Abstract:
The invention relates to a connecting socket ( 1 ) for a data network, comprising a housing ( 2 ) and at least one female connector ( 53 ), the housing ( 2 ) being made of plastic, and the inner surfaces of the housing ( 2 ) being at least partially metallized.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a connecting socket for a data network. 
         [0002]    Such connecting sockets for telecommunications and data technology generally comprise a plastic housing in which usually one or two female connectors are arranged. In this case, the female connector forms, from the front side, a receptacle for a suitable plug, it being possible for a cable to be connected from the rear side. 
         [0003]    DE 196 04 564 C1 discloses a connecting socket for a data network, having a metallic housing lower part, which has a resting surface which is designed to be mounted such that it rests on a wall, having a metallic housing upper part and a printed circuit board which is surrounded by the housing lower part and the housing upper part and which has at least one data plug-in female connector and a plurality of wire connection terminals, to which the individual wires of a multi-core data cable can be connected. In this case, the metallic lower part produces a ground connection to the board, by means of which, for example, the shielding of the cable can then be connected to the housing ground. A covering plastic cap is then pulled over the housing upper part and the housing lower part. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention is based on the technical problem of providing a connecting socket for a data network which is easier to use and produce. 
         [0005]    For this purpose, the inner surfaces of the plastic housing are at least partially metallized. As a result, it is possible to dispense with a separate plastic cap, since the plastic housing is not metallized on the outside. As a result, however, at least one part is dispensed with compared to the prior art. One further advantage of the metallized plastic housing is the lower weight and the simplified fixing to covers or the like, in which case it is possible to refer to the known latching connections in plastics technology. 
         [0006]    In one preferred embodiment, two female connectors are arranged in the housing, the housing having a wall between the two female connectors which is completely metallized. This metallized wall acts as a shield between the two female connectors and prevents crosstalk from one female connector to the other (alien crosstalk) irrespective of whether the data cable is shielded or unshielded. 
         [0007]    In a further preferred embodiment, the wall has a cutout in order to accommodate a latching tab of the female connectors. 
         [0008]    In a further preferred embodiment, the female connectors have contact pairs for symmetrical cables, the metallization of the plastic housing being structured such that the capacitive coupling between the contacts of one contact pair is the same size as the metallization. This is based on the knowledge that, owing to asymmetrical, capacitive coupling of the contact pairs with respect to the metallization, asymmetrical coupling-in or coupling-out to ground results, which leads to “alien crosstalk”, in particular in the case of high transmission frequencies of Cat 6 or 10 Gbit/s Ethernet. Owing to partial surfaces without metallization, symmetric coupling with respect to the metallization is achieved, since the position of the contact pairs is known in the female connector. It is thus possible for the same housing to be used at the same time for UTP (unshielded twisted pair) or STP (shielded twisted pair) cables and for the required crosstalk values for 10 Gbit/s Ethernet or SGP-Cat 6 to be maintained. 
         [0009]    In a further preferred embodiment, the plastic housing is injection-molded from two plastics, preferably the outer plastic being a polycarbonate and the inner plastic being ABS, which can be galvanized considerably more easily than polycarbonate. In this case, the metallization is preferably applied to the plastic by means of galvanization, since the resistance values which can be achieved thereby are lower than by means of vacuum plating or similar methods. 
         [0010]    In a further preferred embodiment, a pressure module is inserted from the rear side of the housing. 
         [0011]    The pressure module preferably comprises a guide body, a spring and a cable-fixing element, it being possible for the cable-fixing element to be loaded by the spring. In the simplest case, the cable-fixing element acts as a cable strain-relief device and serves the purpose of mechanically latching the inserted female connector. 
         [0012]    In a further preferred embodiment, the cable-fixing element is made of metal or metallized plastic. This makes it possible, when using shielded data cables, also to electrically connect a cable shield in a very simple manner, the spring ensuring effective force compensation. As a result, data cables having different diameters can be connected again in a very simple manner. 
         [0013]    In a further preferred embodiment, the cable-fixing element has at least one latching tab, and the guide body has at least one latching depression, with the result that the spring can be latched into the guide body with prestress. As a result, the guide body can initially be inserted into the housing in a very simple manner and latched to it. Subsequently, the latching tab can then be pushed out of the latching depression by means of, for example, a tool, such that the cable-fixing element presses, by means of the spring, against the data cable and fixes said data cable. 
         [0014]    In a further preferred embodiment, the cable-fixing element has three latching tabs, two latching tabs being arranged laterally on the side which faces the spring, and one latching tab being arranged laterally on the side which faces the cable. 
         [0015]    In a further preferred embodiment, the guide body is formed laterally on the inside with a saw-tooth profile. Together with the two rear latching tabs on the cable-fixing element, this profile prevents the cable-fixing element from sliding back and thus the data cable from being bent. 
         [0016]    In a further preferred embodiment, the cable-fixing element is formed with a contact lug. The contact lug produces a second electrical connection to the metallization of the housing, which reduces transfer impedance. For this purpose, the contact lug is preferably bent in the direction of the spring. 
         [0017]    As regards a preferred embodiment of the female connector, reference is made to WO 02/15339, to the disclosure content of which express reference is hereby made. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment. In the figures: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of the front side of a connecting socket, 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of the connecting socket, 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective rear view of the connecting socket with the pressure modules inserted, 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a sectional illustration through the connecting socket along the section line F-F shown in  FIG. 1 , 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a plan view of the pressure module, 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the pressure module, 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  shows a front view of the pressure module, 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective illustration of the pressure module, and 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective rear view of the housing without the female connectors and the pressure modules. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of the front side of the plastic housing  2  of the connecting socket  1 . A transparent cover  3  for a label can be seen relatively centrally. Concave troughs  4  and flaps  5 , by means of which accommodating openings of female connectors for plugs can be closed, can be seen in the lower region. As can further be seen in  FIG. 2 , the housing  2  comprises a latching clip  6 , which serves the purpose of latching the housing  2  to a front frame (not shown). In this case, mention should be made of the fact that a further, hidden latching clip is arranged on the opposite side, as can be seen in  FIG. 3 . Two plate-shaped elements  7 , which each have a slot-shaped aperture in which a latching tab  48  of a latching bracket  45 ,  47  of a guide body  31  of a pressure module  30  engages (cf.  FIG. 6 ), are arranged laterally at the lower end. Ribs  8  are arranged on the plate-shaped elements  7 , it being possible to see the profile of these ribs  8  better in  FIG. 3 . After a brief horizontal profile, these ribs  8  drop off at an angle and then return to a horizontal profile. The rear side of a concave accommodating element  9 , which accommodates the data cable, can be seen next to the plate-shaped element  7 . The two concave accommodating elements  9  are each metallized, the rear side, shown in  FIG. 2 , and the front side as well as the side faces of the accommodating element  9  being metallized and being electrically connected. Two webs  10 , between which, in the assembled state, the latching tab  48  of the latching bracket  45  or  47  is located, protrude laterally from the latching clip  6 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates the rear view of the connecting socket  1  having two pressure modules  30  inserted which are initially explained in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 5 to 8 . The pressure module  30  comprises a guide body  31 , preferably made of plastic, a spring  32  and a cable-fixing element  33 . The rear wall  34  and the two side walls  35 ,  36  of the guide body form an essentially U-shaped structure. An elongate structure is arranged on the rear wall  34 , and the spring  32  can be pushed onto said elongate structure. The elongate structure may in this case have a round or cross-shaped cross section. An element  37  which can be hooked into the housing  2  is arranged outside on the rear side of the rear wall  34 . The cable-fixing element  33  is formed at the end side in the form of an arc with teeth  38 , this arced part forming the mating piece to the accommodating element  9 , and the data cable, possibly with a shield, being fixed between said mating piece and the accommodating element  9 . Two resilient, bracket-like elements  39 ,  40  are arranged laterally on the cable-fixing element  33 . In this case, the bracket-shaped element  40  extends such that it is fixed in the center both towards the rear side and towards the end side, whereas the bracket-shaped element  39  is passed exclusively to the rear towards the rear side. In each case an elevation  41  is arranged at the resilient ends of the bracket-shaped elements  39 ,  40 , said elevation  41 , in particular, making actuation by means of a tool easier. In each case a latching tab  42  is arranged in the region of the elevations  41  at the side walls of the bracket-shaped elements  39 ,  40 . In the prestressed state of the spring, the front latching tab  42  latches into a latching depression  43 , and the two rear latching tabs  42  latch into latching depressions  44 . This prestressed state is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 to 8 , the primary support being provided by means of the front latching tab  42 . If in this case, owing to pressure on the bracket-shaped element  40  laterally towards the elevation  41 , for example by means of a tool, the latching tab  42  is pushed out of the latching depression  43 , the spring  32  is released, and the cable-fixing element  31  moves to the front until it hits a data cable or latches in at a latching bracket  45  of the guide body  31 . As a result, data cables having different diameters can be fixed securely and reliably, and contact may be made with their shielding. A saw-tooth profile  46  is applied to the inner surface of the side walls  35 ,  36 . When the cable-fixing element advances rapidly, the two rear latching tabs  42  then slide over the profile  46 , but this profile  46  prevents them from sliding back. In each case a latching tab  48  is arranged on the latching bracket  45  or  47 . In the assembled state (cf.  FIG. 3 ), in this case one latching tab  48  latches into the slot-shaped aperture in the plate-shaped element  7 , whereas the other latching tab  48  lies between the two webs  10 . A contact lug  49  protrudes from the underside of the cable-fixing element  33 , a U-shaped contact element  50  being arranged on said contact lug  49 . In the assembled state, the contact element  50  comes to rest on metallized webs of the housing  2  and produces a second electrical contact path between a shielding of a data cable and the metallization of the housing  2 . These two electrical paths (via the accommodating element  9  and the contact element  50 ) considerably improve the transfer impedance. Furthermore, in each case a T-shaped web  51  can be seen in  FIGS. 7 and 8  which is arranged on the inner sides of the side walls  35 ,  36  and acts as a guide rail for the contact-fixing element  33 . 
         [0030]    As has already been mentioned, the assembled state of the connecting socket (without the data cables) is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In this case, an opening  52  can be seen on the side wall of the housing  2 . This opening  52  accommodates a latching tab of a female connector, whereas the latching tab corresponding therewith lies on the other side of the female connector in a cutout in a wall between the two female connectors. 
         [0031]    A cross-sectional illustration along the section F-F shown in  FIG. 1  is shown in  FIG. 4 , it being possible to see the position of the female connector  53  in the housing  2 . In this case, the metallizations  54 , which can be seen in section, of the housing  2  are shown in black. 
         [0032]    Finally,  FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the housing  2  alone, the metallizations  54  being illustrated as punctiform areas. In addition to the metallized receptacles  9 , it is possible to see, in particular, the wall  55  with the cutout  56 . Furthermore, areas  57  can be seen which are not metallized. In this case, in particular the large areas  57  serve the purpose of matching the capacitive coupling of the contacts of a contact pair to the metallization, i.e. both contacts of a contact pair have virtually the same capacitive coupling. 
       LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS  
       [0000]    
       
           1  Connecting socket 
           2  Plastic housing 
           3  Cover 
           4  Concave troughs 
           5  Flaps 
           6  Latching clip 
           7  Plate-shaped elements 
           8  Ribs 
           9  Concave accommodating element 
           10  Webs 
           30  Pressure module 
           31  Guide body 
           32  Spring 
           33  Cable-fixing element 
           34  Rear wall 
           35  Side wall 
           36  Side wall 
           37  Arced element 
           38  Teeth 
           39  Bracket-shaped element 
           40  Bracket-shaped element 
           41  Elevation 
           42  Latching tab 
           43  Latching depression 
           44  Latching depression 
           45  Latching bracket 
           46  Saw-tooth profile 
           47  Latching bracket 
           48  Latching tab 
           49  Contact lug 
           50  U-shaped contact element 
           51  T-shaped webs 
           52  Opening 
           53  Female connector 
           54  Metallizations 
           55  Wall 
           56  Cutout 
           57  Areas