Connector Having Polarity

The present invention relates to a connector comprising a plug and a jack. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved connector having polarity for preventing a connection when the plug or the jack is reversed.

In a connector having polarity, a polar key projects from an inner side wall of a plug. A guide groove is formed on a side wall of a jack at a position corresponding to said polar key. In such a construction, the jack can be connected to the plug when it is in a normal position, by inserting the polar key into the guide groove. On the other hand, the jack is prevented from being inserted when said jack is in a reversed position, i.e. when it is turned to a position at an angle of 180.degree. from the normal position, in an inlet front surface of the jack, since the polar key of the plug abuts against the front surface of the jack. In a prior art connector having polarity, the top end of the polar key is rounded in order to achieve a smooth insertion of the polar key into the guide groove. Therefore, even when the jack is in the reversed position, said jack can be forced to penetrate into the plug, pushing the side wall thereof open, by an excessive force for insertion. In such a case, the desired function of the polar key, which is to prevent erroneous connection of the jack and the plug, cannot be achieved.

The present invention was made considering the above point. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector having polarity which reliably prevents the connection of a jack and a plug in an erroneous position relative to each other. In a connector having polarity according to the present invention, a projection is formed on the top end of the polar key of one connector element, and a recess is formed in a front surface of the other connector element. If said elements are in an erroneous position relative to each other, the projection of one element is received by the recess of the other element, so that a connection in an erroneous position is prevented.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a connector with polarity according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a front surface of a jack of a connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a connector with polarity according to the present invention, when the jack is in a normal position.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a connector with polarity according to the present invention, when the jack is in a reverse position.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a connector with polarity according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a polar key element according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a polar key element according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of a plug without provision of the polar key according to the present invention.

An embodiment of a connector with polarity according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. A plug 2 having a number of pin contacts 13 is mounted on an edge of a printed board 3. A jack 1 is inserted into the plug 2 as illustrated by an arrow. The jack 1 has a number of jack holes 8 (FIG. 3) corresponding to the pin contacts 13. Reference numeral 6 designates a flat cable. Two polar keys 5 are provided on an inside side wall surface. Two guide grooves 4 are formed on a side wall of the jack 1 at positions to mate with the corresponding polar keys 5. A projection 12 is formed on the top end of each polar key 5. The projection 12 extends upward, i.e., in the direction of insertion or withdrawal of the jack 1. A recess 9 (FIG. 3) is formed on a front surface of the jack 1 at a position corresponding to each of the projections 12 when the jack 1 is reversed, in order to prevent connection of the connector.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in operation of the connector with polarity according to the present invention, when the jack 1 is in the normal position relative to the plug 2, the polar key 5 of the plug 2 is fitted into the guide groove 4 of the jack 1 so that the connection of the jack 1 and the plug 2 can be achieved. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 5, when the jack 1 is in a reversed position, the projection 12 of the polar key 5 is received by the recess 9 of the jack 1, so that the jack 1 cannot be inserted into the plug 2. Even if excess force is exerted upon the jack 1, the jack 1 never pushes the side wall of the plug 2 open and thus never penetrates into the plug 2, as was the case in the prior art. Therefore, the erroneous insertion of the jack in the reversed position into the plug can be consistently avoided.

As mentioned above, the present invention is very advantageous in actual use, since the erroneous connection can be reliably avoided and the construction of the device of the present invention is simple.

In the above mentioned embodiment of FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the connector is a right angle type connector, wherein the pin contacts 13 are perpendicular to terminals 11. In such a right angle type connection, the jack 1 is guided through the space between the printed board 3 and the side wall of the plug 2 provided with the polar key 5. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in a case of a straight type connector, the pin contacts 13 and the terminal 11 (not shown) are disposed in straight lines. The plug 2 of the straight type connector is perpendicularly mounted to and on the printed board 3. In the connector of FIG. 2, a side wall 10 is provided so as to guide the jack 1 along the plug 2 so that the jack holes 8 (FIG. 3) of the jack 1 correctly receive the pin contacts 13 of the plug 2. Due to the side wall 10, the jack 1 is prevented from shifting away from the other side wall having the polar keys 5 at the time of connection of the jack 1 and the plug 2. Therefore, the function and effect of the polar keys are achieved so that an erroneous insertion of the jack 1 into the plug 2 can be reliably avoided.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the projection 12 of the polar key 5 may have an inclined surface 14. Also, the guide groove 4 may have an inclined surface 15 on the inside wall at its bottom end. By such an arrangement, the polar key 5 can be smoothly inserted into the guide groove 4. Only one of the inclined surfaces 14 and 15 may be formed on the polar key 5 or guide groove 4.

The polar key 5 of the present invention may be formed as a polar key element 30 which is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, by moulding plastic materials or resins, etc. The polar key element 30 comprises a handle plate 16, a frame 18 connected to the handle plate 16 by two connecting bridges 17, and, the polar key 5 supported on the frame 18 through a support portion 21. A thin portion 17a is formed at the lower end of each connecting bridge 17 so that the handle plate 16 can be easily separated from the frame 18. The projection 12 has a shape of a truncated pyramid. The polar key 5 has a hook 5a on its lower end. The frame 18 has a hook 18a on its lower end. Such a polar key element 30 is installed onto the side wall of the plug 2 along a groove 23 (FIG. 9) formed thereon. When the polar key element 30 is installed, the hook 18a of the frame 18 engages a step 19 formed on the lower end of the groove 23. Also, the hook 5a of the polar key 5 engages a hole 20 formed in the bottom surface of the groove 23. By the engagement of hooks 5a and 18a with the hole 20 and the step 19, respectively, the polar key element 30 is secured to the side wall of the plug 2. Then, the handle plate 16 is removed by separating it from the frame 18 along the thin portion 17a of each connecting bridge 17. Such a polar key 5 installed in the form of a polar key element 30 can be easily removed. Therefore, by removing the polar key 5 from the plug 2, a jack without the guide groove 4 can be connected to this plug.

The ploar key 5 may be formed integrally with the plug 2 instead of being separately formed as the polar key element 30.