Crosstail-shaped conductive spacer extending rearwardly from a printed circuit board

• US 10,069,258 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Canning, Michael W., Larsen, Wayne D., Schumacher, Richard A., Hashim, Amid I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US15/405,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20170155218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 439676, 439941
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/284 comprising means for preventing corrosion, e.g. covers, enclosures filled with gel
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6461 Means for preventing cross-talk
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6463 using twisted pairs of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6469 on substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6581 Shield structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6585 Shielding material individually surrounding or interposed between mutually spaced contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6586 for separating multiple connector modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/04 for network, e.g. LAN connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/00 Coupling parts adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts, e.g. for distributing energy to two or more circuits supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/88

Abstract

Patch cords include a communications cable that has a first conductor and a second conductor that form a first differential pair, and a third conductor and a fourth conductor that form a second differential pair and a plug that is attached to the communications cable. The plug includes a housing that receives the communications cable, first through fourth plug contacts that are within the housing, and a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes first through fourth conductive paths that connect the respective first through fourth conductors to respective ones of the first through fourth plug contacts. The plug further includes a first conductive shield that extends above a top surface of the printed circuit board that is disposed between the first differential pair and the second differential pair.

Claims

1. A communications plug, comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board at least partially within the housing, the printed circuit board including a notch and a plurality of solder pads, wherein exposed metal cores of end portions of ones of a plurality of insulated conductors of a communications cable are soldered to the respective solder pads; and

a conductive spacer received within the notch in the printed circuit board and extending rearwardly from the printed circuit board.

2. The communications plug of claim 1, wherein the conductive spacer comprises a crosstail that has four fins.

3. The communications plug of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of plug contacts that are exposed through respective slots in the housing, the plug contacts located adjacent a front edge of the printed circuit board, wherein the notch is in the rear edge of the printed circuit board.

4. The communications plug of claim 3, wherein the notch extends forwardly toward the front edge of the printed circuit board.

5. The communications plug of claim 3, wherein each fin is radially spaced apart from adjacent fins by about ninety degrees.

6. The communications plug of claim 3, wherein first and second of the fins extend farther forwardly than third and fourth of the fins.

7. The communications plug of claim 6, wherein the first fin extends perpendicularly above the printed circuit board, and the second fin extends perpendicularly below the printed circuit board.

8. A communications plug, comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board at least partially within the housing;

a plurality of plug contacts that are exposed through respective slots in the housing, the plug contacts located adjacent a front edge of the printed circuit board; and

a conductive crosstail that has four fins extending rearwardly from the printed circuit board.

9. The communications plug of claim 8, wherein the conductive crosstail comprises a first material that is plated with a second material that is a conductive material.

10. The communications plug of claim 8, wherein the four fins comprise two vertically-extending fins and two horizontally-extending fins, and wherein each horizontally-extending fin has a widened section adjacent the printed circuit board and the vertically-extending fins do not include a widened section adjacent the printed circuit board.

11. The communications plug of claim 10, wherein the printed circuit board further includes a plurality of solder pads that are configured to receive exposed metal cores of end portions of respective ones of a plurality of insulated conductors of a communications cable, and wherein a thickness of the printed circuit board is approximately equal to a thickness of a first of the horizontally-extending fins plus twice a thickness of an insulation layer provided on a first of the insulated conductors.

12. The communications plug of claim 11, wherein a notch that receives a forward portion of the crosstail is provided in a rear edge of the printed circuit board.

13. The communications plug of claim 12, wherein the notch extends forwardly toward the front edge of the printed circuit board.

14. The communications plug of claim 13, wherein the crosstail is fully received within the housing.