Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
268
IMPROVBD ELECTRICAL CONNECTO~S
.
. .. AND ASSEMBLIES THEREFOR
TECHNICAL FIELD
ml8 invention relates generally to electrical
connectors and more particularly to improved modular inter-
face connectors and connector assemblie~ lncorporatlng such
modular connectors. Specifically, the present invention
relates to improved modular Jack connectors whlch are
slidably mountable in varlous orientatlons in a support
: ......... 10 member which likewise ls mountable in various orlentations
and con~lgurations withln connector assembly enclosure~.
These variable arrangements permit use of easlly assem-
blable and interchangeable connector assembly component
.. . .. .parts to facllltate e~fl¢lent interconnection of remote
1~ 8ignal 8tations, such as indivldual telephone recelvers, to
central slgnal processlng system~, such as telephone signal
equipment.
ACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART ...
Historically, telephone installatlon and repalr
20 has requlred the services of a skilled telephone techniclan
to perform customized on-site wlring, spllcing, and assembly,
; as-well..as interconne~tion o~ non-matlng components t~rough.
the exercise of personal ingenulty. Moreover, the proli~er-
ation of different species of telephone connector hardware
25 has requlred that technlclans be famlliar with the pecu-
~ liarities-in~-~ir-ing~equlrements for a wide variety of
connectors, adapters, and various other c.onneator assemblles,
and that the telephone companles malntain correspondlngly
large part inventories. In an.attempt to reduce rising
il4~Z68
--2--
labor and part inventory C08t8J con~lderable emphaal~ haa
been ~ocused on the development o~ standardized or modu-
larlzed telephone cable~, connectors, adapters and other
connector as~emblies 80 that lnstallations may readlly be
made by a less skllled technician and in some cases by the
customer himsel~.
One form of modular connector that ha8 been de-
veloped in response to this need 18 disclosed.ln U.S. Patent
No. 4,070,548. This particular connector is in-the rorm of
10 a modular ~ack and may be slidably mountable to a support
plat~orm or the like. Slmilar modular ~ack connectlons are
-. becomlng standard telephone ~ystem components and are dis-
closed in the Federal ~ommunications Commlsslon Regulations
published in the Federal Register, Monday, July 12, 1976.
Wh~le such slidingly mountable modular ~acks have proven
useful, thelr mounting features limit the orlentatlon and
. arrangement capabilities of a plurality o~ such modular
: .~acka wlthln a ~ingle connector assembly, thereby llmltlng
: the range of flexibllity affordable to connector assemblies
incorporatlng such prior connectors. In an attempt to over-
come such limitations, a ~r,ap-in modular ~ack connector
was developéd as well-as-a var.iety of adapter and bridglng
connector assemblies-incorporating such-snap-in-connectors~
for lnterconnecting at least one multl-conductor cable en-
: 25 gaged to a remote signal station, such as a single telephone
unlt, to a.central signal processing system, such-a~ tele-
phone signal equlpmçnt or a telephone-central of~lce. In
additlon, such connector assemblies can take the ~orm of
modem~ and data sets whereln impedance networks are included
wlthln the-connector assembly for controlllng the attenua-
tlon-level~ between the remote signal statlons and the
central signal processing...system.
A dlstinct problem with the above referenced snap-
in modular connectors, however, is that either the assembly
enclosure components-which receive the connectors must be .. .. .~.. . .preciaely ~odified, .~r. the..sidewalls of the modul~r connector~
~ mu~t be ~lexlble, both of which are hlghly undesirable.
Furthermore, to provide flexlbility in the connector side-
walls, the snap-in connector module must be undesirably
68
_3
lengthened.
As 1B clear rrom the above, then, a contlnulng
problem with present connectors and connector assemblles is
that a wlde variety of assembly component parts are still
- 5 necessary to meet different connectlon requirements inas-
much as different connector assembiles, such a~ adapters,
brldging assemblies, data sets, ~unctlon assemblies, and
the like, having non-lnterchangeable components are requlred
for v~rious different connection purposes. The present
inventlon 1~ designed to achieve the goal of provlding a
slldlngly mountable modular connector capable of ~abrication
ln a slngle-actlon mold as well as easy installation and
replacement coupled wlth reliable operatlon. Furthermore,
the modular connector of the lnvention and the assoclated
connector assemblies lncorporating the ~ame may be creatively
arranged to provlde a wlde range of flexibillty in the inter-
facing connectlons wlth exlstlng telephone system equlpment
and suitability for new lnstallatlons, whlle slmultaneously
retaining simplicity in installation and a relatlvely modest
lnitial manufacturlng cost. Speclfically, the present in-
ventlon 18 designed to provlde a unlversal connector mount-
lng arrangement whereby the lmproved modular connectors of
; the invention-may-be arranged and mounted wlthin a-variety
of connector assembly arrangements 80 as to interconnect
any number of remote signal statlons to a plurallty of con-
ductors leading to a central slgnal processing system whlle
providing the capability of lncludlng impedance networks in
such interconnections.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
3 Therefore, the present invention ls dlrected to an
lmproved modular interface connector whlch meets the afore-
mentloned requlrements and overcomes the above-described
deficiencies and problems of prior modular ~ack connectors,
and to novel connector assemblies incorporating such im-
proved interface connectors to provide a wide varlety of
system appllcatlons for lnterconnecting one or more multi-
conductor cables leading to remote signal stations with a
plurality of conductors electrically coupled to telephone
signal equipment.
~i44268
--4--
It is therefore one object of the present in-
vention to provide an improved modular interface con-
nector and associated connector assemblies incorporating
one or more of the modular connectors in unique arrays
that facilitate simplified and highly flexible inter-
connection to varied configurations of telephone system
equipment.
It is another object of the present invention
--~ to provide an improved modular interface connector hav-
; 10 ing a universal mounting structure which permits slid-
able mounting of the connector to a support member in a
variety of orientations and configurations to enable use
of interchangeable and easi,ly assemblable connector
assembly parts, thereby facilitating efficient inter-
connection of one or more multi-conductor cables coupled
to remote signal stations to a plurality of conductors
connected to a central signal processing system.
A further object of the present invention is
to provide an improved interface connector having a
' 20 removable barrier structure whereby the contact elements
of the conductor may be mounted in the connector fol-
lowed by insertion of the barrier structure to prohibit
access to the free ends of the contact elements from the
connector housing aperture.
,, 25 It is yet another object of the present inven-
tion to provide an improved modular interface connector
wherein each connector is slidably mountable along any
' position between two spaced shoulders of a support mem-
ber and may be retained in any such selected position
by means integral with the connector, and wherein the
connector housing, mounting structure and retention
means all comprise an integral molded plastic unit con-
figured to permit fabrication thereof in a single-action
mold.
Still another object of the present invention
is to provide an improved modular interface connector
having means for readily press-mounting a bus bar member
against the connector housing for engagement with selec-
tive contact elements of the connector.
S~
. . . .
i~42~8
--5--
Accordingly, the present invention is directed
to an electrical connector adapted to be mounted in a
support member, the connector having a housing including
a front wall having an aperture therein, a back wall,
and a plurality of sidewalls defining a cavity for re-
ceiving a mating electrical connector through the aper-
ture, and including a plurality of contact elements
mounted on the housing and having active contact por-
tions including free ends projecting into the cavity
for electrical engagement with the mating electrical
connector, and having barrier means releasably engageable
with the housing and insertable within the cavity for
separating and aligning the active portions of the con-
tact elements, and for preventing access through the
aperture to the free ends of the active contact por-
ions, and further including means for mounting the con-
nector housing in the support member.
The connector housing of the invention in-
cludes an improved mounting structure which permits the
connector to be slidably mounted between spaced shoul-
ders of a support member. The mounting structure in-
cludes a first mounting means disposed on one pair of
oppositely facing sidewalls for slidably mountlng the
connector housing in the support member at any selected
position between the shoulders. The first mounting
means are configured such that when the connector is
mounted therewith, the central axis of the connector
cavity which is normal to the plug entrance aperture
is aligned in a first direction relative to the plane
defined by the shoulders, which is also generally the
plane defined by the support member. Second mounting
means are also disposed on a pair of oppositely facing
connector sidewalls for slidably mounting the housing
in the support member at any selected position between
the shoulders. The second mounting means are con-
figured such that when the connector is mounted there-
with, the central axis of the connector cav1ty is
aligned in a second direction relative to the plane of
1~44f~68
-5a-
the shoulders which is substantially perpendicular to
the first direction. In addition, each of the first and
second mounting means includes integral retention means
for firmly maintaining the housing in any selected posi-
tion between the pair of shoulders.
In preferred form, the first and second
mounting means each include mounting channels disposed
opposite each other on oppositely facing sidewalls and
are adapted to slidably receive the shoulders of the
support member
68
--6--
thereln, the support member preferably belng a printed cir-
cult board or the like. The first mountlng direction is
preferably substantially parallel to the plane of the
shoulders while the second direction is substantially per-
pendicular to the plane. The retention means preferably
lnclude integral proJection members disposed wlthin the
mountlng channels and are adapted to biasly engage and firmly
malntaln the shoulders Mithin the channels. The connector
houslng, mountin~ means and retention means all preferably
comprise an lntegral plastic molded unit configured to permit
fabricatlon of the unit in a single-action mold.
me modular in-terface connector of the present
lnvention may also include a removable barrier member which
' i~ preferably in the form of a comb member having a plur-
ality of teeth for separating and allgning the active con-
tact portions of the contact elements within the connector
cavity and for preventing access through the entrance aper-
ture of the cavity to the free ends of the active contact
portion~. The comb member i8 adapted to be releasably en-
- 20 gageable with the housi~g--t~-permit prior moun-ting-of---the --
contact elements wlthin the connector housing.
In another embodlment, the~modular-lnterface con-
ne¢tor of the inventlon may lnclude an integral comb member
- and a removable insert member for mounting the contact
elements to the connector housing. In additlon, a plurallty
of embossments are disposed on the connector houslng for
engaglng-and mounting a pair of bus bar members to the
hou~ing-a~aeent the lntegral comb member for electrically
shorting selective contact Qlements to create electrlcal
clrcults therebetween.
The invention further provide~ a connector assembly
- incorporating the above-descr~ed modular interface''con--~'''
nector for electrically connectlng at least one multi-
conductor cable to selected ones of a plurallty of con-
'35 ductors electrically coupled to telephone signal equipment,
- - -- - eaeh multl-conductor cable-having a modular connector com-
ponent on one end thereof. The connector assembly lncludes
an enclosure defined by a plurality of wall members~ and a
removable support member is supported within the enclosure
.
'` il~4Z68
and lncludes at least one palr o~ spaced mountlng shoulders.
In one form of the lnvention, the removable suppvrt member
is a printed clrcuit board havlng at least one recessed
portlon the.rein, the.-oppos-ing side edges of the recessed
portion formlng the spaced mounting shoulders.
The connector assembly also lncludes at least one
; of the improved modular lnterface connectors slldably mounted
in the support member a-t-any selected posltlon between the
shoulders of one of the palr of mounting shoulders, the cen-
. lO tral axi~ of the interface connector's cavity belng either
.~ perpendlcular to or parallel with the plane of the support
- member. Each modular ¢onnector ls adapted to receive-the
modular connector component which terminates one multi-
conductor cable. The assembly finally includes circuit
means for electrlcally connectlng each of the contact ele-
ments of each interface connector to selected ones of the
plurality of conductors coupled to telephone signal equip-
ment. In one form of the lnvention, the support member is
a printed circuit board with the circuit thereof forming a
-20 portion of the circuit mea~s.
The plurality of: enclosure wall members preferably
include a bottom wall member and a plurality o~-sldewall
members supported substan~,ially perpendicular thereto. In
-one form Or the inventlon, means are provided for mounting
the support member substantlally parallel to and spaced
from the bottom wall member wlth the central axls of the
interface connector cavities being aligned either perpendicu-
- -- lar to-or parallel.wlth the-support member. When the cavl----
ties are allgned parallel with the support member, at least
one enclosure wall member includes at least one aperture for
aIignment with each connector cavity to provide access
-- ther~to for engagement wlth the modular connector~component
of one multl-conductor cable.
~n one form of the above connector assembly, the
clrcult means include multiple contact menas whlch are
- electrically engageable wlth the plurallty of conductors
coupled to telephone signal equipment and selectively con-
nected to the contact elements of each of the interface
connectors. The multlple contact means may take the ~orm of
4268
--8--
a termlnal oontact strip mounted to the lnner surf&ce of
the enclosure bottom wall, of a plurallty of terminal contaot
elements dlsposed on a printed clrcult board support member,
. . .or of a modular.multiple.contact connector component mounte.d
to the support member and which is engageable wlth a mating
- connector component whlch termlnates the plurallty of con-
~` ductors connected to telephone signal equlpment.
. . The present lnventlon also provides yet another
electrical connector assembly embodiment for selectlvely
. IO lnterconnecting at least one remote signal statlon havlng a
predetermined signal characteristic to a central signal
.processlng system. m is connector assembly embodiment ln-
cludes an enclosure defined b~ a plurallty of wall members
J~ lncludlng a bott~m wall member and a plurality of sldewall
members. Disposed wlthln the enclosure are first multiple
contact means which include a flrst plurality of con-tact
elements electrically engageable wlth the central slgnal
processlng system. A support member ls releasably mounted
; within the enclosure spaced from and substantlally parallel
~,. ~,..i.. ..~.0- to the lnner.-..sur~aee of one ~f ~he sldewall members,.whl~h---
, - sldewall member includes an openlng to provlde access to the
support member. Second multlple-contac-t:.means are-mounted.
to-the support member wlthln the enclosure and include a
: seaond plurality-of-contact elements whlch are ele-ctrically
engageable with the remote signal station, access.to the
~econd multlple contact means belng provlded by the openlng
in the one sidewall member. In one form of this embodiment,
J~ 'Li _-_ the-:second-multiple---contaet~means -lnclude-a pluralitiy-of --
the modular lnterface connectors of the present invention.
A plurallty of lntermedlate multlple contact means are also
dlsposed within the enclosure with each of the intermediate
multlple contact means 1ncluding a third plurali~y of~con- - =
tact elements. At least one lmpedance network is provlded,
each belng adapted for selectlve and independent connectlon
to the thlrd plurallty of contact elements of one of the
- intermedlate--multlple-contact means. Flnally, circuit
means are disposed withln the enclosure for lnterconnectlng
selected ones of the first, second and third plurality o~
contact elements for interconnecting a respective given one
~ - .
42~8
g
of the remote slgnal statlons to the central slgnal procesa-
lng ~ystem as a respective glven one of the thlrd plurallty
o~ contact elements 19 coupled to one o~ the impedance net-
works.
: 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
e novel features which are belleved to be charac-
terlstic of the present invention are set forth in the
-' -- appended cla-lms. ~The lnvention itsel~, however, together
with further ob~ects and attendant advantages thereo~, wlll
become apparent and best understood by reference to the
following detailed description taken in connection with the
- - accompanying drawlngs, setting forth by way of lllustratlon
~ and example certain embodiments of the invention in the
several ~lgures of which like reference numerals identify
like elements, and in which:
- Figure l,ls a front perspective view of one embodi-
ment of a ~odular interface connector o~ the present inven-
tlon and lllustratlng a typical mating connector component
therefor;
--2~ -- - Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the modul&r---
lnterrace connector illustrated--in Figure l;
Flgure--3-ls--a-rear--elevatlon-viéw o~ the-modular
' interrace connector.illustrated in Figure 2;
- '' ' - ~~~' Figure 4 is-a ~r-ont elevatlon view o~ the interface
25- connectcr-illustrated in Figure 2;
Flgure 5 is a-cross-sectional view taken:substan-
tlally along line 5-5 of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a rear perspective view simllar to
Flgure 2 but illustrating the removable-comb member cf the
3 connector in a disengaged position;
Flgure 6A is a rear elevation view of the removable
comb member illustrated in.Flgure 6;
Figure 7 ls a front-perspectlve view illustrating
the interface connector embodiment of Figure l slidably
mounted to a support-member in a ~irst position;
Figure 8 -is a view similar-to-Figure 7'but illus-
trating the lnter~ace connector mounted to a support member
in a second position;
Figure 9 is a front perspective view slmilar to
.
~1~4Z68
--10-
Flgure 8 but illustrat~ng the inter~ace ¢onnec~or mounted
to a support mem~er in a third position;
Figure 10 is a front perspective vlew of another
embodlment of a modular interface connector of the present
inventlon and lllustratlng a typlcal matlng connector com-
ponent therefor;
Figure 11 18 a rear perspective view of the inter-
face connector illustrated in Figure 10;
. Figure 12 is a rear perspectlve view similar to
Figure 11 but illustrating a bus bar member engaged to the
rear wall of the interface connector;
- Figure 13 i8 a front perspective view of the inter- .
face connector of Figure 10 slidably mounted to a support
member in a flrst-posltion;
Figure 14 ls a view slmilar to Figure 13 but illus-
. . . trating the lnterface connector mounted to a support member
in a second positicn;
Flgure 15 ls a perspective view ~ one embodiment
of a connector assembly of the present lnvention lncorporat-
ing the slldingly mountable.;'~nterface connector of Figure 1
therein and illustrating a cover in spaced relation thereto;
Figure 16 ls an exploded perspectiv.e view-of the
connector assembly of Figure 15 illustrating the assembling
. rela~ionships of the component parts thereof;
Figure 17 is a top plan view of a second.embodlment
of a connector assembly of the present invention and illus-
tratlng terminal strips mounted to the bottom wall thereo~;
- - Figure 17A is a-front-perspective vlew of the con~
nector assembly embodiment illustrated in Figure 17 wlthout
the termlnal strips and showlng a cover in spaced relatlon
thereto;
Flgure -18 is an e~ploded front perspectlve view of
the connector assembly embodlment of Figure 17 without the
terminal strips;
3~ Figure 19 is a top plan view of yet another con-
- -neet-or assembly-embod~ment-of the.present ~nvention simi-lar --
to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 17 but including
three modular interface connectors incorporated therein;
. Figure ~0 is an exploded front perspective view o~
,
r
.
;8
the embodiment illu~trated in ~igure 19 but wlthout the
termlnal strips;
Figure 21 is a top plan view of another connector
assembly embodiment of the present lnventlon lllustrating
5 an impedance network having a æingle impedance clrcult as a
support me~ber for the modular connector;
Fi~3ure 22 is a top plan vlew of another connector
assembly embodiment. of the present lnvention simllar to
Figure 21 but illustrating an impedance network havlng
10 selectively alternate impedance clrcults as the support
member for the- modular connector;
;~ Flgure 23 ls a perspective view o~-still another
connec-tor assembly of the present-lnvention lncorporating a
plurality of the ~nodular- interface connectors of Figure 10
15: and 'illustrating a cover in spaced re-lation- thereto;
Figure 24 ls a front elevation view of the connec-
tor assembly of Figure 23;
Figure 25 is a~front elevation vlew- similar to
Figure 24-and illustrating the cover mounted to the-connector
,4ssembly; and - -
Figure 26 ls a front elevation viaw similar to
Figure.25 ~but illustrating an. alternate form !of the. connec--
tor assembly.
. . .i - DE~AILED DESCRIPTIQN OF l~IE INV~NTION-
25 . The presenb invention- is directed to an -improved
modular-interface connector: and connector. assemblies there-
for. Referring.now to.Flgures.1-5,.a modular interface
- connector 10 is--.shown-in ~he form of a-~modular ~ack and .is
adapped for mating-engagement-with a^modular connector
3 component 12 constructed in the form of a plug and terminat-
ing a multi-conductor cable 13. me plug 12 and the baslc
struotu~e.-.of.the -~ack:-10-'are known in the art and are.
described .in.the previously referenced..patents, and..Federal
. Communications Commission's Regulations. Speciflcally,
the-connector 10 includes a housing ll having a front wall:
- - - 14-, a--back-wal-1--16,-- and a- plurality -of~sidèwalls 18, 20,
22 and 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 20
forms a top wall.while the sidewall 24 forms-a bottom wall.
The plurality of walls 14-24 define an interior cavity 26.
~1~426~3
-12-
which i8 accessible tl~rough an aperture 28 dlsposed in the
front wall 14. The cavity 26 is slzed and shaped to receive
and mate with the plug 12 along a central axis 30 which ls
normal to the aperture 28. As descrlbed in greater detail
below, the houslng 11 and it~ component parts are pre~erably
an integral molded plastic structure whlch i8 con~igured
in ~uch a manner as to permit its fabrication in a single-
action mold as opposed to a double, side action mold of the
prior art.
The connector 10 includes a plurality of contact
elements 32 with each contact element 32 including a terminal
portion 34 and an actlve contact portion 36 having a free
end 37. In the illustrated ~orm of Figures 1-5, there are
preferably six contact elements 32. Each terminal portion
34 is supported within a longitudinal socket 38 disposed in
the top wall 20, and each active contact port~on 36 projects
into the cavity 26 in the manner described below. A plural-
ity of grooves 40 are formed at the forward end of each
top wall 20 along a portion of the front wall 14. Each
groove 40 origina~es at-the ~orward end of one socket 38
and extends downwardly toward the bottom wall 24 to communi-
cate-with the-cavity~26. Each groove 40 functions as a
guide for a contact element 32 as well as forms a ledge 41
- ~ - which is utilized as a~fulcrum when bending the contact
element 32 as de~cribed below.
Re~erring more particularly to Figure 5, the con-
tact elements 32 are mounted in the connector 10 by first
terminating the conductors 42 to the terminal portions~34
and then lnserting the straight elongated active contact
portions 36a through the sockets 38 until they pro~ect out-
wardly from the front wall 14. The free end 37 of each
active contact portion 36a is then bent downwardly and
rearwardly against the ledge 41 toward the back wall 16, as
illustrated at 36b, until the active contact portion 36
35- pro~ects angularly into the cavity 26 tow~rd the back wall - - 16. This procedure i&~ followed for all six contact element~
32 with the grooves 40 providing initial guidance of and
separation between the plurality of contact elements 32.
A comb structure, to be described in greater detail below~
4Z68
--13-
provldes addltlonal separation of the actlve contact por-
tlons 36 wlthin the cavlty 26.
Referrlng more partlcularly to Flgures 2, 3, 6 and
6A, the back wall 24 of the connector 10 lncludes an aper-
ture 44 whereln a barrler member ln the form Or a removablecomb member 46 læ disposed. The comb member 46 is releasably
engageable.wlth the houslng ll and functlons to-æeparate and
allgn the free ends Or the actlve contact portlons 36
withln the cavlty 26 as well as to prevent-adce~s-to the
free ends`37 of.the~active contact portlons 36 through the
aperture 28. More partlcularly, the back wall 16 includes
a.palr-o~ dependlng side elements 48, 50,which-lnclude at
their lower ends a pair of lnwardly pro~ect-ing :knobs 52, 54.
An.inner surface,.56 is:,formed within the:cavity 26 spaeed
from thè back wall-16. The-back wall`l6, the-knobs~52, 54:
and.-the-lnner-surface 56 deflne a palr of channels 58, 60
which;slidably receive,the--.,comb member,46.
The:.comb~member,46-preferably.includes two-elon~
gated side-elements.62, 64'which--are--interconnected:by a
... ,, , 20,,comb,66.. ,The_lowep-portions-,of the~sider-elements--62,' 64'
are--sufficiently-resillent for-blased movement toward,each.
other~and^include:,a,.pair.~.-of:outwar.dly~pro~e¢ti.ng knobs.-68,-
70`:dlsppsed toward the-lower.ends:thereof. The,elongated
..,,slde,elements 62, 64:are--.s-lzed-~-and shaped,for.inserti-on,into
25., the-.-channels~58, 60.~,As.the-side-elements-62:64 move,longi-
t~dinally,~within the::channels,-:58, 60,~ the..knobs-:52j 54:~
engage-the knobs 68,:,70 and~bias the side elements-toward
each o*her until-the.,knobs-68, 70 sllde-over and neæt above-
the-knobæ~.~52j, 54.. The-:comb.member i~ thus-,,maintainedlin.an .
30' engaged position within the ~houæing ll,by the:nested engage-
ment'of the.knobs 68, with the. kno.bæ 52j 54. To-disengage.
-- the comb:,membe-r.-46'from.the houæing 11, the-lower~portions
of.the;.-~ide:,ele.ments.62,,64'are.biased-~toward each other
untll the kn-obs 68, 70 are moved past-the knobs 52, 54--
whilè,the.-comb.member 46-is-slidably.moved.out.of~engagement
with the channels--58, 60.
The,comb 66 includes-a base~member.72 and a plur-
ality of-teeth 74 pro~ecting upwardly therefrom.subætan-
tially parallel with'the side,.elements 62, 6~. The~-teeth
-14-
74 are spaced a sufflcient distance so that each active
contact portion 36 passes ~nto a slot 76 between the teeth
74 as the comb member 46 is inserted into the housing 11,
the teeth 74 separatlng and alignlng the active portlon 36.
The comb member 46 is slzed and shaped such that the free
end portlon 37 of each active contact element 36 ls blasly
engaged agalnst the base member 72 ln a slot 76 when the
comb member 46 1~ ful-ly engaged wlthin the housing 11. This
results ln the free end 37 of the active contact portlon 36
being disposed rearwardly of the comb member 46. In this
manner, the teeth 74 prevent access to the free ends of the
actlve contact portions 36 from the direction of the aperture
28. Thls feature of the invenklon not only insures against
lnadvertent shorting of the contact elements 32 by separating
and alignlng the active contact portions 36, but also pro-
vldes a slgnificant safety factor by preventing the insertion
of a finger or other foreign ob~ect into the cavlty 26
beyond the free ends 37 of the active contact portions 36,
whereln lodging or withdrawal of the ob~ect would cause
-20 in~ury thereto as well as distort-or otherwise damage the
contact elements.
Prior known comb arrangements for modular ~ack
connectors have generally been integral structures. The
comb-member 46, however, is releasably engageable wlth the
25 houslng 11 to facllltate easy-and e~flclent installatlon of
the contact elements 32 ln the houslng 11 as well as forma-
tlon of the bent active contact portions 36. If the comb
structure i8 i ntegral with the housing 11, easy insertion
and formation of the contact elements 32 is extremely dlffl-
30 cult unless an alternate connector structure is utillzedwherein the contact elements 32 may be mounted to and formed
wlthln-a separate structural member which in turn is sub-
sequently mounted to the housing 11, such as in the embodi-
ment described below. However, the remov~ble comb structure
35 as lllustrated in Figures 1-5 has been found to be less
expenslve to manu~acture as well as providing an easy method
of constructing the modular ~ack 10 and overcomes the prior
problem of interference by an integral comb member during
formation of the contact elements 32 in the cavity 26.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1-4 and 7-9,
the connector 10 1B slidably mountable to a support member
78 ln a varlety of posltlons and ln at least two orlentations
- relatlve to the plane o~ the support member. This.provide~
a unlversal mounting structure whereby a number of mounting
arrangements may-be achieved between the connector 10 and
the support member 78, thereby permitting a wide variety of
connector assemblies to be constructed~in-aacordance with
deslred functional requirements as described in greater
detail below, To achieve such a unlversal mounting arrange-
- ment, the connector 10 includes a first mountlng structure
80,disposed on a palr of oppositely facing connector side-
wallæ, and a second mounting structure 82 also disposed on a
pair of,oppositely,faclng connector sldewalls. Depending
upon the desired overall construction and size of~ the con-
: nector 10, the first and second mounting structures 80 and82 may be disposed:,on the-~same or different pairs of oppo-
sitely facing sldewalls.
In the illustrated,embodiment of Figures 1-4 and
20.' 6--9,- the-first and second-mounting means 80:, 82-are dl-s~osed-
on the same palr of oppositely faclng sldewalls 18 and 22
and are--adapted to:permit~connector 10~-to be.slidably,mounted
, at-any selected posltiQn between a pair of shoulders 84',, ~ and 86 dlsposed in the- s-upport-member 78. In the-preferred
form, the support member 78 conslsts of a-f,lat board member-
having at'-léast-one,and-preferably a:plurality-of:recessed
,, portions--or-notches 88, each:recessed p,ortion 88 havlng a
~- -~--- pair of ~pposed side edges-forming the shoulders 84--and 86,. ..
e:isupport member 78'may.-be.-ln..the.form-Or~,a.simp~e support
board member, a.prlnted circult boardj or-an lmpedance net---
work--having one or more clrcuits thereon. In addltlon,
, ' ' the.recessed portion--88:'may be:slzed so-as-to-~recelve-one
:~ or a plurality of'the connectors 10.
The first-mounting structure 80 preferably lncludes
35- a-..pair.of channels 90 and 92,disposed, respectively, on the
.' -- oppositely faclng-sidewa~ls 18 and 22. Each channel 90, 92
ls preferably ln the form of a groove in its respective
~ sidewall 18, 22 extending between the respectlve front and
,, back walls 14 and 16, the width of each groove being ~ust
.,
., ,
,
.
.
.. . .
.
6 8
-16-
slightly greater than the thickness of the support member
78. HoweverJ the channel~ 90, 92 may al80 be formed in
other manners, such as by a plurality of pro~ectlons or the
llke.
me bottom sur~ace of each channel 90, 92 ln¢ludes a
ralsed embossment 94 having inclined sides 95 and 96. Eac,h
embossment 94 pro~ects outwardly from the bottom of the
channels 90 and 92 for bias engagement again~t the shoulders
84 and 86 when the first mountlng structure 80 i5 engaged
wlth the recessed portlon 88 of the support member 78. The
embossments 94 are preferably sllghtly pllable and capable o~
cold ~lowlng when sub~ected to bias engagement between the
shoulders 84 and 86. In this manner, the connector 10 may
be slldably ad~us,ted to any position between the shoulder
members 84 and 86 and be retained at that posit~on by the
bias engage~ent between the embossments 94 and the shoulders
84, 86. It should be noted that the channels 90, 92 o~ the
, first mountlng means 80 are preferabIy aligned along a line
substantially parallel with the central axis 30 of the cavity
26. merefore, when the connector 10 is mounted to the
support member 78 utillzing the flrst mounting structure 80,
the central axis 30 is substantially parallel with the plane
defined by the shoulders 84 and 86, which in the illustrated
form 18 also the plane Or the support member 78.
The second mounting structure 82 also includes a
palr of channels 9~ and 99 disposed on the oppositely facing
sidewalls 18 and 22, respectlvely. The channels 98 and 99
are preferably aligned along lines substantially perpendlcu-
lar to the central axls 30 of the cavity 26 and extend the
entire width of sidewalls 18, 22 between the top wall 20 and
the bottom wall 24. Unlike the channels 90 and 92, each
channel 98 and 99 is preferably defined by a plurality of
pro~ections 100, 102 and 104. The pro~ections 100 and 102
are spaced along the rear portion of the sidewalls 18 and
22, while the pro~ection 104 is aligned with the space
between the pro~ections 100 and 102 alon~ the forward portion
of the sidewalls 18, 22. In this manner, the pro~ections
100, 102 and 104 may all be formed on the sidewalls 18 and
' 22 by a single-action mold.
` ~1 4 4Z6 8
-17-
A spacer member 106 is dlsposed on the forward
channel-formlng sur~ace o~ the pro~ectlon 100 and 1~ pro-
vided to permlt two ~ignificantly different widths of support
member8 78 to be di3posed between the channel-formlng ~ur-
faces of the pro~ection 100 and the proJection 104. In
addltlon, the spacer 106 ls also slightly pliable to accommo-
date support members 78 of slightly variable thicknesses.
A pllable. tab 108 is disposed on the forward channel-forming
surface of the pro~ectlon 102 and is adapted to biasly en-
gage-the support member 78 when the channels 98 and 99
recelve a pair of shoulders 84 and 86, as illustrated in
Figure 8.
To retain the connector 10 in its mounted position,
the bottom- of each channel 98, 99J which is formed by the
15 outer surface of 'che respective sidewalls 18, 22, biasly
engages the support member 78. To achieve such bias engage-
'' ment, the surfaces 110 and 112 of each channel 98, 99 are
lnclined to form a land surface 114 which is-disposed immedi-
ately ad~acent the pro~ection 104. me.distance between
respective land surfaces 114 of the directly opposite chan-
nels 98 and 99 is sufficient to create a bias engagement
between.the land.sur~aces.ll4 and the shoulders ll6, 118.of
the recessed portion 120 in-the support member 78. Each
land surface 114- i8 preferably slightly pliable and capable
25': o~ cold flowing- toaccept the shoulders 116 and 118. The
land surfa¢es 114: fun¢tion in the same manner as the--emboss-
ments=94 of'the firs.t.mounting structure 80 .and thereby-
" '' constikute--retenti~- means::.for firmly maintaining the con-.
nector-10 in its selected: po~ition -between the-shoulders -
30 116 and 118.
As seen in Figure 8, the. channels 98 and 99 are
formed'to accept a.pair of.'shoulders 116, 118 wherein the-
. connector 10 is.in~erted-entirely within the support member
78. As seen in Figure 9, however, the connector 10 may be
raadily inserted into a.recessed portion 120' which includes
shoulders 116' and 118''substantially shorter in length
than the shoulders of the embodiment of Figure 8. Nonethe-
less, the connector 10 may be readily inserted therewithin
and maintained in place by the bias engagement between the
" ~144Z68
-18-
shoulder~ 116' and 118' and the land surfaces 114 as well
as the ~las engagement created by the proJection~ 100 and
104 agalnst the ~upport member 78. It should be noted that
a mounting bar 122 is also provided on the bottom sur~ace
5 24 of the connector 10 and ls adapted for engagement wlth
the support member 78 between the shoulder~ 116 and 118.
The mountlng bar 122 stabilizes the houslng 11 relatlve to
the support member 78 to insure proper support of the con-
nector 10 within the support member 78. In addition, the
10 recessed portion 120 may be o ~ sufficient length to mount
:~ a plurality of connectors 10 therein along their second
- mounting ~tructures 82, one atop the other (see Figures 23
and 24).
Referring..now to. Figures 10-12, a .second embodiment
15 of the present lnvention is illustrated in the form of a
modular interface connector 10 '. The conaector 10 ' includes
a housing 11' having a.front wall 14', a back wall 16', and
a plurality of sidewalls 18', 20 ', 22 ' and 24', all of which
define an interior cavity 26' having a central axis 30 '.
- 20 Access to the cavity 26' is provided through an aperture
28' in the front wall 14'. The cavity 26' is sized and
shaped to receive and matingly engage a standard plug
connector component 12' which terminates a multi-conductor
¢able 13. - In-the illustrated form, the cavity 26' includes
25 a keyway 124 which is adapted to receive a key member 126
dispo~ed.on the plug 12 '. The keyway 124 and key member 126
prevent improper alignment and engagement of the plug 12'
wlth the cavity 26'.
The modular connector 10' includes a plurality of
30 and pre~erably eight contact element~ 32 ' which are sub-
stantially-identical in size and shape to the contact
elements-.32 o~ the previously described connector 10. Each
of the contact elements 32 ' includes a terminal portion (not
illustrated) and an active contact portion having a free
35 end 37 '. In this particular embodiment, the top wall 20 '
- - includes a removable insert 128 which is releasably engage-
able within a chamber 130 located in the wall 20'. The
insert 128 includes a plurality of longitudinal cavities 38',
the terminal portion of each contact element 32' being
,
~L~4~:68
mounted withln one such cavity 38'. In this manner, the
contact elements 32' are removable from the houslng 11' as a
unit, the active contact portlons of the elements 32 ' pro-
~ectlng angularly into the cavity 26' when the insert 128
is disposed within the chamber 130.
The houslng 11~ also includes an integral comb
member 132 disposed in the back wall 16'. The comb member
132 functions in the same manner as the comb member 46 of
the previous embodiment and thus separates and aligns the
10 active contact portions of the contact elements 32' within
the cavity 26 ' while preventing access to the free end3 37'
from the aperture 28 l . In preferred form, the comb member
132 includes a base portion 134 and a plurality of spaced
teeth 136 pro~ectlng upwardly ~herefrom. The contact
l~-elements 32' are shaped whereby-the-free end-portions 37'
thereof extend between the teeth 136 and are biased against
the base 134. This arrangement permits the contact elements
32' to be mounted within the removed insert member 128,
the actlve portions thereof being angularly formed in the
20 same manner as illust-rated ln the previous embodiment. - -
After mounting and formatlon of the contact elements 32l,
the:insert member 128 is inserted,-into the chamber 130 with
the active portions of the contact elements 32' being aligned
between the teeth 136. By this arrangementJ the contact
25-element~ 32' may be easily formed and mounted in the con-
nector 10' without interference by the integral comb member--
132,
Disposed:along the back wall 16~ are a plurality of
bosses ,138, 140 and 142 pro~ecting outwardly therefrom.
30 In the illustrated formj the boss 142 includes an upward
extension 144. The bosses 138-142 permit quick locking
engagement of the bus bar members 146 and 148 with the
housing-~ll' by the mere pressing of the members 146J 148
against the respective bosses 138-142J the extension 144
35-insuring proper separation of--the bus bar members 146 and
148. When the bus bar members 146 and 148 are to be usedJ
two of the four contact end portions 37a' on each side of
the extension 144 are lengthened relative to the free end
portions 37l a sufficient amount to permit biased engagement
. - .
1~4~'~68
-20-
of the lengthened free end portions 37a' with a bus bar
member 146 or 148. Thus, two of the ~ree end portions 37a'
on each slde of the exten3ion 144 are shorted thereby com-
pletlng an electrlcal circult wlthout the presence of the
plug 12' ln the cavity 26'. Thls operatlng mode of the
connector 10' is utllized when a connector 10' is electri-
cally connected ln series with a telephone unit or the like
so that a contlnuous clrcult is avallable through the con-
nector 10' by way of the bus bar members 146 and 148 regard-
less of the matlng condltion of the plug 12' with theconnector 10'.
Prior mountlng arrangements for bus bar or shorting
bar members are of sufficient complexity or size so that
only those modula~ connectors wherein it is specifically
intended to utilize such bus bars would be molded to include
locking members therefor. The bosses 138, 140, 142 and 144
are of sufficiently small size so that their addition to
the connector 10' ls of minor expense. In addition, the
bosses 138-14~ permit easy and rapid engagement and mounting
of the bus bar members 146 and 148 to the housing 11' at
the face of the comb member 132. Thus, considerable expense
is eliminated by requirlng the molding of only one type of
housing for the connector 10' wherein the bosses 138-144
are inclu~edJ whereas prior modular connectors required the
molding capability for two types of connector housings.
Each connector 10' also includes a first mounting
structure 80' and a second mounting structure 82' disposed
on respective opposing sidewalls for mounting the connector
10' ln a variety of positions and in at least two orienta-
tions relative to a support member 150. The first mountingstructure 80' is preferably substantially identical to the
first mounting structure 80 of the previous embodiment and
preferably includes a pair of mounting channels 90' and 92'
disposed, respectively, on the oppositely facing sidewallY
18' and 22'. Each channel 90', 92' is preferably in the
form of a groove in its respective sidewall 18', 22' extend-
ing between the respective front and back walls 14' and 16',
the width of each groove being slightly greater than the
thickness of the support member 150. However, the channels
.
'Z68
-21-
90~, 92' may also be formed ln other manners, such as by a
plurallty of pro~eotions or the like.
me bottom surface of each channel 90', 92~ also
includes a raised embossment 94' havlng lnclined slde por-
tions 95', 96'. Each embossment 94' ls adapted for blas -.
engagement agalnst the shoulders 84', 86' of the support
member 150 when the first mountlng structure 80' is engaged
within the recessed portion 88'. The embossments 94' are
preferably slightly pliable and capable of cold flow when
sub~ect to such bias engagement. As a result, the connector
10' may be slidably ad~usted to any posltion between the
shoulder members 84', 86' and be retained at the selected
posltion by the bias engagement between the embossments 94' and
shoulders 84', 86'. Furthermore,- the channels 90', 92' are
preferably aligned along a line substantially parallel wlth
't ~ the central axis 30' of the cavity 26'. Therefore, when the
¢onnector 10' is mounted to the support member 150 using the
first mounting means 80', the central axis 30' is substan-
tially parallel with the plane defined by the shoulders 84'
20 and 86', which in the illustrated form is also the plane of
'. the support member 150.
The..second mounting structure 82' of this particular
conne¢tor.embodiment includes a pair of channels 152 and 154
aligned directly opposite .each other along the opposing
25 sldewalls 20~ and 24 ~.J respectively. The :channels 152 and
154 are preferably aligned along lines substantially per-
pendlcu}ar--to- the central axis-30' of the cavity 26' and
. e~tend t~e entire width of the sidewalls 20' and 24' between
: the-sidewalls 18' and 22'. Similar to the previously de-
3 scribed embodi~ent, each channel 152, 154 i9 formed from a
plurality of pro~ections 156, 158 and 160 disposed on the
outer surface of the respective sidewall 20', 24'. The
pro~ections 156 and 158 are disposed in a spaced relation
along the central portion of each sidewall 20' and 24',
35 while each~pro~ectlon 160 ls aligned with the space between
the pro~ections 156 and 158 toward the forward portion of
each sidewall 20', 24'. In this manner~ the pro~ections
156, 158 and 160 may all be formed on the sidewalls 20'
and 24' by a single-action mold as described below. Further-
. . . . . .
68
-22-
more~ each pro~ectlon 160 is spaced from its associated
proJectlons 156, 158 a dlstance slightly greater than the
thickness of the ~upport member 150 to define the channel~
152 and 154 which snugly recelve the shoulders 84' and 86'
to mount the connector 10' within the support member 150.
The bottom of each channel 152, 154, whlch i8 formed
- by the outer surface of the re~pective sidewalls 20', 24',
is adapted to biasly engage the support member 150. To
achieve such bias engagement, the surfaces 162 and 164 of
each channel 152, 154 are inclined to form a land surface
166 relative thereto, the land surface 166 being an exten-
sion of the outer surface of the respective sidewall 20',
24' ar.d being disposed lmmedlately ad~acent the pro~ectlon
160. The land.surfaces 166 of the directly opposing channels
152 and 154 are spaced a suff~ient distance to create a
. bias engagement between the surfaces 166 and the shoulders
84', 86' when the connector 10' is lnserted in the recessed
portion 88'. The land surfaces 166 are preferably slightly
piiable and capable of cold flow when engaging the shoulders
84~, 86'. The land surfaces 166 function ln the same
manner as the embossments 94' of the first mounting structure
; 80' and thereby constitute retentlon means for firmly maln-
talning the connector 10' at any longltudlnal posltlon be-
tween the shoulders 84' and 86'.
Referrlng now to Figures 13 and 14, the palr of
channels 90' and 92' and the palr of channels 152 and 154
are each adapted to raadily accept a palr of shoulders 84',
86' when the connector 10 is inserted entirely withln the
support member 150. As seen ln Flgure 13, the connector
10 may be readlly lnserted lnto the recess 88' utlllzlng the
: first mountlng structure 80~ so that the central axls 30'
of the cavity 26' ls substantlally parallel to the support
member 150. Referring to Flgure 14, the connector 10' may
also be lnserted withln the support member 150 utlllzing the
second mountlng structure 82' so that the central axls 30'
of the cavity 26' is substantially perpendicular to the
plane of support member 150. In addition, the recess
:; portion 88' may be of sufficient length (see Figures 23-25)
; to accept a plurality of the conductors 10' utilizing their
-23-
second mountlng means 82', one ad~acent the other. As can
be appreclated rrom the description given below, the variety
o~ orlentatlons and positlons Or the connectors 10 and 10'
relative to thelr respective support members permlts the
connectors 10 and 10' to be utilized in a wide variety o~
differi~g connector assemblies.
An important feature of the above-described modular
lnterface connectors 10 and 10' is that each connector
- housing 11 and 11', lncludlng its component parts exceptlng
the contact ~lements 32, 32' and the removable comb member
46, is preferably an lntegrally molded unit configured to
allow the fabrication thereof in a single-action mold.
Prior molded connectors generally included pro~ections or
other component parts arranged such that a double-actlon
mold which includes a-separate side actlon mold portion
was requlred to mold the integral unit. However, all the
lntegral component parts Or each housing 11 and 11' are
arranged to permlt a single-action, split mold to be uti-
lizéd in the fabrication of the housings 11, 11'. This ~ea-
ture simplifies both the construction and operation of the
- mold and increases the total production capability of each
mold, since the amount Or time required to mold one unit ls
less for the single-actlon-mold than la required for a
double-action mold. Therefore, the connectors 10 and 10'
- 25 can be fabricated more rapidly and at less cost than the
prior slldable modular interrace connectors.
Furthermore, the above-described unique mounting
constructions 80, 80', 82 and 82' provide-a diversiried
mountlng capability in con~unctlon with a support member 78,
150. Thl8 mounting capability permits a wide variety o~
connector assemblies havlng different runctions to be con-
structed from the same basic component parts, and this
~eature minimizes the manufacturing and assembly costs o~
such assemblles utlllzing the modular connector of the
lnventlon, as descrlbed ln detail below.
Referring now to Figures 15 and 16, a connector
- - assembly-170 is lllustrated lncorporating the modula~r
interface connector of the present invention. The connector
assembly 170 is utilized for electrically interconnecting
.
68
-24-
one and pref`erably a plurality o~ multi-conductor cables
coupled to remote signal stations, such as indlvldual
telephone units, to a plurallty of conductors whlch are
electrlcally coupled to a signal processlng sygtem such as
telephone signal equlpment or a central telephone offlce.
In the lllustrated embodlment, the connector assem-
bly 170 lncludes an enclosure 172 whlch is deflned by a
plurallty of wall members lncluding sldewall members 174,
176, 178 and 180 projecting substantially perpendicularly
from a bottom wall member 182~ A removable support member
184 is releasably mountable within the enclosure 172. To
firmly support the member 184 within the enclosure 172,
ledges 186 are provided along the inner surfaces of the
sidewall members 176 and-180, and a plurality of posts 188,
189, l90 and 191 pro~ect upwardly from the bottom wall
member 182 to engage the bottom surface of the support
member 184. In this particular embodiment, the support
member 184 is adapted to be mounted substantially parallel
to the bottom wall member 182 and is sized and shaped to
abut all four sidewall members 174-180. The support member
184 preferably includes a plurality of apertures 192 and 194
which are aligned with apertures in the posts 189 and 190
when the support member 184 is positloned within the enclo-
sure 172. Any known means such as bolts or screws (not
illustrated) may be utilized to firmly connect the support
member 184 to the posts 189 and 190 through the apertures
192, 194.
The-support member 184 includes a plurality of
notches or recessed portions 196 disposed along two side
3 edges 198 and 200 thereof for mounting a plurality o~
modular interface connectors constructed in accordance with
the~present invention. While the recess portlon 196 may be
~ormed in any manner, it is preferred-that the portlons 196
be punched from a solid support member 184. Each recess
portion 196 ~unctions in the same manner as the recessed
portion 88 of the previously described connector embodiment
and includes a pair of spaced shoulders 202 and 204 for
slidably engaging the selected modular connector, which ln
the illustrated embodiment is a modular connector 10. Each
.
~i~4f268
-25-
modular connector 10 i~ preferably mounted within the support
member 184 utilizing the second mount~ng struoture 82 90 that
the central axis of the cavlty 26 thereof 1B ~ub~tantlally
perpendlcular to the plane deflned by the shoulders 202 and
204 and the plane of the support member 184, the second
mounting structure 82 belng engaged with the shoulders 202
and 204.
Disposed on the central portlon of the support
member 184 is a multi-contact connector component 206, whlch
in this particular embodiment is preferably an Ampheno ~ _
or 15~ ~er~ies connector component manufactured by Amphenol
~ .
North Amerlca Division of Bunker Ramo Corporation. The con-
nector component 206 is securely mounted to the upper
surface of the support member 184 and includes a plurality
of contact elements 208. In preferred form, each contact
element 208 is electrically connected by conductor or
clrcuit mean~ (not lllustrated) to a single contact element
32 (Figure 5) of a connector 10. In this manner, all of the
contact elements 32 of the connectors 10 mounted to the
support member 184 are selectively electrically connected
to the contact elements 208 of the connector component 206.
The plurality of conductors-coupled to a central
slgnal processing system in the form of telephone signal
equipment or a central telephone office (not illustrated)
are terminated to another multi-contact connector component
which is mateably engageable with the connector component
206. Thus, by engaging the two mateable multi-contact
connector comporents, the conductors coupled--to telephone
signal equlpment are selectively electrically connected to
the contact elements 32 (Figure 5) o~ the modular con-
nectors 10. As illustrated in Figure 1, a plurality of
mating connector components 12 may be selectably engaged
with the modular connectors 10, each connector component
12 terminating an electrical conductor 13 which is coupled
to a remote signal station such as an individual telephone
unit. Thus, the connector assembly 170 enables the selective
interconnection of individual telephone units or remote
signal stations having predetermined signal characteristics
to a central signal processing system by selectively
i~4'~68
, ,
-26-
interconnecting the connector 10 with the multiple-contact
connector 206 and by selectlvely engaglng the plug8 12 wlth
the connectors 10. It ~hould be noted that the conne¢tor
assembly 170 is particularly suitable for u~e as a brldglng
adapter assembly, although multlple contact connector mean~
other than connector 206 may be utlllzed ln asse~bly 170.
As illustrated ln Flgure 15, a cover 210 18 provlded
for engagement wlth the upper edges of the sldewall member~
174-180. The cover 210 preferably lncludes a lower llp
211 to permlt firm lnterengagement of the cover 210 wlth the
enclosure 172. Apertures 212, 213 and 214 are provlded ln
a front wall 215 to permlt access by the varlous conductors
to the connector component 206 and the modular connectors
10. Two elongated screws 216 pass through two apertures 217
15- dlsposed in the top portion of the cover 210 and pass
through two apertures 218 ln the support member 184 for
engagement wlth the posts 189 and 190 to firmly secure the
cover 210-to the enclosure 172. Key-slots 219 are also
provided ln-the bottom wall member 182 for mountlng the
20- a~sembly 170 on a vertlcal support such as a wall or the
llke through the use of properly spaced screws or the like.
Referrlng now to Flgures 17, 17A and 18, another
embodlment ~ the connector--assembly of the-present lnven--
tion is lllustrated therein. In thls embodlment, a connector
assembly 220- includes-an enc-losure--222 substantlally simllar
to the encl-osure-172 of-the previous emb-odiment. The-
enclosure 222 is defined by a plurality of wall members
including sidewall members 224,- 226, 228 and 230 mounted
substantiaily perpendlcular-to a bottom wall member 232.
3 - Support-ledges 234 are provided on the inner surfaces of the
sldewall members-226 and 230, and a plurality-of support
posts 236, 237, 238 and 239 pro~ect upwardly from the bottom
wall member 232. The-structural differences- between the
enclosures-222 and 172 (Figure 16) are--that the-sid~wall
member 224 of the enclosure 222 include~--two spaced slots
240 a ngned substantially perpend~cular to the bottom
surface 232, and that the sidewall member 228-includes a
; substantially square vlewing aperture 242 disposed centrally
therein. me slots 240 and the aperture 242 are preferably
.
-~ ~144Z68
-27-
centrally therein. The 810t8 240 and the aperture 242 are
preferably formed by punching the ~olld sidewall members
224 and 228, respectively.
The enclosure 222 further includes a support
member 244 which lncludes one recessed portion 246 having a
palr of spaced shoulders 248 and 250 me support member
244 ls sized and shaped to be removably engageabIe wlth the
ledges 234 and the post 239 to be positioned in the forward
portion Or the enclosure 222 ad~acent the sldewall 228.
An aperture 252 is provided in the support member 244 and
ls aligned with an aperture in the post 239, and a screw or
bolt 254 passes through the aperture 252 into the post 239
to firmly secure the support member 244 wlthin the enclosure
222. A modular interface connector constructed in accor- -
dance with the present inventlon is mounted within the
recesæed portion 246 and is preferably in the form of an
lnterface connector 10. In thls partlcular embodiment,
the flrst mounting structure 80 of the connector 10 is
engaged wlth the shoulders 248 and 250 to ~lidably mount the
connector lO wlthin the recessed portion 246, the central
axis of the cavity 26 being substantially parallel to the
plane of the support member-244. As can be seen from-Flgures
17A and 18, the aperture 242 is po~itioned in the sidewall
member 228 such that when the support member 244 and the
mounted connector 10 are positioned within the enclosure
222, the aperture 28 of the connector 10 is aligned with
the aperture 242 so that the central axis 30 of the connector
- cavlty 26 ls substantially coaxial with the central axls of
the aperture 242. In this manner, the cavity 26 is acces-
sible ~rom the exterior of the enclosure 222 thereby
permltting a mating plug 12 to be inserted lnto the cavity
26 through the apertures 242 and 28 from outslde the con-
nector assembly 220.
The contact elements of the connector 10 mounted-
ln .t~e enclosure 222 are selectably engaged with a plurallty
of conductors (not lllustrated) coupled to a central slgnal
processlng system, such as telephone signal equipment or a
; central telephone offlce. These conductors are provlded
access to the interlor of the enclosure 22 through the slots
"" ,~
Z68
-28-
240. Any known means may be utilized for electrically inter-
connecting such conductors (not illustrated)with the con-
tact elements of the connector 10. In the embodiment
illustrated in Figure 17, two terminal strips 256 and dis-
posed along the bottom wall member 232, each terminal strip256 including a plurality of terminal contacts 258. ~he
incoming conductors (not illustrated) are selectively inter-
connected with the terminal contacts 258, and circuit means
(not illustratea) are utilized to interconnect selected
terminal contacts 258 with the contact elements of the
connector 10, as described in more detail in the heretofore
referenced patent applications.
The connector assembly 220 also includes a cover
member 260 for interengagement with the enclosure 222 to
protect the enclosure components from the environment. In
this embodiment (Figure 17A), the cover 260 includes a top
member 261 having a plurality of short wall members 262
projecting downwardly from the front and sides thereo~.
Each wall member 2~2 includes a lower lip portion 263 for
engagement with the sidewall members 226, 228 and 230,
- respectively. Disposed at the rear of the cover 260 is a
back wall member 264 which depends downwardly from a rear
e-xtension of the top member 261 and is spaced outwardly from
and aligned substantiall~ parallel with the siflewall member
224 of the enclosure 222. The back wall member 264 includes
forwardly projecting edge mem~ers 265 on the parallel
; depending edges thereof which extend between the back wall
member 264 and the outer surface of the si~ewall member 224.
Notches 266 and 268 are provided along the bottom portions
of the edge members 265 and the bottom outermost sections
of the back wall member 264 to provide access to the slots
240 and the interior of the enclosure 222 for the con-
ductors (not illustrated) coupled to telephone signal equip-
ment. In addition, two apertures 270 are disposed in the
top member 261 and are aligned with the posts 237 and 238
when the cover 260 is positioned on the enclosure 222.
Screws 272 are provided for securing the cover 260 to the
posts 237 and 238 to maintain the cover firmly in place
on the enclosure 222.
B
- ii44Z68
--29 -
The particular connector assembly 220 illustrated
in Figures 17, 17A and 18 i8 especially suitable as an
adapter for connectlng a single multi-conductor cable
secured to a telephone unlt and having a modular connector
at the end thereof to non-modular telephone equlpment.
However, lt should be noted that circuit means other than
the termlnal strips 256 may be utilized with the connector
assembly 220 as lllustrated below.
Referrlng to Flgures 19 and 20, a connector assem-
bly 280 is illustrated and constltutes a slight variatlon Orthe connector assembly 220. In the connector assembly 280,
an enclosure 222' ls provlded having the same baslc structure
of the enclosure 222 of Flgure 18. However, in the enclosure
222', a plurality of the apertures 242 are provided in the
sldewall member 228'. Other than this one modification, the
enclosure 222' is identical to the enclosure 222 described
above. A support member 244' is removably mountable within
the enclosure 222~ and includes a plurality of the recesses
246 dlsposed along one side edge 282 ad~acent the sidewall
member 228'-. Each recess 24~ as in the previous embodiment,
includes a pair of spaced shoulders 248 and 250 for recelv-
ing a connector 10. Thus, in this particular embodlment
the support member 244' lncludes three modular interface
~onnectors 10 slidably mounted thereto, the apertures 28
of the connectors 10 being allgned and facing the sidewall
member 228'. The apertures 242 are positioned in the side-
wall member 228' such that the apertures 28 of the connectors
10 are aligned with the apertures 242 when the support mem-
ber 24~' is mounted withln the enclosure 222', the central
30 axis 30 of the cavities 26 being coaxial with the apertures
242. This arrangement provides access tothe cavities 26
of the connectors 10 through the apertures 242 for inter-
connection with a plurality of plug connectors 12 (Figure
1) .
In this particular embodiment, the contact elements
32 (Figure 5) of the three connectors 10 are electrically
engaged by any known circuit means to a plurality of con-
ductors (not illustrated) coupled to telephone signal
equipment~ slots 240 providing access to the enclosure 222'.
~ 4 ~'~ 8
-3o-
Flgure 19 illustrates one embodlment o~ ~uch circuit means
whereln two terminal strlps 256 are disposed on the bottom
wall member ~32 as in the previously descrlbed connector
assembly 2'20. In Figure 19, the contact elements 32 of the
connectors connectors 10 are selectively engaged by any
deslred clrcult means to the terminal contacts 258, while
the lncoming conductors (not illustrated) are also selectively
engaged to the termlnal contacts 258.
The connector assembly 280 of Figures 19 and 20
permlts the interconnection of a plurality o~ multl-conductor
cables which are coupled to individual telephone units
having predetermined signal characteristics to a central
signal processing system. Thus, the connector assembly 280
is particularly adapted to ~unction as a bridging adapter
wherein any desired multl-conductor cable may be readily
interconnected with any selected incoming conductor simply
by modifying the interengagement of the plugs 12 with the
connectors 10.
Figure 21 illustrates yet another embodiment of a
connector assembly constructed in accordance with the
presen~ lnvention. In this particular embodiment, a connec-
tor assembly 290 is provided having a removable support
member 292 in the form of an impedance network with one
network circuit. The imp~dance network 292 includes a
25 recessed pp~tion 294 at one end thereof having a pair of
spaced shoulders 296 and 298 adapted for interengaging the
first connector structure 80 of a connector 10. It should be
noted that the connector 10' may also be utilized in the
assembly 290 as well as in all the other descrlbed connec-
30 tor assemblies of the present invention.
The connector assembly 290 includes an enclosure300 having a plurality of sidewall members 301, 302, 303
and 304 similar to the sidewall members of the previously
described connector assembly embodiments. The sidewall
35 member 304 includes an aperture (not illustrated) disposed
therein for alignment with the connector 10 in the support
member 292 for engagement of a plug 12 with the connector
10. The conductor 13 terminated to the plug 12 (Figure 1)
is coupled to an ~ndividual telephone unit and the contact
~ 6 8
-31-
elements 32 (~igure 5) Or the connector 10 are selectively
electrlcally coupled to the clrcuit 293 of the l~pedance
network 292 which is ln turn electrically coupled to at
least one incoming conductor (not illustrated) leading to
a central signal processing system vla the terminals 305,
306, 307 and 308 provided on the support member 292. The
connector assembly 290 achieves the same basic ~unction as
the connector assembly 220 except that the circuit means of
the assembly 290 includes an impedance network in the form
of the support member 292.
Referring to Figure 22, yet another connector
assembly 310 is illustrated and is substantially similar to
the connector assembly 290. However, the assembly 310
; includes a support member 312 which is in the form of an
impedance network fully mounted between the sidewalls 301,
; 303 and 304 and whlch includes two network circuits. The
two.available circuits of the support member 312 are coupled
to:the connector 10 and alternately available for use, and
; to the incoming conductors-(not illustrated) coupled to
telephone signal equipment-through the terminals:314, 316,
318 and-320. A switch 322 is provided and.extends outwardly
through the~sidewall.;member 304.for~selecting:.the desired
network clrcuit.
- Re~erring.to.Figures 23-26, still another connector
assembly.embodiment.~of the.present invention is.illustrated.
In this particular embodiment, a connector-assembly 330 is.
pr~vlded for selectively receiving a plurality of impedance
networks.to permit selective-interconnection of a plurality
o~.remote:signal.stations hav.ing predetermined signal
30: characteristics to-a central signal:processing system.
The connector assembly 330 includes an enclosure.
332 structured to selectively receive a plurality of dual.
circuit-impedance networks 334, which are ~unctionally the
same-as the impedance networks 312 of Figure 22, and/or a
plurality of single circuit impedance networks 336., which
are ~unctionally~the same as the.impedance networks 292-of
Figure 21. The enclosure 332 is also struc~ured to receive
suitable electrical connectors for interconnecting a plur-
ality of remote signal stat~ons to a central signal processing
1~4~268
-32 -
system .
Brie~ly, each dùal clrcuit impedance network 334
i8 of the type whlch includes a first network circuit in-
cluding a single impedance element 400 which may be utillzed
for interconnecting a telephone remote signal stabion to a
central signal processing system, and a second network clr-
cuit taking the form of an impedance pad circuit having a
plurality of lmpedance elements and whlch 19 suitable for
interconnecting a modem or data set to a central signal
processing system. The first network circuit's single
lmpedance element 400 preferably consists of a one-quarter
watt resistor. The second network circuit elements prefer-
ably includes four.two-watt resistors 402, 404, 406, 408, a
one-~watt---resistor 410~ and-a-capacitor 412. The components
of the first and second network circuits are mounted on a
substrate comprlslng a printed circuit board 414 which
includes on its-underside a deposited lead pattern (not
shown) interconnecting the component parts to form the second
network circuit or pad clrcuit and interconnecting the first
network circuit single impedance element 400 in circuit.
The impedance network also includes a switch 416 mounted on
the board 414. The switch 416 is provided to selectively
actuate the second network circult or pad circuit should
that mode of operation be desired. The swltch 416 prefer-
ably includes a control arm 418 which extends beyond theperiphery of the board 414.
The board 414 also carries external contacts (not
illustrated) whiQh are coupled to portions of the impedance
network circuits by the deposited lead pattern on the
underside of the board 414. The external contacts are
utilized for interconnecting a remote signal station to a
central signal processing system in a manner to be more
fully described hereinafter.
Each single circuit impedance network 336 is the
equlvalent of the first network circuit of the impedance
network 334. More specifically, the impedance network 336
includes a single resistor 420 mounted on a substrate
consisting of a printed circuit board 422. The circuit
board 422 includes a deposited lead pattern 424 inter-
'
'Z68
-33-
connectlng the reslstor 420 to external contacts (not
illustrated) disposed on the board 422 for lnterconnecting
a remote ~ignal station to a central signal proaessing
~ystem as described below.
The enclosure 332 is preferably defined by a plur-
allty of sidewall members 338, 340, 342 and 344 and a bottom
wall member 346. First multiple contact means 348 lnclude a
first plurality of contact elements and are dispo~ed within
the enclosure 332 for terminating a multl-conduator cable
350 which ls coupled to a central signal processing system,
such as telephone signal equlpment or a telephone central
offlce. In preferred form, the first contact means 348
lnclude two mateable multiple-contact connector components
- 352 and 354, each having a plurallty o~ contact elements
15- (not illustrated) engageable with the contact elements of
i its mating connector component. Preferably, the contact
means 34~ constitute Amphenol 57 or 157 Series connector
components or the like. The connector component 352 is
; mounted to the bottom wall member 346, and the connector
component 354-is adapted to terminate-the conductors of the
cable 350 and to be mounted to and engaged-wlth the connector
component 352.
The enclosure 332 also includes a second multiple-
contact means 356 havlng a second plurality of contact
elements (not illustrated), and a~intermediate multiple-
contact means 358 having at least one third plurality of
contact-elements (not illustrated). .The intermedlate con-
tact mean~ 358 includes a plurality of intermediate multiple-
contact connectors 360 mounted to the bottom-wall member 346
3 ad~acent the sidewall member 342. Each of the intermediate
conneGtors 360 preferably includes a rectangular body
portion--361 and a base portion 362 which is secured to the
bottom wall member 346 by screws 363 or ~ivet. Each body
portlon 361 ls adapted to rece~ve an impedance network 334
or 336 and contains a third plurallty of contact elements
for electrical engagement wlth the approprlate external
contacts (not lllustrated) of the engaged impedance network
334, 336. Circuit means (not lllustrated) are also provided
in the enclosure 332 for selectively interconnecting each
, . .
.
268
-34-
thlrd plurallty of contact elements in sald connectors 358
wlth the first plurality o~ contact elements in the connec-
tor component 352. It should be noted that the switch arm
418 of each impedance network 334 proJects through a slot
366 in the sidewall member 338 ~or access outslde the enclo-.
sure 332.
To mount the second connector contact means 356 to
the enclosure 332~ a pair of channel members 368 are disposed
~long the inside edges o~ the sidewall member 340 and are
~o adapted to slidingly receive a support member 370 thereln.
The channel members 368 are arranged to mount the support
member 370 spaced from and parallel with the inner ~urface
Or the sidewall member 340. The second contact means 3~6
are disposed on the suppor-t member 370 as-described below,
and an opening 372 is located in the sidewall member 340
to provide access to the second contact means 356 from out-
side the enclosure 332.
In one form of this embodiment~ as illustrated in
Figures 23-25, the second contact means 356 consists of a
20 plurality of the modular interface connectors 10', although
the connector 10 may also be readily utilized. The 3upport
member 370 includes a plurality of recessed portions 374
each having a pair of spaced shoulders 376, 378 for slidably
recelving the second mounting structure 82' of each connec-
tor 10'. Each recessed portion 374 is preferably adaptedto receive at least two connectors 10' mounted ad~acent each
other with their cavities 26 ' facing the opening 372. Thus,
each connector 10' is accessible from outside the enclosure
332 for engagement with a plug 12 ' terminating a conductor
30 13 (Figure 10) coupled to a remote signal station such as an
individual telephone unit. Circuit means (not illustrated)
are provided in the enclosure 332 to electrically engage the
second contact elements (not illustrated) of each connector
10' to the plurality of third contact elements of one
35 intermediate connector 360 to thereby electrically couple
each connector 10' to the central signal processing system
by way of an intermediate connector 360 and the first con-
tact means 348. It should be noted that the support member
370 is removably engageable with the channels 368 to permit
^` 11~4~68
-35-
~ub~titutlon of alternate forms of secon~ contact means 356
as described below.
The above embodiment ls particularly useful when
interconnecting indivldual telephone unit conductors direct-
ly to the cable 350. However, in certain instances the~ndivldual telephone unit conductors 13 (Figures 1 and 10)
have already been interconnected to a single multl-conductor
cable 375 through use of adapters such as those illustrated
in Figures 15 and 20, although the signals therefrom have
not yet been attenuated. To attenuate the signals from
individual telephone units and to interconnect such units
with a central signal processing system, an alternate form
of the second contact means 356 is illustrated in Figure 26.
In this form of the invention, the contact means
incl~des a multi-contact element connector component 377
mounted to a support member 379. The connector aomponent
377 is preferably an Amphenol 57 or 157 Series connector
component which is mateable with another connector component
(not illustrated) which terminates the cable 375 carrying
the conductors coupled to the individual telephone units.
The support member 379 is slidably mountable in the channels
368 ~imilar to the support member 370, the contact elements
380 of the component 377 being accessible for mating engage-
- ment through the opening 372 Circuit means are also pro-
vided in the enclosure 332 for electrically interconnecting
selected contact elements 380 with appropriate third plural-
ities of contact elements of the intermediate connectors 360
` to interconnect the connector component 377 with the first
contact means 348 and a central signal processing sy.qtem.
Referring to Figures 23, 25 and 269 a cover 382
is provided for engaging the enclosure 332 to protect the
- components thereof from environmental contamination and the
like. The cover 382 preferably includes a top member 384
and a plurality of depending sidewalls 386, 388~ 390 and 392.
The sidewall 386 includes a notched opening 393 to provide
an exit port ~rom the enclosure 332 for the cable 350. The
sidewall 388 includes an opening 394 which cooperates with
the opening 372 when the cover 382 is engaged with the
enclosure 332 to provide access to the second contact means
-36-
356. In addltlon, an outwardly protruding llp member 395
i8 dlsposed on the lowermost edges o~ the sldewalls 386-392
to engage the enclosure sldewall members 338-344, respectlve-
ly. FinallyJ to removably lock the cover 382 in posltlon
on the enclosure 332, a palr o~ reslllent latch members
396, 397 are disposed, respectlvely, on the sldewalls 386
and 390 for latchlng engagement with a palr of catches 398
and 399 dlsposed on the sidewall members 338 and 342,
respectively.
~ 10 The connector assembly 330 is pre-wired as dls-
i cussed above and with the conductive lead pattern of the
prlnted clrcuit board 414 interconnecting the varlous ele-
ments thereon, all of the requirements found in the rules
and-regulations, Appendix A-59, appearing in the Federal
reglster, Vol. 4i, No. 134, dated Monday, July 12, 1976,
will be satisfied. Also, those requirements are satlsfled
àt the lnstant the circuit board 414 or 422 is interconnected
with an intermediate connector 360. Therefore, the inter-
connections between a remote signal statlon and a central
signal processing system can be achieved with the present
invention without on-site installation wir~ng.
The presentinvention, therefore, provides improved
modular interface connectors and unique connector assemblies
incorporatlng such improved connectors. The modular con-
nectors o~ the invention include universal mounting struc-
tures which permit the connectors to be slidably mounted in
various configurations, orientations and arrangements to
satisfy a number of diverse connection requirements. In
addltion, the connectors of the invention and their mounting
structures can be molded in a single-action mold to thereby
reduce the costs of manufacture. Furthermore, a un~que
comb structure and a slmplified bus bar mounting structure
are provided which simplify the fabrication of the con-
nectors and thereby further reduce the cost of manufacture.
The improved connector of the invention also permits
the construction of a wide variety of improved connector
assemblies utilizing a limited number of interchangeable
component parts for interconnecting remote signal stations
to a central signal processing system. Prior connector
.
.
-- . .
-- ~lg4~8
-37-
asæemblies were generally indivldually unique for each
speciflc lnterconnection requirement with very few lnter-
changeable components. However, the connector assemblles
of the present invention have the same baslc components
which can be rearranged in dlfferent combinations to meet
a multlpllcity of lnterconnectlon needs including adapters,
brldging assemblles, modem or data Jacks, ~unction assemblles
and varlous combinations thereof. Therefore, the present
lnvention simplifles the construction of such connector asse~
blies by reducing on-site wlrlng requirements as well as
slgnlficantly reduces the requirement of large, dlverse
lnventories of assembly component parts.
It will be understood that the invention may be
; embodied ln other speclfic forms wlthout departlng from the
spirlt or central characteristlcs thereof. The present
examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered
ln all respects as illustratlve and not restrictive, and the
inventlon is not to be limited to the details given herein
but may be modified within the scope of the appended clalms.
"
