Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-03
2001-10-02
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S677000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296528
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a structure for selectively limiting insertion of a plug into a plug-receiving cavity in a receptacle connector housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Jacks define female receptacle connectors having a non-conductive housing and electrical conductive terminals therein. The jack typically is mounted to a circuit board, panel or the like, with the terminals in the jack being electrically connected to conductive areas on the circuit board or to a cable. The jack is mateable with a male plug connector which also has a nonconductive housing and a corresponding number of electrically conductive terminals. The plug frequently will be attached to a cable having a plurality of electrically conductive leads which are respectively connected to the terminals in the plug. The cable leading to the plug may be a round cable or a flat flexible cable depending upon the particular application. This combination of jacks and mateable plugs, constituting a modular jack/plug (or mod-jack)assembly, is used in many electrical devices, with broad applications being found in the computer and telecommunications industries. Currently, 4, 6, and 8 circuit mod-jack assemblies are manufactured. 10 circuit assemblies may be developed in the future.
Mating between the plug and jack is generally effected by insertion of the plug into a plug-receiving cavity in the receptacle housing. Locating ribs may be provided on the body of the plug to aid in positioning of the plug with respect to the receptacle housing prior to and during plug insertion. A latching system may be provided for maintaining the plug and receptacle in a mated state once the plug has been inserted. As an indication to a user that the plug has been fully inserted into the jack, the latching system is generally configured to produce an audible clicking sound when the plug is fully inserted.
A problem exists with the current mod-jack assemblies in that undersized plugs, having a width smaller than that which a given plug-receiving cavity is designed to receive, can be inserted into a plug-receiving cavity of a receptacle housing. When an undersized plug is inserted into a plug-receiving cavity designed to receive a plug having a width greater than that of the undersized plug, the locating ribs on the plug body will align with terminals in the plug receiving cavity, damaging the terminals. Also, the connection between the larger-width jack and the smaller-width plug may be incompatible, even though the user hears an audible click indicating that the plug is fully inserted.
One method of addressing this problem is provided in Jones et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,129. In Jones et al. '129, narrower plugs in a series of electrical connector assemblies are prevented from insertion into wider sockets in the series by varying the height of the plugs and sockets and/or varying the cross-sectional dimensions of a key and keyway provided on the plugs and sockets. A problem with this approach is that provision for numerous variations in the configurations of the plug and receptacle bodies greatly increases the complexity and expense of tooling, such as molds and assembly fixtures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore an object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for limiting the insertion of an undersized plug into a receptacle housing receiving cavity designed to receive a plug having a width larger than the width of the undersized plug.
In the one embodiment of the invention, the receptacle connector for selectively limiting insertion of an undersized plug into a plug receiving cavity includes a housing having a plug-receiving cavity with a polarizing slot for receiving one of either a first or second plug in a plug insertion direction. The first and second plugs each have a leading surface and a polarizing key. The polarizing key of each plug is adapted to be slidably inserted into the polarizing slot in the housing. The polarizing slot and the polarizing keys each have a center line. When either of the plugs is inserted into the plug receiving cavity, the center line of the plug polarizing key will be aligned with the center line of the polarizing slot of the plug receiving cavity. The leading surface of the first plug has a first plug dimension from the center line of the first plug polarizing key to an edge of the leading surface. The leading surface of the second plug has a second plug dimension from the center line of the second plug polarizing key to an edge, the second plug dimension of the leading surface being less than the first plug dimension.
A flexible stop member projects into the plug receiving cavity. The flexible member has a stop surface positioned within the plug-receiving cavity for contacting the leading surface of the second plug when the second plug is inserted into the plug-receiving cavity which will prevent further insertion of the second plug into the cavity. The stop surface is movable in response to insertion of the first plug into the plug-receiving cavity. The flexible member also has a sliding surface positioned within the plug receiving cavity. The sliding surface located a lateral distance from the centerline of the polarizing slot so as to contact the leading surface of the first plug as the first plug is inserted into the plug-receiving cavity. The distance between the center line of the plug polarizing key and the location on the plug leading surface contacted by the sliding surface during plug insertion is less than the first plug dimension and greater than the second plug dimension. Contact between the sliding surface of the flexible stop member and the plug leading surface will cause the flexible strip member to move so that the stop surface is located out of engagement with the leading surface of the first plug, allowing complete insertion of the first plug into the plug receiving cavity.
An additional embodiment includes a second flexible stop member which prevents both a second and third plug having, respectively, second and third plug dimensions between the centerline of the plug polarizing key and an edge of the plug leading surface which is less than the first plug dimension from being inserted into the plug receiving cavity. Finally, another embodiment includes a single flexible stop member with a stop surface adapted to contact the leading surface of either one of a second and third plug.
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: 4350409 (1982-09-01), Kato et al.
patent: 4376565 (1983-03-01), Bird et al.
patent: 4448467 (1984-05-01), Weidler
patent: 4764129 (1988-08-01), Jones et al.
patent: 5244402 (1993-09-01), Pasterchick et al.
patent: 5342221 (1994-08-01), Peterson
patent: 6168473 (2001-01-01), Hsin
patent: 6186835 (2001-02-01), Cheshire
Margulis Yan
Roberts James T.
Hyeon Hae Moon
Molex Incorporated
Sircus Brian
Weiss Stephen Z.
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