Connection Block for Plug-in Adapter

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connection block for a plug-in adapter, suitable for being mounted on, e.g., a mobile telephone or its cradle, said block being further connected to, e.g., a cigarette lighter outlet of a vehicle that can supply current to the connection block, said block further being provided with latch claws capable of locking the connector block to the mobile telephone or its cradle.

2. Discussion of Related Art

In prior art the connection blocks have been implemented with the use of different lever or similar mechanisms which may also have included discrete springs. The many discrete members contribute to higher price, make assembly complicated, take up a large volume; and moreover, they also often even make the device more difficult to use. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above described disadvantages. A connection block for a plug-in adapter according to the invention is characterized in that the latch claws are integral with the housing of the connection block and resilient in such a manner that allows the latch claws to be movable between an open position and a closed position by applying pressure with the fingers on actuation areas designed on the latch claws. The invention makes it possible to achieve a low-priced connection block which is both easily assembled and small in size. This is related to the integral design of the guiding and latching means with the housing structure. Consequently, the actuation areas of the latch claws do not consume inner volume of the connection block.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the sides of the latch claw include guide pins which also are integral with the housing of the connection block and that the mobile telephone or its cradle include recesses which are compatible with the guide pins. Thus, the location of the guide pins provide protection for the latch claw when the connection block is not inserted. By virtue of the guide pins, the latch claws are subjected to tensile stress only, when the connection block is in the inserted position.

Another embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the sides of the connector in the connection block are provided with curved protective walls. The protective walls provide protection to the connector when the connection block is not in an inserted position. Further, the connection block consumes only a minimal volume in the equipment in which the block is mounted.

In the following description the invention is described by way of an exemplifying embodiment with reference to the attached drawings which show a connection block for a plug-in adapter, said block being suitable for mounting to the lower portion of a mobile telephone, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connection block in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational schematic representation of the connection block of FIG. 1 and a plug-in adapter prior to their engagement.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational schematic representation of the connection block and plug-in adapter of FIG. 2 after engagement.

The connection block for a plug-in adapter 9 is attached via a cable 1 to the cigarette lighter outlet of a vehicle that can supply current to the connection block. The connection block has latch claws 2 with which the connection block can be locked to the mobile telephone. The latch claws 2 are integral with the housing of the connection block and resilient in such a manner that allows the latch claws to be movable between an open position and a closed position by applying pressure with the fingers on actuation areas 3 on the latch claws. The sides of the latch claw 2 are provided with guide pins 4 which also are integral with the housing of the connection block. The plug-in adapter of the mobile telephone is provided with recesses 8 which are compatible with the guide pins 4 (FIGS. 2 and 5). The sides of a connector 5 in the connection block are surrounded by curved protective walls 6. When engaging the connection block, the guide pins 4 serve as a guide for positioning the connection block in place. During insertion, the latch claws 2 spring inwardly from outer walls 7 of the block and perform the latching operation inherently. The disengagement takes place by pressing the actuation areas 3 designed on the outer walls of the block, combined with a simultaneous pulling action on the plug-in adapter 9. The connection block can be fabricated by injection molding which yields a pleasant look without further postprocessing. Alternatively, the construction can be fabricated by bending from thin sheet metal, whereby the connection block achieves the properties of an RFI shield. The production costs are, of course, lower with injection molding techniques.