Selectable make-brake ground connector, cable and/or system

• US 6,566,767 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peavey Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Peavey Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Tardo, Timothy Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): DeBeradinis, Robert L
• Application Number:
  US09/758,711
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 307/89, 307/85, 381/77, 381/124, 200/51.03, 200/51.05, 200/51.11
• US Class Current: 307/89
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6471 by special arrangement of ground and signal conductors, e.g. GSGS [Ground-Signal-Ground-Signal]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/648 Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices , e.g. anti-static shielding coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6595 with separate members fixing the shield to the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7031 Shorting, shunting or bussing of different terminals interrupted or effected on engagement of coupling part, e.g. for ESD protection, line continuity
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors

Abstract

A signal cable includes a first connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to a first mating connector of a first piece of electronic equipment; a second connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to a second mating connector of a second piece of electronic equipment; at least one signal wire and a ground wire electrically connecting the respective at least one signal leads and the respective ground leads of the first and second connectors; and at least one switch disposed with at least one of the first and second connectors, the at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts coupled between the ground lead and the ground wire of the at least one of the first and second connectors such that an electrical path between the ground leads of the first and second connectors may be selectively opened and closed.

Claims

1. A signal cable, comprising:

a first connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to a first mating connector of a first piece of electronic equipment;

a second connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to a second mating connector of a second piece of electronic equipment;

at least one signal wire and a ground wire electrically connecting the respective at least one signal leads and the respective ground leads of the first and second connectors; and

at least one switch disposed with at least one of the first and second connectors, the at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts coupled between the ground lead and the ground wire of the at least one of the first and second connectors such that an electrical path between the ground leads of the first and second connectors may be selectively opened and closed.

2. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second mating connectors of the first and second pieces of electronic equipment each include at least one mating signal lead and a mating ground lead for connection to the respective at least one signal lead and ground lead of one of the first and second connectors;

the mating ground leads are electrically connected to respective earth grounds of the first and second pieces of electronic equipment; and

the at least one switch is operable to selectively open and close an electrical path between the earth grounds of the first and second pieces of electronic equipment.

3. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein one such switch is disposed with one of the first and second connectors such that the electrical path between the ground leads of the first and second connectors may be selectively opened and closed.

4. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein the ground wire is a shield for the at least one signal wire.

5. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein the first connector includes first and second signal leads;

the second connector includes first and second signal leads; and

first and second signal wires electrically connect the respective first and second signal leads.

6. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors each include a shell and the ground leads are electrically connected to the respective shells.

7. The signal cable of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors are taken from the group consisting of XLR connectors, RCA connectors, BNC connectors, TNC connectors, ⅛

inch connectors, and ¼

inch connectors.

8. A connector operable to couple to a mating connector of a piece of electronic equipment, comprising:

at least one signal lead and a ground lead operable to electrically connect to at least one signal wire and a ground wire, respectively, of a cable; and

at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts, one of the make/break contacts being electrically connected to the ground lead and the other make/break contact being operable to electrically connect to the ground wire of the cable such that an electrical path between the ground lead and the ground wire may be selectively opened and closed.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein:

the mating connector of the piece of electronic equipment includes at least one mating signal lead and a mating ground lead for connection to the respective at least one signal lead and ground lead;

the mating ground lead is electrically connected to an earth ground of the piece of electronic equipment; and

the at least one switch is operable to selectively open and close an electrical path between the earth ground of the piece of electronic equipment and the ground wire of the cable.

10. The connector of claim 8, wherein the ground wire is a shield for the first and second signal wires.

11. The connector of claim 8, wherein the connector includes a shell and the ground lead is electrically connected to the shell.

12. The connector of claim 8, wherein the connector includes first and second signal leads operable to electrically connect to first and second signal wires of the cable.

13. The connector of claim 8, wherein the connector is taken from the group consisting of an XLR connector, an RCA connector, a BNC connector, a TNC connector, an ⅛

inch connector, and a ¼

inch connector.

14. A system, comprising:

a first piece of electronic equipment having a first mating connector that includes at least one mating signal lead and a mating ground lead, the ground lead being electrically connected to an earth ground of the first piece of electronic equipment;

a second piece of electronic equipment having a second mating connector that includes at least one mating signal lead and a mating ground lead, the ground lead being electrically connected to an earth ground of the second piece of electronic equipment; and

a signal cable including;

a first connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to the first mating connector of the first piece of electronic equipment;

a second connector having at least one signal lead and a ground lead, and being operable to couple to the second mating connector of the second piece of electronic equipment;

at least one signal wire and a ground wire electrically connecting the respective at least one signal leads and the respective ground leads of the first and second connectors; and

at least one switch disposed with at least one of the first and second connectors, the at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts coupled between the ground lead and the ground wire of the at least one of the first and second connectors such that an electrical path between the earth grounds of the first and second pieces of electronic equipment may be selectively opened and closed.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one such switch is disposed with one of the first and second connectors such that the electrical path between the ground leads of the first and second connectors may be selectively opened and closed.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the ground wire is a shield for the at least one signal wire.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first connector includes first and second signal leads;

the second connector includes first and second signal leads; and

first and second signal wires electrically connect the respective first and second signal leads.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second connectors each include a shell and the ground leads are electrically connected to the respective shells.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second connectors are taken from the group consisting of XLR connectors, RCA connectors, BNC connectors, TNC connectors, ⅛

inch connectors, and ¼

inch connectors.

20. A connector operable to couple between a mating connector of a piece of electronic equipment and a mating connector of a cable, comprising:

a first end having at least one signal lead and a ground lead operable to electrically connect to at least one mating signal lead and a mating ground lead, respectively, of the mating connector of the piece of electronic equipment;

a second end having at least one signal lead and a ground lead operable to electrically connect to at least one signal wire and a ground wire, respectively, of the mating connector of the cable; and

at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts, one of the make/break contacts being electrically connected to the ground lead of the first end and the other make/break contact being operable to electrically connect to the ground lead of the second end such that an electrical path between the ground leads may be selectively opened and closed.

21. The connector of claim 20, wherein:

the mating ground lead of the piece of electronic equipment is electrically connected to an earth ground of the piece of electronic equipment; and

the at least one switch is operable to selectively open and close an electrical path between the earth ground of the piece of electronic equipment and the ground wire of the cable.

22. The connector of claim 20, wherein the first end of the connector includes first and second signal leads operable to electrically connect to mating first and second signal leads of the piece of electronic equipment and the second end of the connector includes first and second signal leads operable to electrically connect to first and second signal wires of the mating connector of the cable.

23. The connector of claim 20, wherein the connector is taken from the group consisting of an XLR connector, an RCA connector, a BNC connector, a TNC connector, an ⅛

inch connector, and a ¼

inch connector.

24. A connector operable to couple to a mating connector of a piece of electronic equipment, comprising:

at least one signal lead and a ground lead operable to electrically connect to at least one signal wire and a ground wire, respectively, of a cable; and

at least one switch having selectable make/break contacts, one of the make/break contacts being electrically connected to the ground lead and the other make/break contact being operable to electrically connect to the ground wire of the cable such that an electrical path between the ground lead and the ground wire may be selectively opened and closed, without affecting any connections between the at least one signal wire and the respective at least one signal lead.