Communication outlet with shutter mechanism and wire manager

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9627827-B2
Application number	US-201615135870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A communication connector with a housing door pivotably coupled to a housing. The housing door is rotatable with respect to the housing between open and closed positions. The housing door is configured to be electrically connected to at least one grounding component of a cable. The housing has a door gripping portion. One of the housing door and the door gripping portion has a projection configured to engage another one of the housing door and the door gripping portion when the housing door is in the closed position. When so engaged, the projection is configured to electrically connect the housing door with the housing to thereby electrically connect the at least one grounding component with the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication connector for use with a cable having at least one grounding component, the communication connector comprising:
an electrically conductive housing having a door gripping portion; and
an electrically conductive housing door pivotably coupled to the housing, the housing door being connectable to the at least one grounding component to form an electrical connection therewith, the housing door being rotatable with respect to the housing between open and closed positions, a first one of the housing door and the door gripping portion having a projection configured to engage a different second one of the housing door and the door gripping portion when the housing door is in the closed position, the projection being configured to electrically connect the housing door with the housing to thereby electrically connect the at least one grounding component with the housing when the projection engages the second one of the housing door and the door gripping portion.

2. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the projection is configured to help maintain the housing door in the open position before the projection engages the second one of the housing door and the door gripping portion.

3. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing door is a first housing door, the projection is a first projection, and the communication connector further comprises:
an electrically conductive second housing door pivotably coupled to the housing, the second housing door being connectable to the at least one grounding component to form an electrical connection therewith, the second housing door being rotatable with respect to the housing between open and closed positions, a third one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion having a second projection configured to engage a fourth one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion when the second housing door is in the closed position, the fourth one being different from the third one, the second projection being configured to electrically connect the second housing door with the housing to thereby electrically connect the at least one grounding component with the housing when the second projection engages the fourth one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion.

4. The communication connector of claim 3 , wherein the door gripping portion is a first door gripping portion,
the housing has a second door gripping portion,
the first housing door has a third projection configured to engage the second door gripping portion when the first housing door is in the closed position,
the second housing door has a fourth projection configured to engage the second door gripping portion when the second housing door is in the closed position, and
the third and fourth projections are configured to electrically connect the first and second housing doors, respectively, with the housing to thereby electrically connect the at least one grounding component with the housing when the third and fourth projections are engaged with the second door gripping portion.

5. The communication connector of claim 3 for use with the cable comprising a plurality of wires, wherein the first and second housing doors define a throughway, and the communication connector further comprises:
a plurality of wire contacts housed inside the housing, the plurality of wire contacts being configured to form electrical connections with the plurality of wires, the throughway being configured to allow the cable to pass therethrough to position the plurality of wires to form electrical connections with the plurality of wire contacts.

6. The communication connector of claim 5 , wherein the first and second projections help ground performance of the communication connector when the first projection engages the second one of the first housing door and the door gripping portion, and the second projection engages the fourth one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion.

7. The communication connector of claim 5 , wherein the first and second projections help prevent a portion of the cable positioned within the throughway from moving with respect to the housing when the first projection engages the second one of the first housing door and the door gripping portion, and the second projection engages the fourth one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion.

8. The communication connector of claim 3 for use with the cable comprising a plurality of wires, wherein the first and second housing doors define a throughway, and the communication connector further comprises:
a plurality of wire contacts housed inside the housing, the plurality of wire contacts being configured to form electrical connections with the plurality of wires, the throughway being configured to allow the cable to pass therethrough to position the plurality of wires to form electrical connections with the plurality of wire contacts; and
a wire manager having an open-ended passageway and a plurality of wire channels adjacent one end of the passageway, the passageway being aligned with the throughway and configured to receive the cable therein, the plurality of wire channels being configured to receive the plurality of wires and position the plurality of wires to form electrical connections with the plurality of wire contacts.

9. The communication connector of claim 8 , wherein the first and second projections are configured to help maintain the wire manager in a desired position with respect to the housing when the first projection engages the second one of the first housing door and the door gripping portion, and the second projection engages the fourth one of the second housing door and the door gripping portion.

10. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the first one of the housing door and the door gripping portion is the housing door, and
the second one of the housing door and the door gripping portion is the door gripping portion.

11. The communication connector of claim 1 , wherein the projection has a spherical cap shape.

12. A communication connector for use with a communication cable having at least one grounding component, the communication connector comprising:
a housing having first and second door gripping members; and
a pair of housing doors coupled to the housing, at least one of the pair of housing doors being connectable to the at least one grounding component to form an electrical connection therewith, the pair of housing doors being transitionable between open and closed positions, the pair of housing doors defining a throughway when in the closed position, the throughway being configured to allow the cable to pass therethrough and be terminated inside the housing, each of the pair of housing doors having first and second projections, the first projection of each of the pair of housing doors being configured to engage the first door gripping member when the pair of housing doors are in the closed position, and the second projection of each of the pair of housing doors being configured to engage the second door gripping member when the pair of housing doors are in the closed position, engagement between the first projection of each of the pair of housing doors and the first door gripping member and engagement between the second projection of each of the pair of housing doors and the second door gripping member electrically connecting the pair of housing doors with the housing to thereby electrically connect the at least one grounding component with the housing.

13. The communication connector of claim 12 , wherein the engagement between the first projection of each of

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Bragg Charles R

Classifications

• H01R13/6583

  with separate conductive resilient members between mating shield members · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• H01R13/4536

  Inwardly pivoting shutter · CPC title

• H01R4/2433

  one part of the base being movable to push the cable into the slot · CPC title

• H01R24/64 Primary

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