Stacked electrical connector with visual indicators
First Claim
1. An electrical connector which is matable with a compatible connector, the electrical connector comprising:
- a plurality of terminals positioned in a nonconductive housing, the housing having a mating face configured to mate with the compatible connector, an indicator located on the mating face, a passage extending rearwardly from the mating face, indicator leads extending from the indicator through the passage, the housing having a mounting face and channel means which open through the mounting face, the channel means extending in a direction transverse to the passage and intersecting the passage, contacts positioned in the channel means and extending to the mounting face, each of the contacts being electrically terminated to one of the indicator leads, each of the contacts having a split beam contact section including a slot which is open in the transverse direction whereby, during insertion of the contacts into the channel means in the transverse direction, the indicator leads which are disposed in the passage are received in the slots of the split beam contact sections and are electrically terminated to the contacts.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A stacked electrical connector 2 including right angle RJ-45 modular jacks 4 positioned in columns also includes LED'"'"'s 38 positioned on the front mating face 18 of the connector 2. Internal passages 28 extend from the mating face 18 of the jack housing 18 and intersect channels 34 extending to the bottom pcb mounting face 22 where the connector 2 and jacks 4 are soldered to a printed circuit board. LED leads 42 are located in the passages 28 and contacts 44 are located in channels 34. Insulation displacement slots 48 at the top of the contacts 44 terminate the leads 42. The termination points are staggered and the leads 42 in a column are of different lengths so that contacts 44 of different lengths can engage corresponding leads 42. LED'"'"'s 38 can thus be positioned beside mating openings 20 on the front of the connector 2 to provide status indications.
168 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrical connector which is matable with a compatible connector, the electrical connector comprising:
a plurality of terminals positioned in a nonconductive housing, the housing having a mating face configured to mate with the compatible connector, an indicator located on the mating face, a passage extending rearwardly from the mating face, indicator leads extending from the indicator through the passage, the housing having a mounting face and channel means which open through the mounting face, the channel means extending in a direction transverse to the passage and intersecting the passage, contacts positioned in the channel means and extending to the mounting face, each of the contacts being electrically terminated to one of the indicator leads, each of the contacts having a split beam contact section including a slot which is open in the transverse direction whereby, during insertion of the contacts into the channel means in the transverse direction, the indicator leads which are disposed in the passage are received in the slots of the split beam contact sections and are electrically terminated to the contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A stacked electrical connector comprising;
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multiple female electrical connectors located in a nonconductive housing, each said female electrical connector having a mating opening on a mating face of the nonconductive housing for receiving a corresponding male electrical connector therein; indicators positioned adjacent to respective ones of the mating openings, each of the indicators having leads extending through a respective passage in the nonconductive housing, each said passage penetrating the housing from the mating face; channel means penetrating the nonconductive housing from a second face of the nonconductive housing and intersecting each said passage; and contacts located in the channel means and forming an electrical connection with the indicator leads at the intersections of the passages and the channel means, wherein the intersections between the indicator leads and the contacts are staggered, and the contacts extend to the second face of the nonconductive housing for external electrical termination. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A printed circuit board jack matable with a plug, the jack comprising:
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a plurality of terminals positioned within a nonconductive housing, each said terminal having a mating end located adjacent to a mating face of the housing, the housing including a passage extending from the mating face and a channel intersecting the passage and opening on a printed circuit board face of the housing; an indicator positioned on the mating face, the indicator having two indicator leads extending through the passage, the leads intersecting the channel, one of the leads being shorter than the other of the leads; and printed circuit board contacts extending through the channel and contacting the indicator leads at the intersection of the passage and the channel so that the indicator leads can be connected to printed circuit board traces, wherein the contact which is connected to the shorter lead is positioned in front of the contact which is connected to the relatively longer lead. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification