Patent Publication Number: US-8529297-B2

Title: Network connector structure

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to connectors, in particular to a network connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As the electronic industry blooms, various electronic devices are continuously developed and introduced in our life. In order to input a control instruction to control the electronic devices or transmit data between the electronic devices, most electronic devices are equipped with a plurality of connectors installed on a motherboard. Signals transmitted and received by various connectors are encoded/decoded by at least one integrated circuit (IC) installed on a motherboard. For example, a RJ-45 network connector is electrically coupled to a motherboard of an electronic device, and an external network circuit is connected for receiving external network signals. After the network connector receives a network signal, the network signal is transmitted to the motherboard, and after a network integrated circuit installed on the motherboard is used for decoding the network signal, a corresponding component such as a central processing unit (CPU) installed on the motherboard is used for operations. On the other hand, if the motherboard needs to transmit a network signal to the outside through the network connector, the network signal is transmitted to the network integrated circuit and encoded first, and then the encoded network signal is transmitted to the outside through the network connector. 
     However, the installed connectors occupy much space on the motherboard, so that the installation of one or more network integrated circuits on the motherboard will waste much precious installation space on the motherboard. In a process of developing electronic devices, miniaturization is a mainstream design factor of the electronic devices, and it is an important subject for related designers and manufacturers to save spaces on the motherboard. 
     Obviously, a novel connector capable of encoding/decoding network signals without installing any additional network integrated circuits required to overcome the problems of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved network connector structure with the functions of encoding and decoding network signals by a network connector without requiring the installation of any additional network integrated circuit on a motherboard of an electronic device. 
     To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention provides an insulating body, a port inwardly formed at a front-end side of the insulating body, and a first circuit board and a second circuit board installed inside the insulating body, wherein the first circuit board and the second circuit board are parallely installed and electrically coupled to each other. The first circuit board is electrically coupled to a plurality of connecting terminals and a plurality of filter elements, and the second circuit board is electrically coupled to at least one network integrated circuit and a plurality of soldered terminals. When the network connector receives a network signal, the network signal is sequentially processed by a filter element and a network integrated circuit installed inside the network connector and then transmitted to the outside 
     Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following effects. The network connector has a built-in network integrated circuit, so that the motherboard no longer requires any installation of additional network integrated circuits to encode/decode the network signal. In other words, it is not necessary to reserve any wiring space on the motherboard for installing the network integrated circuit, so as to save precious installation space on the motherboard. Further, the filter element and the network integrated circuit are integrated into a single network connector, so that the signal compatibility can be tested and calibrated during the manufacture, and the stability of the network connector can be enhanced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is another cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is another cross-sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a further cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a further cross-sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical contents of the present invention will become apparent with the detailed description of preferred embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is noteworthy that the drawings are provided for the purpose of illustrating the present invention only, but not intended for limiting the scope of the invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  for a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a network connector in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the network connector  1  comprises an insulating body  10 , and a port  101  inwardly formed at a front-end side of the insulating body  10  and having a containing space  102  formed in the insulating body  10 . 
     The network connector  1  further includes a first circuit board  12  and a second circuit board  14  installed in the containing space  102  of the insulating body  10 . In the figures, the first circuit board  12  and the second circuit board  14  are installed parallel to each other, and the first circuit board  12  is electrically coupled to the second circuit board  14 . The first circuit board  12  includes a plurality of connecting terminals  11  and a plurality of filter elements  13 , and the plurality of connecting terminals  11  are extendibly installed in the port  101  of the second circuit board  14 . When an external network circuit (not shown in the label) is plugged into the port  101 , the terminals in the network line are respectively and electrically coupled to the plurality of connecting terminals  11  of the port  101  and provided for transmitting network signals through the network connector  1 . More specifically, the network connector  1  of the present invention is a connector with the RJ-45 specification, and the port  101  has a shape corresponding to the shape of the RJ-45 connector, and the quantity of connecting terminals  11  includes but not limited to eight. 
     In this preferred embodiment, the filter element  13  is mainly used for filtering the signal transmitted by the network connector  1 , and the filter element  13  can be comprised of at least one resistor, capacitor, transformer or any combination of the above. In the figure, the filter element  13  is a transformer, but the invention is not limited to transformers only. 
     The second circuit board  14  includes at least one network integrated circuit (IC)  15  and a plurality of soldered terminals  17 , and an end of the plurality of soldered terminals  17  is electrically coupled to the second circuit board  14 , and the other end of the plurality of soldered terminals  17  is extended downwardly and protruded out from the bottom of the network connector  1 . Therefore, the network connector  1  is electrically coupled to a motherboard  2  of an external electronic device through the plurality of soldered terminals  17  and provided for transmitting network signals with the motherboard  2 . 
     The network signal transmitted by the network connector  1  (regardless of being transmitted from the motherboard  2  or from the external network circuit) is encoded/decoded by the network integrated circuit  15  of the second circuit board  14 . Therefore, the motherboard  2  no longer requires any additional installation of another network integrated circuit, so that the space of the motherboard  2  can be saved significantly to achieve the effect of miniaturizing the electronic device. Further, the filter element  13  and the network integrated circuit  15  are integrated into a single network connector  1 , and the signal compatibility can be tested and calibrated during the manufacturing process to enhance the stability of the network connector  1  and lower the manufacturing cost of the electronic device effectively. 
     In this preferred embodiment, the first circuit board  12  and the second circuit board  14  are installed parallel to each other, and the first circuit board  12  and the second circuit board  14  are perpendicular to the motherboard  2  when the network connector  1  is electrically coupled to the motherboard  2 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4  for a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a network connector in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the internal configuration of the network connector  1  is compatible with that as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and the only difference resides on that when the network connector  1  is electrically coupled to the motherboard  2 , the first circuit board  12  and the second circuit board  14  are parallel to the motherboard  2 . 
     The first circuit board  12  further includes a plurality of front-end contacts  121  and a plurality of back-end contacts  122  disposed at positions away from the plurality of front-end contacts  121 ; and the second circuit board  14  also includes a plurality of front-end contacts  142 , and a plurality of back-end contacts  141  disposed at positions away from the plurality of front-end contacts  142 , and the plurality of connecting terminals  11  are electrically coupled to the plurality of front-end contacts  121  of the first circuit board  12 , and electrically coupled to the plurality of filter elements  13  of the first circuit board  12 . An end of the plurality of soldered terminals  17  is electrically coupled to the plurality of front-end contacts  142  of the second circuit board  14  and electrically coupled to the network integrated circuit  15  of the second circuit board  14 . 
     The network connector  1  further includes a plurality of signal transfer terminals  16  respectively and electrically coupled to the plurality of back-end contacts  122  of the first circuit board  12  and the plurality of back-end contacts  141  of the second circuit board  14 , and the first circuit board  12  and the second circuit board  14  are electrically coupled to each other through the plurality of signal transfer terminals  16  to transmit network signals. 
     It is noteworthy that the network connector  1  further comprises a metal casing  100  for covering external surfaces of the insulating body  10  to provide a metal shielding function for the network connector. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6  for other cross-sectional views of a network connector in accordance with the first and second preferred embodiments of the present invention respectively, the network connector  1  further comprises at least one protection device  18  installed therein and electrically coupled to the first circuit board  12 . The protection device  18  can be a surge protection component including but not limited to a transformer, a transient voltage suppressor (TVS), a gas discharge tube (GDT), a high-voltage capacitor, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection element or any combination of the above. The protection device  18  is provided for protecting the network connector  1  from being damaged by a high-voltage surge which is produced during a thunder and transmitted to the network connector  1  through the network line. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8  for further cross-sectional views of a network connector in accordance with the first and second preferred embodiments of the present invention respectively, the protection device  18  is electrically coupled to the first circuit board  12  and/or the second circuit board  14  depending on a manufacturer&#39;s settings of the network connector  1 . 
     It is noteworthy that the production of a high-voltage surge mainly occurs at a thunder, and the high-voltage surge is transmitted from the network to the network connector  1 . When an external signal is received, the signal is passed sequentially through the plurality of connecting terminals  11 , the plurality of filter elements  13 , the network integrated circuit  15 , the plurality of soldered terminals  17 , and finally transmitted to the motherboard  2 . To protect the network integrated circuit  15  from being burned or damaged by the high-voltage surge occurred at a thunder, so that the protection device  18  must be installed in front of the network integrated circuit  15 . 
     In the present invention, the filter element  13 , the network integrated circuit  15  and the protection device  18  are integrated into a single network connector  1 , so that the installation space on the motherboard  2  can be saved significantly, and the manufacturing cost can be lowered effectively. As to manufacturers, the network connector  1  of the present invention is indeed a great boon. 
     While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.