Patent Publication Number: US-9413125-B2

Title: Coupler connector and cable terminator with end contacts

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/045,656, filed on Sep. 4, 2014 which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a coupler connector and cable terminator with end contacts. In particular, the present application relates to two part coupler connector for simplified field installation. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     The prior art discloses a variety of assemblies for terminating communications cables in the field. One drawback of such prior art assemblies is that they typically require the individual conductors of the communications cable to be threaded or fished through a small opening prior to being pierced by an insulation displacement connector or the like to provide conductive contact. As a result, such prior art assemblies require skill and/or time to assemble and therefore are inefficient and cumbersome. Additionally, the mechanical strength of such prior art assemblies is limited thereby allowing the assembly to be inadvertently disassembled, for example through forceful tugging on the cable or the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to address the above and other drawbacks, there is provided an assembly for terminating a cable comprising four pairs of conductors. The assembly comprises a cable terminator comprising an elongate wire guide comprising a top end and four conductor pair receiving channels, and a securing cap configured for installation over the top end and comprising four pairs of piercing contacts exposed on an upper surface thereof, wherein each pair of the piercing contacts are interconnected with a respective conductor pair, and a coupler connector comprising a forward surface comprising an RJ-45 compatible socket disposed therein, wherein eight tines are exposed within the RJ-45 compatible socket and a rearward surface comprising a cable terminator receiving socket disposed therein, wherein four pairs of contacts are exposed on an end wall of the socket, and further wherein each of the tines is interconnected with a respective one of the contacts. When the cable terminator is inserted into the cable terminator receiving socket, the upper surface of the securing cap is positioned against the end wall and each of the piercing contacts comes into contact with a respective one of the contacts, thereby interconnecting each of the tines with a respective one of the conductors. 
     There is also disclosed a method for terminating a cable comprising a jacket surrounding four pairs of conductors. The method comprises removing a length of the jacket from an end of the cable to expose a free end of each of the pairs of conductors, feeding the free ends in a respective conductor pair receiving slot in a wire guide, placing a cap over a top end of the wire guide, the cap comprising a plurality of pairs of piercing contacts arranged along an upper surface thereof, wherein when the cap is installed on the top end, each of the pairs of piercing contacts align with a respective pair of conductors, piercing an insulation of each of the conductors with a piercing first end of an aligned one of the piercing contacts, wherein a contacting second end of each of the piercing contacts remains exposed on the upper surface, inserting the cap and the wire guide into a cap and wire guide receiving socket in a rearward surface of a coupler connector such that each of the contacting second ends of the piercing contacts comes into contact with a respective one of eight contacts exposed on an end wall of the cap and wire guide receiving socket, the coupler connector further comprising a forward surface comprising an RJ-45 compatible socket disposed therein, wherein eight tines are exposed within the RJ-45 compatible socket and each of the tines is interconnected with a respective one of the contacts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is exploded view of a coupler connector and cable terminator with end contacts in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C  provided respectively isometric, top plan and bottom plan views of a wire guide in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3A through 3C  provide a series of isometric view detailing the installation of a cable into a wire guide and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  provide isometric views detailing the installation of a securing cap onto a wire guide and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4C  provides a sectional view of a securing cap along line IVC-IVC in  FIG. 4B ; 
         FIG. 5  provides a top plan view of a wire guide with pairs of conductors installed and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  provide respectively a rear (back) and front view of a socket in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a coupler connector and cable terminator with end contacts, generally referred to using the reference numeral  10 , will now be described. The coupler connector  12  mates with the cable terminator  14  which comprises a wire guide  16  and securing cap  18  for terminating a communications cable  20  comprised of four pairs, typically twisted, of conductors as in  22 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , illustratively, the housing  24  of the coupler connector  12  is dimensioned for insertion into a keystone type socket (not shown) and within which a series of socket engaging tabs as in  26  are formed. As the keystone type sockets are typically formed in a rigid cover plate or patch panel manufactured from sheet steel, for example, typically at least one of the tabs as in  26  is attached to the housing  24  via a flexible mounting  28 . A socket  30  is formed in the front of the coupler connector  12  for receiving and securing a plug (not shown), illustratively in conformance with RJ-45. A plurality of tines as in  32  are positioned within the socket  30  for engaging with respective terminal contacts of the plug (also not shown). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the wire guide  16  is formed from a rigid material such as plastic or metal and comprises and top end  34 , a plurality of side edges  36 , four (4) channels as in  38  each for receiving a respective pair of conductors as in  22 . As known in the art, the insulated pairs of conductors as in  22  are typically colour coded, and the channels as in  38  can also be provided with a colour coding such as (Gr)een, (Bl)ue, (Or)ange, (Br)own or the like to simplify installation and ensure that the installer does not inadvertently misplace a conductor pair as in  22 . Each channel as in  38  is illustratively accessible from the side such that a pair of conductors as in  22  can be fed into the channel  38  without the requirement of fishing or feeding the conductor(s) through an aperture or hole or the like. Each channel as in  38  comprise a first portion  40  which runs in parallel to an axis A of the wire guide  16  and a second portion  42  substantially at right angles to the first portion  40 . A smooth curved portion  44  is provided between the first portion  40  and the second portion  42  to ensure that the pairs of conductors as in  22  smoothly transition from the first part  40  to the second part  42 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2C  in addition to  FIG. 2A , the wire guide  16  further comprises a cable receiving cuff  46  opposite said top end  34 . The cuff  46  defines a circular cable receiving opening  48  at a bottom end  50  thereof. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3A , in order to install the conductors  22  of a cable  20  into the wire guide  16  the jacket  52  is removed from the end of the cable  20  to expose a length of the pairs of conductors  22 . The pairs of conductors  22  are separated from one another and inserted lengthwise into a respective first portion  40  of the channels  38 . Referring to  FIG. 3B , if the pairs of conductors as in  22  are twisted pairs, the ends  54  of the conductors  22  are first untwisted such that they run straight and in parallel. The ends  54  of the conductors  22  are then easily gripped by the installer and bent over the curved shoulder (reference  44  in  FIG. 2A ) such that the straight and in parallel portion of the conductors lies within the second part  42  of the channel  38 . Referring to  FIG. 3C , the ends  54  of the conductors  22  are then trimmed such that they lie flush with the end  56  of the second portion  42  of the channel  38 , and flush with a respective side edge  36  of the wire guide  16 . Provision of the bend in the pairs of conductors as in  22  about the shoulder as in  44  increases the strain relief of the assembly, thereby decreasing, for example, that a cable is inadvertently removed from the wire guide as in  16  for example by tugging on the cable  20  when installed. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , in order to retain the conductors  22  in their respective second parts as in  42  of the channels as in  38 , pairs of opposing bosses as in  58  are providing within the second portions  42  of the channels  38 . The bosses  58  engage the insulated outer covering of the conductors  22  in a friction fit. Additionally, a ridge (not shown) can be provided along the bottom of and dividing the second portion  42  lengthwise such that the pair of conductors  22  are better retained within the second portion  42  in parallel and side by side. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4A , once the pairs of conductors as in  22  are within their respective channels  38  of the wire guide  16 , the securing cap  18  is placed over the end of the wire guide  16  to form the cable terminator  14  ( FIG. 4B ). The securing cap  18  comprises a plurality of slots as in  60  in a cap side thereof which engage with complementary raised tabs as in  62  on a side of the wire guide  16  in order to retain the securing cap  18  snuggly on the wire guide  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4C  in addition to  FIG. 4A , in a particular embodiment a pair of opposed flexible arms as in  64  each comprising a raised tab  66  toward an end thereof may be provided which engage with a complementary aperture  68  formed in the center of the wire guide  16 , thereby improving the stability of the interconnection between securing cap  18  and wire guide. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 4A , pairs of piercing contacts as in  70 , manufactured from a highly conductive material and illustratively plated in gold, are provided along an upper surface  72  of the securing cap  16 . Upon assembly of the securing cap  18  to the wire guide  16 , the piercing contacts engage a region along the length of the pairs of conductors as in  22  held within the second portion  42  of the channels  38 , thereby displacing the outer insulation layer  74  ( FIG. 4C ) of a respective one of the conductors and coming into contact with the conductive core  76 . Once installed, the piercing contacts as in  70  remain exposed along the upper surface  72  of the securing cap  16 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4B and 4C  in addition to  FIG. 4A , in order to secure the securing cap  18  to the wire guide  16 , a tool (not shown) is typically used which, during installation of the cap  18  on the wire guide  16  cuts the ends  54  of the pairs conductors as in  22  flush with an outer surface  78  of the securing cap  18  while simultaneously driving the pairs of piercing contacts as  70  into their respective conductors as in  22 . In order to improve the mechanical strength of the interconnection between the cable  20  and the cable terminator  14  a series of band receiving notches as in  80  are provided about which a crimping ring or securing band  82  or the like. The band  82  causes the individual fingers as in  84  of the wire guide  16  to be deflected inwards such that their inner surface grips a jacket (outer surface) of the cable  20 . Alternatively, the outer surface of the fingers as in  84  could be manufactured to include a thread (no shown) such that a flexible boot or the like (also not shown), and comprising an aperture through which the cable  20  can be inserted, can be threaded onto the fingers as in  84  again causing the legs to be lightly deflected inwards such that they exert a gripping force on the cable  20 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , of note is that the wire guide retains the pairs of conductors as in  22  such that adjacent pairs are arranged at right angles to one another, which reduces cross-talk generated between the ends of the pairs of conductors as in  22 . Referring back to  FIG. 4B , a similar arrangement is arrived at with the pairs of piercing contacts as in  70  wherein the flat surfaces of a given pair of piercing contacts are arranged substantially at right angles to those of an adjacent pair of piercing contacts. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6A and 6B  in addition to  FIG. 1 , following assembly of the cable  20  with the wire guide  16  and the securing cap  18  (see  FIG. 4B ), the cable terminator  14  is inserted into the back of the coupler connector  12  where the piercing contacts as in  70  come into contact with respective complementary contacts  72  exposed along an inner surface of the coupler connector  12 , and one of each of which is interconnected with a respective one of the tines  32  (the interconnection between a contact  72  and a respective tine  32  indicated by the dashed lines). In this manner individual conductors as in  22  are interconnected with respective ones of the tines  32 . 
     Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.