# US 12,003,059 B2 · Modular telecommunications plug and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,059 B2 - Document ID: US12003059B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/298,224 - Filed: 2019-11-27 - Published: 2022-04-14 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-30 - Assignees: CommScope Technologies LLC - Applicants: Commscope Technologies LLC - Inventors: Timothy W. Anderson; Jeffrey Allan Oberski; Brian J. Fitzpatrick; Shawn Phillip Tobey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003059B2 ## CPC - H01R 13/582: {the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing} - H01R 13/5825: {the means comprising additional parts captured between housing parts and cable} - H01R 13/506: assembled by snap action of the parts - H01R 43/048: Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) - H01R 13/6272: {comprising a single latching arm} - H01R 13/6463: using twisted pairs of wires - H01R 24/64: for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45 - H01R 2107/00: Four or more poles - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A modular plug is disclosed as having a housing, a wire manager, an anti-snag protector, and a load bar each configured to snap-fit together to assemble the modular plug. The wire manager includes a front portion fitted within an internal cavity of the housing and a rear portion having an aperture configured to receive a terminal end of a telecommunications cable. The wire manager includes a plurality of channels, each channel having a gate configured to position a twisted pair of wires from the telecommunications cable in a stacked vertical arrangement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modular plug for terminating a telecommunications cable, the modular plug comprising: a housing defining an internal cavity; a wire manager fitted within the internal cavity of the housing and extending along a long axis between a rear portion that is configured to receive a terminal end of the telecommunications cable and a front portion that is received inside the internal cavity of the housing, the wire manager having a plurality of channels, each channel having a gate configured to position a twisted pair of wires from the telecommunications cable, and each gate on the wire manager includes opposing surfaces that diverge in a direction of the front portion for guiding a wire from the twisted pair of wires toward a load bar fitted within the internal cavity of the housing, the load bar defining an array of external grooves, each external groove being configured to receive a wire from each twisted pair of wires; and a plurality of wire contacts aligned with the array of external grooves. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the load bar includes an internal cavity having a top surface and a bottom surface that converge into the array of external grooves. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The modular plug of claim 2, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the internal cavity each include a series of internal grooves that funnel into the array of external grooves. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the array of external grooves on the load bar are parallel and are arranged in the same vertical plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the load bar is configured to snap-fit onto the front portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the load bar includes notches configured to latch onto corresponding notches on the front portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the gates are offset along the long axis of the wire manager. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the wire manager defines three columns and two rows of channels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the wire manager is tapered and is configured to pinch the twisted pairs of wires. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the wire manager includes tabs configured to snap-fit into corresponding slots on the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the rear portion has an aperture configured to receive the terminal end of the telecommunications cable, the rear portion having a plurality of ribs that define orthogonal edges on exterior surfaces of the wire manager, and the orthogonal edges being configured to receive an anti-snag protector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The modular plug of claim 11, wherein the aperture on the rear portion of the wire manager includes a form factor configured to fit around the shape of the telecommunications cable, the form factor having ribs that define an internal circumference inside the aperture of the wire manager that is configured to grip a jacket of the telecommunications cable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an array of slots along a leading edge of a first end of the housing, each wire contact is received by a slot of the housing and is configured to electrically connect the twisted pairs of wires in the telecommunications cable to contact springs of a telecommunications jack. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a latching handle configured to secure the modular plug to a receptacle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The modular plug of claim 14, further comprising an anti-snag protector that attaches to the wire manager, the anti-snag protector having an arm that extends from a base, the arm being configured to prevent the latching handle from being snagged. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The modular plug of claim 15, wherein the base includes a depression configured to receive a form factor of the aperture on the rear portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The modular plug of claim 15, wherein the anti-snag protector is configured to snap-fit onto the rear portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The modular plug of claim 15, wherein the anti-snag protector includes sides each extending outwardly from the base and each having a latching member at a distal end, the sides being configured to flex around the rear portion of the wire manager and the latching members being configured to engage orthogonal edges on the rear portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein the gates have a smallest dimension that is less than twice the diameter of a single wire from each twisted pair of wires. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The modular plug of claim 1, wherein each gate is configured to hold a twisted pair of wires from the telecommunications cable in a stacked vertical arrangement. ### Claim 21 A method of terminating a telecommunications cable with a modular plug, the method comprising: attaching a wire manager to a terminal end of the telecommunications cable, the wire manager extending along a long axis between a rear portion that receives the terminal end of the telecommunications cable and a front portion; using gates on the wire manager to hold twisted pairs of wires from the telecommunications cable; straightening the twisted pairs of wires; using opposing surfaces on each gate of the wire manager to guide a wire from each twisted pair of wires into an internal cavity of a load bar, the opposing surfaces diverging in a direction of the front portion of the wire manager; sliding the load bar onto the straightened wires; trimming the straightened wires to be flush with a distal end of the load bar; attaching a housing to the wire manager; and crimping wire contacts housed inside the housing to contact the wires. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: attaching an anti-snag protector to the wire manager. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: trimming the wires to have a predetermined length that extends outside a front portion of the wire manager. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising: attaching the load bar to the wire manager. ### Claim 25 A modular plug for terminating a telecommunications cable, the modular plug comprising: a housing defining an internal cavity; a wire manager fitted within the internal cavity of the housing and having a plurality of channels, each channel having a gate configured to position a twisted pair of wires from the telecommunications cable, the wire manager including a rear portion having an aperture configured to receive a terminal end of the telecommunications cable, the rear portion having a plurality of ribs that define orthogonal edges on exterior surfaces of the wire manager, and the orthogonal edges being configured to receive an anti-snag protector; a load bar fitted within the internal cavity of the housing, the load bar defining an array of external grooves, each external groove being configured to receive a wire from each twisted pair of wires; and a plurality of wire contacts aligned with the array of external grooves. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The modular plug of claim 25, wherein the aperture on the rear portion of the wire manager includes a form factor configured to fit around the shape of the telecommunications cable, the form factor having ribs that define an internal circumference inside the aperture of the wire manager that is configured to grip a jacket of the telecommunications cable.