Preventing damage to RJ jacks from improper plug insertion

• US 20050153580A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bel Fuse Incorporated (Bel Connector Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bel Fuse Incorporated (Bel Connector Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schilling, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,125,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/73
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/642 by position or shape of contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45

Abstract

An RJ jack includes a housing having an interior chamber with a plurality of contacts which are deflectable upon insertion of a plug into the chamber. A plurality of projections is provided for limiting the extent of the deflection of selected contacts. In a preferred embodiment, the RJ jack is an RJ45 and the projections are fins located beneath the outermost contacts of the RJ45 jack.

Claims

1. An RJ jack, comprising

a housing having an interior chamber;

a plurality of contacts in the chamber, the contacts being deflectable upon insertion of a plug; and

means for limiting the extent of the deflection of selected contacts.

2. An RJ jack, comprising

a housing having an interior chamber;

a plurality of contacts in the chamber, the contacts being deflectable upon insertion of a plug; and

a plurality of projections for limiting the extent of the deflection of selected contacts.

3. An RJ jack according to claim 2, wherein the selected contacts are the outermost contacts of the plurality of contacts.

4. An RJ jack according to claim 3, wherein the outermost contacts have a downward deflection from a non-deflected height to a predetermined deflected height above a floor of the housing and the projections are at a height intermediate the non-deflected height of the outermost contacts and the predetermined deflected height

5. An RJ jack according to claim 4, wherein the projections extend upwardly from the floor.

6. An RJ jack according to claim 5, wherein the projections are triangular fins.

7. An RJ jack according to claim 6, wherein the RJ jack is an RJ45 jack.