Abstract:
The invention relates to an electrical plug-in connector ( 1 ) for telecommunications and data systems technology, comprising electrically interconnected elastic high-frequency contacts ( 4 ) and core connection contacts ( 10 ). At least the high-frequency contacts ( 4 ) are arranged in a housing ( 2 ) comprising a receiving opening ( 3 ) for a counter plug-in connector, and the core connection contacts ( 10 ) are arranged in two parallel rows ( 8, 9 ). The distance between adjacent core connection contacts of a row is smaller than that between core connection contacts of different rows. The housing ( 2 ) has an upper edge ( 5 ), a lower edge ( 6 ) and two lateral edges ( 7 ), the two rows ( 8, 9 ) of core connection contacts ( 10 ) being parallel to the upper edge ( 5 ) of the housing ( 2 ).

Description:
This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/EP2007/010933, filed 13 Dec. 2007, which claims benefit of Serial No. 10 2007 002 767.4, filed 18 Jan. 2007 in Germany and which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Such a generic electrical plug-in connector is previously known, for example, from EP 1 312 137 B1. Here, the wire connection contacts are formed by two rows of insulation displacement contacts, which are arranged parallel to the side edges of the plug-in connector on its rear side. 
     DE 20 2005 001 178 U1 has further disclosed an RJ45 socket, in which the two rows of insulation displacement contacts are arranged on the upper side of the plug-in connector, the rows in each case being positioned at a right angle with respect to the upper edge, lower edge and the side edges. 
     Owing to the gap required between the two rows, the plug-in connector is relatively wide, which limits the number of plug-in connectors which can be installed when installing the plug-in connectors in internals with fixed dimensions such as 19″ panels. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is therefore based on the technical problem of providing a plug-in connector which can be designed to be narrower in terms of its width dimensions. 
     In this regard, the electrical plug-in connector comprises sprung RF contacts and wire connection contacts, the RF contacts and the wire connection contacts being electrically connected to one another, at least the RF contacts being arranged in a housing, which has a receiving opening for a mating plug-in connector, and the wire connection contacts being arranged in two parallel rows, adjacent wire connection contacts in one row having a smaller gap than wire connection contacts in different rows, the housing having an upper edge, lower edge and two side edges, the two rows of wire connection contacts being arranged parallel to the upper edge of the housing. This means that it is not necessary for the gap between the rows to be altered, which has the advantage that the conventional connection tools for connecting the wire connection contacts can still be used. In order to reduce the width, the wire connection contacts in one row then only need to be brought together slightly. This allows for a narrower design of the plug-in connector. In this case, preferably only the gap between different contact pairs is reduced. 
     In one preferred embodiment, the wire connection contacts are in the form of insulation displacement contacts. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, wire connection contacts in a row which are associated with one another in pairs are aligned parallel to one another, whereas adjacent wire connection contacts of different contact pairs in a row are arranged with respect to one another such that they are rotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis of the wire connection contacts. As a result, the capacitive coupling between adjacent contact pairs is reduced which was increased by the reduction in the gap. In this case, the gap b or b′ between contacts of one contact pair is preferably smaller than the gap c or c′ between contacts of different contact pairs. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, opposite wire connection contacts of different rows are arranged with respect to one another such that they are rotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis of the wire connection contacts. As a result, the capacitive coupling between the contacts of different rows is reduced, which also reduces crosstalk. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, the RF contacts and the wire connection contacts are arranged on a common printed circuit board. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, the longitudinal axes of the wire connection contacts are aligned parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, the wire connection contacts are connected to the printed circuit board via SMD-like contacts. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, the electrical plug-in connector is in the form of an RJ45 socket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment. In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective illustration of an RJ45 socket in a first embodiment (prior art in accordance with DE 20 2005 001 178 U1), 
         FIG. 2  shows a rear view of an RJ45 socket in accordance with a further embodiment (prior art), 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear view of a plug-in connector according to the invention, 
         FIG. 4   a  shows a perspective illustration of a plug-in connector according to the invention without a housing, 
         FIG. 4   b  shows a perspective illustration of a plug-in connector as shown in  FIG. 2  without a housing (prior art), and 
         FIG. 5  shows a rear view of the plug-in connector shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an RJ45 socket in accordance with the prior art as an electrical plug-in connector  1 . The plug-in connector  1  comprises a housing  2 , which has a receiving opening  3 , in which RF contacts  4  are arranged with which contact can be made by a mating plug. The housing has an upper edge  5 , a lower edge  6  and two side edges  7 . Two rows  8 ,  9  of wire connection contacts  10  which are in the form of insulation displacement contacts, are arranged on the upper side of the plug-in connector  1 . In this case, the two rows extend parallel to a longitudinal edge  11  of the plug-in connector. In this case, the two rows  8 ,  9  have a predefined gap which makes it possible to push wires  12  into the wire connection contacts  10  using a connection tool. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an alternative design in accordance with the prior art. In this case, the two rows  8 ,  9  are not arranged on the upper side of the plug-in connector, but on the rear side. In this case, the two rows  8 ,  9  are arranged parallel to the side edges and at a right angle to the upper edge  5 . Mention will be made here of the fact that the upper edge  5 , lower edge  6  and side edges  7  illustrated in  FIG. 1  do not correspond to the edges shown in the illustration in  FIG. 2 , since these are two different designs and the visible edges of the front and rear side differ from one another. However, this is not critical since it is only the parallelism with respect to the edges that is important. 
     The gap a between the rows  8  and  9  is in this case dimensioned such that the wire connection contacts  10  can be connected by a connection tool. Furthermore, it can be seen that all four wire connection contacts  10  in a row  8 ,  9  are aligned parallel to one another, the wire connection contacts  10  in the form of insulation displacement contacts being set at an angle of 45° with respect to the ribs  13 . Each row  8 ,  9  comprises four wire connection contacts  10 , which are each associated with one another in pairs, the wire connection contacts  10  of an associated pair being separated from one another by a rib  13 , adjacent wire connection contacts  10  of different pairs being spaced apart from one another by a wide web  14 . As can be seen, in this case the width c of the web  14  is larger than the width b of the rib  13 . Owing to the large gap between the wire connection contacts  10  of different contact pairs, crosstalk is reduced in this case. 
       FIG. 3  now illustrates the plug-in connector  1  according to the invention in a rear view. In this case, the rows  8 ,  9  are now aligned parallel to the upper edge  5 , it being possible for the width b′ of the ribs  13  and/or the width c′ of the web  14  to be selected to be smaller than the width b or c shown in  FIG. 2 . In this case, the web  14  also at the same time forms a rib for the insulation displacement contacts. The reduction in the width b′ and/or c′ can be used directly for making the plug-in connector  1  narrower. The gap a′ between the rows  8  and  9  is in this case selected to be at least as large as the gap a shown in  FIG. 2 , in order that connection is still possible using an attachment tool. The associated wire connection contacts  10  of one contact pair in a row  8 ,  9  are in this case again aligned parallel with respect to one another. In contrast to  FIG. 2 , however, adjacent wire connection contacts in a row  8  or  9 , which do not belong to the same contact pair, are now arranged such that they are rotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis of the wire connection contacts  10 . The capacitive coupling between these contacts is therefore reduced. It can further be seen that opposite wire connection contacts  10  of different rows  8 ,  9  are also arranged with respect to one another such that they are rotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis of the wire connection contacts  10 . This reduces the capacitive coupling and therefore the crosstalk between the wire connection contacts of different rows  8 ,  9 . 
       FIG. 4   a  illustrates the plug-in connector  1  shown in  FIG. 3  in a perspective view without a housing. Correspondingly, the plug-in connector  1  shown in  FIG. 2  is illustrated in a perspective illustration without a housing in  FIG. 4   b . In this case, similar elements are provided with the same reference numerals, the elements in accordance with the prior art also being identified by a′ in  FIG. 4   b . The plug-in connector  1  comprises eight insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38 , which are each combined in pairs. In this case, K 31 , K 32 ; K 33 , K 36 ; K 34 , K 35  and K 37 , K 38  each form a contact pair. 
     The insulation displacement contacts K 31 , K 32 , K 37 , K 38  in this case form row  8  (see  FIG. 3 ), and the insulation displacement contacts K 33 -K 36  form the row  9  (see  FIG. 3 ). The insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38  are connected to the printed circuit board  40  via SMD-like contacts  39 . The RF contacts K 21 -K 28  are arranged in the front region of the printed circuit board  40 . The RF contacts K 21 -K 28  are likewise connected to the printed circuit board  40  via SMD-like contacts  41 . As can be seen particularly well in  FIG. 5 , the insulation displacement contacts K 31 , K 32 , K 37 , K 38  are arranged at a greater distance from the printed circuit board  40  and therefore the contact length to the printed circuit board  40  is greater. In order to compensate for this greater contact length, the connections of the insulation displacement contacts K 31 , K 32  or K 37 , K 38  to the printed circuit board  40  are crossed over. It can further be seen that the longitudinal axes L of the insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38  lie parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board  40 . Furthermore, it can clearly be seen that the insulation displacement contacts of one contact pair are in each case aligned parallel to one another, whereas adjacent insulation displacement contacts (for example K 31  and K 38 ) of different pairs in a row are arranged with respect to one another such that they are rotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis L. The same applies for the perpendicularly opposite insulation displacement contacts of different rows (for example K 32  and K 33 ). The RF contacts K 21 -K 28  are prestressed and guided by a comb element  42 . In this case, the inner RF contacts K 22 -K 27  are bent alternately in each case towards one another. The two outer RF contacts K 21 , K 28 , on the other hand, are designed to be mechanically longer, whereby they have a short, electrically effective contact point where the RF contact K 21 , K 28  rests in a sprung manner against a contact point on the printed circuit board  40 . This electrical contact point is positioned beneath the comb element  42  and is therefore not visible. 
     Furthermore, beneath the printed circuit board  40  a spring-elastic element  43  can be seen which elastically prestresses the printed circuit board  40  via an intermediate piece  44 . Tolerances of the housing and the mating plug-in connector can be compensated for via this spring-elastic excursion movement of the printed circuit board  40  with the result that the RF contacts K 21 -K 28  may be designed to be shorter. In order now to prevent any reactions of an excursion movement of the printed circuit board  40  on the connection to the SMD-like contacts  39 , the housing is preferably designed to have two parts, the housing part which accommodates the insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38  being connected to the other housing part such that it can move, which other housing part defines the receiving opening for the mating plug-in connector. The printed circuit board  40  is in this case mounted fixedly in the housing part of the insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38 . 
     In contrast to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4   a , the longitudinal axis L′ of the insulation displacement contacts K 31 ′-K 38 ′ is at right angles to the surface of the printed circuit board  40 ′. Furthermore, the insulation displacement contacts K 31 ′-K 38 ′ are connected to the printed circuit board  40  via soldering pins, in the same manner as the RF contacts K 21 ′-K 28 ′, which are not all visible, however. Since, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4   b , the end face  45  is parallel to the upper edge  5  of the housing, it can be seen that the row which is formed by the insulation displacement contacts K 31 ′, K 32 ′, K 37 ′ and K 38 ′ or the row which is formed by the insulation displacement contacts K 33 ′-K 36 ′ is at right angles to the upper edge  5  and parallel to the side edge or face  46  of the printed circuit board  40 ′. In contrast to this, the rows in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4   a  are aligned parallel to the upper edge  5  (see  FIG. 3 ). In order to further clarify the term row, a virtual line  50  is illustrated in  FIG. 5  which corresponds to the orientation of the row  8  shown in  FIG. 3 . Finally, it shall once again be made clear that the insulation displacement contacts K 31 -K 38  and the RF contacts K 21 -K 28  having the same indices are connected electrically to one another at the end (i.e. K 35  to K 25 , for example), preferably via conductor tracks on the printed circuit board  40 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           1  Plug-in connector 
           2  Housing 
           3  Receiving opening 
           4  RF contacts 
           5  Upper edge 
           6  Lower edge 
           7  Side edge 
           8 ,  9  Rows 
           10  Wire connection contacts 
           11  Longitudinal edge 
           12  Wires 
           13  Rib 
           14  Web 
         K 21 -K 28  RF contacts 
         K 21 ′-K 28 ′ RF contacts 
         K 31 -K 38  Insulation displacement contacts 
         K 31 ′-K 38 ′ Insulation displacement contacts 
           39  SMD-like contacts 
           40 ,  40 ′ Printed circuit board 
           41  SMD-like contacts 
           42  Comb element 
           43  Spring-elastic element 
           44  Intermediate piece 
           45  End face 
           46  Side edge or face 
           50  Virtual line 
         L, L′ Longitudinal axis 
         a, a′ Gap between two rows 
         b, b′ Width of rib 
         c, c′ Width of web