Universal electrical connector jack

There is provided an electrical connector jack which is adapted to readily be used with panels having various thicknesses. The jack has a pair of flexible stops in the form of ears extending therefrom which abut against one side of the panel. The flexibility of the ears permits the jack to move over a range of distance after having been inserted into an opening in the panel. The jack further includes additional stops in the form of beams which contact the other side of the panel to further secure the jack in the opening in the panel. The beams are also flexible thereby permitting the jack to snap into the panel. A cover is also provided to conceal the jack and to lock the jack into the opening in the panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to electrical connectors. More particularly it 
relates to electrical connector jacks which are to be fitted into openings 
in panels. 
Modular electrical connector products for the telecommunications industry, 
particularly plugs and jacks, have achieved wide acceptance. Plugs and 
jacks are generally intermatable because the inside dimensions of the jack 
and the outside dimensions of the plug are in accordance with government 
mandated standards under Part 68 of the Regulations of the Federal 
Communications Commission. Thus to a great extent the success of those 
modular products comes from the economics of scales presented to 
manufacturers by the mandated dimensions. 
Jacks are normally mounted to a panel such as a face plate, wall baseboard, 
modular function, posted panel, or a rack. The panel includes an opening 
through which the jack is mounted. The electrical contacts on the inside 
of the jack are exposed through the opening in the panel and the jack 
mates with a corresponding plug through the opening. Thus an electrical 
connection is made through the panel. 
Often jacks are secured to the panel by means of screws resulting in 
labor-intensive installations. Other jacks are held in place by stops 
which form a gap approximately equal to the thickness of the panel through 
which the plug is inserted. However, because various panels and various 
types of panels have varying thicknesses, a different jack often must be 
used for a particular panel thickness, otherwise the jack will not fit 
properly in the opening in the panel. This of course increases tooling and 
inventory costs. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide an electrical 
connector jack which will fit panels having varying thicknesses. 
It is another object to provide a universal jack which is inexpensive to 
manufacture and is easy to install. 
It is another object to provide a jack which may be fitted onto a panel 
without the need for special tools. 
It is another object to provide a jack which is easily mounted and 
dismounted from a panel. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with one form of this invention, there is provided an 
electrical connector apparatus in the form of a jack having an opening 
therein for receiving a corresponding plug. Portions of the jack are 
adapted to extend into an opening in a panel such as a face plate. The 
jack includes a first stop. The first stop contacts one side of the panel 
and upon such contact permits the jack to extend into the opening of the 
panel over a range of distance thereby permitting the jack to be used with 
various thicknesses of panels. The jack includes a second stop which is 
adapted to contact the other side of the panel for securing the jack in 
the opening of the panel. 
Preferably the first stop is resilient. It is also preferred that the first 
stop be in the form of a pair of flexible ears extending from the two 
sides of the jack. Also in the preferred embodiment, the second stop is in 
the form of at least one moveable beam extending from the jack to the 
other side of the panel and having a ledge extending from the free end 
thereof so that the jack may be snap fitted into the opening in the panel. 
It is also preferred that a cover plate be provided which includes at least 
one post which contacts the beam and depresses the beam in one direction 
so as to lock the jack into the opening in the panel. The cover plate may 
include a plate for tabs which extend into the opening of the jack for use 
when a plug having fewer contacts than the jack is used thereby making the 
jack more versatile.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 9, there is provided 
electrical connector jack 10 which includes cavity 12 for receiving a 
corresponding electrical plug (not shown). The dimensions of cavity 12 
conform with Part 68 of the Regulations of the Federal Communications 
Commission. Jack 10 includes a pair of resilient ears 14 and 16 projecting 
therefrom in a curved fashion. Ears 14 and 16 form a first stop for 
contacting the backside 18 of panel 20 as shown in FIG. 3. Panel 20 may 
have various thicknesses and may take various forms such as, for example a 
wall, a face plate, a baseboard, modular furniture, or a patch panel. The 
ears 14 and 16 are made resilient by flaring out and curving them from 
jack 10. Upon contact with the backside 18 of panel 20, jack 10 may be 
moved in a range of distance into opening 22 in the panel 20, to the 
extent of the flexibility of ears 14 and 16, thereby enabling the jack to 
fit into openings of various thicknesses of panels. A jack having the 
resilient ears described above has been constructed enabling approximately 
a 1 mm movement of the jack within the opening in a panel. Thus such a 
jack may be used with panels that vary in thickness by that range of 
movement, however the invention is not limited to that range of movement. 
Jack 10 also includes a pair of beams 24 and 26 projecting therefrom which 
also form a stop. Beams 24 and 26 include a pair of ledges or hooks 28 and 
30 extending from the free ends of the beams. The ledges 28 and 30 attach 
to front side 32 of panel 20 for securing jack 10 into opening 22 of the 
panel. Beams 24 and 26 are also resilient and are then able to move 
upwardly and downwardly so that they may snap fit into opening 22. Each of 
the ledges 28 and 30 of the beams include a ramp 32 which provides easier 
access into opening 22 of the panel by permitting beams 24 and 26 to ride 
upwardly as the ramps contact lower edge 34 of opening 22. 
As can be seen from FIG. 4, each edge 36 of ledges 28 and 30 is located a 
predetermined horizontal distance, as measured along the longitudinal axis 
of the jack, from edge 38 of each of the ear 14 and 16 to the extent of 
the approximate thickness of panel 20. For a thicker panel, the horizontal 
distance between the two edges increases as the ears 14 and 16 increase 
flex. This may be seen better by referring to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIG. 6 a 
thin panel 20(a) is used. The thickness of the panel 20(a) and the 
horizontal distance from edge 38 of ear 14 to edge 36 of ledge 28 is small 
as indicated by line 39. In FIG. 7 a thick panel 20(b) is used. The 
thickness of the panel 20(b) and the horizontal distance from edge 38 of 
ear 14 to edge 36 of ledge 28 is greater as indicated by line 41. Also ear 
14 is flexed more for the thicker panel. 
It is preferred that the horizontal distance between these two edges be 
slightly less than the most narrow panel feasible so that the ears 14 and 
16 will always flex somewhat to tightly secure the jack into opening 22. 
Jack 10 also includes ledge 40 which also contacts outer wall 32 of panel 
20 to aid in securing plug 10 into opening 22 of the panel. 
In the preferred embodiment, cover plate 42 is provided for aesthetic 
appeal by obscuring portions of jack 10 and further for locking jack 10 
onto panel 20. Cover plate 42 includes opening 44 which is in the same 
shape as the opening for cavity 12 in jack 10. It is preferred that the 
color of the cover plate 42 be the same as the color of panel 20 or 
another color to identify the jack for a special purpose. Thus, jack 10 
may come in a single color because the cover plate will substantially hide 
the jack thereby reducing the cost of producing the jack. 
As shown in FIG. 5, cover plate 42 includes a first pair of posts 46 and 48 
and a second pair of posts 50 and 52. Posts 46 and 48 are received in gaps 
54 and 56 each of which is formed between one of the beams such as beam 24 
and portion 56 of the jack. When post 46 is received in gap 54 the post 
forces resilient beam 24 downwardly thus securing the ledge or hook 28 
onto the front side 32 of the panel 20. Studs 50 and 52 are received 
respectively in slots 60 and 62 of jack 10. 
FIG. 8 shows panel 20 with three openings 21, 23 and 25 therein with plugs 
10(a), 10(b), and 10(c) and cover plates 42(a), 42(b), and 42(c) in 
various stages of assembly. 
FIG. 9 shows an alternative cover plate 60 which in addition to posts 46, 
48, 50, and 52 includes a pair of tabs 62 and 64. Cover plate 60 would be 
used in situations for example where a six contact plug is to be connected 
to an eight contact jack. Tabs 62 and 64 are received in opening 12 of 
jack 10 and make contact with the outer contacts of the jack so that none 
of the contacts of the six contact plug would improperly make contact with 
the outer contacts. Thus jack 10 is made even more versatile since a 
single eight contact jack may be used with eight, six, and even four 
contact jacks. 
Thus an electrical connector jack is provided which is universal in that it 
will fit varying thicknesses of panels and various types of panels and may 
be easily mounted to such panels by snap fitting the jack thereto without 
the need for special tools, and may be used with various sizes of plugs. 
The jack may be locked onto the panel by means of a cover plate which also 
provides an improved appearance. 
From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention 
it will be apparent that many modifications may be made therein without 
departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.