Patent Publication Number: US-7896666-B2

Title: Socket with securely fixed connecting rings

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to ROC Patent Application No.: 97204484 of the Republic of China, filed on Mar. 14, 2008, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a socket structure of an electrical connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It remains generally a challenge to ensure that a plug and a socket of an electrical connector maintain reliable electrical connection during coupling. 
     Traditional socket structure of the electrical connector comprises an insulating shell and a connecting base, wherein the connecting base is on the bottom of the insulating shell, the connecting base has a protrusion pillar, and the protrusion pillar has a conducting strip inside. An inner conducting ring surrounds the protrusion pillar surface, and an outer conducting ring is in the inner wall of the insulating shell. When the plug of the electric connector is inserted into the insulating shell, the connecting terminal of the plug can contact with the conducting strip, inner conducting ring, and outer conducting ring. 
     The above-mentioned socket structure, however, has at least the following disadvantages. An interstice exists between the outer conducting ring and the insulating shell, yet there is no fastening structure on the insulating shell or the connecting base for fixing the outer conducting ring, thus the outer ring will sway in the interstice, causing the contact between the outer ring and the connecting end of the plug to be unstable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a socket structure whose outer conducting ring will not shake or move and will not affect the reliability of the electrical connection between the plug and the socket. 
     The socket structure which is capable of achieving the object described above includes: an insulating shell; a connecting base mounted on the bottom of the insulating shell, said connecting base comprising a pillar and a lower groove, the pillar extending upwardly from the top of the connection base, and a hole disposed in the pillar, the lower groove arranged on the top of the connecting base; a conducting strip arranged in said hole; an inner conducting ring disposed surrounding the surface of said pillar; and an outer conducting ring inserted in said lower. 
     The present invention has the following advantages: because of the lower portion of the outer conducting ring inserting in said lower groove, the outer conducting ring will not shake in said insulating shell and will stably electrically connect with the plug connecting terminals of the electrical connector. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the following description, the accompany drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a state of use of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
     
    
    
     In these figures:  10  is the socket structure;  11  is the insulating shell;  111  is the housing space;  112  is the opening;  113  is the upper groove;  12  is connecting base;  121  is the pillar;  122  is the lower groove;  123  is the hole;  13  is the conducting strip;  14  is the inner conducting ring;  15  is the outer conducting ring;  16  is the spring;  17  is the movable lid;  20  is the plug;  21  is the first connecting terminal;  22  is the second connecting terminal; and  23  is the third connecting terminal. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , a socket structure  10  of the present invention comprises an insulating shell  11 , a connecting base  12 , an conducting strip  13 , an inner conducting ring  14 , an outer conducting ring  15 , a spring  16  and a movable lid  17 . 
     The insulating shell  11  is made of insulating materials such as plastic, and is in the form of an approximate step-shaped pillar. The insulating shell  11  has a housing space  111 , the upper portion of the insulating shell  11  has an opening  112  connecting to the housing space  111 , and the plug of the electrical connector can insert into the connecting base  12  through the opening  112 . 
     The connecting base  12  is made of insulating material and is in the form of an approximate disc, the connecting base  12  arranged on the bottom of the insulating shell  11 , the connecting base  12  has a pillar  121  and a lower groove  122 . The pillar  121  is a cylinder extending upwardly from the center of the upper portion of the connecting base  12  and a hole  123  disposed on the middle portion of the pillar  121 . The hole  123  pass through the top to the bottom of the pillar  121 . 
     The lower groove  122  is an annular groove disposed in the upper portion of the connecting base  12 . 
     The conducting strip  13  is made by high-conductivity metal material, and mounted in the hole  123 . The conducting strip  13  is U-shaped, and its lower portion extending out the connecting base  12 . 
     The inner conducting ring  14  and outer conducting ring  15  are made by high-conductivity metal material, the inner conducting ring  14  disposed around the pillar  121 , and the lower portion of the outer conducting ring  15  inserted in the lower groove  122  of the connecting base  12 . 
     The spring  16  mounted on the upper portion of the connecting base  12 , and mounted around the pillar  121 . 
     The movable lid  17  is in the form of a hollow disc, the movable lid  17  covering on the spring  16  and can move vertically along the pillar  121 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , it shows the using state of the socket structure  10 . When a plug  20  of an electrical connector inserted into the insulating shell  11 , the first connecting terminal  21 , the second connecting terminal  22  and the third connecting terminal  23  of the plug  20  will contact with the conducting strip  13 , inner conducting ring  14  and outer conducting ring  15  of the socket structure  10  respectively to form electrical connections. 
     Because the lower portion of the outer conducting ring  15  is inserted in the lower groove  122  of the connecting base  12 , the outer conducting ring  15  is uneasy to shake in the insulating shell  11 , and the third connecting terminal  23  of the plug  20  can maintain stable contact with the outer conducting ring  15 . This ensure the stable electrical connection between the plug  20  and the socket  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , it shows the second embodiment of the present invention, herein the insulating shell  11  further has an upper groove  113  deposed in the inner wall of the insulating shell  11 , and the upper portion of the outer conducting ring  15  inserted in the upper groove  113 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , it shows the third embodiment of the present invention, herein the connecting base  12  does not has the lower groove  122 , and the insulating shell  11  has an upper groove  113 , the upper portion of the outer conducting ring  15  inserted in the upper groove  113 . 
     The aforementioned three embodiments can achieve the same effect that the outer conducting ring  15  is uneasy to shake. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , if only two connecting terminal  21  and  22  are needed in the plug  20  to electrically connect with the conducting strip  13  and inner conducting ring  14 , the socket  10  does not need to install the outer conducting ring  15  in above-mentioned embodiments, and the connecting base  12  does not need to install the lower groove  122  and the insulating shell  11  does not need to install the upper groove  113 . 
     Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiment, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrate of the principles and applications of the present invention, it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.