Universal connector assembly and method of manufacturing
DCFirst Claim
1. A configurable multiport modular jack assembly capable of being configured in at least first and second functional configurations, comprising:
- a plurality of insert assemblies comprising an insert body, a substrate, and a plurality of first conductors;
a housing having a plurality of plug receiving ports, said housing being adapted to receive said plurality of insert assemblies therein;
a plurality of electrical conductor sets adapted to mate with corresponding conductors on respective ones of said plugs and with said substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway there between;
wherein said housing is further adapted to receive a plurality of said insert assemblies of a first configuration, and simultaneously or alternatively a plurality of second insert assemblies of a second configuration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An advanced modular plug connector assembly incorporating an insert assembly disposed in the rear portion of the connector housing. In one embodiment, the connector has a plurality of ports in multi-row configuration, and the insert assembly includes a substrate adapted to receive one or more electronic components such as choke coils, transformers, or other signal conditioning elements or magnetics. The substrate also interfaces with the conductors of two modular ports of the connector, and is removable from the housing such that an insert assembly of a different electronics or terminal configuration can be substituted therefor. In this fashion, the connector can be configured to a plurality of different standards (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet and 10/100). In yet another embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) received within the housing. Methods for manufacturing the aforementioned embodiments are also disclosed.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A configurable multiport modular jack assembly capable of being configured in at least first and second functional configurations, comprising:
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a plurality of insert assemblies comprising an insert body, a substrate, and a plurality of first conductors; a housing having a plurality of plug receiving ports, said housing being adapted to receive said plurality of insert assemblies therein; a plurality of electrical conductor sets adapted to mate with corresponding conductors on respective ones of said plugs and with said substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway there between; wherein said housing is further adapted to receive a plurality of said insert assemblies of a first configuration, and simultaneously or alternatively a plurality of second insert assemblies of a second configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of re-configuring a multi-port connector assembly having a housing adapted to receive a plurality of different configurations of electrical signal conditioning sub-assemblies, the method comprising:
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providing a first configuration of signal conditioning sub-assembly within said housing, said first configuration being adapted for a first application; identifying a second application not served by said first configuration; providing a second configuration of signal conditioning subassembly adapted for said second application; removing said first configuration sub-assembly from said housing; and inserting said second configuration sub-assembly into said housing. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A connector assembly comprising:
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a connector housing comprising a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive at least a portion of a modular plug, said modular plug having a plurality of first terminals disposed thereon, said housing adapted to accommodate a plurality of different configurations of said insert structure either simultaneously or alternatively; a plurality of sets of conductors disposed at least partly within respective ones of said recesses and adapted to interface electrically with respective ones of said first terminals of said plug; and an application-specific removable insert structure comprising at least one substrate having a plurality of electrically conductive pathways associated therewith, and at least one insert body having a plurality of electronic components disposed substantially therein; wherein said pathways of said at least one substrate interface with respective ones of said conductors to form an electrical pathway from said first terminals through said conductors and at least one of said electronic components. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A connector assembly comprising:
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housing means comprising a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive at least a portion of a plugging means, said plugging means having a plurality of first terminals disposed thereon; a plurality of sets of means for conducting electrical signals disposed at least partly within respective ones of said recesses and adapted to interface electrically with respective ones of said first terminals of said plugging means; and an application-specific removable insert means comprising at least one substrate having a plurality of electrically conductive pathways associated therewith, and at least one insert body having a plurality of signal conditioning means disposed substantially therein; wherein said application for said application-specific insert means is selected from the group consisting of;
(i) gigabit Ethernet (GBE) configuration having a first pin-out pattern, and (ii) a 10/100 Ethernet configuration having a second and distinct pin-out pattern; andwherein said pathways of said at least. one substrate interface with respective ones of said means for conducting to form an electrical pathway from said first terminals through said means for conducting and at least one of said signal conditioning means. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A configurable single port modular jack assembly capable of being configured in at least first and second functional configurations, comprising:
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an insert assembly comprising an insert body, a substrate, and a plurality of first conductors; a housing comprising a plug receiving port, said housing being adapted to receive said insert assembly therein; a second plurality of electrical conductors adapted to mate with corresponding conductors on respective ones of a plug and with said substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway there between; wherein said housing is further adapted to receive said insert assembly of a first configuration, and alternatively a second insert assembly of a second configuration. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A configurable multiport modular jack assembly capable of being configured in at least Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) and Ethernet 10/100 functional configurations, comprising:
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a plurality of insert assemblies comprising an insert body, a substrate, and a plurality of first conductors; a housing having a plurality of plug receiving ports, said housing being adapted to receive said plurality of insert assemblies therein; a plurality of electrical conductor sets each received at least partly within respective ones substantially planar carriers, conductors of said conductor sets each adapted to mate with corresponding conductors on respective ones of said plugs and with said substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway there between; wherein said housing is further adapted to receive a plurality of said insert assemblies of GBE configuration, and simultaneously or alternatively a plurality of second insert assemblies of a 10/100 Ethernet configuration. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of re-configuring a multi-port connector assembly having a housing adapted to receive a plurality of different configurations of electrical signal conditioning sub-assemblies, the method comprising:
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providing a Gigabit Ethernet (GBE) configuration of signal conditioning sub-assembly within said housing, said GBE configuration being adapted for a GBE data networking application; identifying a second application not served by said GBE configuration; providing a second configuration of signal conditioning subassembly adapted for said second application; removing said GBE configuration sub-assembly from said housing; and inserting said second configuration sub-assembly into said housing. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55)
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56. A connector assembly comprising:
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a connector housing comprising a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive at least a portion of a modular plug, said modular plug having a plurality of first terminals disposed thereon, said housing further adapted to accommodate a plurality of different configurations of said insert structure simultaneously and alternatively; at least one sets of conductors disposed at least partly within respective ones of said recesses and adapted to interface electrically with respective ones of said first terminals of said plug; and an application-specific removable insert structure comprising at least one substrate having a plurality of electrically conductive pathways associated therewith, and at least one insert body having a plurality of electronic components disposed substantially therein; wherein said pathways of said at least one substrate interface with respective ones of said conductors to form an electrical pathway from said first terminals through said conductors and at least one of said electronic components. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A configurable single-port modular jack assembly capable of being configured in at least first and second functional configurations, comprising:
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an insert assembly comprising an insert body, a substrate, and a plurality of first conductors; a housing comprising a plug receiving port, said housing being adapted to receive said insert assembly therein; a second plurality of electrical conductors adapted to mate with corresponding conductors on respective ones of a plug and with said substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway there between; wherein said housing is further adapted to receive said insert assembly of a first configuration, and alternatively a second insert assembly of a second configuration, said first and second configurations being directed to different data networking standards and associated data rates. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification