Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-04-03
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S607070
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210237
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and particularly to a multi-port, telephone-type modular jack assembly for directly coupling a number of modular plugs to a printed circuit board. The present invention also relates to a method for making such a modular jack assembly.
2. The Prior Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,531,612, 5,378,172, 5,419,720, 5,249,987 and 5,478,261 and Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83213632, 83203192, 81204566, 83202859 and 82119692 disclose some conventional modular jacks/multi-port modular jack assemblies, wherein Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 82119692 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,249,987 and 5,478,261 emphasize contact design, Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 83203192, 83213632, 81204566 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,720 mainly relate to insulative housing design, and Taiwan Patent Application No. 83202859 addresses an electromagnetic shielding shell.
The conventional modular jack/jack assembly includes at least eight contacts for connecting with eight contacts of a mating telephone-type modular plug for transmitting electrical signals therethrough. Mounting the contacts of the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies in housings thereof is laborious and troublesome. Thus, the assembly and production efficiency of the prior art is relatively low.
Furthermore, when the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies are mounted to electronic devices, it is difficult for grounding/shielding shells thereof to be positively connected to grounding panels (usually, front or rear panels) of the electronic devices.
Moreover, the grounding/shielding shells of the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies each consist of a number of separate members which are not easily assembled with the housings thereof.
Additionally, the contacts of the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies have a configuration which will interfere with an insertion of mating modular plugs thereinto so that the mating modular plugs cannot be smoothly connected to the conventional modular jacks/jack assemblies.
Finally, in the prior art modular jacks/jack assemblies, engaging tabs of the shielding/grouding shells engaging with the plastic housings will interfere with neighboring modular jacks/jack assemblies so that the modular jacks/jack assemblies cannot be closely juxtaposed together.
Therefore, an improved modular jack/jack assembly is needed to eliminate the above mentioned defects of current modular jacks/jack assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide an improved multi-port modular jack assembly having contacts which can be easily and quickly mounted within a housing of the modular jack assembly.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a multi-port modular jack assembly having an improved production/assembly efficiency.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-port modular jack assembly with a shielding/grounding shell which can be positively connected to a grounding panel of an electronic device when the jack assembly is mounted thereto.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-port modular jack assembly having a shielding/grouding shell integrally formed with a front and a rear shielding/grounding member which can be easily assembled with a housing of the modular jack assembly.
Still a further objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-port modular jack assembly with contacts having a configuration which will not interfere with an insertion of mating plugs into the modular jack assembly.
A final objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-port modular jack assembly which can be closely juxtaposed together.
To fulfill the above objectives, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a multi-port modular jack assembly includes a dielectric housing defining four ports for respectively receiving four mating modular plugs, four dielectric inserts each having an L-shaped configuration with a vertical body defining two rows of alternating contact mounting holes and a horizontal plate defining eight contact passageways in communication with a space below the horizontal plate, four sets of eight contacts each having a free end connected to a common front blank portion, a V-shaped contact portion, a fit portion with barbs and a terminal portion perpendicular to the contact portion, and a grounding/shielding shell integrally formed with a front and a rear grounding/shielding member.
To assemble the jack assembly, a set of eight contacts are mounted to a corresponding insert by extending the terminal portions into the mounting holes to reach a position in which the free ends and the fit portions are received in the contact passageways and the V-shaped contact portions extend below the horizontal plate. Then, the insert together with the contacts is inserted into a corresponding port of the housing to reach a position in which the insert is fixed to the housing, eight pressing ribs formed on a bottom face of an upper wall of the housing depress the fit portions thereby fixing the contacts to the insert and the housing, and the V-shaped contact portions extend into the port.
Thereafter, the front blank portion is bent away from the free ends. The other three inserts and three sets of contacts are sequentially assembled to the housing in the same manner mentioned above. The front grounding/shielding member is then mounted to the housing by respectively extending two engaging tabs into two engaging recessions defined in two lateral walls of the housing whereby the front shielding/grounding member encloses the upper wall and the two lateral walls of the housing.
Finally, the rear grounding/shielding member which has two lateral wings is bent toward the front grounding/shielding member to respectively connect the two lateral wings with the two lateral walls of the front grounding/shielding member whereby a rear side of the housing is enclosed by a rear wall of the rear grounding/shielding member.
The two engaging recessions are positioned at different levels, whereby the modular jack assembly in accordance with the present invention can be closely juxtaposed together. The front rounding/shielding member has upper grounding tabs extending upwardly and rearwardly from a front end of the upper wall and lower grounding tabs extending downwardly and forwardly from a middle portion of a bottom wall thereof, whereby when the modular jack assembly is mounted to an electronic device, the shielding/grounding shell can be positively connected to a rounding panel of the electronic device via the grounding tabs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5478261 (1995-12-01), Bogese, II
patent: 5531612 (1996-07-01), Goddall et al.
patent: 5562507 (1996-10-01), Kan
patent: 5766043 (1998-06-01), Talend
patent: 5775946 (1998-07-01), Briones
patent: 5865646 (1999-02-01), Ortega et al.
patent: 5879199 (1999-11-01), Belopolsky
patent: 5987725 (1999-11-01), Belopolsky et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Paumen Gary F.
LandOfFree
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