Computer interface jack

• US 7,168,972 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2006
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Itronix Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Itronix Corp. (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jeff, Stockham, David, Autry, Sidney David
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US11/410,887
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 439/344, 439/354, 439/352, 439/923
• US Class Current: 439/344
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/633 for disengagement only in combination with safety switch H01R13/7132
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/923 Separation or disconnection aid

Abstract

A female electrical connector is provided for receiving a standardized male electrical connector having a movable release tab. The female electrical connector includes an electrical connector body, at least one electrical contact, and at least one lock member. The electrical connector body has an axial cavity configured to receive a male connector. The at least one electrical contact is provided in the cavity. The at least one lock member is carried by the body in load deflecting relation relative to an opposed inner face of the cavity. The at least one lock member is configured to displace relative to the inner face between a loaded position and a released position responsive to a release tab of a male electrical connector applying an overload condition on the at least one tab.

Claims

1. A female electrical connector for receiving a standardized male electrical connector having a movable release tab, comprising:

a female electrical connector body having an axial cavity configured to receive the standardized male electrical connector;

at least one electrical contact provided in the axial cavity; and

at least one lock member carried by the body in load deflecting relation relative to an opposed inner face of the axial cavity and configured to displace relative to the inner face between a loaded position and a released position responsive to a movable release tab of the standardized male electrical connector applying an overload condition on the movable release tab.

2. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one lock member is sprung from the connector body to provide lateral deflection away from the inner face responsive to the overload condition from the movable release tab of the standardized male electrical connector.

3. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein a pair of the lock members are carried by the body.

4. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the axial cavity comprises a rectangular cavity.

5. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the connector body is configured to mate with a male RJ11 electrical connector.

6. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the connector body is configured to mate with a male RJ45 electrical connector.

7. The female electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the lock member comprises a pair of lock members each having an elongated arm terminating in a lateral finger.

8. The female electrical connector of claim 7, wherein each elongated arm and lateral finger comprises an elastic material capable of being urged in a lateral direction responsive to overloading of the finger by the standardized male electrical connector being forcibly removed from the female electrical connector.

9. The female electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the lock member further comprises a bridge wall extending between the pair of lock members and spaced from the respective fingers.

10. A female electrical connector of a type for mating/demating with a male electrical connector having a movable release tab, comprising:

a connector receiver with a cavity encompassed by at least one wall and configured to receive the male electrical connector;

at least one electrical contact provided in the cavity; and

at least one lock member carried in flexible relation by the connector receiver opposite one of the at least one wall to urge apart from the wall in response to an overload being applied to the at least one lock member during attempted removal of the male electrical connector from the female electrical connector.

11. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the connector receiver comprises a rectangular body supporting a plurality of the electrical contacts within the connector receiver.

12. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein a plurality of electrical contacts are provided within the connector receiver.

13. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the at least one lock member comprises a pair of tabs each provided by a finger on a distal end of the respective lock member.

14. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the at least one lock member is integrally formed from the connector receiver.

15. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein a pair of lock members is provided joined together by a bridge wall and depending from the connector receiver.

16. The female electrical connector of claim 15, wherein each lock member comprises an elongated arm terminating in a laterally extending finger, each finger providing a respective tab, and the finger and the tab are formed from elastic material capable of being deformed under load.

17. The female electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the at least one lock member comprises a flexible arm terminating in a flexible finger extending laterally of the arm.

18. The female electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the at least one lock member comprises a pair of the flexible arms each terminating in a respective one of the flexible fingers.

19. The female electrical connector of claim 17 wherein the connector receiver comprises a rectangular electrical connector body.

20. An electrical connector assembly for receiving standardized male electrical connectors having a movable release tab, comprising:

a first electrical connector body having a first axial cavity configured to receive a first male electrical connector;

a second electrical connector body having a second axial cavity configured to receive a second male electrical connector;

at least one electrical contact provided in each of the first axial cavity and the second axial cavity; and

at least one lock member carried by the first electrical connector body in load deflecting relation relative to an opposed inner face of the first axial cavity and configured to displace relative to the inner face between a loaded position and a released position responsive to a movable release tab of the first male electrical connector applying an overload condition on the movable release tab;

at least one lock member carried by the second electrical connector body in load deflecting relation relative to an opposed inner face of the second axial cavity and configured to displace relative to the inner face between a loaded position and a released position responsive to a movable release tab of the second male electrical connector applying an overload condition on the movable release tab of the second male electrical connector.

21. The electrical connector assembly of claim 20, wherein the first electrical connector body is an RJ11 connector body and the second electrical connector body is an RJ45 body.

22. The electrical connector assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one lock member comprises a pair of flexible arms each terminating in a laterally extending finger configured to engage and lock with respective tabs on a complementary electrical connector plug.

23. A female RJXX connector comprising:

a connector cavity having an axis running from a cavity opening to a back wall and adapted to receive at least one standard RJXX male connector axially inserted therein; and

a tensioned lock mechanism associated with the connector cavity, adapted to securely engage a release tab of the at least one standard RJXX male connector, wherein the tensioned lock mechanism is adapted to release the release tab of the at least one standard RJXX male connector when a threshold level of force is applied to the at least one standard RJXX male connector in a substantially axial direction away from the connector cavity.