Mitsumi Electric Company Ltd.

Shuichi Sasajima

Takeshi Konno

Masashi Ouchi

Tomohiro Mori

Electric connector

A connector socket positions its contacts within contact holding chambers. In order to limit excessive outward movement of the contacts during withdrawal of a connector plug, a center stopper projects sideways from the contact, and engages an engagement surface molded into the interior of the contact holding chamber. An end projection is bent at an inner end of the contact. The end projection is positioned behind a projection molded into the interior surface of the contact holding chamber. Engagement of the end projection with the projection prevents the end of the contact from excessive outward movement during withdrawal of a mating plug. In this way, both the center and the end of the contact are retained in place.

Connector socket with contact enlarged base sections inserted in holding

A connector socket has a plug insertion opening that is as small as possible to prevent insertion of fingers or other object. The mating plug travels on a hinged arcuate path into the plug insertion opening. The plug insertion opening is displaced from a centerline of its contacts to provide clearance permitting the mating plug to enter, while maintaining a minimum opening size. A front surface of the connector socket surrounding the plug insertion opening is a grounded conductive plate. Thus, even if one succeeds in forcing a finger or other charged object through the plug insertion opening, static charges are discharges to the conductive plate, and therefore do not pose a threat of electrical damage to components accessible within the plug insertion opening.

Electrical connector with minimized socket opening

A connector mold (4) of a connector socket (1) includes pairs of contact holding chambers (7U,7L) facing each other along a direction perpendicular to a length of the connector socket. Contact insertion openings in opposite sides of the pairs of contact holding chambers permit the insertion of contacts (8U,8L) from opposed sides into the contact holding chambers. The opposite-side installations of the contacts permits pre-installation final forming of the contacts, including an 'L'-shaped external connection terminal (8b) for external connection of the connector to a circuit board before the contacts are inserted into the mold. Base attachment grooves (10U,10L) in the inner walls of the contact holding chambers guide the insertion of the contacts into their respective contact holding chambers, and fix the contacts in place after insertion. A shield plate (9) is used to prevent electrostatic fingertip charge from reaching the contacts.

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Ibaraki-ken, Japan

Shuichi Sasajima