Communications Jacks Having Flexible Printed Circuit Boards With Low-Coupling Jackwire Contacts Mounted Thereon

• US 20140073197A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,961,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/676
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6461 Means for preventing cross-talk
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6464 by adding capacitive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6466 on substrates, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6467 by cross-over of signal conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6469 on substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/00 Two-part coupling devices, or either of their cooperating parts, characterised by their overall structure contact members H01R13/02; securing contact members in or to a base or case or insulating of contact members H01R13/40; bases or cases H01R13/46; means for supporting coupling part when not engaged H01R13/60; means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement H01R13/62; means for preventing, inhibiting or avoiding incorrect coupling H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0228 Compensation of cross-talk by a mutually correlated lay-out of printed circuit traces, e.g. for compensation of cross-talk in mounted connectors balanced signal pairs H05K1/0245
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0239 Signal transmission by AC coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Communications jacks include at least first through third jackwire contacts and a flexible substrate that has a first finger and a second finger. The first jackwire contact and the third jackwire contact are each mounted on the first finger and the second jackwire contact is mounted on the second finger.

Claims

1. A communications jack, comprising:

a first jackwire contact;

a second jackwire contact;

a third jackwire contact; and

a flexible substrate that has a first finger and a second finger, wherein the first jackwire contact and the third jackwire contact are each configured to electrically connect to respective first and third conductive structures on the first finger and the second jackwire contact is configured to electrically connect to a second conductive structure on the second finger.

2. The communications jack of claim 1, wherein the first and third conductive structures are respective first and third metal-plated apertures that extend through the first finger, wherein the second conductive structure is a second metal-plated aperture that extends through the second finger, and wherein the first, second and third jackwire contacts are mounted in the respective first, second and third metal-plated apertures.

3. The communications jack of claim 1, wherein the first and third conductive structures are respective first and third contact pads that are located on the first finger, wherein the second conductive structure is a second contact pad that is located on the second finger, and wherein the first, second and third jackwire contacts are configured to engage the respective first, second and third contact pads when a mating plug is received within a plug aperture of the communications jack.

4. The communications jack of claim 2, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

5. The communications jack of claim 4, wherein the first jackwire contact and the third jackwire contact are substantially aligned in a first row, and wherein the second jackwire contact is substantially aligned with at least one additional jackwire contact in a second row that is offset from the first row.

6. The communications jack of claim 4, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a first conductive trace that is electrically connected to the first jackwire contact, a second conductive trace that is electrically connected to the second jackwire contact, and a third conductive trace that is electrically connected to the third jackwire contact, wherein the first conductive trace crosses under the second jackwire contact.

7. The communications jack of claim 1, wherein the first through third jackwire contacts are substantially rigid jackwire contacts.

8. The communications jack of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that includes a plug aperture; and

an inductive crosstalk compensation circuit that is located on a portion of the flexible substrate that moves when a mating plug is received within the plug aperture.

9. The communications jack of claim 2, further comprising a first dielectric contact carrier, a second dielectric contact carrier and a third dielectric contact carrier, wherein the first jackwire contact is mounted in the first dielectric contact carrier through the first finger, the second jackwire contact is mounted in the second dielectric contact carrier through the second finger, and the third jackwire contact is mounted in the third dielectric contact carrier through the first finger.

10. The communications jack of claim 9, further comprising a spring, wherein at least the first dielectric contact carrier is interposed between the first jackwire contact and the spring so that the spring spring-biases the first jackwire contact.

11. The communications jack of claim 10, wherein the spring is electrically isolated from the first jackwire contact.

12. The communications jack of claim 1, wherein a first end of the first jackwire contact and a first end of the third jackwire contact are each mounted on the first finger and a first end of the second jackwire contact is mounted on the second finger, and wherein a second end of the first jackwire contact is mounted on a third finger of the flexible substrate, and a second end of the second jackwire contact is mounted on a fourth finger of the flexible substrate.

13. The communications jack of claim 12, wherein a slot in the flexible substrate separates the first and second fingers from the third, fourth and fifth fingers.

14. The communications jack of claim 9, wherein each of the first, second and third dielectric contact carriers is configured so that it may move a different amount than other of the first through third dielectric contact carriers in response to a plug being inserted into a plug aperture in a housing of the communications jack.

15. A communications jack, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate; and

a plurality of jackwire contacts, wherein a first end of each jackwire contact is mounted in the first substrate and the second end of each jackwire contact is electrically connected to the second substrate;

wherein at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate comprises a flexible printed circuit board, and

wherein the flexible printed circuit board is configured to move in response to movement of the jackwire contacts.

16. The communications jack of claim 15, wherein the second end of each jackwire contact is mounted in a respective one of a plurality of conductive vias in the second substrate.

17. The communications jack of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is a front portion of the flexible printed circuit board and the second substrate is a back portion of the flexible printed circuit board.

18. The communications jack of claim 17, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a slot that extends under a middle portion of each of the plurality of jackwire contacts.

19. The communications jack of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is the flexible printed circuit board and the second substrate is different type of mounting substrate.

20. The communications jack of claim 15, wherein a first subset of the plurality of jackwire contacts is substantially aligned in a first row and a second subset of the plurality of jackwire contacts is substantially aligned in a second row that is offset from the first row.

21. The communications jack of claim 16, wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a plurality of fingers, and wherein at least one end of each of the jackwire contacts is mounted on one of the plurality of fingers.

22. The communications jack of claim 21, further comprising a capacitive crosstalk compensation circuit that is on the flexible printed circuit board and connected to a non-signal current carrying end of a first of the plurality of jackwire contacts, and an inductive crosstalk compensation circuit that is on the flexible printed circuit board and connected to a signal current carrying end of the first of the plurality of jackwire contacts that is opposite the non-signal current carrying end.

23. The communications jack of claim 22 wherein a signal carrying end of a second of the plurality of jackwire contacts is on the same finger of the flexible printed circuit board as is the signal carrying end of the first of the plurality of jackwire contacts.

24. The communications jack of claim 16, wherein the communications jack is an RJ-45 jack, and wherein the plurality of jackwire contacts comprises eight contacts that are arranged as four differential pairs of contacts.

25. The communications jack of claim 16, further comprising an inductive crosstalk compensation circuit that is located on a portion of the flexible printed circuit board that moves when a mating plug is received within the communications jack.

26-45. -45. (canceled)