Electric connector with a light penetrable socket shell

• US 6,319,051 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2000
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Speed Tech Corp.
• Original Assignee: Speed Tech Corp.
• Inventors: Tsen, Huan-Ching, Chang, Chih-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Son V.
• Application Number:
  US09/689,691
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 439/488, 439/489, 439/490, 439/676, 439/607, 439/541.5, 439/344, 439/571-573, 439/357, 439/358, 439/577
• US Class Current: 439/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6641 with diode with LED H01R13/7175
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices

Abstract

An electric connector in which an socket shell is installed in a housing to hold a terminal holder inside the housing and a set of terminals in the terminal holder and adapted to receive an electric plug, the socket shell being made of light penetrable material and, having a visible front side adapted to receive an electric plug and electric light emitting means, for example, LEDs installed in a rear side thereof and adapted to emit light through the visible front side to indicate operation of the electric connector.

Claims

1. An electric connector comprising:

a housing;

a socket shell made of a light penetrable material and positioned in the housing, said socket shell having a cavity for receiving an electric plug;

a terminal housing retained by said socket shell and including a plurality of terminals mounted thereon;

at least one light emitting device;

wherein said socket shell includes a rear portion and a front face which is remote from said rear portion, said rear portion forming at least one slot dimensioned to accommodate the light emitting device; and

wherein the light emitting device is positioned in the slot and extends in a direction perpendicular to the front face such that light from the light emitting device travels through said rear portion to reach said front face.

2. The electric connector of claim 1 wherein said socket shell is made of transparent material.

3. The electric connector of claim 1 wherein said socket shell is made of semi-transparent material.

4. The electric connector of claim 1 wherein said light emitting device comprises at least one light emitting diode.

5. The electric connector of claim 1 further comprising a circuit board installed in said housing and mounted onto one side of said rear portion of said socket shell, said plurality of terminals being welded to said circuit board.