The present invention relates to an electrical connector including a plug and a socket.
The RJ45 plug has become the established standard for Ethernet networks. The connecting technology consisting of socket and RJ45 plug is specified according to IEC 60603-7, 11-1996.
The abbreviation RJ is short for “Registered Jack”, wherein “connector” may be used instead of “jack”. Such connectors are also referred to as “Western plugs” and include a series of plugs developed in the United States, which were initially used for connecting telephones only.
In addition to the 4-pole variants RJ11 and RJ14, RJ45 is the American technical term for the 8-pole Western plug. In Germany, it is mainly used for connecting ISDN terminals to the S0 bus, as well as in Ethernet or ATM LAN applications and hubs.
German published application DE 101 37 703 A1 discloses a plug-in connector having redundant soldered, welded or other connections. The disclosed plug-in connector is, for example, provided for connecting electromagnetic actuators, although it does not have a defined standard.
German patent application DE 10 2005 060 798 A1 discloses a plug connector for Ethernet connections consisting of a socket and a plug, wherein the plug connector is compatible with RJ45 such that a known RJ45 standard plug may be plugged into the socket. The patent application further discloses two additional power contacts via which a supply voltage may be transmitted. The contacts for voltage transmission are positioned next to the contacts for data transmission.
A similar plug-in connection is disclosed in patent document DE 100 53 843 C1. It is also a plug-in connection designed according to the RJ45 standard, wherein the additional power contacts for the voltage supply are arranged in the upper portions of the plug and the socket. Redundant interconnection between the contacts is not provided.
There are further disclosed techniques which are supposed to ensure the transmission of electrical data signals by means of structural modifications or additions to the plugs and/or sockets of the connectors. The published application DE 101 13 529 A1 discloses a plug-in connector using a standard RJ45 plug that is locked to the socket by a lock. This structural addition to the socket is supposed to ensure that the plug cannot become detached from the socket.
A further mechanical lock for securing an RJ45 plug is disclosed in patent document DE 10 2004 038 123 B4. The housing of the plug is prevented from slipping out of the socket by a latching element. The plug is further provided with a closure piece preventing undesired opening of the plug so that the electrical connections cannot be manipulated.
The German translation of European patent document DE 601 24 727 T2 discloses a technique connecting the housing halves of a plug to each other and simultaneously fixing the cable. This object is achieved by a rotatable clamping ring at the end of the plug. By turning the clamping ring, the housing halves are connected to each other such that they can no longer be opened. The rotation of the clamping ring further narrows the cross-section at the location where the cable enters the plug. Due to the narrowed cross-section, the insulation of the cable is compressed and the cable is fixed.
European patent application EP 1 128 494 A1 discloses an adapter and a plug to be used in communication and control networks. Several sockets are provided in the adapter to allow the connection of several devices, such as telephone, fax machine and network, within a small space using the available copper cables. The adapter is designed such that various types of plugs, preferably plugs according to the RJ45 or RJ11 standards, may be used.
German patent document DE 10 2006 039 799 B3 describes a plug according to the RJ45 standard consisting of two housing halves pivotably connected to each other. As the plug consists of several housing halves connected by a hinge mechanism, the plug may be quickly opened and closed. The plug is further designed such that it may be opened and closed without any tools. A further embodiment describes a mechanism by which the conductors of the cables may be easily connected to the plug. By closing the housing halves, the contact elements are pressed through the insulation of the conductors and the electrically conductive connection between plug and line is established.