Low crosstalk modular communication connector

• US 6,371,793 B1
• Filed: 08/24/1998
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panduit Corporation
• Inventors: Doorhy, Michael, Stroede, Andrew J., Vanderhoof, Russell A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US09/138,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 439/676, 439/941, 439/404, 439/405
• US Class Current: 439/404
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6466 on substrates, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6469 on substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/031 for multiphase cables, e.g. with contact members penetrating insulation of a plurality of conductors insulation penetrating contact members in general H01R4/24
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/941 Crosstalk suppression

Abstract

A modular communications connector includes a housing defining a plug receiving opening, a conductor carrying sled including a printed circuit board designed in conjunction with the conductors to improve crosstalk performance. The connector includes a wire containment fixture arrangement allows for simplified field termination of the modular connector. The connector is assembled by loading the contacts and printed circuit board onto the sled, which is snap fit into the housing. Then, wires are positioned through the wire containment fixture and the fixture is slidably engaged with the sled at a first position and slid along the sled to a second position where the wires are terminated with IDCs mounted on the sled. The connector preferably includes first and second pluralities of conductors, with the second plurality each having IDC portions arranged in first and second rows of four IDCs. The top and bottom IDC portion at each end of the rows terminates an associated wire pair and the two internal IDC portions of each row terminates an associated wire pair. The connector also preferably includes a printed circuit board that is engageable with both the first and second plurality of conductors. The printed circuit board has at least three layers, with a pair of outer layers containing traces that complete an electrical path between the IDCs of the second plurality of conductors and a corresponding first end portion of the first plurality of conductors. One or more capacitors are provided on an inner layer of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A modular communications connector, comprising:

a housing defining a plug receiving opening;

a conductor carrying sled supporting a plurality of conductors each including an insulation displacement contact (IDC) portion having at least a pair of tines disposed extending rearwardly in a direction generally parallel to an axis of entry of the plug receiving opening; and

a wire containment fixture having means for positioning wires with respect to the IDC portions, and being engageable to the sled, wherein after engagement with the sled at a first position on the sled, the fixture is slidably movable along a portion of the sled from the first position to a second position along the portion of the sled where wires contained in said wire containment fixture terminate with corresponding IDC portions.

2. The modular communications connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixture includes a pair of engagement walls each including a pair of inwardly disposed flanges forming guide slots for cooperating with a pair of guide rails respectively formed on the sled.

3. The modular communications connector according to claim 1, wherein the sled further supports a printed circuit board (PCB) having means for reducing crosstalk interference between associated pairs of the conductors.

4. The modular communications connector according to claim 3, wherein the printed circuit board includes at least three layers with the outer layers containing a plurality of traces that interconnect a first and second plurality of conductors, and capacitors formed on an inner layer of the PCB that affect crosstalk performance of the connector.

5. The modular communications connector according to claim 1, wherein the sled upon engagement with the housing positions a plurality of resilient contact portions within the plug receiving opening.

6. The modular communications connector according to claim 1, wherein the fixture includes a cable receiving aperture extending through said fixture in a direction generally parallel to the tines of the IDC.

8. The modular communications connector according to claim 6, wherein the means for positioning wires includes a plurality of vertically aligned wire slots disposed at a front end of the fixture.

9. The modular communications connector according to claim 6, wherein the IDC portions include at least a pair of tines disposed extending rearwardly in a direction generally parallel to an axis of entry of the plug receiving opening.

10. The modular communications connector according to claim 6, wherein the PCB includes means for reducing the crosstalk effect on the conductors.

11. The modular communications connector according to claim 6, wherein the PCB further comprises four layers with a top and a bottom layer including traces interconnecting the first and second plurality of conductors.

12. The modular communications connector according to claim 11, wherein a pair of inner layers include capacitors for reducing the crosstalk effect on the conductors.

7. A modular communications connector, comprising:

a housing defining a plug receiving opening at a first end;

a sled supporting a printed circuit board engageable with the housing;

a first plurality of conductors each having a resilient contact portion at a first end situated within the plug receiving opening and a second end adapted to be connected to the printed circuit board (PCB);

a second plurality of conductors each having a first end adapted to be connected with the PCB and an insulation displacement contact (IDC) portion at a second end; and

a wire containment fixture having means for positioning wires with respect to the IDC portions and being engageable to the sled, wherein after engagement with the sled at a first position on the sled, the fixture is slidably moveable along a portion of the sled from the first position to a second position along the portion of the sled where wires contained in said wire containment fixture terminate with corresponding IDC portions.

13. The modular communications connector according to claim 7, wherein the fixture includes a cable receiving aperture extending through said fixture in a direction generally parallel to the tines of the IDC.

14. A modular communications connector including a housing defining a plug receiving opening having therein a first plurality of conductors each having a portion arranged in accordance with a standard telephone wiring configuration, the connector further comprising:

a second plurality of conductors each having insulation displacement contact (IDC) portions at a first end that terminate pairs of wires of a communication cable and a second end interconnected to a corresponding one of the first plurality of conductors, wherein the IDC portions are arranged in an upper and a lower row of four IDC portions each such that the top and bottom IDC portion at each end of the rows terminates an associated wire pair and the two internal IDC portions of each row terminating an associated wire pair wherein the IDC portions include at least a pair of tines disposed extending rearwardly in a direction generally parallel to an axis of entry of the plug receiving opening said connector further including a conductor carrying sled and a wire containment fixture, wherein the wire containment fixture includes means for positioning wires with respect to the IDC portions, said fixture being engageable to and slidably movable along a portion of the conductor carrying sled.

15. A modular communications connector including a housing defining a plug receiving opening having a first plurality of conductors each having a first end portion arranged in accordance with a standard telephone wiring configuration and a second portion adapted to be connected to a printed circuit board, and a second plurality of conductors having insulation displacement contact (IDC) portions that terminate wires of a communication cable and a second portion adapted to be connected to a printed circuit board, comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) engageable with both the first and second plurality of conductors having at least three layers with a pair of outer layers containing a plurality of traces that interconnect individual ones of the first plurality of conductors with a corresponding one of the second plurality of conductors to complete an electrical signal path between the IDC of the corresponding one second plurality of conductors and the first end portion of the corresponding one of the first plurality of conductors; and

capacitors formed on an inner layer of the PCB for affecting crosstalk performance of the connector.

16. The modular communications connector according to claim 15, wherein the PCB includes two inner layers both having capacitors formed thereon.

17. The modular communications connector according to claim 16, wherein the two inner layers are identical.