Special purpose modular receptacle jack

A special purpose modular receptacle comprises a generally rectangular housing having an opening which exposes a cavity within the housing. A plurality of electrical contacts are disposed within the cavity of the housing. Terminal ends of the contacts electrically connect to corresponding contacts on a standard modular connector or a modified modular connector inserted into the cavity. The contacts are exposed at a lower rear portion of the housing allowing connection between the contacts and a printed circuit board. Attachment means allow physical and electrical connection of the housing to a printed circuit board. A guiding means may be present as a modular connector insertion aid.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/068,868 
entitled "Special Purpose Modular Connector Plug", filed May 28, 1993. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to receptacle/jack portions of 
electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a special purpose modular 
receptacle jack providing at least two separately accessible sets of 
contacts, and selectively mating with either a modified modular 
plug/connector or a standard modular plug/connector. 
2. Description of the Background Art 
Telecommunications equipment has benefited from the design of electrical 
plugs (connectors) and jacks (receptacles) that provide easy 
connect/disconnect capability between electrical circuits within the 
telecommunications equipment. Such plugs and jacks are particularly 
popular in association with telephone sets where they were first used. 
Modular plugs and jacks have been so well received that their 
specifications are standardized, and can be found in Subpart F of the 
FCC-Part 68.500 Registration Rules. 
Modular jacks provide a convenient means for connecting and disconnecting 
telephone equipment, telecommunications equipment, and computer-related 
equipment. Common modular receptacles conventionally comprise between two 
and eight contacts embedded within a generally rectangular plastic housing 
having a cavity capable of receiving a modular plug. Portions of each 
contact are exposed within the cavity, thus allowing electrical connection 
to corresponding contact; on a modular plug. In addition, attachment 
portions of each contact extend beyond the housing, allowing electrical 
connection between the receptacle contacts and a printed circuit board. 
The design standardization of common modular receptacles allows equipment 
utilizing such receptacles to be interchangeably connected to a single 
plug. This feature is beneficial with respect to telephone plugs and 
jacks, because it allows phone units to be moved from room to room or from 
house to house without requiring modification of the corresponding 
receptacles. However, computer manufacturers often want to have their 
equipment selectively connected to a predetermined plug. It is desirable 
to provide a jack having an increased number of contacts which would allow 
additional electrical components to be connected through a special purpose 
modular plug, while also allowing connection to a standard modular plug. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a modular receptacle or jack providing at least 
two separately accessible sets of contacts disposed within a housing 
having a special design for receiving a standard modular plug or a 
specially modified modular plug with additional contacts. The presence of 
at least two sets of contacts in the modular electrical receptacle allows 
connection to more than one electrical component. 
The modular receptacle jack of the present invention preferably comprises a 
generally rectangular housing forming a main cavity having two recessed 
regions. A first set of electrical contacts are disposed within the main 
cavity, while second and third sets of contacts are respectively disposed 
within the recessed regions. A standard modular connector may be inserted 
into the cavity and utilizes only the first set of contacts. 
Alternatively, a modified modular connector may be inserted into the 
cavity to utilize two or more sets of contacts within the receptacle. 
Attachment ends of the contacts are disposed at a lower rear portion of 
the housing, allowing electrical connection between the contacts and 
external circuitry such as a printed circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a special 
purpose modular receptacle (jack) 10 constructed in accordance with the 
present invention. A generally rectangular housing 12 of glass-filled 
polyester has a top side 14, a bottom side 16, a front side 18, a rear 
side 20, a right side 22, and a left side 24. An opening 26 formed at the 
front side 18 exposes a cavity 28 within the housing 12. Left and right 
foot members 30, 32 are formed from the lower front portion of the front 
side 18 and extend forward. The left foot member 30 is a forward extension 
of a portion of the front side 18, bottom side 16, and left side 24 of the 
housing 12. The right foot member 32 is a forward extension of a portion 
of the front side 18, bottom side 16, and right side 22. Each foot member 
30, 32 is generally triangular and has an outer side 34, a base side 36, 
and an inner side 38. The outer side 34 is disposed at a right angle with 
respect to the base side 36, and the inner side 38 includes a plurality of 
steps 40. 
In an alternate embodiment, the receptacle may be modified so that a 
standard RJ-11 plug cannot be inserted into the receptacle. In certain 
instances, the telecommunications operators and authorities may not want 
to allow the computer user to connect a line interface directly to their 
networks. The alternate embodiment of the receptacle modifies one of the 
foot members 30 by removing the upper step. This upper step corresponds to 
the bottom corner of a standard RJ-11 plug, and thereby prevents the 
insertion of such a plug into the receptacle. The upper step is preferably 
removed by providing an removable insert that fills the step in the 
cavity. 
A corresponding modified modular connector 42 houses additional contacts 44 
and is therefore wider than a standard modular connector. An example of 
such a connector is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 
08/068,868 entitled "Special Purpose Modular Connector Plug," which is 
incorporated herein by reference. The jack 10 of the present invention 
allows for the increased width of the modified modular connector 42 by 
defining a first and a second channel 46, 48. The first and second 
channels 46, 48 are formed horizontally along an inner surface 50 of the 
right side 22 and an inner surface 51 of the left side 24 of the housing 
12, respectively. The channels 46, 48 extend from the front side 18 to 
proximate the rear side 20. A rectangular awning 52 extends forward from 
the front side 18 of the housing 12, parallel with the top side 14. The 
awning 52, the first and second channels 46, 48, and the steps 40 of the 
right and left feet 30, 32 provide a guiding means for alignment of a 
connector during insertion into the jack 10. 
Shielding 54 surrounds portions of the right side 22, top side 14, and left 
side 42 of the housing 12. A narrow contact tab 56 cut from a portion of 
the shielding 54 covering the top side 14 of the housing 12 is bent upward 
relative to the plane of the top side 14. The contact tab 56 assists in 
securing physical contact between the shielding 54 and additional optional 
shielding (not shown). 
The portions of shielding 54 which cover the right and left sides 22, 24 of 
the housing 12 further include legs 58 which extend below the plane of the 
bottom side 16 of the housing 12. The legs 58 serve as a means for 
securing the jack 10 to a printed circuit board (not shown) as well as 
providing a means for electrically grounding the shielding 54. The jack 10 
is attached to a printed circuit board by compressing the legs 58 together 
and inserting them into corresponding holes formed in the printed circuit 
board. Upon release, the legs 58 resiliently open, resulting in an 
interference fit of the legs 58 within the holes thus providing a secure 
mounting of the jack 10 to the printed circuit board. After the jack 10 
has been mounted, the shielding 54 can be grounded by soldering the legs 
58 to the ground section of the printed circuit board. 
Attachment ends 68 of the contacts (not shown) are exposed at the rear side 
20 of the housing 12 and extend below the plane of the bottom side 16. 
Mounting the jack 10 on a printed circuit board causes insertion of the 
attachment ends 68 of the contacts into corresponding holes in the printed 
circuit board and soldered, thereby providing electrical contact between 
the jack 10 and the printed circuit board. 
Although mounting the preferred embodiment of the jack 10 onto a printed 
circuit board requires through-holes in the printed circuit board, a 
surface-mount version is anticipated in which the jack 10 and the 
attachment ends 68 of the contacts are attached, preferably soldered, 
directly to the printed circuit board surface without the benefit of 
holes. Those skilled in the art will also realize that galvanic isolation 
between the contacts can be provided although none is shown in the 
preferred embodiment. 
Formation of the first and second channels 46, 48 results in a thickness 
reduction in the right and left sides 22, 24 of the housing 12. In order 
to compensate for this thickness loss, the right and left outer sides 60, 
62 of the housing 12 are fabricated with respective thickened portions 64, 
66. 
FIG. 2 is a front view of the jack 10 of FIG. 1, illustrating the placement 
of a first set 70 of contacts plus an auxiliary second and third 
additional set 72, 74 of contacts within the cavity 28. The first set 70 
of contacts is centrally disposed within the cavity 28 between the right 
and left cavity partitions 71, 73 which serve to separate the rear of the 
cavity 28 into distinct regions. The second additional set 72 of contacts 
is disposed between the right cavity partition 71 and the inner surface 50 
of the right side 22 of the housing 12, and is recessed to the rear from 
the plane of the first set 70 of contacts. In like manner, the third 
additional set 74 of contacts is disposed between the left cavity 
partition 73 and the inner surface 51 of the left side 24 of the housing 
12, and is recessed toward the rear side 20 from the plane of the first 
set 70 of contacts. The first set 70, the second additional set 72, and 
the third additional set 74 of contacts are disposed in parallel with each 
other and with the longitudinal axis of the housing 12. 
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the jack 10 taken along line A--A of 
FIG. 1, and showing the shape and disposition of an exemplary first 
contact 80. The rear side 20 of the housing 12 is disposed at an angle 
with respect to the top side 14 and bottom side 16, and slopes inwardly 
toward the center of the cavity 28 as it extends from the top side 14 to 
the bottom side 16. The exemplary first contact 80 includes an attachment 
end 68, a back portion 82, a top portion 84, and a terminal end 86. The 
attachment end 68 of the exemplary first contact 80 is disposed below the 
plane of the housing's 12 bottom side 16. The back portion 82 is disposed 
vertically proximate the rear side 20 of the housing 12. The top portion 
84 of the exemplary first contact 80 extends from the rear side 20 to the 
front side 18 of the housing 12, in parallel with and adjacent to an inner 
surface 88 of the top side 14 of the housing 12. A first bend 89 causes 
the terminal end 86 of the exemplary first contact 80 to extend toward the 
bottom side 16 and rear side 20 of the housing 12 at an angle of 
approximately 40 degrees. Second and third bends 90, 91 form a small 
s-shaped curve in the terminal end 86, further lowering the terminal end 
86 towards the bottom side 16 of the housing 12. The first 89, second 90, 
and third 91 bends properly dispose the terminal end 86 of the exemplary 
first contact 80 for engagement with a corresponding contact on a plug 
(not shown) when the plug is inserted into the jack 10. Such engagement 
provides an electrical connection between the jack 10 and the plug. 
Also shown in FIG. 3 is a portion of the terminal end 92 of an exemplary 
additional contact 94 from the third additional set 72 of contacts (FIG. 
2). The disposition of the exemplary additional contact 94 is offset with 
respect to the plane of the terminal end 86 and the plane of the back 
portion 82 of the exemplary first contact 80. The dashed lines illustrate 
the back portion 98 of the exemplary additional contact 94 and the 
recessed location of the sloping rear side 20 of the housing 12 
concomitant with the exemplary additional contact 94. 
FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment 210 of a special purpose 
modular receptacle constructed in accordance with the present invention. A 
generally rectangular housing 212 includes a top side 214, a right side 
216, a left side 218, a bottom side 220, and a front side 222. An opening 
224 formed in the front side 222 exposes a cavity 226 within the housing 
212. A first set 228 of contacts is centrally disposed proximate the top 
side 214 of the housing 212. The attachment ends 230 of the first set 228 
of contacts are disposed below the bottom side 220 of the housing 212 and 
provide a means for electrically connecting the jack 210 to a printed 
circuit board (not shown). A pair of guide rails 232 are formed along the 
right and left inner surfaces 234, 236 of the right and left sides 216, 
218, respectively. These guide rails 234, 235 aid in proper alignment of a 
plug during insertion into the jack 210. 
The housing 212 further defines first and second channels 238, 240. The 
first channel 238 is disposed horizontally on the inner surface 234 of the 
right side 216 of the housing 212. The second channel 240 is likewise 
disposed on the inner surface 236 of the left side 218. A second 
additional set 246 and a third additional set 248 of contacts are disposed 
in the first and second channel 238, 240, respectively. The second 
additional set 246 of contacts comprises a first contact member 250 and a 
second contact member 252, where the disposition of the first contact 
member 250 is shifted toward the front side 222 of the housing 212 
relative to that of the second contact member 252. The third additional 
set 248 of contacts likewise comprises a first contact member 250 and a 
second contact member 252 with corresponding disposition. 
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the second embodiment 210 for 
the receptacle of FIG. 4, illustrating the disposition of the first and 
second contact members 250, 252 on the inner surface 234 of the right side 
216 of the housing 212. The first contact member 250 is disposed 
vertically on the inner surface 234 forward from a vertical centerline 254 
of the housing 212. The second contact member 252 is disposed vertically 
on the inner surface 234 to the rear of the vertical centerline 254. The 
vertical centerline 254 is equidistant between the first and second 
contact members 250, 252. The first and second contact members 250, 252 
are comprised of generally rectangular plates of a conductive material 
such as brass, each having a raised portion 256 which engages a 
corresponding contact on a modified modular connector (not shown) mated 
with the jack 210. As illustrated, the raised portion 256 of the first 
contact member 250 is vertically offset from the raised portion 256 of the 
second contact member 252. 
An exemplary first contact 258 comprises a terminal end 260, an engagement 
portion 262, and an attachment end 264. The terminal end 260 is disposed 
at a position proximate the top side 214 of the housing 212 and includes a 
first bend 266 which directs the contact 258 downward into the cavity 226. 
A second bend 268 directs the engagement portion 262 of the exemplary 
first contact 258 along a nearly-horizontal slope toward the rear side 274 
of the housing 212. The engagement portion 262 of the exemplary first 
contact 258 electrically connects to a corresponding contact on a modular 
plug (not shown) inserted into the jack 210. The engagement portion 262 
also includes a third bend 270 which directs the attachment end 264 of the 
exemplary first contact 258 into a generally vertical disposition 
proximate the rear side 274 of the housing 212. The attachment end 264 of 
the exemplary first contact 258 is disposed below the bottom side 220 of 
the housing 212 and mates with corresponding holes in a printed circuit 
board (not shown). Legs 272 formed at the lower portion of the right side 
216 and lower portion of the left side 218 (FIG. 4) of the housing 212 
provide a means for fastening and grounding the jack 210 to a printed 
circuit board. 
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment 310 of a special purpose 
modular receptacle in accordance with the present invention. A generally 
rectangular housing 312 has a top side 314, a right side 316, a left side 
318, a bottom side 320, a rear side 322, and a front side 324. A first 
opening 326 is formed at the front side 324 and a second opening 328 is 
formed at the top side 314 of the housing 312. The first and second 
openings 326, 328 expose a cavity 330 within the housing 312. A first set 
332 of contacts is disposed proximate the rear side 322 of the housing, 
parallel to the plane of the inner surface 334 of top side 314 of the 
housing 312. A first channel 336 is disposed horizontally on the inner 
surface 338 of the right side 316, wherein a second additional set 342 of 
contacts is disposed in parallel horizontal alignment and staggered 
vertically. A second channel 344 and a third additional set of contacts 
(not shown) are likewise disposed on the inner surface 346 of the left 
side 318 of the housing 312. 
The second additional set 342 of contacts and the third additional set of 
contacts engage corresponding contacts in outwardly extending side arm 
portions of a modified modular connector (not shown). Upon insertion of 
such a connector into the jack 310, the contacts on the leading edge of 
the connector will engage the first set 332 of contacts within the jack 
310, and the additional contacts within the side arm portions of the 
connector will engage the second additional set 342 and third additional 
set of contacts within the first and second channels 336, 344 of the jack 
310. If a standard modular connector (not shown) were inserted into the 
jack 310, only the first set 332 of contacts would be engaged. 
While the present invention has been described with reference to certain 
preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that 
various modifications may be provided. For example, modifications might 
include, but would not be limited to, an embodiment in which only one 
additional set of contacts is present; or an embodiment in which 
additional or fewer individual contacts may be present within any or all 
sets of contacts. These and other variations upon and modifications to the 
preferred embodiment are provided for by the present invention which is 
limited only by the following claims.