Tap connector assembly

Claim 1

A tap connector assembly for making tap connections to selected conductors in a multi-conductor cable, the tap connector assembly being of the type comprising first and second standard cable connectors, each cable connector comprising an insulating housing having a mating face and a rearward face, a plurality of cable connector terminals in the housing, the cable connector terminals being arranged in two parallel rows which extend between the endwalls of the housing, the cable connectors being in spaced-apart back-to-back relationship with their rearward faces in opposed relationship, the corresponding cable connector terminals in the first and second cable connectors being connected to each other by first conductors which extend between, and have their ends connected to, the corresponding cable connector terminals, at least one modular jack, a selected plurality of the first conductors being connected intermediate their ends to jack conductors in the modular jack, the tap connector assembly being characterized in that: the standard cable connectors are located along the opposite side edges of a circuit board, the first conductors being wires which extend across one surface of the circuit board, a plurality of insulation displacement terminals are mounted in the circuit board, each insulation displacement terminal having at least one wire connecting portion having a wire-receiving slot therein and having a solder post extending from the wire connecting portion, the wire connecting portion extending normally from the one surface of the circuit board and the solder posts extending through holes in the circuit board and from the other surface of the circuit board, the modular jack being mounted on the one surface of the circuit board adjacent to one of the end edges thereof, the jack conductors having solder post portions extending from the housing in the modular jack through holes in the circuit board and beyond the other surface of the circuit board, a plurality of circuit board conductors which extend between the solder post portions of the jack conductors and the solder post portions of the insulation displacement terminals, the circuit board conductors being soldered to the post portions, and the selected first conductors having intermediate portions thereof inserted into the wire receiving slots of the insulation displacement terminals whereby, upon coupling standard cable connectors on the ends of cable sections to the first and second standard cable connectors in the tap connector assembly and thereafter plugging a modular plug on the end of a tap cable into the modular jack, the conductors in the tap cable are connected to preselected cable conductors.