Stewart Connector Systems, Inc.

Worthington Armstrong Venture

Awi Licensing Company

Ronald P Locati

Richard D Marowsky

Charles Edward Reynolds

Randy Marshall Manning

Jon A Fortuna

Jere W Myers

William J Garver

Robert Colantuono

Brian T Patterson

John Matthew Hess

Jae A Eisenhower

Derek Imschweiler

Jeffrey Wallace Fleming

Patrick Hulbert

Ted R Meckley

Leonard K Espenshade

David F Givens

Mervin Fair

James Smith

Len Espenshade

David Barnum

Jason R Cartwright

Brian Simmering

Ronald Janz

The invention includes an electrified framework system having a plurality of grid members which form a grid framework. A conductive material is disposed on a surface of at least one of the plurality of grid members as shown throughout the drawings. The system includes connectors which provide low voltage power connections. For example, the connectors bring power from a power supply to the conductive material disposed on the grid framework and/or the connectors provide electrical connections between the conductive material on the grid framework and various devices.

Suspended ceiling grid adapter

A connector for electrical connection to an electrified grid element having first and second conductors disposed on a top portion of the grid element. In one embodiment, the connector comprises a single-piece insulator housing; a fastening means on the insulator housing for attaching the connector to a device; and first and second contacts within the insulator housing, the insulator housing configured to align the first and second contacts with the first and second conductors of the electrified grid element; wherein a base of the insulator housing comprises a recess that corresponds to the shape of the top portion of the grid element such that the housing can be mounted over the top portion of the grid member.

Connectors for electrically active grid

An electrical connector assembly adapted to be mounted on a substrate having a ground region including a jack defining a plug-receiving receptacle, at least one contact having a contact portion situated in the receptacle, a shield surrounding at least a portion of the jack and a shorting bar arranged in electrical connection with the contact(s) for discharging static charge from a plug upon its insertion into the receptacle and contact between the plug and the contact(s). The shorting bar is arranged in a channel in an outer housing part of the jack and in engagement with end portions of contacts received in slots in a comb portion of the outer housing part. The shield is adapted to be connected to the ground region of the substrate whereby the shorting bar is electrically connected to the shield. In use, prior to insertion of a mating plug into the receptacle, the end portions of the contacts engage the shorting bar and as the plug is inserted into the receptacle, static charge built up on the cable to which the plug is connected is transmitted through contacts to the shorting bar, from the shorting bar to the shield and from the shield to the ground on the printed circuit board on which the connector assembly is mounted.

Modular electrical connector assembly providing electrostatic discharge upon insertion of a mating connector

A connector assembly for mounting on a main printed circuit board, comprising a jack defining a plug-receiving receptacle and including an outer housing part and an inner housing part, circuit coupling means including contact portions arranged in said receptacle and adapted to engage contacts of a mating plug when situated in said receptacle and terminal portions adapted to engage the main printed circuit board and being electrically coupled to said contact portions, a light pipe element arranged in said jack being visible from a front face of said jack, and light generating means for generating light and being arranged such that light generated by said light generating means is transmitted through said at least one light transmitting section to said front face of said jack. The circuit coupling means further comprising an internal printed circuit board arranged in said jack and including filtering components mounted thereon, said internal printed circuit board including a wiring pattern for electrically coupling a first set of contacts, a second set of contacts and filtering components together.

Modular electrical connector assemblies with magnetic filter and/or visual indicator

Connector assembly including a jack defining a plug-receiving receptacle and a shield arranged around the jack. The jack includes a printed circuit board component including a printed circuit board, a first set of contacts each including a contact portion arranged in the receptacle and a board portion connected to the printed circuit board, and a second set of contacts each including a terminal portion adapted for mounting to a planar surface of a substrate and a board portion connected to the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a wiring pattern for electrically coupling the first and second sets of contacts. The terminal portions extend rearwardly and downward from the jack and have a co-planar portion. The jack may include an LED arranged proximate the printed circuit board, in which case the jack also includes a light pipe element that can transmit light from the LED to be visible from a front face of the jack, or adjacent the front face of the jack, in which case electrical leads connect the LED to the printed circuit board. The jack can also include electrical signal processing components, such as toroids for filtering applications, which may be mounted on the printed circuit board.

Surface mountable connector assembly including a printed circuit board

A multi-port modular jack including an outer housing part, inner housing parts arranged in the outer housing part to define plug-receiving receptacles receivable of mating plugs, and an optional shield surrounding the jack. The outer housing part having a top wall, a bottom wall and a front face having a mid-portion arranged substantially parallel to and between the top and bottom walls. The front face defines a first row of apertures between the mid-portion and the top wall and a second row of apertures between the mid-portion and the bottom wall. Each aperture in the first row has a plane of symmetry offset in relation to a plane of symmetry of each aperture in the second row such that only a portion of each aperture in the first row is directly opposite the opposed apertures in the second row. Vents are formed in the outer housing part to allow for the passage of air through the jack. The inner housing parts are arranged in the outer housing part to define the plug-receiving receptacles in alignment with a respective aperture in the front face of the outer housing part. Each inner housing part includes contact/terminal members for engaging contacts of a plug insertable into a respective plug-receiving receptacle. The contact/terminal members forming one or more wire pairs may be provided with a double cross over to reduce near-end crosstalk.

High frequency bi-level offset multi-port jack

Modular plug offering improved near-end crosstalk (NEXT) performance including a housing defining a plurality of terminal-receiving slots, wire-receiving channels each situated in communication with a slot and a longitudinal cavity extending from a rear surface of housing to the channels and which is in communication with the channels. The plug includes contact terminals situated in the slots and a load bar arranged in the cavity. The load bar defines wire-receiving channels for receiving the wires of the cable. At least first and second wire-receiving channels are arranged in a first plane parallel to the upper and lower faces of the load bar and at least third and fourth channels are arranged in a second plane parallel to the first plane. The first and second channels are adapted to receive two of the wires of the cable which operatively form part of a first circuit during use. A cable-plug assembly including a cable terminated at one or both ends by such plugs is also disclosed.

Modular electrical plug and plug-cable assembly including the same

A modular plug including a housing made of dielectric material including a plurality of parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending terminal-receiving slots at a forward end and a longitudinal cavity extending from a rear face thereof forward. Each terminal-receiving slot receives a respective terminal blade. The plug also includes a load bar assembly which is inserted into the cavity and includes a load bar housing defining conductor-receiving channels in substantially parallel rows or levels arranged such that each level receives at least one pair of conductors, preferably a pair of conductors which operatively forming a circuit during use. Preferably, the channels adapted to receive the conductors forming conductor pair &num; , conductors and according to a standard convention, and the channels adapted to receive the conductors forming conductor pair &num; , conductors and , are situated in levels distant from one another to thereby reduce crosstalk between these conductor pairs. The modular plug-cable assembly in accordance with the invention includes a multi-conductor cable and at least one plug as described above terminating a respective end of the cable. The other end of the cable may be unterminated or terminated by a plug as described above or another electrical connector.

Modular electrical plug, plug-cable assemblies including the same, and load bar and terminal blade for same

A modular jack for tubular enclosures including an elongate housing formed of dielectric material having a front end, a rear end and a body extending longitudinally between the front and rear ends, at least a portion of the body having a longitudinally extending cylindrical outer surface defining an outer cylindrical boundary envelope of the jack. The body includes a forward body portion adjacent the front end having a longitudinally extending side wall with outer and inner surfaces and a rearward body portion adjacent the rear end having an outer surface. The inner surfaces define a plug-receiving receptacle. The jack also includes a plurality of elongate contact/terminal members formed of conductive material, each contact/terminal member including a contact portion extending through the plug-receiving receptacle, a terminal portion mounted in the rearward body, and an intermediate bridging portion. The contact/terminal members are in their entirety recessed inwardly within the outer cylindrical boundary envelope of the jack.

Modular jack for tubular enclosures

A high frequency, modular electrical connector assembly including contact/terminal members arranged in such a manner to reduce crosstalk during use. The connector assembly includes a dielectric housing having a receptacle and an insert assembly arranged therein. The insert assembly includes an insert housing and first, second and preferably third sets of contact/terminal members, each contact/terminal member including a contact portion situated in the receptacle, a terminal portion extending beyond the bottom surface of the insert housing and an intermediate portion interconnecting the contact portion and the terminal portion. The contact/terminal member(s) in each set are geometrically different than the contact/terminal members in the other set(s) and are arranged substantially parallel to one another. The insert housing has conduits in each of which a respective contact/terminal member is received. To reduce crosstalk, the conduits are arranged such that each contact/terminal member is different from any adjacent contact/terminal member(s).

High frequency electrical connector assembly such as a multi-port multi-level connector assembly

Modular electrical jack including an outer housing part and an inner housing assembly connected to the outer housing part and defining one or more plug-receiving receptacles therewith. The inner housing assembly includes contact/terminal members, at least one of which includes a terminal portion adapted to be connected to a substrate, an arcuate contact portion extending into a respective plug-receiving receptacle and an intermediate bridging portion connecting the terminal portion and the contact portion. The bridging portion is inclined in relation to an inner surface of the outer housing part such that only a very short region of the bridging portion bears against the inner surface of the outer housing part and thus, remaining portions of the bridging portion are spaced from the inner surface. The construction of such contact/terminal members enables the jack to have a height less than that of contact/terminal members in existing jacks of the RJ type while providing the contact/terminal members with sufficient normal contact force to comply with FCC requirements. A communications card such as a PCMCIA card including the jack is also disclosed.

Low profile modular electrical jack and communication card including the same

Modular plug offering consistent de-embedded near-end crosstalk (NEXT) performance and terminated open circuit (TOC) values for plugs having the same design including a housing defining terminal-receiving slots and a longitudinal cavity extending from a rear surface of the housing to a location below the slots and being in communication therewith. The housing includes a strain relief element for engaging with the cable and securing the cable to the housing. The plug also includes contact terminals arranged in the slots and a load bar defining wire-receiving channels for receiving wires of the cable. The load bar is arranged in the cavity opposite the strain relief element such that the wires of the cable are fixed in position at least at a location opposite the strain relief element. The load bar is preferably hinged such that a rearward portion thereof is rotatable with respect to a forward portion thereof. This in conjunction with the dimensioning of the channels in the load bar and size of the cavity in the plug housing enables the plug to be used to terminate cables of various sizes. A plug-cable assembly including a cable terminated at one or both ends by such plugs is also disclosed as well as a method for terminating a cable with a plug.

A high frequency electrical connector assembly including a housing defining a plug-receiving receptacle having an entrance opening and contact/terminal members arranged in the housing. The contact/terminal members include at least one forward facing contact/terminal member having a forward facing contact situated in the receptacle and a non-contact portion including a terminal. The forward facing contact has a rearward end coupled to the terminal and a forward end which is closer to the entrance opening than the rearward end. The housing includes an outer housing part and an insert assembly insertable into the outer housing part to define the plug-receiving receptacle and including a securing insert for firmly securing the forward facing contact/terminal member(s) in the housing. The securing insert itself may be secured in connection with the housing to prevent movement thereof.

Growing community of inventors

York, PA, United States of America

Ronald P Locati