Patent ID: 7635285

Claim:
A component for coupling twisted pair network cables that comprise a plurality of twisted pairs for connecting telephone or computer network equipment, the component comprising: a first set of electrical contacts including a first plurality of the contact members arranged in a first geometric orientation within a housing directed in a first direction, the housing presenting a first generally rectangular aperture and structured to make electrical contact with contacts of a first male repeatably couplable and decouplable electrical connector that is generally rectangular in cross sectional shape to be received in a close mating relationship into the first generally rectangular aperture; a second set of electrical contacts including a second plurality of contact members arranged in a second geometric orientation within the housing directed in a second direction different from the first direction, the housing presenting a second generally rectangular aperture and structured to make electrical contact with contacts of a second male repeatably couplable and decouplable electrical connector that is generally rectangular in cross sectional shape to be received in a close mating relationship into the second generally rectangular aperture; and a printed circuit operably electrically connecting at least some of the first plurality of contact members to respective members of the second plurality of contact members, the printed circuit acting to balance crosstalk between the plurality of twisted pairs; wherein at least one of the first set of electrical contacts or the second set of electrical contacts is arranged such that four of the contact members are arrayed generally in a first rectilinear row and four of the contact members are arrayed in a second row generally parallel to and perpendicularly displaced from the first row and in two groups of two contacts each, the two contacts in each group being separated by a first small spacing and the two groups being spaced apart from each other by a second spacing larger than the first small spacing.