Patent ID: 6364680
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
A thin line jack expansion module adapted to electrically connect to a thin line expansion cable comprising a plurality of electrically conductive signal lines for transmitting communications signals, the expansion module comprising:an internal module comprising: a cable bay for accommodating the thin line expansion cable; a plurality of electrically conductive cable contacts disposed within the cable bay and adapted to establish electrical connections with the signal lines of the thin line expansion cable; and a jack for accommodating a user communications plug, the jack comprising a plurality of jack signal contacts, the jack signal contacts electrically connected to the cable contacts; and an external module for at least partially covering the cable bay of the internal module, the external module capable of locking onto the internal module and comprising a rib for mechanically interacting with the thin line expansion cable to permit only one proper orientation of the thin line expansion cable within the cable bay; wherein when the thin line expansion cable is disposed in the cable bay with the only one proper orientation, the rib permits the external module to be locked onto the internal module so that the cable contacts are capable of electrically connecting the jack signal contacts to the signal lines within the thin line expansion cable so that a user communications plug plugged into the jack can receive and transmit communications signals along the thin line expansion cable, and when the thin line expansion cable is disposed in the cable bay with an orientation that is not the proper orientation, mechanical interaction of the rib with the thin line expansion cable prevents the external module from locking onto the internal module.