Connector, receptacle, and plug

• US 10,365,443 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishio, Toshiroh, Usuki, Naoshi, Takahashi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Radkowski, Peter
• Application Number:
  US15/770,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20180329151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/38 having fibre to fibre mating means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3809 without a ferrule embedding the fibre end, i.e. with bare fibre end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3825 with an intermediate part, e.g. adapter, receptacle, linking two plugs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3873 Connectors using guide surfaces for aligning ferrule ends, e.g. tubes, sleeves, V-grooves, rods, pins, balls
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/46 Bases; Cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

A connector includes a receptacle connectable to the conventional plug being compliant with an HDMI specification, and a plug connectable to the receptacle. The receptacle includes a tubular body forming a holding space that enables insertion of the conventional plug, a first recessed part forming a space that narrows heading from the holding space in an insertion direction of the plug, and a first transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a first end that is disposed to be exposed to the inserted plug. The plug includes an insertion part shaped to be insertable into the tubular body, a first projection that projects from the insertion part in the insertion direction and can fit into the first recessed part, and a second transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a second end that is disposed to face the first end.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

a receptacle connectable to a conventional plug being compliant with a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) specification; and

a plug connectable to the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle includes

a tubular body forming a holding space that enables insertion of the conventional plug,

a first recessed part forming a space that narrows heading from the holding space in an insertion direction of the plug, and

a first transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a first end that is disposed to be exposed to the inserted plug, and

the plug includes

an insertion part shaped to be insertable into the tubular body,

a first projection projecting from the insertion part in the insertion direction, the first projection being capable of fitting into the first recessed part, and

a second transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a second end that is disposed to face the first end.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein

the first end is disposed at a bottom of the first recessed part, and

the second end is disposed at a projecting edge of the first projection.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein

the first recessed part includes, at a bottom of the first recessed part, a second projection projecting toward the plug,

the first projection includes, in a projecting end of the first projection, a second recessed part into which the second projection is inserted,

the first end is disposed at a projecting edge of the second projection, and

the second end is disposed at a bottom of the second recessed part.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein

the receptacle includes the first transmission body on each of sides that are outer with respect to both ends of an arrangement of a plurality of first terminals used for connection of electric transmission lines, and

the plug includes the second transmission body that corresponds to the first transmission body outwardly of each of both ends of an arrangement of a plurality of second terminals respectively connected to the plurality of first terminals.

7. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a wiping member having flexibility and resiliency, the wiping member being protrusively positioned to cover at least a part of one of the first end and the second end.

9. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the wiping member substantially blocks at least one of the first end and the second end.

11. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first power terminal that performs power transfer as distinct from the HDMI specification;

a second power terminal that is connected to the first power terminal; and

a heat generator that generates heat when the first power terminal and the second power terminal are connected to each other.

5. A connector comprising:

a receptacle connectable to a conventional plug being compliant with a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) specification; and

a plug connectable to the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle includes

a tubular body forming a holding space that enables insertion of the conventional plug,

a pair of spring members that is respectively disposed on both ends in longitudinal direction of the tubular body inside the tubular body to have a spacing which decreases heading from an opening of the tubular body in an insertion direction of the plug in a section orthogonal to the insertion direction, the pair of spring members being deformed by the inserted conventional plug so that the spacing is increased, and

a first transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a first end that is disposed to be exposed to the inserted plug, and

the plug includes

an insertion part shaped to be insertable into the tubular body,

slopes that are respectively disposed along both sides of the insertion part to have a spacing which decreases in the insertion direction and that respectively abut against the pair of spring members during insertion into the receptacle, and

a second transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a second end that is disposed to face the first end.

6. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the slopes are disposed as bottoms of grooves formed to have widths that enable insertion of the pair of spring members, respectively.

8. The connector according to claim 5, further comprising a wiping member having flexibility and resiliency, the wiping member being protrusively positioned to cover at least a part of one of the first end and the second end.

10. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the wiping member substantially blocks at least one of the first end and the second end.

12. The connector according to claim 5, further comprising:

a first power terminal that performs power transfer as distinct from the HDMI specification;

a second power terminal that is connected to the first power terminal; and

a heat generator that generates heat when the first power terminal and the second power terminal are connected to each other.

13. A receptacle comprising:

a tubular body forming a holding space that enables insertion of a conventional plug;

a first recessed part forming a space that narrows heading from the holding space in an insertion direction of the plug; and

a first transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a first end that is disposed to be exposed to the inserted plug.

15. A plug connectable to the receptacle of claim 13, the plug comprising:

an insertion part shaped to be insertable into the tubular body;

a first projection projecting from the insertion part in the insertion direction, the first projection being capable of fitting into the first recessed part; and

a second transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a second end that is disposed to face the first end.

14. A receptacle comprising:

a tubular body forming a holding space that enables insertion of a conventional plug;

a pair of spring members that is respectively disposed on both ends in longitudinal direction of the tubular body inside the tubular body to have a spacing which decreases heading from an opening of the tubular body in an insertion direction of the plug in a section orthogonal to the insertion direction, the pair of spring members being deformed by the inserted conventional plug so that the spacing is increased; and

a first transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a first end that is disposed to be exposed to the inserted plug.

16. A plug connectable to the receptacle of claim 14, the plug comprising:

an insertion part shaped to be insertable into the tubular body;

slopes that are respectively disposed along both sides of the insertion part to have a spacing which decreases in the insertion direction and that respectively abut against the pair of spring members during insertion into the receptacle; and

a second transmission body having, as an end of an optical transmission line, a second end that is disposed to face the first end.