Abstract:
An insulation displacement contact (IDC) is provided for use in a connector housing having an IDC receiving passage with insertion region first side edge and insertion region second side edge defining lower stops and upper locking catches. The IDC includes a base portion with a first IDC arm extending from the base portion and a second IDC arm extending from the base portion. The arms each have a lower portion with reduced dimension, a wire cutting/clamping region with an inner surface for insulated wire cutting and clamping, and an upper portion defining a region for introducing wires for termination. The IDC arms are flexible with respect to the base portion whereby the wire cutting/clamping regions cooperate for cutting and clamping insulated wires. The IDC has a first upper locator at an exterior surface of the first IDC arm, a second upper locator at an exterior surface of the first IDC arm, a second lower locator at an exterior surface of the IDC; and a second lower locator at an exterior surface of the IDC. The first lower locator and the second lower locator contact lower stops with the first upper locator engaging a first side upper locking catch and the second upper locator engaging a second side upper locking catch upon inserting the IDC into the IDC receiving passage.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit (35 U.S.C. §120) of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/211,280 filed Sep. 16, 2008, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an insulation displacement contact (IDC) as well as to an IDC mounting system and connectors such as jacks and patch panels with IDCs according to the invention. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Insulation displacement contacts (IDCs) have been used for many years for termination of wires in jacks, patch panels and similar terminal structures. The basic IDC structure includes a base part with two extending contact arms. Each contact arm cooperates with the other cutting arm to provide a cutting/clamping of an insulated wire. The cutting/clamping portion cuts and displaces insulation allowing the wire to contact the IDC to provide wire termination, namely a holding (clamping) of the wire with electrical contact. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the invention an insulation displacement contact is provided for use in a connector housing having an IDC receiving passage with insertion region first side edge and insertion region second side edge defining lower stops and upper locking catches. The insulation displacement contact includes a base portion with a first IDC arm extending from the base portion and a second IDC arm extending from the base portion. The arms each have a lower portion with reduced dimension, a wire cutting/clamping region with an inner surface for insulated wire cutting and clamping, and an upper portion defining a region for introducing wires for termination. The IDC arms are flexible with respect to the base portion whereby the wire cutting/clamping regions cooperate for cutting and clamping insulated wires. The IDC has a first upper locator at an exterior surface of the first IDC arm, a second upper locator at an exterior surface of the second IDC arm, a first lower locator at an exterior surface of the IDC; and a second lower locator at an exterior surface of the IDC. The first lower locator and the second lower locator contact lower stops with the first upper locator engaging a first side upper locking catch and the second upper locator engaging a second side upper locking catch upon inserting the IDC into the IDC receiving passage. 
   Each upper portion may advantageously include a hook portion defining a region between the arms for introducing and retaining wires for termination. 
   The base portion may advantageously include the first lower locator extending outwardly at a first side and the second lower locator extending outwardly at a second side. 
   A first side outer flexing contour may be formed between the first IDC arm and the base portion at the first side and a second side outer flexing contour may be formed between the second IDC arm and the base portion at the second side. 
   A first side inner flexing contour may be formed along the inner side of the lower portion with reduced dimension of the first IDC arm, between the wire cutting/clamping region and the first side outer flexing contour, and a second side inner flexing contour is formed along the inner side of the lower portion of the second IDC arm with reduced dimension between the wire cutting/clamping region and the first side outer flexing contour. 
   The IDC may have a mounting post portion extending from the base portion in a direction opposite to a direction of extension of the first IDC arm and the second IDC arm, the post for mounting the connector housing relative to a circuit board and electrically connecting the IDC to a circuit trace on the circuit board. 
   The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of an IDC according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the IDC of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partially sectional view showing the seated IDC of  FIG. 1  locked into an IDC plastic housing; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an RJ jack (90° RJ jack) with the IDC plastic housing of  FIG. 3  and showing the IDCs holding wires in a position for wire termination; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of an IDC according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a partially sectional view showing a second embodiment of an IDC seated and locked into a second embodiment of an IDC plastic housing; 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of an IDC according to a third embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a partially sectional view showing a third embodiment of an IDC seated and locked into a third embodiment of an IDC plastic housing. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to the drawings in particular,  FIG. 1  shows an IDC body  1  according to a first embodiment of the invention. The IDC body  1  has an IDC base portion  10  with a first side IDC arm  4  extending from the base portion  10  and a second side IDC arm  6  extending from the base portion  10 . Each IDC arm  4 ,  6  includes a lower portion  12  with reduced inner edge to outer edge dimension, a wire cutting/clamping region  14  and an upper portion  16  for holding/receiving wires for termination. The upper portion  16  has a hook portion  18  and a tapered region  20 . The tapered region  20  facilitates insertion of an insulated wire  302  into a wire holding/receiving region  26 . The hook portion  18  and reduced dimension region  22  facilitate maintaining the position of an insulated wire in the wire holding/receiving region  26  so that it may be pressed so as to cut the insulation and clamp the wire  302  in a position electrically in contact with the IDC body  1 . This allows the wires to be in a pre-termination position, ready to all be terminated by pressing them, for example with a tool as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 12/211,280. The cutting is provided by angled cutting surfaces  24 . The downward pressing of the insulated wire in the wire holding/receiving region  26  results in the wire  302  engaging the angled cutting surfaces  24 , which pushes the first arm  4  and the second arm  6  apart as the insulation is cut. The wire is then clamped in the wire holding/receiving region  14  by the opposing clamping edges  28 . 
   To allow a flexing of the first side arm  4  relative to the base  10  and to allow flexing of the second side arm  6  relative to the base  10 , the lower portion  12  has a reduced dimension provided by the flexing region edge  30 . A support post or mounting post  32  extends downwardly from the base part  10 . The mounting post  32  is a so-called needle eye that provides a force fit with a plated through hole of a circuit board. The mounting post portion  32  is for mounting the IDC relative to a circuit board and electrically connecting the IDC to a circuit trace on the circuit board. As described further with respect to  FIG. 3 , the IDC is seated in a IDC plastic housing  61 . The mounting post portion  32 , cooperating with other mounting post portions  32  of other IDCs  1  that are seated in the same IDC plastic housing  61 , provides a mounting and positioning of the IDC plastic housing  61  on the circuit board. The base of the IDC body  1  has a base edge  34 , that is angled. This allows the IDC plastic housing  61  to contact a circuit board with little or no contact at the base edge  34  with the circuit board. A flexing contour  36  is provided at the outer edges of the IDC body  1  between the base portion  10  and the lower portion  12 . This in cooperation with the flexing region edge  30  allows for adequate flexing of the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  relative to the base portion  10 . The flexing contours  36  particularly allow an outward flexing of the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  relative to the base portion  10 . The flexing regions  30  particularly allow an inward flexing of the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  relative to the base portion  10 . 
   An important aspect of the invention is the provision of snap in connection means for snap in seating in a position and snap in securing of the IDC relative to the connector housing. Upper and look lower locator portions in the form of an upper lock locator means  59  (second side shown in a circle) and a lower lock locator means  60  (second side shown in a circle) which provide a positioning and locking of each IDC  1  in an IDC insertion region  54  of the IDC plastic housing  61 . The upper lock locator means  59  (second side shown in a circle) and a lower lock locator means  60  together from the snap in connection means for the IDC. The lock locator means  60  includes the provision of the base of the IDC body  1  with a lower locator (lock)  40  at each of the first side and the second side. As can be seen in  FIG. 3  the IDC plastic housing  61  is provided with the IDC insertion region  54  having a first side and second side lower locator housing stop edge  50  as part of the means  60 . The lock locator means  59  includes the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  each having an upper locator or lock portion  42 . The insertion region  54  also has a first side and a second side upper locator housing catch edge  52  as part of the means  59 . With this construction, the IDC body  1  is inserted into the insertion region  54 . A first side edge  56  and a second side edge  58  of the insertion region  54  cause the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  to move inwardly relative to the base portion  10  until each upper locator  42  passes beyond the first side and second side catch edge  52 . The first side arm  4  and second side arm  6  then move outwardly with each upper locator  42  blocking the movement of the IDC body  1  out of the insertion region  54 . In this way, the lower locators  40  in cooperation with the lower locator housing edges  50  and the upper locator catches  42  in cooperation with the catch edges  52  maintain the IDC body  1  within the IDC plastic housing  61 . This construction provides a locator function as the IDC body  1  is precisely located within the housing  61 . The construction also provides a locking of the IDC body  1  in this position. This provides an efficient and accurate seating of the IDC body  1  in the plastic housing  61 . 
     FIG. 4  shows an RJ jack  100  with an RJ portion  102  provided with the IDC plastic housing  61 . Each IDC  1  has hook portions  18  that retain a wire  302  in a position ready for termination. The plastic housing  61  has a central cable receiving region for a multi-wire cable  300 . The wires  302  are held in the ready position above the cutting/clamping slot of a respective IDC  1  in an aligned position, with this facilitated by the hook portions  18 . The wires  302  are moved to a final seated position with the wire terminated to a respective cutting/clamping slot clamping edge  28  of an IDC  1 . A portion  304  of the wire  302  is preferably cut off by a cutting blade. 
     FIG. 5  shows an IDC body  2  according to a second embodiment of the invention. The IDC body  2  has an IDC base portion  10  with a first side IDC arm  4  extending from the base portion  10  and a second side IDC arm  6  extending from the base portion  10 . Each IDC arm  4 ,  6  includes a lower portion  12  with reduced inner edge to outer edge dimension, a wire cutting/clamping region  14  and an upper portion  16  for holding/receiving wires for termination. The upper portion  16  has a hook portion  18  and a tapered region  20 . The tapered region  20  facilitates insertion of an insulated wire into a wire holding/receiving region  26 . The hook portion  18  and reduced dimension region  22  facilitate maintaining the position of an insulated wire in the wire holding/receiving region  26  so that it may be pressed so as to cut the insulation and clamp the wire in a position electrically in contact with the IDC body  2 . This allows the wires to be in a pre-termination position, ready to be terminated by pressing them. The IDC body  2  has a similar base portion  10  and a similar but slightly longer lower portion  12 . A similar wire cutting/clamping region  14  is provided that includes a clamping region  15  below the cutting surfaces  24 . A flexing stop surface  17  is provided below the clamping region  15  and above the flexing region edge  30 . The base  10  has a mounting post  33  of a generally cylindrical shape that can be soldered to a printed circuit board. 
   According to the second embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a plastic housing  62  is provided for receiving an IDC body  2 . The plastic housing  62  is similar to the plastic housing  61 . Cutting is provided by the angled cutting surfaces  24 . The downward pressing of the insulated wire in the wire holding/receiving region  26  results in the wire (not shown) engaging the angled cutting surfaces  24 , which pushes the first arm  4  and the second arm  6  apart as the insulation is cut. The wire is then clamped by clamping edges in the region  15 . 
   In the same manner as described with regard to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the arrangement of  FIG. 6  includes the upper lock locator means  59  (second side shown in a circle) and the lower lock locator means  60  together forming the snap in connection means for the IDC. The IDC body  2  is inserted into the insertion region  54  of the IDC plastic housing  62 . A first side edge  56  and a second side edge  58  of the insertion region  54  cause the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  to move inwardly relative to the base portion  10  until each upper locator  42  passes beyond the first side and second side catch edge  52 . The first side arm  4  and second side arm  6  then move outwardly with each upper locator  42  blocking the movement of the IDC body  1  out of the insertion region  54 . In this way the lower locators  40  in cooperation with the lower locator housing edges  50  and the upper locator catches  42  in cooperation with the catch edges  52  maintain the IDC body  2  within the IDC plastic housing  62 . This construction provides a locator function as the IDC body  2  is precisely located within the housing  62 . The construction also provides a locking of the IDC body  2  in this position. This provides an efficient and accurate seating of the IDC body  2  in the plastic housing  62 . 
     FIG. 7  shows an IDC body  3  according to a third embodiment of the invention. The IDC body  3  includes a wire cutting/clamping zone above the base portion  10  that is a very similar to the IDC body  2  of the second embodiment. A similar wire cutting/clamping region  14  is provided that includes a clamping region  15  below the cutting surfaces  24 . A flexing stop surface  17  is provided below the clamping region  15  and above the flexing region edge  30 . Unlike the other embodiments, the plastic housing  63  ( FIG. 8 ) provides for wire termination at each of two ends of the IDC  3 . For this, the IDC body  3  includes an intermediate portion  11  with lower locators  40  positioned near a central opening  13 . In a region of the lower locators  40  there is a flexing contour  36  at each of the first and second side of the IDC body  3 . A lower IDC portion  70  is provided extending downwardly from the intermediate portion  11 . The lower IDC portion  70  includes a first side lower IDC arm  74  and a second side lower IDC arm  76 . Each arm  74  and  76  has a reduced dimension portion  72 , which facilitates movement or flexing of the first side arm  74  and the second side arm  76 . Angled cutting surfaces  80  are provided at a low end of the IDC body  3 . The angled cutting surfaces  80  lead to a clamping zone  78 . The lower IDC portion  70  forms the IDC of the housing (punch down block)  63  (e.g., for an ATT  110  block). 
   The IDC body  3  has a IDC base portion  10  with a first side IDC arm  4  extending from the base portion  10  and a second side IDC arm  6  extending from the base portion  10 . Each IDC arm  4 ,  6  includes a lower portion  12  with reduced inner edge to outer edge dimension, a wire cutting/clamping region  14  and an upper portion  16  for holding/receiving wires for termination. The upper portion  16  has a hook portion  18  and a tapered region  20 . The tapered region  20  facilitates insertion of an insulated wire into a wire holding/receiving region  26 . The hook portion  18  and reduced dimension region  22  facilitate maintaining the position of an insulated wire in the wire holding/receiving region  26  so that it may be pressed so as to cut the insulation and clamp the wire in a position electrically in contact with the IDC body  3 . 
   According to a third embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a plastic housing (punch down block)  63  is provided for receiving an IDC body  3 . In the same manner as described with regard to the other embodiments, the arrangement of  FIG. 8  includes the upper lock locator means  59  (second side shown in a circle) and the lower lock locator means  60  together forming the snap in connection means for the IDC. The IDC body  3  is inserted into the insertion region  54  of the IDC plastic housing  63 . A first side edge  56  and a second side edge  58  of the insertion region  54  cause the first side arm  4  and the second side arm  6  to move inwardly relative to the base portion  10  until each upper locator  42  passes beyond the first side and second side catch edge  52 . The first side arm  4  and second side arm  6  then move outwardly with each upper locator  42  blocking the movement of the IDC body  3  out of the insertion region  54 . In this way the lower locators  40  in cooperation with the lower locator housing edges  50  and the upper locator catches  42  in cooperation with the catch edges  52  maintain the IDC body  3  within the IDC plastic housing  63  in a proper seated position. This construction provides a locator function as the IDC body  3  is precisely located within the housing  63 . The construction also provides a locking of the IDC body  3  in this position. This provides an efficient and accurate seating of the IDC body  3  in the plastic housing  63 . 
   While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.