Patent Publication Number: US-7896706-B1

Title: Audio jack connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an audio jack connector capable of transmitting audio signals. 
     2. The Related Art 
     An audio jack connector mounted to an electronic device has an insulating housing, a first switch terminal and a second switch terminal. The insulating housing has a passageway passing therethrough for receiving an audio plug connector, a first groove and a second groove communicating with the passageway. The first switch terminal and the second switch terminal are received in the first groove and the second groove, respectively, and at one side of the passageway. The first switch terminal has an elastic portion of arch shape projecting into the passageway, and a first contacting portion connected with a free end of the elastic portion. The second switch terminal has a second contacting portion facing to the first contacting portion and spaced away from each other. When the audio plug connector is inserted into the passageway, the elastic portion is pressed by the audio plug connector to make the first contacting portion contact the second contacting portion, which forms electrical connection between the switch terminals. However, the first contacting portion of the conventional audio jack connector usually moves in a small range when the audio plug connector is against the elastic portion. This will make the connection and separation of the switch terminals unreliable, in other words, working performance of the audio jack connector may be influenced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an audio jack connector for receiving an audio plug connector. The audio jack connector has an insulating housing. The insulating housing has a passageway extended from a front surface towards a rear surface thereof for receiving the audio plug connector, a first groove communicated with the passageway and a second groove communicated with the first groove. A first switch terminal received in the first groove has a base plate, an elastic arm extended from one end of the base plate and bent towards the passageway, and a first contacting portion formed at a free end of the elastic arm. A first convexity is protruded into the passageway from a substantially root portion of the elastic arm. A second switch terminal received in the second groove has a second contacting portion spaced from the first contacting portion. The first contacting portion is driven to move outwards to contact with the second contacting portion when the audio plug connector is inserted in the passageway and resists against the first convexity outwards. 
     As described above, when the audio plug connector is inserted into the passageway and resists against the first convexity outwards, the first contacting portion can be driven to move in a much wider range to contact the second contacting portion. So the connection and separation between the first switch terminal and the second switch terminal will be more reliable, and the working performance of the audio jack connector will be good and steady. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of an audio jack connector of an embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled, perspective view of the audio jack connector shown in  FIG. 1  seen from a bottom direction; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of the audio jack connector shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an insulating housing of the audio jack connector shown in  FIG. 1  seen from another direction; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a first switch terminal of the audio jack shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is plan view of the audio jack connector shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , an audio jack connector  100  according to the present invention is shown. The audio jack  100  has an insulating housing  1 , a first transmitting terminal  40 , a second transmitting terminal  50 , a third transmitting terminal  60  and a group of switch terminals, which are all mounted to the insulating housing  1 . The switch terminals include a first switch terminal  20  and a second switch terminal  30 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the insulating housing  1  is a substantially rectangular shape and has an inclined front surface  10 , a rear surface  11  opposite to the front surface  10 , a bottom surface  12 , a first lateral surface  13  and a second lateral surface  14  opposite to the first lateral surface  13 . A passageway  101 , with a round cross-section, is formed in the insulating housing  1  and passes through the middle portions of the front surface  10  and the rear surface  11  for receiving a mating audio plug connector (not shown). The insulating housing  1  has a first groove  15 , a second groove  16 , a third groove  17 , a fourth groove  18  and a fifth groove  19 , all communicating with the passageway  101 , and for receiving the first switch terminal  20 , the second switch terminal  30 , the first transmitting terminal  40 , the second transmitting terminal  50  and the third transmitting terminal  60 , respectively. 
     The first groove  15  has a bottom slot  151  at a front end of the bottom surface  12 , passing through the front surface  10  and the first lateral surface  13 , and a receiving recess  152  at a front surface  10  perpendicularly connected to one end the bottom slot  151  adjacent to the second lateral surface  14  and communicating with the passageway  101 . The front surface  10  has a fixing slot  153  which is disposed at one side of the passageway  101  adjacent to the first lateral surface  13 . The fixing slot  153  extends rearwards a distance along the first lateral surface  13 , with a bottom end substantially perpendicularly connected to the other end of the bottom slot  151 . The second groove  16  is arranged at the other side of the passageway  101  adjacent to the second lateral surface  14  and opposite to the fixing slot  153 , and extends along a front and rear direction to penetrate the front surface  10  and the rear surface  11 , with a front end thereof communicating with the receiving recess  152 . A rear end of the bottom surface  12  is formed with a notch  161  located under the second groove  16 . The notch  161  passes through the second lateral surface  14  and the rear surface  11  of the insulating housing  1 , communicating with the second groove  16 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2-5 , the first switch terminal  20  received in the first groove  15  has a base plate  21  located in the bottom slot  151 . One end of the base plate  21  is extended upwards perpendicular to the base plate  21  and elongated rearwards to form a substantial triangle fixing plate  22  received in the fixing slot  153 . An elastic arm  23  received in the receiving recess  152  is extended from the other end of the base plate  21  and bent towards the passageway  101 . The elastic arm  23  has a first convexity  231 , which is protruded into the passageway  101  from a substantial root portion of the elastic arm  23 , and a second convexity  232 , which is protruded into the passageway  101  from a middle of the elastic arm  23  and spaced away from the first convexity  231 . A free end of the elastic arm  23  is extended upwards and rearwards and arched oppositely to the fixing plate  22  to form a first contacting portion  24 , facing to the fixing plate  22 , with a free end thereof projecting into the second groove  16 . A first soldering strip  25  is extended oppositely to the base plate  21  from a bottom edge of the fixing plate  22  rear of the base plate  21 , stretching out of the insulating housing  1  from a rear of the bottom end of the fixing slot  153 . The second switch terminal  30  is inserted into the second groove  16  from a rear direction and has a fixing strip  31  and a second contacting portion  32 . The second contacting portion  32  is extended frontward from a middle portion of a front edge of the fixing strip  31 . A side of the second contacting portion  32  has a third convexity  321  protruded towards the passageway  101  from a front end thereof, facing to the first contacting portion  24  of the first switch terminal  20  and spaced away from each other. A rear end of a top edge of the fixing strip  31  is extended oppositely to the third convexity  321  to form a second soldering strip  33 , located in the notch  161  and exposed out of the insulating housing  1 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , when the audio plug connector is inserted into the passageway  101  and resists against the first convexity  231  and the second convexity  232  of the first switch terminal  20  to make the elastic arm  23  move outwards along a direction of the pressure, the first contacting portion  24  is driven to contact the third convexity  321  by the elastic arm  23 , which forms electrical connection between the first switch terminal  20  and the second switch terminal  30 . 
     As described above, when the audio plug connector is inserted into the passageway  101  and resists against the first convexity  231  and the second convexity  232  outwards, the first contacting portion  24  can be driven to move in a much wider range to contact the third convexity  321  of the second contacting portion  32 . So the connection and separation between the first switch terminal  20  and the second switch terminal  30  will be more reliable, and the working performance of the audio jack connector  100  will be good and steady. 
     The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.