Modular electrical connector with enhanced jack interface

• US 7,618,262 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Fogg, Michael Warren, Henry, Randall Robert, Trea, Robert Charles, Phillips, Michael John, D'Ambrosia, John Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US11/869,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 439/65, 439/638, 439/11, 439/218, 439/640
• US Class Current: 439/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6594 the shield being mounted on a PCB and connected to conductive members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2429 mounted in an insulating base

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a contact sub-assembly having a plurality of contacts arranged on a contact support member. The contact support member has a pair of opposed support walls extending from a base to a mating end, and the support walls are separated by a gap that extends from the mating end toward the base. The contacts extend at least partially along the support walls between the mating end and the base, wherein a first set of the contacts are provided on one of the support walls and a second set of the contacts are provided on the other of the support walls. The contacts are exposed to the gap for connection with a mating connector received within the gap. The electrical connector also includes a housing having a cavity configured to receive the mating connector, wherein the contact sub-assembly is received within the cavity for mating with the mating connector.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a contact sub-assembly having a plurality of contacts arranged on a contact support member, the contacts have a mating end and a termination end with the mating end being configured to engage the mating connector and with the termination end being configured to be terminated to one of a circuit board and a wire, the contact support member having a pair of opposed support walls extending from a base end to a mating end, the support walls being separated by a gap that extends from the mating end toward the base end, the contacts extend at least partially along the support walls between the mating end and the base end, wherein a first set of the contacts are provided on one of the support walls and a second set of the contacts are provided on the other of the support walls, the contacts arc exposed to the gap for connection with the mating connector received within the gap; and

a housing having a cavity, wherein the contact sub-assembly is received within the cavity such that a gap is created between the contact sub-assembly and the housing, the housing is configured to receive the mating connector within the gap such that a perimeter of the contact support member is surrounded by the mating connector at least along a portion of a length of the support walls.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cavity concentrically surrounds the support walls from the base ends to the mating ends.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is configured to be co-nested with the mating connector, wherein the housing surrounds a perimeter of the mating connector and the mating connector surrounds a perimeter of the contact support member along a mating axis.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contact support member completely encloses the gap separating the support walls.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein is coupled to a circuit board, the contacts being terminated to the circuit board such that the first set of contacts are terminated to a first side of the circuit board and the second set of contacts are terminated to a second side of the circuit board.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contact sub-assembly is further configured to be terminated to one of a circuit board and a second mating connector.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contacts are arranged as differential pairs, a first differential pair and a second differential pair are arranged on a first of the support walls and a third differential pair and a fourth differential pair are arranged on a second of the support walls.

8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contacts are arranged as differential pairs, at least one of the differential pairs include a cross-over section for controlling an electrical interaction with an adjacent one of the differential pairs.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contact support member includes at least one end wall extending between the support walls from the base ends to the mating ends.

10. The connector of claim 1, wherein the housing has inner walls defining the cavity, each support wall being spaced apart from the inner walls of the housing.

11. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing and a plurality of contact sub-assemblies coupled to the housing;

wherein the housing includes a mating end and a terminating end, the housing has a plurality of cavities that receive respective ones of the contact sub-assemblies therein, and the cavities arc configured to receive mating connectors through the mating end of the housing for interconnection with the contact sub-assemblies; and

wherein each contact sub-assembly includes a base, a contact support member and a plurality of contacts, the base is coupled to the terminating end of the housing and is configured for mounting to a mating component, the contact support member extends from the base and has a pair of opposed, axially extending, support walls that are separated by a gap, each support wall includes an inner surface facing the gap, the contacts are arranged on the inner surfaces of respective ones of the support walls.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the base comprises a circuit board, the contacts are terminated to the circuit board.

13. The connector of claim 11, wherein the contact sub-assembly further includes a header assembly coupled to the base, the header assembly is configured to be mounted to the mating component.

14. The connector of claim 11, wherein the mating component is one of a circuit board and a cable, wherein the base includes mounting contacts configured to electrically and mechanically connect to one of the circuit board and the cable.

15. The connector of claim 11, wherein the cavities are arranged in at least one of a common row and a common column.

16. The connector of claim 11, wherein the housing includes a dielectric body defining the cavities and a cover surrounding a majority of the body and defining an electromagnetic interference shield.

17. The connector of claim II, wherein the cavities are arranged in a stacked configuration, and wherein the bases of at least two contact sub-assemblies define a common base represented by a circuit board configured to be mounted to the mating component, the contact support members of the contact sub-assemblies are each coupled to the circuit board.

18. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a first mating end and a second mating end, the first mating end having a cavity configured to receive a first mating connector, the second mating end having mating contacts for engaging a second mating connector; and

a contact sub-assembly at least partially received within the cavity for mating with the first mating connector, the contact sub-assembly includes a base, a contact support member and a plurality of contacts, the contact support member extends from the base and is at least partially received within the cavity, the contact support member has a pair of opposed, axially extending, support walls that are separated by a gap, each support wall includes an inner surface facing the gap, wherein the contacts are arranged on the inner surfaces of respective ones of the support walls for engagement with the first mating connector, and wherein the contacts are terminated to the base and electrically connected to the mating contacts at the second mating end of the housing by the base;

wherein the housing and contact sub-assembly define an adapter having a first mating interface at the first mating end configured to mate with the first mating connector of a wiring system of a first type, and the adapter has a second mating interface at the second mating end configured to mate with the second mating connector of a wiring system of a second type, different from the first type of wiring system.

19. The connector of claim 18, wherein the contacts of the contact sub- assembly are arranged in a first pattern having substantially parallel contact axes arranged in two different parallel planes, and wherein the mating contacts at the second mating end have a different pattern from the first pattern.

20. The connector of claim 18, wherein the second mating interface defines one of a modular plug and a modular jack having the mating contacts arranged in a single row.