Abstract:
An electrical connector device for multiple diverse electrical connectors is provided according to embodiments of the invention. The electrical connector device includes two female connectors in the same housing. The two female connectors are of different types and are oriented orthogonal to each other. The electrical connector device has a front face in which the openings to the two female connectors are located. The front face occupies the same space as another larger, standard electrical connector, thus allowing the electrical connector device to accommodate two separate connectors in the same space as a single standard connector, and thereby provide selective, simultaneous, independent, and dual functionality.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an electrical connection device and more particularly to an electrical connection device for connecting to plural electrical conductors. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is known in the art of electrical connectors that there are standard connector specifications which define, among other things, the size, shape, strength, and voltage and current capacity for specific electrical connector types. There are many different such specifications for the wide variety of electrical connectors which have been proposed. 
     It is known in the art of electrical connectors that particular uses for electrical connectors, such as for telephone and data transmission, define which type of connector is used for connecting several electrical devices. For example, when connecting several devices to transmit a telephone signal, one of several electrical connectors may be used. These include a standard RJ11 electrical connector and a standard RJ45 electrical connector. Similarly, when connecting several devices to transmit a data signal, it is possible to use one of several electrical connectors. These include a standard RJ45 electrical connector and a PCMCIA-type connector. 
     A standard male RJ11 connector is roughly cubical in shape, and includes a latching mechanism to secure the male RJ11 connector to a female RJ11 connector. The male RJ11 connector includes six (6) terminals for contacting a corresponding number of terminals in a female RJ11 connector, to establish six independent pathways. A female RJ11 connector includes a recess which is slightly larger than the male RJ11 connector, and of a similar shape, to accept the a male RJ11 connector. A female RJ11 connector can include up to six (6) electrical terminals, which are physically arranged within the recess such that, when the male RJ11 is placed in the recess, the terminals in the recess of the female RJ11 are individually placed in physical contact with the four respective terminals of the male RJ11. The recess in the female RJ11 connector and the shape of the male RJ11 connector are such that there is only one orientation of the two which allows the two to mate, and thereby precludes connecting the terminals in any but a single way. 
     A male RJ11 connector may be connected to at least a first electrical conductor such that the first electrical conductor is in electrical communication with a first terminal of the male RJ11 connector. Similarly, a female RJ11 connector may be connected to at least a second electrical conductor such that the second electrical conductor is in electrical communication with a second terminal of the female RJ11 connector. To establish an electrical pathway between the first and second electrical conductors, the first terminal and the second terminal must be chosen such that they line up when the male RJ11 connector and the female RJ11 connector are joined. The male RJ11 connector is placed in the recess of the female RJ11 connector in the orientation dictated by the shape of the recess and the corresponding shape of the male RJ11 connector. The terminals of the male RJ11 connector line up with the terminal(s) of the female RJ11 connector. When the latching mechanism latches the male RJ11 connector to the female RJ11 connector, the respective terminals are in physical and electrical contact, thereby completing an electrical pathway between the at least first and the at least second electrical conductors. When more than one electrical pathway is desired, the desired number of electrical conductors are connected to terminals on the male and female RJ11 connectors. 
     A standard RJ45 connector is very similar to a standard RJ11 connector. One functional distinction between the two is that a standard RJ45 connector accommodates up to eight (8) electrical conductors by including eight terminals in a male RJ45 connector, and up to eight terminals in a female RJ45 connector. One physical distinction between the two is that a male RJ45 connector is somewhat larger than a male RJ11 connector; a female RJ45 connector is correspondingly larger than a female RJ11 connector. 
     Telephone signals require two electrical pathways to transmit along electrical conductors. Data signals require more than two electrical pathways. For example, data signals used in an ethernet require four electrical pathways to transmit along electrical conductors. 
     It is possible to place a male RJ11 connector in the recess of a female RJ45 connector, and establish up to six electrical pathways. It is therefore possible to use a female RJ45 connector for alternatively connecting both telephone and data signal devices through the use of RJ11 and RJ45 connectors, respectively. A limitation on this potential dual functionality of a female RJ45 connector is that both telephone and data signals cannot be accessed through the female RJ45 connector simultaneously, because both a male RJ11 connector and a male RJ45 connector will not physically fit in the recess of a female RJ45 connector. 
     Another limitation on the potential dual functionality of a female RJ45 connector is that a separate peripheral adapter, called a dongle, may be used to adapt a female RJ45 connector for accepting more than one type of male connector. While use of a dongle potentially allows access to all eight terminals of a female RJ45 connector, it must be added onto the female RJ45. A dongle therefore physically extends the female RJ45 connector, which may not be practical or desirable in many applications. A dongle also does not, in some applications, provide adequate electromagnetic shielding between its terminals. 
     Yet another limitation on this potential dual functionality of a female RJ45 connector is a threat of damage to the electrical devices intended to be connected. For example, if a telephone includes a male RJ45 connector, and an ethernet includes a female RJ45 connector, the male RJ45 connector may readily be inserted into the recess of the female RJ45 connector. This potentially exposes the telephone to electrical signals which it was not necessarily designed to accommodate, and exposes the ethernet to a load for which it was not necessarily designed. RJ45 connectors thus lack any shielding between diverse data signal type conductors, which further endangers electrical components connectable with them. 
     It is also known in the art of electrical connectors that when connecting several devices to transmit a data signal, one of several electrical connectors may be used. These include the numerous configurations of PCMCIA-type connectors. PCMCIA-type connectors generally carry four (4) terminals in the female PCMCIA-type connector which line up with four (4) terminals in a male PCMCIA-type connector. Although PCMCIA-type connectors do not all have the same physical configuration, they are characterized by a profile which can be long and thin, with the terminals spread out along the long axis of the connector. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, generally speaking, provides an improved electrical connector which includes both a standard electrical connector for a voice signal and an electrical connector for a data signal, for concurrent access to both signals. 
     Further the present invention provides an electrical connector device which includes two independent electrical connectors and which occupies the physical space of another single standard electrical connector, thereby enabling use of the improved electrical connector in applications which presently use only the single standard electrical connector. Thus, the present invention provides an electrical connector device that eliminates the need for the use of a dongle to adapt a standard eight pin electrical connector for dual functionality. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an electrical connector device that occupies the space of a female RJ45 connector and which includes a female RJ11 connector and a female PCMCIA-type connector, for allowing concurrent access to both a voice signal and a data signal through the improved electrical connector without threatening to damage electrical devices connected through the improved electrical connector by exposure to the wrong signal. Thus, the present invention provides an electrical connector device that allows simultaneous, and independent, access to both ethernet and telephone signals while only occupying the same physical space as a standard eight terminal electrical connector. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a connector for multiple diverse electrical conductors comprising a housing having a front face, a first connector having at least one electrically conductive terminal and at least one electrically conductive pin, the at least one electrically conductive pin in communication with the at least one electrically conductive terminal, the first connector defining an opening in the front face with a first orientation, a second connector having at least one electrically conductive terminal and at least one electrically conductive pin, the at least one electrically conductive pin in communication with the at least one electrically conductive terminal, the second connector defining an opening in the front face with a second orientation, the first orientation and the second orientation being mutually orthogonal. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the present invention also provides a method of using an electrical connector comprising providing a connector, attaching a first mating electrical connector to the first connector, attaching a second mating electrical connector to the second connector, the first mating electrical connector and the second mating electrical connector extending from the front face, conducting a first electrical signal through the first mating electrical connector to the first connector, and conducting a second electrical signal through the second mating electrical connector to the second connector. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the electrical connector device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the electrical connector device of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a diagrammical view of the bottom of the electrical connector device of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector device  10  having a housing  13  includes a first connector  20  and a second connector  30 . In these embodiments, connector  20  and connector  30  are shown to be of the female type. Electrical connector device  10  includes a face  11  and a bottom  12 . Face  11  preferably is rectangle shaped, including a long axis A and a short axis B orthogonal thereto. 
     Connector  20 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, defines a recess  21  in electrical connector  10 . Recess  21  defines opening  22  in face  11 . Opening  22  has a horizontal or parallel orientation with respect to face  11 . Connector  20  includes electrically conductive terminals  23  within recess  21 . Opening  22 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, has a height along vertical axis C and a width along horizontal axis D, and includes a first rectangular area  22   a  in which conductive terminals  23  are located. The rectangular area  22   a  includes a long axis (not shown) and a short axis (not shown) orthogonal thereto. Opening  22  further includes areas  22   b ,  22   c , as best illustrated in FIG. 2, adjacent to and contiguous with area  22   a . Areas  22   a ,  22   b , and  22   c  define two sets of shoulders  26   a ,  26   b . Shoulders  26   a  are defined between areas  22   a  and  22   b . Shoulders  26   b  are defined between areas  22   b  and  22   c . Shoulders  26   a  and  26   b  face in opposite directions, as illustrated in FIG.  2 . Recess  21  also includes a portion  24  which mates with a correspondingly shaped latch mechanism (not shown) on a male connector  20   m  to retain the male connector in the connector  20 , as discussed above. 
     Terminals  23  may be electrically conductive wires which are molded into the electrical connector device  10 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are six (6) terminals. Terminals  23  are electrically connected to pins  25 , which protrude from the bottom  12  of device  10 , such that each terminal is in electrical communication with only one pin. In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are six (6) pins. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the rightmost of terminals  23  can be connected to the rightmost of pins  25 , the second of terminals  23  from the right can be connected to the second of pins  25  from the right, etc. Notably, as illustrated in FIG. 1, pins  25  may be not all in line with each other, to assist in attaching an electrical conductor (not shown) to each of the pins  25 . For example, the first, third, and fifth pins may be collinear, and the second, fourth, and sixth pins may be collinear. Connector  20  may be of the “RJ11” type. Connector  20  may be used for modem and/or standard telephone connection. 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, connector  30  defines a recess  31  in electrical connector  10  and has a width along a vertical axis E and a height along horizontal axis F. Recess  31  defines opening  32  in face  11 . Opening  32  has a vertical or orthogonal orientation with respect to face  11 . Connector  30  is a thin, small profile connector, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Connector  30  is mounted in device  10  vertical or orthogonal relative to connector  20 . Connector  30  includes electrically conductive terminals  33  and a grounding tap  37  within recess  31 . Opening  32 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, includes a first rectangular area  32   a  in which conductive terminals  33  and grounding cap  37  are located. The rectangular area  32   a  includes a long axis (not shown) and a short axis (not shown) orthogonal thereto. Opening  32  further includes areas  32   b ,  32   c , as best illustrated in FIG. 2, adjacent to and contiguous with area  32   a . Areas  32   a ,  32   b , and  32   c  define two sets of shoulders  36   a ,  36   b . Shoulders  36   a  are defined between areas  32   a  and  32   b . Shoulders  36   b  are defined between areas  32   b  and  32   c . Shoulders  36   a  and  36   b  face in opposite directions, as illustrated in FIG.  2 . 
     Recess  31  also includes portions  34  which mate with correspondingly shaped portions  30   m  on a male connector  20   m  to retain the male connector in the connector  30 , as discussed above. Terminals  33  may be electrically conductive wires which are molded into the electrical connector device  10 . In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are four (4) terminals. Terminals  33  are electrically connected to pins  35 , which protrude from the bottom  12  of device  10 , such that each terminal is in electrical communication with only one pin. In the embodiment shown in the figures, there are four (4) pins. For example, the highest of terminals  33 , as illustrated in FIG. 3, can be connected to the highest of pins  35 , as illustrated in FIG. 2; the second highest of terminals  33  can be connected to the second highest of pins  35 , etc. Connector  30  is preferably surrounded with an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding member (not shown), which shields connector  30  from any EMI energy which may interfere with the operation of connector  30 . The EMI shielding member may be incorporated into housing  13 . The EMI shielding member is preferably constructed of a metal, although any material which effectively shields connector  30  from EMI energy may also be used, as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Connector  30  may be very similar to a personal computer memory card interface adapter (“PCMCIA”) type connector. 
     Recess  31  and opening  32  of connector  30  are oriented orthogonal relative to recess  21  and opening  22  of connector  20 . This orthogonal orientation allows the device  10  to occupy much less space that other electrical connectors, as will be discussed in more detail below. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, bottom  11  also may include grounding pins  40 , for connecting the device  10  to an electrical ground. 
     Bottom  12  may further include mounting pins  50  for mounting the device  10  to a personal computer motherboard or PCI slot in a personal computer. Housing  13  may be formed of any suitable material, such as nylon or an equivalent. 
     The overall dimensions of device  10 , and particularly face  11  as illustrated in FIG. 2, are the same as that for a standard eight (8) terminal connector (not shown). One such eight terminal connector is a “RJ45” electrical connector. As discussed above, connector  20  and connector  30  are oriented at right angles to one another. In one embodiment of the invention, connector  30  is oriented vertically, and connector  20  is oriented horizontally. This allows the combination of the two discrete connectors  20 ,  30  to occupy much less physical space than if they were oriented in the same direction. Orienting connectors  20 ,  30  orthogonal to one another allows device  10  to present two discrete, independent connectors  20 ,  30  together in the same space as is occupied by a standard eight (8) terminal connector. Presenting two discrete connectors  20 ,  30  allows independent, selective, and simultaneous use of the two connectors  20 ,  30 , which differs substantially from the use of a standard eight terminal connector, as discussed above, while presenting a face  11  which is substantially the same size as that of a standard eight terminal connector. 
     One application of the present invention is in a card (not shown) for use in a personal computer such as those manufactured by Apple Computer Company and International Business Machines Corporation. When a card has two independent functions, each of which requires a connector to send and receive electrical signals to and from the computer, each of the connectors  20 ,  30  may be used. Specifically, one of connectors  20 ,  30  may be used for one function of the card, the other of connectors  20 ,  30  may be used for the second function of the card. More specifically, when the card has circuitry (not shown) which provides both ethernet connectivity functionality and modem functionality, one of connectors  20 ,  30  may be used for ethernet connectivity and the other of connectors  20 ,  30  may be used for modem connectivity. 
     Even more specifically, connector  20  may be used for modem connectivity, and connector  30  may be used for ethernet connectivity. As the terminals  23  of connector  20  are electrically isolated from terminals  33  of connector  30 , and correspondingly shaped male connectors (not shown) for each connector  20 ,  30  will not fit into recess  21 ,  31  of the other connector  20 ,  30 , there is no threat whatsoever that the wrong kind of electrical signals will be conducted through each connector  20 ,  30 . Because the two connectors  20 ,  30  are integrally incorporated into device  10 , there is no need to provide a dongle to provide dual functionality within the space of an eight terminal connector. 
     While the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modification can be made, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.