Electrical connectors – Having circuit interrupting provision effected by mating or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-03
2001-02-27
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Having circuit interrupting provision effected by mating or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193533
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a contact set for connecting a multi pair communication cable having wire pairs, in particular individually shielded wire pairs, said set comprising a male connector provided to be plugged into a female connector, said female connector comprising a first, a second, a third and a fourth pair of connection pins provided for being connected to corresponding wires of said wire pairs.
Such a contact set is known from EP 0 755 100, wherein said four pairs of pins are each provided in a separate holder part. By the provision of separate holder parts, crosstalk between the different pairs of connection pins is considerably reduced, providing good transmission characteristics up to and possibly beyond 600 MHz.
A drawback of this known contact set is that the female connector presents a specific configuration so that only a male connector having a corresponding specific configuration may be mated in the female connector. In particular, a known RJ-45 male connector may not be mated therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a contact set which allows transmission with high frequencies, in particular up to and possibly beyond 600 MHz, but wherein the female connector is still compatible for plugging in known RJ-45 male connectors with frequencies up to 100 and 200 MHz (category 5 or 6 connectors).
To this object the contact set according to the invention is characterised in that said female connector comprises a central pair and a further pair of pins in such a manner to form an aligned series of pins with said third and fourth pairs of pins wherein said central pair is located in the middle of said series and the two pins of said further pair of pins are located on both sides of said central pair of pins, said third and fourth pairs of pins being each located at a respective extremity of said series, said central pair of pins being connected to a first pair of electrical contacts connecting the central pair of pins with said first pair of pins and said further pair of pins being connected to a second pair of electrical contacts connecting the further pair of pins with said second pair of pins in such a manner that upon connection of a first male connector having corresponding first and second pairs of pins provided in first and second holder parts separate from the other pins, said first and second pairs of electrical contacts are released, and upon connection of a second male connector consisting of four aligned pairs of pins mating in said series of pins, said first and second pairs of electrical contacts are held.
The formed configuration of eight aligned pins comprising the third and fourth pairs of pins and the additional pairs of pins, i.e. the central and further pairs of pins, corresponds to a configuration of an RJ-45 connector so that the obtained female connector is compatible for plugging in known RJ-45 connectors. By the provision of the electrical contacts between the central and first pairs of pins, on the one hand, and the further and second pairs of pins, on the other hand, the electrical signals when using an RJ-45 connector are transmitted from the central and further pairs of pins via the first and second pairs of pins to the wire pairs connected to the first and second pairs of pins. When plugging in a male connector having corresponding first and second pairs of pins, the electrical contacts are released so that electrical signals will be transmitted from the first, second, third and fourth pairs of pins from the male connector to the first, second, third and fourth pairs of pins from the female connector. This transmission may be achieved with high frequencies since the first and second pairs of pins of the male connector are located in separate holder parts, since the remaining third and fourth pairs of pins are sufficiently spaced apart from each other, i.e. at both extremities of the aligned series and since the central and further pairs of pins do not receive electrical signals, the electrical contacts with the first and second pairs of pins being released. Thus, the electrical signals do not reach the central and further pairs of the female connector. This results in an absence of crosstalk between those pins.
In order to further reduce interference, each pair of pins in said first male connector is provided in a corresponding holder part, each holder part being separated from one another by means of a shield. Preferably, said shield is provided for grounding said further pair of pins of the female connector upon connection of said first male connector.
Preferably, said male connector comprises a corresponding central pair of connection pins provided to be mated into the central pair of pins in the female connector. This enables to use the central pairs of pins for additional electrical signals.
The invention also relates to a female connector to be used in a contact set according to the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4261633 (1981-04-01), Abernethy
patent: 4682827 (1987-07-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 4699443 (1987-10-01), Goodrich et al.
patent: 4717217 (1988-01-01), Bogese, II
patent: 4725241 (1988-02-01), Bertini et al.
patent: 5030123 (1991-07-01), Silver
patent: 5123854 (1992-06-01), Petersen et al.
patent: 5921818 (1999-07-01), Larsen et al.
patent: 5951330 (1999-09-01), Reichard, Jr. et al.
patent: 5961354 (1999-10-01), Hashim
patent: 0 692 884 A1 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 0 755 100 A2 (1997-01-01), None
patent: WO 97/41624 (1997-11-01), None
De Win Paul
Gubbelmans Gunther
Alcatel
Hyeon Hae Moon
Nguyen Khiem
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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