Servo jack

Abstract

This invention provides a low-profile modular jack that enables miniaturization of electronic devices with a simple configuration. [Solution] The modular jack 1 comprises a plug body 4 having a cable 3, a mating contact provided on the plug body 4, and a modular plug 2 having a lock lever 6 provided on the plug body 4 that elastically deforms to rotate toward the plug body 4 with one end as a pivot point, to which the plug 2 is electrically connected, a housing 13 into which the plug 2 is inserted, a contact 14 connected to the mating contact, and a shell 15 into which the lock lever 6 can be locked so that the plug 2 does not come out of the housing 13, and the shell 15 has a restricting part 27 that restricts the lock lever 6 from rotating toward the plug body 4 while maintaining a state in which the lock lever 6 can be locked to the shell 15.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular jack, and particularly to a modular jack to which a modular plug used for a LAN (local area network) cable is connected.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a modular jack to which a telecommunication plug is electrically connected. This modular jack includes an insulating housing having a plug accommodating opening into which the telecommunication plug is inserted. A pair of lip portions extending inward are formed on both side walls of the insulating housing. When a telecommunication plug is attached to the modular jack having such a configuration, with the telecommunication plug inserted into the plug accommodating opening of the insulating housing, the latch arm of the telecommunication plug is locked to the pair of lip portions of the insulating housing. Thereby, the telecommunication plug is prevented from coming off from the insulating housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In conventional modular jacks, when a telecommunications plug is attached to the insulating housing, the latch arm of the telecommunications plug extends outward from the insulating housing through the gap between the pair of lip portions. In other words, the latch arm of the telecommunications plug protrudes outward from the modular jack. When conventional modular jacks are applied to electronic devices such as laptop computers, the latch arm protrudes from the modular jack, requiring space in the electronic device for the latch arm to stand up. Therefore, even if conventional modular jacks are made lower in profile, they cannot make electronic devices thinner, leading to an increase in the size of the electronic device.

[0005] Reducing the weight of electronic devices that use modular jacks is desirable from the standpoint of making them easier to carry. This weight reduction can be achieved, for example, by optimizing the configuration of the modular jack. Thus, reducing the weight of modular jacks is desirable.

[0006] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a low-profile modular jack that enables miniaturization of electronic devices with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors of this invention believe that the above problem can be solved by providing a modular jack in which a modular plug is locked, which prevents the modular plug from protruding outward from the modular jack. Based on this, they have invented the following new modular jack.

[0008] (1) The modular jack according to the present invention is a modular jack to which a modular plug is electrically connected, the modular jack having a plug body with a cable, a mating contact provided on the plug body, and a locking lever provided on the plug body that elastically deforms to rotate toward the plug body with one end as a pivot point, the modular jack comprising: a housing into which the modular plug is inserted; a contact provided on the housing and connected to the mating contact; and a shell provided on the housing so as to cover the outer surface of the housing and capable of locking the locking lever so as not to come out of the housing, wherein the shell has a restricting portion that restricts the locking lever from rotating toward the plug body while maintaining a state in which the locking lever can be locked toward the shell.

[0009] (2) In the above (1), the lock lever has a latch portion that can be locked to the shell and a lever portion provided on the latch portion, and it is preferable that the latch portion is in contact with the restricting portion so as to restrict the lock lever from rotating away from the plug body.

[0010] (3) In (2) above, the shell has a shell body having a hole into which the latch portion can be locked, and a restricting portion provided on the shell body, wherein the hole causes the latch portion and the lever portion to protrude outward, and the restricting portion is arranged to cross the hole.

[0011] (4) In (3) above, it is preferable that the restricting portion is in the shape of a plate formed by folding a part of the shell body back onto the outer surface of the shell body.

[0012] (5) In (1) above, the lock lever preferably has a latch portion that can be locked to the shell and a lever portion provided on the latch portion, and the lever portion is in contact with the restricting portion to restrict the lock lever from rotating away from the plug body.

[0013] (6) In the above (5), the shell has a shell body having a hole that causes the latch portion and the lever portion to protrude outward, and a restricting portion provided on the shell body that can lock the latch portion, wherein the restricting portion is preferably arranged to cross the hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention provides a modular jack in which a modular plug is locked, with a configuration that prevents the modular plug from protruding outward from the modular jack. Therefore, it is possible to provide a low-profile modular jack with a simple configuration that enables miniaturization of electronic devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the usage state of a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the usage state of a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is shown as viewed from the front. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is shown as viewed from the rear. [Figure 5] This is an exploded perspective view showing a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view showing a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 7] This is a right side view showing the shell of a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the shell of a modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]It is a front view showing the housing of the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a rear view showing the housing of the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a plan view showing the housing of the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view showing the modular plug connected to the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the state seen from above. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view showing the modular plug connected to the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the state seen from below. [Figure 14] It is a right side view showing the modular plug connected to the modular jack according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view showing the usage state of the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the usage state of the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view showing the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] It is an exploded perspective view showing the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] It is a front view showing the shell of the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a plan view showing the shell of the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] It is a bottom view showing the shell of the modular jack according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] It is a perspective view showing the usage state of the modular jack according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the usage state of the modular jack according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24]This is a perspective view showing a modular jack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] This is an exploded perspective view showing a modular jack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] This is a front view showing the shell of a modular jack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] This is a right side view showing the shell of a modular jack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] This is a plan view showing the shell of a modular jack according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a modular plug 2 is electrically connected to the modular jack 1 according to the first embodiment. The modular plug 2 is detachably attached to the modular jack 1. As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the modular plug 2 is a conventionally known plug typically used in LAN (local area network) cables, and comprises a plug body 4 having a cable 3, a mating contact 5 provided on the plug body 4, and a locking lever 6 provided on the plug body 4. In this specification, the direction in which the modular plug 2 is inserted into or removed from the modular jack 1 is defined as the front-to-back direction, the up-and-down direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is defined as the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, regarding the front-to-back direction, the side of the modular jack 1 into which the modular plug 2 is inserted is defined as the front, and the opposite side is defined as the rear.

[0018] The plug body 4 is roughly rectangular in shape and is attached to the end of the cable 3. The cable 3 is inserted into the plug body 4 through its front wall. Multiple grooves 7 that open outward are formed at the corners between the bottom wall and the rear wall of the plug body 4. In the illustrated example, the plug body 4 has eight grooves 7. The multiple grooves 7 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. A plate-shaped mating contact 5 is provided in each groove 7. When the mating contact 5 is provided in the groove 7, the mating contact 5 is exposed to the outside through the opening of the groove 7.

[0019] A lock lever 6 is provided at the rear end of the plug body 4. In the illustrated example, the lock lever 6 has a latch portion 8 provided on the plug body 4 and a lever portion 9 provided on the latch portion 8. The latch portion 8 has a mounting piece 10 and an extension piece 11. The mounting piece 10 is a roughly rectangular block shape and is located on the rear side of the latch portion 8. The mounting piece 10 is provided with a roughly rectangular plate-shaped extension piece 11. The extension piece 11 is bifurcated and opens forward, extending diagonally forward and upward from the mounting piece 10. The extension piece 11 elastically deforms so as to rotate downward with the rear end provided on the mounting piece 10 as a pivot point. The vertical length of the bifurcated portion of the extension piece 11 increases from the rear end to the front end. The front surface of the bifurcated portion of the extension piece 11 is the front surface of the latch portion 8 and is a latch surface 12 that can be locked to the shell 15, which will be described later. A roughly rectangular plate-shaped lever portion 9 is provided on the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8. The lever portion 9 extends diagonally forward and upward from the latch portion 8. The lever portion 9 is located between the bifurcated portions of the extension piece 11 and extends forward beyond the front surface of the latch portion 8.

[0020] A lock lever 6 with this configuration is provided on the plug body 4. Specifically, the lock lever 6 is provided on the plug body 4 by fixing the mounting piece 10 to the rear end of the plug body 4. When the lock lever 6 is provided on the plug body 4, the extension piece 11 and the lever portion 9 extend diagonally forward and upward from the mounting piece 10 and are located above the plug body 4. A gap is formed between the extension piece 11 and the plug body 4, and between the lever portion 9 and the plug body 4. Therefore, the latch portion 8 can be elastically deformed to rotate toward the plug body 4 with the rear end provided on the plug body 4 as a pivot point. Since the lever portion 9 is provided on the latch portion 8 as described above, it can rotate together with the latch portion 8.

[0021] With the lock lever 6 attached to the plug body 4, the lock lever 6 can be elastically deformed to rotate toward the plug body 4, using the rear end provided on the plug body 4 as a pivot point. Specifically, when the lever portion 9 is pushed downward, the lock lever 6 elastically deforms to rotate downward due to the aforementioned configuration. When the operation of the lever portion 9 is stopped after the lock lever 6 has rotated, the lock lever 6 automatically returns to its original position by springing upward due to the biasing force.

[0022] In the first embodiment, the mounting piece 10 and the extension piece 11 may be integrally formed or separate. The latch portion 8 and the lever portion 9 may be integrally formed or separate. The lock lever 6 and the plug body 4 may be integrally formed or separate.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the modular jack 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a housing 13 into which a modular plug 2 is inserted, a plurality of contacts 14 provided in the housing 13, and a shell 15 covering the housing 13. As mentioned above, a modular plug 2 of a LAN cable is connected to the modular jack 1. In this case, the modular jack 1 is typically attached to an electronic device such as a laptop computer.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 to 6 and Figures 9 to 11, the housing 13 is substantially rectangular and has a plug receiving recess 16 that opens to the front. The housing 13 is, for example, a rectangular tube that opens to the front. A notched lever insertion hole 17 that opens to the front is formed in the upper wall of the housing 13. The lever insertion hole 17 penetrates the upper wall of the housing 13 in the vertical direction. Multiple through holes 18 are formed in the lower wall of the housing 13. In the illustrated example, the lower wall of the housing 13 has eight through holes 18. The through holes 18 are substantially rectangular in shape with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction and penetrate the lower wall of the housing 13 in the vertical direction. Multiple through holes 18 are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction. Multiple contact insertion holes 19 are formed in the rear wall of the housing 13. In the illustrated example, the rear wall of the housing 13 has eight contact insertion holes 19. The contact insertion holes 19 penetrate the rear wall of the housing 13 in the front-to-back direction. Multiple contact insertion holes 19 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0025] A groove-shaped first recess 20 opening outward is formed in the left wall and the right wall of the housing 13. The first recess 20 in the left wall of the housing 13 is a substantially rectangular groove opening to the left and extending in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the first recess 20 in the left wall of the housing 13 is closed. That is, the first recess 20 has an inner surface 21 located on the rear side. The front end of the first recess 20 in the left wall of the housing 13 is open forward. The first recess 20 in the right wall of the housing 13 is a substantially rectangular groove opening to the right and extending in the front-rear direction. The rear end of the first recess 20 in the right wall of the housing 13 is closed. That is, the first recess 20 has an inner surface 21 located on the rear side. The front end of the first recess 20 in the right wall of the housing 13 is open forward.

[0026] A groove-shaped second recess 22, opening outward, is formed in the left wall and the right wall of the housing 13. The second recess 22 in the left wall of the housing 13 is a substantially rectangular groove that opens to the left and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the second recess 22 in the left wall of the housing 13 is closed by a bulge 23 formed in the left wall of the housing 13. The bulge 23 bulges to the left from the left wall of the housing 13. An insertion hole 24 that opens to the rear is formed in the bulge 23. This insertion hole 24 communicates with the second recess 22 in the left wall of the housing 13. That is, the front end of the inner surface of the second recess 22 is part of the inner surface of the insertion hole 24. The rear end of the second recess 22 in the left wall of the housing 13 opens to the rear. The second recess 22 in the right wall of the housing 13 is a substantially rectangular groove that opens to the right and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the second recess 22 on the right wall of the housing 13 is closed by a bulge 23 formed on the right wall of the housing 13. The bulge 23 protrudes to the right from the right wall of the housing 13. An insertion hole 24 opening to the rear is formed in the bulge 23. This insertion hole 24 communicates with the second recess 22 on the right wall of the housing 13. That is, the front end of the inner surface of the second recess 22 is part of the inner surface of the insertion hole 24. The rear end of the second recess 22 on the right wall of the housing 13 opens to the rear.

[0027] The lower wall of the housing 13 extends rearward from the rear wall of the housing 13, and multiple partition plates 25 are provided in this extended portion. The partition plates 25 are roughly rectangular in shape and are erected on the lower wall of the housing 13. The multiple partition plates 25 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction. Between adjacent partition plates 25, 25 are contact insertion holes 19 formed in the rear wall of the housing 13. The lower part of the left wall and the lower part of the right wall of the housing 13 extend rearward from the rear wall of the housing 13. The first recess 20 described above is located in the upper part of the left wall and the upper part of the right wall of the housing 13, and the second recess 22 described above is located in the lower part of the left wall and the lower part of the right wall of the housing 13.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the contact 14 is an elongated plate shape with its longitudinal direction in the front-to-back direction, and is formed by bending a plate material. In the illustrated example, the modular jack 1 has eight contacts 14. The contacts 14 are placed on the lower wall of the housing 13, passing through contact insertion holes 19 formed in the rear wall of the housing 13. When the contacts 14 are placed on the housing 13, the front part of the contact 14 is located within the plug housing recess 16 of the housing 13 and is exposed to the outside through a through hole 18 formed in the lower wall of the housing 13. When the contacts 14 are placed on the housing 13, the rear part of the contact 14 protrudes rearward from the rear wall of the housing 13 and is located between adjacent partition plates 25, 25. Multiple contacts 14 are arranged in parallel in the left-to-right direction. In this way, multiple contacts 14 are provided in the housing 13.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the shell 15 is a substantially rectangular groove that opens downwards and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the shell 15 opens forward, and the rear end of the shell 15 opens rearward. The latch portion 8 of the lock lever 6 can be engaged with the shell 15 when the modular plug 2 is connected to the modular jack 1. In the illustrated example, the shell 15 is made of metal and has a shell body 26 that covers the housing 13 and a restricting portion 27 provided on the shell body 26.

[0030] The shell body 26 is a roughly rectangular groove that opens downwards and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the shell body 26 opens forward, and the rear end of the shell body 26 opens rearward. The lower part of the left wall of the shell body 26 extends further rearward than the upper part of the left wall of the shell body 26. The rear end of the lower part of the left wall of the shell body 26 is bent inward. The front end of the lower part of the left wall of the shell body 26 is located further rearward than the front end of the upper part of the left wall of the shell body 26. The lower part of the right wall of the shell body 26 extends further rearward than the upper part of the right wall of the shell body 26. The rear end of the lower part of the right wall of the shell body 26 is bent inward. The front end of the lower part of the right wall of the shell body 26 is located further rearward than the front end of the upper part of the right wall of the shell body 26. The lower end of the left wall and the lower end of the right wall of the shell body 26 are bent inward. As a result, mounting portions 28 for the housing 13 are formed at the lower end of the left wall and the lower end of the right wall of the shell body 26.

[0031] Through holes 29 and claw portions 30 are formed in the left wall and the right wall of the shell body 26. A through hole 29, which is roughly rectangular in side view, is formed at the upper rear end of the left wall of the shell body 26. The through hole 29 penetrates the left wall of the shell body 26 in the left-right direction. A claw portion 30 is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 29. The claw portion 30 is plate-shaped and extends diagonally rearward from the front end of the inner surface of the through hole 29 toward the inside of the shell body 26. A through hole 29, which is roughly rectangular in side view, is formed at the upper rear end of the right wall of the shell body 26. The through hole 29 penetrates the right wall of the shell body 26 in the left-right direction. A claw portion 30 is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 29. The claw portion 30 is plate-shaped and extends diagonally rearward from the front end of the inner surface of the through hole 29 toward the inside of the shell body 26. Insertion pieces 31 are formed on the left wall and the right wall of the shell body 26, which are inserted into insertion holes 24 provided in the housing 13. An insertion piece 31 is formed on the lower front end of the left wall of the shell body 26. The insertion piece 31 is plate-shaped and extends forward from the lower front end of the left wall of the shell body 26. An insertion piece 31 is formed on the lower front end of the right wall of the shell body 26. The insertion piece 31 is plate-shaped and extends forward from the lower front end of the right wall of the shell body 26.

[0032] The shell body 26 has a hole 32 into which the latch portion 8 of the lock lever 6 can be engaged. The hole 32 is a notch that opens forward and is formed in the upper wall of the shell body 26. In plan view, the hole 32 is substantially rectangular and penetrates the upper wall of the shell body 26 in the vertical direction. When the latch portion 8 is engaged, the hole 32 causes the latch portion 8 and the lever portion 9 to protrude outward from the shell body 26. In the illustrated example, the hole 32 has a first hole 33 into which the lever portion 9 protrudes and a pair of second holes 34, 34 into which the latch portion 8 protrudes. The first hole 33 is a notch that is substantially rectangular in plan view with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction and opens forward. Of the pair of second holes 34, 34, one second hole 34 is located to the left of the first hole 33, and the other second hole 34 is located to the right of the first hole 33. The second hole 34 located on the left and the second hole 34 located on the right are approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from above, with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction. The length of the second hole 34 in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length of the first hole 33 in the front-to-back direction. The second hole 34 located on the left and the second hole 34 located on the right are continuous with the first hole 33. That is, the second hole 34 located on the left protrudes to the left from the first hole 33, and the second hole 34 located on the right protrudes to the right from the first hole 33.

[0033] The shell body 26 is provided with a pair of left and right restricting parts 27, 27 that restrict the upward rotation of the latch part 8 and the lever part 9. In the illustrated example, the restricting parts 27 are plate-shaped with the front-rear direction as their longitudinal direction and are erected on the upper wall of the shell body 26. Of the pair of left and right restricting parts 27, 27, the restricting part 27 located on the left is provided to bridge the space between the part of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in front of the second hole 34 and the part of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in rear of the second hole 34. The restricting part 27 located on the left has a notched contact part 35 that opens downward toward the hole 32. Of the pair of left and right restricting parts 27, 27, the restricting part 27 located on the right is provided to bridge the space between the part of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in front of the second hole 34 and the part of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in rear of the second hole 34. The restricting portion 27 located on the right side has a notched contact portion 35 that opens downward toward the hole 32. In this way, the restricting portion 27 is positioned to cross the hole 32. In the illustrated example, the restricting portion 27 is formed by bending a part of the shell body 26 upward, but it is not limited to this and may be a separate component from the shell body 26.

[0034] The shell 15 is provided on the housing 13 so as to cover the outer surface of the housing 13. In the illustrated example, the shell 15 is attached to the housing 13 by inserting the housing 13 into the shell 15. To attach the shell 15 to the housing 13, first, the rear end of the lower wall of the housing 13 is placed on the mounting portion 28 of the shell 15. With the rear end of the housing 13 placed on the mounting portion 28 of the shell 15, the insertion piece 31 located on the left side is inserted into the front end of the second recess 22 located on the left side, and the insertion piece 31 located on the right side is inserted into the front end of the second recess 22 located on the right side.

[0035] With the rear end of the housing 13 resting on the mounting portion 28 of the shell 15, the shell 15 is moved forward relative to the housing 13. As a result, the insertion piece 31 located on the left side moves forward within the second recess 22 located on the left side and is then inserted into the insertion hole 24 located on the left side, and the insertion piece 31 located on the right side moves forward within the second recess 22 located on the right side and is then inserted into the insertion hole 24 located on the right side. When the shell 15 is moved forward relative to the housing 13, the claw portion 30 located on the left side elastically deforms and overcomes the rear end of the left wall of the housing 13 before being inserted into the first recess 20 located on the left side, and the claw portion 30 located on the right side elastically deforms and overcomes the rear end of the right wall of the housing 13 before being inserted into the first recess 20 located on the right side.

[0036] In this way, by moving the shell 15 forward relative to the housing 13, the shell 15 is attached to the outside of the housing 13. When the shell 15 is attached to the housing 13, the hole 32 of the shell 15 is located above the lever insertion hole 17 formed in the upper wall of the housing 13. When attempting to move the housing 13 forward relative to the shell 15 while the shell 15 is attached to the housing 13, the claw portion 30 on the left side contacts the inner surface 21 located behind the first recess 20 on the left side, and the claw portion 30 on the right side contacts the inner surface 21 located behind the first recess 20 on the right side. This prevents the housing 13 from coming off the shell 15. To attach the shell 15 to the housing 13, the housing 13 may be moved backward relative to the shell 15.

[0037] As described above, the modular jack 1 is assembled by providing multiple contacts 14 on the housing 13 and a shell 15 on the housing 13. The modular plug 2 is connected to the modular jack 1 as previously mentioned. To connect the modular plug 2 to the modular jack 1, the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16 of the housing 13. When the modular plug 2 is connected to the modular jack 1, the mating contact 5 of the modular plug 2 is in contact with the contact 14 of the modular jack 1. Therefore, the contact 14 of the modular jack 1 is connected to the mating contact 5 of the modular plug 2.

[0038] When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the lock lever 6 is inserted from the front into the lever insertion hole 17 formed in the upper wall of the housing 13. When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the lever portion 9 is inserted from the front into the first hole 33 of the hole 32 formed in the upper wall of the shell 15. When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 passes under the upper wall of the shell body 26 while contacting the upper wall of the shell body 26, and then reaches the second hole 34. The extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8, while elastically deforming, rotates downward together with the lever portion 9 to approach the plug body 4 while in contact with the upper wall of the shell body 26. The extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 maintains its downward elastic deformation while in contact with the upper wall of the shell body 26. When the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 reaches the second hole 34, it rotates upward due to a biasing force to move away from the plug body 4.

[0039] When the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 rotates upward, a portion of the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 protrudes upward through the second hole 34. At this time, the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 is in contact with the restricting portion 27. Specifically, the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 is in contact with the upper inner surface of the notched contact portion 35 formed in the restricting portion 27. When the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 protrudes upward from the second hole 34 to such an extent that the latch surface 12, which is the tip surface of the latch portion 8, can contact the front inner surface of the second hole 34. That is, when the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, the latch surface 12 of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 faces the front inner surface of the second hole 34 at a distance from it in the front-rear direction. As a result, the restricting part 27 maintains a state in which the lock lever 6 can be locked to the shell 15, while restricting the lock lever 6 from rotating upward so as to move away from the plug body 4. At this time, the latching part 8 is in contact with the restricting part 27 in order to restrict the lock lever 6 from rotating away from the plug body 4.

[0040] The modular plug 2, inserted into the modular jack 1 in this manner, can be removed from the modular jack 1 by operating the lock lever 6. To remove the modular plug 2 from the modular jack 1, push the lever portion 9 downwards to rotate the lock lever 6 downwards, and then move the modular plug 2 forward. When the lock lever 6 is rotated downwards, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 moves below the upper wall of the shell body 26. In this state, moving the modular plug 2 forward allows it to be removed from the modular jack 1.

[0041] If an attempt is made to pull out the modular plug 2 from the modular jack 1 without operating the lock lever 6, the latch portion 8 engages with the shell 15. In the illustrated example, the latch surface 12 of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 contacts the front inner surface of the second hole 34. Therefore, the lock lever 6 engages with the shell 15, preventing the modular plug 2 inserted into the housing 13 from coming out of the housing 13.

[0042] In the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment, the shell 15 has a restricting portion 27 that restricts the lock lever 6 from rotating away from the plug body 4 when the modular plug 2 is connected to the modular jack 1. The restricting portion 27 ensures that the lock lever 6 is held in a position closer to the plug body 4 than its original position before elastic deformation. That is, the lock lever 6 is in contact with the restricting portion 27 by a biasing force. Therefore, the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment provides a low-profile modular jack 1 that enables miniaturization of electronic devices with a simple configuration.

[0043] In the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment, the latch portion 8 of the lock lever 6 is in contact with the restricting portion 27. Therefore, according to the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment, the lock lever 6 can be held in a position closer to the plug body 4 than its original position before elastic deformation because the latch portion 8 is in contact with the restricting portion 27.

[0044] In the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment, the restricting portion 27 is positioned to cross the hole portion 32. Therefore, according to the modular jack 1 of the first embodiment, the restricting portion 27 can be made simpler in configuration.

[0045] Next, a modular jack 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 21. Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiment have the same function and therefore their descriptions may be omitted below. The modular jack 1a according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the restricting portion 27. In the first embodiment, the restricting portion 27 was formed by bending a part of the shell body 26 upward, but in the second embodiment, the restricting portion 27 is formed by folding a part of the shell body 26 back to the outer surface side of the shell body 26.

[0046] Of the pair of left and right restricting parts 27, 27, the restricting part 27 located on the left is plate-shaped with its longitudinal direction in the front-to-back direction. In its state before being folded back, the restricting part 27 located on the left connects the portion of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in front of the second hole 34 to the portion of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in rear of the second hole 34. The restricting part 27 located on the left is folded back to the outside of the shell body 26. In its folded state, the restricting part 27 located on the left is positioned above the second hole 34 located on the left. In the folded state of the restricting part 27 located on the left, the vertical length of the gap between the tip of the restricting part 27 located on the left and the upper wall of the shell body 26 is shorter than the vertical length of the gap between the base of the restricting part 27 located on the left and the upper wall of the shell body 26. Therefore, the restricting part 27 located on the left extends diagonally to the left downwards. The vertical length of the gap between the base end of the restricting portion 27 located on the left side and the upper wall of the shell body 26 is longer than the vertical length of the depth of the notched contact portion 35 located on the left side. Therefore, when the restricting portion 27 located on the left side is folded back, the contact portion 35 opens downward toward the hole 32. In this way, the restricting portion 27 located on the left side is positioned to cross the hole 32.

[0047] Of the pair of left and right restricting parts 27, 27, the restricting part 27 located on the right is plate-shaped with its longitudinal direction in the front-to-back direction. In its state before being folded back, the restricting part 27 located on the right connects the portion of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in front of the second hole 34 to the portion of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in rear of the second hole 34. The restricting part 27 located on the right is folded back to the outside of the shell body 26. In its folded state, the restricting part 27 located on the right is positioned above the second hole 34 located on the right. In the folded state of the restricting part 27 located on the right, the vertical length of the gap between the tip of the restricting part 27 located on the right and the upper wall of the shell body 26 is shorter than the vertical length of the gap between the base of the restricting part 27 located on the right and the upper wall of the shell body 26. Therefore, the restricting part 27 located on the right extends diagonally to the right downwards. The vertical length of the gap between the base end of the restricting portion 27 located on the right side and the upper wall of the shell body 26 is longer than the vertical length of the depth of the notched contact portion 35 located on the right side. Therefore, when the restricting portion 27 located on the right side is folded back, the contact portion 35 opens downward toward the hole 32. In this way, the restricting portion 27 located on the right side is positioned to cross the hole 32.

[0048] In the modular jack 1a according to the second embodiment, when the modular plug 2 is inserted into the modular jack 1a, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 is in contact with the upper inner surface of the contact portion 35 of the restricting portion 27. When the latch portion 8 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, a portion of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 protrudes above the upper wall of the shell body 26 through the second hole 34. Therefore, the lock lever 6 is held in a position closer to the plug body 4 than its original position before elastic deformation.

[0049] In the modular jack 1a of the second embodiment, the restricting portion 27 is a plate-like structure formed by folding a part of the shell body 26 back onto the outer surface of the shell body 26. Therefore, the modular jack 1a of the second embodiment allows for a shorter vertical length of the shell 15, making the modular jack 1a more compact. Furthermore, in the modular jack 1a of the second embodiment, because the restricting portion 27 is folded back, the restricting portion 27 does not rub against the electronic device when the modular jack 1a is installed in an electronic device such as a laptop computer. Therefore, no powdery material is generated due to friction between the restricting portion 27 and the electronic device.

[0050] Next, a modular jack 1b according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 22 to 28. Note that components having the same reference numerals as those used in the above embodiments will have the same function and will therefore not be described further. The modular jack 1b according to the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the restricting section 27. Consequently, the modular jack 1b also differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the shell 15. In the third embodiment, the shell 15 has a shell body 26 and a restricting section 27.

[0051] The shell body 26 is a roughly rectangular groove that opens downwards and extends in the front-rear direction. The front end of the shell body 26 opens forward, and the rear end of the shell body 26 opens rearward. The lower part of the left wall of the shell body 26 extends rearward than the upper part of the left wall of the shell body 26. The front end of the lower part of the left wall of the shell body 26 is located rearward than the front end of the upper part of the left wall of the shell body 26. The lower part of the right wall of the shell body 26 extends rearward than the upper part of the right wall of the shell body 26. The front end of the lower part of the right wall of the shell body 26 is located rearward than the front end of the upper part of the right wall of the shell body 26. The lower end of the left wall and the lower end of the right wall of the shell body 26 are bent inward. As a result, mounting portions 28 for the housing 13 are formed at the lower end of the left wall and the lower end of the right wall of the shell body 26. The rear end of the mounting portion 28 located on the left side and the rear end of the mounting portion 28 located on the right side are connected by a plate-shaped connecting piece 36. The connecting piece 36 is provided with a pair of left and right plate pieces 37, 37. The plate piece 37 located on the left side and the plate piece 37 located on the right side are erected on the connecting piece 36 with their plate surfaces facing forward and backward. The left wall and the right wall of the shell body 26 are formed with through holes 29 and claw portions 30, similar to the first embodiment. The left wall and the right wall of the shell body 26 are formed with insertion pieces 31 that are inserted into insertion holes 24 provided in the housing 13, similar to the first embodiment.

[0052] The shell body 26 has a hole 32 through which the latch portion 8 and the lever portion 9 protrude outward. The hole 32 is cut out in the front-to-back direction so as to be open in a portion of the upper wall of the shell body 26 in the left-to-right direction. As a result, the upper wall of the shell body 26 has a first piece 38 located on the left side and a second piece 39 located on the right side. The hole 32 is provided between the first piece 38 and the second piece 39. The tip of the first piece 38 and the tip of the second piece 39 are bent upward.

[0053] The shell body 26 is provided with a restricting portion 27 that restricts the latch portion 8 and the lever portion 9 from protruding outward from the shell body 26. In the first embodiment, the latch portion 8 could be locked to the shell body 26, but in the third embodiment, the latch portion 8 can be locked to the restricting portion 27. In the illustrated example, the restricting portion 27 has a main body piece 40, a pair of front leg pieces 41, 41, and a pair of rear leg pieces 42, 42.

[0054] The main body piece 40 is a plate-like structure with a roughly rectangular shape in plan view, and its plate surface is oriented vertically. The main body piece 40 is provided with a pair of left and right front leg pieces 41, 41 to which the latch portion 8 can be engaged. The left front leg piece 41 is provided at the front end of the left end of the main body piece 40. The left front leg piece 41 has a first extension piece 43 extending downward from the main body piece 40 and a second extension piece 44 extending to the left from the lower end of the first extension piece 43. The right front leg piece 41 is provided at the front end of the right end of the main body piece 40. The right front leg piece 41 has a first extension piece 43 extending downward from the main body piece 40 and a second extension piece 44 extending to the right from the lower end of the first extension piece 43. The main body piece 40 is provided with a pair of left and right rear leg pieces 42, 42. The rear leg piece 42 located on the left side is provided at the rear end of the left end of the main body piece 40. The rear leg piece 42 located on the left side has a first extension piece 45 extending downward from the main body piece 40 and a second extension piece 46 extending to the left from the lower end of the first extension piece 45. The rear leg piece 42 located on the right side is provided at the rear end of the right end of the main body piece 40. The rear leg piece 42 located on the right side has a first extension piece 45 extending downward from the main body piece 40 and a second extension piece 46 extending to the right from the lower end of the first extension piece 45. The vertical length of the first extension piece 43 of the front leg piece 41 is longer than the vertical length of the first extension piece 45 of the rear leg piece 42. Therefore, the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 is located below the second extension piece 46 of the rear leg piece 42. In other words, the second extension 44 of the front leg piece 41 is located closer to the plug body 4 than the second extension 46 of the rear leg piece 42.

[0055] The restricting section 27, configured in this way, is provided to span between the first piece 38 and the second piece 39. The second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 located on the left side and the second extension piece 46 of the rear leg piece 42 located on the left side are connected to the bent portion of the tip of the first piece 38, and the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 located on the right side and the second extension piece 46 of the rear leg piece 42 located on the right side are connected to the bent portion of the tip of the second piece 39, thereby providing the restricting section 27 to the shell body 26. As a result, the restricting section 27 is positioned to cross the hole 32. With the restricting section 27 provided to the shell body 26, the main body piece 40 and the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 are located above the hole 32.

[0056] The modular jack 1b according to the third embodiment is assembled in the same manner as in the first embodiment. When the modular jack 1b is assembled, the hole 32 in the shell 15 is located above the lever insertion hole 17 in the housing 13. To connect the modular plug 2 to the modular jack 1b, the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16 of the housing 13. When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the lock lever 6 is inserted from the front into the lever insertion hole 17 formed in the upper wall of the housing 13. When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the lever portion 9 and the latch portion 8 are inserted from the front into the hole 32 formed in the upper wall of the shell body 26. When the plug body 4 is inserted into the plug housing recess 16, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 passes under the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27, while contacting it, and then reaches the gap between the front leg piece 41 and the rear leg piece 42. By contacting the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 rotates downward together with the lever portion 9, elastically deforming as it contacts the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27. The extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 maintains its downward elastic deformation state while in contact with the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27. When the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 reaches the gap between the front leg piece 41 and the rear leg piece 42, it rotates upward due to the biasing force.

[0057] When the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 rotates upward, a portion of the tip of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 protrudes upward above the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27. At this time, the lever portion 9 is in contact with the lower surface of the main body piece 40 of the restricting portion 27. When the lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 protrudes upward above the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27 to the extent that the latch surface 12, which is the tip surface of the latch portion 8, can contact the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 of the restricting portion 27. In other words, when the lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, the latch surface 12 of the extension piece 11 of the latch portion 8 faces the second extension piece 44 of the front leg piece 41 in the front-rear direction. As a result, the restricting portion 27 restricts the lock lever 6 from rotating upward so as to move away from the plug body 4, while maintaining a state in which the lock lever 6 can be locked to the shell 15. In this state, the lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27 in such a way that it restricts the lock lever 6 from rotating away from the plug body 4. The lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27 due to a biasing force. Therefore, when the lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27, the lock lever 6 is held in a position closer to the plug body 4 than its original position before elastic deformation.

[0058] In the modular jack 1b of the third embodiment, the lever portion 9 of the lock lever 6 is in contact with the restricting portion 27. Therefore, according to the modular jack 1b of the third embodiment, the lock lever 6 can be held in a position closer to the plug body 4 than its original position before elastic deformation because the lever portion 9 is in contact with the restricting portion 27.

[0059] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications or improvements that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0060] For example, the configuration of the restricting portion 27 is not limited to the embodiments described above. The restricting portion 27 can be configured such that the latch portion 8 or the lever portion 9 makes contact with it.

[0061] In the above embodiments, the modular jacks 1, 1a, and 1b are arranged so that the lock lever 6 of the modular plug 2 is in the upward position. However, they may also be arranged so that the lock lever 6 of the modular plug 2 is in the downward position. In other words, the modular jacks 1, 1a, and 1b may be used upside down compared to the above embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0062] 1 modular jack 2 Modular Plugs 3 Cables 4 Plug body 5. Contact with the other party 6. Locking lever 8. Latch section 9 Lever section 13 Housing 14 Contact 15 Shells 26 Shell body 27 Regulatory Department 32 Hole

Claims

1. A modular jack to which a modular plug is electrically connected, the modular jack having a plug body with a cable, a mating contact provided on the plug body, and a locking lever provided on the plug body that elastically deforms to rotate toward the plug body with one end as a pivot point, The housing into which the modular plug is inserted, A contact provided in the housing and connected to the mating contact, The housing is provided with a shell that covers the outer surface of the housing, and the lock lever can be engaged to prevent the modular plug inserted into the housing from coming out of the housing, A modular jack, wherein the shell has a restricting portion that restricts the locking lever from rotating away from the plug body while maintaining a state in which the locking lever can be locked to the shell.

2. The locking lever has a latch portion that can be engaged with the shell, and a lever portion provided on the latch portion. The modular jack according to claim 1, wherein the latch portion is in contact with the restricting portion to restrict the lock lever from rotating away from the plug body.

3. The shell comprises a shell body having a hole into which the latch portion can be engaged, and the restricting portion provided on the shell body, The aforementioned hole allows the latch portion and the lever portion to protrude outward. The modular jack according to claim 2, wherein the restricting portion is arranged to cross the hole.

4. The modular jack according to claim 3, wherein the restricting portion is a plate-shaped portion of the shell body that is folded back onto the outer surface of the shell body.

5. The locking lever has a latch portion that can be engaged with the shell, and a lever portion provided on the latch portion. The modular jack according to claim 1, wherein the lever portion is in contact with the restricting portion to restrict the lock lever from rotating away from the plug body.

6. The shell comprises a shell body having holes that allow the latch portion and the lever portion to protrude outward, and a restricting portion provided on the shell body that can engage with the latch portion. The modular jack according to claim 5, wherein the restricting portion is arranged to cross the hole.

Images