Connector having internal switch and fabrication method thereof
First Claim
1. A connector, comprising:
- a connector body having plural pairs of contact members extending in a first direction, each contact member having respective contacts making an electrical contact with a corresponding one of plural contacts of a counter connector when coupled thereto;
a contact module comprising a body, a pair of first and second contact members and a latch extending from the body in the first direction, each contact member comprising a pair of first and second opposed contact portions receiving a respective contact of a corresponding pair of contacts of the counter connector when the connector and the counter connector are coupled together, a first contact portion of the first contact member being permanently short circuited to the second contact member of the pair and selectively short circuited to the second contact portion of the first contact member when receiving therein the respective contact of the counter connector; and
a housing into which the contact module is inserted in the first direction such that the contact members extend from the housing, the housing having a recess therein receiving and engaging the latch.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connector is moveable between a coupled state and an uncoupled state with respect to a counter connector. Plural contact members of the connector individually contact respective, plural contacts of the counter connector when coupled together. A contact module of the connector has a pair of contacts individually contacting and short circuiting a corresponding pair of respective contacts of the counter connector, in a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states thereof. The contact module may include a pair of output terminals corresponding to the pair of contacts and a switch, actuated between first and second states in accordance with the coupled and uncoupled states of the connector, a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states producing short circuiting of the pair of output terminals.
18 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A connector, comprising:
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a connector body having plural pairs of contact members extending in a first direction, each contact member having respective contacts making an electrical contact with a corresponding one of plural contacts of a counter connector when coupled thereto; a contact module comprising a body, a pair of first and second contact members and a latch extending from the body in the first direction, each contact member comprising a pair of first and second opposed contact portions receiving a respective contact of a corresponding pair of contacts of the counter connector when the connector and the counter connector are coupled together, a first contact portion of the first contact member being permanently short circuited to the second contact member of the pair and selectively short circuited to the second contact portion of the first contact member when receiving therein the respective contact of the counter connector; and a housing into which the contact module is inserted in the first direction such that the contact members extend from the housing, the housing having a recess therein receiving and engaging the latch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A connector, comprising:
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plural pairs of contact members connecting with respective pairs of contacts of a counter connector when the connector is coupled to the counter connector; a contact module having a further pair of first and second contact members connecting with a respective, further pair of contacts of the counter connector when the connector is coupled thereto, the first contact member comprising a pair of first and second opposed contact portions which are electrically isolated when the connector is decoupled from the counter connector, the first contact portion being short circuited to the second contact portion when the connector is coupled with the counter connector, the contact module furthermore having an elongated latch extending therefrom in a common direction with the contact members; and an insulating housing having an array of openings into which the contact members and the contact module and the latch thereof are inserted such that the contacts of the contact members and the contact module are aligned with corresponding contacts of the counter connector when the connector is coupled with the counter connector and the latch is engaged by the insulating housing to secure the coupling of the contact module with the insulating housing. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 13)
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9. A connector for coupling with a counter connector having a plurality of contacts, the connector comprising:
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contact means for making an electrical contact with a corresponding one of the contacts of the counter connector; shorting means for shorting a pair of contacts therein when the connector is mated with the counter connector; a body supporting the shorting means and having a resilient latching element extending from the body and releasably engaging the connector when the body and the shorting means are assembled with the connector, releasably securing the body and thereby the shorting means to the connector without permanently deforming the connector; and detecting means for detecting whether the connector is coupled with the counter connector by detecting whether the pair of contacts in the shorting means are short circuited. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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14. A connector moveable between a coupled state and an uncoupled state with respect to a counter connector, comprising:
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a connector housing; plural contact members secured in and extending from the connector housing in a first direction, the plural contact members individually contacting respective plural contacts of the counter connector when the counter connector is in a coupled state therewith; and a contact module having; a pair of first and second contacts individually contacting, and short-circuiting, a corresponding pair of respective contacts of the counter connector in a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states of the connector and the counter connector such that the pair of first and second contacts are short circuited in the coupled state, and an elongated latch extending from an insulated housing of the contact module in the first direction and received in and engaged by a recess in the connector housing, in the coupled state of the connector and the counter connector. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A connector moveable between a coupled state and an uncoupled state with respect to a counter connector, comprising:
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a housing; plural contact members secured in and extending from the housing in a first direction, the contact members individually contacting respective plural contacts of the counter connector when the counter connector is in a coupled state therewith; and a contact module having; a pair of contact members individually contacting, and short-circuiting, a corresponding pair of respective contact members of the counter connector in a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states of the connector and the counter connector, and each of the pair of contact members of the contact module comprises a pair of opposed contact portions, each contact portion extending in a longitudinal direction and having a respective contact part at a distal end of the contact portion, the contact part extending transversely from the respective contact portion and toward the other contact portion of the pair, each of the contact parts of the respective contact portions making an electrical contact with the respective contact of the counter connector when received therein, the respective contact parts of the pair of contact portions of one contact member being disposed at common positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to each other and the respective contact parts of the pair of contact portions of the other contact member being disposed at spaced positions in the longitudinal direction with respect to each other.
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Specification