Patent Publication Number: US-7591685-B2

Title: Audio jack connector and contact thereof with improved strong intensity contact portion

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention generally relates to an audio jack connector, and more particularly to a miniature audio jack connector with low profile and having improved strong intensity contact. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Nowadays, electrical devices are becoming smaller and smaller, thereby providing limited space for mounting connectors therein. U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,687 B2, discloses a conventional audio jack connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts accommodated in the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines a plug-insertion hole extending therethrough for receiving a mating plug. The contacts includes a rear contact which includes a stationary portion fixed in the insulative housing, a spring arm extending backwardly from the stationary portion and a contact portion extending from an end of the spring arm. The contact portion extends into the plug-insertion hole for abutting against the mating plug. The rear contact further includes a flat end portion integrally extending from the contact portion. As a result, a total length of the spring arm, the contact portion and the flat end portion is large, which will result in a big length of the audio jack connector. Understandably, the insulative housing must set corresponding space for movement of the flat end portion, which will enlarge the profile of the audio jack connector as well. 
     In order to solve the problem, Taiwan Patent No. 285856 discloses an audio jack connector includes a special contact. The contact includes a stationary portion, a spring arm extending from the stationary portion and a contact portion extending backwardly from the spring arm. However, a distal end of the contact portion is separate from the spring arm as a result that the intensity of the contact portion is weak. When the mating plug is withdraw from the audio jack connector, the distal end of the contact portion may easy be pulled outwardly to be destroyed. 
     Hence, it is desired to have an audio jack connector with improve contact structure to solve the above problem. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An audio jack connector for receiving a mating plug includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing. The insulative housing defines a plug receiving hole for receiving the mating plug and a mounting space located at one side of the plug receiving hole. The mounting space includes a retaining slit and a receiving chamber which communicates with the plug receiving hole. The contacts includes a conductive contact having a stationary portion received in the retaining slit and a spring arm forwardly extending from the stationary portion to be flexible in the receiving chamber. The conductive contact further comprises a curly contact portion extending backwardly from the spring arm and protruding into the plug receiving hole. The curly contact portion includes opposite first and second ends in condition that the first end connects with the spring arm and the second end abuts against an inner surface of the spring arm. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an audio jack connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the audio jack connector, but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the audio jack connector; 
         FIG. 4  is another exploded perspective view of the audio jack connector similar to  FIG. 3 , while taken from another aspect; and 
         FIG. 5  is a part cross-sectional perspective view of the audio jack connector taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1  showing contact arrangement thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a miniature audio jack connector  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. The audio jack connector  100  is adapted for being mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) for insertion of a mating plug (not shown). The audio jack connector  100  includes an insulative housing  1  and a plurality of contacts  2  retained in the insulative housing  1 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the insulative housing  1  includes a main body  10 , a cylinder portion  15  integrally extending forwardly from the main body  10  and a mounting portion  130  sidewardly extending from the main body  10 . A plug receiving hole  17  is formed extending through the main body  10  and the cylinder portion  15  for receiving the mating plug. The main body  10  includes a top wall  11 , a bottom wall  12  and first and second side walls  13 ,  14 . The insulative housing  1  further includes a reinforce portion  16  forwardly extending from the main body  10  and located at a side of the cylinder portion  15 . The cylinder portion  15  defines a plug hole  18  communicating with the plug receiving hole  17  for insertion of the mating plug and a slant front end  151 . The bottom wall  12  defines a plurality of first, second, third, fourth, fifth retaining slits  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124 ,  125  and a plurality of first, second, third, fourth, fifth receiving chambers  1210 ,  1220 ,  1230 ,  1240 ,  1250  respectively communicating with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth retaining slits  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  124 ,  125 . The first and the second retaining slits  121 ,  122  further extend through the top wall  11  of the insulative housing  1 . The third and fourth retaining slits  123 ,  124  further extend thorough a real wall  19  of the insulative housing  1 . The fifth receiving chamber  1250  forwardly is located at one side of the plug receiving hole  17  and communicates with the plug receiving hole  17 . 
     The mounting portion  130  is adapted for mounting the audio jack connector  100  on the PCB. The mounting portion  130  includes a first mounting section  132  and a second mounting section  131  thicker than the first mounting section  132 . The first and the second mounting sections  132 ,  131  define first and second mounting holes  133 ,  134 , respectively, in condition that the first and the second mounting holes  133 ,  134  are aligned with each other along a plug insertion direction. The second mounting section  131  defines an enlarged slot  135  extending along the plug insertion direction and communicating with the second mounting holes  134 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the contacts  2  includes a conductive contact  25  which has a stationary portion  250  received in the fifth mounting slit  125 , a spring arm  251  extending forwardly from the stationary portion  250 , a curly contact portion  252  extending backwardly from the spring arm  251  in order to minimize the profile of the insulative housing  1 . The stationary portion  250  includes a plurality of tubers  253 ,  254  for stably mounting the stationary portion  250  in the fifth mounting slit  125 . The contact portion  252  includes opposite first and second ends  2521 ,  2522  in condition that the first end  2521  connects with the spring arm  251  and the second end  2522  abuts against an inner surface of the spring arm  251 . The contact portion  252  includes arc surface at one side of the spring arm  251  and exposed to the plug receiving hole  17 . As a result, the contact portion  252  has strong intensity and can&#39;t be easily deformable when abutting against the mating plug. The contact portion  252  forms a essentially round hole  2523  extending along a vertical direction. The conductive contact  25  further includes a soldering portion extending from and perpendicular to the stationary portion  250  to be soldered on the PCB. 
     The contacts  2  include a plurality of middle contacts  21 ,  22  and rear contacts  23 ,  24 . The middle contacts  21 ,  22  are of the same configuration and respectively include retaining portions  210 ,  220  received in the first and second retaining slits  121 ,  122 , elastic portions  211 ,  221  deformable received in the first and second receiving chambers  1210 ,  1220 , and contact sections  212 ,  222  protruding into plug receiving hole  17  for abutting against the mating plug. 
     The rear contacts  23 ,  24  are symmetrically located at opposite sides of the plug receiving hole  17  and includes retaining portions  230 ,  240  received in the third and fourth retaining slits  123 ,  124 , elastic portions  231 ,  241  deformable received in the third and fourth receiving chambers  1230 ,  1240 , and contact sections  232 ,  242  protruding into plug receiving hole  17  for abutting against the mating plug. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in assembly, the spring arm  251  is accommodated in the fifth receiving chamber  1250  and is deformable in the fifth receiving chamber  1250  when the mating plug is inserted into the plug receiving hole  17 . The contact portion  252  protrudes into the plug receiving hole  17  for abutting against the mating plug. The contact portion  252  is nearest to the front end  151  of the cylinder portion  15  than that of the contact sections  212 ,  222 ,  232 ,  242  of middle and the rear contacts  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 . When the mating plug is removal from the plug receiving hole  17 , the mating plug abuts against the contact portion  252  in order to apart from the contact portion  252 . Since the contact portion  252  has enough intensity, it can endure such engagement without big deformation. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. For example, the tongue portion is extended in its length or is arranged on a reverse side thereof opposite to the supporting side with other contacts but still holding the contacts with an arrangement indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.