EP1018191B1 - Low voltage plug adapter with organising rear bonnet - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a low voltage plug adapter comprising: a contact base (2) provided with contact pins (2) whereon can be connected a plug brought along a given plug-in direction; and an organising bonnet (1) that can be directly mounted on the contact base (2), said bonnet (1), when it is being fixed, producing electrical contact between the conductor wires (31, 32) of a connecting cable (3) and the base (2) contact pins (25), the bonnet (1) comprising wire guides (11, 12) for repetitive spatial positioning of the wires (31, 32) separately for placing them in electrical connection with the contact pins (25) when the bonnet (1) is fixed on the base (2). The invention is characterised in that the bonnet (1) can be directly mounted from the rear on the contact base (2) along said plug-in direction.

Description

The present invention relates to a power outlet weak intended to be used in data processing or in telephony. Such sockets, for example of the RJ45 type, generally include a socket base with a plug-in housing in which there are several contact pins, usually eight. It is therefore possible using a plug to connect to these contact pins. The plug-in housing is good heard located on the front of the socket. On his side rear, connection cable generally connects on insulation displacement contacts which are of course oriented perpendicular to the conductor wires to incise.

For the connection of the conductor wires of the connection, there are devices to store, organize and fix these wires on the insulation displacement contacts from the socket base. Watch eg. DE-U-295 12 585. In general, these devices are come in the form of a cap that you can report on hold. A typical example of organizer cap is in the form of a comb through which the conductive wires of the connection cable. The comb consists of an alignment of grommets arranged next to each other. Therefore, it is relatively difficult and laborious thread the wires into their respective grommet channel, the fact that it is practically compulsory to don the all the wires in one operation. The sons conductors should therefore be arranged one at a time side of the others aligned in order well precise distinguished by different thread colors. The operator responsible for connecting the connection cable on the socket concerned must therefore carry out this work laborious positioning before being able to insert the wires in the organizer cap. Once this complicated operation performed, the organizer cap is attached laterally on the insulation displacement contacts of the grip base by exerting a pressure force on the cap so as to engage the wires in the respective insulation displacement contacts. When the cap organizer has reached its maximum insertion position, it is ensured that the sheaths of the conducting wires are all incised to the core of the son by the contacts insulation. Simultaneous wiring of conductive wires is thus achieved.

As mentioned above, the use of such caps organizers is relatively laborious due to the difficulty in getting all the wires through conductors in the respective grommets. Of more, it should be noted that the configuration of these caps organizers in the form of a comb with grommets parallel aligned generates the fact that a pull on the connection cable or on the socket is exerted directly at the level of the cores of the conducting wires stuck in the insulation displacement contacts. It follows that a strong pull on the cable or the plug has for effect of sliding the wire cores in the contacts insulation displacement, or even to simply cut the wires conductors.

This problem can be encountered in particular in taking of document EP-A-0 735 612 which conventionally comprises a socket base and an organizing cap. The base of socket has two rows of four contacts wire strippers that point upward when the plug is positioned as it should be installed in a Wall. The two rows of contacts are offset vertically and horizontally one with respect to the other, so that they feel arranged in tiers. On the other hand, the cap also defines two rows guide holes for the eight wires of the cable to Connect. The two rows of four holes open from offset to be able to insert the wires in the insulation displacement contacts of the socket base. In this taken just like in classic art takes front, the cap is attached laterally on the base, i.e. perpendicular to the direction plug connection. It follows therefore the above-mentioned problem of pulling out due to traction on the wire since the wires extend substantially straight in the socket.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art by defining a low power outlet with organizer cap for which the installation of the various conducting wires is simpler and the connection made by the cap organizer is more solid in that a pull exerted on the cable does not affect the souls of the sons engaged in the insulation displacement contacts.

For this, the present invention provides a socket low current according to claim 1.

Unlike the sockets of the prior art where the cable that always comes from the back of the plug is laterally attached to the socket base using the organizing cap, in the present invention, the cable is brought to the socket base in the same direction as the insulation displacement contacts, which involves bending or changing the direction of the wires in the organizer cap to bring them perpendicularly to insulation displacement contacts.

Advantageously, each wire guide is provided for guiding a pair of wires, said guides being arranged in a geometric polygonal configuration. Thus, with the organizing cap according to the invention, the different conductive wires are put in place by pair in the organizer cap, which facilitates greatly the operation. In general, said guides pair of wires are four for a cable classic comprising four pairs of wires, and are arranged in a rectangular configuration. So the different pairs of the conducting wire are separated in space.

According to an interesting feature, each guide pair of wires includes a common guide duct to the pair of wires and two locking channels for the wires respective of the pair. In this case, the ducts of common guide may extend substantially in said plugging direction and blocking channels can extend substantially perpendicular to said plugging direction.

Therefore, the common guide duct and the two blocking channels make an angle so as to form a edge on which the respective wire forms a fold of blocking. So the lead wires can first be fully waxed through the common guide pipe and then then folded back into their respective blocking channels which forms the blocking fold at the location of the edge which forms the transition between the common guide duct and the respective blocking channel. This blocking fold ensures on the one hand that the wires are pulled all the way through the organizer cap so that the cable shielding connection or individual wire pairs extends as close as possible to the organizer cap, and on the other hand the final immobilization of the wires conductors in the organizer cap. The fold of blocking therefore has a dual function. Furthermore, being given that the electrical contact with the contacts insulation displacement is carried out at the wire section engaged in the blocking channels, a pull on the connection cable no longer affects the insulation displacement contacts but at the blocking fold which forms a stop for the folded wire. Wire bending before connection also allows you to report the cap on the base from the rear and not laterally, this which is easier.

On the other hand, in order to achieve a permanent blockage wires in the respective channels, the blocking channels are provided with retention means such as lugs to keep the wires blocked in their respective channel. The edge on which the blocking fold is formed allows already blocking the wires, but the means of retention, for example in the form of lugs, ensure the final immobilization of the conductors in the channels, so that traction on the cable does not cannot cause the conductors to come off from their respective channels.

According to a practical embodiment, the conduits common guides are open laterally to allow a lateral introduction of the pairs of wires. Through therefore, it is no longer necessary to don the pairs of wires in the respective pair guides but simply to engage them laterally which facilitates greatly the introduction of pairs in the guides. In in this case, the wire pair guides are under the shape of a notch made in the cap organizer which opens at its end lower in the two respective blocking channels. The operator responsible for the wiring then only needs to arrange the four pairs of wires in space in four divergent directions and bring the end of the cable thus arranged on the organizer cap and then fold the four pairs of wires one by one in the guides open laterally. Then the operator no longer has that fold the conductive wires by pulling them in the respective blocking channels. The last operation simply bring back the organizer cap on the back of the socket base and push it in until the engagement of the conductors in the contacts insulation.

According to another characteristic, the wire guides are electronically isolated from each other by a cross-shaped screen device that extends beyond electrical contact of the wires with the socket base. This characteristic is particularly advantageous with the use of connection cables in which each pair of wires is shielded by a metal screen. Thus, the electromagnetic screens separating the different guides allow insulation to perfect guide guided by extending the insulation provided by the screens of pairs. In this case, it is particularly advisable pull the pairs of screened cables as far as possible the inside of the pair guides so as not to create no insulation discontinuity. This operation is particularly simple with the organizer cap according to the invention because it is possible to draw strongly the wires through the common guide conduit and then from fold them over the edges in their blocking channels respectively. The wires are thus perfectly locked in their final position so that the loosening of conductive wires do not cause any displacement thereof in the organizer cap. According to another form of practical realization, the base is provided with contacts insulation displacement devices electrically connected to the pins of contact, each blocking channel is formed with a through housing for inserting contacts insulation displacement transverse to the wires blocked in their respective channel. The fact that the electrical contact is carried out at the wire sections located in the blocking channels provides some independence by connection cable, in the sense that a traction on the cable is exerted only at the fold of blocking and not at the insulation displacement contacts.

According to another aspect of the invention, the cap is provided with a drain wire guide for placing the drain wire to ground when attaching the cap on the base. So, in the same way as guides conductive wires, the drain wire guide allows in the same operation of fixing the cap on the base of put the drain wire in contact with a part metallic or metallized forming mass.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description which follows made with reference to the accompanying drawings giving by way of nonlimiting example, several modes of realization of the present invention.

• la figure 1 est une représentation en perspective éclatée d'une prise de courant faible selon un mode de réalisation de la présente invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue de la prise de courant faible de la figure 1 à l'état monté,
• la figure 3 est une représentation éclatée en coupe transversale de la prise de courant faible des figures 1 et 2,
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe transversale de la prise de la figure 3 à l'état monté,
• la figure 5 est une vue éclatée en section transversale d'une prise de courant faible selon un autre mode de réalisation,
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe transversale de la prise de courant faible de la figure 5 de l'état monté, et
• la figure 7 est une vue de dessus de la prise de courant faible des figures 5 et 6.

In the drawings:

• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective representation of a weak power outlet according to an embodiment of the present invention,
• FIG. 2 is a view of the weak current socket of FIG. 1 in the assembled state,
• FIG. 3 is an exploded representation in cross section of the weak socket outlet of FIGS. 1 and 2,
• FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the socket in FIG. 3 in the assembled state,
• FIG. 5 is an exploded view in cross section of a weak socket outlet according to another embodiment,
• FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the low current socket in FIG. 5 of the assembled state, and
• FIG. 7 is a top view of the low current socket of FIGS. 5 and 6.

We will first refer to Figures 1 to 4 for explain a first embodiment of a taking low current according to the invention. As we can see in the exploded representation of FIG. 1, the taking of low current basically includes two pieces , namely a socket base 2 and a cap rear organizer 1. The two parts 1 and 2 can be made of a molded plastic material. Such as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the front face of the base 2 faces downwards and includes a housing in which are arranged pins contact 25, like those in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which we can connect a plug in a direction of given plug-in. As a rule, in a socket of the RJ45 type, there are eight contact pins 25. Each contact pin 25 is electrically connected to a respective insulation displacement contact 21 as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4. The insulation displacement contacts 21 are accessible from the rear side of base 2 when the rear cap 1 is removed and extend into the plugging direction. In Figures 1 and 2, the face rear of base 2 is facing up. A goal of rear organizer cap 1 is to engage wires individual conductors of a connection cable 3 in the respective insulation displacement contacts 21 of the base of taken 2. In the embodiment shown in the Figures 1 to 4, the socket base 2 is provided with an element 24-shaped screen dividing the socket base 2 in four perfectly insulated compartments electromagnetically from each other. advantageously, the screen 24 can be made of a metal such as Zamac. Each compartment delimited by the screen 24 contains two insulation displacement contacts 21. In the example used, we have chosen to describe an eight-pin plug base, thus comprising eight insulation displacement contacts 21, but it it is also possible to provide sockets weak with more or less than eight contact pins. The number of insulation displacement contact pins must not be considered to be limiting for the invention. The base of socket 2 which has just been described is common to both embodiments shown in the figures to except screen 24.

The organizer cap 1 can be attached from the rear on the socket base 2, for example by snap. For this purpose, the screen 24 is provided with lugs 240 that allow to fix permanently the rear cap 1 on the socket base 2. Optionally, to ensure perfect support and unchanging of the organizer cap on the base 2 it can be provided a retaining ring 250 which snaps onto screen 24 by pressing on cap 1.

The rear organizer cap 1 has a cross section somewhat smaller than that of the socket base 2 so that the cap can come fit inside the base 2. In the example of Figures 1 to 4 which implements a screen 24, the cap organizer 1 is formed with an insertion passage central 16 allowing the passage of the upper part in the form of a cross of the screen 24. In the assembled state, the latching lugs 240 of screen 24 are supported on the upper face 10 of the cap 1 at the ends of the cross-shaped passage 16. A fixing final is thus obtained.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the organizer cap 1 is provided with four guides pairs of wires 11 arranged relative to each other so as to form a rectangle. Indeed, each guide 11 corresponds to a compartment of base 2 delimited by screen 24. It can be seen that each pair of wire guides 11 has an elongated section allowing the insertion of a pair of wires arranged side by side. The visible parts guides 11 from the face 10 of the cap 1 constitute a common guide duct 11 allowing the passage of a pair of wires 31, 32. The guide duct common 11 passes through the cap 1 right through of surface 10. It is therefore possible to pass separately the pairs of wires 31.32 through the cap 1 by engaging them respectively in their conduit respective guide 11. The fact that these guide conduits common 11 are arranged in a configuration geometric polygonal, in this case rectangular, enormously facilitates the operation of inserting the wires to through the organizer cap 1. Indeed, while in the prior art it was essential to have the conductors in the same plane so perfectly aligned and orderly, it is possible thanks to the organizer cap 1 of the invention of organizing them spatially in pairs and then introduce them one by one in their respective common guide conduits 11. This saves a lot of time for the wiring of the catch. Once the four pairs of wires 31.32 have been introduced through cap 1 by engagement in the common guide conduits 11, the operator can pull on the wires to bring the screen as close as possible to shield 30 of the cable 3 of the cap 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, if each pair of wires 31.32 is individually isolated by a screen 33, it is possible pull the wires on the other side of the cap 1 of so as to at least partially penetrate the screen of shielding 33 of the individual pairs inside the common guide ducts 11. Because the base of socket 2 is provided with an insulating screen 24, there is no insulation discontinuity between cable 3 and socket according to the invention. As is clearly visible on the Figure 4, the shield screen 30 of the cable 3 is pulled until contact with the upper part of the screen 24 as the pair 33 shield screens penetrate up to the common guide conduits 11. It is then possible to fold the wires individually conductors so as to engage them individually in blocking channels 12 which extend substantially perpendicular to the guide conduits 11 and which are open along their length at the back of the cap, as this can be seen in Figure 1. Thus, each conduit of guide 11 therefore opens laterally on two channels of blocking 12. It can be understood in FIG. 1 that four blocking channels 12 open laterally on the side and other side of the cap 1. With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, we see that the cap 1 forms at the entrance to the blocking channels 12 a projecting edge 13. By therefore, when the operator folds the wires individual in blocking channels 12, these will forced to form a blocking fold at the level of the edge 13. This blocking fold on the conductive wires has several advantages. Indeed, first of all fold allows you to permanently fix the position of the cable 3 relative to the cap 1. In addition, this blocking fold allows to bring the wires perpendicular to the insulation displacement contacts 21. On the other hand, this blocking fold allows to leave the part of the wire engaged in the channels 12 substantially unsolicited during a pull on the cable 3. Unlike the device of the prior art where the wires were simply engaged in the cap organizer and could slide freely, with the organizer cap of the invention, the wires are trapped inside, which permanently fixes and unchangingly the position of the cable 3 relative to the cap 1 even before it is attached to base 2.

In order to prevent the sections of conductive wires from release blocking channels 12, this is provided with retention means for example in the form of lugs retention 120 which define a passage section slightly smaller than the cross-section of the so that once forcibly engaged within blocking channels 12 the conductive wires can no longer get out of it. We thus definitively ensure that the fold of bocage formed on the edge 13 is fixed in position. In in addition, to allow transversal engagement of insulation displacement contacts 21 on the wire sections conductors engaged in blocking channels 12 it is provided through introductory housings 14 which are arranged corresponding to the geometry of the insulation displacement contacts 21.

Referring for example to Figures 3 and 4 or 5 and 6, we will now describe an operation of fixing an organizer cap 1 on a base 2. A after all the leads have been correctly placed on the organizer cap 1, as shown in Figure 5, it is possibly possible cut the ends of the wires so that they do not protrude from cap 1. Then, just bring cap 1 back from inside the housing 20 formed by the base 2 until the pins snap 22 of base 2 snap onto organizer cap 1. When this position is reached, (Figures 4 and 6), it is ensured that the wires conductors are fully engaged in contacts insulation displacement, thus making electrical contact with contact pins 25. Low power outlet according to the invention is then operational.

Referring now to Figure 7, it is shown a weak outlet according to a second embodiment of the invention. The variant that this second embodiment incorporates is in the design of the organizer cap 1 while the base 2 is perfectly identical except that it does not has no insulating screen 24 compartmentalizing the base 2 into four electromagnetically isolated spaces. The peculiarity incorporated by the organizer cap 1 of FIG. 7 resides in the fact that the conduits of common guide 11 are open laterally so that it is possible to engage the pairs of wires laterally in the conduits 11. While it is necessary to introduce the wires laterally to the interior of the conduits 11 from the face 10 of the cap 1, with the cap 1 of FIG. 7, they can be engage more simply by lateral insertion. In addition, this type of cap 1 is provided with a guide drain wires 15 allowing the drain wire to be mass when fixing the cap 1 on the base 2.

Thanks to the organizer cap 1 according to the invention, it is possible to divide cable 3 by pair and then consecutively perform the positioning of the pairs of sons one after the other, so that the wiring operation is much simpler. It is also note that the fitting of the cap on the base is done from the back, which involves folding blocking of tensile resistant wires. In addition, screen 24 isolates the pairs of wires beyond insulation displacement contacts, which ensures shield continuity between pairs even in the event of disappearance of the screen sheath of the pairs at the level of the leads.

Claims (12)

1. A low-current outlet comprising:

   an outlet base (2) provided with contact pins (25) to which a plug can be connected; and

   a rear cap (1) that can be mounted on the rear of the outlet base (2), which cap (1), on being fixed to the base, establishes the electrical contact between the conductor wires (31, 32) of a connection cable (3) and the contact pins (25) of the base (2), the cap (1) being provided with wire guides (11, 12) making it possible to position the wires (31, 32) in three dimensions so that they are connected electrically to the contact pins (25) on fixing the cap (1) to the base (2);

   said low-current outlet being characterized in that each wire guide makes an angle such as to form an edge (13) on which the respective wire forms a locking fold.
2. A low-current outlet according to claim 1, in which each wire guide (11, 12) serves to guide one pair of wires, said guides being disposed in a polygonal geometrical configuration.
3. A low-current outlet according to claim 1, in which each wire guide comprises a common guide duct (11) and a locking channel (12) for the respective wire.
4. A low-current outlet according to claim 3, in which the common guide ducts (11) extend substantially along said plug-in axis by passing through the cap, and the locking channels (12) extend substantially perpendicularly to said plug-in axis over the front of the cap, while being open over their lengths.
5. A low-current outlet according to claim 3 or 4, in which the common guide duct (11) and each of the locking channels (12) make an angle such as to form the edge (13) on which the respective wires form locking folds.
6. A low-current outlet according to claim 3, 4, or 5, in which the locking channels (12) are provided with retaining means (120) such as lugs for holding the locked wires (31, 32) in their respective channels (12).
7. A low-current outlet according to any one of claims 3 to 6, in which the common guide ducts (11) are open laterally so as to enable the wires (31, 32) to be inserted laterally into them.
8. A low-current outlet according to any preceding claim, in which the wire guides (11, 12) are isolated electromagnetically from one another by a cross-shaped screening device (24) which extends beyond the electrical contact between the wires and the outlet base.
9. A low-current outlet according to any one of claims 3 to 7, in which the base (2) is provided with insulation-displacement contacts (21) connected electrically to the contact pins (25), each locking channel (12) is provided with a through housing (14) enabling the insulation-displacement contact (25) to be inserted transversely to the wires (31, 32) locked in their respective channels (12).
10. A low-current outlet according to any preceding claim, in which the cap (1) is provided with a drain wire guide (15) that enables the drain wire to be grounded on fixing the cap (1) to the base (2).
11. A low-current outlet according to claim 3, in which four locking channels (12) open out laterally on either side of the cap (1).
12. A low-current outlet according to claim 3, in which an edge (13) is formed at the entrance of each locking channels (12).

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