Communications Connectors with Jackwire Contacts and Printed Circuit Boards

• US 20090298341A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Walter Canning, Ron Guelden, Thomas Ellis, Troy Long
• Original Assignee: Michael Walter Canning, Ron Guelden, Thomas Ellis, Troy Long
• Inventors: Canning, Michael Walter, Ellis, Thomas, Long, Troy, Guelden, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 7,892,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/620.22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6467 by cross-over of signal conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression

Abstract

Communications connectors having a plurality of signal carrying paths include a printed circuit board and a plurality of contacts. The printed circuit board has a plurality of contact pads, a plurality of output terminals, and a plurality of conductive paths that electrically connect at least some of the plurality of contact pads to respective ones of the plurality of output terminals. The contacts each have a plug contact region. In these connectors, a first of the plurality of signal carrying paths extends from the plug contact region of a first of the plurality of contacts to a first of the plurality of output terminals through a first of the contact pads and a first of the conductive paths.

Claims

1. A communications connector, comprising:

a plurality of contacts, each contact having a termination end that is mounted in a first substrate; and

a second substrate that is distinct from the first substrate, wherein the second substrate comprises a first printed circuit board that includes a plurality of contact pads that mate with respective ones of the plurality of contacts, a plurality of output terminals, and a plurality of conductive paths that electrically connect at least some of the plurality of contact pads to respective ones of the plurality of output terminals.

2. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of contacts includes a plug contact region, and wherein the portion of each of the plurality of contacts that mates with a respective one of the plurality of contact pads is between the plug contact region of the contact and a free end of the contact.

3. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of contacts includes a plug contact region, and wherein the portion of each of the plurality of contacts that mates with a respective one of the plurality of contact pads is between the plug contact region of the contact and the termination end of the contact.

4. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts comprises first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth contacts, wherein the fourth and fifth contacts comprise a first contact pair for carrying a first balanced signal, the first and second contacts comprise a second contact pair for carrying a second balanced signal, the third and sixth contacts comprise a third contact pair for carrying a third balanced signal, the seventh and eighth contacts comprise a fourth contact pair for carrying a fourth balanced signal, and wherein at least one of first, second third and/or fourth contact pairs includes a crossover.

5. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a dielectric housing of the communications connector.

6. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a second printed circuit board.

7. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein a first plane defined by the first substrate and a second plane defined by the second substrate are not parallel planes.

8. The communications connector of claim 7, wherein the first plane is substantially normal to the second plane.

9. The communications connector of claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit board further includes at least one crosstalk compensation element.

10. The communications connector of claim 9, wherein the second printed circuit board further includes at least one crosstalk compensation element.