Electrical connector with integral ground strap for shielded cable
AssigneeVirginia Plastics Company
InventorCharles Hall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical connector incorporates a ground strap conductor that more efficiently grounds the shield of a multi-conductor shielded cable. The ground strap conductor at one end includes a spring contact portion which is indistinguishable structurally and functionally from the spring contact portions of the normal conductors of the connector. The other end of the ground strap conductor is of greatly increased surface area in order to provide a wide, short path to ground for the high frequency EMI and high voltage spikes. Several different embodiments for terminating the ground strap are disclosed, and the invention is particularly designed, although not limited to, use with telephone-type modular jacks and modular shielded cables terminated in telephone-type modular plugs.
Claims26
An electrical jack, which comprises:
- an insulating housing having a front end, a rear end and conductor-receiving means;
- a plug-receiving opening extending into said front end of said insulating housing;
- a plurality of electrical conductors in side-by-side spaced-apart relationship, each of said conductors comprising an intermediate portion extending through said conductor-receiving means, a spring contact portion extending from one end of said intermediate portion into said plug-receiving opening, and an end portion extending from the other end of said intermediate portion;
- and
- at least one ground conductor positioned in said housing adjacent said plurality of conductors and including a ground spring contact portion extending into said opening and formed similarly to said spring contact portion of each of said conductors, said ground conductor including grounding means extending outside said insulating housing and having a surface area substantially greater than that of said ground spring contact portion for coupling said ground conductor to a source of ground potential;
- and
- said grounding means comprises a ground strap extending integrally from and substantially wider than said ground spring contact portion, and having a free end;
- and
- said ground strap includes terminal means formed at said free end for connecting the same to the source of ground potential;
- and
- said ground strap includes an arm coupled to said ground spring contact portion and extending out of said housing, and a leg extending angularly from said arm.
A telephone-type modular jack for receiving a telephone-type modular plug, which comprises:
- a housing having a front portion, a rear portion and a plurality of side-by-side conductor-receiving guide means formed therein;
- an opening formed in said front portion of said housing for receiving the telephone-type modular plug, the plug having a multi-conductor cable terminated by a plurality of side-by-side, substantially planar, insulation-piercing, contact terminals positioned in the forward portion thereof, the cable including at least one shielded conductor therein;
- a plurality of electrical conductors arranged in a side-by-side, spaced-apart fashion in said housing, each of said conductors including an end portion, an intermediate portion extending from said end portion through said conductor-receiving guide means, and a spring contact portion extending from said intermediate portion into said opening;
- at least one ground conductor positioned in said housing adjacent said plurality of conductors and including a ground spring contact portion extending into said opening and formed similarly to said spring contact portion of each of said conductors, said ground conductor including grounding means extending outside said housing and having a surface area substantially greater than that of said ground spring contact portion for coupling said ground conductor to a source of ground potential;
- and
- said grounding means comprises a ground strap extending integrally from and substantially wider than said ground spring contact portion, and having a free end;
- and
- said ground strap includes terminal means formed at said free end for connecting the same to the source of ground potential;
- and
- said ground strap includes an arm coupled to said ground spring contact portion and extending out of said housing, and a leg extending angularly from said arm;
- and
- said contact terminals of said telephone-type modular plug engaging said spring contact portions of said conductors and said ground spring contact of said ground conductor after insertion of said telephone-type modular plug into said opening of said telephone-type modular jack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.