JP2025060290A - Modular jack and wiring device equipped with same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a modular jack capable of improving assembly workability and a wiring instrument including the same.SOLUTION: A modular jack includes a cover and a substrate 30 on which a plurality of first contacts 40 are mounted. The plurality of first contacts 40 are capable of contacting a plurality of second contacts of the modular plug when the modular plug is inserted into a plug insertion port provided in the cover. The plurality of first contacts 40 include a plurality of third contacts 43 and a plurality of fourth contacts 44. The connection positions at which the plurality of third contacts 43 are connected to the substrate 30 are different in the front-rear direction from the connection positions at which the plurality of fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30. The connection positions of two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts 44 and the connection positions of the fourth contacts 44 other than the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts 44 are different in the front-rear direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present disclosure relates to a modular jack and a wiring device including the same. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a modular jack to which a multi-core cable having multiple cores is connected, and a wiring device including the same.

Patent Document 1 discloses a modular jack. The modular jack has a plug connection base with a plug socket opening on the front. Eight contact springs are arranged inside the plug socket, each of which comes into contact with a contact of a modular plug inserted into the plug socket. Patent Document 2 also describes a conventional example of a modular jack.

JP 2005-310559 A U.S. Patent Publication No. 9,391,405

When eight contact springs are press-fitted onto a circuit board, the eight contact springs are positioned close to each other, so there is a possibility that adjacent contact springs may get in the way of the press-fitting process.

The objective of this disclosure is to provide a modular jack that can improve assembly workability, and a wiring device equipped with the same.

The modular jack according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a cover and a substrate. A plug insertion port into which a modular plug can be inserted is provided on the front surface of the cover. A plurality of first contacts are mounted on the substrate. The plurality of first contacts are capable of contacting a plurality of second contacts of the modular plug when the modular plug is inserted into the plug insertion port. The plurality of first contacts include a plurality of third contacts and a plurality of fourth contacts. The connection position at which the plurality of third contacts are connected to the substrate is different in the front-rear direction from the connection position at which the plurality of fourth contacts are connected to the substrate. Two of the plurality of fourth contacts are located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first contacts. The connection positions of the two fourth contacts located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts and the connection positions of the fourth contacts other than the two fourth contacts located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts are different in the front-rear direction.

The wiring device of one aspect of the present disclosure includes the modular jack and an adapter. The adapter holds the modular jack and is attachable to a mounting member for mounting the wiring device to an installation surface.

This disclosure provides a modular jack that can improve assembly workability, and a wiring device equipped with the same.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a modular jack according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the modular jack with a cap removed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the modular jack with the cover and the body separated. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the modular jack with the cap removed. FIG. 5 is a rear view of the modular jack with the cap removed. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a board provided in the modular jack. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a substrate provided in the modular jack. FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the modular jack with the base removed from the board. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a base provided on the modular jack. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a first contact mounted on a board included in the modular jack. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the pattern of the printed wiring formed on the bottom surface of the substrate of the modular jack. FIG. 12 is a pattern diagram showing the printed wiring formed on the upper surface of the board of the modular jack as seen from below. FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram showing a schematic representation of a portion of the printed wiring formed on a substrate provided in the modular jack. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the wiring device having the modular jack mounted on a mounting frame. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the wiring device including the modular jack and the mounting frame as viewed from the front. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the wiring device including the modular jack as viewed from the rear. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method for connecting the core wires of a multi-core cable to the modular jack.

The modular jack according to the embodiment and the wiring device including the same will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, each figure described in the following embodiment is a schematic diagram, and the dimensional ratio of the size of each component does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Furthermore, the configuration described in the following embodiment is merely one example of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(Embodiment)
(1) Overview A modular jack 1 according to the present embodiment and a wiring device 300 including the same will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. FIG.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the modular jack 1 of this embodiment includes a cover 20 and a substrate 30.

The cover 20 has a plug insertion port 23 on the front into which a modular plug 400 (see Figure 14) can be inserted.

A plurality of first contacts 40 and a plurality of terminals 50 are mounted on the substrate 30.

The multiple first contacts 40 can each come into contact with the multiple second contacts 410 provided on the modular plug 400 when the modular plug 400 is inserted into the plug insertion port 23.

The plurality of first contacts 40 includes a plurality of third contacts 43 and a plurality of fourth contacts 44.

The connection positions where the multiple third contacts 43 are connected to the substrate 30 are different in the front-to-rear direction from the connection positions where the multiple fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30.

Two of the multiple fourth contacts 44 are located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the multiple first contacts 40.

The connection positions of the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends of the plurality of fourth contacts 44 are different in the front-to-rear direction from the connection positions of the fourth contacts 44 other than the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends of the plurality of fourth contacts 44 (see FIG. 7).

Here, the multiple first contacts 40 are arranged in one direction, and two of the multiple fourth contacts 44 are located at both ends of the multiple first contacts 40 in the arrangement direction.

According to this embodiment, the connection positions of the multiple fourth contacts 44 are different in the front-to-rear direction from the connection positions of the multiple third contacts 43, and furthermore, the connection positions of the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends are different in the front-to-rear direction from the connection positions of the other fourth contacts 44. Therefore, in the modular jack 1 of this embodiment, compared to a case where the connection positions of the multiple first contacts 40 are the same in the front-to-rear direction, the work of pressing the multiple first contacts 40 (including the multiple third contacts 43 and the multiple fourth contacts 44) into the board 30 is easier to perform, and assembly workability is improved.

(2) Details A multi-core cable CB1 having a plurality of pairs of wires each having two twisted core wires W1 is connected to the modular jack 1 of this embodiment. That is, the modular jack 1 has a plurality of terminals 50, and each of the plurality of pairs of wires in the multi-core cable CB1 can be connected to the plurality of terminals 50. More specifically, the modular jack 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, to build a computer network and to connect a LAN cable conforming to the CAT6A standard with a communication speed of 10 Gbps and a transmission band of 500 MHz. In this case, the modular jack 1 has eight first contacts 40 and eight terminals 50, and four pairs of wires in the multi-core cable CB1 are connected to the eight terminals 50. That is, one core wire W1 of the corresponding pair wires is connected to each of the eight terminals 50.

The wiring device 300 (see Figures 14 and 15) equipped with this modular jack 1 is a recessed wiring device that is installed with its rear portion recessed into an installation surface 600 such as a wall surface. The wiring device 300 can be attached to a mounting frame 500 that is used when installing a recessed wiring device on an installation surface. The illustrated mounting frame 500 is a three-piece mounting frame that can mount up to three wiring devices of unit size. The wiring device 300 of this embodiment is formed to a size that allows up to three devices to be attached to the illustrated mounting frame 500.

Hereinafter, the modular jack 1 according to the present embodiment and the wiring device 300 including the same will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the X-axis direction in FIG. 1 and the like is defined as the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction as the front-rear direction (depth direction), and the Z-axis direction as the up-down direction. Furthermore, the positive direction in the X-axis direction is defined as the right side, the positive direction in the Y-axis direction as the front side, and the positive direction in the Z-axis direction as the top side, and the surface of the modular jack 1 on which the plug insertion port 23 is provided is defined as the front side. However, these directions are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the directions in which the modular jack 1 and the wiring device 300 are used. For example, the modular jack 1 may be used with the lower part defined in this embodiment facing in a direction other than vertically downward (for example, vertically upward). Also, the arrows indicating the directions in the drawings are merely indicated for the purpose of explanation and do not have any substance.

(2.1) Configuration (2.1.1) Modular Jack As described above, the modular jack 1 includes the cover 20, the substrate 30, and the body 10. The modular jack 1 further includes a base 60 and a cap 70.

The cover 20 is, for example, a molded product made of electrically insulating synthetic resin. A plug insertion port 23 into which a modular plug 400 can be inserted is provided on the front side of the cover 20. The cover 20 includes a plug connection base 21 with the plug insertion port 23 provided on the front side, and a body holding base 22 that protrudes rearward from the rear of the plug connection base 21.

The plug connection stand 21 is formed in a box shape with an opening on the rear surface. A flexible piece 24 is provided in the center in the up-down direction on each of the left and right sides of the plug connection stand 21. A slit is formed around the flexible piece 24, and the rear end of the flexible piece 24 is formed to be flexible in the left-right direction. A locking claw 25 is provided on the outer surface of the flexible piece 24. The surface of the locking claw 25 is inclined in the front-to-rear direction so that the amount of protrusion from the side of the plug connection stand 21 increases toward the rear.

The body holding stand 22 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the upper part of the plug connection stand 21. The body holding stand 22 has a rectangular plate-shaped upper wall 224 and side walls 221 that protrude downward from the left and right side edges of the upper wall 224. A rail piece 26 that can come into contact with the upper surface of the body 10 is provided on the lower surface of the upper wall 224 of the body holding stand 22 along the front-rear direction.

A flexible piece 27 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the top of each of the right and left sides of the plug connection base 21. A slit is formed around the flexible piece 27, and the front end of the flexible piece 27 is formed to be flexible in the left-right direction. A protrusion 28 is provided on the inner surface of the flexible piece 27, which is inclined so that the amount of inward protrusion increases toward the front.

In addition, holding grooves 29 are formed at the rear of the left and right sides of the body holding base 22.

The substrate 30 (see Figures 6 to 8) is, for example, a printed wiring board. The substrate 30 is formed in a flat plate shape from an electrically insulating material such as glass, epoxy material, paper, or phenolic material. The substrate 30 is provided with a number of holes A1 to A8 (see Figures 11 and 12) into which the press-fit portions 41 of the first contacts 40 are respectively press-fitted, and a number of holes B1 to B8 into which the terminals 50 are respectively press-fitted.

A plurality of first contacts 40 are mounted on the substrate 30. When the modular plug 400 is inserted into the plug insertion port 23, the plurality of first contacts 40 can be brought into contact with a plurality of second contacts 410 (see FIG. 14) provided on the modular plug 400. A plurality of terminals 50 are mounted on the substrate 30, which are electrically connected to the plurality of first contacts 40. A plurality of core wires W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 (see FIG. 17) can be connected to the plurality of terminals 50. More specifically, a plurality of (e.g., eight) first contacts 40 are mounted on the lower surface of the front part of the substrate 30 in a line in the left-right direction. The modular plug 400 is provided with a plurality of second contacts 410 that correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first contacts 40 provided on the modular jack 1. A plurality of (e.g., eight) terminals 50 are mounted on the lower surface of the rear part of the substrate 30 in two rows. The plurality of terminals 50 correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first contacts 40. On the surface of the substrate 30, multiple printed wiring lines E1 to E8 (see Figures 11 and 12) are formed that electrically connect the multiple terminals 50 and the multiple first contacts 40. The printed wiring lines E1 to E8 are wiring lines made of a conductor layer formed on the surface of the substrate 30 using printing technology.

In this embodiment, the number of first contacts 40 is eight, and the eight first contacts 40 are assigned pin numbers 1 to 8 in order from the left end. In FIG. 8, the numbers in parentheses attached to each of the first contacts 40 indicate the pin numbers assigned to the first contacts 40. The printed wiring E1 to E8 are formed to electrically connect the holes A1 to A8 into which the first contacts 40 No. 1 to No. 8 are press-fitted, and the holes B1 to B8 into which the eight terminals 50 corresponding to the first contacts 40 No. 1 to No. 8 are press-fitted. The inner surfaces of the holes A1 to A8 and the holes B1 to B8 are through-hole plated. Therefore, the first contacts 40 press-fitted into the holes A1 to A8 and the terminals 50 press-fitted into the holes B1 to B8 are electrically connected via the printed wiring E1 to E8.

In this embodiment, four pairs of wires are electrically connected to the pair of first contacts 40 No. 1 and No. 2, the pair of first contacts 40 No. 3 and No. 6, the pair of first contacts 40 No. 4 and No. 5, and the pair of first contacts 40 No. 7 and No. 8. Therefore, four pairs of wires are electrically connected to the pair of printed wiring E1, E2, the pair of printed wiring E3, E6, the pair of printed wiring E4, E5, and the pair of printed wiring E7, E8.

Here, in order to improve the balance of the two printed wirings connected to one pair of wires, it is preferable to make the wiring lengths of the two printed wirings equal. However, since the substrate 30 has a plurality of printed wirings E1 to E8 that connect between the plurality of first contacts 40 and the plurality of terminals 50, it is possible that the two printed wirings connected to one pair of wires cannot be made the same length. For example, in the case of the two printed wirings E7 and E8 that are connected to the pair of first contacts 40 numbered 7 and 8, the distance between hole A8 and hole B8 is shorter than the distance between hole A7 and hole B7. Therefore, if the printed wiring E7 connects between hole A7 and hole B7 at the shortest distance, and the printed wiring E8 connects between hole A8 and hole B8 at the shortest distance, the length of the printed wiring E8 will be shorter than that of the printed wiring E7, and the balance may decrease.

Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the balance of the printed wiring E7 and E8, the printed wiring E8 is composed of two branch wirings E81 and E82 (see Figures 11, 12, and 13) whose both ends are electrically connected. The branch wiring E81 formed on the lower surface of the substrate 30 is a printed wiring that detours in a U-shape in order to provide a balanced line section E811 that extends parallel to the printed wiring E7 at a constant distance L10, rather than connecting between the hole A8 and the hole B8 at the shortest distance. As a result, the first wiring (printed wiring E7) and the second wiring (printed wiring E8) are provided with balanced line sections E711 and E811 that extend parallel to the printed wiring E7 at a constant distance L10, and the capacitance component and inductance component between the first wiring and the second wiring can be adjusted, and the transmission performance required by the CAT6A standard, for example, can be realized. In FIG. 11, the balanced line sections E711 and E811 provided on the printed wiring E7 and E8, respectively, are shown with dots.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12, in order to extend the wiring length of the branch wiring E82 formed on the upper surface of the substrate 30, the branch wiring E82 is composed of a wiring E821 that connects between the hole A8 and the through hole H1 provided to the right of the hole A8, and a wiring E822 that connects between the hole B8 and the through hole H1.

In this way, the printed wiring E8 is composed of multiple branch wirings E81, E82, and the lengths and arrangements of the multiple branch wirings E81, E82 are adjusted to equalize the resistance components, capacitance components, and inductive components of the printed wirings E7, E8, thereby improving the balance of the printed wirings E7, E8. This reduces the reflection loss of signals passing through the printed wirings E7, E8, and also reduces the possibility of signal crosstalk occurring between other paired wires, thereby achieving the transmission performance required by the CAT6A standard, for example. In other words, when the multiple printed wirings E1 to E8 include a first wiring and a second wiring connected to two core wires W1 included in the paired wires, it is preferable that at least one of the first wiring and the second wiring includes multiple branch wirings whose both ends are electrically connected, and the balance of the first wiring and the second wiring can be adjusted. In this embodiment, when the printed wiring E7 is the first wiring and the printed wiring E8 is the first wiring, the second wiring, the printed wiring E8, includes two branch wirings, but it may include three or more branch wirings. In addition, the printed wiring E7, which is the first wiring, may include multiple branch wirings, and both the printed wiring E7, which is the first wiring, and the printed wiring E8, which is the second wiring, may include multiple branch wirings. In addition, two printed wirings connected to two core wires included in another pair of wires may have multiple branch wirings, and this can be changed as appropriate depending on the layout of the printed wiring.

The substrate 30 is preferably provided with a first comb-shaped wiring and a second comb-shaped wiring. The first comb-shaped wiring is electrically connected to a first printed wiring among the plurality of printed wirings E1 to E8. The second comb-shaped wiring is electrically connected to a second printed wiring that is connected to a different pair of wires from the pair of wires to which the first printed wiring is electrically connected, and is capacitively coupled to the first comb-shaped wiring.

Figure 12 shows an example of comb-shaped wiring F1 to F81 formed on the substrate 30. In the illustrated example, the comb-shaped wiring F1 electrically connected to the printed wiring E1 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F31 electrically connected to the printed wiring E3. The comb-shaped wiring F2 electrically connected to the printed wiring E2 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F51 electrically connected to the printed wiring E5. The comb-shaped wiring F32 electrically connected to the printed wiring E3 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F52 electrically connected to the printed wiring E5, and the comb-shaped wiring F33 electrically connected to the printed wiring E3 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F43 electrically connected to the printed wiring E4. The comb-shaped wiring F41 electrically connected to the printed wiring E4 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F61 electrically connected to the printed wiring E6, and the comb-shaped wiring F42 electrically connected to the printed wiring E4 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F71 electrically connected to the printed wiring E7. In addition, the comb-shaped wiring F53 electrically connected to the printed wiring E5 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F62 electrically connected to the printed wiring E6. In addition, the comb-shaped wiring F63 electrically connected to the printed wiring E6 is capacitively coupled to the comb-shaped wiring F81 electrically connected to the printed wiring E8.

In this way, a plurality of comb-shaped wirings F1 to F82 are provided on the substrate 30, and one of the two capacitively coupled comb-shaped wirings F1 to F82 is called the first comb-shaped wiring, and the other of the two capacitively coupled comb-shaped wirings F1 to F82 is called the second comb-shaped wiring. Each of the first comb-shaped wiring and the second comb-shaped wiring has a plurality of linear wiring portions arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and capacitance is formed between the first comb-shaped wiring and the second comb-shaped wiring by patterning the plurality of linear wiring portions of the first comb-shaped wiring and the plurality of linear wiring portions of the second comb-shaped wiring so as to mesh with each other.

In this embodiment, a first comb-shaped wiring electrically connected to the first printed wiring and a second comb-shaped wiring electrically connected to a second printed wiring connected to a pair of wires different from the pair of wires to which the first printed wiring is electrically connected are provided, so that a capacitance can be formed between the two, and the possibility of signal crosstalk occurring between the two can be reduced. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a modular jack 1 with improved transmission performance can be provided, and the transmission performance required by the CAT6A standard can be realized. Note that if the first comb-shaped wiring has a plurality of linear wiring portions arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval, the second comb-shaped wiring may have only one linear wiring portion inserted into the plurality of linear wiring portions of the first comb-shaped wiring. Also, if the second comb-shaped wiring has a plurality of linear wiring portions arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval, the first comb-shaped wiring may have only one linear wiring portion inserted into the plurality of linear wiring portions of the second comb-shaped wiring.

It is preferable that the first comb-shaped wiring and the second comb-shaped wiring are formed on the surface of the substrate 30 opposite to the mounting surface on which the multiple first contacts 40 are mounted. By forming the first comb-shaped wiring and the second comb-shaped wiring together on one surface (e.g., the top surface) of the substrate 30, there is an advantage that pattern design can be easily performed.

The substrate 30 is held in the body 10 with the mounting surfaces of the first contacts 40 and the terminals 50 facing downward.

The multiple first contacts 40 are formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate.

Each of the first contacts 40 has a press-fit portion 41 that is press-fitted and fixed into holes A1 to A8 provided in the substrate 30. The press-fit portions 41 of the first contacts 40 numbered 1 to 8 are connected to the holes A1 to A8 of the substrate 30, respectively. The press-fit portion 41 is, for example, a press-fit terminal with a hole in the press-fit portion. When the press-fit portion 41 is press-fitted into the holes A1 to A8 of the substrate 30, the press-fit portion 41 deforms so that the hole of the press-fit portion 41 is crushed, and the first contact 40 can be firmly fixed to the substrate 30. In this embodiment, the shape of the holes A1 to A8 is, for example, an oval. Since the holes A1 to A8 are elliptical, the corners of the press-fit portion 41 come into contact with the inner surface of the elliptical holes A1 to A8, making the press-fit portion 41 even less likely to rotate and the tip of the contact spring portion 42 less likely to shift position, compared to when the holes A1 to A8 are circular. This has the advantage of stabilizing the electrical connection between the first contacts 40 and the second contacts 410. Note that in this embodiment, the holes A1 to A8 are elliptical with rounded corners, for example, but the holes A1 to A8 may be elliptical as long as they are not circular, and the shape can be changed as appropriate.

In addition, each of the multiple first contacts 40 has a pair of protrusions 411 that protrude in opposite directions from the base of the press-fit portion 41 along a direction intersecting the press-fit direction. When the press-fit portion 41 is press-fitted and fixed in the holes A1 to A8, the pair of protrusions 411 can contact the surface of the substrate 30. By having the pair of protrusions 411 protruding from the base of the press-fit portion 41 contact the surface of the substrate 30, there is an advantage in that the orientation of the press-fit portion 41 is less likely to shift, and the position of the tip side of the contact spring portion 42 is less likely to shift.

Each of the first contacts 40 has a contact spring portion 42 electrically connected to the second contact 410 of the modular plug 400. An L-shaped bent portion 421 protruding downward is provided at the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the contact spring portion 42. When the modular plug 400 is inserted into the plug insertion port 23, the second contact 410 of the modular plug 400 and the bent portion 421 of the first contact 40 are configured to be electrically connected.

Here, the multiple first contacts 40 include multiple (e.g., three) third contacts 43 and multiple (e.g., five) fourth contacts 44. Each of the multiple third contacts 43 is connected to the board 30 at a connection position close to the plug insertion port 23 with respect to the contact portion (bent portion 421) with the second contact 410. The multiple fourth contacts 44 are connected to the board 30 at a connection position opposite the plug insertion port 23 with respect to the contact portion (bent portion 421) with the second contact 410. In other words, each of the multiple (e.g., three) third contacts 43 is fixed to the board 30 by pressing the press-in portion 41 arranged on the front side with respect to the bent portion 421 into the holes A3, A5, and A7 of the board 30. Each of the multiple (e.g., three) third contacts 43 protrudes rearward from the connection position with the board 30. Each of the plurality of (e.g., five) fourth contacts 44 is fixed to the substrate 30 by pressing the press-fit portion 41 arranged on the rear side of the bent portion 421 into the holes A1, A2, A4, A6, and A8 of the substrate 30. Each of the plurality of (e.g., five) fourth contacts 44 protrudes forward from the connection position with the substrate 30 and protrudes in the opposite direction to the plurality of third contacts 43. When the plurality of first contacts 40 are connected to the substrate 30 on the side closer to the plug insertion port 23 or on the opposite side with respect to the contact portion (bent portion 421) with the second contact 410, if the position where some of the first contacts 40 are connected to the substrate 30 is made different from the position where the other first contacts 40 are connected to the substrate 30, the length of some of the first contacts 40 and the length of the other first contacts 40 will be different. In contrast, in this embodiment, the third contacts 43 are fixed to the substrate 30 at a connection position closer to the plug insertion port 23 than the contact portion with the second contact 410, and the fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30 at a connection position on the opposite side of the plug insertion port 23 than the contact portion with the second contact 410, so the lengths of the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 can be set to be approximately the same. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the capacitance component generated between the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 can be reduced, and signal crosstalk can be reduced.

Thus, in this embodiment, the connection position where the multiple third contacts 43 are connected to the substrate 30 is different in the front-rear direction from the connection position where the multiple fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate. In addition, two of the multiple fourth contacts 44 are located at both ends in the arrangement direction (for example, the left-right direction) of the multiple first contacts 40. The connection positions of the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends of the multiple fourth contacts 44 and the connection positions of the fourth contacts 44 other than the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends of the multiple fourth contacts 44 are different in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the connection position where the multiple third contacts 43 are connected to the substrate 30 and the connection position where the multiple fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30 are different in the front-rear direction. In addition, the connection positions where the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends of the left-right direction among the multiple fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30 and the connection positions where the remaining three fourth contacts 44 are connected to the substrate 30 are different in the front-rear direction. In this way, by making the connection positions of some of the first contacts 40 and the connection positions of other some of the first contacts 40 different in the front-to-rear direction, there is an advantage that the work of pressing the first contacts 40 into the board 30 is easier to perform compared to when the connection positions of multiple first contacts 40 are the same in the front-to-rear direction.

In addition, in this embodiment, the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 are alternately arranged in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction. Here, the third contacts 43 connected to the board 30 at a connection position closer to the plug insertion port 23 than the contact portion with the second contact 410, and the fourth contacts 44 connected to the board 30 at a connection position on the opposite side of the plug insertion port 23 than the contact portion with the second contact 410 are alternately arranged in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (left-right direction). Therefore, compared to a case where the connection positions at which the first contacts 40 are connected to the board 30 are the same in the front-rear direction, there is an advantage in that the work of pressing the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 into the board 30 is easier to perform.

In addition, in the arrangement direction of the multiple first contacts 40, the length of the two first contacts 40 located at both ends is set to a dimension longer than the length of the other first contacts 40. In other words, the length of the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends among the multiple fourth contacts 44 is set to a dimension longer than the length of the fourth contacts 44 other than the two fourth contacts 44 located at both ends. In this embodiment, the first contacts 40 located at both ends in the arrangement direction (left and right direction) are fourth contacts 44, and the connection positions of the fourth contacts 44 located at both ends are farther from the contact position with the second contact 410 than the connection positions of the other three fourth contacts 44. Therefore, the length of the fourth contacts 44 located at both ends is longer than the length of the other three fourth contacts 44, and in this embodiment, it is longer than the length of the three third contacts 43. In this way, since the first contacts 40 (fourth contacts 44) located at both ends are longer than the other first contacts 40, the spring constant of the first contacts 40 (fourth contacts 44) located at both ends can be reduced. When a 6-pole modular plug is erroneously inserted into the plug insertion port 23, the first contacts 40 (fourth contacts 44) located at both ends may bend more than when an 8-pole modular plug is connected to the plug insertion port 23. In this embodiment, the spring constant of the first contacts 40 (fourth contacts 44) located at both ends is smaller than that of the other first contacts 40, so that even if a 6-pole modular plug is erroneously inserted, the possibility of plastic deformation of the first contacts 40 (fourth contacts 44) located at both ends can be reduced, and the reliability of the electrical connection with the second contacts 410 can be improved.

Here, the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 are arranged alternately in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (for example, the left-right direction). More specifically, the fourth contacts 44 are arranged at both ends in the left-right direction, and three third contacts 43 and five fourth contacts 44 are mounted on the underside of the substrate 30 so that the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction. In this way, the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction, which has the advantage that the pair of protrusions 411 protruding from the base of the press-in portion 41 are less likely to interfere with each other, making it easier to press in the first contacts 40.

In addition, the modular jack 1 of this embodiment further includes a base 60 disposed between the multiple first contacts 40 and the substrate 30.

The base 60 is formed in a flat plate shape from electrically insulating synthetic resin. A pair of protrusions 66 is provided on the upper surface of the base 60. The substrate 30 is provided with a pair of through holes 34 (see FIG. 8) into which the pair of protrusions 66 of the base 60 are respectively inserted. Thus, by inserting the pair of protrusions 66 of the base 60 into the pair of through holes 34 of the substrate 30, the base 60 is held in a position relative to the substrate 30. The base 60 is attached to the substrate 30 so as to be interposed between the plurality of first contacts 40 (including the plurality of third contacts 43 and the plurality of fourth contacts 44) and the substrate 30.

The front end of the underside of the base 60 is formed with three grooves 61 into which parts of the three third contacts 43 are respectively inserted. The base 60 is provided with through-holes 63 that penetrate the base 60 in the vertical direction at locations corresponding to the tips of the three third contacts 43.

Five grooves 62 are formed at the rear end of the lower surface of the base 60, into which parts of the five fourth contacts 44 are inserted. The base 60 is provided with through-holes 64 that penetrate the base 60 in the vertical direction at positions corresponding to the tip of the rightmost fourth contact 44 and the tip of the two leftmost fourth contacts 44, among the five fourth contacts 44. The through-holes 64 are formed by forming the corners of the base 60 into a notched shape. The base 60 is provided with through-holes 65 that penetrate the base 60 in the vertical direction at positions corresponding to the tip of the second and third fourth contacts 44 from the right end, among the five fourth contacts 44.

In this way, the base 60 is provided with a plurality of grooves 61, 62 that correspond one-to-one to the plurality of first contacts 40. In each of the plurality of grooves 61, 62, a part of the corresponding first contact 40 among the plurality of first contacts 40 is inserted. In the plurality of first contacts 40 (the plurality of third contacts 43 and the plurality of fourth contacts 44), a part of the contact spring portion 42 is inserted into the groove portion 61 or 62. More specifically, in each of the plurality of grooves 61, 62, in the corresponding first contact 40 among the plurality of first contacts 40, a part between the contact portion with the second contact 410 and the connection portion with the board 30 is inserted. In other words, in the contact spring portion 42 of the first contact 40, a part between the bent portion 421 and the press-fit portion 41 is inserted into the groove portion 61 or 62. In this way, since a part of the contact spring portion 42 is inserted into the groove portion 61 or 62, the position of the plurality of first contacts 40 is less likely to shift in the left-right direction. Therefore, the bent portions 421 of the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 are less likely to shift in the left-right direction, and the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44 can be reliably brought into contact with the second contacts 410.

The base 60 is provided with through-holes 63, 64, 65 that penetrate the base 60 at locations where the tip portions of the first contacts 40 face each other. Therefore, even if the first contacts 40 (including the third contacts 43 and the fourth contacts 44) are bent toward the base 60 by contacting the second contacts 410, the possibility that the tip portions of the first contacts 40 will come into contact with the base 60 and be deformed can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the portion of the base 60 that supports the multiple third contacts 43 and the portion that supports the multiple fourth contacts 44 are integrated together, so that the contact area with the substrate 30 can be increased and misalignment of the base 60 can be suppressed compared to when the portion that supports the multiple third contacts 43 and the portion that supports the multiple fourth contacts 44 are provided separately.

Each of the terminals 50 has a press-fit terminal that is pressed into the holes B1 to B8 of the substrate 30. Each of the terminals 50 has a pressure-welding slit 51 at the bottom. The pressure-welding slit 51 is formed in a bifurcated fork shape that cuts upward from the center of the bottom side of the terminal 50. The inner edge of the bifurcated pressure-welding slit 51 is formed so that it becomes thinner toward the tip. Therefore, when the core wire W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 is placed under the pressure-welding slit 51 of each terminal 50, and a pressing force is applied to the core wire W1 in a direction from the tip of the pressure-welding slit 51 toward the base, the insulating coating of the core wire W1 is cut at the inner edge of the pressure-welding slit 51, and the conductor portion of the core wire W1 introduced into the pressure-welding slit 51 is held in the pressure-welding slit 51. In short, by simply applying a pressing force from the bottom end to the top end of the terminal 50 to the core wire W1 while aligning the core wire W1 with the pressure contact slit 51 of the terminal 50 so that it extends in the thickness direction of the terminal 50, the insulating coating of the core wire W1 can be cut and the conductor portion of the core wire W1 can be connected to the terminal 50. This type of terminal structure is known as an IDC terminal.

The body 10 is, for example, a molded product made of insulating synthetic resin. The body 10 holds the substrate 30 and is attached to the cover 20. The substrate 30 is disposed on the upper surface of the body 10. The left and right edges of the body 10 are provided with support protrusions 19B and 19C that contact the sides of the substrate 30 to position the substrate 30 in the left-right and front-back directions. The left and right edges of the body 10 are also provided with hooks 19A that hook onto the edges of the top surface of the substrate 30 to position the substrate 30 in the up-down direction. Therefore, the support protrusions 19B and 19C come into contact with the left and right sides of the substrate 30 disposed on the top surface of the body 10, and the hooks 19A hook onto the edges of the top surface of the substrate 30, so that the substrate 30 is held in a positioned state relative to the body 10.

The front side of the body 10 is provided with a flat insertion portion 17 that is inserted into a recess 211 (see FIG. 3) provided on the upper part of the plug connection base 21. The underside of the insertion portion 17 is provided with a plurality of slit-shaped through holes 171 for inserting the plurality of first contacts 40 at positions corresponding to each of the plurality of first contacts 40. Therefore, when the substrate 30 is held by the body 10, each of the plurality of first contacts 40 protrudes downward from the corresponding through hole 171 (see FIG. 3). Note that the tip of the contact spring portion 42 of each of the plurality of first contacts 40 is caught on the edge of the through hole 171, thereby restricting the contact spring portion 42 from moving further downward.

At the rear of the body 10, terminal holders 15A and 15B are provided, protruding downward from the left and right sides, respectively. Four terminals 50 are inserted into each of the left and right terminal holders 15A and 15B. Each of the left and right terminal holders 15A and 15B is provided with four insertion grooves 16 that expose the pressure contact slits 51 of the four terminals 50.

The body 10 has a recess 12 into which the end of the multi-core cable CB1 can be inserted through a lower opening 11. More specifically, the recess 12 into which the end of the multi-core cable CB1 can be inserted is formed between the left and right terminal holders 15A, 15B in the body 10. The space between the lower ends of the left and right terminal holders 15A, 15B forms the opening 11 of the recess 12. For example, the end of the multi-core cable CB1 can be inserted into the recess 12 of the body 10 through the opening 11.

Furthermore, at the rear of the left and right terminal holders 15A, 15B, a first protrusion 13 and a second protrusion 14 are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction on each of the first side surface 111 (e.g., the inner side surface of the right terminal holder 15A) and the second side surface 112 (e.g., the inner side surface of the left terminal holder 15B) located on both sides of the opening 11. In other words, the body 10 has the first protrusion 13 and the second protrusion 14 spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction on each of the first side surface 111 and the second side surface 112 located on both the left and right sides of the opening 11, which come into contact from below with the multi-core cable CB1 inserted into the storage space 121.

Here, the distance L2 between the pair of second protrusions 14 provided on the first side surface 111 and the second side surface 112 is wider than the distance L1 between the pair of first protrusions 13 provided on the first side surface 111 and the second side surface 112. In this embodiment, the pair of first protrusions 13 and the pair of second protrusions 14 are arranged so that the pair of second protrusions 14, which are wider apart than the pair of first protrusions 13, are located rearward of the pair of first protrusions 13. In other words, the pair of first protrusions 13 are located forward of the pair of second protrusions 14. Since the pair of second protrusions 14 are located rearward of the pair of first protrusions 13, the multi-core cable CB1 with a large diameter can be temporarily held by the pair of second protrusions 14 located rearward.

In addition, each of the pair of first protrusions 13 is provided with an inclined surface 13A such that the distance between the lower ends is wider than the distance between the upper ends. Each of the pair of second protrusions 14 is provided with an inclined surface 14A such that the distance between the lower ends is wider than the distance between the upper ends. In other words, each of the pair of first protrusions 13 is provided with an inclined surface 13A such that the distance between the ends of the pair of first protrusions 13 on the opening 11 side is wider than the distance between the ends of the pair of first protrusions 13 on the storage space 121 side. In addition, each of the pair of second protrusions 14 is provided with an inclined surface 14A such that the distance between the ends of the pair of second protrusions 14 on the opening 11 side is wider than the distance between the ends of the pair of second protrusions 14 on the storage space 121 side. Therefore, when the outer sheath OS1 of the multi-core cable CB1 is pushed into the storage space 121 from the opening 11, the outer sheath OS1 of the multi-core cable CB1 is guided into the storage space 121 along the inclined surface 13A or 14A, making it easy to push the multi-core cable CB1 into the storage space 121.

In addition, a pair of first clamping pieces 181 protruding in an arch shape are provided on the left and right inner walls of the body 10 above the pair of first protrusions 13. In addition, a pair of second clamping pieces 182 protruding in an arch shape are provided on the left and right inner walls of the body 10 above the pair of second protrusions 14. That is, the body 10 is provided with a pair of first clamping pieces 181 and a pair of second clamping pieces 182 that clamp the multi-core cable CB1 arranged in the storage space 121 from both the left and right sides. That is, the body 10 is provided with a pair of first clamping pieces 181 that clamp the multi-core cable CB1 arranged in the storage space 121 from both the left and right sides, and a pair of second clamping pieces 182 that clamp the multi-core cable CB1 arranged in the storage space 121 from both the left and right sides. The distance L4 between the pair of second clamping pieces 182 is wider than the distance L3 between the pair of first clamping pieces 181. Here, the pair of first clamping pieces 181 is located forward of the pair of second clamping pieces 182. Furthermore, the distance L3 between the pair of first clamping pieces 181 is wider than the distance L1 between the pair of first protrusions 13, and the distance between the pair of second clamping pieces 182 is wider than the distance L2 between the pair of second protrusions 14.

In this way, the body 10 is provided with a pair of first protrusions 13 and a pair of second protrusions 14 on the opening 11 side relative to the storage space 121 that houses the end of the multi-core cable CB1. Therefore, when the end of the multi-core cable CB1 is inserted into the storage space 121, the pair of first protrusions 13 or the pair of second protrusions 14 come into contact with the end of the multi-core cable CB1, thereby preventing the multi-core cable CB1 from coming out of the storage space 121.

Here, the interval L1 between the pair of first protrusions 13 is narrower than the interval L2 between the pair of second protrusions 14, so that a plurality of types of multi-core cables CB1 with different diameters can be held by the pair of first protrusions 13 or the pair of second protrusions 14. For example, the diameter of the multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT6A standard is larger than that of the multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT5 or CAT6 standard. The interval L1 between the pair of first protrusions 13 is set to a dimension smaller than the diameter of the multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT5 or CAT6 standard. Also, the interval L2 between the pair of second protrusions 14 is set to a dimension larger than the diameter of the multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT5 or CAT6 standard and smaller than the diameter of the multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT6A standard. Therefore, when a multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT5 or CAT6 standard is connected to the modular jack 1, the multi-core cable CB1 can be held by the pair of first protrusions 13. Furthermore, when a multi-core cable CB1 conforming to the CAT6A standard is connected to the modular jack 1, the multi-core cable CB1 can be held by the pair of second protrusions 14. This allows the modular jack 1 of this embodiment to hold multiple types of multi-core cables CB1 with different diameters, improving the workability of connecting multi-core cables CB1 with multiple diameters.

(2.1.2) Wiring Device A wiring device 300 including the above-described modular jack 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The wiring device 300 includes a modular jack 1 and an adapter 100 that can be attached to a mounting member (e.g., a mounting frame 500) that holds the modular jack 1 and mounts the wiring device 300 to an installation surface 600. The wiring device 300 also includes a door block 150 for opening and closing the plug insertion port 23.

The adapter 100 is a molded product made of synthetic resin, which is an electrically insulating material.

The adapter 100 has a rectangular front frame portion 101 into which the plug connection base 21 of the modular jack 1 is inserted, and a cover portion 102 that extends rearward from the top surface of the front frame portion 101.

The front frame 101 is formed in a square tube shape that penetrates in the front-rear direction. The left and right inner surfaces of the front frame 101 are provided with engagement grooves 103 into which the engagement claws 25 provided on the left and right side surfaces of the plug connection base 21 are hooked. When the plug connection base 21 of the modular jack 1 is inserted into the inside of the front frame 101 from the rear and the engagement claws 25 are hooked into the engagement grooves 103, the rearward movement of the modular jack 1 is restricted. In addition, the protrusions 212 provided on the left and right side surfaces of the plug connection base 21 contact the step portions 104 provided on the left and right inner surfaces of the front frame 101 from the rear side, thereby restricting the forward movement of the modular jack 1. In addition, the top, bottom, left and right side surfaces of the plug connection base 21 contact the inner surfaces of the front frame 101, so that the position of the plug connection base 21 is positioned in the left-right and up-down directions. As a result, the modular jack 1 is held in the front frame 101 of the adapter 100 with movement restricted in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions. When the modular jack 1 is held in the front frame 101 of the adapter 100, the top surface of the rear of the modular jack 1 is in contact with the bottom surface of the cover 102.

The left and right outer surfaces of the front frame portion 101 are provided with shoulder portions 105 that protrude outward from a position slightly set back from the front surface of the front frame portion 101. Each of the left and right shoulder portions 105 is provided with a pair of mounting claws 106 for mounting to the mounting frame 500.

A door block 150 is attached to the front of the front frame 101, and has doors 155, 156 that open and close the plug insertion port 23 of the modular jack 1.

The door block 150 has a flat box-shaped main body 151 that is open at the rear. The main body 151 has a rectangular front wall 152 and side walls 153 that protrude rearward from the four sides of the front wall 152.

Each of the left and right side walls 153 has a pair of engagement hooks 160 that protrude rearward. The door block 150 is attached to the front side of the adapter 100 by fitting the pair of engagement hooks 160 provided on each of the left and right side walls 153 into the pair of engagement holes 107 provided on the left and right sides of the front frame portion 101.

A plug insertion port 154 into which a modular plug 400 can be inserted is provided in the front wall 152 of the door block 150 at a position overlapping with the plug insertion port 23 of the modular jack 1 in the front-rear direction. The door block 150 has two door bodies 155, 156 that open and close the plug insertion port 154. The two door bodies 155, 156 are held by the door block 150 in a state in which they can slide up and down. The lower door body 156 is positioned behind the upper door body 155. The lower door body 156 is provided with a protrusion 157 that protrudes forward. A downward pressing force is applied to the lower door body 156 by a coil spring provided in the door block 150.

When the lower door body 156 slides downward due to the spring force of the coil spring, the upper door body 155 is pulled by the lower door body 156 and also slides downward, and the plug insertion port 154 is closed by the two doors 155, 156. Closing the plug insertion port 154 with the two doors 155, 156 prevents foreign objects, dust, etc. from entering the plug insertion port 23.

When the protrusion 157 of the lower door body 156 is pushed upward, the lower door body 156 slides upward, and when the protrusion 157 hits the upper door body 155, the upper door body 155 also slides upward. When the doors 155 and 156 are slid upward until the protrusion 157 hits the upper edge of the plug insertion port 154, the entire plug insertion port 154 opens, and the modular plug 400 can be inserted into the plug insertion port 23 of the modular jack 1 through the plug insertion port 154.

The cap 70 is provided for connecting the multiple core wires W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 to the crimping slits 51 of the multiple terminals 50.

Eight pressing pieces 71 are provided on the upper surface of the cap 70 at locations facing the terminal holders 15A and 15B, which can be inserted into the insertion grooves 16 of which four are provided on each of the terminal holders 15A and 15B. Each of the eight pressing pieces 71 has a groove 72 into which the tip (lower end) of the terminal 50 is inserted.

In addition, a clip lever 73 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the cap 70. A locking hole 74 is provided at the top of the clip lever 73, and a knob portion 75 is provided at the bottom of the clip lever 73. The clip lever 73 is supported by the cap 70 via a hinge 76 provided at the middle portion in the vertical direction, and the distance between the lower ends of the left and right clip levers 73 is variable. In other words, when an external force is applied to bring the left and right knob portions 75 closer together by pinching the knob portions 75 of the left and right clip levers 73 with fingers, the distance between the upper ends of the left and right clip levers 73 increases, and when the external force is removed, the elasticity of the hinge 76 returns the distance between the upper ends of the left and right clip levers 73 to the original value.

Protrusions 81 provided on the outer surfaces of the terminal holders 15A and 15B of the body 10 can be inserted into the locking holes 74 provided in the clip lever 73. When the cap 70 is pressed against the terminal holders 15A and 15B with the eight pressing pieces 71 provided on the cap 70 inserted into the insertion grooves 16 provided in the terminal holders 15A and 15B, the protrusions 81 fit into the locking holes 74, and the cap 70 is held in the body 10. When the cap 70 is held in the body 10, the pressing pieces 71 prevent the core wire W1 from floating up, preventing the core wire W1 from coming off.

To remove the cap 70 attached to the body 10, pinch the knobs 75 of the left and right clip levers 73 with your fingers to reduce the distance between them, and the locking holes 74 will disengage from the protrusions 81, allowing the cap 70 to be removed from the body 10.

The cap 70 is also formed with a push-in piece 77 that is inserted into the recess 12 at a location that does not interfere with the multi-core cable CB1 when the cap 70 is attached to the body 10. The push-in piece 77 is insertable into the insertion groove 16, has a larger protruding dimension than the pressing piece 71, and has a groove 78 that is deeper than the groove 72 formed in the pressing piece 71. After inserting the core wire W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 into the insertion groove 16, the push-in piece 77 pushes the core wire W1 deep into the insertion groove 16, whereby the insulating coating of the core wire W1 is cut by the crimping slit 51 of the terminal 50, and the conductor portion of the core wire W1 is pressed against the crimping slit 51 of the terminal 50.

(2.1.3) Mounting Frame The mounting frame (mounting member) 500 is a mounting frame for a large rectangular interconnection wiring device standardized by, for example, JIS C 8375. The mounting frame 500 shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is a three-unit (one-unit type) mounting frame used when mounting a large rectangular interconnection wiring device to a construction surface 600. The mounting frame 500 is made of synthetic resin and is formed into a rectangular frame shape with left and right side edges 502, 503, an upper side edge 504 connecting the upper ends of the left and right side edges 502, 503, and a lower side edge 505 connecting the lower ends of the left and right side edges 502, 503. The left and right side edges 502, 503 are provided with three pairs of engagement holes 510 each, which engage with a pair of mounting claws 106 provided on the left and right shoulder portions 105 of the adapter 100. Also, for example, the right side 502 is formed with a flexible piece 506 that can bend so as to change the distance between it and the left side 503 .

The upper edge 504 and the lower edge 505 are provided with long holes 511 for passing fixing screws (not shown) that connect the mounting frame 500 to a switch box embedded in the construction surface 600. The upper edge 504 and the lower edge 505 are also provided with screw holes 512 for screwing in plate screws (not shown) that connect a decorative plate (not shown) that covers the front surface of the mounting frame 500. When the decorative plate is attached to the mounting frame 500, the front wall 152 of the door block 150 is exposed from the central hole of the decorative plate.

(2.2) Method of Assembling Modular Jack and Wiring Device A method of assembling the modular jack 1 will now be described.

The base 60 is attached to the underside of the substrate 30 by inserting a pair of protrusions 66 of the base 60 from below into a pair of through holes 34 of the substrate 30.

Then, the first contacts 40 are press-fitted into the holes A1 to A8 of the board 30, and the terminals 50 are press-fitted into the holes B1 to B8, thereby fixing the terminals 50 and the first contacts 40 to the board 30. At this time, the press-fit portions 41 of the three third contacts 43 of the first contacts 40 are press-fitted into the three holes A3, A5, and A7 provided on the board 30 in front of the mounting position of the base 60, and the bases of the three third contacts 43 are inserted into the grooves 61 of the base 60. Also, the press-fit portions 41 of the five fourth contacts 44 of the first contacts 40 are press-fitted into the five holes A1, A2, A4, A6, and A8 provided on the board 30 in rear of the mounting position of the base 60, and the bases of the five fourth contacts 44 are inserted into the grooves 62 on the rear side of the base 60.

Next, the board 30 is placed on the top surface of the body 10 with the surface on which the multiple terminals 50 and multiple first contacts 40 are mounted facing downward. At this time, the support protrusions 19B, 19C provided on both the left and right sides of the body 10, two each, come into contact with the step portions 32, 33 provided on the left and right sides of the board 30, thereby positioning the board 30 relative to the body 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions. In addition, the hooks 19A provided on both the left and right sides of the body 10 are hooked on the upper end portions of the left and right sides of the board 30, thereby positioning the board 30 relative to the body 10 in the up-down direction. This holds the board 30 in the body 10. When the board 30 is held in the body 10, the multiple first contacts 40 protrude downward from the multiple through holes 171 provided in the body 10. In addition, when the board 30 is held in the body 10, the four terminals 50 provided on the right side of the board 30 are inserted into the right terminal holder 15A, and the four terminals 50 are arranged in positions corresponding to the four insertion grooves 16. In addition, the four terminals 50 provided on the left side of the board 30 are inserted into the left terminal holder 15B, and the four terminals 50 are arranged in positions corresponding to the four insertion grooves 16.

Next, with the top surface of the board 30 in contact with the rail piece 26 provided on the underside of the body holding base 22, the body 10 holding the board 30 is moved forward, and the insertion portion 17 of the body 10 is inserted into the recess 211 of the plug connection base 21. When the insertion portion 17 is pushed into a predetermined position in the recess 211, the protrusions 28 of the flexible pieces 27 provided on the left and right sides of the plug connection base 21 overcome the support protrusions 19B of the body 10 and become caught by the support protrusions 19B, thereby restricting the movement of the body 10 backward. In addition, steps 172 are provided on both the left and right sides of the bottom surface of the insertion portion 17, and these steps 172 come into contact with corners 213 provided on the left and right inner walls of the plug connection base 21, thereby restricting the movement of the insertion portion 17 in the up-down and left-right directions. Furthermore, a protrusion 19D that protrudes forward is provided at the upper end of the support protrusion 19C of the body 10, and when the insertion portion 17 is pushed into a predetermined position in the recess 211, the protrusion 19D is inserted into a holding groove 29 provided at the rear of the body holding base 22, thereby restricting the movement of the body 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions. This results in the body 10 being attached to the cover 20.

Here, the first fitting portion is constituted by the protrusion 19D and the step portion 172, and the second fitting portion is constituted by the retaining groove 29 into which the protrusion 19D is inserted and the corner portion 213 with which the step portion 172 comes into contact. In this manner, the body 10 and the cover 20 are joined by fitting the first fitting portion provided on the body 10 with the second fitting portion provided on the cover 20. Note that in this embodiment, the first fitting portion is constituted by the protrusion 19D and the step portion 172, and the second fitting portion is constituted by the retaining groove 29 and the corner portion 213, but the configurations of the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion can be changed as appropriate.

In addition, when the body 10 and the cover 20 are joined, the left and right side walls 221 of the body holding base 22 are in contact with the upper surfaces of the terminal holding bases 15A and 15B of the body 10. The left and right side walls 221 become abutment parts that contact a part of the body 10 when the body 10 and the cover 20 are joined. In addition, protrusions 222 having a predetermined width in the left and right direction protrude downward from the left and right side walls 221, and these protrusions 222 contact the front end faces of the terminal holding bases 15A and 15B. In other words, when the body 10 and the cover 20 are joined, the abutment parts (side walls 221 in this embodiment) that contact a part of the body 10 and the protrusions 222 that protrude from the abutment parts and contact the ends of the body 10 are provided on the cover 20. In this way, the cover 20 is provided with a protrusion 222 of a predetermined width protruding from the abutment portion, and this protrusion 222 is in contact with the front end of the terminal holder 15A, 15B of the body 10, so that the strength of the cover 20 can be increased. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the multi-core cable CB1 connected to the modular jack 1, an external force that pushes the rear of the body 10 downward is generated, and this external force is applied to the cover 20, the abutment portion and the protrusion 222 can receive the external force applied from the body 10, and deformation of the cover 20 can be suppressed. In this embodiment, the abutment portion is formed by the left and right side walls 221 of the body holder 22, and the protrusion 222 is formed by the protrusion 222 protruding downward from the left and right side walls 221, but the configuration of the abutment portion and the protrusion 222 can be changed as appropriate.

It is also preferable that the corners of the cover 20 between the contact portion and the protruding portion are rounded. In other words, it is preferable that the corners of the cover 20 between the side wall 221, which is the contact portion, and the protruding portion 222, which is the protruding portion, are rounded, which reduces the possibility of stress concentrating at the corners between the side wall 221 and the protruding portion 222.

In this embodiment, the body 10 and the cover 20 are provided with fitting portions on both the front and rear sides of the protruding portion 222. For example, the first fitting portion includes a first fitting structure formed by the protrusion 19D and a second fitting structure formed by the step portion 172. The second fitting portion includes a third fitting structure formed by the retaining groove 29 that fits with the protrusion 19D and a fourth fitting structure formed by the corner portion 213 that fits with the step portion 172. That is, the first fitting portion includes the first fitting structure and the second fitting structure, and the second fitting portion includes a third fitting structure that fits with the first fitting structure and a fourth fitting structure that fits with the second fitting structure. Then, when the body 10 and the cover 20 are joined, the protruding portion 222 is located between the first fitting structure and the third fitting structure and the second fitting structure and the fourth fitting structure. Even if an external force is applied to the multi-core cable CB1 connected to the modular jack 1, and an external force is applied from the body 10 to the cover 20, the cover 20 is not easily deformed, which has the advantage that the connection between the body 10 and the cover 20 is not easily separated. Note that the first fitting structure, the second fitting structure, the third fitting structure, and the fourth fitting structure are not limited to the above configurations and can be modified as appropriate.

Then, when the eight pressing pieces 71 of the cap 70 are inserted into the four insertion grooves 16 provided on each of the terminal holders 15A and 15B, and the cap 70 is pressed against the terminal holders 15A and 15B, the protrusions 81 fit into the locking holes 74, and the cap 70 is attached to the body 10.

Next, we will explain how to assemble the wiring device 300 equipped with the modular jack 1.

When the plug connection base 21 of the modular jack 1 is inserted into the front frame 101 of the adapter 100 from the rear, the top, bottom, left and right side surfaces of the plug connection base 21 come into contact with the inner walls of the front frame 101, restricting the movement of the plug connection base 21 in the up, down and left and right directions. Then, when the plug connection base 21 is moved to a predetermined position on the front frame 101, the left and right locking claws 25 of the plug connection base 21 get caught in the engagement grooves 103 provided on the left and right inner walls of the front frame 101, restricting the rearward movement of the plug connection base 21. This results in the modular jack 1 being held by the adapter 100.

Then, the door block 150 is brought close to the front frame portion 101 of the adapter 100 from the front, and the four engagement hooks 160 are aligned with the four fitting holes 107. Then, the door block 150 is pushed into the front frame portion 101, and the engagement hooks 160 are inserted into the fitting holes 107. At this time, the engagement hooks 160 are caught on the edges of the fitting holes 107, and the door block 150 is fixed to the front frame portion 101, and the assembly of the wiring device 300 is completed.

(2.3) Method of Connecting Multi-Core Cable to Modular Jack Hereinafter, a method of connecting the multiple core wires W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 to the multiple terminals 50 of the modular jack 1 will be described.

When connecting the multiple core wires W1 of the multi-core cable CB1 to the multiple terminals 50 of the modular jack 1, as shown in FIG. 17, the outer sheath OS1 at the tip of the multi-core cable CB1 is stripped to expose the multiple (e.g., eight) core wires W1. In addition, the cap 70 is removed from the body 10 to expose the insertion grooves 16, four of which are provided in each of the terminal holders 15A and 15B.

When the end of the outer sheath OS1 of the multi-core cable CB1 is pushed into the recess 12 from the opening 11 of the body 10, the outer sheath OS1 passes over the pair of first protrusions 13 or the pair of second protrusions 14 and enters the recess 12. At this time, the pair of first protrusions 13 or the pair of second protrusions 14 come into contact with the outer sheath OS1 of the multi-core cable CB1, so that the multi-core cable CB1 is temporarily held in the body 10.

With the multi-core cable CB1 temporarily held in the body 10, the four pairs of eight core wires W1 are inserted into the four insertion grooves 16 provided in each of the left and right terminal holders 15A and 15B. Each core wire W1 is inserted into the insertion groove 16 so that it extends along the thickness direction of the terminal 50 placed in the insertion groove 16.

When one core wire W1 is inserted into each of the eight insertion grooves 16, the pushing piece 77 of the cap 70 pushes each core wire W1 from the tip side to the base end of the insulation slit 51, the insulation coating of the core wire W1 is cut by the inner edge of the insulation slit 51, and the conductor portion of the core wire W1 introduced into the insulation slit 51 is held in the insulation slit 51. When all of the core wires W1 are pushed into the insulation slit 51 from the tip side to the base end with the pushing piece 77 of the cap 70, all of the core wires W1 are connected to their corresponding terminals 50. With the core wire W1 connected to each of the multiple terminals 50, the eight pressing pieces 71 on the cap 70 are inserted into the four insertion grooves 16 provided on each of the terminal holders 15A and 15B, and the cap 70 is pressed against the terminal holders 15A and 15B, where the protrusions 81 fit into the locking holes 74, and the cap 70 is held in the body 10. By holding the cap 70 in the body 10, the possibility that the multiple core wires W1 connected to each of the multiple terminals 50 will come off the corresponding terminals 50 can be reduced.

(2.4) Method of Attaching Wiring Device to an Installation Surface A method of attaching wiring device 300, with multi-core cable CB1 connected to modular jack 1, to an installation surface using mounting frame 500 will be described.

When attaching the wiring device 300 to the mounting frame 500, a pair of mounting claws 106 on the left side of the adapter 100 are inserted into the engagement holes 510 on the left side edge 503 from the rear of the mounting frame 500. When the right side of the adapter 100 is pushed forward with the left mounting claws 106 inserted into the engagement holes 510 on the side edge 503, the pair of mounting claws 106 on the right side of the adapter 100 are pushed by the pair of mounting claws 106 on the right side of the adapter 100, bending the bending piece 506, and the pair of mounting claws 106 on the right side of the adapter 100 engage with the engagement holes 510 on the right side edge 502. As a result, the pair of mounting claws 106 provided on the left and right side surfaces of the adapter 100 engage with the respective pairs of engagement holes 510 on the sides 502 and 503, and the modular jack 1 is attached to the mounting frame 500. In this attached state, the front surface of the door block 150 attached to the front side of the adapter 100 protrudes forward from the opening 501 surrounded by the side edges 502, 503, the upper edge 504, and the lower edge 505.

When connecting the modular plug 400 to the modular jack 1, for example, the tip of the modular plug 400 pushes the protrusion 157 of the door body 156 upward, moving the doors 155 and 156 upward and opening the plug insertion port 154. When the modular plug 400 is inserted into the plug insertion port 23 of the modular jack 1 through the plug insertion port 154 with the plug insertion port 154 open, the multiple second contacts 410 of the modular plug 400 are connected to the multiple first contacts 40 of the modular jack 1.

When removing the wiring device 300 from the mounting frame 500, the flexible piece 506 is bent outward using a tool inserted from the front between the flexible piece 506 and the side edge 502. When the flexible piece 506 is bent outward, the mounting claw 106 is released from the engagement hole 510 and comes outward, allowing the adapter 100 to be removed from the mounting frame 500.

(3) Modifications The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

In the above embodiment, three or more pairs of protrusions spaced apart from one another may be provided as protrusions that contact the multi-core cable CB1 arranged in the storage space 121 from the opening 11 side.

In addition, in the above embodiment, three or more pairs of clamping pieces spaced apart from each other may be provided as clamping pieces that clamp the multi-core cable CB1 arranged in the storage space 121 from both sides.

In the embodiment, the modular jack 1 has eight first contacts 40, but the number of first contacts 40 may be four or six, and can be changed as appropriate.

The wiring device of the above embodiment is equipped with a door block 150 for opening and closing the plug insertion port 23, but the door block 150 is not a required component and can be modified as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the modular jack 1 is applied to a wiring device 300 that is attached to a construction surface such as a wall, but the modular jack 1 may also be applied to a communications rack that houses multiple patch panels on which multiple modular jacks 1 are attached in a line.

(summary)
The above-described embodiments and the like disclose the following aspects.

The modular jack (1) of the first aspect includes a cover (20) and a substrate (30). A plug insertion port (23) into which a modular plug (400) can be inserted is provided on the front surface of the cover (20). A plurality of first contacts (40) are mounted on the substrate (30). The plurality of first contacts (40) can contact the plurality of second contacts (410) of the modular plug (400) when the modular plug (400) is inserted into the plug insertion port (23). The plurality of first contacts (40) include a plurality of third contacts (43) and a plurality of fourth contacts (44). The connection position where the plurality of third contacts (43) are connected to the substrate (30) is a position different in the front-rear direction from the connection position where the plurality of fourth contacts (44) are connected to the substrate (30). Two of the plurality of fourth contacts (44) are located at both ends in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first contacts (40). The connection positions of the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends of the multiple fourth contacts (44) are different from the connection positions of the fourth contacts (44) other than the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends of the multiple fourth contacts (44) in the front-to-rear direction.

According to this embodiment, the work of pressing the first contacts (40) into the substrate (30) is easier to perform than when the connection positions of the multiple first contacts (40) are the same in the front-to-rear direction, which has the advantage of improving assembly workability.

In the modular jack (1) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the length of the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends of the plurality of fourth contacts (44) is longer than the length of the fourth contacts (44) other than the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends of the plurality of fourth contacts (44).

According to this embodiment, the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends are longer than the other fourth contacts (44), so the spring constant of the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends can be reduced. When a modular plug (400) with a small number of poles is erroneously inserted into the plug insertion port (23), the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends may be bent more than when a regular modular plug (400) is connected to the plug insertion port (23). According to this embodiment, the spring constant of the two fourth contacts (44) located at both ends is smaller than that of the other fourth contacts (44), so that the possibility of plastic deformation of the fourth contacts (44) located at both ends can be reduced even when a modular plug (400) with a small number of poles is erroneously inserted. Therefore, the reliability of the electrical connection with the second contact (410) can be improved.

In the modular jack (1) of the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, each of the first contacts (40) has a press-fit portion (41) that is press-fitted and fixed into a hole (A1 to A8) provided in the substrate (30).

According to this aspect, each of the multiple first contacts (40) can be press-fitted into the holes (A1 to A8) of the substrate (30).

In the modular jack (1) of the fourth aspect, in the third aspect, each of the multiple first contacts (40) has a pair of protrusions (411) that protrude in opposite directions from the base of the press-fit portion (41) along a direction intersecting the press-fit direction. When the press-fit portion (41) is press-fitted and fixed in the holes (A1 to A8), the pair of protrusions (411) can contact the surface of the board (30).

According to this aspect, by bringing the pair of protrusions (411) into contact with the surface of the substrate (30), the orientation of the press-fit portion (41) is less likely to shift, and the possibility of the tip positions of the multiple first contacts (40) shifting can be reduced.

In the fifth aspect of the modular jack (1), the holes (A1 to A8) in the third or fourth aspect are oval in shape.

According to this embodiment, the orientation of the press-fit portion (41) is less likely to shift, and the possibility of the tip positions of the multiple first contacts (40) shifting can be reduced.

In the sixth aspect of the modular jack (1), in any of the first to fifth aspects, the third contacts (43) are connected to the board (30) at a connection position closer to the plug insertion port (23) than the contact points with the second contacts (410). The fourth contacts (44) are connected to the board (30) at a connection position on the opposite side of the plug insertion port (23) than the contact points with the second contacts (410).

According to this embodiment, the third contacts (43) are fixed to the substrate (30) at a connection position closer to the plug insertion port (23) than the contact portion with the second contact (410), and the fourth contacts (44) are connected to the substrate (30) at a connection position on the opposite side of the plug insertion port (23) than the contact portion with the second contact (410). This allows the lengths of the third contacts (43) and the fourth contacts (44) to be set to approximately the same length. This has the advantage of reducing the capacitance component generated between the third contacts (43) and the fourth contacts (44), and reducing signal crosstalk.

In the seventh aspect of the modular jack (1), the sixth aspect has multiple third contacts (43) and multiple fourth contacts (44) arranged alternately in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction.

This embodiment has the advantage that it is easier to press the multiple third contacts (43) and the multiple fourth contacts (44) into the substrate (30), improving assembly workability.

The modular jack (1) of the eighth aspect is any one of the first to seventh aspects and includes a base (60) disposed between the multiple first contacts (40) and the substrate (30). The base (60) is provided with multiple grooves (61, 62) that correspond one-to-one to the multiple first contacts (40). A portion of a corresponding one of the multiple first contacts (40) is inserted into each of the multiple grooves (61, 62).

According to this embodiment, a portion of the first contact (40) corresponding to each of the multiple grooves (61, 62) is inserted, so that the positions of the multiple first contacts (40) are less likely to shift in the left-right direction, and the multiple first contacts (40) can be reliably contacted with the multiple second contacts (410).

In the ninth aspect of the modular jack (1), in the eighth aspect, a portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of first contacts (40) between the contact portion with the second contact (410) and the connection portion with the substrate (30) is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves (61, 62).

According to this embodiment, the positions of the multiple first contacts (40) are less likely to shift in the left-right direction, and the multiple first contacts (40) can be reliably contacted with the multiple second contacts (410).

In the modular jack (1) of the tenth aspect, in the eighth or ninth aspect, the base (60) is provided with penetrations (63, 64, 65) that penetrate the base (60) at locations where the tip portions of each of the multiple first contacts (40) face each other.

According to this aspect, even if the multiple first contacts (40) are deflected toward the base (60) by contacting the multiple second contacts (410), the possibility of the tip portions of the multiple first contacts (40) coming into contact with the base (60) and causing plastic deformation can be reduced.

The wiring device (300) of the eleventh aspect includes a modular jack (1) of any one of the first to tenth aspects and an adapter (100). The adapter (100) holds the modular jack (1) and is attachable to a mounting member (500) for mounting the wiring device (300) to an installation surface (600).

This aspect makes it possible to realize a wiring device (300) that can improve assembly workability.

The configurations according to the second to tenth aspects are not essential to the modular jack (1) and may be omitted as appropriate.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Modular jack 20 Cover 23 Plug insertion port 30 Board 40 First contact 41 Press-fit portion 43 Third contact 44 Fourth contact 60 Base 61, 62 Groove portion 63, 64, 65 Penetration portion 100 Adapter 300 Wiring device 400 Modular plug 410 Second contact 411 Protrusion 500 Mounting frame (mounting member)
600 Installation surface A1 to A8 Hole CB1 Multi-core cable

Claims (11)

A cover having a plug insertion port on a front surface into which a modular plug can be inserted;
a substrate on which a plurality of first contacts are mounted;
the first contacts are capable of contacting the second contacts of the modular plug when the modular plug is inserted into the plug insertion port,
the plurality of first contacts includes a plurality of third contacts and a plurality of fourth contacts;
a connection position where the third contacts are connected to the substrate is different in a front-rear direction from a connection position where the fourth contacts are connected to the substrate;
two fourth contacts among the plurality of fourth contacts are located at both ends in an arrangement direction of the plurality of first contacts;
the connection positions of the two fourth contacts located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts and the connection positions of the fourth contacts other than the two fourth contacts located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts are different positions in the front-rear direction;
Modular jack. a length of the two fourth contacts located at both ends among the plurality of fourth contacts is longer than a length of the fourth contacts other than the two fourth contacts located at both ends;
2. The modular jack of claim 1. Each of the plurality of first contacts has a press-fit portion that is press-fitted and fixed into a hole provided in the substrate.
2. The modular jack of claim 1. Each of the first contacts has a pair of protruding portions protruding in opposite directions from a base portion of the press-fit portion along a direction intersecting the press-fitting direction,
the pair of protrusions are capable of contacting a surface of the substrate in a state in which the press-fit portion is press-fitted and fixed into the hole;
4. The modular jack of claim 3. The hole has an oval shape.
4. The modular jack of claim 3. the third contacts are connected to the board at the connection positions close to the plug insertion opening with respect to contact portions with the second contacts;
the fourth contacts are connected to the board at the connection positions on an opposite side to the plug insertion opening with respect to contact portions with the second contacts;
2. The modular jack of claim 1. the third contacts and the fourth contacts are alternately arranged in a direction intersecting with the front-rear direction;
7. The modular jack of claim 6. a base disposed between the first contacts and the substrate;
the base is provided with a plurality of grooves corresponding one-to-one to the first contacts,
A part of a corresponding one of the first contacts is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves.
2. The modular jack of claim 1. a portion of a corresponding one of the first contacts between a contact portion with the second contact and a connection portion with the substrate, the portion being inserted into each of the grooves;
9. The modular jack of claim 8. the base is provided with a through-portion penetrating the base at a position where the tip portions of the first contacts face each other;
9. The modular jack of claim 8. A modular jack according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
and an adapter that holds the modular jack and is attachable to a mounting member for mounting the wiring device to an installation surface.
Wiring equipment.

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