Anti-snag duplex connector
First Claim
1. A duplex connector comprising a pair of simplex connectors joined by a duplex clip, each simplex connector comprising a generally rectangular housing having:
- (i) a plug end for insertion into a mating receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving a cable containing a transmission medium, and (iii) top-, bottom-, left-, and right-side surfaces;
said duplex clip comprising a first planar structure having one or more pins which extend in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the first planar structure, said left- and right-side surfaces including one or more pin-receiving holes therein for interconnection with the duplex clip,CHARACTERIZED IN THAT;
each housing further includes a latch mounted on its top-side surface for securing it to a receptacle, said latch being movable toward the bottom-side surface of the housing; and
the duplex connector further includes at least one cantilever member for slidably engaging the latch to release the housing from the mating receptacle, said cantilever member forming an acute angle with the top-side surface of the housing that points in a direction away from the plug end of the housing toward the cable-entrance thereof.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A duplex connector 300 is constructed by joining together a pair of simplex connectors 10 --10 using one or more plastic clips 210. Each simplex connector includes a latch 120 for interlocking it with a jack receptacle 40, and each simplex connector includes a pair of pin-receiving holes 103-104, 163-164 on its opposite side surfaces. Each clip includes a first planar structure 211 having a pair of cylindrical pins 203-204, 263-264, having different diameters, in each of two different regions that are press-fit into the pair of simplex connectors. In one configuration, a single clip 210 is used to join the pair of simplex connectors together, side-by-side, to form a horizontally stacked duplex connector 300. In this configuration, a second planar structure 212 is pivotally attached to the top edge 214 of the first structure to prevent snagging, and to enable the user to manually deflect both latches 120--120 simultaneously. In another configuration, a pair of clips 510--510 are used to join the simplex connectors together, one on top of the other, to form a vertically stacked duplex connector 500. In this configuration, the anti-snag feature is provided by cantilever triggers 130--130 that are mounted on each simplex connector adjacent to the latches.
273 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A duplex connector comprising a pair of simplex connectors joined by a duplex clip, each simplex connector comprising a generally rectangular housing having:
- (i) a plug end for insertion into a mating receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving a cable containing a transmission medium, and (iii) top-, bottom-, left-, and right-side surfaces;
said duplex clip comprising a first planar structure having one or more pins which extend in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the first planar structure, said left- and right-side surfaces including one or more pin-receiving holes therein for interconnection with the duplex clip,CHARACTERIZED IN THAT; each housing further includes a latch mounted on its top-side surface for securing it to a receptacle, said latch being movable toward the bottom-side surface of the housing; and the duplex connector further includes at least one cantilever member for slidably engaging the latch to release the housing from the mating receptacle, said cantilever member forming an acute angle with the top-side surface of the housing that points in a direction away from the plug end of the housing toward the cable-entrance thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- (i) a plug end for insertion into a mating receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving a cable containing a transmission medium, and (iii) top-, bottom-, left-, and right-side surfaces;
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8. A duplex connector comprising a pair of simplex connectors joined by a pair of clips, each simplex connector comprising a generally rectangular housing having:
- (i) a plug end for insertion into a mating receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving a cable containing a transmission medium, and (iii) top-, bottom-, left-,and right-side surfaces, the left- and right-side surfaces including one or more pin-receiving holes therein for interconnection with the clips;
each clip comprising a generally planar structure having a plurality of pins on an inside surface thereof, said pins extending in a direction that is perpendicular to the clip,CHARACTERIZED IN THAT; each simplex connector includes a cantilever latch mounted on its top side surface for securing it to a receptacle, said latch being movable toward its bottom-side surface; each simplex connector further includes a cantilever trigger, mounted on its top-side surface, for slidably engaging the latch to release the housing from the receptacle, the cantilever trigger forming an acute angle with the top-side surface that points in a direction away from the plug end of the housing toward the cable-entrance end of the housing; and the simplex connectors are joined together along their bottom-side surfaces so that the cantilever triggers and latches are on opposite sides of the duplex connector. - View Dependent Claims (9)
- (i) a plug end for insertion into a mating receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving a cable containing a transmission medium, and (iii) top-, bottom-, left-,and right-side surfaces, the left- and right-side surfaces including one or more pin-receiving holes therein for interconnection with the clips;
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10. In combination, a pair of simplex connectors joined by a duplex clip:
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each simplex connector terminating a transmission medium and comprising a generally rectangular housing which includes;
(i) a plug end for insertion into a receptacle, (ii) a cable-entrance end for receiving the transmission medium, (iii) top-, bottom-, left-, and right-side surfaces, the left- and right-side surfaces including one or more pin-receiving holes therein for interconnection with the duplex clip, and (iv) a latching member mounted on the top-side surface for securing the housing to a receptacle;the duplex clip comprising a first planar structure having one or more pins for for interconnection with the pin-receiving holes of the simplex connectors; and means for slidably engaging the latching members to release each of the housings from the receptacle and for precluding the latching members from snagging other wires and cables when the simplex connectors are pulled by their transmission media. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A duplex connector comprising a pair of spaced-apart optical plugs at its front-end that are adapted to fit into a pair of adjacent cavities in a jack receptacle, the optical plugs being spaced apart from each other by a separator;
- each plug comprising a fiber-holding structure enclosed within a plastic housing having a latching tab molded into its exterior surface for interlocking the plug with the jack receptacle, said latching tab comprising a cantilever whose fixed end is positioned toward the front-end of the duplex connector and whose free end is positioned toward a back end of the duplex connector, said duplex connector further comprising at least one release member for engaging the latching tabs to release the optical plugs from the jack receptacle, said release member comprising a cantilever whose fixed end is positioned toward the back end of the duplex connector and whose free end is positioned toward the front end of the duplex connector.
- View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
Specification