Modular receptacle

Abstract: A modular jack (2) has a base assembly (14) and a cap (16) to define a plug receiving region (18) therein for receiving a modular plug (not shown) therein. The base assembly includes a plurality of contacts (20) and a bracket (28) that were originally connected as part of the same lead frame as elongate members (39) and carrier strip (34) respectfully. The lead frame has been overmoulded to form the base assembly (14). The contacts include a solder tine section (22) extending into the receiving region (18), along the periphery thereof through an intermediate portion into a contact arm (26). The contact structure is of simple design and the use of the carrier strip as the bracket eliminates the need for an additional component and the associated assembly step.

Description: This invention relates to a method of making modular electrical connectors and, in particular, receptacle connectors, commonly known as modular jacks. This invention is especially applicable to bottom entry modular jacks. Modular jacks are electrical connectors that are widely used in the industry for such purposes as telephone networks and input/output interfaces of other communication peripherals. Modular jacks interconnect with a mating modular plug in a simple linear insertion motion. The dimensions of these jacks and plugs have been standardized and are widely known throughout the industry. One particular style of modular jacks is known as a "bottom entry" wherein the receptacle is positioned on a first side of a substrate and extends in an open manner therethrough such that the modular plug may be inserted from an opposite, second side of the substrate. The contact elements within the modular jack are typically surface mount soldered to circuit traces on the first side of the substrate. It is known to include an additional solder bracket that is attachable to the substrate to prevent the forces associated with insertion or removal of the modular plug or external forces that are exerted on the modular plug by way of the cable attached thereto from adversely affecting the integrity of the electrical interconnection with the contacts. The contacts are typically complicated structures that extend along the outside of the jack before entering the housing for engagement with the modular plug. Additionally, the solder bracket is normally inserted into the modular jack housing as part of a separate assembly operation. A modular jack of this construction is described in DE-U-9317133 (on which the pre-characterising part of claim 1 is based). As the quantity of modular jacks used in the industry is very large, what is need is a modular jack that is simple in design and economical to manufacture. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a modular jack where an additional step for the incorporation of the bracket is not required. To this end, the invention consists in a method of manufacturing a modular jack comprising a plug receiving region for receiving a modular plug therein, at least one contact for electrical connection with the modular plug, and a bracket for supporting the jack in a mounted position upon a substrate, characterized by the steps of forming an elongate member which is formable into the at least one contact and has an extension extending therefrom, overmoulding a housing base of a housing defining the plug receiving region about the elongate member such that the extension of the elongate member extends from the housing base, cutting the extension from the elongate member while retaining the extension within the housing base such that the extension forms the bracket, and forming the at least one contact from the elongate member. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a lead frame of contacts is formed by stamping and has at least one carrier strip. The carrier strip and the contacts attached thereto are sealed within the housing base of the modular jack and the contacts are separated from the carrier strip so that the carrier strip forms the bracket. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a modular jack according to the present invention shown mounted upon a substrate; Figure 2 is a top view of a base assembly to be incorporated into the modular jack of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the base assembly of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the base assembly of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side sectional view of a cap housing that is mounted to the base assembly of Figure 2 to form the modular jack of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a bottom view of the cap of Figure 5. With reference first to Figure 1, a modular jack according to the present invention is shown generally at 2. This modular jack 2 is of the "bottom entry" variety; however, this invention is applicable to other connector configurations. The modular jack 2 is mounted upon a substrate 4, such as a printed circuit board. The substrate 4 includes an opening 6 therethrough. The opening 6 spans first and second sides 8,10 respectively. Disposed along the first side 8 are solder traces 12 for electrical interconnection with the modular jack receptacle 2 and a solder pad 13 for mechanically fixing the modular jack 2 thereto. The modular jack 2 includes a base assembly 14 and a cap 16 that together define a plug receiving region 18 accessible by a modular plug (not shown) from the second side 10 of the substrate 4. The base assembly 14 includes a plurality of contact elements 20, each having a solder tine 22 that extends parallel to the substrate 4 and continues into the plug receiving region 18. It is also envisioned that the contact be configured for other styles of electrical interconnection, such as a pin for plated through hole engagement. An intermediate section 24 extends from the solder tine 22 along the periphery of the plug receiving region 18 in the direction of insertion of the modular plug to a contact arm 26 that further extends into the receptacle and is angled away from the periphery into the plug receiving region 18. Further included in the base assembly 14 is a bracket 28. In this embodiment the bracket is advantageously adapted for solder connection. When the modular jack 2 is surface mount soldered to the substrate 4, the solder tines 22 are soldered to the solder trace 12 and the bracket 28 is soldered to the solder pad 13. The solder bracket 28 serves to mechanically support the receptacle modular jack 2, as without the bracket 28 the solder joint at the solder tines 22 is subject to failure as a result of external forces thereupon. With reference now to Figure 2, the base assembly 14 is shown. The base assembly 14 includes a dielectric housing 32 and a stamped lead frame 34. Advantageously, in this embodiment, the lead frame 34 includes first and second carrier strips 36,38 respectively arranged in an opposing manner to support, therebetween, the elongate members 39 that are formed into the contact elements 20. For ease of reference, these elongate members 39 have been provided with the reference numbers corresponding to their ultimate configuration, as described above. Advantageously, the housing 32 is overmoulded about the lead frame 34 stamped in a continuous manner from a strip of conductive material, thereby captivating and positively retaining the elongate members 39 that make up the contacts 20 and the first carrier strip 36 that makes up the bracket 28 therein. The housing 32 includes an upper portion having a central frame 40 that includes opposing legs 42,44 that extend generally parallel to the elongate members 39 of the lead frame 34. Interconnecting the legs 42,44 are an outer rail 46 disposed along the elongate members 39 and the first carrier strip 36. A rearward rail 48 is spaced oppositely therefrom at the solder tine portion 22 of the elongate members 39. The legs 42,44 and the rails 46,48 of the central frame 40 define an opening 50 sized and configured for the receiving the modular plug. Extending from the rearward rail 48 along the portion of the elongate members that form the solder tines 22 are ears 52 which stabilize the modular jack receptacle 2 upon the substrate 4 when the modular jack 2 is mounted thereto, as shown in Figure 1. Disposed along the forward rail 46, towards the first carrier strip 36, are receptacles 54 for receiving a portion of the cap 16 in order to position the cap 16 upon the base assembly 14, as will be described below. With reference now to Figure 3 and Figure 4, the housing 32 includes a jack receiving portion 56 that is integral with and disposed on the opposite side of the lead frame 34 as the top portion that was described above with reference to Figure 2. The jack receiving portion 56 is configured to be received within the opening 6 in the substrate 4. As seen in Figure 4, the receiving portion 56 is formed in a C-shaped configuration defining an opening 58 that is in communication with the opening 50. The free ends of the C-shaped frame of the receiving portion 56 include grippers 60 that are formed about the first carrier strip 36. Opposite therefrom, where the elongate members 39 of the frame 34 that form the contacts 20 pass across the rearward rail 48, the elongate members 39 fan out so that the solder tines 22 correspond to the pattern of the solder traces 12 on the printed circuit board 4. The base assembly 14 is created by stamping and forming the lead frame into the configuration described above. Next, the housing is overmoulded thereabout. Once this is accomplished, the second carrier strip 38 may be separated from the lead frame 36 by a cut along line A-A (Figure 4), thereby leaving individual and distinct portions that form the solder tines 22. This step is followed by another cutting step along line B-B so that the elongate members 39 are separated from the first carrier strip 36. The first carrier strip 36 remains retained therein by the grippers 60 and the forward rail 46. If desired, at this time, the elongate members may be formed into the contact 20 configuration shown in Figure 1 for the contact 20. It is also envisioned that the steps outlined above may occur in a different sequence if desired in the light of the particular manufacturing techniques being used. With reference now to Figure 5 and Figure 6, the cap portion 16 will be more fully described. The cap 16 is a moulded plastic structure having opposing and interconnected sides 62,64,66,68 that form a tube-like member. This structure is closed at one end by a cover 70 and is left open opposite thereto along receiving face 72. The sides 62-68 are constructed to define the cap portion of the plug receiving region 18. Disposed within this region are a plurality of partitioning ribs 74 between which the contacts 20 are located when the modular jack 2 is finally assembled. Opposite these ribs 74 are a pair of bulkheads 76 that serve to ensure the modular plug is properly orientated when inserted into the region 18. A window 77, also opposite the ribs 74 and between the bulkheads 76, is placed in the wall 64 so the modular plug can be retained within the receiving region 18 of the modular jack 2. Extending from the face 72 are a pair of posts 78 that are spaced, and configured, to be received within receptacles 54 for positioning the cap 16 relative to the housing assembly 14. The housing assembly 14 and the cap 16 are bonded together by epoxy or other bonding techniques, thereby forming the modular jack in a reliable and economical manner. An alternative construction technique would involve using drawn wire to form the elongate members 39 that are later formed into the contacts 20. In this design the wires would be allowed to extend beyond outer rail 46 of the housing 32, once it has been overmoulded thereupon, a distance that corresponds roughly to the width of the first carrier strip 36. These extended portions of the drawn wire would then function as the first carrier strip 36 and ultimately be the bracket 28 used for attachment to the solder pad 13. In addition, as the pitch of the contact portions 26 is less than the pitch of the solder traces 12, after overmoulding, the wires may be easily fanned out radially to correspond to the traces 12.

Claims: A method of manufacturing a modular jack (2) comprising a plug receiving region (18) for receiving a modular plug therein, at least one contact (20) for electrical connection with the modular plug, and a bracket (28) for supporting the jack (2) in a mounted position upon a substrate (4), characterised by the steps of forming an elongate member (39) which is formable into the at least one contact (20) and has an extension (36) extending therefrom, overmoulding a housing base (14) of a housing (14, 16) defining the plug receiving region (18) about the elongate member (39) such that the extension (36) of the elongate member (39) extends from the housing base (14), cutting the extension (36) from the elongate member (39) while retaining the extension (36) within the housing base (14) such that the extension (36) forms the bracket (28), and forming the at least one contact (20) from the elongate member (39). A method according to claim 1 wherein the elongate member (39) is stamped and formed from a lead frame (34) and the extension (36) is a carrier strip. A method according to claim 1 or 2 including the steps of forming the elongate member (39) with a carrier strip (38) opposite the extension (36), and separating said carrier strip (38) from the elongate member (39) after overmoulding the housing base (14) thereabout. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 including the steps of forming a cap (16) defining the plug receiving region (18) and attaching the cap (16) to the housing base (14). A method according to any preceding claim wherein the contact (20) includes a solder tine (22) for surface mount soldering to a solder trace (12) on the substrate (4). A method according to any preceding claim wherein the contact (20) extends directly into the plug receiving region (18) and is connected to a contact portion (26) thereof by an intermediate portion (24) that extends along a periphery of the plug receiving region (18) in the direction of insertion of the plug.

Inventors: SIJBERS PETER JOHANNES, STERKEN CORNELUS ADRIANUS HENR, SIJBERS, PETER JOHANNES, STERKEN, CORNELUS ADRIANUS HENRICUS MARIA
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H01R24
IPC codes: H01R43, H01R24, H01R12