Patent Publication Number: US-8113858-B1

Title: Cable connector having switching function

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electronic connector, and more particularly, to a cable connector having switching function. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The electronic connector is primarily an adapter used in various electronic products for an electronic transmission. All kinds of electronic connectors have been developed with advancing electronic industry. It is a common application for utilizing a cable to electrically connect different electronic devices therebetween. When assembling the cable to the electronic device, it has to add an electronic connector to an end of the cable. The electronic connector is then connected to a conjugate connector of the electronic device such that an electronic connection and data transmission can be achieved. Therefore, cable connectors are developed and are widely used today. 
     The cable connector is usually used to connect the cable to a circuit board of the electronic device for transmitting electronic signals through the connections established between conductive terminals of the cable connector. However, a conventional cable connector does not have switch terminals for determining whether the cable is inserted or pulled out and determining some circuit states of the connected circuit board of the electronic device. To achieve the determination of circuit state as mentioned above, a traditional way is to add a determination circuit to the circuit board of the electronic device, correspondingly. However, this will greatly increase a manufacturing cost. 
     Therefore, it needs to develop a cable connector having switching function for solving the above disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the present invention is to provide a cable connector having switching function to fulfill circuit state determination by disposing a switch terminal set for improving the above mentioned conventional skills. 
     To achieve the above objective, a cable connector provided in the present invention has switching function. The cable connector comprises an insulating body and also comprises a conductive terminal set, a switch conductive terminal set, a linkage member, and a pushing member assembled in the insulating body, the insulating body comprising a base and a side cover, the base having a front wall which is perforated to form an inserting hole that is provided for being inserted by a cable; the conductive terminal set assembled in the base, the conductive terminal set comprising a fixed conductive terminal and a movable conductive terminal, the fixed conductive terminal connecting to a lower end of the movable conductive terminal, an upper end of the movable conductive terminal being perforated to form a slot facing the inserting hole, a lower end of the fixed conductive terminal being extended from the base, an upper end of the fixed conductive terminal being extended to the slot and able to be moved relative to the slot; the switch terminal set assembled in the base, the switch terminal set comprising a fixed switch terminal and a movable switch terminal, an upper end of the fixed switch terminal and an upper end of the movable switch terminal forming a detachable connection, a lower end of the fixed switch terminal and a lower end of the movable switch terminal being extended from the base; the linkage member pivoted in the base, an upper end of the linkage member connecting to a middle portion of the movable conductive terminal, the upper end of the movable switch terminal being placed against a lower end of the linkage member; and the pushing member slidably assembled in the base for pressing down onto the movable conductive terminal. 
     Above all, the cable connector having switching function in the present invention can fulfill circuit state determination by the cooperation of the switch terminal set, the linkage member, the pushing member, and other elements, in which inserting a cable into the cable connector and pulling out the cable from the cable connector can corresponds to the “turned-on” state and the “turned-off” state of the switch terminal set. When the cable connector is in a normal state, the linkage member can press downward to the movable switch terminal such that the movable switch terminal is connected to the fixed switch terminal (the switch terminal set is in a “turned-on” state). When the pushing member is pushed to another position to press the movable conductive terminal, the movement of the movable conductive terminal can induce a rotation of the linkage member such that the pressure on the movable switch terminal is released. Therefore, the movable switch terminal is separated with the fixed switch terminal (the switch terminal set is in a “turned-off” state). In the meantime, the downward movement of the movable conductive terminal makes the slot moved down as well such that the slot is aligned with the inserting hole. The cable can be inserted into the slot and stuck in the slot. At this moment, the switch terminal set will be still in the “turned-off” state when the movable conductive terminal is forced down due to the insertion of the cable. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cable connector having switching function in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the cable connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the cable connector of the present invention after removing a side cover. 
         FIG. 4  to  FIG. 7  are diagrams showing four different states of the cable connector shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to illustrate the techniques, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in details, embodiments are provided in conjunction with drawings and are described as follows. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 3 , a cable connector  10  of the present invention has switching function. The cable connector  10  comprises an insulating body  100  and also comprises a conductive terminal set  200 , a switch terminal set  300 , a linkage member  400 , and a pushing member  500  assembled in the insulating body  100 . 
     The insulating body  100  comprises a base  110  and a side cover  120 . The base  110  has a chamber  111  for accommodating the conductive terminal set  200 , the switch terminal set  300 , the linkage member  400 , and the pushing member  500 . The base  100  has a front wall which is perforated to form an inserting hole  113 . The inserting hole  113  and the chamber  111  are communicated and the inserting hole  113  is provided for being inserted by a cable  600  (shown in  FIG. 6 ). Preferably, in the present embodiment, the inserting hole  113  is a V-shaped hole or a hole having a funnel shape for being convenient to be inserted by the cable  600 . Specifically, the chamber  111  has a first protruded stand  112   a  and a second protruded stand  112   b  disposed therein. The second protruded stand  112   b  has a fixed shaft  114  extended therefrom for assembling the linkage member  400 . The base  110  further has three protruded shafts  115   a ,  115   b , and  115   c  disposed thereon, wherein the protruded shafts  115   a  and  115   b  are extended from the first protruded stand  112   a . Correspondingly, the side cover  120  is perforated to form fixing bores  121   a ,  121   b ,  121   c , and  122  which respectively correspond to the protruded shafts  115   a ,  115   b , and  115   c , and the fixed shaft  114 . The side cover  120  is fastened to the base  110  by engaging the fixing bores  121   a ,  121   b ,  121   c , and  122  with the corresponding protrude shafts  115   a ,  115   b , and  115   c , and the fixed shaft  114 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  again, the conductive terminal set  200  comprises a fixed conductive terminal  210  and a movable conductive terminal  220 . The movable conductive terminal  220  is wound around the second protruded stand  112   b  to form a flexible structure having certain strength. A lower end of the movable conductive terminal  220  is connected to the fixed conductive terminal  210 . An upper end of the movable conductive terminal  220  is perforated to form a slot  221  facing the inserting hole  113 . In the present embodiment, the slot  221  has a rectangular shape. An upper end of the fixed conductive terminal  210  is extended to form a holding plate  211 . An end of the holding plate  211  is extended to the slot  221  and can be moved relative to the slot  221 . A lower end of the fixed conductive terminal  210  has two conductive pins  212   a  and  212   b  formed thereon. The conductive pins  212   a  and  212   b  are extended from the base  110  for being connected to an external circuit. 
     The switch terminal set  300  comprises a fixed switch terminal  310  and a movable switch terminal  320 . An upper end of the movable switch terminal  320  is wound to form a flexible structure having certain strength. The upper end of the movable switch terminal  320  and an upper end of the fixed switch terminal  310  form a detachable connection therebetween. A lower end of the movable switch terminal  320  and a lower end of the fixed switch terminal  310  all are extended from the base  110  for being connected to the external circuit. 
     A middle portion of the linkage member  400  is perforated to form a pivot bore  410 . The linkage member  400  is pivoted in the base  110  by engaging the pivot bore  410  and the fixed shaft  114 . An upper end of the linkage member  400  has a fixing recess  420  formed thereon. A middle portion of the movable conductive terminal  220  has a protrusion  222  formed thereon. The protrusion  222  is stuck in the fixing recess  420  such that the middle portion of the movable conductive terminal  220  is connected to the linkage member  400 . In addition, the upper end of the movable switch terminal  320  is placed against a lower end of the linkage member  400  such that the motion of the movable switch terminal  320  is controllable. 
     The pushing member  500  has a first groove  510  and a second groove  520  respectively formed on two lateral walls thereof. A top portion of the base  110  is perforated to form an opening  116  for accommodating the pushing member  500 . A first ridge  116   a  is formed at one side of the opening  116  for engaging with the first groove  510 . A second ridge  123  is formed on an upper portion of the side cover  120  for engaging with the second groove  520 . Therefore, the pushing member  500  can slide in the opening  116  after assembling to the base  110 . Preferably, the pushing member  500  has an oblique plane  530  facing a bottom surface on a side of the movable conductive terminal  220  such that it is easily to press the movable conductive terminal  220  and move the movable conductive terminal  220  downward. Preferably, the pushing member  500  has a wave-shaped surface  540  formed on a top portion thereof such that friction on a top surface of the pushing member  500  is increased and it is convenient for a user to operate the pushing member  500 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 7 , the working principle of the cable connector  10  having switching function in the present invention will be described in detail as below. 
     When the cable connector  10  of the present invention is in a normal state (as shown in  FIG. 4 ), the pushing member  500  stops on the first protruded stand  112   a  and does not apply any force to the movable conductive terminal  220 . Meanwhile, the linkage member  400  can press downward to the movable switch terminal  320  such that the movable switch terminal  320  is connected to the fixed switch terminal  310  (the switch terminal set  300  is in a “turned-on” state). When the pushing member  500  is pushed to a position shown in  FIG. 5 , the movable conductive terminal  220  is moved downward under the pressure of the pushing member  500 . The movement of the movable conductive terminal  220  further induces a rotation of the linkage member  400  (rotating in a clockwise direction as shown in  FIG. 5 ) such that the pressure on the movable switch terminal  320  is released. Therefore, the holding plate  211  of the upper end of the fixed conductive terminal  210  is moved up relative to the slot  221  and the movable switch terminal  320  is separated with the fixed switch terminal  310  (the switch terminal set  300  is in a “turned-off” state). In the meantime, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the downward movement of the movable conductive terminal  220  makes the slot  221  moved down as well such that the slot  221  is aligned with the inserting hole  113 . The cable  600  can be inserted into the slot  221  and stuck in the slot  221 . At this moment, even when the pushing member  500  is pushed away from the movable conductive terminal  220 , the switch terminal set  300  will be still in the “turned-off” state, as shown in  FIG. 7 . This is because the movable conductive terminal  220  is forced down due to the insertion of the cable  600 . 
     Above all, the cable connector  10  having switching function in the present invention can fulfill circuit state determination by the cooperation of the switch terminal set  300 , the linkage member  400 , the pushing member  500 , and other elements, in which inserting the cable  600  into the cable connector  10  and pulling out the cable  600  from the cable connector  10  can corresponds to the “turned-on” state and the “turned-off” state of the switch terminal set  300 .