Plug and Socket
AssigneeFibrepoint Limited
InventorRaymond John Peto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a plug (100) which is adapted to be connected to a cable, such as an Ethernet cable, the plug (100) having a generally rectangular cross section and being dimensioned and arranged to be received by an aperture in a socket. On opposite lateral faces of the plug a region, or layer, of conductive material (24, 26) is provided for the transmission of electrical current to/from the cable. Use of the invention therefore permits cabling that has conventionally been used to supply data to also supply power, typically in excess of 200 Watts or so. Such amounts of power are sufficient for operating most equipment that also requires a data connection.
Claims16
A plug which is adapted to be connected to a cable, the plug having a general rectangular cross section and being dimensioned and arranged to be received by an aperture in a socket, characterized in that on opposite lateral faces of the plug a region of conductive material is provided for the transmission of electrical current to/from the cable.
A socket having an aperture which opens to receive a plug, there being a plurality of contacts dimensioned and arranged to receive signals from one or more data channels, characterized in that lateral regions of the socket have regions of conductive material arranged to contact a plug received by the aperture to thereby transmit an electric current between socket and plug.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.