PLUG CONTACT ARRANGEMENT AND THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF

• US 20120208401A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Petersen, Cycle D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,388,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/620.22
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve

Abstract

A plug can include a set of primary contacts for communication signal transmission, a storage device to store physical layer information (PLI), and a set of secondary contacts for PLI signal transmission. One or more sets of secondary contacts may be manufactured from a conductive strip. The storage device associated with each set may be mounted to an insulating layer that physically connects the contacts of each set.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a contact arrangement comprising:

providing a carrier formed of conductive material;

forming at least a first plurality of conductive members from at least one side of the carrier;

building an insulating layer across the conductive members of the first plurality;

laying tracings on the insulating layer;

mounting a storage device to the tracings on the insulating layer;

shaping the conductive members; and

detaching the conductive members from the carrier to form the contact arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the carrier includes providing an axially elongated strip of conductive material.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second plurality of conductive members from the side of the carrier, the second plurality of conductive members being spaced from the first plurality by a gap greater than a gap between conductive members within each plurality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein building the insulating layer comprises laying a section of polyimide across the conductive members of the first plurality.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising building a second insulating layer across the conductive members of the first plurality, the second insulating layer being located on an opposite side of the conductive members from the insulating layer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising plating portions of the conductive members to form contact surfaces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein mounting the storage device to the tracings comprises mounting an EEPROM to the tracings on the insulating layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein mounting the EEPROM to the tracings comprises:

aligning contacts of the EEPROM with landings of the tracings;

holding the EEPROM to the insulating layer with a fixture to form a carrier assembly; and

placing the carrier assembly in a vapor oven to set the EEPROM to the tracings.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein mounting the EEPROM to the tracings comprises:

aligning contacts of the EEPROM with landings of the tracings; and

epoxying the EEPROM to the landings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping the conductive members comprises bending contact sections of the conductive members into a spring configuration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping the conductive members comprises shaping the contact sections of the conductive members into a French Roll configuration.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping the conductive members comprises shaping contact sections of the conductive members into a rigid configuration.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein shaping the conductive members comprises bending contact sections of the conductive members into a looped configuration.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein shaping the conductive members comprises bending contact sections of the conductive members into a triangle configuration.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting the contact arrangement to a plastic reinforcing layer.

16. A contact arrangement comprising:

a first insulating layer having a first side and a second side, the insulating layer defining at least one via extending from the first side of the first insulating layer to the second side of the first insulating layer;

a plurality of elongated conductive members, each elongated conductive member defining a mounting section and a contact section, the mounting section of each elongated conductive member having a first side and a second side, the first side of each mounting section being coupled to the first side of the first insulating layer to couple together the conductive members;

a plurality of tracings extending over the second side of the first insulating layer, the tracings also extending through the via to electrically connect the first side of the first insulating layer to the second side of the first insulating layer;

a storage device mounted to the second side of the first insulating layer, the storage device being electrically connected to the elongated conductive members through the tracings; and

contact surfaces defined on the contact sections of the elongated conductive members.

17. The contact arrangement of claim 16, further comprising a second insulating layer coupled to the second side of the mounting section of each elongated conductive member.

18. The contact arrangement of claim 16, wherein the contact sections of the elongated conductive members define springs.

19. The contact arrangement of claim 16, wherein the contact sections of the elongated conductive members define a rigid configuration.

20. The contact arrangement of claim 19, wherein the contact sections of the elongated conductive members define a French Roll configuration.

21. A plug connector comprising:

a plug body including main contacts terminating conductors of an electrical cable, the plug body also defining a cavity configured to receive a reinforcing member;

a plurality of elongated conductive members seated on the reinforcing member, each of the elongated conductive members including a mounting section and a contact section, the contact sections of the conductive members forming secondary contacts for the plug body, the secondary contacts being electrically isolated from the electrical cable;

a first polymer layer formed over mounting surfaces of the conductive members;

a storage device mounted to the first polymer layer at a side opposite from the conductive members, the storage device being configured to fit within a cavity defined by the reinforcing member when the conductive members are seated on the reinforcing member; and

a plurality of conductive tracing extending through the first polymer layer to connect the elongated conductive members to the storage device.