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Is there such a thing as a connector or adapter that would go in between my laptop's AC jack and the cord's AC plug, and would swivel to prevent the jack from working its way loose from whatever it's soldered to inside the computer?

Or even one that doesn't swivel, just to relieve all the stress that plugging and unplugging and unavoidable wiggling puts on the jack?

I drew a picture of what I envision: [IMG][/IMG]

The connection did indeed break while my laptop was under warranty and I believe this is a common problem.

Now it's out of warranty, the area seems to be a high stress point, and I don't want the problem to come back.

I searched several parts sites and didn't find anything.

Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Techno Dr.

Dani AI

Generated

A few compact, practical options to try before (or instead of) a board-level repair, and a short checklist for choosing parts.

As sketched, the goal is to keep leverage off the soldered jack. Two low-cost approaches achieve that: use a short male-to-female DC barrel extension or a right-angle/rotating barrel adapter so the adapter bears the movement instead of the laptop. A short extension can be left permanently attached; when the cable is wiggled it will wear the inexpensive extension rather than the jack. A small clamp or adhesive cable tie mount anchored to the laptop case (or a 3D-printed bracket) gives a physical strain relief that prevents direct twisting on the jack.

What to check before buying an adapter or extension

  • Measure plug sizes (outer and inner diameters) and match them exactly.
  • Confirm center-pin polarity and match it.
  • Ensure voltage and current capacity: the adapter/extension wiring must be rated for the laptop’s amperage (use equal or higher rating). Thin wires or cheap connectors cause heat and voltage drop.
  • Prefer solid barrel connectors and thicker cable (lower gauge) for higher-current supplies.

Quick troubleshooting/tactical notes

  • If power cuts in and out when wiggling the plug, use the extension as a temporary bypass to test if the internal jack is failing.
  • Avoid gluing or permanent fixes that hide the problem; they can make future repairs harder.
  • If a permanent fix is needed, have a repair shop replace the chassis jack or the board-mounted jack; if attempting DIY, remove power and battery, use proper ESD precautions and appropriate small-soldering tools.

On suggested patent idea: similar strain-relief concepts already exist (right-angle plugs, magnetic breakaways, clamp mounts), so check existing designs before pursuing a formal application.

Member Avatar for Techno Dr.

I have the same problem rihgt now I cant move my computer or it stops feeding AC. and I have to hold tension on the cord to keep giving power. its on the verge of breaking and I wanted to know how I could fix it.

Member Avatar for planetrock

As far as I know from spending some time online researching this, it's a common problem and once it's happened the only solution is opening up the laptop and soldering the jack - if not the old one, then a new one which I believe costs around $10-25 - back onto the board.

I'm not a computer repair person, although I successfully disassembled my laptop down to the fan deep inside in order to get dust out and have opened up desktops to replace stuff. My guess is that soldering tiny parts is not something to attempt if, like me, you've never soldered anything before.

Member Avatar for Techno Dr.

As far as I know from spending some time online researching this, it's a common problem and once it's happened the only solution is opening up the laptop and soldering the jack - if not the old one, then a new one which I believe costs around $10-25 - back onto the board.

I'm not a computer repair person, although I successfully disassembled my laptop down to the fan deep inside in order to get dust out and have opened up desktops to replace stuff. My guess is that soldering tiny parts is not something to attempt if, like me, you've never soldered anything before.

I took your advice. it did eventually stop working and now I had to drive a few towns over to drop it off to be fixed but I do like your lil sketch there. have you thought about making and patending your idea?

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