Electrical connectors – With circuit component or comprising connector which fully... – Termination circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-22
2001-05-29
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With circuit component or comprising connector which fully...
Termination circuit
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238247
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector which has a component package and a retaining device that releasably retains the component package within the connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a connector where the retaining device at least partially shields the component package.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical connectors, including electric components such as modular jacks, can use various types of filters to reduce or eliminate noise, and can use LEDs to indicate a system status. Such filters may include a three terminal capacitor or a common mode choke coil. A disadvantage in the use of such filters is that they may complicate the production of the connector. A need, therefore, has been perceived for providing a filtered electrical connector or an electrical connector with one or more LEDs that are assembled in a relatively simple manner.
The use of an integral ferrite element for this purpose is proposed in Japanese Patent Publication 64-2273. This reference discloses a modular jack having a modular insert installed in a casing. The body of the insert is formed with ferrite, and on one side of the insert body insert holes are formed for introducing connecting lines to be connected to respective contact springs.
While this reference would appear to simplify the apparatus used for noise filtering in modular jacks, such filtered connector is larger than a comparable non-filtered connector. Thus, a need exists for further increasing the compactness of such filtered connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,619 discloses a filtered modular jack assembly having an outer insulative housing with open front and rear sides. A ferrite element with vertical conductive wires is positioned adjacent the rear end, and an elongated insulative insert is superimposed over the ferrite element. The insulative insert is fixed to the housing, and the conductive wire extends vertically from the ferrite element over the upper side of the insert to its terminal end and then bends downwardly and rearwardly to rest on the top surface of an interior medial wall in the housing. The connector, however, cannot interchange various filters. Accordingly, a need still exists for a connector jack which can achieve such compactness while using multiple types of filtering elements.
A need also exists for such a connector that can securely removably receive any of a plurality of components, such as a filter element, LED, or the like, as mounted within or on a component package, especially in the field. Accordingly, if in the field or elsewhere it is determined that one component is not desired or is not operating properly, the component package there-having may simply be removed from the jack, and be replaced by another component package having a more suitable component. A need further exists for such a connector that is properly shielded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned need is satisfied by the present invention, in which an electrical connector has an insulative housing, a plurality of first contacts extending through the housing for electrically contacting conductors in a mating connector, and a cover releasably secured to the housing and contacting at least one of the plurality of first contacts.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a modular jack releasably receives a component package having an exterior surface, a plurality of first conductive elements mounted on the exterior surface, and at least one electric device mounted thereon and electrically coupled to the first conductive elements. The jack has an insulative insert mounted within an interior section of an insulating housing. The insert has a forward portion and a rear portion, where the rear portion defines a recess for receiving the component package therein. The recess defines a mouth thereof, and the component package is received within the recess through the mouth thereof. Each first conductive element of the component package resides at a respective predetermined location within the recess when the component package is received within the recess.
A plurality of first contacts are mounted to the forward portion of the insert to electrically contact conductors in a connector inserted toward the forward portion of the insert and into the jack. Each first contact corresponds to a first conductive element in the component package, extends from the forward portion of the insert generally to the predetermined location of the corresponding first conductive element, and terminates at a termination in communication with such predetermined location. The termination of each first contact electrically contacts the corresponding first conductive element at the respective predetermined location when the component package is received within the recess. A retaining device is releasably secured over the mouth of the recess to releasably retain the component package as received in the recess.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4726638 (1988-02-01), Farrar et al.
patent: 4772224 (1988-09-01), Talend
patent: 5015204 (1991-05-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 5069641 (1991-12-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 5456619 (1995-10-01), Belopolsky et al.
patent: 5736910 (1998-04-01), Townsend et al.
patent: 5971805 (1999-10-01), Beloposky et al.
patent: 64-2273 (1989-01-01), None
Belopolsky Yakov
Somerville James A.
Berg Technology Inc.
Nguyen Phuongchi
Paumen Gary F.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewcz & Norris LLP
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