Audio jack with ESD protection
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorWolfgang Edeler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plug-and-jack for use with an electronic device that is configured to ensure circuitry of the device is protected from electrostatic discharge. In one case, the jack is an audio jack designed to protect high gain circuitry of the device against electrostatic discharge from the leads of an audio plug. The jack includes a mechanical switch that only connects the high gain circuitry to the appropriate portion of the audio plug once the audio plug is fully inserted. At the same time, the mechanical switch also connects the high gain circuitry and corresponding portion of the audio plug to an electrostatic discharge circuit.
Claims20
An electrical jack for receiving insertion of an electrical plug having two or more plug contacts that are electrically insulated from other plug contacts, the electrical jack comprising:
- an enclosure defining an elongate cavity having a longitudinal axis and an opening at one end;
- a first jack contact positioned within the cavity and adapted to connect to a second circuit;
- a second jack contact positioned within the cavity so as to contact a first plug contact when the electrical plug is fully inserted;
- and
- a sliding switch element having a first position and a second position, wherein:
- in the first position the sliding switch element is closer to the opening than in the second position;
- the sliding switch element is biased in the first position;
- the sliding switch element is configured to be moved parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity into the second position as a result of full insertion of the electrical plug;
- and
- in the second position the sliding switch element electrically connects the first jack contact to the second jack contact and electrically connects the second jack contact to the first circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.