Printed circuit board based communications plugs that are suitable for field termination and patch cords including such plugs

#The present invention relates generally to communications patch cords and, more particularly, to patch cords having plugs that can be terminated in the field.

#Many hardwired communications systems use plug and jack connectors to connect a communications cable to another communications cable or to computer equipment. By way of example, high speed communications systems routinely use such plug and jack connectors to connect computers, printers and other devices to local area networks and/or to external networks such as the Internet. FIG. 1 depicts a highly simplified example of such a hardwired high speed communications system that illustrates how plug and jack connectors may be used to interconnect a computer 11 to, for example, a network server 20.

#As shown in FIG. 1, the computer 11 is connected by a cable 12 to a communications jack 15 that is mounted in a wall plate 19. The cable 12 is a patch cord that includes a communications plug 13, 14 at either end thereof. Typically, the cable 12 includes eight insulated conductors. As shown in FIG. 1, plug 14 is inserted into an opening or “plug aperture” 16 in the front side of the communications jack 15 so that the contacts or “plug blades” of communications plug 14 mate with respective contacts of the communications jack 15. If the cable 12 includes eight conductors, the communications plug 14 and the communications jack 15 will typically each have eight contacts. The communications jack 15 includes a wire connection assembly 17 at the back end thereof that receives a plurality of conductors (e.g., eight) from a second cable 18 that are individually pressed into slots in the wire connection assembly 17 to establish mechanical and electrical connections between each conductor of the second cable 18 and a respective one of the conductive paths through the communications jack 15. The other end of the second cable 18 is connected to, for example, a network server 20 which may be located, for example, in a telecommunications closet of a commercial office building. Communications plug 13 similarly is inserted into the plug aperture of a second communications jack (not pictured in FIG. 1) that is provided in the back of the computer 11. Thus, the patch cord 12, the cable 18 and the communications jack 15 provide a plurality of electrical paths between the computer 11 and the network server 20. These electrical paths may be used to communicate information signals between the computer 11 and the network server 20. While not shown in FIG. 1 to simplify the drawing, typically additional equipment (e.g., patch panels, network switches, etc.), patch cords and cables are interposed between cable 18 and network server 20.

#FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the use of conventional communications plugs and jacks to interconnect a computer with a network server.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the modular jack contact wiring assignments for a conventional 8-position communications jack (TIA 56813) as viewed from the front opening of the jack.

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a patch cord according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

#The present invention is directed to printed circuit board based communications plugs which can be terminated onto a communications cable in the field to form a patch cord, as well as patch cords that include such plugs.

#In some embodiments, the communications plugs may include wire connection terminals that extend rearwardly beyond a rear edge of the printed circuit board. The plugs may also include a wire guide, and the conductors of the communications cable may be mounted within channels in the wire guide. The wire guide may then be inserted into a housing of the plug, and the channels in the wire guide may be aligned with the wire connection terminals so that each conductor of the communications cable is terminated into a respective one of the wire connection terminals when the wire guide is locked into place within the plug housing.

#In some embodiments, each of the wire connection terminals may include an insulation piercing portion that has one or more insulation cutting blades, a termination post, and an extension (typically a longitudinal extension) that connects the insulation piercing portion to the termination post. The insulation piercing portions may extend in a first direction and the insulation cutting blades may extend in a second direction that may be substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The termination posts may extend in the first direction, and may be mounted in respective metal-plated apertures in the printed circuit board. The extensions may extend in the second direction. This wire connection terminal design may allow each wire connection terminal to be mounted to extend rearwardly from a rear edge of the printed circuit board. The wire connection terminals may be insulation piercing contacts.