Patent Publication Number: US-6210214-B1

Title: Stacked modular jack connector assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a stacked modular jack connector assembly in which two modular jacks are mirror-image arranged. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,612 discloses a conventional modular jack connector assembly. The modular jack connector assembly comprises a common main housing and a plurality of modular jack connectors mounted within the main housing. The modular jack connectors are provided in upper and lower rows in a substantially mirror image disposition. The main housing is integrally formed. Each modular jack has an insert assembly which is consisted of a first over-moulded portion for securing engaging ends of contacts thereof and a second over-moulded portion for securing soldering tails of the contacts thereof. 
     It can be seen that the conventional connector requires extra manufacturing of the insert assemblies thereof. Moreover, the integral main housing makes the conventional connector can not be adapted for different mounting panels. 
     Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first object of the present invention is to provide a modular jack connector assembly with a retention means reliably spacing and retaining a plurality of terminals thereof; and 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide a modular jack connector assembly with a retention means facilitating an assembly thereof. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a modular jack connector assembly includes a first jack overlapping on a second jack. The first jack has a first housing and a plurality of first terminals extending through the first housing. The first housing is consisted of an upper section and a lower section offsetting from the upper section whereby defining a space. The lower section defines a pair of openings, a plurality of partitions at an underside thereof and a plurality of spaced recesses divided by the partitions. A plurality of integrally formed toes projects forwardly from an underside of the lower section. The upper section has a pair of lead-ins downwardly projecting from a bottom side thereof. 
     The second jack includes a housing, a plurality of second terminals extending through the housing, a pair of channels at lateral sides of a top end thereof, a pair of latches extending from a rear side thereof, a plurality of projections extending rearwardly from a rearward underside thereof, and a plurality of grooves defined by the projections. Some of the second terminals extend along the partitions while other second terminals bend inwardly into the grooves. The latches and the partitions are integrally formed with a housing of the second jack. 
     In assembly, the second jack is inserted into the space by means that the channels slide along the lead-ins to guide and secured the second jack. The latches then extend into the openings. As a result, the projections fit with the recesses and the grooves mate with the toes whereby the second terminals are reliably positioned between corresponding projections and recesses or between corresponding toes and grooves. The connector is finally mounted onto a circuit board. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial exploded view of a modular jack connector assembly of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 showing a rear side of a jack; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of an assembled assembly of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the assembled assembly FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical connector  1  of the present invention comprises a first jack  10  and a second jack  20 . The modular jacks are mirror-image arranged in upper and lower positions. 
     The first jack  10  has a dielectric first housing  14  which is consisted of an upper section  11  and a lower section  12  offsetting rearwardly from the upper section  11  thereby defining a space (not labeled) such that the second jack  20  can be accommodated in the space (not labeled). The first jack  10  further includes a plurality of first terminals  13  extending downwardly through the first housing  14  thereof and a pair of elongate lead-ins  15  projecting downwardly from a bottom side of the upper section  11 . The lower section  12  defines a pair of openings  122  in lateral ends of a mating surface  121  thereof and a plurality of recesses  123  in an underside thereof. The lower section  12  defines grooves (not shown) on the back for holding tail sections of the first terminals in position. Oppositely, the lower section  12  also has a plurality of partitions  124  spacing the recesses  123  and a plurality of toes  125  projects forwardly from a lower end of the mating surface  121 . The partitions  124  and the toes  125  are integrally formed with the first housing  14 . 
     Further referring to FIG. 2, the second jack  20  includes a dielectric second housing  21 , a plurality of second terminals  22  secured in the second housing  21 , a pair of metallic board locks  23  depending downwardly from the second housing  21  for establishing a grounding connection with a circuit board (not shown), and a pair of latches  25  protruding rearwardly from a rear surface of the second housing  21 . The plurality of second terminals  22  extends beyond the second housing  21  for contacting corresponding circuit traces on the circuit board (not shown). The pair of latches  25  is disposed at a rear side of the second housing  21  such that the latches  25  are engageable with corresponding openings  122  to attach the second jack  20  to the first jack  10 . The pair of latches  25  is integrally made with the second housing  21 . The second housing  21  further has a pair of channels  214  separated at lateral ends of a top end thereof and a plurality of projections  216  spaced at a rearward underside thereof which defines a plurality of grooves  212  therebetween. The projections  216  are integrally formed with the second housing  21 . The channels  24  are positioned accordingly to the lead-ins  15  of the first jack  10  so that the channels  24  can be leaded by and then fixed between the lead-ins  15  whereby attaching the second jack  20  to the first jack  10 . Every other second terminals  22  extend along a rear side of the second housing  21  and over the projections  216  while the else second terminals  22  extend along the rear side of the second housing  21  and then bend inwardly into the plurality of grooves  212 . 
     In assembly, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second jack  20  is inserted rearwardly from a front of the first jack  10  to be accommodated in the space (not labeled) by means of the channels  214  being guided by the lead-ins  15 . The pair of latches  25  then extends into the openings  122  of the lower section  12  to attach the second jack  20  into the first jack  10  while the projections  216  are aligned with corresponding recesses  123  of the lower section  12 . The projections  216  thus engage with corresponding recesses  123  thereby securing some second terminals  22  which extend along the projections  216  between the recesses  123  and the projections  216 . While the plurality of projections  216  extends into the recesses  123 , the grooves  212  mate with corresponding toes  125  thereby fixing other second terminals  22  between the grooves  212  and the toes  125 . Finally, the connector  1  is mounted on the circuit board (not shown) by means that the exposed ends of the first terminals  13  and the second terminals  22  fit into corresponding through holes in the circuit board (not shown) and the pair of board locks  23  latches to the circuit board (not shown). It can be see that the assembly of the connector  1  is so facilitated. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.