Connector with insulation piercing contact and conductor guiding passageway

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector with insulation piercing contacts. In particular, the present invention relates to a connector for terminating a telecommunications cable comprising a plurality of twisted pairs of wires, where contact terminals are positioned such that the separation between the contact pairs is substantially the same as the spacing between individual wires of a pair.

[0002] The prior art reveals a plurality of telecommunication connectors for terminating telecommunications cables comprising a plurality of twisted pairs of wires. Many of these connectors use Insulation Displacement Contacts (IDCs), which, although they allow for multiple terminations on the same connector, prove unsuitable for maintaining the distance between individual conductors of a pair, an important factor for improving signal performance. Moreover, the use of IDCs to terminate conductors typically results in connectors necessitating specific tools for termination.

[0003] To overcome these and other drawbacks of IDCs, some connectors use Insulation Piercing Contacts (IPCs), which perforate the conductors' outer insulating cover to provide electrical contact. Insulation piercing technology allows for multiple contacts to be positioned on the same row, thus providing for smaller-sized connectors with improved performance. Still, in most prior art connectors using insulation piercing technology, wires to be terminated typically run in parallel and end portions of the twisted pairs of wires are isolated from one another and aligned with the respective contact terminals using accessories such as wire guides. These wire guides are typically disposed between the end of the cable jacket and the connector's insulated housing and comprise a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel channels, which receive the wires. One major drawback is that, as the point of insertion of individual conductors into the connectors is arranged along a parallel line, unwanted cross-talk and the like may arise, thus reducing the connectors' performance, especially at high frequencies. Moreover, the separation between the conductors of a twisted pair is not rigorously maintained.

[0004] Consequently, there exists a need for a connector, which uses insulation piercing technology and ensures that contact terminals are positioned such that the separation between the contact pairs is substantially the same as the spacing between individual wires of a pair.

[0005] In order to address the above and other drawbacks, there is provided an electrical connector for terminating a cable comprising at least one twisted pair of conductors, each conductor of the at least one twisted pair of conductors comprising an insulated housing surrounding a conductive core wherein a centre of the conductive core of a first of a given pair of the at least one twisted pair is separated from the centre of the conductive core of a second of the given pair by a predetermined spacing when twisted. The connector comprises a termination module comprising a first surface comprising at least one pair of conductive contacts exposed thereon, and a wire lead guide comprising a mating surface adapted to mate with the first surface and defining at least one elongate passage arranged substantially in parallel to the mating surface, each of the at least one passage adapted to receive an end portion of a respective pair of the at least one twisted pair of conductors while maintaining the predetermined spacing, the guide further comprising at least one aperture defined in the mating surface and intersecting a respective one of the at least one passage. When the mating surface is installed on the first surface, each of the at least one pair of contacts projects into a respective one of the at least one passageways.

[0006] There is also provided an electrical connector for terminating a cable comprising at least one twisted pair of conductors. The connector comprises a termination module comprising a first surface comprising at least one pair of piercing contacts exposed thereon, and a wire lead guide comprising an outer surface and a mating surface opposite the outer surface, the mating surface adapted to mate with the first surface and comprising at least one elongate channel arranged along the mating surface, each of the at least one channel adapted to snugly receive at least one conductor of the at least one twisted pair of conductors, the guide further comprising an entrance from the outer surface to the at least one elongate channel. When the mating surface is installed on the first surface, each of the at least one pair of piercing contacts projects the at least one channel.

[0007] There is additionally provided a method for terminating a cable comprising at least one twisted pair of conductors, each conductor of the twisted pair of conductors comprising an insulated housing surrounding a conductive core. The method comprises providing a module comprising a first surface comprising at least one pair of piercing contacts exposed thereon, and providing a wire lead guide comprising an outer surface and a mating surface opposite the outer surface, the mating surface adapted to mate with the first surface and comprising at least one elongate channel arranged along the mating surface, each of the at least one channel adapted to snugly receive at least one conductor of a respective pair of the at least one twisted pair of conductors, the guide further comprising an entrance from the outer surface to the at least one elongate channel, untwisting an end portion of the at least one twisted pair of conductors, inserting the untwisted end portion through the entrance, introducing the untwisted end portion into the at least one channel, and securing the mating surface to the first surface. When the mating surface is installed on the first surface, each of the at least one pair of piercing contacts projects into a respective one of the at least one channel.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 1, an electrical connector with insulation piercing contact, generally referred to using the reference numeral 10, will now be described. The connector 10 is used to terminate a telecommunications cable (not shown) consisting of a plurality of twisted pairs of conductors (typically four (4), all not shown). The connector 10 comprises a receptacle 12 formed in a front face 14 thereof, for example a receptacle conforming to the RJ-45 standard.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 2, the connector 10 further comprises a wire guide 16 comprising a plurality of twisted pair receiving channels as in 18 moulded or otherwise formed therein. A locking mechanism 20 comprising a pair of latches 22 is provided to retain the wire guide 16 snugly against a substantially flat wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 when engaged. Each of the latches 22 is attached along an edge of the base 26 of the locking mechanism by a respective flexible hinge as in 28 about which the latches as in 22 can pivot.

[0023] Referring now to FIG. 3, the interconnector 10 comprises an interconnection/termination module 30 which is encased in hollow housing formed by a forward housing portion 32 and a rearward housing portion 34. Through the provision of a pair of raised tabs as in 36 on the rearward housing portion 34 and respective tab receiving indentations as in 38 forward housing portion 32, the forward housing portion 32 and a rearward housing portion 34 can be snap fit together such that the interconnection module 30 module is securely encased therein.

[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the interconnection module 30 comprises a plurality of Insulation Piercing Contacts (IPCs) 40 which are each interconnected with a corresponding conductive tine as in 42 via a conductive path (not shown). Illustratively, a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 44 is provided for interconnecting the IPCs 40 with their respective conductive tines 42. As known in the art, using photo mask and an etching process the PCB 44 can be fabricated to include a multiple of non intersecting conductive paths between various points on or between either surface of the PCB 44. Referring back to FIG. 1 in addition to FIGS. 4A and 4B, as will be now apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, once the connector 10 has been assembled, the terminals 46 of a cable plug 48 inserted into the receptacle 12 will come into contact with a corresponding one of the conductive tines 42.

[0025] Still referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, in order to ensure that the conductive tines 42 provide sufficient resilience when in contact with the contacts of a cable plug and provide support for the flexible PCB 44, a support assembly 50 is provided, illustratively comprised of a series of resilient yet flexible supporting members 52, fabricated for example from metal or plastic or the like, attached to a support base 54, fabricated for example from a dielectric material such as plastic. The support base 54 additional provides an IPC receiving surface 56 for receiving and supporting the IPCs 40. In order to retain the tines 42 of the flexible PCB 44 against the supporting members 52 and also limit the range of movement of the supporting members 52, a supporting member retainer 58 is provided. The supporting member retainer 58 comprises a pair of posts as in 60 which are adapted for insertion into a pair of post receiving bores 62 moulded or otherwise machined in the support base 54. Additionally, the supporting member retainer 58 comprises a plurality of raised tongues as in 64 which on assembly are received by a series of corresponding grooves 66, which also receive the ends of the supporting members 52, and thereby ensuring that the path and travel of the supporting members 52 is limited.

[0026] Referring now to FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, the wire guide 16 is adapted to mate with the end of a cable 68 illustratively comprised of four (4) twisted pairs of conductors 70, a respective one of which is received into each of the twisted pair receiving channels as in 18. Each receiving channel 18 is comprised of an entry 72 and a pair of adjacent profiled individual conductor receiving channels 74 arranged at right angles to the entry 72. Additionally, a pair of raised abutments as in 76 can be provided on an upper surface 78 of the wire lead guide 16. In operation, the ends 80 of a corresponding twisted pair of conductors as in 70 enter the wire guide 16 through the entry 72, bend at right angles and are arranged within their respective channel as in 74. By providing a smooth curved outer surface 82, the raised abutments as in 76 serve to separate as well as guide the twisted pairs as in 70 into their respective receiving channels as in 18.

[0027] Still referring to FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, the profile of the channel 74 serves to retain the ends 80 in place during installation and subsequent use of the connector 10. Additionally, bending of the wires into the channels 74 prevents the untwisting of the pairs through the wire lead guide 16 and underneath the jacket of the cable 68, thus reducing the portion of each twisted pair 70 which is untwisted, and improving the performance of the electrical transmission parameters of the connector 10. Additionally, the mechanical strength of the interconnection between the connector 10 and the cable 68 is greatly improved thereby reducing the chance that the twisted pairs of conductors 70 are inadvertently pulled away from the contacts 40. In order to better retain the individual wires within their respective channels 74, the channels 74 are provided with a pair of opposing ridges 84 which narrow the mouth of the channels 74.

[0028] Referring now to FIG. 6, with the wire guide 16 removed, the plurality of IPC contacts 40 are visible on the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10. The contacts as in 40 are arranged side by side in pairs with the spacing “x” between the contacts as in 40 the same or similar to that of the twisted pairs of conductors (reference 70 in FIG. 5A). As known in the art, the transmission of high quality high-frequency signals partly depends on each conductor of a twisted pair being maintained in a particular configuration. As a result, minimal spacing of the contacts 40 ensures that the spacing between individual conductors of a given twisted pair is maintained, thus preserving continuity of transmission between each pair of conductors and its respective contacts 40 and improving overall signal performance. The performance of the connector 10 is further enhanced by staggering the pairs of contacts 40, which reduces the extent to which a pair of contacts 40 terminating a given twisted pair of conductors interferes with another pair of contacts 40. Indeed, due to the small size of each insulation piercing contact 40, the pairs of contacts 40 may be positioned on the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 on the same row or staggered, e.g. two pairs on two rows in quadrant or cross configuration, as illustrated.

[0029] Still referring to FIG. 6, each contact 40 is comprised of a piercing mechanism, illustratively a tri-point mechanism, comprised of a plurality of sharp teeth. Referring back to FIG. 5C in addition to FIG. 6, as the wire guide 16 is secured to the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 with the twisted pairs of conductors as in 70 installed in their respective receiving channels 18, the insulated housing surrounding the individual conductors of the twisted pairs of conductors 70 is pierced by the teeth of a respective contact 40, thereby providing electrical contact between the conductive core of the conductor and the contact 40. In addition to ensuring that the distance between individual conductors 16 of a pair 14 can be rigorously maintained, as mentioned herein above, the piercing contacts 40 as configured have the advantage of enabling conductors 16 to remain twisted until just before they are pierced by the contacts 40, thus improving signal quality. The piercing mechanism also allows for a relatively compact placement of the contacts 40 such that the spacing between the conductors 16 as well as the overall size of the connector 10 are minimized, thus reducing the deteriorating effect of capacitance on any transmitted signals. The compact spacing between the contacts is of particular interest in applications using bonded insulation twisted pair conductors as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,151 where the distance between the conductors in a given twisted pair is minimised.

[0030] Referring now back to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5C in addition to FIG. 6, once the twisted pairs as in 70 have been inserted into their respective receiving channel as in 18 and the individual wires from a twisted pair 70 bent perpendicularly such that their ends 80 lie within their respective channels 74, the wire lead guide 16 is then pressed onto the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10. In this manner, the individual wires of the twisted pairs of conductors as in 70 are interconnected with their respective contacts 40 and generally terminated at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cable 68. With additional reference to FIG. 2 and as discussed above, in order to secure the wire lead guide 16 onto the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10, the latter is provided with a pair of latches 22, which secure the wire lead guide 16 the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 by lever action. As will now be apparent to a person of skill in the art, the latches 22 force the wire lead guide 16 onto the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 thereby locking it into place. This mechanism, together with the use of piercing technology, allows for a “tool-less” connector 10, where pressure ensures the contact and terminates all conductors of each twisted pair as in 70 simultaneously. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the wire lead guide 16 may be installed on the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 either manually or using an adapted insertion tool and, a locking mechanism may then be used to lock and hold the wire lead guide 16 in place.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 7, in a first alternative embodiment of the connector 10, the latches (reference 22 in FIG. 1) used for securing the wire lead guide 16 to the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 are replaced by a pair of threaded screws/bolts as in 86, a pair of apertures as in 86 formed in the wire lead guide 16 and corresponding threaded bores as in 90 moulded or otherwise formed (for example through the use of metal inserts press fit into apertures, all not shown, formed in the wire lead guide receiving surface 24) in the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 for receiving the threaded ends 92 of the bolts as in 86. Each bolt as in 86 further comprises a machined head as in 94 adapted for receiving a tool such as a screw driver or the like (not shown).

[0032] Referring back for example to FIG. 5C in addition to FIG. 7, in operation, and as will now be apparent to a person of skill in the art, once the ends 80 of the twisted pairs of conductors are positioned in their respective channels 74 the wire lead guide 16 is secured to the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 by inserting the threaded ends 92 of each bolt 86 into its respective threaded bore 90 via the apertures 88 and appropriately tightening the bolt 88.

[0033] Referring now to FIG. 8, in a second alternative illustrative embodiment of the connector 10 of the present application, the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 and the wire lead guide 16 are both positioned at right angles to the front face 14 of the connector 10 such that a cable 68 can be terminated at right angles without bending.

[0034] Referring now to FIGS. 9A through 9C, in an alternative illustrative embodiment of the wire lead guide 16 and as illustratively used with the alternative illustrative embodiment of the connector 10 of FIG. 8, the pairs of channels as in 74 are separated by a raised ridge 96 such that each end as in 80 of a given twisted pair as in 70 is slightly separated when inserted into its respective channel as in 74. The ends 80 are retained within their respective channels as in 74 by the pair of opposing ridges as 84. The width of separation between the ends 80 provided by the ridge 96 is chosen taking into consideration the performance of any signal transmission via the twisted pairs 70, and is typically about the distance between conductors of a given twisted pair 70 when in their twisted form. Additionally, the ridge 96 provides some shielding between the conductors of a given twisted pair as in 70.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 10, the ridges as in 96 are adapted to mate with corresponding slots 98 machined or otherwise formed in the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 and into which they are inserted when the wire lead guide 16 is secured to the wire lead guide receiving surface 24. The slots 98 separate the individual pairs of contacts 40. The distance “x” between a given pair of contacts 40 is typically chosen to match that of the distance between conductors of a given twisted pair 66 when in their twisted form.

[0036] Referring now to FIG. 11, in a third alternative illustrative embodiment of a connector 10 in accordance with the present invention the wire lead guide 16 is comprised of a series of pairs of staggered elongate channels as in 100 which are adapted to receive the twisted pairs of conductors 70 extending from the end of the cable 68. When installed, the wire lead guide 16 is secured to the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 by a pair of opposed tabs as in 102 which interlock with an upper surface 104 of the wire lead guide 16. Illustratively, the pairs of elongate channels as in 100 are interconnected along the along a length thereof and thus suitable for receiving bonded insulation twisted pair conductors without the necessity of dividing the conductors of a given twisted pair. However, in an alternative embodiment, each channel of a given pair of channels as in 100 could be displaced from one another.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 12, the lower surface 106 of the wire lead guide 16 is comprised of a series of slots as in 108 which intersect with a respective one of the elongate channels as in 100.

[0038] Referring now to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the wire lead guide receiving surface 24 of the connector 10 comprises a series of “half” IDC contacts as in 110 manufactured from a conductive material such as nickel plated copper or the like. Each of the contacts 110 comprises a cutting edge 112. Referring back to FIG. 12 in addition to FIGS. 13A and 13B, in operation the twisted pairs of conductors as in 70 are first inserted into their respective pairs of elongate channels as in 100, the contacts 110 are inserted into their respective slots as in 108 and the wire lead guide 16 secured in between the pair of opposed tabs as in 102. As the conductors 70 are secured in their respective elongate channels as in 100, the cutting edges 112 of each of the contacts 110 displaces the insulation of their respective conductor as in 70 thereby bringing the conductive core of each of the conductors as in 70 into conductive contact with their respective contacts as in 110. Note that, although the contacts as in 110 are shown as terminating a given twisted pair of conductors as in 70 at different points along the length thereof, in an alternative embodiment the contacts as in 110 (with respective changes in the positioning of the slots as in 108) could be arranged opposite each other such that each conductor of the particular twisted pair of conductors as in 70 is terminated at the same point.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.