Modular telecommunications plug and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12463391-B2
Application number	US-202117922449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	Apr 30, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A modular plug is disclosed for terminating a telecommunications cable having twisted pairs of wires. The modular plug includes a housing defining an internal cavity and slots positioned toward a distal end of the housing, each slot being parallel to a central axis of the modular plug. A wire manager is fitted inside the internal cavity, and defines channels for positioning the twisted pairs of wires inside the housing. A wire sled extends from the wire manager and defines a plurality of grooves, each groove shaped to position an individual wire from the twisted pairs of wires at an angle with respect to the central axis. The modular plug further includes a plurality of plug contacts. Each plug contact is held by a slot of the housing and is structured to form an electrical interface with a wire positioned by the wire sled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A modular plug for terminating a telecommunications cable having twisted pairs of wires, the modular plug comprising:
a housing defining an internal cavity and slots running parallel to a central axis; plug contacts, each plug contact at least partially inserted into a slot and being structured to form an electrical interface with a wire from the twisted pairs of wires; a wire manager positioned inside the internal cavity, the wire manager structured to receive the twisted pairs of wires inside the housing; and a wire sled extending from the wire manager, the wire sled defining grooves, wherein each groove is configured to receive a wire from the twisted pairs of wires, wherein each groove is positioned at an angle relative to a plug contact at least partially inserted into a slot of the housing, and wherein the grooves are angled toward a side of the wire sled to facilitate crimping first and second tines of the plug contact on opposite sides of the wire when the plug contact is fully inserted into the slot.

2 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves on the wire sled are positioned adjacent to the channels defined by the wire manager to provide a transition for the wires from the wire manager to the wire sled and align each wire at an angle with respect to a plug contact.

3 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein each groove has a first portion and a second portion that transitions from the first portion, the first portion being located toward a proximal end of the wire sled and being substantially parallel to the central axis, and the second portion extending toward a distal end of the wire sled and being angled with respect to the central axis.

4 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves each have a cross-sectional profile shape to engage the exterior surface of the individual wires and position the individual wires at an angle with respect to the plug contacts.

5 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves on the wire sled are angled at an angle of about 2 degrees to about 10 degrees with respect to the central axis.

6 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves on the wire sled are angled at an angle of about 3 degrees to about 8 degrees with respect to the central axis.

7 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves each have a length of about 0.12 inches to about 0.18 inches.

8 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the grooves each have a diameter of about 0.030 inches to about 0.045 inches.

9 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications cable has four twisted pairs of wires, and the modular plug includes eight slots toward the distal end of the housing, eight grooves on the wire sled, and eight plug contacts.

10 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the wire sled includes ribs on opposite sides, the ribs being structured to create an interference with the housing to ensure that the wire sled is centered inside the internal cavity.

11 . The modular plug of claim 1 , wherein the wire sled is integral with the wire manager.

12 . The modular plug of claim 1 , further comprising a rear component that snap-fits onto the wire manager to capture a distal end of the telecommunications cable between the rear component and the wire manager.

13 . The modular plug of claim 12 , wherein the wire manager and rear component each include ridges that are configured to engage a jacket of the telecommunications cable to secure the telecommunications cable to the modular plug.

14 . The modular plug of claim 12 , wherein the wire manager and rear component are both housed inside the internal cavity of the housing.

15 . The modular plug of claim 12 , wherein the rear component snap fits into the housing and thereby secures the wire manager to the housing.

16 . The modular plug as in of claim 12 , wherein the rear component includes an arm that prevents a latching handle of the housing from getting snagged.

17 . A method of terminating a cable using a modular plug, the method comprising:
positioning twisted pairs of wires from the cable through one or more channels defined by a wire manager of the modular plug; untwisting the twisted pairs of wires; positioning the wires on a wire sled of the modular plug, the wire sled defining a plurality of grooves for positioning each wire at an angle with respect to a plug contact partially inserted into a slot of a housing of the modular plug, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves is configured to receive a wire from the twisted pairs of wires, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves is angled toward a side of the wire sled to facilitate crimping first and second tines of the plug contact on opposite sides of the wire when the plug contact is fully inserted into the slot; trimming the wires to be flush with a distal end of the wire sled; inserting the wire manager and wire sled into the housing of the modular plug; and crimping the plug contacts to contact the wires positioned by the wire sled.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
using the grooves of the wire sled to position the wires at an angle of about 3 degrees to about 8 degrees with respect to the plug contacts.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
using ribs on opposite sides of the wire sled to create an interference with the housing and thereby ensuring that the wire sled is centered inside the housing.

20 . A modular plug for terminating a telecommunications cable having twisted pairs of wires, the modular plug comprising:
a housing defining an internal cavity and slots positioned toward a distal end, each slot being parallel to a central axis of the modular plug; a wire manager fitted inside the internal cavity, the wire manager defining channels for positioning the twisted pairs of wires inside the housing; a wire sled extending from the wire manager, the wire sled defining a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove is configured to receive a wire from the twisted pairs of wires, wherein each groove is positioned at an angle with respect to the central axis toward a side of the wire sled; and a plurality of plug contacts, each plug contact being partially inserted into a slot on the distal end of the housing, and wherein each plug contact has first and second tines that are structured to crimp on opposite sides of a wire positioned by a groove of the wire sled to form an electrical interface with the wire when the plug contact is fully inserted into the slot.

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Fitzpatrick Brian J

Classifications

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• H01R13/6463

  using twisted pairs of wires · CPC title

• H01R13/582

  the cable being clamped between assembled parts of the housing · CPC title

• H01R24/64 Primary

  for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45 · CPC title