BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of audio jack according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the audio jack without the shell from an opposite angle;
FIG. 2A is a rear view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the audio jack assembled with the shell;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the audio jack of FIG. 3 mounted with a PCB;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5A is a view similar to FIG. 5 where an inserted plug is stopped by the plate;
FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line 5B-5B of FIG. 4;
FIG. 5C is a view similar to FIG. 5B where the third and fourth terminals are disconnected due to the insertion of the plug; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the audio jack to be mounted with the PCB but viewed from an angle different from that shown in FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, an audio jack in accordance with the invention comprises an elongated parallelepiped insulative housing 10 including a front projected cylinder 11 having an axial channel 111 in communication with an internal space of the housing 10, first, second, third, and fourth grooves 131, 132, 133, and 134 in the housing 10, and a lateral slot 12 which has its both ends terminated at an outer surface of the housing 10 and the internal space thereof. A plate 20 is adapted to mount inside the slot 12 served as a stop of an inserted plug 40 (see FIG. 5A). The housing 10 has a short tapered, inclined rear end 13. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth grooves 131, 132, 133, and 134 has an open end terminated at the rear end 13, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A. A cavity 1311 is formed at a closed end of each of the first and second grooves 131 and 132. The short tapered, inclined rear end 13 is constructed as one has four sides in which two sides are wider, the two other sides are shorter, and the all four sides are inclined and are coupled together (see FIG. 2). The audio jack further comprises first, second, third, and fourth elongated, thin plate shaped terminals 21, 22, 23, and 24 in which each of the first and the second terminals 21 and 22 has its bent inner terminal 211 or 221 positioned in the cavity 1311 or 1321. In detail, the first terminal 21 is inserted into the first groove 131 from the rear end 13 until its bent inner terminal 211 positioned in the cavity 1311 of the first groove 131. Similarly, the second terminal 22 is inserted into the second groove 132 from the rear end 13 until its bent inner terminal 221 positioned in the cavity 1321 of the second groove 132. The bent inner terminals 211 and 221 of the first and second terminals 21 and 22 positioned in the cavities 1311 and 1321 are adapted to provide an elastic buffering and fastening effect when the plug 40 is inserted into the audio jack as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5C. The third and the fourth terminals 23 and 24 are served as a switch and are mounted in the third and the fourth grooves 133 and 134 respectively. As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the third and the fourth terminals 23 and 24 are disconnected when the plug 40 is inserted into the jack from the channel 111. Thus, a user of the jack is aware of the insertion of the plug 40 by observing an electrical disconnection of the third and the fourth terminals 23 and 24. This is one of the characteristics of the invention. Outer terminals 212, 222, 231, and 241 of the first, second, third, and fourth terminals 21, 22, 23, and 24 are slightly inclined and are projected from the rear end 13 so as to electrically connect to a PCB (printed circuit board) 50 as shown in either FIG. 4 or FIG. 6.
The audio jack further comprises a metal shell 30 formed by punching and bending. The shell 30 has a rectangular section and an inclined rear end 31. The shell 30 is adapted to enclose the audio jack and comprises four slightly inclined legs 32 extended from sides of the rear end 31. The slightly inclined legs 32 are adapted to assemble with the PCB 50, as shown in either FIG. 4 or FIG. 6. The inclined rear end 31 is constructed substantially the same as the rear end 13. That is, the rear end 31 has four sides in which two sides are wider, the other two sides are shorter, and the all four sides are inclined and are coupled together (see FIG. 3).
The PCB 50 is flat. Thus, the audio jack is not perpendicular to the PCB 50 when the slightly inclined legs 32 are inserted into the PCB 50 or fastening. That is, the audio jack is inclined in its fastened state.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
Patent Application
20070254527
