Patent ID: 8162697

Claim:
A connector for establishing an electrical connection with a jack having a front face by insertion of the connector into the jack in a mating direction, the connector comprising: a tip contact; an insulator surrounding the tip contact; a bridge contact in electrical connection with the tip contact and extending through the insulator; a ground sleeve contact surrounding the insulator such that the insulator provides insulation between the tip contact and the ground sleeve contact; and a switch adapted to be automatically switched from a first one of an open state and a closed state to a second one of the open state and the closed state when the connector is inserted into the jack and switched back to the first one of the open state and the closed state when the connector is not inserted into the jack, the switch providing an electrical connection between the tip contact and the ground sleeve contact when the switch is closed, the tip contact and the ground sleeve contact being insulated from each other when the switch is open; wherein the switch comprises: a sliding ring contact for providing the electrical connection between the tip contact and the ground sleeve contact through the bridge contact, the sliding ring contact providing general 360° contact with the ground sleeve contact and contact with the bridge contact; an elastic member that applies a force in the mating direction to urge the sliding ring contact into a position in which the switch is in the first one of the open state and the closed state; and a switch actuator adapted to contact the front face of the jack when the connector is inserted into the jack in order to urge the sliding ring contact in a direction opposite to the mating direction and against the force applied by the elastic member.