Eight-pin electrical connector and USB connector

• US 6,659,805 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Kabir, Jacobson, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMOND, BRIGGITTE R
• Application Number:
  US10/348,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 439/668, 439/669, 439/218, 439/541.5, 439/607, 439/355
• US Class Current: 439/668
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone

Abstract

An electrical connector and a USB connector are provided. The electrical connector includes a main connector housing having an upper pin housing and a lower pin housing. A stereo plug that protrudes from a front surface of the main connector housing lies between the inner surface of the lower pin housing and the inner surface of the upper pin housing. The electrical connector is adapted to connect to a jack. The upper pin housing and the lower pin housing are adapted to connectively engage a forward plug port housing of the jack. The jack is mounted within the casing of an electronic device such as a hand-held personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a wireless telephone, or a paging device. When the electrical connector is connected to the jack, the upper pin housing is inserted into an upper housing receiving port and the lower pin housing is inserted into a lower housing receiving port so that the electrical connector is mated to the casing of the electronic device. The improved USB connector includes a connector body, a USB connector plug, an alignment post and electrical power contacts on each side of the alignment post. A locking latch may be disposed along an upper surface of the alignment post for engaging a locking latch detent disposed in an interior upper surface of the alignment post port.

Claims

1. An improved universal serial bus (USB) connector, comprising:

a connector body;

a USB connector plug defined along a first end of the connector body and protruding perpendicularly from a front face of the connector body;

an alignment post defined adjacent to the USB connector plug in spaced-apart relation to the USB connector plug and protruding perpendicularly from the front face of the connector body; and

a first electrical power contact defined on the front face of the connector body immediately adjacent to a first side of the alignment post, and a second electrical power contact defined on the front face of the connector body immediately adjacent to a second side of the alignment post.

2. The USB connector of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board connected to a rear face of the connector body.

3. The USB connector of claim 1, wherein the first electrical power contact is located between the USB connector plug and the alignment post.

4. The USB connector of claim 1, further comprising a USB jack, wherein the USB jack comprises a mating plug port for the USB connector plug, a corresponding alignment post port for the alignment post, and first and second electrical power input contacts for contacting the first and second electrical power contacts of the USB connector.

5. The USB connector of claim 1, whereby:

the USB connector plug is adapted for connectively inserting into a mating plug port of a USB jack;

the alignment post is adapted to connectively insert into a corresponding alignment post port of the USB jack; and

the first and second electrical power contacts are adapted to engage first and second electrical power input contacts defined adjacent to first and second sides of the alignment post port of the USB jack.

6. The USB connector of claim 5, whereby the alignment post includes a locking latch disposed on an upper surface of the alignment post for engaging a locking latch detent disposed along an interior upper surface of the alignment post port for securing the USB connector to the USB jack.

7. The USB connector of claim 5, whereby the alignment post includes an alignment post guide member disposed along the first side of the alignment post for guiding the alignment post into the alignment post port.

8. The USB connector of claim 7, whereby the alignment post has a greater length than the USB connector plug such that the alignment post inserts into the alignment post port prior to insertion of the USB connector plug into the USB connector plug port to ensure the USB connector plug is in a proper orientation when it is inserted into the USB connector plug port.

9. The USB connector of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of each of (i) the USB connector plug, (ii) the alignment post, (iii) the first electrical power contact, and (iv) the second electrical power contact is located within a plane, wherein the plane is perpendicular to the front face of the connector body.

10. The USB connector of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the alignment post guide member is within the plane.

11. An improved universal serial bus (USB) connector, comprising:

a connector body;

a USB connector plug defined along a first end of the connector body and protruding perpendicularly from a front face of the connector body;

an alignment post defined adjacent to the USB connector plug in spaced-apart relation to the USB connector plug and protruding perpendicularly from the front face of the connector body, wherein the alignment post has a greater length than the USB connector plug; and

a first electrical power contact located on the front face of the connector body adjacent to a first side of the alignment post, and a second electrical power contact located on the front face of the connector body adjacent to a second side of the alignment post.

12. The USB connector of claim 11, wherein:

the USB connector plug is adapted for connectively inserting into a mating plug port of a USB jack;

the alignment post is adapted to connectively insert into a corresponding alignment post port of the USB jack; and

the first and second electrical power contacts are adapted to engage first and second electrical power input contacts located adjacent to first and second sides of the alignment post port of the USB jack.

13. The USB connector of claim 11, whereby the alignment post includes an alignment post guide member disposed along the first side of the alignment post for guiding the alignment post into the alignment post port.

14. The USB connector of claim 11, whereby the alignment post includes a locking latch disposed on a surface of the alignment post for engaging a locking latch detent disposed along an interior surface of the alignment post port for securing the USB connector to the USB jack.

15. The USB connector of claim 11, further comprising a printed circuit board connected to a rear face of the connector body.

16. The USB connector of claim 11, wherein the first electrical power contact is located between the USB connector plug and the alignment post.

17. The USB connector of claim 11, further comprising a USB jack, wherein the USB jack comprises a mating plug port for the USB connector plug, a corresponding alignment post port for the alignment post, and first and second electrical power input contacts for contacting the first and second electrical power contacts of the USB connector.

18. The USB connector of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of each of (i) the USB connector plug, (ii) the alignment post, (iii) the first electrical power contact, and (iv) the second electrical power contact is located within a plane, wherein the plane is perpendicular to the front face of the connector body.

19. The USB connector of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the alignment post guide member is within the plane.

20. An improved universal serial bus (USB)jack, comprising:

a jack body;

a USB connector plug port defined along a first end of the jack body and extending perpendicularly into a front face of the jack body;

an alignment post port located adjacent to the USB connector plug port in spaced-apart relation to the USB connector plug port and extending perpendicularly into the front face of the jack body, wherein the alignment post port extends a greater length into the jack body than the USB connector plug port; and

a first electrical power contact located on the front face of the jack body adjacent to a first side of the alignment post port, and a second electrical power contact located on the front face of the jack body adjacent to a second side of the alignment post port.