WO2000065696A1

WO2000065696A1 - Receptacle connector with plug differentiation member

Info

Publication number: WO2000065696A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/011300
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Henry Hyland
Original assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
Priority date: 1999-04-23
Filing date: 2000-04-24
Publication date: 2000-11-02
Also published as: AU4669700A

Abstract

A receptacle connector is provided having a member for differentiating the presence of a first plug from the presence of a relatively smaller second plug. The receptacle connector has a deflection member disposed within a plug receiving cavity and having at least one spring arm with a ramp surface. The ramp surface of the at least one spring arm is engaged upon insertion of the first plug thereby deflecting the spring arm away from the first plug. A relatively smaller second plug is not sufficiently wide to engage the ramp surfaces of the spring arms of the deflection member. Accordingly, the relatively smaller plug does not provide deflection of the spring arm.

Description

RECEPTACLE CONNECTOR WITH PLUG DIFFERENTIATION MEMBER

The present invention relates to receptacle connectors for modular plugs. In particular, the invention is directed toward a receptacle connector having a member for differentiating the presence of a first modular plug from the presence of a relatively smaller second modular plug.

Modular plugs and receptacle connectors which receive these plugs, also referred to as modular jacks, are commonly used in the computer and telecommunication industries. Two familiar types of modular plugs are RJll and RJ45 type plugs. RJll plugs are commonly used in connection with telephone and modem applications, whereas RJ45 plugs are used in A-N and Ethernet applications. Although an RJ45 plug is slightly wider than an RJll plug (which is less populated with electrical contacts), RJll and RJ45 modular plugs fundamentally have the same shape and structure. However, due to their differing widths, each of the RJll and RJ45 plugs frequently have dedicated discrete RJll and RJ45 modular jacks associated with their plug counterpart .

Therefore, computer and telecommunication equipment are frequently outfitted with both RJll and RJ45 modular jacks in order to provide the capability of receiving both RJll and RJ45 plugs. Unfortunately, although an RJll modular jack is dimensioned such that it is incapable of receiving a relatively large RJ45 plug, the converse is not true. In fact, because RJll and RJ45 plugs are so similar in shape, often an RJll plug will fit comfortably within an RJ45 modular jack.

Some connector manufacturers have used the likeness in size and shape between the RJll and RJ45 plugs to their advantage by designing modular jacks which are capable of receiving both RJll and RJ45 'type plugs while still performing mechanically and electrically. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,772,466 discloses a shielded modular jack which is capable of receiving both RJll and RJ45 modular plugs. In order to accomplish acceptance of both RJll and RJ45 plugs, the modular jack disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,772,466 provides a spring member on a portion of the shield which makes physical and electrical contact with a terminal within the modular jack only when an RJ45 plug is inserted into the modular jack. An RJll plug will nor. deflect this spring member and, accordingly, contact will not be made between the spring member of the shield and the terminal in the jack.

One obvious problem with using a modular jack with a spring member on the shield of the jack is that the jack must be shielded in order to detect the presence of an RJ45 versus an RJll plug. It would be desirable to provide a detection member for both shielded and unshielded versions of a modular jack.

Another drawback is that because part of the shield is used as the spring member, the spring characteristic of the spring member is dictated by the properties of the material used for the shield. It would be advantageous to be able to select a spring member material that has a desirable spring characteristic while not impacting the material selection of the shield. As a result, an inexpensive shield material could be used which has poor spring characteristics without impacting the spring properties of the detection member .

A further disadvantage of having a detection member disposed on the shield of a modular jack is that the detection member may only be disposed within the jack as precisely as the shield is placed around the jack. That is, in order to place the detection member precisely, very tight tolerances must be maintained when placing the shield onto the jack. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a modular jack which has a detection means that may be precisely positioned within the jack while allowing for less demanding placement of a shield onto the jack.

Yet another drawback to a modular jack having an electrical detection means in the form of a spring member integral with the shield is that the electrical path travels through the shield to ground. It would, however, be desirable to allow greater electrical design flexibility for an electrical detection means. For example, an electrical path that does not travel through the shield to ground could instead be connected to signal lines on a printed circuit board, thereby providing the ability to more fully integrate the detection means with electronics connected to the modular jack. In furtherance of these and other objects, the present invention is disclosed.

A receptacle connector is provided which differentiates the presence of a first plug from the presence of a second plug. The receptacle connector comprises a cavity having interior walls which roughly define a profile of the first plug. A deflection member is disposed within the cavity which has at least one spring arm having a ramp surface. The deflection member is positioned such that the ramp surface is engageable only by the first plug wherein upon insertion of the first plug into the cavity, the first plug engages the ramp surface and deflects the at least one spring arm from a rest position to a deflection position away from the first plug and into a passageway. Upon insertion of the second plug, the ramp surface is not engaged by the second plug and the deflection member remains in the rest position.

A receptacle connector which differentiates the presence of a first plug from the presence of a relatively smaller second plug is provided. The receptacle connector comprises a cavity defined by interior sidewalls connected by top and bottom walls and an end wall. A U-shaped deflection member is disposed in the cavity along the sidewalls and end wall. The deflection member has at least one spring arm having a ramp surface and is positioned such that the ramp surface is engageable only by the first plug. Upon insertion of the first plug into the cavity, the first plug engages the ramp surface and deflects the at least one spring arm from a rest position to a deflection position away from the first plug in a direction orthogonal to the top and bottom walls. Upon insertion of the relatively smaller second plug, the ramp surface is not engaged and the deflection member remains in the rest position.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a receptacle connector of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of a deflection member of the present invention; Figure 3 is an isometric view of the receptacle connector shown in Figure 1 prior to insertion of the deflection member shown in Figure 2 ;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the receptacle connector of the present invention; Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional side views of the receptacle connector of the present invention in the process of receiving a plug;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of the receptacle connector of the present invention receiving a relatively large plug;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the receptacle connector of the present invention;

Figure 9 is an isometric view of an alternative deflection member and electrical terminals for the alternative receptacle connector shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a front view of the alternative receptacle connector shown in Figure 8; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the alternative receptacle connector shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 12 is a front view of the alternative receptacle connector shown in Figure 8 receiving a relatively small plug.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the receptacle connector of the present invention in the form of a modular jack 10 which is configured to differentiate the presence of a first plug from the presence of a similarly shaped, but relatively smaller second plug

(for example, RJ45 and RJll type plugs) . Modular jack 10 has a box shaped exterior with top 11 and bottom 12 connected by sides 13, rear face 14 and front face 15. Front face 15 opens into a cavity 16 which is roughly shaped to match the profile of the relatively larger plug. Cavity 16 houses an array of electrical contacts 17 which are disposed between rails 18 formed in the modular jack 10. The plurality of electrical contacts 17 have tail sections 19 which extend through bottom 12 and are adapted to extend into through-holes in a printed circuit board (not shown) . Of course, tail sections 19 could be modified to provide surface mount capabilities for the modular jack 10.

A deflection member 20, also shown in Figure 2, is disposed in cavity 16 opposite the plurality of electrical contacts. Deflection member 20 is relatively U-shaped to match the dimensions of cavity 16. Deflection member 20 may be stamped and formed from a sheet material having a suitable spring characteristic to withstand high mating cycles.

As shown in Figure 2, deflection member 20 is comprised of side arms 21 which extend outwardly from cross arm 22 and transition into uprights 23. Spring arms 24 project rearwardly from lateral arms 25 which are folded inwardly from uprights 23. A tab 26 is provided on cross arm 22 and projects rearwardly for insertion into a tab slot 36 located inside cavity 16 of modular jack 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Referring back to Figure 2, spring arms 24 are comprised of arcuate portions 40 connecting ramp portions 42 to contact surfaces 44. Ramp portions 42 are connected to lateral arms 25 by beam portions 46 and extend downwardly at an obtuse angle therefrom.

Figure 3 shows the cavicy 16 of modular jack 10 prior to loading the modular jack with deflection member 20. Cavity 16 provides passageways 30 which extend from front face 15 toward rear face 14. Passageways 30 are flanked by primary retention slots 32 and secondary retention slots 33 proximate the front face 15. Primary and secondary retention slots 32 and 33, respectively, accommodate multiple deflection member configurations. For example, as shown in Figure 1, lateral arms 25 are received within primary retention slots 32 disposed in front face 15. Secondary retention slot 33 provides for alternative configurations of deflection member 20. Cavity 16 is further comprised of shallows 37 and 38 which receive side arms 21 and cross arm 22 of deflection member 20.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 allows deflection member 20 to be front-loaded into cavity 16. Side arms 21 are aligned with shallows 37 and spring arms 24 are received through passageways 30. Upon full insertion, cross arm 22 is seated in shallow 38 while tab 26 is accepted within tab slot 36. Deflection member 20 is further secured within cavity 16 due to the seating of lateral arms 25 within primary retention slots 32.

As shown in Figure 4, electrical terminals 50 are mounted within modular jack 10 such that detection contact surfaces 52 are disposed opposite contact surfaces 44 of spring arms 24. Terminal tails 54 are provided for mounting to a printed circuit board (not shown) . Figures 5 and 6 show a modular jack 10 of the present invention in the process of receiving a modular plug 2 within cavity 16. For purposes of illustration only, modular plug 2 is an RJ45 type plug having an outer profile roughly defined by top and bottom surfaces 3 and 4, respectively, side surfaces 5, and front surface 6 (further shown in Figure 7) . Top surface 3 and front surface 6 meet to define a leading edge 7. Figure 5 shows plug 2 partially inserted into cavity 16 of modular jack 10. Because plug 2 has a relatively wide profile, the mouth 34 of cavity 16 is predominantly filled by plug 2. That is, side surfaces 5 are guided immediately adjacent interior sidewalls 35 of modular jack 10. Because plug 2 is sufficiently wide to fill mouth 34 of cavity 16, leading edge 7 comes in contact with ramp surface 42 of spring arm 24. Ramp surface 42 rides leading edge 7 as modular plug 2 is inserted into cavity 16. As ramp surface 42 rides leading edge 7, spring arm 24 is deflected upwardly within passageway 30 until contact surface 44 physically and electrically engages detection contact surface 52 of electrical terminals 50 and engagement surface 48 comes to rest upon top surface 3 , as shown in Figure 6. In the particular embodiment shown in Figures 1-6 detection of the presence of an RJ45 type plug is provided due to the deflection of the spring arms 24 of deflection member 20. Conversely, insertion of an RJll type plug into cavity 16 would not provide a wide enough profile to deflect spring arms 24 of deflection member

20. That is, an RJll plug is too narrow to reach spring arms 24. Accordingly, deflection member 20 provides differentiation between the presence of a relatively small plug, such as an RJll type plug, versus the presence of a similarly shaped but relatively larger plug, such as an RJ45 type plug.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 8-12. Figure 8 shows a modular jack 70 with mouth 71 opening into cavity 72. An array of electrical contacts 73 are disposed along an upper ceiling of cavity 72. And an inverted deflection member 74 is disposed opposite electrical contacts 73 for detecting the presence of a relatively large plug, such as an RJ45 type plug.

Deflection member 74 and corresponding electrical terminals 80 are shown in Figure 9. Essentially, deflection member 74 is an inverted configuration of the deflection member 20 shown in detail in Figure 2. Again, deflection member 74 is relatively U-shaped having side arms 75 joined by cross arm 76 with legs 77 that extend downwardly to lateral arms 78. A tab 79 is provided on cross arm 76 for reception in a tab slot provided in cavity 72.

Spring arms 90 extend rearwardly from lateral arm 78 and include beam portions 92, ramp portions 94, engagement surfaces 96, and contact surfaces 98. Electrical terminals 80 are provided with detection contact surfaces 82 and terminal tails 84.

Figure 12 shows modular jack 70 receiving a relatively small modular plug 60, such as an RJll type plug. Because modular plug 60 is relatively narrow, spring arms 90 of deflection member 74 are not deflected. Spring arms 90 will only be deflected upon insertion of a relatively larger modular plug, such as an RJ45 type plug. Upon insertion of a relatively larger plug, ramp portions 94 would be engaged by a leading edge of the relatively larger modular plug and be deflected downwardly until contact is made between contact surfaces 98 and detection contact surfaces 82 located on electrical terminals 80. This deflection action mimics that shown in Figures 5 and 6 with the exception that deflection member 74 is disposed in an inverted orientation from that of deflection member 20 shown in Figure 1.

Although the foregoing embodiments show a deflection member which provides differentiation between the presence of a small plug and a relatively larger plug by providing electrical switching, other differentiation means which are non-electrical could be easily adapted to cooperate with the deflection member disclosed herein. For example, a visual indicator could be configured to be actuated upon deflection of the deflection member so that visual indication would be provided for either indicating the presence of a small plug or a relatively larger plug.

Furthermore, although modular plugs and modular jacks have been described herein, the present invention may also be practiced for receptacles that could receive similarly shaped plugs of slightly larger and smaller sizes.

The present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description. It is apparent that changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages. Thus, while several embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the invention is not strictly limited to those embodiments but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :I claim:

1. A receptacle connector which differentiates the presence of a first plug from the presence of a second plug, the receptacle connector comprising: a cavity having interior walls roughly defining a profile of the first plug, a deflection member disposed in the cavity, the deflection member having at least one spring arm having a ramp surface, the deflection member positioned such that the ramp surface is engageable only by the first plug wherein upon insertion of the first plug into the cavity, the first plug engages the ramp surface and deflects the at least one spring arm from a rest position to a deflection position away from the first plug, and wherein upon insertion of the second plug, the ramp surface is not engaged by the second plug and the deflection member remains in the rest position.

2. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the first plug is wider than the second plug.

3. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the deflection member is received within a passageway when in the deflection position.

4. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein when the deflection member is in the deflection position, the deflection member contacts a terminal mounted in the receptacle connector.

5. The receptacle connector of claim 1, wherein the deflection member is stamped and formed from a sheet metal material.