MANAGED CONNECTIVITY IN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20110092100A1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Coffey, Joseph C., Mattson, Loren J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,992,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/620.22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/70 Coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/518 for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/641 by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• 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 24/60 Contacts spaced along planar side wall transverse to longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/13 Patch panels for monitoring, interconnecting or testing circuits, e.g. patch bay, patch field or jack field; Patching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0026 provided with connectors and printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. automotive electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/955 including electronic identifier or coding means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base

Abstract

An electrical connector arrangement includes a storage device coupled to a connector housing. The storage device is configured to store physical layer information pertaining to the electrical connector arrangement. The storage device also has contacts that enable the physical layer information to be read from the storage device by a media reading interface. A connector assembly includes at least one receptacle assembly; a printed circuit board; and a media reading interface.

Claims

1. A connector arrangement comprising:

a plug defining a first plurality of slots and a second plurality of slots, the first plurality of slots being separate from the second plurality of slots;

a plurality of first contacts located in the plug and accessible through the first plurality of slots, the first contacts being electrically connected to conductors of an electrical segment of communications media terminated at the plug;

a plurality of second contacts located in the plug and accessible through the second plurality of slots; and

a storage device mounted within the plug, the storage device being electrically connected to the second contacts, the storage device being configured to store physical layer information pertaining to the connector arrangement or the electrical segment of communications media.

2. The connector arrangement of claim 1, wherein the plug includes a plug nose body and a plug cover that mounts to the plug nose body, the storage device being mounted in a cavity defined between the plug nose body and the plug cover.

3. The connector arrangement of claim 2, wherein the plug cover defines the second plurality of slots through which the second contacts are accessible.

4. The connector arrangement of claim 3, wherein the plug nose body defines the first plurality of slots through which the first contacts are accessible.

5. The connector arrangement of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of slots is defined at a first side of the plug nose body and the plug cover mounts to a second side of the plug nose body.

6. The connector arrangement of claim 5, wherein the second side of the plug nose body is opposite the first side of the plug nose body.

7. The connector arrangement of claim 1, wherein the storage device is mounted to a printed circuit board, wherein the second contacts are located on the printed circuit board.

8. The connector arrangement of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is a rigid printed circuit board.

9. The connector arrangement of claim 7, wherein the printed circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board.

10. The connector arrangement of claim 9, wherein the plug includes a finger tab protruding from the plug, the finger tab including a latch surface for latching the plug to a connector assembly, wherein at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board is positioned on the finger tab.

11. The connector arrangement of claim 10, wherein the flexible printed circuit board defines a base portion and an extending portion, wherein the storage device is arranged on the base portion and the second contacts are arranged on the extending portion, and wherein the extending portion of the flexible printed circuit board is positioned on the finger tab.

12. A connector arrangement comprising:

a plug having a first side and an opposite, second side, the plug including a finger tab extending outwardly from a key at the second side, the finger tab including a latch surface for latching the plug to a connector assembly;

a plurality of first contacts located at the first side of the plug, the first contacts being electrically connected to conductors of an electrical segment of communications media terminated at the plug;

a plurality of second contacts located within the plug and being accessible through slots defined in the key; and

a storage device located within the plug, the storage device being electrically connected to the second contacts, and the storage device being configured to store information pertaining to the connector arrangement or the electrical segment of communications media.

13. The connector arrangement of claim 12, wherein the storage device is mounted to a printed circuit board located within the plug.

14. The connector arrangement of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the printed circuit board is located within the key, and wherein the second contacts are located on the printed circuit board.

16. The connector arrangement of claim 12, wherein the plug includes a plug nose body and a plug cover that mounts to the plug nose body, the storage device being mounted in a cavity defined between the plug nose body and the plug cover.

17. The connector arrangement of claim 16, wherein the plug cover at least partially defines the key.

15. The connector arrangement of claim 15, wherein the printed circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board.

18. A connector assembly comprising:

a housing including a frame and a fascia, the frame defining a plurality of openings, the fascia being coupled to the frame and defining a plurality of openings that align with the openings of the frame to define passages, each opening of the fascia defining a keyway at a first side of the housing;

a printed circuit board mounted to the housing;

at least a first jack module mounted at least partially within a first of the passages defined in the housing, the first jack module including a body defining a port that is configured to receive a connector arrangement along an insertion axis that extends generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board, the first jack module including a first contact arrangement that is isolated from the printed circuit board; and

at least a first media reading interface connected to the housing at the first passage, the media reading interface being electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, at least a portion of the media reading interface extending through the body and into the port of the first jack module from the first side of the housing.

19. The connector assembly of claim 18, further comprising at least a first sensor arranged on the printed circuit board, the first sensor being associated with the port of the first jack module, and the first sensor being configured to determine when the connector arrangement has been inserted into the port of the first jack module.

20. The connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the first sensor includes a tactile pressure sensor.

21. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board mounts between the frame and the fascia.

22. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board includes a communications interface connector that is configured to receive a CPU connector, which includes a processor that is configured to read information from a storage device of a connector arrangement received in the port of the first jack module

23. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the jack module includes an RJ-45 jack.

24. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the fascia includes a first piece and a second piece that cooperate to define the openings of the fascia, the first piece being removably coupled to the second piece.

25. The connector assembly of claim 18, wherein the printed circuit board defines openings that align with the openings of the frame and the openings of the fascia.

26. A method of assembling a connector assembly comprising:

providing a printed circuit board, a frame, and a fascia including a first piece and a second piece;

mounting the printed circuit board to the first piece of a fascia to form a first unit;

mounting the second piece of the fascia to the frame to form a second unit;

mounting a plurality of jack modules to the second unit; and

removably coupling the first unit to the second unit.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

plugging a plurality of connector arrangements into the jack modules; and

removing the fascia without removing any of the connector arrangements from the jack modules.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

replacing the printed circuit board with an updated printed circuit board after removing the fascia without removing any of the connector arrangements from the jack modules; and

replacing the fascia.