Surface mounted modular jack with integrated magnetics and LEDS

• US 6,116,946 A
• Filed: 07/27/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRP Connector B.V.
• Original Assignee: Transpower Technologies Inc (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Lewis, Daniel Raymond, Egan, Chester Charles Jr., Lappin, Robert James
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US09/123,223
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 439/490, 439/676, 439/79, 439/80
• US Class Current: 439/490
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6633 with inductive component, e.g. transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6641 with diode with LED H01R13/7175
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45

Abstract

Telecommunications within networks are greatly facilitated by a modular telecommunication jack having LEDs and circuit board magnetics as an integral part. The modular jack of this invention can be easily surface mounted on a mother board. This invention also discloses a method of making su ch modular jacks.

Claims

1. A modular telecommunication jack comprising:

a body member having;

a bottom member having a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, a first side and a second side, a central barrier, and including disposed within a dual-lead frame having a first plurality of contact electrodes extending sidewardly from the first side, and a second plurality of contact electrodes extending sidewardly from the second side, a third plurality of contact electrodes extending rearwardly, the bottom member defining a plurality of fitting receiving apertures and a first LED receiving slot having at least one of the first plurality of contact electrodes disposed therein and a second LED receiving slot having at least one of the second plurality of contact electrodes disposed therein, the first LED receiving slot and the second LED receiving slot defined in the bottom;

a top member having a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, a central barrier, and defining a central hollowed portion, and including a plurality of fitting receiving pegs received by the plurality of fitting receiving apertures;

a contact insert placed into and received by the central hollowed portion such that a plurality of bent contact leads extends downwardly from the top member and a fourth plurality of contact electrodes extends rearwardly from the top member in substantially parallel orientation to the third plurality of contact electrodes;

a printed circuit board connected to the bottom member by the third plurality of contact electrodes and connected to the contact insert by the fourth plurality of contact electrodes, the third plurality of contact electrodes and the fourth plurality of contact electrodes being oriented substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the circuit board, the circuit board having means to magnetically treat a signal, the signal having a first path of being received from the contact insert, being treated by the magnetic means on the circuit board, being received by the third plurality of contact electrodes and redirected to the first plurality of contact electrodes to a motherboard, and a second path being received by the second plurality of contact electrodes and being redirected to the third plurality of contact electrodes, being treated by the magnetic means on the circuit board, being received by the contact insert;

a rear cover member covering the circuit board and connected to the top member and the bottom member;

a first LED disposed in the first LED receiving slot and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of contact electrodes; and

a second LED disposed in the second LED receiving slot and electrically connected to at least one of the second pluurality of contact electrodes.

2. The modular telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein the body member includes a metal housing.

3. The modular telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein the first LED and the second LED are mounted to be seen from a front surface of the jack when the jack is mounted on the motherboard.

4. The telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein the jack is surface mountable onto the motherboard.

5. The telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein a first solder used for connecting components to the circuit board, and for connecting the circuit board to the third and fourth pluralities of contact electrodes has a higher melting temperature than a second solder used for connecting the finished jack to the motherboard.

6. The telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein the top member is press fit into the bottom member.

7. The telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein a first interstitial space between the circuit board and a barrier formed by the central barrier of the top member and the central barrier of the bottom member when the top member and the bottom member are mated is filled with inert material.

8. The telecommunications jack of claim 7 wherein the inert material is epoxy.

9. The telecommunications jack of claim 1 wherein a second interstitial space formed between the circuit board and the rear cover member is filled with inert material.

10. The telecommunications jack of claim 9 wherein the inert material is epoxy.