Claims for Patent: 6,244,905

Summary for Patent: 6,244,905

Title:	Jack connector with reliably retained contacts
Abstract:	An electrical jack connector includes an insulative housing (10), a metallic shell (90), and a first, second, third and fourth electrical contacts (30), (50), (70), (80) mounted in the insulative housing. The first and second electrical contacts are similar in shape except that the first contact comprises a contact portion (36) for engaging with an engaging portion (73) of the third contact (70) when a complementary plug connector (95) is not mated with the jack connector. The first and second contacts are securely retained in a pair of recesses (120), (160) defined in a side wall of the housing. The third contact is securely retained by a cutout (21) in a top wall (17) of the housing and a pair of grooves (22) in a bottom wall (18) of the housing. The first, second and third contacts have relatively simple shapes and are thus easy to manufacture.
Inventor(s):	Wang; Zhiqiang (Kunshan, CN)
Assignee:	Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd. (Taipei Hsien, TW)
Application Number:	09/639,519
Patent Claims:	1. An electrical jack connector adapted for receiving a plug connector therein, comprising: an insulative housing including: a front wall defining an opening for receiving the plug connector therein; a side wall defining a first recess in an outward side thereof and a through hole therethrough, the first recess terminating at a lower section of the side wall and being in communication with the through hole, which is defined through the lower section of the side wall to a bottom face of the insulative housing; wherein the front wall and an inward side of the side wall together define an interior space of the insulative housing adjacent to both the front wall and the side wall and adapted to accommodate the plug connector therein; and an electrical first contact comprising: a main body received in the first recess of the insulative housing; a curved portion extending into the interior space of the insulative housing and adapted for mating with the plug connector; and a mounting tail extending through the through hole of the insulative housing to be mounted to a mother circuit board and further comprising a metallic shell generally enclosing the insulative housing thereof, the insulative housing defines a receiving slot communicating with the first recess, the electrical first contact further comprises a barb retained in the receiving slot and a transition portion between the main body and the curved portion, the insulative housing defining a space through which the transition portion extends from the first recess into the interior space of the housing, the electrical contact further comprises a contact portion extending from the curved portion opposite to the transition portion, the side wall of the insulative housing defines a second recess similar to the first recess, the second recess being spaced from the first recess, an electrical second contact similar in shape to the electrical first contact, the second contact being fixedly received in the second recess of the housing, a third electrical contact comprising at least a major portion, an engaging portion at a lateral edge of a top section of the major portion, and a pair of retention portions at opposite side edges of a lower section of the major portion, the insulative housing further comprises a top wall defining a cutout in a rear edge thereof through which the engaging portion of the third contact extends, and a bottom wall defining a pair of grooves which retain the retention portions of the third contact, the engaging portion of the third contact engages with the contact portion of the first contact when the jack connector is not mated with the plug connector, and wherein the engaging portion of the third contact disengages from the contact portion of the first contact when the jack connector mates with the plug connector and further comprising a fourth contact received in the insulative housing.