Abstract: A strain relief housing for use in a communication plug terminating a cable carrying a plurality of conductors. The housing includes a plurality of prongs for segregating the conductors from a cable that is received through a passage in the housing. Means for anchoring the cable in the passage serve to effectively eliminate stress on the electrical connections with the conductors inside the plug. In a preferred embodiment, the strain relief housing segregates the conductors in a substantially circular array, largely conforming to the arrangement of the conductors in a round cable.

Abstract: A communication plug for terminating a cable carrying a plurality of conductors. The communication plug includes a strain relief housing for receiving the cable and a jack interface housing for communication with a jack. Confined within the two housing components are a plurality of conductive members carried by a blade carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the jack interface housing segregates the conductive members in a substantially circular array largely conforming to the arrangement of the conductors in a round cable.

Abstract: A tunable blade structure for use in a communication plug terminating a cable carrying a plurality of conductors. One end of the blades is designed as an insulation displacement connector (IDC) for electrical communication with the conductors from the cable. The other end of the blades is designed as a jack contact region for electrical communication with jack springs. Between these two ends are three regions for manipulating the electrical characteristics of the blades: a capacitive coupling region, an inductive coupling region and an isolation region. By appropriately designing these three regions, electrical interference (i.e., crosstalk) between the conductors can be optimized.

Abstract: A blade carrier assembly for use in a communication plug terminating a cord carrying a plurality of conductors. The assembly includes a dielectric carrier having a plurality of grooves disposed on both its upper and lower surfaces for receiving a plurality of electrically conductive blades. One end of the blades is configured to interface with a conductor from a cord, which is an insulation displacement contact (IDC) in the preferred embodiment. The other end of the blades is configured as a jack interface end for electrical communication with a jack spring. In a preferred embodiment, the grooves in the dielectric carrier position the conductor interface ends of the blades in a substantially circular array to conform with the general configuration of conductors in a round cable.

Abstract: An apparatus for preventing misalignment of a plurality of electrically conductive blades for use in a jack interface housing element of a communication plug. The apparatus comprises a locating bar fixedly mounted within the housing. Each blade is engineered with a bifurcated end to form an alignment notch that complements the shape of the locating bar. Thus, aligning the blades for electrical communication with a plurality of jack springs merely requires mating the alignment notches in the blades with the locating bar.

Abstract: A modular plug (23) for terminating cordage includes a housing (41) having a free end (46) and a cordage-input end. An end portion of a length of cordage (21) to be terminated by the plug is inserted into the cordage-input end of the housing to cause exposed individually insulated conductors extending beyond a jacketed portion of the cordage to be received in a conductor-holding portion of the housing. Blade-like terminals (42--42) inserted into slots opening to an exterior surface of the housing engage electrically the conductors. An anchoring member (61) is caused to be moved to an operative position whereat a primary jacket anchoring surface (74) of the anchoring member becomes disposed in compressive engagement with a jacket of the cordage. The geometry of the anchoring member is such that the primary anchoring surface in an unoperated position is angled to a longitudinal axis of the end portion of the length of cordage.

Abstract: A modular plug connector is adapted to terminate a cord having a number of insulated solid wire conductors. The connector includes a dielectric housing that facilitates interconnection between the solid wire conductor and a metallic terminal which slides into a terminal-receiving slot of the dielectric housing. The metallic terminal includes three tangs, or blades, that pierce the insulation surrounding the solid wire and achieve electrical contact. Adjacent tangs grasp the solid wire on opposite sides of its center line, but are controllably spread before making contact with the wire by cam surfaces molded into the side walls of the terminal-receiving slot. Reliable connections are therefore made between a metallic terminal and a solid wire conductor without severing it.

Abstract: A power adapter is disclosed for use in connecting electrical power to a telephone station via a cross-connect jack. The power adapter has a plug-end for mating with the cross-connect field and a jack-end for receiving a cross-connect patch cord. The power adapter includes a two-conductor permanently attached power cord. Bent wire technology is used to connect the contacts of the receiving jack with the contacts of the plug while blade insertion technology is used for making contact with the ends of the power conductors.