Telecommunications jack assembly

An electrical connector including a circuit board, a contact spring insert, and an insulation displacement terminal insert wherein the contact spring insert is positioned between the insulation displacement terminal insert and the circuit board. The insert assembly can be mounted to a jack housing to form a telecommunications jack for receiving telecommunications plugs.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to telecommunications connectors and to methods for assembling telecommunications connectors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modular connectors such as modular plugs and modular jacks are commonly used in the telecommunications industry.FIG. 21illustrates an exemplary modular connector20(e.g., an RJ 45 connector). The connector includes eight contacts (e.g., springs) numbered1to8. The eight contacts form four separate circuits or pairs for conveying twisted pair (e.g., tip and ring) signals.FIG. 21shows a conventional pairing configuration in which springs4and5form a first circuit, springs3and6form a second circuit, springs1and2form a third circuit, and springs7and8form a fourth circuit.

Crosstalk can be a significant source of interference in telecommunications systems. Crosstalk is typically caused by the unintentional transfer of energy from one signal pair to another. Commonly, the transfer of energy is caused by inductive or capacitive coupling between the conductors of different circuits. Crosstalk is particularly problematic in modular connectors because of the close spacing of the springs.

To reduce crosstalk, a variety of spring configurations have been developed. Often, the spring shapes are quite complicated and the springs can be difficult to assemble and maintain in the desired orientations suitable for reducing crosstalk. Ease of assembly and compactness of design of the modular jacks are desired. What is needed is an improved modular jack and method for assembling contact springs in a telecommunications connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention relates to an insert assembly for a jack for use with a plug having plug contacts, the insert assembly including a circuit board, a contact spring insert, and an insulation displacement terminal insert. The contact spring insert includes a plurality of contact springs including tips for electrically connecting to the circuit board. The insulation displacement terminal insert includes a plurality of insulation displacement terminals including tips for electrically connecting to the circuit board. The insulation displacement terminal insert is positioned adjacent to the contact spring insert, and both inserts are positioned adjacent to the circuit board during assembly.

A method for assembling an insert assembly for a jack includes providing a circuit board, a contact spring insert with spring tips, and an insulation displacement terminal insert with terminal tips. The contact spring insert is positioned between the insulation displacement terminal insert and the circuit board, with the spring tips and the terminal tips positioned adjacent to the circuit board. The method further includes the step of permanently electrically connecting the tips to the circuit board. One preferred method of connecting includes a soldering operation. The method further preferably includes slidably mounting the insert assembly into a jack housing to form a telecommunications jack.

A variety of advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now toFIGS. 1 and 2, a jack30is shown for receiving a telecommunications plug in a front port32. Jack30includes conductive contact springs40at a front41of jack30which are electrically linked to contacts42at a rear43of jack30, such as insulation displacement terminals for connecting to twisted pair conductive wires. Front contact springs40are provided to electrically connect to the electrical terminations in the telecommunications plug. Typically the jack30will include eight circuit paths through the jack, for connecting to the twisted wire pairs of two telecommunications cables, one connected at port30, and one cable connected at terminals42.FIG. 3shows an insulation displacement terminal cap44for mounting over rear contacts42during use, such as through a snap fit. A front tab34of jack30engages a locking tab of the plug to hold the plug in electrical connection with jack30.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,234,836 and 6,334,792 disclose various telecommunications jacks including contact springs mounted to an insert assembly, for use with a jack housing for twisted wire pair cables. A further telecommunications jack is shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/811,148. An example telecommunications plug with plug contacts is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,792. All of the disclosures of the above-noted documents are hereby incorporated by reference. Individual contact springs are shown in the noted documents as being mounted to an insert assembly which functions as a contact spring holder. The present invention relates to an improved method of assembly, and a jack and insert assembly for a jack wherein the contact springs are mounted together and then mated with an insert housing containing cable connections to form an insert assembly useful in telecommunications jacks.FIGS. 4-20show and describe various components, assemblies, and method steps useable in assembling improved jack30.

Turning now toFIGS. 4-12, an insulation displacement terminal housing or main body50, and an insulation displacement terminal insert52including housing50and a plurality of insulation displacement terminals54are shown. Housing50includes a front56and a rear58and is made from non-conductive material, such as molded plastic. Front56includes opposed sides62defining a front opening64. Inner rails66project inwardly toward one another above a lower surface68of opposed sides62. A chamber70is defined for receipt of a contact spring insert90, as will be described below.

Rear58of housing50includes two rows74of terminal housings76. As shown inFIGS. 10-12, bottom openings78receive conductive insulation displacement terminals54. Each terminal54is inserted upwardly into a bottom opening78. Each terminal54has a split end55which allows for receipt of a conductive wire at a top80of each of the terminal housings76. Tips82of insulation displacement terminals54project below a bottom surface84of housing50. Insulation displacement terminals54are press fit into housing50in the illustrated embodiment. Together, housing50and terminals54form insulation displacement terminal insert52useful in jack30.

Turning now toFIGS. 13 and 14, further steps in the assembly process of jack30are shown. Contact spring insert90holds an array of contact springs40in desired positions for use in jack30. Contact spring insert90can be handled as a unit without disruption of the contact spring spacings. Springs40and insert90can have a variety of shapes, as desired for the electrical performance of jack30. For example, some of the springs40cross-over one another to address crosstalk issues through the jack30. Other spring shapes can be used. Insert90holds the individual springs40in the desired positions.

Contact spring insert90includes a non-conductive main body92having a base94defining a divider96for separating the contact springs40. Body92can be made from molded plastic. A holder region98on base94retains each of the contact springs40to body92, such as through a press-fit connection. Each of contact springs40includes a distal tip108, and an opposite proximal tip110. Distal tips108are located adjacent to a front100of body92. Proximal tips110of contact springs40are located adjacent to a rear102of body92. Contact portions109are positioned to engage the plug contacts of the plug inserted into jack30. Sides104of body92project upwardly and define upper surfaces106.

During assembly, contact spring insert90is positioned adjacent to circuit board130wherein the proximal tips110of spring contacts40project into circuit board130at first contact locations132. Insulation displacement terminal insert52is then positioned adjacent to circuit board130with opening64receiving contact spring insert90in chamber70. Tips82of insulation displacement terminals54also project into circuit board130at second contact locations134. The three components (insert52, insert90, and board130) are secured together to form a unit or assembly150for use in jack30. One preferred method is illustrated where insert90is trapped between insert52and board130, and then tips82,110are soldered to board130. Snaps or other retention structures can be used to hold inserts52,90and board130together. Also, solderless connections between tips82,110can be used, if desired.

Referring now toFIGS. 13-17, tips82of insulation displacement terminals54and proximal tips110of contact springs40project into circuit board130. As shown inFIG. 15, tips82,110project completely through board130. Once the elements are positioned adjacent to one another as shown inFIGS. 15-17, the various tips82,110are soldered to board130. Board130includes contact eight locations132for receipt of proximal tips110of contact springs40. Eight contact locations134receive tips82of insulation displacement terminals54. The circuit tracings136(only two are shown) electrically link the first and second contact locations132,134. In this manner, signals can be transmitted from contact springs40engaged with a telecommunications plug to a telecommunications cable connected to rear contacts42defined by the insulation displacement terminals54.

Circuit board130can include other features as desired to enhance electrical performance. The circuit board130can include additional conductive pathways that help reduce crosstalk. For example, the crosstalk reducing techniques shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,089,923 and 6,428,362, can be used. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,089,923 and 6,428,362 are hereby incorporated by reference.

In this manner, an insert assembly150can be formed wherein contact springs40are not separately handled with respect to the insulation displacement terminals54and housing50. Instead, contact springs40are separately mounted to insert90, then insert90is mated with the other components to form jack30. Contact spring insert90is retained between circuit board130and insulation displacement terminal insert52through a lower surface67of inner rails66engaging sides104along top surfaces106. Once all of the springs and terminals are soldered to board130, insert assembly150can be assembled with other jack housing components.

Turning now toFIGS. 18 and 19, further steps in the assembly process are illustrated. Insulation displacement terminal insert52is provided with outwardly facing slots116on either side, and a resilient locking tab112on either side. Resilient locking tabs112include flexible lever members114to provide a snap fit engagement with a jack housing160. Jack housing160includes guide rails162for receipt of slots116. Jack housing160further includes latch openings164for receipt of flexible lever members114. Rails162support insert assembly150so that circuit board130is spaced from jack housing160. Jack housing160defines an open channel166for slidably receiving insert assembly150. Once slidably received, insert assembly150snaps to jack housing160to be retained therewith.

Once assembled together, insert assembly150and jack housing160define jack30which can be mounted to a telecommunications panel, faceplate, or other mounting fixture, as desired. Jack130includes cantilever members170,172, and retaining shoulders174,176for mounting to a faceplate or other panel structure. Each cantilever member170,172includes a retaining tab171. In the embodiment shown, jack30is mounted from the front of the panel. The panel is held between the retaining tabs171and the retaining shoulders174,176. The earlier mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,836 shows various jack housings for use with a faceplate. The jack housing160can mount perpendicularly to the faceplate or at an angle, as also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,836 with a differently configured jack housing. Cantilever members170,172and retaining shoulders174,176are shown for example only. Other mounting structures for mounting jack30to a panel structure can be used, as desired.

Referring now toFIG. 20, jack30is shown during a further assembly step wherein a designation label180is applied. Label180is applied to mounting surfaces182, to provide the user with an identification of the insulation displacement terminals for one or more cabling schemes. For example, the wire pairs for contact springs40may vary, so the user would benefit from the indicia on label180showing the user the corresponding insulation displacement terminals54.

With regard to the foregoing description, it is to be understood that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of the construction materials employed and the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is intended that the specification and depicted aspects of the invention may be considered exemplary, only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the broad meaning of the following claims.