Patent Publication Number: US-6666716-B2

Title: Terminal structure and stacked audio jack connector provided therewith

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a terminal structure for a stacked audio jack connector and, more particularly, to a terminal structure for an audio jack connector, which is formed by stacking and fixedly joining at least two connector main bodies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Along with continual development of various kinds of electronic products and multimedia techniques, audio jack connectors have been widely applied in various kinds of industries. Stacked audio jack connectors are utilized for expansion of peripherals in various kinds of electronic products. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a prior art stacked audio jack connector is formed by stacking and fixedly joining a plurality of connector main bodies  1   a . A hollow cylindrical plug portion  10   a  projects from the front side face of each of the connector main bodies  1   a . The hollow part of the plug portion  10   a  forms a circular plug hole  11   a , which is extended to the inside of the connector main body  1   a  for insertion of an audio jack connector (not shown). Additionally, five transversely arranged trench grooves  12   a  are formed in each connector main body  1   a . A middle one of the trench grooves  12   a  is used for insertion of a ground terminal  13   a , which is plugged therein, against a rear side of the connector main body  1   a . The trench grooves  12   a  at the left and right sides of the middle trench groove  12   a  are used respectively for insertion of a first signal terminal set  14   a  and a second signal terminal set  15   a . Both the first and second signal terminal sets  14   a  and  15   a  comprise two L-shaped terminals  16   a  and an elastic clamping piece  17   a  clamped at front end portions of the two L-shaped terminals  16   a . A contact portion  18   a  is formed on the elastic clamping piece  17   a  to contact an inserted audio jack connector (not shown). 
     Because the elastic clamping pieces  17   a  and the L-shaped terminals  16   a  of the above first and second signal terminal sets  14   a  and  15   a  are separately formed and then assembled together, additional complicated manufacturing procedures are required. Moreover, when the elastic clamping piece  17   a  is clamped on the two L-shaped terminals  16   a , complete planar contact cannot be assured between them, potentially affecting signal transmission through the connector. Furthermore, the terminal structure assembled in this way cannot be easily reduced in size, making it difficult to realize the compactness required in many applications. 
     Accordingly, the above terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector has drawbacks and presents inconveniences in practical use. The present invention aims to provide a terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector to overcome the problems in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector. The terminal structure is integrally formed to be secure in structure, so as to exhibit good rigidity and better contact conductivity, and to reduce the impedance generated when plugging with an audio jack connector. Moreover, the terminal structure can maintain good contact and will not be dislodged even when subjected to great vibration. 
     To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector. The audio jack connector has at least two connector main bodies. Preferably, at least five trench grooves are formed in each of the connector bodies. A middle trench groove is used to receive a ground terminal, which engages the rear side of the connector main body. The other four trench grooves at the left and right sides of the middle trench groove in the connector main body are used for insertion of a first signal terminal set and a second signal terminal set. In accordance with the present invention, the integration of the first and second signal terminal sets is improved. The first signal terminal set comprises two first L-shaped terminals arranged side by side, which are inserted into two adjacent trench grooves of the connector main body. A support portion is extended from the front end portion of one of the first L-shaped terminals. A bent elastic portion is extended from the support portion. A contact portion is further extended from the elastic portion. A limit portion configured to engage the transition between the elastic portion and the contact portion is formed at the front end portion of the other first L-shaped terminal. Similarly, the second signal terminal set comprises two second L-shaped terminals arranged side by side, which are inserted into two other adjacent trench grooves of the connector main body. A support portion is extended from the front end portion of one of the second L-shaped terminals. A bent elastic portion is extended from the support portion. A contact portion is further extended from the elastic portion. A limit portion configured to engage the transition between the elastic portion and the contact portion is formed at the front end portion of the other second L-shaped terminal. 
     The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is perspective view of a prior art stacked audio jack connector; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial exploded perspective view of a prior art stacked audio jack connector; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIGS. 3,  4 , and  5 , the present invention provides a terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector. The terminal structure applies to an audio jack connector  1  formed by stacking and fixedly joining at least two connector main bodies  10 . A hollow cylindrical plug portion  11  projects from the front side of each of the connector main bodies  10  of the audio jack connector  1 . The hollow part of the plug portion  11  forms a circular plug hole  12 , which extends to the connector main body for insertion of an audio jack connector (not shown). 
     A plurality of transversely arranged trench grooves  13  are formed in each of the connector main bodies  10 . A middle one of the trench grooves  13  receives a ground terminal  14 , which engages the rear sides of the connector main bodies  10 . The other trench grooves  13  at left and right sides of the middle trench groove in each of the connector main bodies  10  are used respectively for insertion of a first signal terminal set  2  and a second signal terminal set  3 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, the integration of the first and second terminal sets  2  and  3  is improved. 
     The first signal terminal set  2  comprises two first L-shaped terminals  20  and  21  arranged side by side, which are inserted into two adjacent trench grooves  13  of the connector main body  10  at one side relative to the middle trench groove. A square support portion  22  is extended from a front end portion of one of the first L-shaped terminals  20 . An elastic portion  23  bent toward the ground terminal  14  extends from a front edge of the support portion  22 . The distal end of the elastic portion  23  forms a contact portion  24  to contact an inserted audio jack connector (not shown). An I-shaped limit portion  25  configured to engage the transition between the elastic portion  23  and the contact portion  24  extends upwards from a front end portion of the other first L-shaped terminal  21 . 
     Similarly, the second signal terminal set  3  comprises two second L-shaped terminals  30  and  31  arranged side by side, which are inserted into two adjacent trench grooves  13  of the connector main body  10  at another side relative to the middle trench groove. A square support portion  32  is extended from a front end portion of one of the second L-shaped terminals  30 . An elastic portion  33  bent toward the ground terminal  14  extends from a rear edge of the support portion  32 . The distal end of the elastic portion  33  forms a contact portion  34  to contact an inserted audio jack connector (not shown). An I-shaped limit portion  35  configured to engage the transition between the elastic portion  33  and the contact portion  34  extends upwards from a front end portion of the other second L-shaped terminal  31 . 
     In the terminal structure of a stacked audio jack connector of the present invention, because the first and second L-shaped terminals  20  and  30  are integrally formed, respectively, with the support portions  22  and  32 , the elastic portions  23  and  33 , and the contact portions  24  and  34 , the terminal structure of the audio jack connector  1  is secure in structure and has good rigidity and better contact conductivity. Accordingly, the impedance generated upon plugging with an audio jack connector (not shown) is reduced. Moreover, the terminal structure maintains good contact and will not be dislodged even when subjected to great vibration. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.