Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
SPECIFICATION
LOW PROFILE MODULAR PHONE JACK AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME
Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the art of
electrical connectors and, particularly, to a low profile
modular phone jack, along with a method of fabricating the
modular phone jack.
Background of the Invention
Electrical connectors commonly called modular
phone receptacles or jacks have been known in the art for
many years. Although connectors of this type were
originally designed for the telecommunications industry,
and in particular for telephones, they have found wide
acceptance in other areas. For example, modular jacks are
commonly used as input/output (I/O) interface connectors
for computers to communicate with each other and with a
variety of peripheral equipment.
Modular jacks are used extensively as an
interface between a standard modular plug and a printed
circuit board. The modular jacks generally include a
dielectric housing having a plug-receiving socket or
opening therein. A plurality of stamped, metallic
elongated terminals are mounted in the housing for engaging
contacts of the corresponding plug. Typically, each
terminal includes a contact portion at one end extending
diagonally into the socket or opening, a tail portion at
the other end extending from the housing and an
intermediate portion between the contact portion and the
tail portion.
Modular phone jacks may be formed either as a
one-piece housing structure or as a two-piece assembly. In
the one-piece structure, a one-piece or unitary dielectric
housing has channels adapted to locate and hold the stamped
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
metallic terminals. In the two-piece assembly, the
terminals are mounted on a dielectric insert as a
subassembly, and this subassembly is positioned in the
housing. Typically, the terminals are at least partially
formed or bent prior to positioning the subassembly into
the housing. The finally assembled modular phone jack then
can be mounted on a printed circuit board with the tail
portions of the terminals inserted into precisely spaced
holes in the printed circuit board.
One of the problems in the use of modular phone
jacks as described above involves maintaining the tail
portions of the terminals at the same precise location and
spacing as the holes in the printed circuit board. This
problem is particularly prevalent in two-piece assemblies
where the terminals are preassembled on the insert prior to
positioning the subassembly of the insert and the terminals
into the jack housing. It is fairly easy to precisely
locate the tail portions in a one-piece molded jack
housing. However, in the two-piece assembly, the various
preassembly steps, including bending and forming of the
tail portions, handling and inserting the subassembly into
the housing, tend to cause the tail portions to become
misaligned. This problem is further complicated when
filter elements are positioned about the tail portions of
the terminals.
The present invention is directed to these
problems by providing a unique system for maintaining
proper spacing or alignment of the terminal tail portions
in a modular phone jack particularly of the two-piece
design.
Summary of the Invention
An object, therefore, of the invention is to
provide a new and improved modular phone jack of the
character described, along with a method of fabricating the
modular phone jack.
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the
jack includes an outer dielectric housing having a plug-
receiving opening formed in a forward mating end of the
housing. An inner dielectric insert is positionable in the
housing. A plurality of elongated terminals are fixed to
the insert. Each terminal includes a contact portion at
one end extending diagonally into the plug-receiving
opening and a tail portion at the opposite end extending
from the housing. Generally, means are provided for
securing the tail portions to the housing at predetermined
spaced locations.
More particularly, the terminals have
intermediate portions between the contact portions and the
tail portions. The intermediate portions are fixed to the
dielectric insert. After this subassembly is positioned in
the jack housing, the tail portions are secured to a comb
structure of the housing to maintain the tail portions at
precise, predetermined spaced locations.
As disclosed herein, the insert is generally
planar and includes a forward end from which the contact
portions of the terminal extend and a rearward end from
which the tail portions of the terminals extend. A filter
element is positioned about the tail portions of the
terminals. In final assembly, the filter elements are
sandwiched between first shoulder means on the housing and
second shoulder means on the insert.
The invention also contemplates a method of
fabricating a modular jack, including the steps of
providing an outer dielectric housing with a plug-receiving
opening in a forward mating end of the housing. The
plurality of terminals are fixed to an inner dielectric
insert to form a subassembly. The subassembly then is
positioned in the housing with the contact portions of the
terminals extending diagonally into the plug-receiving
opening and with the tail portions of the terminals
extending from the housing. After positioning the
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
subassembly in the housing, the tail portions of the
terminals are secured to the housing at their predetermined
spaced locations.
The method may include the step of mounting a
filter element about the tail portions of the terminals
prior to positioning the subassembly into the housing.
During assembly, the filter elements are sandwiched between
opposing shoulder means on the insert and the housing.
Other objects, features and advantages of the
invention will be apparent from the following detailed
description taken in connection with the accompanying draw-
ings.
DEC - 26- 1997 07: 42 MOLEX CA rO 222 ~ 971 1997 - 12 - 29 . 630 416 4962 P .02/04
Patent
9?-001
Br;ef Des~riPtion of ~he ~raw;ng~
The fe~ures of this invention ~hich are believed
~o ~e novel are set forth with par~icul~rity in the append-
ed claims. The invention, together wi~h its objects and
the advantages ~hereof, may ~e ~e~ under~tood by ~eference
to ~he following description ~aken in conjunction with the
accompanying dxawings, in which lik~ xeference numer~
identify like elements in the figuxes an~ in which:
FIGURE 1 i~ a perCpe~tive ~iew of a modular phone
jack inçorporatin~ the ~oncepts o$ the invention;
~IGUR~ 2 is a vertical, front-to rear ~ection
through the phone jack;
. FIGURE 3 i~ a ~ront elevational ~iew o~ the ja~X:
FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the jack;
F~GUR~ 5 i~ a vert$cal, fro~t-to-rear section
through the jack housin~:
~IGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the housing:
FIGURE 7 is a horizontal se~ion taken generally
along line 7-7 of Flgure 6; ~nd
FIGURE 8 ~ a top plan view of the dielectric
insert with the terminal~ staked thereto, and prior to
f orming the t~- in;~l g,
D 1 '~ A ~ ~/A ~d ~ D ~ r
,r~ B~
t ~ A IJ~r~
r~6,,~ cr~ .
DEC - 26 - 1997 07:43 ~OLEX CArO222~971 1997-12-29. l 630 416 4962 P.03/04
Patent
g7-001 ~A
~etail ed Descr~tion of the Pr~ferred ~mbodim.en~
Referring to the dr~wings in greater detail, and
fir~ to Pigure~ 1-4, the invention is incorporated in a
modular phone jack, generally designated 10. Generally,
the iack $s a two-piece ~sse~bly incl~ding ~n outer
diçle~tric housing, gener~lly designated 12, and an Lnner
dielectric insert, generally designated 14. A plurality of
elongated tPr~inals, generally designated 16, are mounted
in the housing~ A filter in ~he form o~ a ferrite block 18
(Fig. 2~ is positioned over portions of the te~
~ ore particularly, referring to Figures ~-7 in
conjunoti~n with ~igures ~4, outer diele~tric housing 12
o~ modular phone jack 10 is of ~ conven~ box-like
configur~tion including a top wall ~0, a ~o~o~ wall 22 and
a pair of side walls 24, all ~ombining to define ~ plug-
~eceiving socket or opening, generally designated 26. The
so~ket is open at a forwa~d ~ating end 28 of the housing
The rea~ of the soc~et i5 ¢losed by an int~rnal partition
3~ ~paced inw~rdly or forwardly of a rear end 32 of t~e
housing. The top of partition 30 includes a co~ e
~tructure 30a. The rear of bottom wall 22 also includes ~
comb-like ~tructure 22a. A pair of mounting pos~s 36 are
inte~rally molded wi~h and proje~ downw~rdly from the
housing. The posts are ~o~nted into locating holes in the
prin~ed circuit board to precisely locate the h~in~ on
the bo~rd, particularly relati~e to the terminal tai~ holes
in the ~oard.
f __
As be~t ~een in Fig~res 2~, e~ch te ~ nal 16
in~ludes an intermediate portion l~a b~n a oontact
portion 16b and a tail p~rtion l~c. ~he con~act portion of
ea~h te~minal extends at one end o~ the intermedia~e
portion diagon~lly into plug-reae~ving cpen~ng 2~. The
tail por~ions 16c of the terminal~ are ~ent general}y
perpendicular to intermediate por~ions 1~ at the opposite
3~ ends thereof downwardly and out of housing 12 for in~ert~on
into holes in the printed circuit board. It can be seen in
DEC-26-1997 07:43 ~OLEX CAr-0~222~971 1997-12-29 1 - 630 416 4962 P.04/~4
Pa~ent
~7-001 CA
Figure 2 that tail portions 16c of the tçxminals are fo~me~
so that alternating ones of the termina'~ 5 are in two
differen~ rows ac is typical in the art. Lastly, Figure ~
shows ferrite filter blo~k 18 sandwiched between a fir~t
~houlder 38 def~ned by comb structure 22a of the housing
~nd ~ c~cond shoul~er 4~ def~ned ~y in~ert 14.
FigureS8~show~ dielectric insert 14 and ter~in~lc'
1~ in the process of ~eing joined to form a c~h~ssembly for
inser~ion into ja~k hou~ing 12. More particularly, the
dielectrio insert is formed as a generally planar, molded
pl~stic component having a plurali~y o~ ups~ndin~
staggered locating pro;e~ion~ 42. Termina~s 16 are
~oun~ed on top of inser~ 14 and include o~al-chAre~ pilot
holes 4~ which are ~taggered with respect to one anot~er ~n
the alternating terminal~. Locat~ng p~oje~tions 42 are
adapted to be received within pilot holes 44 ~o pre~i~ely
posi~ion terminals 16 on the top of insert 14. A~ter
pocitionin~ ~he terminals, lo~ating projections 4~ a~e cold
s~-aked to rigidly ~ix the ~erminalC to the inser~.
~0After terminals 16 are fixed to dielectric insert
14 as shown in Fi ~ r~ll8, the terminals then are formed as _~
sho~n best in Figur~ ~. In other words, contact portions
1~ o~ the terminals are bent downwardly a~out a front ed~e
; 14a of the in~ert until the contact po~tions extend
diagonally rearwardly beneath ~he insert. Tail portions
16c are bent do~nwardly generally at right ~ngle~ to
intermedia~e portion~ 16a behind a rear edge 14b of the
insert. Before the subas~embly of insert 14 and formed
terminal~ 16 is positioned within ho~sing 12, fer.rite
~ilte~ ~lock 1~ is positioned onto tail portions 16c of the
te~minals as ~een in Figure 2. The inside o~ side walls 24
of the housing are provided ~ith y.OOV~S 46 (see Figs. ~
and 5) ~or re~eiving the side edges o~ incert 14 when the
subassembly ~f the insert and the termi~als are mount~d in
the housing th~ough the rear end 32 of the housing~
TOTRL P . 04
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
The method of fabricating modular phone jack 10
can fairly be derived from the above description of the
structural combination thereof. Nevertheless, the method
can be summarized as follows:
providing outer dielectric housing 12 with plug-
receiving opening 16 in forward mating end 28 of the
housing;
fixing terminals 16 to dielectric insert 14 to
form the subassembly of Figure 8;
forming the terminals with contact portions 16b
and tail portions 16c as shown in Figure 2;
positioning this subassembly in housing 12 with
contact portions 16b extending diagonally into plug-
receiving opening 26 and with tail portions 16c extending
from the housing; and
securing tail portions 16c of terminals 16 to
comb structure 22a at the rear of bottom wall 22 of the
housing.
If filter element 18 is employed, the method
includes the step of mounting the filter element about tail
portions 16c of the terminals prior to positioning the
subassembly of the insert and the terminals into the
housing. During assembly, filter element 18 becomes
sandwiched between opposing shoulders 38 and 40 of the
housing and the dielectric insert, respectively.
As the subassembly of dielectric insert 14 and
terminals 16 is positioned into housing 12, the tail
portions enter comb structure 22a at the rear of bottom
wall 22 to precisely position the tail portions at
predetermined spaced locations corresponding to their
respective holes in the printed circuit board. In order to
assure precise positioning of the tail portions, the tail
portions can be cold staked to the bottoms or bases of the
slots in the comb structure. Contact portions 16b are
separated by comb structure 3Oa.
CA 0222~971 1997-12-29
Patent
97-001 CA
The structural combination of the invention takes
the advantages afforded by a one-piece jack structure as
well as a two-piece assembly without creating any
substantial disadvantages. In particular, it is known that
a one-piece jack housing can best locate the tail portions
of the terminals relative to their respective holes in the
printed circuit board. This can be understood because
mounting posts 36 precisely locate the housing on the board
and the housing, in turn, precisely locates the tail
portions of the terminals. However, a one-piece housing
structure has considerable disadvantages in assembling
conductors 16 and/or filter elements inside the one-piece
structure.
on the other hand, a two-piece assembly including
a dielectric insert, such as insert 14, considerably
simplifies the assembly processes of a modular phone jack.
Unfortunately, the two-piece assembly suffers from the
disadvantages of the tail portions of the terminals
becoming misaligned during manufacture and handling.
The present invention takes advantage of the
positive attributes of both types of designs. The
invention uses the two-piece structure to provide a
subassembly which is very easy to assemble within the jack
housing, including the terminals and the filter block, if
desired. The structure of the invention then relies on the
housing (i.e. comb structure 22a) to precisely align and
space the terminal tail portions for insertion into their
respective holes in the printed circuit board.
It will be understood that the invention may be
embodied in other specific forms without departing from the
spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present
examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered
in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and
the invention is not to be limited to the details given
herein.
