Patent Publication Number: US-6217391-B1

Title: Low profile modular electrical jack and communication card including the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/079,447 filed Mar. 26, 1998. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to modular electrical jacks having a lower profile than conventional modular electrical jacks, e.g., modular jacks of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,991. 
     The present invention also relates to communication cards for personal computers, such as PCMCIA (personal computer memory card international association) cards, which include an electrical jack to enable the computer to receive and transmit data through the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of modular connectors, i.e., plugs and jacks, in data communications applications, such as communication cards, has become common. Since the structure and dimensions of modular connectors have become standardized and since the mating and disengagement of modular plugs and modular jacks are simple and familiar to most individuals, the use of modular connectors is especially suited to data communication applications where interchangeability or detachability of components is desirable. 
     In view of the ever-decreasing size of computer equipment, and in particular the thickness of a slot in a laptop computer receivable of a PCMCIA Type III communication card (about 10.5 mm), a need has arisen to provide a modular jack of the RJ type with a maximum height of about 10.5 mm, which is less than the height of conventional modular jacks of the RJ type (about 11.5 mm), while meeting or exceeding FCC requirements. A significant problem with reducing the size of modular jacks of the RJ-type to this height has been the inability to fit a contact/terminal member (an electrical contact having a contact portion extending into the plug-receiving receptacle of the jack and a terminal portion adapted to be connected to a substrate on which the jack is mounted, such as a printed circuit board) in a jack housing having this size and achieve normal contact forces while complying with FCC requirements. 
     Nevertheless, in the prior art, this problem has been circumvented to a certain extent by modifying the construction of the communication card or providing an attachment for the communication card in order to enable the communications card to define a receptacle receivable of an RJ-type plug. Indeed, in the prior art, there are at least five different constructions of electrical connectors for communication cards which mate with RJ-type electrical connectors. 
     A first type of prior art connector is designed as a retractable or extendible jack connector having a recess receivable of an RJ-xx series plug and which extends outward from the communication card to a position outside of the card slot of the computer when the card is installed therein (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,210). These connectors slidably extend from the card and define the recess receivable of the RJ-xx series plug which is oriented such that the direction which the plug travels when being inserted into the recess is parallel or perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the card or at an angle thereto. 
     A second type of prior art connector is an arrangement having a specialized female and male component designed with a height which is smaller than the height of the communication card, e.g., 10.5 mm for the PCMCIA Type III card. For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,601, the card has a specialized two pin connector, the female portion of which is unitary with the card and the male portion of which is connected to one end of a cable. The other end of the cable has an RJ-type plug for connection to a telephone line. One obvious drawback of such an arrangement is the connector on the card itself is not receivable of standard RJ-xx series plugs. 
     A third type of prior art connector is an arrangement in which the communication card has a unitary jack connector which defines a recess receivable of an RJ-xx series plug. The recess opens onto one of the major surfaces of the card and is oriented such that the direction which the plug travels when being inserted into the recess is at an angle to the upper surface of the card. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,210 describes a card having a recess opening onto the upper surface of the card and oriented at an angle to the upper surface (FIG.  14 ). The housing of the computer includes an access tunnel above the card slot to enable the plug to be inserted into the recess. The use of such a connector requires modification of the computer housing. 
     A fourth type of prior art connector is an arrangement in which the communication card has a unitary jack connector in a jack portion of the card which is situated outside of the card slot, i.e., exterior of the computer housing, during use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,401 describes a communication card having an integrated connector having an RJ-11 receptacle (FIGS.  8  and  9 ). The integrated connector has a thickness greater than the thickness of the card. 
     Additional types of prior art connectors are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,332 (Glad) which describes several approaches to constructing a specific communication card including an RJ type jack receivable of an RJ-xx series plug, i.e., a PCMCIA Type III card having a thickness less than 10.5 mm. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-20, the PCMCIA Type III card is constructed to receive the RJ-xx series plug in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces of the card either in a receptacle module separable from the card (e.g., FIGS. 1-3,  12 ,  13 ) or in a receptacle module which is housed within the card and extendible therefrom when in use (e.g., FIGS.  4 - 11 )). On the other hand, FIG. 21 shows a PCMCIA Type III card having a unitary jack connector defining a recess structured to receive a mating RJ-xx series plug in a direction substantially parallel to upper and lower surfaces of the card. The particular construction of the contact/terminal members in the jack are not disclosed. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved single-port and multi-port modular connectors of the RJ-type. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved low-profile modular jacks, i.e., jacks having a height less than the height of conventional modular jacks of the RJ-type which is about 11.5 mm. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved modular jacks for use in communication cards, such as a PCMCIA card. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is provide new and improved communication cards including a jack receivable of at least one RJ-type plug. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved communication cards including a jack receivable of at least one RJ-type plug whereby the jack is oriented in the card so that the jack receives the plug(s) in a direction substantially parallel to the major surfaces of the card. 
     It is another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved communication cards including a jack receivable of at least one RJ-type plug whereby the jack is oriented in the card so that the card could extend minimally outside of a standard-sized communication card slot of a personal computer yet still enable releasable coupling of the plug(s) to the jack. 
     Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, these and other objects are obtained by providing a modular jack comprising a multiple-piece design including an outer housing part and an inner housing assembly connected to the outer housing part and defining at least one plug-receiving receptacle therewith. The inner housing assembly includes contact/terminal members, each including a terminal portion adapted to be mounted to a printed circuit board, a contact portion extending in the receptacle and adapted to engage a contact of a mating plug upon insertion thereof into the receptacle and an intermediate bridging portion connecting the terminal portion and the contact portion. The contact portion is arcuate, e.g., concave or convex, and the bridging portion is inclined in relation to an inner surface of the outer housing part such that only a very short region of the bridging portion bears against an inner surface of the outer housing part, i.e., a point contact, and thus, remaining portions of the bridging portion are spaced from the inner surface. In this manner, the contact/terminal member is able to be formed with a height to enable a jack including such contact/terminal members to have a height less than that of existing jacks of the RJ-type including conventional contact/terminal members while still providing sufficient normal contact force to comply with FCC requirements. 
     More particularly, the inner housing assembly comprises an inner housing part and discrete contact/terminal-retainer assembly whereby at least one of the contact/terminal member is arranged in each contact/terminal-retainer assembly. Each contact/terminal-retainer assembly includes a retainer housing and the bridging portions of the contact/terminal members include an elongate section extending obliquely upward and outward from the retainer housing terminating in a curved section whereby a portion of the curved section bearing against an inner surface of the outer housing part. To this end, the outer housing part includes a top wall having an inner surface including recessed grooves whereby the short region of the bridging portion (i.e., a portion about the curved section) of each contact/terminal member is arranged in a respective groove. 
     Another embodiment of a modular electrical jack in accordance with the invention comprises an outer housing part and an inner housing assembly arranged in an interior of the outer housing part and defining at least one plug-receiving receptacle with the outer housing part. The inner housing assembly comprises an inner housing part, and at least one contact/terminal-retainer assembly mounted in connection therewith and in alignment with a respective plug-receiving receptacle. Each contact/terminal-retainer assembly includes a retainer housing and a plurality of elongate contact/terminal members formed of conductive material. At least one contact/terminal member includes a contact portion extending into the respective plug-receiving receptacle, a terminal portion mounted partially in the inner housing part, and an intermediate bridging portion connecting the terminal portion and the contact portion and arranged at least partially in the retainer housing. Preferably, the contact portion is arcuate and a portion of the bridging portion is inclined in relation to an inner surface of the outer housing part such that only a very short region of the inclined bridging portion bears against an inner surface of the outer housing part and thus, remaining portions of the bridging portion are spaced from the inner surface. 
     Another embodiment of a modular electrical jack in accordance with the invention is a multi-port jack and comprises an outer housing part and an inner housing assembly arranged in an interior of the outer housing part and defining plug-receiving receptacles with the outer housing part. The inner housing assembly includes an inner housing part and discrete contact/terminal-retainer assemblies mounted in connection with the inner housing part and in alignment with a respective plug-receiving receptacle. Each contact/terminal-retainer assembly includes a plurality of elongate contact/terminal members formed of conductive material, each contact/terminal member including a contact portion extending through the respective plug-receiving receptacle, a terminal portion mounted in the inner housing part, and an intermediate bridging portion connecting the terminal portion and the contact portion. The contact portion is preferably arcuate and the bridging portion is preferably inclined in relation to an inner surface of the outer housing part such that a very short region of the bridging portion bears against an inner surface of the outer housing part and remaining portions of the bridging portion are spaced from the inner surface. In this regard, each contact/terminal-retainer assembly includes a housing and the bridging portion includes an elongate section extending obliquely upward and outward from the housing to a level above the top wall of the housing and terminates in the curved section. The jack also preferably includes cooperating securing means arranged on the inner housing part and the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies for securing the retainer housing of each contact/terminal-retainer assembly to the inner housing part. 
     The communication card for use in a data utilization device in accordance with the invention includes a card member having a first and second end, a printed circuit board having electronic communications components mounted thereon and being situated between the printed circuit board and the card member, an electrical connector arranged at the first end of the card member for enabling electrical connection to the data utilization device, and a jack connected to the second end of the card member and receivable of a mating plug. In accordance with the invention, the jack comprises an outer housing part and an inner housing assembly connected to the outer housing part and defining at least one plug-receiving receptacle with the outer housing part. The inner housing assembly includes contact/terminal members, each including a terminal portion electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, an arcuate contact portion situated in the plug-receiving receptacle and an intermediate bridging portion connecting the terminal portion to the contact portion. The bridging portion is inclined in relation to an inner surface of the outer housing part such that a very short region of the bridging portion bears against an inner surface of the outer housing part and remaining portions of the bridging portion are spaced from the inner surface. More particularly, the inner housing assembly comprises an inner housing part and at least one discrete contact/terminal-retainer assembly, the contact/terminal members are arranged in each contact/terminal-retainer assembly. Each contact/terminal-retainer assembly includes a housing and the bridging portion including an elongate section extending obliquely upward and outward from the housing to a level above a top wall of the housing and terminates in a curved section. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a communication card in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the communication card shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the communication card of FIG. 1 taken along the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the modular jack in accordance with the invention for use in the communication card of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer housing part of the modular jack shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5A is a bottom view of the outer housing part shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the outer housing part shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A taken along the line  5 B— 5 B of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the outer housing part shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A taken along the line  5 C— 5 C of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inner housing part of the modular jack shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of the inner housing part shown in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a view of the inner housing part shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line  8 — 8  of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a view of the inner housing part shown in FIG. 6 taken along the line  9 — 9  of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 10 is a rear view of the inner housing part shown in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of a first embodiment of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly for use in the modular jack shown in FIG. 1 showing the contact/terminal members in a bent state; 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly shown in FIG. 11 prior to the contact/terminal members being bent into the shape shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is a top view of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 14 is a front view of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 15 is a rear view of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly shown in FIG. 11 taken along the line  16 — 16  in FIG. 13; 
     FIG. 17 is a top view of a second embodiment of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly for use in the modular jack shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 18 is a left side perspective view of a jack sub-assembly of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies shown in FIGS. 11-17 and the inner housing part shown in FIGS. 6-10; 
     FIG. 19 is a right side perspective view of a jack sub-assembly of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies shown in FIGS. 11-17 and the inner housing part shown in FIGS. 6-10; 
     FIG. 20 is a left side view of the jack sub-assembly shown in FIG. 18 prior to placement of the terminal portion of the contact/terminal members in the slots in the rear face of the inner housing part; 
     FIG. 21 is a rear perspective view of the sub-assembly of the modular jack shown in FIG. 19; 
     FIG. 22 is a rear view of the sub-assembly of the modular jack shown in FIG. 19; 
     FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the sub-assembly shown in FIG. 19 taken along the line  23 — 23  in FIG. 19 after placement of the terminal portion of the contact/terminal members in the slots in the rear face of the inner housing part; 
     FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view of the sub-assembly shown in FIG. 19 taken along the line  23 — 23  in FIG. 19 as it appears after placement of the sub-assembly in connection with the outer housing part; 
     FIG. 24 is a front elevation view of another construction of a contact/terminal member for use in a modular jack in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a modular jack in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a modular jack in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A low profile modular electrical jack in accordance with the invention will be described with reference to a communication card including the same. A communication card is a type of electronic component designed for insertion into a slot in a computer which enables the computer to transmit and receive data through a cable connected to the card. In view of the size of slots in certain computers, e.g., laptop computers, and in accordance with industry standards, the card must be quite thin and therefore the jack in accordance with the invention is particularly suited for use in such a card. However, the jack may be used alone as a stand alone jack, e.g., mountable directly to a printed circuit board of a computer (the motherboard), or in numerous other applications, i.e., essentially all those applications requiring an RJ-type receptacle for receiving a mating RJ-type plug. A primary difference between the use of the jack for different applications would be the construction of the housing of the jack. The construction of the contact/terminal members in the jack in accordance with the invention as shown in the illustrated embodiment, which is a novel design which enables the jack to have a lower profile in comparison with existing RJ-type jacks (such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,991), would be common to the jacks used for different applications. However, also included within the scope of the invention are jacks including the housing components described below (outer housing part, inner housing part and contact/terminal-retainer assembly housing) and other contact/terminal members which might not have a height resulting in a jack including the same to have a height lower than a conventional RJ-type jack. That is, the use of the outer housing part, inner housing part and contact/terminal-retainer assembly housing is not limited to low profile jacks including contact/terminal members such as described herein, or low profile jacks including other constructions of contact/terminal members, and each of these components can be used, either individually or in combination with one or both of the others, in other modular jacks. 
     Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a communication card in accordance with the invention is designated generally as  10  and includes a card member  12  and a modular, multi-port jack or jack adapter of the RJ-type  14  connected thereto (FIG.  1 ). The card member  12  has a top surface  16 . The rear end of the card member  12  includes connector pads  18  of a known type for electrical connection of the card  10  to a personal computer. The particular shape of the card member  12  is not critical to the practice of the invention. 
     The jack  14  includes a flat upper surface  18 , which is contiguous and coplanar with the front portion of the top surface  16  of card member  12 , a front face  20  defining a plurality of apertures or recesses  22  receivable of RJ-type plugs, and lower surfaces  24  and  26 , in the latter of which cutouts  28  are formed for receiving the clip or latch of the RJ-type plugs (FIG.  2 ). The front face  20  of the jack  14  also defines an optional aperture  64  through which a computer cable may pass. A set of ventilation slots  76  is also formed in the jack  14  above the computer cable-receiving aperture  64 , and is also an optional feature. 
     A printed circuit board  30  is arranged in the card  10  and the necessary electrical components for use of the card  10  are mounted, such as a data access arrangement of a type known in the art, are mounted on printed circuit board  30 . The lower surface  32  of the printed circuit board  30  constitutes the lower surface of the card member  12 , although a bottom cover may be provided to enclose the printed circuit board  30 . 
     The jack  14  also includes contact/terminal members  34  made of electrically conductive material and which are connected to the printed circuit board  30 , and an inner housing part or insert  36  which receives contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , each of which retains several contact/terminal members  34  (FIG.  3 ). Each contact/terminal member  34  includes a concave contact portion  34   a  situated in the respective plug-receiving receptacle  22 , a terminal portion  34   b  mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board  30  (a surface-mounting arrangement) and an intermediate bridging portion  34   c  extending between the contact portion  34   a  and the terminal portion  34   b.  The card  10  is assembled by coupling the card member  12  to the jack  14  by connecting means (not shown) along contiguous mating surfaces  40 . 
     As explained in greater detail below, the contact/terminal members  34  of the jack  14  have been specially designed to enable the height H of the jack  14  and thus the card  10  to be less than 10.5 mm while still providing the required spring-back force for the contact/terminal members  34  required by applicable FCC requirements for RJ-type connectors (0.96 N (100 grams)). 
     Although as shown, the card  10  is formed by a separate card member  12  and jack  14 , in the alternative, it is possible to form the card  10  with an integral jack. Also, although the card  10  as shown includes three apertures  22  for receiving RJ-type plugs and a single cable-receiving aperture  64 , the card  10  may include only a single aperture for receiving an RJ-type plug, or any other number of plug-receiving apertures and/or cable-receiving apertures, and such embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4-23, the jack  14  in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in greater detail. As shown in FIG. 4, jack  14  includes an outer housing part  42  and an inner housing assembly  44  connected to the outer housing part  42  and defining the plug-receiving receptacles  22  therewith. The inner housing assembly  44  is formed by the inner housing part  36  and the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  mounted in connection therewith. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-5C, the outer housing part  42  is a unitary member formed of dielectric material, such as a glass-filled thermoplastic material or glass-filled polyester, and has a front wall  52  which provides the front face  20  of the jack  14 , a substantially planar top wall  54  which provides the upper surface  18  of the jack  14  and a pair of substantially planar side walls  56 . The outer housing part  42  is essentially open on its bottom although a bottom plate may be provided to close the bottom of the outer housing part  42 , i.e., once the jack  14  is assembled and mounted on the printed circuit board  30 . Such a bottom plate may be part of the card  10 . The top wall  54  extends beyond the side walls  56 . Top wall  54  and side walls  56  include projections and receptacles  58  to facilitate connection to the card member  12 . The front wall  52  is contiguous with inner surfaces  60  which define in part the plug-receiving receptacles  22 , one of the inner surfaces  60  being the interior surface of a side wall  56 . A guide member  66  is arranged at the bottom of the exterior surface of each side wall  56  to facilitate engagement of the jack  14  with the card member  12 . A lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  has three inwardly recessed portions  62   a,    62   b,    62   c,  each recessed portion aligning with a respective one of the plug-receiving receptacles  22  and including grooves  62 ′, the purpose of which is explained below (FIG.  5 C). Each plug-receiving receptacle  22  is structured with guide surfaces and latch surfaces of standard configuration to receive a standard modular RJ-type plug. An interposed rigid housing portion  68  of the outer housing part  42  is thereby formed between each adjacent pair of plug-receiving receptacles  22 , the inner surfaces  60  defining the plug-receiving receptacles  22  also defining the interposed portions  68 . Each interposed portion  68  includes a bottom wall  70  providing part of the lower surface  26 , an intermediate wall  72  and a recessed aperture  74  in the intermediate wall  72  (FIG.  5 B). 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6-10, the inner housing part  36  of the inner housing assembly  44  is a unitary member formed of dielectric material, such as a glass-filled thermoplastic material or glass-filled polyester, and includes an elongate, planar base  78 , a main body portion  80  and angled support elements  82  for supporting the main body portion  80  transversely offset from the base  78 . The upper surface  84  of the base  78  includes projections  86 , each adapted to fit into a respective, aligning recessed aperture  74  in the intermediate wall  72  of the interposed portions  68  when the inner housing assembly  44  is mated with the outer housing part  42 . The main body portion  80  has an upper surface  88  and three longitudinally offset sections  90 , 92 , 94 , each including a portion recessed from upper surface  88  having a set of guide slots  96  which extend partially along the front face  98  of the respective section of the main body portion  80 . Section  94  is transversely offset with respect to sections  90  and  92 . Two angled support elements  82  are arranged at each longitudinal end of each section  90 , 92 , 94 . Recesses  100  are arranged in the upper surface  88  adjacent the recessed portion of each section  90 , 92 , 94 . The function of recesses  100  is to mate with portions of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  in order to secure the contact/terminal retainer assemblies  38  to the inner housing part  36 . 
     The set of guide slots  96  in each of sections  90 , 92  includes six guide slots whereas the set of guide slots  96  in the section  94  includes eight guide slots, although the number of guide slots in each section depends on the intended use of the jack  14  and may be varied as desired. The number of guide slots determines the type of contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 , i.e., each assembly having a different number of contact/terminal members  34 , which can be placed in the sections  90 , 92 , 94  and thus the type of plug which can be received in the plug-receiving receptacle  22  cooperating with the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 . 
     Each guide slot  96  is defined by an oblique surface  102  directly inwardly from the front face  98  of the main body portion  80  and a vertical rear surface  104  (FIG.  8 ). Guide slots  96  are designed to accommodate the end of the contact portion  34   a  of a respective contact/terminal member  34  in the event that a plug inserted into the plug-receiving receptacle  22  causes the contact portion  34   a  to be urged as far back as the slot  96 . Guide slots  96  may extend entirely between the upper surface  88  and lower surface  81  of the front face  98  of the main body portion  80 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10, guide slots  106  are formed in a rear face  108  of the main body portion  80  in alignment with each slot  96  in the front face  98  and are designed to receive a terminal portion  34   b  of a respective contact/terminal member  34 . 
     The particular construction of the sections  90 , 92 , 94  of the inner housing part  36 , e.g., three sections one of which is transversely offset from the others, depends on the type of RJ-connector to be incorporated into the jack  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, two RJ-11 type connectors are used (accommodating a 6-position plug) and one RJ-45 type connector (accommodating an 8-position plug) is used and thus, the inner housing part  36  has the form shown. The transverse offset of section  94  relative to sections  90 , 92  is thus required in view of the dimensional difference between RJ-11 and RJ-45 type connectors. In embodiments wherein the jack  14  were designed to mate with only a single type of RJ plug, i.e., RJ-45 plugs, then a transverse offset of the sections of the main body portion would not be required. Other constructions of an inner housing part may be used in accordance with the invention. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 11-16, each contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  includes a retainer housing  110  formed of dielectric material, such as a glass-filled thermoplastic material or glass-filled polyester, and a plurality of the contact/terminal members  34  mounted in connection with retainer housing  110 . Retainer housing  110  has a front portion  112 , a rear portion  114  having a larger height than the front portion  112  and a planar top wall  116  which extends contiguously over the front and rear portions  112 , 114 . Front portion  112  includes a front wall  118 , a bottom wall  120  and side walls  122 . Rear portion  114  includes a front wall  124 , a bottom wall  126 , side walls  128  and rear wall  130 . Side walls  128  are contiguous with side walls  122 . Rear wall  130  has a recessed ledge  132 . A curved wall  134  connects the front wall  124  of rear portion  114  to the bottom wall  120  of front portion  112 . A plurality of transverse channels  136  are formed in the retainer housing  110  and are each adapted to receive a respective contact/terminal member  34 . Channels  136  extend from the front wall  118  of the front portion  112  to the recessed ledge  132  of the rear wall  130  of the rear portion  114 . Mounting projections  138  are arranged on each side wall  128  of retainer housing  110  for enabling securing of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  to the inner housing part  36 . Slots  140  are formed in the rear portion  114 , each in alignment with a respective one of the channels  136 . Slots  140  extending inwardly from the front wall  124  and bottom wall  126  and are defined by a horizontal wall  142  and a vertical wall  144  connected by a curved wall portion  146  (FIG.  12 ). Further, apertures  148  are formed in the rear portion  114  of retainer housing  110  extending between the top wall  116  and the horizontal wall  142  of each slot  140 . Slots  150  are formed in the rear wall  130  of the rear portion  114  in alignment with each channel  136  and extend obliquely from the recessed ledge  132  to the bottom wall  126  of the rear portion  114 . 
     The contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  includes contact/terminal members  34  having a particular form to enable the jack  14  to have a “reduced” vertical height (relative to jacks including existing, traditional contact/terminal members) while still providing sufficient normal contact force. As such, the overall height of the jack  14  may be less than about 10.5 mm, which is less than the overall height of conventional jacks of the RJ type (about 11.5 mm). 
     Initially, the contact/terminal members  34  have the form shown in FIG.  12  and are manipulated into the form shown in FIG. 11 for assembly into connection with the inner housing part  36 . As shown in FIG. 12, upon formation of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 , each contact/terminal member  34  has a terminal section  34 A, a contact section  34 B and an intermediate bridging section  34 C. Terminal section  34 A includes a first elongate terminal portion  152  extending from the rear wall  130  of rear portion  114  of the housing  110  of the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 . Intermediate bridging section  34 C includes a second elongate bridging portion  156  situated in a respective channel  136  in the retainer housing  110  and a third elongate bridging portion  158  extending from the front wall  118  of front portion  110  of retainer housing  110  (the first, second and third elongate portions  152 , 156 , 158  all being situated in a substantially common plane  160 ). Contact section  34 B includes an arcuate portion  162  connected to an end of the third elongate bridging portion  158  and extending at an angle away from the common plane  160  in which the first, second and third elongate portions  152 , 156 , 158  are situated, and a curved portion  164 . 
     Prior to installation of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  in connection with the inner housing part  36  of the jack  14  to thereby form the inner housing assembly  44 , the contact/terminal members  34  on the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  are bent into the form shown in FIG.  11 . Specifically, the first elongate terminal portion  152  of each contact/terminal member  34  is bent at a location adjacent the recessed ledge  132  of the rear wall  130  into the aligning slot  150  and a terminal-pad portion  166  is formed by bending the end of the first elongate terminal portion  152  inward. The third elongate bridging portion  158  is bent upward at a small angle until it is situated above the top wall  116  of the retainer housing  110  and then over itself to form a curve  154  and such that the curved contact portion  34   a  is formed from arcuate portion  162  of contact section  34 C. Upon insertion of a mating plug into the receptacle into which the contact portions  34   a  extend, the contact blades of the plug will engage contact/terminal members  34  along curved contact portion  34   a.  To this end, contact portion  34   a  is typically provided with a coating  168  to increase electrical connection between contact/terminal members  34  and the contact blades of the mating plug. 
     The contact/terminal members  34  have a variable width along their length. In particular, the width of the intermediate bridging portion  34   c  of the contact/terminal members  34 , including curved portion  154  which has a small bend radius, is greater than the width of the contact portion  34   b  in order to relieve stress. 
     The contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  may include its full complement of eight contact/terminal members  34 . In the alternative, referring to FIGS. 13-16, the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  may include one or more non-form contacts  200  which are not electrically connected to the printed circuit board  30  or the mating plug. The arrangement of contact/terminal members  34  and non-form contacts  200  in each contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  depends on the configuration of the jack  14 . Initially, the non-form contacts  200  have the form shown in FIG.  16 . Each non-form contact  200  has a first elongate portion  202  extending from the rear wall  130  of rear portion  114  of contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 , a second elongate portion  204  situated in a respective channel  136  in the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  and a third elongate portion  206  extending from the front wall  118  of front portion  112  of contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 . The first, second and third elongate portions  202 , 204 , 206  are situated in the same plane  160  as the elongate portions  152 , 156 , 158  of the contact/terminal members  34 . Prior to installation of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  in connection with the inner housing part  36  of the jack  14 , the first elongate portion  202  of each non-form contact  200  is bent at a location adjacent the recessed ledge  132  of the rear wall  130  into an aligning slot  150 . 
     FIG. 17 shows another embodiment of a contact/terminal-retainer assembly for use in the jack  14  in accordance with the invention, which is designated  38 ′. For the common elements of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  and  38 ′, the reference numerals for these elements in FIG. 17 have been primed. The most significant structural difference between contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ shown in FIG.  17  and contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  shown in FIGS. 13-16 is the number of transverse channels  136  in the housing  110  and thus the maximum number of contact/terminal members  34  that can be arranged in connection therewith. Specifically, the housing  110 ′ of contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ includes only six channels  136 ′ and has a corresponding reduced width whereas the housing  110  of contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  includes eight channels  136 . Otherwise, the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  and  38 ′ are essentially identical. Contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ are designed to fit in a respective one of the sections  90 , 92 , 94  of the main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36 . 
     Thus, contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  is arranged in section  94 , which allows for a maximum of eight contact/terminal members  34 , and a contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ is arranged in each of sections  90  and  92 , which allows for a maximum of six contact/terminal members. 
     Furthermore, in the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 13-16, the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  adapted to fit in section  94  of main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  includes four contact/terminal members  34  and four non-form contacts  200 . The contact/terminal members  34  are placed in positions P 3 , P 6 , P 7  and P 8  and the non-form contacts  200  are placed in positions P 1 , P 2 , P 4  and P 5  (FIG.  15 ). The contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ adapted to be placed in each of sections  90  and  92  of main body portion  80  includes two contact/terminal members  34  and four non-form contacts  200 . The contact/terminal members  34  are placed in positions P 3  and P 4  and the non-form contacts  200  are placed in positions P 1 , P 2 , P 5  and P 6  (FIG.  17 ). The positions of the contact/terminal members  34  and non-form contacts  200  may be changed depending on the requirements of the jack  14 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 18-23A, in the assembly of the jack  14 , the inner housing assembly  44  is formed first. To this end, the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  is mounted in connection with section  94  of the main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  so that the terminal portions  34   c  of the contact/terminal members  34  are situated within a respective slot  106 . A contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ is mounted in connection with each of sections  90  and  92  of the main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  so that the terminal portions  34   c  of the contact/terminal members  34  are situated within a respective slot  106 . The contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ are maintained in secure connection with the main body portion  80  by means of the cooperation between projections  138  on the side walls  128  of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ and the recesses  100  in the upper surface  88  of the main body portion  70 . Other cooperating securing means for securing the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ to the inner housing part  36  may be used in jacks in accordance with the invention instead of the recesses  100  and projections  138 . The terminal-pad portion  166  of each contact/terminal member  34  is exposed in a space between the angled support members  82  to enable surface mounting of the contact/terminal members  34  to the printed circuit board  30 . Solder tabs  170  are placed through slots  172 , 172 ′ to enable the inner housing part  36  to be secured to the printed circuit board  30 . Slot  172  extends from the side wall  174  to the lower surface  81  of the main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  and slot  172 ′ extends from an interior of the main body portion  80  to the lower surface  81  of the main body portion  80  (FIG.  21 ). 
     The inner housing assembly  44  of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ and inner housing part  36  is then placed in the outer housing part  42 . To this end, the side wall  56  alongside receptacle  58  includes a projection  176  which is adapted to fit within recess  178  on the side wall  174  of the main body portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  (FIG.  21 ). Further, projections  86  on the upper surface  84  of the base portion  80  of the inner housing part  36  fit into a respective, aligning recessed aperture  74  in the intermediate wall  72  of the interposed portions  68  of the outer housing part  42 . During or after assembly of the jack  14 , the terminal-pad portions  166  are soldered to contact regions on the printed circuit board  30 . 
     In accordance with the invention, the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ and the outer housing part  42  are constructed such that the recessed portion  62   a  in the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42  aligns with the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ placed into section  90  of the inner housing part  36 , the recessed portion  62   b  in the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42  aligns with the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ placed into section  92  of the inner housing part  14  and the recessed portion  62   c  in the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42  aligns with the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 , which is placed into section  94  of the inner housing part  42 . Each contact/terminal member  34  of the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′ extends into a respective groove  62 ′ in the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42 . Thus, the grooves  62 ′ are formed in the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42  at least in correspondence with the locations at which contact/terminal members  34  are placed in the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38 , 38 ′. 
     As shown in FIG. 23A, only a very short region of the intermediate bridging portion  34   c  of the contact/terminal members  34  bears against the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42 , i.e., along the curve  154  leading to contact portion  34   a  of the contact/terminal member  34 . This would thus constitute a “point contact” between the contact/terminal members  34  and the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42 . The intermediate bridging portion  34   c  thus bears against the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42  only at the curved portion and is spaced from the top wall  54  in view of its upward inclination from the inner housing assembly  44 . The particular construction of the contact/terminal members  34  and housing therefor, as described above, enables the height of the jack  14  in accordance with the invention to be less than conventional jacks of the RJ type. Further, an advantage realized by means of this construction is that it is possible to pre-stress the contact/terminal members  34  when assembling the jack  14 , e.g., by pressing the contact/terminal members  34  against the lower surface  54   a  of the top wall  54  of the outer housing part  42 . 
     Thus, a communications card including a jack in accordance with the invention has been described. In another embodiment of the jack in accordance with the invention, for use in general electrical applications requiring an RJ-type jack, the jack include an outer housing part including a top wall, bottom wall and side walls defining a single plug-receiving receptacle opening at the front face of the outer housing part (similar to that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,991). In accordance with the invention, the top wall of the outer housing part is provided with a recess and grooves adapted to align with the contact/terminal receiving members of the inner housing assembly. The inner housing assembly includes an inner housing part having a main body portion having only a single section (instead of the main body portion  80  described above which includes three sections  90 , 92 , 94 ). Other modifications to the main body portion  80  would also be made in view of the reduction in the number of sections, e.g., its length would be that of a single section and the projections  86  between adjacent sections  90 , 92 , 94  would not be present. The inner housing assembly would also include a single contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 , 38 ′. The section would be constructed to receive either contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  with a possible full complement of eight contact/terminal members  34  or contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38 ′ with a possible full complement of six contact/terminal members  34 . Also, although the jack  14  would be designed to accommodate a printed circuit board within the height of the jack, it is also conceivable that the terminal portions  34   c  of the contact/terminal members  34  be extended for surface mounting of the jack onto a surface of a printed circuit board. 
     An alternative contact/terminal member for use in the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies  38  described above is designated generally as  250  in FIG. 24 in its assembled condition. The same reference numerals designate the same features as for the contact/terminal members  34 . Contact/terminal member  250  differs from contact/terminal members  34  in that the bridging portion  34   c  includes an elongate section  158  extending from the contact/terminal-retainer assembly  38  (shown in phantom lines) and an obliquely inclined portion  254  extending from the elongate section  158  to the curved section  256 . Contact/terminal member  250  also includes a convex contact portion  252  which is adapted to engage with a respective contact portion of a mating plug. The presence of the upward inclination of the bridging portion (inclined portion  254 ), curve  256  leading to the contact portion  252  and convex contact portion  252  is designed to enable the contact portion  252  to have the required spring-back force required by applicable FCC requirements for RJ-type connectors while enabling a jack including such contact/terminal members  250  to have a lower profile than conventional RJ-type jacks as discussed above. 
     FIG. 25 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a modular jack in accordance with the invention designated generally as  300 . Jack  300  includes an inner housing part  302 , an outer housing part  304  defining at least one plug-receiving receptacle  312  and contact/terminal members  306  having a terminal portion  320  for enabling electrical connection to a printed circuit board (not shown) and a contact portion  322  extending into the plug-receiving receptacle  312 . Inner housing part  302  includes slots  314  and channels  316  for retaining contact/terminal members  306 . Contact/terminal members  306  are “forward-facing” in the sense that the contact portion  322  has a front end closer to the entrance of the receptacle  312 , and which is situated within a recess in the outer housing part  304 , and is obliquely inclined rearward toward the inner housing part  302 . Outer housing part  304  including a spring mounting member  308  which retains back-up springs  310 . Each spring  310  engages with the contact portion  322  of a respective one of the contact/terminal members  306  to provide a resilient force thereto. Features of the outer housing part  42  and inner housing part  36  described above may be incorporated into the outer housing part  304  and inner housing part  302 , respectively. The use of forward facing contact/terminal members, in combination with the rearward facing contact/terminal members  34 , 250  described above provides certain advantages with respect to crosstalk reduction as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,266 (Patel). 
     FIG. 26 shows a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a modular jack in accordance with the invention designated generally as  400 . Jack  40  includes an outer housing part  402 , an inner housing part  404  defining at least one plug-receiving receptacle  416  and contact/terminal members  406 , each having a terminal portion  412  electrically connected to a printed circuit board  414  and a contact portion  410  extending into the plug-receiving receptacle  416 . Inner housing part  404  includes slots  408  for retaining contact/terminal members  406 . Contact/terminal members  406  are “forward-facing” in the sense that the contact portion  410  has a front end closer to the entrance of the receptacle  416 , and which is situated within a recess in the outer housing part  402 , and is obliquely inclined rearward toward the inner housing part  404 . Features of the outer housing part  42  and inner housing part  36  described above may be incorporated into the outer housing part  402  and inner housing part  402 , respectively. The use of forward facing contact/terminal members, in combination with the rearward facing contact/terminal members  34 , 250  described above provides certain advantages with respect to crosstalk reduction. 
     Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Accordingly, it is understood that other embodiments of the invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. For example, although a two-piece inner housing assembly is shown in the some of the illustrated embodiments, it is possible to construct a single-piece inner housing assembly. Also, although the contact/terminal-retainer assemblies in the jacks shown herein include contact/terminal members in accordance with the invention to provide the jacks with a low profile, if so desired, the same components (outer housing part, inner housing part and contact/terminal-retainer assembly housing) could be used in conjunction with other contact/terminal members which might not necessarily have a height lower than a conventional RJ-type jack. That is, the use of the outer housing part, inner housing part and contact/terminal-retainer assembly housing is not limited to low profile jacks and each of these components can be used, either individually or in combination with one or both of the others, in other modular jack applications.