US6186835B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Socket connector having a flexible internal barrier to prevent incorrect insertion of smaller sized plugs
Assignee: Apple Inc
•
Filing: 1999-06-21
•
Granted: 2001-02-13
•
Expires: 2019-06-21
Abstract
Abstract An improved socket connector has flexible interior barriers to prevent incorrect insertion of smaller sized plugs, where a flexible internal barrier is formed on a side of the socket entry leading into the socket cavity, and is composed of a flexible ramp attached from the socket entry, the ramp extending into the socket cavity and having a inner movable end with a vertical barrier, sized and disposed within the socket cavity so that the insertion of a correctly sized wide plug will engage the flexible ramp, riding along and moving the flexible ramp so that the vertical barrier is moved out of a stopping position, allowing the correctly sized wide plug to be fully and properly seated in the cavity, but further sized and disposed within the socket cavity so that the insertion of an incorrectly sized narrow plug will fail to engage the ramp, will not flex the ramp, and will leave the vertical barrier in the stopping position, where it prevents the incorrectly sized narrow plug from being fully inserted into the socket cavity. The improved socket can be an RJ45 network socket, the correctly sized wide plug can be an RJ45 network plug, and the incorrectly sized narrow plug can be an RJ11 telephone plug.
Inventors
- 👤 Stuart D. Cheshire
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 07:21
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/64; H01R24/00; H01R24/60; H01R24/62; H01R24/64
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A socket connector having a flexible interior barrier to prevent insertion of a small sized plug, the socket connector having a socket entry and a socket cavity for receiving a large sized plug, the flexible internal barrier comprising: a flexible ramp having a fixed end and a movable end, the fixed end is attached to the socket entry, and the movable end which extends into the socket cavity; a vertical barrier attached to the movable end, which moves with the movable end of the flexible ramp, the vertical barrier being in a central stopping position within the cavity when the large sized plug is not inserted and the flexible ramp is not moved, and the vertical barrier being moved away from the central stopping position within the cavity when the large sized plug is inserted which engages and moves the flexible ramp.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A socket connector having a flexible interior barrier to prevent insertion of a small sized plug, the socket connector having a socket entry and a socket cavity for receiving a large sized plug, the flexible internal barrier comprising: a flexible ramp having a fixed end and a movable end, the fixed end is attached to the socket entry, and the movable end which extends into the socket cavity; a vertical barrier attached to the movable end, which moves with the movable end of the flexible ramp, the vertical barrier being in a central stopping position within the cavity when the large sized plug is not inserted and the flexible ramp is not moved, and the vertical barrier being moved away from the central stopping position within the cavity when the large sized plug is inserted which engages and moves the flexible ramp.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The socket connector as in claim 1 , where the socket is an RJ45 network socket, the large sized plug is an RJ45 network plug and the small sized plug is an RJ11 telephone plug.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
202 words
A socket connector having a flexible interior barrier to prevent insertion of a narrow plug, the socket having a socket entry and a socket cavity for receiving a wide plug, the flexible internal barrier comprising; at two opposite sides of the socket cavity, a flexible ramp having a fixed end and a movable end, the fixed end attached at the entry and the movable end which extends into the socket cavity, the movable end further having a vertical barrier which moves with the movable end of the flexible ramp, the flexible ramp and vertical barrier configured such that the insertion of the wide plug will engage a side of the plug with the flexible ramp, riding along and moving the flexible ramp so that the vertical barrier is moved out of a stopping position, and allowing the wide plug to pass the vertical barrier and to be fully seated in the socket cavity, but further configured such that the insertion of the narrow plug will fail to engage a side of the plug with the flexible ramp, leaving the vertical barrier in its stopping position, and preventing the narrow plug from being further inserted into the socket cavity past the vertical barrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
202 words
A socket connector having a flexible interior barrier to prevent insertion of a narrow plug, the socket having a socket entry and a socket cavity for receiving a wide plug, the flexible internal barrier comprising; at two opposite sides of the socket cavity, a flexible ramp having a fixed end and a movable end, the fixed end attached at the entry and the movable end which extends into the socket cavity, the movable end further having a vertical barrier which moves with the movable end of the flexible ramp, the flexible ramp and vertical barrier configured such that the insertion of the wide plug will engage a side of the plug with the flexible ramp, riding along and moving the flexible ramp so that the vertical barrier is moved out of a stopping position, and allowing the wide plug to pass the vertical barrier and to be fully seated in the socket cavity, but further configured such that the insertion of the narrow plug will fail to engage a side of the plug with the flexible ramp, leaving the vertical barrier in its stopping position, and preventing the narrow plug from being further inserted into the socket cavity past the vertical barrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The socket connector as in claim 3 , where the socket connector is an RJ45 network socket, the wide plug is an RJ45 network plug, and the narrow plug is an RJ11 telephone plug.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-02-13 | 2004-08-14 | 2005-02-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-02-13 | 2008-08-14 | 2009-02-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-02-13 | 2012-08-14 | 2013-02-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |