Jack assembly - Patent Review 4840568

Claims

We claim:

1. A jack assembly comprising:

a mount having a plurality of exposed electrical contact members disposed in a predetermined array;

a plurality of jacks having predetermined forward walls;

attaching means for releasably attaching each of said plurality of jacks to said mount with said jacks in side-by-side relation and with said forward walls exposed to an operator opposing said assembly, said attaching means accommodating individual removal of said jacks by said operator when opposing said forward walls and with said jacks removably insertable onto said mount by an operator placing a jack in an inserted position;

each of said jacks including a jack body formed of dielectric material, said bodies having an interior chamber and a plurality of bores extending through said forward walls in communication with said chamber, said bores sized to receive a plug of predetermined dimensions and having a tip contact and a ring contact;

a plurality of electrically conductive spring contacts disposed within said chamber;

securing means for securing first ends of said spring contacts to said body with said first ends presenting electrical contact points disposed in a predetermined array;

said plurality of spring contacts including tip spring contacts disposed to make electrical contact with tip contacts of plugs inserted within said bores, said plurality further including ring spring contacts disposed to make electrical contact with ring contacts of said plugs, each of said jacks having a set of ring spring contacts and tip spring contacts;

connecting means for connecting a circuit board to said body;

said circuit board including circuitry having a first plurality and a second plurality of circuit contact points, said first plurality of circuit contact points disposed on said circuit board to make electrical contact with said electrical contact points of said spring contact first ends when said circuit board is connected to said body, said second plurality of circuit contact points disposed for said second plurality to make electrical contact with predetermined ones of said plurality of exposed electrical contact members when said jack is attached to said mount in said inserted position;

a plurality of wire termination members secured to said body and having wire termination ends exposed outside said body to an operator facing said forward wall;

said plurality of wire termination members each having termination member contacts disposed in a predetermined array;

said circuitry including a third plurality of circuit contact points disposed on said circuit board to make electrical contact with said termination member contacts when said circuit board is connected to said body and means for electrically connecting said third plurality of circuit contact points to at least a portion of said plurality of spring contacts.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said plugs include electrically conductive sleeves, said bores being sized for said sleeves to be received within said chamber when a plug is inserted into said bores, said plurality of spring contacts including a grounding spring contact disposed to make electrical contact with a sleeve of a plug inserted within a bore.

3. An assembly according to claim i wherein each of said plurality of jacks has a narrow forward wall exposed when said jack is attached to said mount, said bores extending through said forward wall, said jacks disposed within said mount in side-by-side relation with a jack configured to slide relative to an adjacent jack when inserted and removed from said mount.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said plurality of bores includes a pair of bores on said front wall spaced apart a predetermined distance, said jacks sized for bores of adjacent jacks disposed within said mount to be spaced apart a distance equal to said predetermined distance.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of bores includes a monitor bore, said plurality of spring contacts includes tip and ring spring contacts to be engaged by a plug received within said bore, said plurality of springs further including circuit activation spring contacts disposed to be urged into electrical connection when a plug is inserted within said monitor bore;

said circuitry including means for controlling illumination of a light means disposed on said front wall.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body includes a plurality of raised platforms disposed within said chamber, opposing surfaces of said raised platforms defining spring receiving slots;

said first ends of said spring contacts disposed within said spring receiving slots.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 comprising a frame including first and second spaced apart generally horizontal support plates;

said support plates spaced apart a distance sized to receive said mount between said plates with means for locking said mount to said plates when said mount is in a predetermined desired position.

8. A jack assembly comprising:

a mount having a plurality of exposed electrical contact members disposed in a predetermined array;

a plurality of jacks having predetermined forward walls;

attaching means for releasably attaching each of said plurality of jacks to said mount with said jacks in side-by-side relation and with said forward walls exposed to an operator opposing said assembly, said attaching means accommodating individual removal of said jacks by said operator when opposing said forward walls and with said jacks removably insertable into said mount by an operator placing a jack in a predetermined inserted position;

each of said jacks including a jack body formed of dielectric material, said bodies having an interior chamber and a plurality of bores extending through said forward walls in communication with said chamber, said bores sized to receive a plug of predetermined dimensions and having a tip contact and a ring contact;

a plurality of electrically conductive spring contacts disposed within said chamber;

securing means for securing first ends of said spring contacts to said body with said first ends having electrical contact points;

said plurality of spring contacts including tip spring contacts disposed to make electrical contact with tip contacts of plugs inserted within said bores, said plurality further including ring spring contacts disposed to make electrical contact with ring contacts of said plugs, each of said jacks having a set of ring spring contacts and tip spring contacts;

circuit means including a plurality of exposed circuit contact points in electrical communication with at least a portion of said plurality of springs, said plurality of exposed circuit contact points disposed on said jack for said circuit contact points to make electrical contact with predetermined ones of said plurality of exposed electrical contact members when said jack is attached to said mount in said inserted position;

a plurality of wire termination members secured to said body and having wire termination ends exposed outside said body to an operator facing said forward wall;

said plurality of wire termination members each having termination member contacts;

said circuit means including means for electrically connecting said termination member contacts with at least a portion of said plurality of spring contacts.

9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein said circuitry includes circuit enhancement components.

10. An assembly according to claim 9 wherein said circuitry includes repeater circuit components.

11. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said mount includes a top wall, a bottom wall and a back wall;

said top wall, bottom wall and said jacks having cooperating slots and grooves formed therein for said jacks to be slidably received within said mount;

said plurality of exposed electrical contact members of