Electrical connectors – With indicating or identifying provision
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-18
2001-09-04
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With indicating or identifying provision
C439S676000, C439S541500, C439S490000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283786
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical connector which has a built-in light transmission means for visual indication.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical connectors having built-in indicator lights have been known for some time. In these connectors, the indicator lights typically are located at the front of the connector. A typical connector may include an integral LED device to emit a light which indicates an operational function such as the reception or transmission of data or voice signals, verification of a good connection between separate pieces of equipment, indication when power is on or off, indication of a defect in a network transmission or any other state or condition in the equipment with which the connector is operatively associated.
Visual light indicating connectors are popular in modular jacks or similar types of connectors commonly used in telecommunications and data networking equipment. These jacks often are mounted on a circuit board to which they are to be connected. Problems have been encountered in incorporating such light indicating devices, such as LED devices, directly onto the connector due to the ever increasing miniaturization and density of telecommunications and data networking equipment.
For instance, electrical connector assemblies in the form of modular jack assemblies include a singular housing having a plurality of receptacles for receiving a complementary plurality of mating plugs. The housing typically is mountable on a printed circuit board. In order to provide light indicating devices for each of the bank or array of receptacles, there simply is not enough space to mount the desired LED devices, for instance, between or around the array of receptacles. In addition, the receptacles typically are arranged in one or more vertical stacks or columns and, if the indicating devices are positioned between the stacked receptacles, the cables of the plugs which are inserted into the receptacles hang down and obscure the light indicating devices. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector assembly capable of transmitting and indicating light for various visual indication purposes, the assembly being adapted for electrically connecting a plurality of mating plugs, such as electrical connection to a circuit board.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector assembly includes a housing adapted for mounting on the circuit board. The housing has a front face with a plurality of stacked receptacles, including a top receptacle, for receiving the plurality of mating plugs. A light guide is operatively associated with each receptacle and its respective mating plug to signal a circuit condition thereof. All of the light guides have front ends viewable at the front of the housing above the top receptacle. Each front end has indicating means to visually indicate the receptacle with which the respective light guide is operatively associated.
As disclosed herein, the housing has a front face at which the front ends of the light guides are viewable. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the housing, and each terminal includes one end extending into one of the receptacles for making electrical contact with a corresponding terminal on the respective plug inserted into that receptacle. Each terminal includes an opposite end adapted to contact the circuit board.
In one embodiment of the invention, the indicating means generally comprises prescribed shapes of the front ends of the light guides. For instance, the front ends of the light guides may be shaped generally in the form of arrows. The front end of the light guide operatively associated with the top receptacle is shaped in the general form of an upwardly directed arrow. The front end of the light guide operatively associated with a receptacle below the top receptacle is shaped in the general form of a downwardly directed arrow.
In another embodiment of the invention, the indicating means is provided by indicia on the front ends of the light guides positionally related to the respective receptacles with which the light guides are operatively associated. For instance, the indicia on the front end of the light guide operatively associated with the top receptacle is an upwardly directed arrow. The indicia on the front end of the light guide operatively associated with a receptacle below the top receptacle is a downwardly directed arrow. Alternatively, the upwardly and downwardly directed arrows could be replaced by “T” and “B” corresponding to the top and bottom receptacles, respectively.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4887876 (1989-12-01), Frick et al.
patent: 5700157 (1997-12-01), Chung
patent: 5704802 (1998-01-01), Loudermilk
patent: 5876239 (1999-03-01), Morin et al.
patent: 3703 423 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 0 365 698 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 2 070 868 (1981-02-01), None
patent: WO98/09347 (1998-03-01), None
Margulis Yan
Roberts James T.
Gilman Alexander
Molex Incorporated
Paumen Gary
Tirva A. A.
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