HIGH SPEED PLUG
A communication plug including a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing side surfaces and opposing end surfaces, a grounding plane in the substrate, a grounding strip on a side surface of the substrate in electrical communication with the grounding plane, where the grounding strip is electrically connected to the ground plane in the substrate.
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The present disclosure is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/910,728, filed on Mar. 2, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/952,458, filed on Nov. 25, 2015, which claims the benefit of and the priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/195,027, filed Jul. 21, 2015, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCurrent network plug technology limits the amount of data that can be transmitted from a cable connected to one portion of a plug to a device connected to a second portion of the plug. As data communication speeds increase, the need to provide a properly grounded connection between two points becomes critical.
Currently, grounding of network connections requires manual manipulation of a grounding wire to a plug. Often, this manual manipulation results m an improper ground connection that may result in loss of data transmission due to transient signals. Further, manual manipulation of the plug requires additional man hours to terminate and test each connection, thereby increasing costs of installation of network connection points.
A need exists for a plug that creates a proper ground connection without manual manipulation of the plug.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication plug that may include a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, opposing side surfaces and opposing end surfaces, a grounding plane in the substrate, a grounding strip on a side surface of the substrate in electrical communication with the grounding plane wherein the grounding strip is electrically connected to the ground plane in the substrate.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a plurality of openings in the sides of the substrate.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a plurality of pin vias in one of the substrate.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a plurality of wire vias in the substrate, the wire vias being located adjacent to each opening.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a connection pad formed on the surface of the substrate around each wire via.
In another embodiment, the connection pad may include a circular portion extending around the periphery of the wire vias and a triangular portion extending from the circular portion towards an opening in the substrate.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a plurality of traces on the top surface of the substrate, each trace extending from a pin via to a connection pad.
In another embodiment, the plug may include at least two of the plurality of traces are on the bottom of the substrate.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a securing unit having a portion inserted into the wire via and a portion covering the connection pad.
In another embodiment, the plug may include a second grounding adjacent to the grounding plane in the substrate.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a method of forming a communication plug including the steps of forming a bottom layer of a substrate, forming a sub layer on the bottom layer, the sub layer including a first grounding plane, forming a middle layer on the grounding layer, the middle layer having a grounding plane, forming a top layer on the substrate, forming pin vias in the substrate, forming openings in opposing sides of the substrate, forming wire vias adjacent to each opening in the substrate, forming a grounding surface on opposite sides of the substrate on the top layer and bottom layer of the substrate, the grounding surface being in electrical communication with the first grounding layer and the second grounding layer, and forming traces on the top layer and bottom layer between the wire vias and pm vias.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of inserting a pin in each pin via.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of forming a connection pad around each wire via.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of forming the connection pad includes the step of forming a circular portion extending around the periphery of the wire vias and forming a triangular portion extending from the circular portion towards an opening in the substrate.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of forming the traces includes forming the traces from each pin via to a corresponding connection pad.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of inserting the substrate into a plug housing, the plug housing having openings in side surface so of the housing that correspond to the openings formed in the substrate.
In another embodiment, the method of forming the traces may include forming a first group of traces on the top surface of the substrate and a second group of traces on the bottom surface of the substrate.
In another embodiment, the method may include the step of inserting a pin on a from portion of a securing into each wire via and positioning a lower portion of the securing unit over the connection pad corresponding to the wire via accepting the pin.
In another embodiment, the housing may include a plurality of openings over the pin vias, each opening being sized to accommodate a pin.
In another embodiment, each securing unit may secure one wire in electrical communication with a connection pad.
Details of the present invention, including non-limiting benefits and advantages, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
The openings 110 may be offset at an angle from the horizontal or may be perpendicular to the side surface of the substrate 102. In one embodiment, a group of openings 110 are offset and a group of openings 110 are not offset. In another embodiment, each opening 110 is offset. In another embodiment, the opening 110 is blind and does not exit the substrate 102. In another embodiment, each opening is perpendicular to the side of the substrate 102. In another embodiment, the IDC 112 includes a wire guide (not shown).
When assembled, the first vias 202 and second vias 204 extend through each layer of the multi-layer plug. The grounding vias 208 extend through each layer of the multi-layer plug electrically connecting the grounding planes in each layer.
The plug housing 1700 includes grounding openings 1704 on each side of the plug with the grounding openings 1704 aligning with the grounding strips 1512 such that the grounding strips 1512 extend through the opening when the substrate 1502 is inserted into the plug housing 1700. By exposing the grounding strips 1512 through the plug housing 1700, the plug can be grounded to a high speed communication jack without any additional crimping or wiring thereby increasing the reliability of the ground connection, and reducing the labor required to install and ground the plug. The plug housing 1700 includes a plurality of pin openings 1706 one the end of the plug hosing 1700 opposite the substrate 1502 with each pin housing aligning with a pin 1508 on the substrate 1502 when the substrate 1502 is inserted into the plug housing 1700.
In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A connector assembly comprising:
- a jack including an opening, a grounding portion on the interior surface of the opening;
- a plug including; a substrate having a top layer and a bottom layer; a grounding plane disposed in the substrate between the top and bottom layers; and a grounding strip disposed on a side surface of the substrate in electrical communication with the grounding plane and positioned such that the grounding strip engages the grounding portion when the plug is engages the opening of the jack,
- wherein the side surface is oriented normal to the top and bottom layers, wherein the grounding strip is electrically connected to the ground plane.
2. The connector assembly of claim 1 including a plurality of openings defined in the side surface of the substrate, wherein a slot from each opening extends into the substrate.
3. The connector assembly of claim 1 including a plurality of pin vias defined in the substrate.
4. The connector assembly of claim 1 including a plurality of wire vias defined in the substrate, wherein each wire via is disposed adjacent to an inner extent of a slot that extends from an opening defined in the side surface of the substrate.
5. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a connection pad is disposed on one of the top and bottom layers adjacent each of a plurality of wire vias defined in the substrate.
6. The connector assembly of claim 5, wherein the connection pad includes a circular portion extending around the periphery of each of the wire vias and a triangular portion extending from each circular portion toward a slot that extends from an opening defined in the side surface of the substrate.
7. The connector assembly of claim 5 including a trace on the top layer, wherein the trace extends from a pin via defined in the substrate to the connection pad.
8. The connector assembly of claim 5 including a trace on the bottom layer, wherein the trace extends from a pin via defined in the substrate to the connection pad.
9. The connector assembly of claim 5 including a securing unit having a portion inserted into the wire via and a portion covering the connection pad.
10. The connector assembly of claim 1 including a second grounding adjacent to the grounding plane in the substrate.
11. A method of grounding a connector assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a grounding portion on the interior surface of an opening in a jack;
- forming a grounding plane disposed in the substrate between the top and bottom layers in a plug where a grounding strip disposed on a side surface of the substrate is in electrical communication with the grounding plane;
- positioning the grounding strip such that the grounding strip engages the grounding portion when the plug is engages the opening of the jack,
- wherein the side surface is oriented normal to the top and bottom layers, wherein the grounding strip is electrically connected to the ground plane.
12. The method of claim 11 including forming a plurality of openings defined in the side surface of the substrate, wherein a slot from each opening extends into the substrate.
13. The method of claim 11 including forming a plurality of pin vias defined in the substrate.
14. The connector assembly of claim 11 including a plurality of wire vias defined in the substrate, wherein each wire via is disposed adjacent to an inner extent of a slot that extends from an opening defined in the side surface of the substrate.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein a connection pad is disposed on one of the top and bottom layers adjacent each of a plurality of wire vias defined in the substrate.
16. The method of claim 5, wherein the connection pad includes a circular portion extending around the periphery of each of the wire vias and a triangular portion extending from each circular portion toward a slot that extends from an opening defined in the side surface of the substrate.
17. The method of claim 15 including forming a trace on the top layer that extends from a pin via defined in the substrate to the connection pad.
18. The method of claim 15 including forming a trace on the bottom layer that extends from a pin via defined in the substrate to the connection pad.
19. The method of claim 15 including forming a securing unit having a portion inserted into the wire via and a portion covering the connection pad.
20. The method of claim 15 including forming a second grounding adjacent to the grounding plane in the substrate.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 26, 2019
Publication Date: Sep 5, 2019
Applicant: Sentinel Connector Systems, Inc. (York, PA)
Inventor: Justin Wagner (York, PA)
Application Number: 16/395,425