Board Edge Termination Back-End Connection Assemblies and Communications Connectors Including Such Assemblies

• US 20090142968A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Canning, Michael Walter, Huynh, Nhan, Larsen, Wayne D., Hashim, Amid I., Goodrich, Robert Ray
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/676
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/501 comprising an integral hinge or a frangible part
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6463 using twisted pairs of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6469 on substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2412 actuated by insulated cams or wedges
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2433 one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression

Abstract

Communications connectors are provided that include a printed circuit board that has a top side and a bottom side. These connectors each include a housing that receives at least a portion of the printed circuit board. The connectors include first through eighth input contacts that are mounted on the printed circuit board and first through eighth output contacts that are likewise mounted on the printed circuit board. The connectors further include a board edge termination assembly that has an opening that receives an edge of the printed circuit board. The board edge termination assembly has a body that is configured to receive a communications cable having at least eight conductors and to electrically connect the eight conductors to respective ones of the first through eighth output contacts.

Claims

1. A communications connector, comprising:

a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;

a housing that receives at least a portion of the printed circuit board;

first through eighth input contacts mounted on the printed circuit board;

first through eighth output contacts mounted on the printed circuit board; and

a board edge termination assembly that includes an opening that receives an edge of the printed circuit board, the board edge termination assembly comprising a body that is configured to receive at least eight conductors of a communications cable and to electrically connect the eight conductors to respective ones of the first through eighth output contacts.

2. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the communications connector is a communications plug, and wherein the first through eighth input contacts comprise first through eighth plug blades and wherein the first through eighth output contacts comprise first through eighth insulation piercing contacts.

3. The communications connector of claim 2, wherein four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted on the top side of the printed circuit board and the remaining four of the first through eighth insulation piercing contacts are mounted on the bottom side of the printed circuit board.

4. The communications connector of claim 2, wherein each plug blade comprises a wire having first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of each wire is mounted in the printed circuit board.

5. The communications connector of claim 2, wherein each plug blade comprises a wire having first and second ends, and wherein at least one of the first and second ends is positioned to make a wiping contact with a respective conductive trace of the printed circuit board.

6. The communications connector of claim 2, wherein each plug blade contacts the printed circuit board via a compression contact.

7. The communications connector of claim 4, wherein each wire forms a skeletal plug blade.

8. The communications connector of claim 4, wherein a first side of each plug blade is substantially normal to the printed circuit board and a second side of each plug blade that is opposite the first side includes a projection in a direction parallel to the plane defined by the top side of the printed circuit board.

9. The communications connector of claim 8, wherein the projections on adjacent blades extend in parallel but opposite directions.

10. The communications connector of claim 4, wherein each wire further includes:

a generally vertical segment;

a generally horizontal segment;

a first transition segment;

a generally U-shaped projection segment; and

a second transition segment;

wherein ends of the generally vertical segment are directly connected to the first end of the wire and to the first transition segment, respectively;

wherein ends of the generally horizontal segment are directly connected to the first transition segment and to the generally U-shaped projection segment, respectively; and

wherein ends of the generally U-shaped projection segment are directly connected to the generally horizontal segment and to the second transition segment.

11. The communications connector of claim 7, wherein each wire includes a planar middle portion having a first length in a longitudinal direction of the plug, and wherein the distance between the first and second ends is less than the first length.

12. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the first through eighth input contacts comprise first through eighth wires that are bent to form plug blades, wherein the plug blades are generally aligned in side-by-side fashion in numerical order, wherein first ends of each of the first, third, fifth and seventh wires are aligned in a first row, and wherein first ends of each of the second, fourth, sixth and eighth wires are aligned in a second row that is offset from the first row.

13. The communications connector of claim 12, wherein second ends of each of the first, third, fifth and seventh wires are aligned in a third row, and wherein second ends of each of the second, fourth, sixth and eighth wires are aligned in a fourth row that is offset from the third row.

14. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the board edge termination assembly further includes a separator that is configured to be inserted into the jacket of the communication cable.

15. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the board edge termination assembly includes a pivotable first cap and a second pivotable cap, wherein the first pivotable cap is connected to the body by a first hinge and the second pivotable cap is connected to the body by a second hinge.

16. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the board edge termination assembly includes a track for at least one of the eight conductors of the communications cable, wherein the track includes an opening, and wherein at least one insulation piercing contact extends through the opening.

17. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the board edge termination assembly includes a track for each of the eight conductors of the communications cable, wherein the eight conductors in the communications cable are arranged as four twisted pairs of conductors, and wherein the tracks are arranged in pairs and each pair of tracks is configured to receive the two conductors of a respective one of the twisted pairs of conductors without any separation between the two conductors of the pair.

18. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the body of the board edge termination assembly comprises a non-conductive body that has a top side and a bottom side, and wherein the body includes a horizontal surface on at least one of the top and the bottom sides that is configured to function as an anvil to cut off the ends of at least some of the conductors of the communications cable.

19. A communications plug, comprising:

a printed circuit board having a top side and a bottom side;

first through eighth plug blades, wherein each plug blade comprises a wire having a first end mounted in a first opening in the top side of the printed circuit board and a second end mounted in a second opening in the top side of the printed circuit board that forms a skeletal blade; and

first through eighth wire connection contacts mounted on the printed circuit board, wherein four of the first through eighth wire connection contacts are mounted on the top side of the printed circuit board and the remaining four of the first through eighth wire connection contacts are mounted on the bottom side of the printed circuit board.

20. The communications plug of claim 19, wherein the wire connection contacts comprise insulation piercing contacts, and wherein the communications plug further includes a board edge termination assembly that at least partially surrounds the printed circuit board, the board edge termination assembly including first through eighth apertures, wherein each insulation piercing contact extends through a respective one of the first through eighth apertures.

21. The communications connector of claim 19, wherein a first side of each plug blade is substantially normal to the printed circuit board and a second side of each plug blade that is opposite the first side includes a projection in a direction parallel to the plane defined by the top side of the printed circuit board.

22. The communications connector of claim 21, wherein the projections on adjacent blades extend in parallel but opposite directions.

23. The communications connector of claim 19, wherein each wire further includes:

a generally vertical segment;

a generally horizontal segment;

a first transition segment;

a generally U-shaped projection segment; and

a second transition segment;

wherein ends of the generally vertical segment are directly connected to the first end of the wire and to the first transition segment, respectively;

wherein ends of the generally horizontal segment are directly connected to the first transition segment and to the generally U-shaped projection segment, respectively; and

wherein ends of the generally U-shaped projection segment are directly connected to the generally horizontal segment and to the second transition segment.

24. A printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug, comprising:

a wire having a first end and a second end, wherein at least one of the first end and the second end is electrically connected to a conductive element on the printed circuit board; and

wherein the wire is shaped so that the plug blade includes a projection in a direction parallel to a plane defined by the top side of the printed circuit board.

25. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 24, wherein the first end is configured to be received within a first aperture in the printed circuit board and a second end that is configured to be received within a second aperture in the printed circuit board.

26. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 25, wherein the skeletal plug blade comprises a planar plug blade that extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the printed circuit board, and wherein the projection likewise extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the printed circuit board.

27. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 25, wherein the wire includes:

a generally vertical segment;

a generally horizontal segment;

a first transition segment;

a generally U-shaped projection segment; and

a second transition segment;

wherein ends of the generally vertical segment are directly connected to the first end of the wire and to the first transition segment, respectively;

wherein ends of the generally horizontal segment are directly connected to the first transition segment and to the generally U-shaped projection segment, respectively; and

wherein ends of the generally U-shaped projection segment are directly connected to the generally horizontal segment and to the second transition segment.

28. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 25, wherein the length of the plug blade in the longitudinal direction of the printed circuit board exceeds the distance between the first end and the second end.

29. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 25, wherein the first end and the second end are configured to be press fit into the first and second apertures in the printed circuit board, respectively.

30. The printed circuit board mountable blade for an RJ-45 style modular plug of claim 24, wherein at least one of the first end and the second end forms a compression contact with the conductive element on the printed circuit board.