Electrical connector having a visual indicator

This invention provides a modular jack receptacle connector (2) which has at least one recess (10) for receiving an indicator (4). The recess is profiled to have a lead receiving section (26) with detents (32) along its sides for retaining at least one of the leads (6) which extend rearwardly and then downwardly from the indicator (4). Also provided along the sides of the recess are guide projections (12) for cooperating with guide recesses (14) in the indicator (4) for proper alignment of the indicator in the receptacle (2).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to 
electrical connectors having a visual indicator. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Modular jack receptacle connectors are well known in the telecommunications 
industry and have been adapted for mounting to printed circuit boards. 
These connectors are typically used for electrical connection between two 
electrical communication devices. In order to ensure that a proper 
connection has been made and therefore a link is created between the 
electrical communication devices, indicators are often incorporated into 
circuits on the printed circuit board. These indicators are typically 
light emitting diodes (LEDs) which are turned on when a circuit is 
completed between the mating connectors and the communication devices. 
Additionally LEDs can be mounted on the printed circuit board to indicate 
a number of other conditions including the passage of communications 
signals between the two communication devices, indication of power, or 
indication that an error in transmitting the signals has occurred. 
In an effort to miniaturize printed circuit boards and save board real 
estate, LED indicators have been integrated into these connectors. An 
example of such a connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,317 to 
Pocrass which teaches a connector for receiving a plug having a visual 
indicator positioned within the front wall of the electrical connector 
housing. Incorporation of the indicator into the electrical connector 
eliminates the need for a separate location on the printed circuit board 
for mounting of such an indicator. The LED indicator is inserted into a 
recess of the electrical connector such that its electrical leads pass 
through the recess and connect to the printed circuit board. The indicator 
is then cemented into a recess or attached using an appropriate adhesive. 
The LEDs may also be molded into the electrical connector during the 
molding process of the housing. 
A problem arises with these connectors in that it is difficult to properly 
position the leads of the LED for accurate mounting to the corresponding 
openings in the printed circuited board Additionally, because the anode 
and cathode leads of the LED are side by side confusion and misconnection 
can result prior to board mounting. It is also desirable to eliminate the 
need for securing the LED in the housing by cementing or attaching with an 
adhesive. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a modular jack 
connector suitable for mounting to a printed circuit board having at least 
one recess for receiving an indicator, guide means for positioning the 
indicator and securing means for securing the indicator. 
The object of the invention has been achieved by providing a modular jack 
connector having a recess which is profiled to have a guide projection 
extending from its sidewall into the recess for cooperation with a guide 
groove on the indicator. The recess is also provided with a lead receiving 
section having protuberances which cooperate with the leads of the 
indicator for securing the indicator therein once it is fully inserted 
with the recess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The modular jack receptacle connector 2 will now be described generally 
with reference to FIG. 1. The modular jack receptacle 2 consists of an 
insulative housing 8 having a board mounting face 18 and a mating face 16. 
The plug-receiving or main cavity 20 extends inward from the mating face 
16 for receiving a complimentary plug connector (not shown). The 
insulative housing 8 is also formed with auxiliary cavities 10 for 
receiving indicators 4 therein. The indicators 4 are adapted for 
electrical connection to the printed circuit board (not shown) through 
leads 6,7 extending from the rear of the indicators 4 to board mounting 
face 18. 
Each of the major components will now be described in greater detail with 
reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The insulative housing 8 is designed to 
receive a modular plug (not shown) into the main cavity 20 and utilizes 
well known latching features for maintaining the modular plug therein. 
Guide posts 22 are provided on the mating face 18 for properly aligning 
the modular jack receptacle 2 to a printed circuit board. Electrical 
contacts 30 are formed to mate with a modular jack plug (not shown) in the 
main cavity 20 and extend through the receptacle 2 to solder tails 31 
departing from a board-mounting face 18 for connection to the printed 
circuit board. The insulative housing 8 also has two auxiliary cavities 10 
for receiving indicators 4. The auxiliary cavities 10 are profiled to have 
guide rails or projections 12 disposed along opposed inner walls thereof 
and extending into the cavity 10. The auxiliary cavity 10 also has a lead 
receiving section 26 at its rear end. The lead receiving section 26 is 
profiled to have a first pair of protuberances 28 disposed along its inner 
walls and a second pair of protuberances 30 also disposed along its inner 
walls rearward of the first pair of protuberances 28. These pairs of 
protuberances 28, 30 define a lead receiving detent 32 therebetween. It 
should be understood that while the preferred lead receiving section 26 is 
shown here with a single detent 32 for engaging the lead 6, a second 
detent could be added to engage the second lead 7 for secondarily securing 
the indicator 4. 
The indicator 4 will now be described in greater detail. The indicator 4 
consists of an LED which is either overmolded or potted of plastic 
material to form a generally rectangular shaped indicator 4. The plastic 
material is generally translucent and is profiled to fit securely in the 
auxiliary recess 10 of the housing 8. Guide grooves 14 are disposed along 
opposed sides of the indicator 4 for cooperation with guide projections 12 
of the housing 8. Leads 6,7 extend from the plastic material in a rearward 
direction and are bent at a right angle to eventually extend below the 
board-mounting face 18 of the receptacle 2 for connection to a printed 
circuit board. 
The modular jack receptacle 2 is assembled by first inserting the 
electrical contacts 30 into the housing 8 by any acceptable known method. 
The indicators 4 are then inserted into the auxiliary cavities 10 of the 
housing such that guide grooves 14 are aligned with guide projections 12 
of the housing 8. The indicators 4 are then urged from the mating face 18 
in a rearward direction until the rearmost lead 6 enters into the lead 
receiving area 26 of the auxiliary cavity 10. The indicator 4 is then 
urged further into its final position such that the rearmost lead 6 is 
locked into the lead receiving detent 32 as shown in FIG. 4. 
FIG. 5 shows a variation on the present invention wherein indicators 4 are 
utilized in a similar fashion as described above for a multiple connector 
assembly 40. It should be understood that while this multiple connector 
assembly 40 is shown here having four modular jack receptacles 2, the 
indicators 4 described herein may be utilized with any number of modular 
jack receptacles 2 be incorporated into a multiple connector assembly. It 
should also be understood that while each modular jack receptacle 2 is 
shown here having indicators 4, the same concepts may be applied in order 
to produce a modular receptacle 2 having only one indicator 4 or a 
plurality of indictors 4. 
The advantage of this invention is that the indicators 4 are properly 
positioned for mounting to a printed circuit board and are firmly secured 
into auxiliary recesses 10 of the housing 8 without the use of any 
adhesive material. The elimination of the need for adhesive material 
removes a manufacturing step and therefore reduces overall manufacturing 
cost of the connector. Another advantage is that because the leads 6,7 are 
positioned such that one is adjacent the mating face 16, it is easily 
discernable as either the cathode or anode of the indicator 4. This will 
avoid confusion and assure proper polarity in connecting the indicator to 
a circuit.