Patent Publication Number: US-7594829-B2

Title: Keyed modular connection system and associated adapter cable

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation of U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 11/517,827 filed Sep. 8, 2006. 

   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a keyed modular connection system according to the invention, shown fully assembled and with the plug inserted into the jack; 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the connection system shown in  FIG. 1 , with the plug and jack separated from one another; 
     FIG. 3  is an end elevational view into the cable-receiving port of the plug shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
     FIG. 4  is an end elevational view into the plug-receiving port of the jack shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
     FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the connection system shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
     FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the plug shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the cap portion of the attachment separated from the remainder of the plug; 
     FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the plug shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as it appears when fully assembled; 
     FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the jack shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
     FIG. 9  is a partially cutaway view of the fully assembled jack shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
     FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a keyed modular connection system according to the invention, shown fully assembled and with the plug and jack separated from one another; 
     FIG. 11  is an end elevational view into the cable-receiving port of the plug shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
     FIG. 12  is an end elevational view into the plug-receiving port of the jack shown in  FIG. 10 ; 
     FIGS. 13A ,  13 B,  13 C, and  13 D are diagrams of embodiments of nonstandard wiring configurations that may be preselected and implemented in the keyed modular connection system of the invention; 
     FIG. 14  is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of an adapter cable according to the invention; and 
     FIG. 15  is a fragmentary perspective view of another embodiment of an adapter cable according to the invention. 

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A first embodiment of a keyed modular connection system according to the invention is broadly shown fully assembled in  FIG. 1  at reference numeral  10 . The connection system  10  includes a fully assembled plug  11  and a fully assembled jack  12 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the fully assembled plug  11  and the fully assembled jack  12  separated from one another, and  FIGS. 3 through 9  illustrate further views of the first embodiment of the keyed modular connection system  10  of the invention or components thereof. 
   The plug  11  comprises an attachment  13  mounted on a plug body  14 , and the jack  12  comprises a bezel  21  mounted on a jack body  22 . The attachment  13  of the plug  11  comprises a cap  15  and a sleeve  20  for receiving the cap  15 . Sleeve protrusions  23  extend from exterior surfaces  24  of the sleeve  20  of the plug  11 . Bezel recesses  25  for receiving the sleeve protrusions  23  are defined by interior surfaces  30  of the bezel  21  of the jack  12 . Jack body protrusions  31  extend from interior surfaces  32  ( FIG. 9 ) of the jack body  22 . Plug body recesses  33  for receiving the jack body protrusions  31  are defined by exterior surfaces  34  of the plug body  14 . 
   A second embodiment of the keyed modular connection system of the invention is shown broadly at reference numeral  10 A in  FIG. 10 ; the plug  1 A and jack  12 A of this embodiment are shown individually in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , respectively. In this embodiment, the sleeve protrusions  23 A and the bezel recesses  25 A are relocated relative to the first embodiment. This difference illustrates that the sleeve protrusions  23 A and the bezel recesses  25 A may appear in any one of a number of locations on the sleeve  20  and the bezel  21 , respectively, so long as they remain in alignment with one another to allow the plug  11 A to be received by the jack  12 A. 
   In both embodiments, a pair of upper fingers  40  and a pair of side fingers  41  extend from the bezel  21 . When the bezel  21  is installed on the jack body  22 , the upper fingers  40  engage clips  42  on the jack body  22 , while the side fingers  41  are received by outer recesses  43  defined by the jack body  22 . Also in both embodiments, the attachment  13  serves as strain relief relative to pulling forces that may occasionally be imposed on the cabling (not shown) received by the plug  11 ,  11 A. The cap  15  of the attachment  13  comprises a pair of side fingers  44  and an upper finger  45 . When the cap  15  is installed on the sleeve  20  and the plug body  14 , the pair of side fingers are received by outer recesses  50  defined by the sleeve  20  and the upper finger  45  engages a clip  51  on the plug body  14 . Furthermore, the sleeve  20  comprises a pair of side fingers  52  that are received by the cap  15  when the cap  15  is installed on the sleeve  20 . 
   The keyed modular connection system  10 ,  10 A of the invention is designed to enable use of a preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration while assisting with preventing a user from connecting a connector component wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration to a connector component not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration. The connection system  10 ,  10 A thereby provides for the use of nonstandard wiring configurations while assisting with the prevention of the connection of incompatible wiring configurations and the potential damage such connection may cause. The term “nonstandard wiring configuration” as used herein refers to any wiring configuration other than TIA T568A or TIA T568B. 
   More specifically, the jack body protrusions  31  prevent a plug not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration (not shown) from being inserted into the jack  12  of the disclosed embodiment of the invention, which is wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration; the bezel recesses  25 ,  25 A have no function in this scenario, as the noncompliant plug may be inserted past them. The sleeve protrusions  23 ,  23 A prevent the plug  11  of the disclosed embodiment of the invention, which is wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration, from being inserted into a jack not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration (not shown); the plug body recesses  33  have no function in this scenario, as the noncompliant jack has no jack body protrusions  31  to be received by the plug body recesses  33  and in any event the plug  11  would be prevented from being inserted far enough into the noncompliant jack for the plug body recesses  33  to come into play. 
   The keyed modular connection system  10 ,  10 A of the invention helps to enable safe implementation and use of any one of a number of nonstandard wiring configurations. Nonstandard wiring configurations may help provide improved connector performance, for instance by reducing crosstalk.  FIGS. 13A ,  13 B,  13 C, and  13 D each illustrate an embodiment of a nonstandard wiring configuration that may be preselected and implemented in the keyed modular connection system  10 ,  10 A of the invention. In  FIGS. 13A ,  13 B,  13 C, and  13 D, the eight conductors in standard four-twisted-pair cable are numbered “1” through “8” from right to left with a designation of each conductor as a tip “T” or ring “R” conductor. The pairs of conductors are numbered “1” through “4” in each illustrated configuration; the primary differences among the illustrated configurations are these conductor pair numberings. For instance, while conductors “1” and “2” comprise conductor pair “ 2 ” in the configurations shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the same conductors comprise conductor pair “3” in  FIG. 13C  and conductor pair “1” in  FIG. 13D . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the invention further encompasses an adapter cable  53  to enable the user to transition between the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration implemented in the keyed modular connection system  10 ,  10 A of the invention and a wiring configuration other than the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration. The adapter cable  53  is a length of cable  54  with first and second opposing ends  55 ,  60 . The plug  11 ,  11 A or the jack  12 ,  12 A of the keyed modular connection system  10 ,  10 A of the invention is attached to the first end  55  of the length of cable  54 , and attached to the second end  60  of the length of cable  54  is a plug or jack not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration implemented in the plug  11 ,  11 A or the jack  12 ,  12 A attached to the first end  55  of the length of cable  54 . Thus, there are four embodiments of the adapter cable: a first embodiment ( FIG. 14 ) with the plug  11 ,  11 A (shown as  11 A) attached to the first end  55  of the length of cable  54  and a jack  61  not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration of the plug  11 ,  11 A attached to the second end  60  of the length of cable  54 , a second embodiment (not shown) with the plug  11 ,  11 A attached to the first end of the length of cable and a plug not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration of the plug  11 ,  11 A attached to the second end of the length of cable, a third embodiment (not shown) with the jack  12 ,  12 A attached to the first end of the length of cable and a jack not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration of the jack  12 ,  12 A attached to the second end of the length of cable, and a fourth embodiment ( FIG. 15 ) with the jack  12 ,  12 A (shown as  12 A) attached to the first end  55  of the length of cable  54  and a plug  62  not wired in the preselected, nonstandard wiring configuration of the jack  12 ,  12 A attached to the second end  60  of the length of cable  54 . 
   A keyed modular connection system and associated adapter cable are described above. Various details of the invention may be changed without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of embodiments of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.