Field-terminable single-pair Ethernet connector with angled contacts

Abstract

The communication connector includes a main plug assembly and a wire cap configured to be secured to a side of the main plug assembly in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by the deflection direction of the connector latches, thereby terminating pairs of conductors to pairs of contacts. In another embodiment, the communication connector includes a main plug assembly and two electrical contacts within the main plug assembly, each electrical contact having a first end with a bifurcated receptacle and a second end with an IDC configured so that the conductors are terminated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of mating insertion and parallel to the plane defined by the contacts.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 937,308, filed November 19, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 081,590, filed September 22, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 060,194, filed August 3, 2020, the entireties of which are incorporated by reference herein.

[0002] The present invention relates generally to connectors, and more specifically to a single pair Ethernet plug using the LC form factor. [Background technology]

[0003] Copper connectors are becoming increasingly compact in an attempt to achieve a higher density of data channels in a given area as well as for use in applications that require transmitting data to remote devices such as security cameras and thermostat devices. These compact connectors are generally required to be field installable on cables using simple hand tools. Typically, for Ethernet data connections, a four-pair cabling solution will be deployed using RJ45 jacks as interconnects. However, for low bandwidth applications such as, but not limited to, sensors, lighting, and other smart building devices, the full bandwidth of Cat 6a is not required. In this case, a single twisted pair cabling solution can be deployed that saves on material costs and also reduces the amount of space used by the structured cabling system. With recent advances in Ethernet bandwidth using copper media, the data throughput will be sufficient for most smart devices. Field-terminable designs provide an advantage by allowing installers to build custom cabling structures and use only the amount of cable required for the end user's application. This customization eliminates the need for additional cabling management techniques, thereby saving time and resources for field technicians deploying structured cabling systems. The present invention describes a single pair connector that provides these advantages, but which adds manufacturing costs and contains several small, intricate parts that are prone to breaking or getting lost.

[0004] What is needed is a termination design that can be fitted into a small form factor that is not only quickly and easily terminated by an installer without complex and expensive tools, but also is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The communication connector includes a main plug assembly and a wire cap configured to terminate a pair of conductors to a pair of contacts by being secured to a side of the main plug assembly in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by a deflection direction of a latch of the connector. In another embodiment, the communication connector includes a main plug assembly and two electrical contacts in the main plug assembly, each electrical contact having a first end with a bifurcated receptacle and a second end with an IDC configured such that the conductors are terminated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of mating insertion and parallel to the plane defined by the contacts. In some embodiments, the connector can also include a shield wrap and an outer cover, the shield wrap having a wrap-around flange configured to wrap around a wall of the main plug body and a drain wire retention notch configured to allow a drain wire of an inserted cable to wrap around the wrap-around flange and be secured between the shield wrap and the outer cover. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first embodiment of a single pair Ethernet plug. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the plug of FIG. 1 with the wire cap removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the plug of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the contacts of the plug of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the main plug body of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the wire cap of the plug of FIG. 1; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the wire cap of FIG. 6 rotated 180 degrees. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the wire cap of FIG. 7 with a communication cable inserted. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a shielded version of the plug of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded isometric view of the plug of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the plug of FIG. 9 with the wire cap removed. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a single pair Ethernet plug. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an exploded isometric view of the plug of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is another exploded isometric view of the plug of FIG. 12. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the contacts of the plug of FIG. 12. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the main plug body of FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the shield wrap of the plug of FIG. 12. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the wire cap of the plug of FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the wire cap of FIG. 18 rotated 180 degrees. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an isometric view of the wire cap of FIG. 19 with a communication cable inserted therein. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the outer cover of the plug of FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of an unshielded version of the plug of FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is an exploded isometric view of the plug of FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of the plug of FIG. 12 showing how the drain wire can be terminated. [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a wire cap that can be used with the present invention, having an adhesive label to indicate polarity. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of another wire cap that can be used with the present invention having ink-based markings to indicate polarity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] In one embodiment, the invention is a single-pair Ethernet plug based on the fiber LC connector form factor due to its compact size, low cost, and ease of manufacturing. The plug features a snap-on tool-less termination method for quick installation and the ability to be re-terminated onto new cables.

[0008] 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a single pair Ethernet plug assembly 20. The single pair Ethernet plug assembly 20 includes a main plug assembly 22, a wire cap 24, and a single pair Ethernet cable 26.

[0009] 2 shows the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 20 with the wire cap 24 removed. The conductors 28 of the cable 26 are shown pressed onto the contacts 30 of the main plug assembly 22. The wire cap 24 is retained in the main plug assembly 22 via the plug body latch 23 and the wire cap pocket 25. This design allows the wire cap 24 to be pressed onto the conductors 28 into the contacts 30 without the need for special tools, and in small quantities can be done by hand.

[0010] In one embodiment, the design of the wire cap 24 allows it to be secured to a side of the main plug assembly, the side being oriented perpendicular to the plane defined by the deflection direction of the plug's latch.

[0011] 3 shows a fully exploded view of the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 20. The contacts 30 are inserted into slots 32 in a main plug body 34. Barbs 36 on the contacts 30 prevent the contacts from being pulled out of the main plug body 34 by engaging the walls of the slots 32 if the contacts are pulled against the direction of insertion.

[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates contact 30 including top contact 38 and bottom contact 40. Each contact includes a front interface 42 that engages a contact pin of an active device jack. IDC contact 44 penetrates conductor insulation of single pair Ethernet cable 26 to establish electrical continuity. IDC contact 44 is angled relative to the axis of conductor 28 of single pair Ethernet cable 26 to effectively cut through insulation of conductor 28 to create a cutting edge without requiring a secondary coining operation into conductor insertion area 46. Contact 30 also includes barb 36 as previously described in FIG. 3. Top contact 38 and bottom contact 40 may be of equal length for electrical balance.

[0013] 5 shows the main plug body 34 having a front interface region 48 and a rear termination region 50. The rear termination region 50 has a partition wall 52 to separate the contacts 30 to prevent shorts and reduce the possibility of hipot failure between the top contacts 38 and bottom contacts 40. The plug body latch 23 engages the wire cap 24 once termination is complete. The latch can be released to allow de- / re-termination of the cable and reuse of the plug.

[0014] 6-8 show detailed views of the wire cap 24. The wire cap pocket 25 engages with the plug body latch 23. The conductor retention hooks 54 hold the conductors 28 in place prior to installation into the main plug assembly 22. The wire cap partition walls 56 prevent the insulation displacement contacts 44 from touching each other and causing a short circuit. The ribs 58 press the conductors 28 into the conductor insertion areas 46 of the insulation displacement contacts 44.

[0015] The single pair Ethernet plug may be offered in a shielded version for use in applications requiring the use of shielded cables.

[0016] Figure 9 shows a single pair Ethernet shielded plug assembly 100 including a shielded wire cap 102, a shielded main plug assembly 106, and a shielded single pair Ethernet cable 110. Figure 10 shows an exploded view of the single pair Ethernet shielded plug assembly 100. The shielded wire cap 102 includes a wire cap shield 104, and the shielded main plug assembly 106 includes a main plug shield 108. The main plug shield 108 includes a front portion 112 that contacts the ground tab of a single pair Ethernet jack of an active device.

[0017] 11 shows a rear view of the single pair Ethernet shielded plug assembly 100 with the shielded wire cap 102 removed. The main plug shield 108 has a plug shield tab 114 that, when installed, contacts both the shield braid 116 of the shielded single pair Ethernet cable 110 and the wire cap shield tab 118 of the wire cap shield 104 to form a mating connection between all three components.

[0018] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of a single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220 , including a main plug assembly 222 , an outer cover 223 , a wire cap 224 , and a single pair Ethernet cable 226 .

[0019] 13 is an exploded view of the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220 with the outer cover 223 and wire cap 224 removed. The main plug assembly 222 includes contacts 230, a main plug body 234, and a shield wrap 254.

[0020] 14 is an exploded view of the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220. The contacts 230 are inserted into slots 232 in the main plug body 234.

[0021] FIG. 15 is an isometric exploded view of the contacts 230, including upper contacts 238 and lower contacts 240. The contacts 230 include a front interface 242 and an insulation displacement contact 244. The front interface 242 engages with a contact pin of an active device jack. The insulation displacement contact 244 penetrates the insulation of the conductor 227 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226 to establish electrical continuity. The wire cap 224 aligns the conductor 27 (FIG. 20) of the single pair Ethernet cable 26 with the contact 230 of the main plug assembly 222. The insulation displacement contact 244 is angled relative to the axis of the conductor 227 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226 to create a cutting edge on the insulation displacement contact 244 facilitating severing of the conductor insulation without the need for a secondary coining operation. The barb 236 engages the side of the slot 232 of the main plug body 234 to retain the contact within the main plug body 234. The lengths of the top contact 238 and bottom contact 240 may be equal for electrical balance.

[0022] FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the main plug body 234. The main plug body 234 includes a front interface region 248 and a rear termination region 250. The rear termination region 250 has a partition wall 252 to separate the contacts 230 to prevent shorting and reduce the possibility of hipot failure between the top contact 238 and the bottom contact 240. A contact stop 253 on the main plug body 234 provides a means to positively lock the contacts 230 when fully inserted within the main plug body 234. A shield wrap 254 provides a ground from the front interface region 248 to the rear termination region 250. A latch 256 is based on a fiber LC connector latch and locks the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220 into a single pair Ethernet jack. A ledge 257 on the main plug body 234 engages a pocket 275 on the wire cap 224 (FIG. 18) to provide lateral rigidity when fully assembled. A keyway 258 on the main plug body 234 aligns with a key feature on the single pair Ethernet jack. The key feature prevents the fiber LC connector from being incorrectly installed into the single pair Ethernet jack. A shield retention block 260 on the main plug body 234 engages a notch 262 on the shield wrap 254 (FIG. 17) to lock the shield wrap 254 into the front interface area 248 of the main plug body 234. A cover key 261 engages a keying pocket 290 on the outer cover 223 (FIG. 21) to ensure that the outer cover 223 is installed in the correct orientation.

[0023] 17 is an isometric view of the shield wrap 254 in the open position. The flange 264 is inserted into the keyway 258 of the main plug body 234 and locked using a barb feature 266. The rear of the shield wrap 254 has a wrap-around flange 268 with a cable braid retention notch 270 to position the single pair Ethernet shield braid and provide an electrical bond between the cable braid and the plug shield wrap 254. A spring tab 272 contacts the inner surface 292 of the outer cover 223 (FIG. 21) for electrical grounding.

[0024] 18 is an isometric view of the wire cap 224. The alignment block 274 of the wire cap 224 engages with the alignment notch 255 of the main plug body 234 to guide the conductors 227 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226 prior to termination to avoid damage to the contacts 230. The latch 276 of the wire cap 224 engages with the slot 288 of the outer cover 223 to lock the outer cover 223 onto the wire cap 224 and the main plug assembly 222, holding all components together. By pressing the latch 276 inward, the user can remove the outer cover 223. Once all components are disassembled, the end user can re-terminate the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220.

[0025] 19 is a rotated isometric view of the wire cap 224. Teeth features 280 on the strain relief area 278 of the wire cap 224 are designed to grip the outer jacket 229 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226 to secure the single pair Ethernet cable 226 within the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 220. Conductor passages 282 guide the conductors 227 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226 along the length of the wire cap 224 to secure and align the conductors 227 with the insulation displacement contacts 244 of the contacts 230 of the main plug assembly 222. Pockets 284 in the wire cap 224 provide clearance for the tips of the insulation displacement contacts 244 of the contacts 230 of the main plug assembly 222. Partition walls 286 on the wire cap 224 align with partition walls 252 on the main plug body 234 to completely separate the conductors 227 of the single pair Ethernet cable 226.

[0026] 20 is an isometric view of wire cap 224 with conductors 227 of a single pair Ethernet cable 226 attached. The conductors 227 are inserted into conductor passages 282 and trimmed flush with walls 285 on the wire cap 224.

[0027] 21 is an isometric view of the outer cover 223. The outer cover 223 is made of die-cast metal for shielding and strength. The single-pair Ethernet cable 226 enters through a cable entry area 286 in the outer cover 223 before termination.

[0028] The single pair Ethernet plug may be offered in an unshielded version as a lower cost solution for applications that do not require the performance of a shielded system.

[0029] FIG. 22 shows a single pair Ethernet unshielded plug assembly 300 including a wire cap 302 , a main plug assembly 304 , a rear cover 306 , and an unshielded single pair Ethernet cable 308 .

[0030] 23 shows an exploded view of a single pair Ethernet unshielded plug assembly 300. In this configuration, the main plug assembly 304 does not have a metal shield wrap and the rear cover 306 is plastic instead of die-cast metal.

[0031] 24 shows the single pair Ethernet plug assembly 420 with the outer cover 423 pulled back to expose the drain wire 431 of the single pair Ethernet cable 426. The drain wire 431 is pulled back along with the outer jacket of the single pair Ethernet cable 426 during cable preparation and inserted into the main plug assembly 422. The drain wire is then routed into the drain wire retaining notch 470 of the shield wrap 454 and around the outside of the shield wrap such that when the outer cover 423 is moved forward on the main plug assembly, the drain wire 431 is captured between the outer cover 423 and the shield wrap 454 to establish ground continuity between the cable and the plug assembly.

[0032] 25 shows a wire cap 424 with an adhesive label 425 attached to the exterior surface of the component. The adhesive label 425 may have color and / or text to indicate the location of the conductors of a single pair Ethernet 426 to ensure correct signal polarity.

[0033] 26 shows another method for indicating signal wire routing within the wire cap 424. Ink-based markings 435 are applied to an interior area of ​​the wire cap 424 that align with one of the two conductor passages 482 and correspond to the color of one of the conductors of the single pair Ethernet cable 246 to indicate the signal wire path. In one embodiment, the contact closest to the latch can have positive polarity according to IEEE 802.3cg.

[0034] While specific embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise configurations and compositions disclosed herein, and various modifications, changes, and variations may become apparent from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 20 Single Pair Ethernet Plug Assembly 22 Main plug assembly 23 Plug body latch 24 Wire Cap 25 Wire Cap Pocket 26 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 27 Conductor 28 Conductor 30 Contacts 32 Slots 34 Main plug body 38 Upper Contact 40 Lower Contact 42 Front Interface 44 Pressure contact 46 Conductor Insertion Area 48 Front Interface Area 50 Rear Termination Area 52 Wall 54 Conductor Retaining Hook 56 Wall 58 Ribs 100 Single Pair Ethernet Shielded Plug Assembly 102 Wire Cap 104 Wire Cap Shield 106 Main plug assembly 108 Main plug shield 110 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 112 Front section 114 Plug shield tab 116 Shield Blade 118 Wire Cap Shield Tab 220 Single Pair Ethernet Plug Assembly 222 Main plug assembly 223 Outer cover 224 Wire Cap 226 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 227 Conductor 229 Outer jacket 230 Contacts 232 Slots 234 Main plug body 238 Upper Contact 240 Lower Contact 242 Front Interface 244 Pressure contact 246 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 248 Front Interface Area 250 Rear End Area 252 Wall 253 Contact Stop 254 Plug Shield Wrap 255 notch 256 Latch 257 Ledge 258 Keyway 260 Shield Retaining Block 261 Cover Key 264 Flange 266 Features 268 Wraparound flange 270 Cable Blade Retention Notch 272 tabs 274 blocks 275 Pocket 276 Latch 278 Strain Relief Area 280 Tooth Function 282 Conductor Passage 284 Pocket 285 Wall 286 Cable Entry Area 288 Slots 290 Keying Pocket 292 Inside 300 Single Pair Ethernet Unshielded Plug Assembly 302 Wire Cap 304 Main Plug Assembly 306 Rear cover 308 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 420 Single Pair Ethernet Plug Assembly 422 Main Plug Assembly 423 Outer cover 424 Wire Cap 425 Adhesive Labels 426 Single Pair Ethernet Cable 431 Drain wire 435 Marking 454 Shield Wrap 470 Drain Wire Retention Notch 482 Conductor Passage

Claims

1. A communication connector, a main plug assembly having a pair of electrical contacts; a wire cap configured to be secured to a side of the main plug assembly in a direction perpendicular to a plane defined by a deflection direction of a latch of the communication connector, thereby terminating a pair of conductors to the pair of electrical contacts; Including, the wire cap further includes conductor passages configured to hold and align the pair of conductors in a direction parallel to a direction of mating insertion; the electrical contacts having insulation displacement contacts (IDCs) used to terminate the conductors to the electrical contacts; The communication connector, wherein the insulation displacement contacts (IDCs) are angled relative to an axis of the conductor such that an acute angle is formed by the axis of the conductor and the insulation displacement contacts.

2. 2. The communication connector of claim 1, wherein an electrical contact of said communication connector closest to said latch has a positive polarity in accordance with IEEE 802.3cg.

3. A communication connector as described in claim 1, wherein each of the electrical contacts has a first end having a branched receptacle and a second end having the insulation displacement contact (IDC), the insulation displacement contact (IDC) configured to terminate a conductor to the insulation displacement contact (IDC) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of mating insertion and parallel to a plane defined by the electrical contacts.

4. 4. The communication connector of claim 3, wherein said electrical contacts are formed from a single shaped flat piece.

5. 2. The communication connector of claim 1, wherein said electrical contacts have oppositely angled insulation displacement contacts (IDCs).

6. The communication connector, An outer cover; a shield wrap surrounding a portion of the main plug assembly, the shield wrap having a wraparound flange configured to wrap around a wall of a main plug body of the main plug assembly, the wraparound flange having a drain wire retention notch configured to allow a drain wire of an inserted cable to wrap around the wraparound flange and be secured between the shield wrap and an outer cover when the communication connector is fully assembled; The communication connector of claim 1 , comprising:

7. The wire cap is configured to be secured to a rear portion of a main plug body of the main plug assembly, 2. The communication connector of claim 1, including an outer cover configured to surround the rear of the main plug assembly and a portion of the wire cap to aid in securing the wire cap to the main plug body.

8. 8. The communication connector of claim 7, further comprising a shielding wrap, the outer cover also configured to retain a portion of the shielding wrap between at least one of the wire cap or the main plug assembly and the outer cover.

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