Electrical connector

• US 5,584,713 A
• Filed: 12/09/1994
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Syuji, Okura, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Demello, Jill
• Application Number:
  US08/352,915
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/676, 439/500, 439/660, 200/51.1
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/703 operated by engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. dual-continuity coupling partH01R13/71 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/40 specially adapted for high frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers

Abstract

A connector comprises a socket adapted to be mounted in a potable radiotelephone having an internal power supply and a plug having a power code for supplying electric power from an external power supply to the radiotelephone. The socket has a pair of input terminals, movable and stationary terminals. The movable terminal is formed with a pair of torsion members each of which has a contact. The contacts are urged to the stationary terminal to make a first electrical connection therebetween for allowing a first operation of the radiotelephone with the use of the internal power supply. For preventing an accidental breakage of the first electrical connection which is caused by dust or pieces of thread put between the movable and stationary terminals, a contact-point between one of the contacts and the stationary terminal is displaced from that between the other contact and the stationary terminal in an inserting direction of the plug into the socket. When the plug is connected to the socket, output terminals of the plug are connected to the input terminals to make a second electrical connection therebetween for allowing a second operation of the radiotelephone with the use of the external power supply, and at the same time the first electrical connection can be broken. As a result, it is possible to switch the first operation of the radiotelephone to the second operation thereof by connecting the plug to the socket.

Claims

1. A connector comprising a socket adapted to be mounted in a portable electric appliance having an internal power supply and a plug used for supplying electric power from an external power supply to said electric appliance, said connector capable of switching between a first operation of said electric appliance with the use of said internal power supply and a second operation thereof with the use of said external power supply, said connector comprising:

said socket including a socket housing having a recess, a pair of socket terminals, and movable and stationary terminals, said movable and socket terminals projecting in said recess, said movable terminal being urged against a stationary terminal to make a first electrical connection therebetween for providing said first operation; and

said plug including a plug housing having a protrusion and switching means, and a pair of plug terminals, said plug terminals being arranged in said protrusion such that, when said protrusion is inserted into said recess, said plug terminals are connected to said socket terminals to make a second electrical connection therebetween for providing said second operation, said switching means being formed with an inclined wall of said protrusion, along which said movable terminal is moved so as to be spaced away from said stationary terminal to break said first electrical connection in response to the insertion of said protrusion into said recess;

wherein said movable terminal is formed with a pair of torsion members each of which has a contact, and said contacts are disposed such that a first contact-point between one of said contacts and said stationary terminal is displaced from a second contact-point between the other contact and said stationary terminal in an inserting direction of said protrusion into said recess; and

wherein said stationary terminal has a pair of pointed projections, to which said contacts are urged, respectively.

5. A connector as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said inclined wall of said protrusion is configured such that said second electrical connection is made prior to breaking said electrical connection when said plug is connected to said socket.

6. A connector as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein said inclined wall of said protrusion is configured such that said first electrical connection is broken prior to making said second electrical connection when said plug is connected to said socket.

7. A connector as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said movable terminal is also displacable along the insertion direction by contacting an inclined wall of the plug such that the contacts are moved along a wiping travel while keeping an electrical connection so as to present a cleaning effect.

2. A connector comprising a socket adapted to be mounted in a portable electric appliance having an internal power supply and a plug used for supplying electric power from an external power supply to said electric appliance, said connector capable of switching between a first operation of said electric appliance with the use of said internal power supply and a second operation thereof with the use of said external power supply, said connector comprising:

said socket including a socket housing having a recess, a pair of socket terminals, and movable and stationary terminals, said movable and socket terminals projecting in said recess, said movable terminal being urged against a stationary terminal to make a first electrical connection therebetween for providing said first operation; and

said plug including a plug housing having a protrusion and switching means, and a pair of plug terminals, said plug terminals being arranged in said protrusion such that, when said protrusion is inserted into said recess, said plug terminals are connected to said socket terminals to make a second electrical connection therebetween for providing said second operation, said switching means being formed with an inclined wall of said protrusion, along which said movable terminal is moved so as to be spaced away from said stationary terminal to break said first electrical connection in response to the insertion of said protrusion into said recess;

wherein said movable terminal is formed with a pair of torsion members each of which has a contact, and said contacts are disposed such that a first contact-point between one of said contacts and said stationary terminal is displaced from a second contact-point between the other contact and said stationary terminal in an inserting direction of said protrusion into said recess; and

wherein an angle of said inclined wall with respect to said inserting direction is 45 degrees or more.

3. A connector comprising a socket adapted to be mounted in a portable electric appliance having an internal power supply and a plug used for supplying electric power from an external power supply to said electric appliance, said connector capable of switching between a first operation of said electric appliance with the use of said internal power supply and a second operation thereof with the use of said external power supply, said connector comprising:

said socket including a socket housing having a recess, a pair of socket terminals, and movable and stationary terminals, said movable and socket terminals projecting in said recess, said movable terminal being urged against a stationary terminal to make a first electrical connection therebetween for providing said first operation; and

said plug including a plug housing having a protrusion and switching means, and a pair of plug terminals, said plug terminals being arranged in said protrusion such that, when said protrusion is inserted into said recess, said plug terminals are connected to said socket terminals to make a second electrical connection therebetween for providing said second operation, said switching means being formed with an inclined wall of said protrusion, along which said movable terminal is moved so as to be spaced away from said stationary terminal to break said first electrical connection in response to the insertion of said protrusion into said recess;

wherein said movable terminal is formed with a pair of torsion members each of which has a contact; and

wherein said stationary terminal has a pair of pointed projections, to which said contacts are urged, respectively.

4. A connector comprising a socket adapted to be mounted in a portable electric appliance having an internal power supply and a plug used for supplying electric power from an external power supply to said electric appliance, said connector capable of switching between a first operation of said electric appliance with the use of said internal power supply and a second operation thereof with the use of said external power supply, said connector comprising:

said socket including a socket housing having a recess, a pair of socket terminals, and movable and stationary terminals, said movable and socket terminals projecting in said recess, said movable terminal being urged against a stationary terminal to make a first electrical connection therebetween for providing said first operation; and

said plug including a plug housing having a protrusion and switching means, and a pair of plug terminals, said plug terminals being arranged in said protrusion such that, when said protrusion is inserted into said recess, said plug terminals are connected to said socket terminals to make a second electrical connection therebetween for providing said second operation, said switching means being formed with an inclined wall of said protrusion, along which said movable terminal is moved so as to be spaced away from said stationary terminal to break said first electrical connection in response to the insertion of said protrusion into said recess;

wherein said movable terminal is formed with a pair of torsion members each of which has a contact; and

wherein an angle of said inclined wall with respect to said inserting direction is 45 degrees or more.