fiber wire, an Ethernet cord and the like, is usually connected to a wall outlet or a corresponding female receptacle on another device through a flexible conductor or conductive wire with a plug-in connector at its end. The conventional RJ11, 8P8C (also called RJ45), MT-RJ and LC optical fiber connectors are all examples of the plug-in connector. 
         [0004]    A computer system is normally connected to a certain type of network for resource sharing. Examples of these types of networks include Internet, Wide Area Networks (WAN) and Local Area Networks (LAN). In order to tap onto a network, such as a LAN, a client computer must employ a wireless or hard-wired method to be coupled to the LAN. The common hard-wired method employs the conventional RJ45 connector. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the plug of the conventional RJ45 connector. As shown, the conventional RJ45 plug  100  is basically made of plastic, and comprises a flexible retention latch  130  and a latch base  120 . The retention latch  130  is also known as a connector tab or a latching tab, and is integrally formed as a part of RJ45 plug  100  by die casting. The retention latch  130  is composed of a thinner flexible section  132  coupled to the latch base  120  and a stem  134 . The connection between the flexible section  132  and the stem  134  is provided with a pair of shoulders  136  as lock points. There is a vacant space  138  between the retention latch  130  and a body of the RJ45 plug  100  such that the retention latch  130  can be flexed in the vacant space  138 . The rear end of the RJ45 plug  100  is attached to a network cable  110 . Furthermore, the conventional RJ11, Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack (MT-RJ), and LC optical fiber plugs all have the flexible retention latch. 
         [0006]    When the RJ45 plug  100  is inserted into a wall outlet or a network port on a computer system, the retention latch  130  on the plug  100  is flexed when crossing a pair of separated retention lips  139  inside a female receptacle  200 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , and is snapped in to engage a pair of shoulders  136  of the retention latch  130  with a pair of separated retention lips  139  inside the female receptacle  200 , and then form the locked attachment with the female receptacle  200 . While disconnecting the RJ 45 plug  100 , the stem  134  of the retention latch  130  extending outside the female receptacle  200  is pressed to disengage the shoulders  136  from the retention lips  139 , so that the RJ45 plug  100  can be removed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    One embodiment of the present invention provides a novel electrical adapter, such that there is no need to unplug the cord for disabling the Internet for a device while a network connector is still inserted into the network port of the device. 
         [0008]    One embodiment of the present invention discloses an electrical adapter for identifying the connection state of network, comprising: a first member, comprising: a male end, disposed at one end of the first member and substantially similar to a connector plug and electrically connected to a wall outlet or a corresponding female receptacle on another device when engaged therewith; a first female end, disposed at another end of the first member and including a hollow cylinder member and a display window; and a second member, comprising a second female end comprising a push latch and a mark for identifying the connection state of network on a surface of the second female end; wherein the push latch is contained in the hollow cylinder member; and wherein when the second member is pushed forward, the second female end is engaged with the first female end via the push latch, and the display window displays the mark of the connection state of network for identification. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only exemplary embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional side view of a prior art conventional RJ45 plug; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a prior art conventional RJ45 plug with damaged retention latch engaged with a RJ45 receptacle; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 3   a  to  3   b  respectively illustrate perspective assembly views of an adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  respectively depict side views of a disconnection state and a connection state for an adapter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention that includes a plurality of adapters and the actual usage state thereof; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 6-1   a  and  6 - 1   b  depict the side views of the second portion of the adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6-1   c  depicts a perspective view of a rotor member according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6-2   a  depicts a cross-sectional view of an actuator member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6-2   b  depicts a cross-sectional view of a rotor member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6-2   c  illustrates a side view showing the rotor member and the actuator member being completely engaged in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6-3   a  and  6 - 3   b  depict other side views of the second portion of an adapter connected with a spring in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6-4  depicts another side view showing the second portion of an adapter inserted into a hollow cylinder member inside the first female end of the first portion in accordance with an embodiment if the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6-5   a  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the hollow cylinder member depicted in 
           [0023]      FIG. 6-4 ; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 6-5   b  is a plan view of a surface covering 120 degrees of an inner wall of the hollow cylinder member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    In a network environment under normal operation, the network administrator sometimes wants to disable the network while the network connector is still inserted into the network port of a device (computer system). For example, while administrating a server room, there are many Ethernet cords and/or network ports. The network administrator sometimes wants to unplug an Ethernet cord to disable the Internet for some devices, but possibly forgets at a later time the correct network port that originally corresponding to the cord. Moreover, while configuring a network room, the network administrator sometimes want to plug the Ethernet cord into a network port of a device, but does not want to actually enable the Internet (i.e., a connection to a network, such as the Internet, a LAN, etc.). Therefore, there is a need for a practical and reliable solution for meeting the requirement of actually disabling the network while the network connector is still inserted into the network port of a device. 
         [0026]    One or more embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The disclosed embodiment(s) are only used for illustration, while the person skilled in the art should understand there can be a lot of modifications and variations. While referring to the figures, the same reference numbers represent the same parts in all figures. 
         [0027]    The present invention is designed to be able to disable the Internet for a device with no need to unplug the network connector from a network port of the device. For convenience of description, the embodiment disclosed by the present invention employs RJ45 as the example. The person skilled in the art should understand the present invention should be similarly suitable for an RJ11 plug, an MT-RJ plug or an LC optical fiber plug. 
         [0028]    With reference now to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   b,  an illustration of perspective assembly views of an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention is presented. As shown in  FIG. 3   a , the adapter  300  in one embodiment is constructed of plastic, and comprises a first portion  301  (i.e., a “first member”) and a second portion  302  (i.e., a “second member”). One end of the first portion  301  is a male end  309  similar to an RJ45 plug  100 , and the other end is a first female end  340  with a display window  303 . A user easily determines if the network is disabled through the display window  303  with no need to unplug the network connector for disabling the network. According an embodiment of the present invention, a color appears in the display window  303  to identify whether the connection to the network is enabled/disabled (connected/disconnected). For example, a green color indicates the network is still connected, and a red color indicates the network is disabled. The determination/configuration of the display window  303  may be assigned by the actual situation, which is not limited by the present invention. 
         [0029]    The first female end  340  further comprises electrical contacts (not shown) for electrically connecting with the electrical contacts (not shown) of the RJ45 plug inserted into a second portion  302 . The male end  309  is substantially similar to a RJ45 connector  100  in shape, and comprises a flexible retention latch  330  and a latch base  320 . The retention latch  330  is composed of a flexible section  332  coupled to the latch base  320  and a stem  334 . The connection between the flexible section  332  and the stem  334  is provided with a pair of shoulders  336  as lock points. When the adapter  300  is inserted into a wall outlet or a corresponding female receptacle  308  on another device, such as a computer system, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modem and the like, the pair of shoulders  336  are engaged with a pair of separated retention lips inside the female receptacle  308 , and form the locked attachment (not shown) with the female receptacle  308 . The male end  309  further comprises electrical contacts (not shown) for electrically connecting the adapter  300  with a wall outlet or a corresponding female receptacle  308  on another device. 
         [0030]    The second portion  302  comprises a second female end  310  which may accommodate an RJ45 plug  307 . The surface of the second female end has two colors, i.e., a green zone  305  and a red zone  304 . As shown in  FIG. 3   b , when the RJ45 plug  307  is inserted into the second portion  302  and pushed forward such that the display window  303  of the first portion  301  shows the green color, the electrical contacts included in the RJ45 plug  307  are electrically connected with the electrical contacts (not shown) of the first female end  340 . 
         [0031]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  respectively depict the side views of a disconnection state and a connection state for the adapter  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first female end  340  of the first portion  301  comprises a network cable  410 , which is electrically connected with the electrical contacts of the inserted RJ45 plug  307 . The first female end  340  further comprises a hollow cylinder member  604  for accommodating a push latch  430 . The push latch  430  comprises a rotor member  601 , an actuator member  610  and a spring  603 . The detailed content will be further described by referring to  FIGS. 6-1  to  6 - 5 . When the spring  603  is loosened, the inserted RJ45 plug  307  is not electrically connected with the adapter  300 . However, when the spring  603  is not loosened (i.e., is compressed) and the push latch  430  is locked, the inserted RJ45 plug  307  is electrically connected with the adapter  300  according to the present invention. The RJ45 plug  307  comprises electrical contacts to be electrically connected with the network cable  410  of the first portion  301 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention that includes a plurality of adapters  300  and the actual usage state thereof. It should be recognized that the first and the fifth adapters  504  are under a state of electrical disconnection, and the second to fourth adapters  502  are under a state of electrical connection. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 6-1   a  and  6 - 1   b  depict the side views of the second portion  302  of the adapter  300  depicted in  FIGS. 3   a - 3   b.  As shown in  FIGS. 6-1   a  and  6 - 1   b,  the second portion  302  comprises a second female end  310  which can accommodate a RJ45 plug  307 , as well as an actuator member  610  (as depicted in  FIG. 6-1   a ). The actuator member  610  comprises an actuator  602  and a rod  612 . 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 6-2   a,  in one embodiment the actuator  602  has a toothed edge comprising six peaks, and comprises six equidistant protruding ears  606  which respectively have a radial thickness of b and extend outward from the exterior of the peaks. As shown in  FIG. 6-3   a,  a rod  612  may be inserted into a rotor member  601  (as shown in the perspective view of  FIG. 6-1   c ), and the rotor member  601  may be engaged with the actuator  602 . As shown in  FIG. 6-2   b,  the rotor member  601  has a toothed edge comprising three peaks, and comprises three equidistant protruding ears  605  which respectively have a radial thickness a and extend outwardly from the exterior of the peaks. The radial thickness a is larger than the radial thickness b. As shown in  FIG. 6-1   c , atop each of the protruding ears  605  is a sloped surface. Another end of the rotor member  601  comprises a chassis  608  extending to the protruding ears  605 . The chassis may be a hollow annular disk only covering the protruding ears  605  and a body  609  of the rotor member  601 .  FIG. 6-2   c  illustrates a side view showing the actuator  602  and the rotor member  601  when completely engaged. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 6-3   a  and  6 - 3   b  depict other side views of the second potion  302  of the adapter  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention connected with a spring. As shown, after the rod  612  is inserted into the rotor member  601 , a spring  603  is then put around the rod  612  to be against the chassis  608  of the rotor member  601 .  FIG. 6-4  depicts another side view showing an embodiment of the present invention in which the second portion  302  of the adapter  300  is inserted into a hollow cylinder member  604  inside the first female end  340  of the first portion  301 .  FIG. 6-5A  is a cross-sectional view of the hollow cylinder member  604  of  FIG. 6-4  along line  6 - 5   a   6 - 5   a.  This cross-sectional view is thus depicted in  FIG. 6-5   a.    
         [0036]      FIG. 6-5   b  is a plan view of a surface covering 120 degrees of an inner wall of the hollow cylinder member  604 . The hollow cylinder member  604  comprises tracks  614 , which allow the protruding ears  605  of the rotor member  601  to slide in, and tracks  616  which allow the protruding ears  606  of the actuator  602  to slide in. Because the radial thickness (a) of each of the protruding ears  605  of the rotor member  601  is larger than the radial thickness (b) of each of the protruding ears  606  of the actuator  602 , the protruding ears  605  of the rotor member  601  cannot slide in the tracks  616 . 
         [0037]    When the second portion  302  is pushed forward to make the actuator  602  push the rotor member  601  at the first time (i.e., at time “Ti”) and the L 2  point (depicted in  FIG. 6-2   c ) of the rotor member  601  exceeds the L 1  point of the hollow cylinder member  604 , the actuator  602  and the rotor member  601  will be completely engaged, as shown in  FIG. 6-2   c,  and the rotor member  601  may be rotated along a small angle, and the slope surface of one of the protruding ears  605  of the rotor member  601  may further slide along the slope surface at the L 1  point. As described, because the radial thickness (a) of each of the protruding ears  605  is larger than the radial thickness (b) of each of the protruding ears  606 , the rotor member  601  cannot slide in the tracks  616 , and thus stays at the entrances of the tracks  616 . At this time, the spring  603  is not loosened (compressed), so that the adapter  300  is under a state of electrical connection, and thus is in an “ON” state. 
         [0038]    When the second portion  302  is pushed forward to make the actuator  602  push the rotor member  601  at the second time (i.e., at time “T 2 ”, which is subsequent to time “Ti”), and the L 2  point of the rotor member  601  exceeds the L 3  point of the hollow cylinder member  604 , the actuator  602  and the rotor member  601  are completely engaged, as shown in  FIG. 6-2   c,  and the rotor member  601  may be rotated along a small angle, and the slope surface of one of the protruding ears  605  of the rotor member  601  may further slide along the slope surface at the L 3  point. As depicted and described herein, the protruding ears  605  can slide in the tracks  614 . At this time, the spring  603  is loosened and the second female end  310  is withdrawn, so that the adapter  300  is under a state of electrical disconnection, and thus is in an “OFF” state. 
         [0039]    Although in the embodiment according to the present invention the RJ45 plug is taken as an example, the RJ11 plug, the MT-RJ plug and LC optical fiber plug can also be used in the embodiment. The term “RJxx” is used for indicating the plugs including the RJ45 plug and the RJ11 plug. Furthermore, the push latch in the present invention may have many other forms, such as described in the embodiments disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,319,106, US 5,043,546 or US 6,585,388. 
         [0040]    Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
         [0041]    Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all described embodiments of the invention. 
         [0042]    The foregoing detailed description of the embodiments is used to further clearly describe the features and spirit of the present invention. The foregoing description for each embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Hence, the scope of the present invention should be interpreted broadly according to the claims presented in connection with the detailed description, and cover all the possibly equivalent variations and equivalent arrangements.