High data rate connectors and cable assemblies that are suitable for harsh environments and related methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9590339-B2
Application number	US-201414265447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An inline communications connector is provided that includes a housing and tip and ring contacts that are mounted in the housing. The tip contact includes an input tip socket, an output tip socket and a tip socket connection section that physically and electrically connects the input and output tip sockets. The ring contact includes an input ring socket, an output ring socket and a ring socket connection section that physically and electrically connects the input and output ring sockets. The input tip socket is not collinear with the output tip socket and the input ring socket is not collinear with the output ring socket.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An inline communications connector, comprising:
a housing;
a tip contact that is mounted in the housing, the tip contact including a tip input contact structure, a tip output contact structure and a tip connection section that physically and electrically connects the tip input and output contact structures;
a ring contact that is mounted in the housing, the ring contact including a ring input contact structure, a ring output contact structure and a ring connection section that physically and electrically connects the ring input and output contact structures,
wherein the tip contact and the ring contact are configured as a pair of contacts for carrying a single differential information signal,
wherein the tip input contact structure is not collinear with the tip output contact structure and the ring input contact structure is not collinear with the ring output contact structure, and
wherein the tip input and output contact structures and the ring input and output contact structures are each implemented as one of a pin or a socket,
wherein the tip input contact structure and the tip output contact structure each extend in a longitudinal direction and are spaced apart from each other along a transverse direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and
wherein top surfaces of the respective tip input contact structure and the tip output contact structure lie in a first horizontal plane and top surfaces of the respective ring input contact structure and the ring output contact structure lie in a second horizontal plane that is parallel to the first horizontal plane and spaced apart from the first horizontal plane along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

2. The inline communications connector of claim 1 , wherein the tip input contact structure, the tip output contact structure, the ring input contact structure and the ring output contact structure each include a respective longitudinal slit.

3. The inline communications connector of claim 1 , wherein the tip contact comprises a first tip contact, the tip input contact structure comprises a first tip input contact structure, the tip output contact structure comprises a first tip output contact structure, the tip connection section comprises a first tip connection section, the ring contact comprises a first ring contact, the ring input contact structure comprises a first ring input contact structure, the ring output contact structure comprises a first ring output contact structure, the ring connection section comprises a first ring connection section and the pair of contacts comprises a first pair of contacts for carrying a first information signal, the inline communications connector in combination with:
a second tip contact, the second tip contact including a second tip input tip contact structure, a second tip output contact structure and a second tip connection section that physically and electrically connects the second tip input contact structure and the second tip output contact structure;
a second ring contact, the second ring contact including a second ring input contact structure, a second ring output contact structure and a second ring connection section that physically and electrically connects the second ring input contact structure and the second ring output contact structure,
wherein the second tip contact and the second ring contact are configured as a second pair of contacts for carrying a second information signal, and
wherein the second tip input contact structure is not collinear with the second tip output contact structure and the second ring input contact structure is not collinear with the second ring output contact structure.

4. The inline communications connector of claim 3 , wherein the second tip connection section crosses over the second ring connection section at a second crossover, and wherein the first and second crossovers are positioned at the same distance in the longitudinal direction from an input to the connector.

5. The inline communications connector of claim 3 , wherein the first and second tip contacts lie in a first plane and the first and second ring contacts lie in a second plane that is spaced apart from and parallel to the first plane.

6. The inline communications connector of claim 3 , wherein a sum of the signal energy coupled between the first tip contact and the second tip contact and the signal energy coupled between the first ring contact and the second ring contact is substantially equal to a sum of the signal energy coupled between the first tip contact and the second ring contact and the signal energy coupled between the second tip contact and the first ring contact when the first information signal is transmitted through the first pair of contacts.

7. The inline communications connector of claim 1 , wherein the tip connection section crosses over the ring connection section at a first crossover.

8. The inline communications connector of claim 7 , wherein tip input contact structure comprises a tip input socket, the tip output contact structure comprises a tip output socket, the tip connection section physically and electrically connects the tip input and output sockets, the ring input contact structure comprises a ring input socket, the ring output contact structure comprises a ring output socket, and the ring connection section physically and electrically connects the ring input and output sockets.

9. The inline communications connector of claim 7 , wherein the tip input contact structure and the ring output contact structure each intercept a first vertical plane that extends in the longitudinal direction, and the ring input contact structure and the tip output contact structure each intercept a second vertical plane that extends in the longitudinal direction, the second vertical plane being parallel to the first vertical plane and spaced apart from the first vertical plane in the transverse direction.

10. The inline communications connector of claim 9 , wherein the tip input contact structure comprises a tip input pin, the tip output contact structure comprises a tip output pin, the tip connection section physically and electrically connects the tip input and output pins, the ring input contact structure comprises a ring input pin, the ring output contact structure comprises a ring output pin, the ring connection section physically and electrically connects the ring input and output pins.

11. The inline communications connector of claim 10 , wherein the tip contact comprises a first tip contact, the tip input pin comprises a first tip input pin, the tip output pin comprises a first tip output pin, the tip connection section comprises a first tip pin connection section, the ring contact comprises a first ring contact, the ring input pin comprises a first ring input pin, the ring output pin comprises a first ring output pin, the ring connection section comprises a first ring pin connection section and the pair of contacts comprises a first pair of contacts for carrying a first information signal, the inline communications connector in combination with:
a second tip contact, the second tip contact including a second tip input pin, a second tip output pin and a second tip pin connection section that physically and electrically connects the second tip input pin and the second tip output pin;
a second ring contact, the second ring contact including a second ring input pin, a second ring output pin and a second ring pin connection section that physically and electrically connects the second ring input pin and the second ring output pin,
wherein the second tip contact and the second ring c

Assignees

• Commscope Inc North Carolina

Inventors

• Oberski Jeffrey A
• Hashim Amid I
• Keith Scott M
• Knoernschild Steven W

Classifications

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/6467

  by cross-over of signal conductors · CPC title

• H01R12/721

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R13/02 Primary

  Contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/6463

  using twisted pairs of wires · CPC title