MXPA00009310A

MXPA00009310A - Telecommunications connector

Info

Publication number: MXPA00009310A
Application number: MXPA/A/2000/009310A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Denny Lo; Maxwell Yip; John A Siemon
Original assignee: The Siemon Company
Priority date: 1999-01-22
Filing date: 2000-09-22
Publication date: 2001-07-31

Abstract

A connector made up of a plug and outlet which, when mated, define four shielded quadrants, each of which houses a pair of contacts. Shield members within the plug overlap and shield members within the outlet overlap. In addition, shield members within the outlet overlap adjacent shield members in the plug when mated. Overlapping the shield members at each shield member junction provides enhanced shielding and reduced crosstalk.

Description

TELECOMMUNICATION CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to telecommunications connectors, and in particular to a telecommunications outlet and outlet having improved performance characteristics. Improvements in telecommunications systems have resulted in the ability to transmit voice and / or data signals along transmission lines at increasingly higher frequencies. Several industry standards that specify multiple levels of performance of twisted pair cabling components have been established. The primary references considered by many as the international brands for components and facilities of commercial base communications, are the standards ANSI / TIA / EIA-568-A (/ 568) Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard and 150 / IEC 11801 (/ 11801) , generic cabling for customer premises. For example, category 3, 4 and 5 cable and connection hardware are specified in both / 568 and / 11801, as well as in other national and regional specifications. In these specifications, the transmission requirements for category 3 components are specified up to 16 MHZ. The transmission requirements for category 4 components are specified up to 20 MHZ. The transmission requirements for category 5 components are specified up to 100 MHZ. New standards are continuously being developed and it is now expected that future standards will require transmission requirements of at least 600 MHZ. To achieve such transmission rates, a fully protected twisted pair cable, where each pair is individually wrapped in a sheet or screen, will be necessary. In addition, all the pairs are wrapped together in a layer of sheet or sieve. 'The aforementioned transmission requirements also specify limits on near-end (NEXT, according to its acronym in English). The telecommunications connectors are organized in groups of pairs, typically made from a wire and loop connector. Since telecommunication connectors are small in size, adjacent pairs are placed very close to each other creating near-end-to-end crosstalk. In order to be in accordance with the requirements of near-zero-noise, a variety of techniques are used in the art. U.S. Patent 5,593,311 discloses a compact, protected data connector designed to reduce near-end-to-end contact between the connector contacts. Contact pairs are placed inside metal channels. When the connectors engage, the channels bump against each other to enclose each pair in a metal shield. A disadvantage to design in the patent of US Pat. No. 5,593,311 is that the metal channels are joined in a butt joint; a surface hits the adjacent surface without any overlap. Since all the components include some manufacturing tolerance, there is a potential for gaps between the protections, thus producing the protective effect. Another disadvantage is that the cables that have the blade removed can be exposed to one another in the rear part of the connector, thus leading to near-by. Thus, there is a need in the art for a connector that has improved pair protection.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The disadvantages and deficiencies described above and others more of the prior art are overcome or mitigated through the improved operating telecommunications connector of the present invention. In one embodiment, the connector is made of a plug and an outlet which, when coupled, define four protected quadrants, each of which houses a pair of contacts. In another embodiment, the connector is made of a plug and an outlet, which, when coupled, define two protected quadrants, each of which houses a pair of contacts. In a further embodiment of the present invention, a printed circuit board (PCB) connector is provided, wherein the connector is made of a plug and an outlet which, when coupled, define four protected quadrants, each of which houses a pair of contacts. In this mode, the connector is particularly suitable for mounting on a circuit board. In still another embodiment of the present invention, an improved plug top cover is provided having a metal lock subassembly, which allows a more direct electrical path from a plug cable screen to an output cable screen. In all the embodiments described above, which establish the improved connector of the present invention, the protection members within the plug overlap and the protection members within the outlet overlap. In addition, the protection members within the outlet shove adjacent protection members into the plug when engaged. The overlap of the protection members in each protection member splice provides improved protection and reduced near-endurance. The aspects and advantages described above and others of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar elements are enumerated similarly in the various figures: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled plug of an embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the plug of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the upper plug cover of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a lower cover of the plug of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an exploded, perspective view of the plug contact carrier of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the plug of Figure 1, including termination covers; Figure 7 is another perspective, exploded view of the plug of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 11 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 12 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 12A is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 12B is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 1; Figure 13 is a perspective view of one mode of the output; Figure 14 is an exploded, perspective view of the outlet of Figure 13; Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the output core of Figure 13; Figure 16 is an exploded, perspective view of the upper outlet cover of Figure 13; Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view of the lower outlet cover of Figure 13; Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of the output contact carrier of Figure 13; Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of the outlet of Figure 13 including end caps; Figure 20 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the outlet of Figure 13; Figure 21 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the outlet of Figure 13; Figure 22 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure of the outlet of Figure 13; Figure 23 is a perspective view of the outlet of Figure 13 mounted on a faceplate; Figure 24 is a perspective view of the plug of Figure 1 coupled with the outlet of Figure 13 mounted on the front plate; Figure 25 is a side view of the plug of Figure 1; Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 26-26 of Figure 25; Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 27-27 of Figure 25; Figure 28 is a side view of the plug of Figure 1 and the outlet of Figure 13 coupled; Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 29-29 of Figure 28; Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 30-30 of Figure 28; Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 31-31 of Figure 28; Figure 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 32-32 of Figure 28; Figure 33 is a perspective view of an assembled plug of a first alternative embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 34 is an exploded, perspective view of the plug and closure of Figure 33; Figure 35 is an exploded, perspective view of the upper plug cover of Figure 33; Figure 36A is a perspective view of the lower plug cover of Figure 33; Figure 36B is an exploded perspective view of the plug of Figure 33, including termination covers; Figure 37 is another exploded, perspective view of the plug of Figure 33; Figure 38 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 33; Figure 39 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 33; Figure 40 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 33; Figure 41 is a perspective view of the assembly procedure for the plug of Figure 33; Figure 42 is a perspective view of an output of a first alternative embodiment of the present invention; Figure 43 is a perspective view of two plugs of Figure 33 coupled with the outlet of Figure 42 mounted on the faceplate; Figure 44 is a perspective view of a plug of a second alternative embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 45 is an exploded perspective view of the plug of Figure 44; Figure 46 is an exploded perspective view of the top cover and closure of the plug of Figure 44; Figure 47 is a side view of the plug of Figure 44 and the outlet of Figure 42; Figure 48 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 48-48 of Figure 47; Figure 49 is a perspective view of an output core suitable for use with a printed circuit board in accordance with the present invention; Figure 50 is a perspective view of the core of the outlet of Figure 49; Figure 51 is a perspective, exploded view of an outlet for use with a printed circuit board; Figure 52 is another perspective view of the outlet of Figure 51; Figure 53 is a perspective view of the lower contact carrier of the outlet of Figure 51; Figure 54 is a perspective view of the upper contact carrier of the outlet of Figure 51; Figure 55 is a perspective view of the assembly of two printed circuit board output cores of Figure 40 on a simplified printed circuit board; Figure 56 is a perspective view of the assembly of two printed circuit board outputs of Figure 49 on a simplified printed circuit board; Figure 57 is a perspective view of the plug 900 of Figure 44 coupled with the outlet 1000 of Figure 56; Figure 58A is another perspective view of the plug 900 of Figure 44 coupled with the outlet 1000 of Figure 56; Fig. 58B is a rear view of the plug 900 of Fig. 44 coupled with the outlet 1000 of Fig. 56; Figure 59 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 59-59 of Figure 58B; Figure 60 is a front view of the outlet 1000 of Figure 51; Figure 61A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 61A-61A of Figure 60; Figure 61B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 61B-61B of Figure 60; Figure 62 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative output; Figure 63 is a perspective view of a core of the outlet 62; Figure 64 is a perspective view of the core of the outlet of Figure 62; Figure 65 is a bottom view of a cover of the outlet of Figure 62; Figure 66 is a perspective view of the outlet of Figure 62; Figure 67 is a perspective view of the output of the Figure 62 without an insulation film; Figure 68 is a front view of the outlet of Figure 62; Figure 69 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 69-69 of Figure 68; Figure 70 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 70-70 of Figure 68; Figure 71 is a side view of the outlet of Figure 62; Figure 72 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 72-72 of Figure 71; Figure 73 is a perspective, exploded view of an alternative socket; Figure 74 is a perspective view of the plug of Figure 73; Figure 74A is a perspective view of an alternative socket; Figure 74B is a perspective view of an alternative socket; Figure 75 is a perspective view of the plug of Figure 73; Figure 76 is a front view of the plug of Figure 73; Figure 77 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 77-77 of Figure 76; Figure 78 is a perspective view of two plugs; Figure 79 is a perspective view of a plug and a template. Figure 80 is a side view of three plugs of Figure 73 mounted on an alternative outlet; Figure 81 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 81-81 of Figure 80; Figure 82 is a side view of a plug mounted on an alternative outlet; Figure 83 is a perspective view of a closure icon; Figure 84 is a perspective view of a closure icon; Figure 85 is a perspective view of a closure icon; Figure 86 is a front view of a closure icon; Figure 87 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 87-87 of Figure 86; Figures 88-90 are cross-sectional views illustrating an exit equipped with the lock icon; Figure 91 is a perspective view of an alternative output; Figure 92 is a perspective view of a portion of Figure 91; Figure 93 is a perspective view of a plug of a pair; Figure 94 is a perspective view of a two-pair plug; Figure 95 is a perspective view of a portion of the two-pair plug; Figure 96 is a perspective view of a four-pair plug; Figure 97 is a top view of two and one pair plugs mounted in an outlet; Figure 98 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 98-98 of Figure 97; Figure 99 is a top view of a two-pair plug mounted in an outlet; Figure 100 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 100-100 of Figure 99; Figure 101 is a top view of a four-pair plug mounted in an outlet; Figure 102 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 102-102 of Figure 101; Figure 103 is a perspective view of an alternative in a plug of a pair; Figure 104 is a perspective view of a plug portion of a pair of Figure 103; Figure 105 is a top view of an alternative outlet and plug; Figure 106 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 106-106 of Figure 105; Figure 107 is an exploded perspective view of another alternative outlet; Figure 108 is a bottom view of a cover of the outlet of Figure 107; Figure 109 is a perspective view of the cover; and Figure 110 is a front view of the outlet of Figure 107.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled plug, generally shown at 100, according to the present invention. The plug 100 has a top cover 102, a bottom cover 104 and a core 106. The top cover 102, the bottom cover 104 and the core 106 are all conductive to provide protection as described herein. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic, or any other known conductive metal. The core 108 supports insulating contact carriers (eg plastic) 108. Each contact carrier 108 includes two contacts 160 defining a pair. A sleeve 112 provides tension relief and is made from a plastic or foldable rubber. Also shown in Figure 1 is a cable 10 that enters the sheath 112. A closure 114 is provided on the top cover 102 for coupling the plug 100 with the outlet 300, as described herein. Figure 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the plug 100. The closure 114 is made of a closure body 116 secured to the top cover on the fulcrum 118. A lip 120 is provided on the bottom of the closure body 116 for coupling a slot formed in the outlet 300. This secures the plug 100 to the outlet 300. An important feature of the closure 114 is a closure extension 122 which engages the closure body 126 to the top cover 102. The closure extension 122 is an arcuate, collapsible member that flexes when pressure is applied to the closure body 116. Telecommunication plugs are usually pulled through wall spaces during installation. The closure extension 122 reduces the likelihood that the plug 100 will be caught in other cables, wall corners, posts, etc. The upper cover 102 includes a semicircular groove 129 and a lower cover 104 includes a similar semicircular groove 129 receiving a circular lip 113 (Figure 7) in the sleeve 112, as described later. Two upper cover closures 128 couple two lower cover depressions 130 to secure the upper cover 102 to the lower cover 104. The plug core 106 includes a first planar shield 132 and a second planar shield 134 substantially perpendicular to the first planar shield 132 The plug core 106 also includes side walls 136. The top and bottom of each side wall 136 includes a flange 140. The ridges 140 extend beyond the side wall 136 and overlap an edge 142 of the top cover 102. and the lower cover 104. The ridges 140 are shown having a generally triangular cross section, but it is understood that different geometries may be used without departing from the scope of the invention. The ridges 140 serve to locate the core 106 within the upper and lower covers and overlap the edges of the upper cover and the lower cover to provide better protection than a butt splice. The second planar shield 134 also includes a flange 144 on the upper and lower surface. As shown in Figure 2, however, the central flange 144 is triangular, it being understood that other geometries can be used without departing from the invention. The central flange 144 couples the channels 178 formed in the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104 as described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Two ribs 146 are formed on the inner surface of each side wall 136 and are parallel ay separated from the first flat shield 132. Similar ribs are formed on each surface of the second flat shield 134. The contact carrier 108 has a flat base 148, which rests on the first flat shield 132. The base 148 includes two flanges 150 extending from the base and a stop 152 adjacent the flanges 150. When the contact carrier is installed in the core 106, the flange 150 is positioned below the rib 146 to maintain the contact carrier 108 toward the first flat shield 132. The contact carrier slides towards the core 106 until the stop 152 makes contact with the end of the rib 146. In this position, a second The flange 156 is positioned near a knot 154 formed on the second flat shield 134. The contact carrier 108 also includes a lip 158 extending substantially perpendicular to the flat base 158 and beyond the edge of the first flat shield 132 for prevent the contact carrier 108 from sliding out of the core 106. Additional details of the contact carrier 108 and the contacts 160 are described below with reference to Figure 5. The interior of each side wall 136 and each side of the second shield flat 134 also includes a first projection 149 and a second projection 147, which are used to secure a termination cover to the plug core 106 as described below with reference to Figures 6-10. Figure 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the top cover 102. The top cover includes a shield contact 164, which electrically connects the ground to the cable 10 to the plug core 106. The shield contact 164 is conductor and preferably it is made of metal. The protective contact 164 has an arcuate portion 166 formed to generally follow the shape of the cable 10. The arcuate portion 166 includes tines 168 that pierce the ground layer of the cable 10 and the cable jacket. This electrically and mechanically connects the shield contact 164 to the cable 10. The shield contact 164 includes a bearing 170 having two openings 172 formed therein to receive two posts 176 formed in the upper cover 102. The friction fit between poles 176 and openings 172 secures protective contact 164 to the cover upper 102. A tab 174 extends from the bearing 170 and makes contact with the plug core 106. A channel 178 is formed in the upper cover 102 to receive the central flange 144 on the plug core 106. This allows the flange central 148 overlaps the side walls of channel 178 and provides better protection than a conventional butt splice. A notch 162 is provided in the front face 103 of the top cover 106 to receive the second flat shield 134. The front face 103 of the plug 102 also includes three depressed areas 163 that receive extensions on the front face 317 of the outlet 300, as described further on. The upper cover 102 includes side wall depressions 139 for receiving rear extensions 137 on the plug core 106 (Figure 6) to create an overlap between the rear part of the side wall 328 of the plug core and the plug top cover. The top cover 102 also includes side walls 105 having upper side wall extensions 143 that engage the side outlet wall dimples 343 (Figure 4) to create an overlap between the side walls 105 and the top plug cover 102 and the walls side 107 and lower plug cover 104. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lower cover 104. The lower cover 104 is similar to the upper cover 102 in that it uses a protective contact 164 thereof. way. The lower cover 104 also includes a channel 178 for receiving a central rim 144 on the second flat shield 134. As noted above, this allows the central rim 144 to be overlapped on the sides of the channel 178 and provides better protection than with a conventional butt splice. A notch 162 is provided in the front face 103 of the lower cover 104 to receive the second flat shield 134. The lower cover 104 includes side walls 107 having a side wall depression 139, similar to those on the top cover 102, for In addition, the lower cover 104 includes second side wall depressions 343 for receiving the side wall extensions 143 on the top cover 102. The front face 103 of the bottom cover 104 is similar to that of the upper cover 102 and includes depressions 163 for receiving extensions on the front face 317 of the outlet 300. The front face 103 of the lower cover 104 also includes a lip 165, interrupted by the depression 163, which overlaps the external surface of the bottom wall 332 of outlet core 306. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a contact carrier 108. The p Contact device includes two channels 187, each of which receives a contact 160. Each contact 160 has a generally flat body 180, a contact end 182 and a terminating end 183. The terminating end includes a displacement contact insulation 184 which perforates the insulation of individual cables in the cable 10 to make an electrical contact with the wire, as is known in the art. The installation of the wires in the insulation displacement contact is described herein with reference to Figures 8-10. Each insulation displacement contact is angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the body 180 at an angle of 45 °. As shown in Figure 1, the plug 100 includes 4 contact carriers 108, each having a pair of contacts 160 for a total of eight contacts. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the plug 100 including terminating cap 186. A terminating cap 186 is provided for each pair of contacts 160. As is known in the art, a termination cap forces the wires over a Insulation displacement contact to drill the insulation and electrically connect the wire and the insulation displacement contact. The termination cap 186 includes a first lip 188 and a second lip 190 straddling the projections 149 and 147 on the plug core 106. The first lip 188 and the second lip 190 have a beveled surface and the first projection 149 and the second projection 147 similarly includes a bevelled surface to facilitate installation of the termination cap 186 as described below. Each termination cap 186 also includes two contact openings 192 for receiving the displacement contacts of insulation 184 and a pair of wire openings 194 for receiving the wires of the cable 10. The wire openings 194 are aligned with the insulation displacement contacts 184 in the plug core 106. The plug in Figure 6 is shown in FIG. the state as it is received by the client. The end caps 186 are placed in the plug core 106 and retained in a first position. The first lip 188 rests on the first projection 149 to hold the termination cap 186 in a first position, and the second lip 190 is positioned below the first projection 149 to prevent the terminating cap 186 from being inadvertently removed from the plug core 106. FIG. 7 is an exploded, perspective view of the plug 100. As shown. in Figure 7, each end cap 186 is in the first position under the first lip 188 and the second lip 190 straddling the first ledge 149. The sheath 112 includes a cylindrical lip 113 which engages the groove 129 formed in the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104. Slots 115 can be formed through the cover 125 and are perpendicular to the lip 113 to allow the lip 113 to expand during the installation of the cover 112 and reduce the force required to install and removing the sheath 112. The installation of the wires in the plug 100 will now be described with reference to Figures 8-12. As shown in Figure 8, the cable 10 includes 8 wires 198. Each pair of wires 198 is enclosed by a wire pair shield 200. A ground layer 196 is also housed within the wire 10 and is pulled over the sleeve outer of the wire 10. The wires 198 are inserted into the wire openings 194 in the termination covers 186. As described above, each wire opening 194 is aligned with an insulation displacement contact 184 and thus each wire 196 is placed above an insulation displacement contact 184. It is understood that the sleeve 112 is placed on the cable 10 before the wires 198 are inserted into the termination caps 186. Figure 9 shows the wires 198 placed in the openings wire 194. Once the wires 198 are placed in the termination lids 186, a force is applied to each termination cap 186 towards the plug core 106 in the mo This is illustrated by the arrows in Figure 9. An individual hand tool can be used to apply force to the four termination covers 186 at the same time to provide an easier installation. Figure 10 shows the termination caps 186 in a second position. The first lip 188 and the second lip 190 now straddle the second projection 147 to hold the terminating cap 186 in the second position. In this state, the wires 198 placed in the wire openings 194 are driven over the insulation displacement contacts 184. As is known in the art, the insulation displacement contacts 184 divide the insulation on each wire 198 thereby forming a contact electrical between the wires 198 and the contacts 160. An important aspect of the invention shown in Figure 10 is the use of a buffer zone 206. The length of the first flat shield 132 and the second flat shield 134 is such that a portion of the first flat shield 132 and the second flat shield extends beyond the back of each terminating cap 186 to establish a buffer zone 206. Each pair of wires rests in the buffer zone 206. The buffer zone 206 is important since , during installation, the wire pair protection 200 is removed so that the individual wires can be inserted s in the wire openings 194. Further assuming that the installer removes the recommended recommended length of the wire pair protection 200, a small amount of exposed wire will create the near-end of adjacent pairs at frequencies greater than 600 MHZ. In non-ideal installations, the installer will remove much of the wire pair protection 200. In this way, the buffer zone 206 reduces the near-infrasound in ideal or non-ideal installations and improves connector operation. The buffer zone must have a length, measured from the back of the termination cap 186, greater than the length of the wire 198 exposed (protection of wire pair removed) in a worse installation. The next step in the installation process is the placement of the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104 of the plug core 104 as shown in Figure 11. The upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104 each include coupling projections 202 similarly shaped depressions 204 on the plug core 106 to secure the top cover 102 and the bottom cover 104 to the plug core 106. In addition, the closures 128 of the upper cover couple the openings 130 of the lower cover to secure the upper cover 102 to the lower cover 104. The tines 168 on the protection contacts 164 penetrate the ground layer 96 and the jacket of the cable to connect mechanically and electrically the protective connectors 164 to the cable 10. The final step in the assembly of the plug is to secure the sleeve 112 to the plug. As shown in Figure 12, the sleeve 112 is fixed by jumping on the upper and lower covers. The lip 113 on the inner surface of the sleeve 112 couples the groove 129 formed in the upper cover 102 and the lower cover 104. FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the plug in an alternative embodiment. As can be seen in Figure 12A, the sleeve 112 includes two L-shaped channels 197, which receive the post 124 formed on the upper cover 102 and the post 126 formed on the lower cover 104 (Figure 12B). The cover 112 is secured to the upper cover 102 and lower cover 104 by placing the posts 124 and 126 in the channels 197 and rotating the cover 112. Figure 13 is a perspective view of an outlet 300 for use with the plug 100. The outlet 300 includes a top cover 302, a bottom cover 304 and a core 306. The top cover 302, the bottom cover 304 and the core 306 can all be connected to provide protection as described herein. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic or any other known conductive material. Core 306 supports insulating contact carriers 308. Each contact carrier includes contacts 310. An optional door 311 is also provided to prevent contamination (eg, dust) from entering outlet 300. Upper cover 302 includes a pair of elastic arms 312 having notches 314 formed therein. The notches 314 receive the edge of a faceplate, as will be described later with reference to Figure 23. Another groove 3154 is formed on the bottom of the exit core 306 to receive another edge of the faceplate. The notches 314 and 315 lie in a plane that is at an oblique angle relative to the front face 317 of the outlet 300. When mounted on a faceplate, it directs the outlet toward the ground and provides a gravity feed design . The gravity feed reduces the flexion angle of the cable connected to the plug 100 and reduces the likelihood that the cable will be flexed beyond the minimum bend radius and causes signal degradation or loss. Alternatively the notches 314 and 315 may lie in a plane parallel to the front face 317 of the outlet 300. A member 316 is connected to the ends of the spring arms 314 and includes a depression 318 on a front face thereof. The depression 318 receives an edge of an identification icon 324 (shown in Figure 14). The identification icon 324 rests on the support surface 320 and engages a depression 322. Both the support surface 320 and the depression 322 are formed on the output core 306. Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view of the outlet 300. Top cover 302 includes top cover closures 120 which engage lower cover openings 130 as described above. The exit core 306 is generally rectangular and includes side walls 328, an upper wall 330 and a lower wall 332. A first flat shield 334 extends from the rear of the exit core and terminates within the interior of the exit core 306, as will be described later. The second flat shield 336 extends over the entire length of the outlet core 306, but includes an open region for receiving the plug 100 and overlapping the second flat shield 134 in the socket 100. The side walls 328 include slots 338 for receiving the first flat protection 132 of the plug 100. The side walls 328 and the second flat shield 336 include ribs 340 to secure the contact carriers 308 to the output core 306. The second flat shield 336 includes protective extensions 342 that have a reduced thickness and are extend from and parallel to the second flat shield 336. As will be described later in detail, the protective extensions 342 overlap the edges of the second flat shield 134 when the plug 100 matches the outlet 300. The second flat shield 336 also includes a flange 337 on its top and bottom for coupling channels 178 formed in the cover upper outlet 302 and lower outlet cover 304. In addition, the side walls 328 and the second guard 336 extend beyond the front face 317 of the outlet 300 and engage the depressions 163 formed in the front plate 103 of the outlet 100. The upper wall 330 extends beyond the front face 317 of the outlet 300 and overlaps the front face 103 of the upper plug cover 102. The lip 165 on the lower plug cover 104 overlaps the bottom wall 332. The door 311 includes two arms having pins 364 facing inward which are received in holes 366 on the output core 306. A pair of slots 368 is formed on the inner surface of the door 311 for receiving the first flat shield 336 in the output core 306. An identification icon 370 may be mounted to the front of the door 311 as described in the co-pending US patent application No. 08 / 652,230, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the exit core 316 along the line 15-15 of Figure 14. As shown in Figure 15, the first flat protection 336 and the second flat protection 338 include extensions of protection 342 'which overlap the ends 133 and 135 of the first flat shield 132 and the second flat shield 134 on the plug 100. The protective extensions 342' have a thickness that is less than the thickness of the first flat shield 336 or the second flat protection 338. The hooks 344 on the top and bottom of the outlet core 306 couple the openings 346 of the upper cover 302 and the lower cover 304.

Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the top cover 302. The top cover 302 includes the shield contact 164 described above with reference to the plug 100. The top cover 302 further includes projections 344 for supporting the shield contact 164, due to the different geometry of the outlet 300. The upper cover 302 includes depressions 303 along an upper wall 301 and a side wall 307 for receiving the extensions 327 of the exit core 306 (Figure 19). The side walls 307 include projections 309 that are received in the depressions 313 on the lower cover 304. A channel 178 is provided on the upper wall 301 to receive the flange 333 on the second flat shield 336. Figure 17 is a perspective view , in explosion of the lower cover 304. The lower cover 304 includes the protective contact 164 described above with reference to the plug 100. The lower cover 304 further includes projections 348 for supporting the protective contact 164 due to the different geometry of the output 300. Depressions 303 are formed on the lower wall 323 of the lower cover and the side wall 321 and receive the extensions 327 (Figure 19) on the side walls 328 of the exit core 306. The side walls 321 further include depressions 313 for receiving projections 309 on the top cover 302. A channel 178 is provided on the bottom wall 323 to receive the flange 337 on the second flat protection 336.

Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of the contact carrier 308. The contact carrier is insulating and includes a generally rectangular housing 352, having a pair of slots 354 formed therein to receive the contacts 350. The slots 354 they are formed through a housing surface 352, so that a portion of the contact 350 extends beyond the surface of the housing 352 as shown in Figure 14. The contact 350 includes an insulation displacement contact 356 in a end to drill the insulation of a wire and make an electrical contact. The insulation displacement contact 356 is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact 350 at an angle of 45 °. The contact 350 also includes a spring portion 358 that extends beyond the surface of the housing 352 as shown in Figure 14. When the plug and the outlet engage, the contacts 110 in the socket 100 contact the portion spring 358 of contacts 350 at outlet 300 and flex spring portion 358 toward housing 352. Spring portion 358 deviates against contact 110 and ensures good electrical contact between plug 100 and outlet 300. housing 352 includes a shoulder 360 that contacts the rib 340 on the exit core 306 to secure the contact carrier 308 to the exit core 306. Figure 19 is a perspective, exploded view of the exit 300. The covers of termination 186 are used to install wires on the insulation displacement contacts 356. The termination covers 186 are identical to those described above with reference to plug 100. The outlet 300 includes first projections 149 and a second projection 147 formed on the side walls 328 and the second flat guard 336. As described above with reference to the plug 100, the termination cover 186 is held in a first position a through a first lip 188 and a second lip 190 straddling the first projection 149. The wire openings 194 receive the wires 198 and are aligned with the insulation displacement contacts 356. As described above, the side walls 328 include the extensions 327 on their upper, lower and rear sides to couple the depressions 303 on the upper outlet cover 302 and the lower exit cover 304. The installation of the wires at the outlet 300 will now be described with reference to Figures 20- 22 As shown in Figure 20, the cable 10 includes 8 wires 198. Each pair of wires 198 is enclosed by a pair of wires 200 protection. The ground layer 196 is also housed inside the cable 10 and is pulled on the outer jacket of the cable 10. The wires 198 are inserted into the wire openings 194 in the termination caps 186. As described above, each wire opening 194 is aligned with an insulation displacement contact 356 and thus each wire 198 is positioned above a contact Insulation displacement 356.

Figure 21 shows the wires 198 placed in the wire openings 194. Once the wires 198 are placed in the termination caps 186, a force is applied to each terminating cap 186 toward the output core 306 in the direction shown. by the arrows in Figure 21. As discussed above with reference to the plug 100, a single tool can apply the force to the four termination caps, at the same time. Figure 21 shows the termination caps 186 in a second position. The first lip 188 and the second lip 190 now straddle the second projections 147 to hold the terminating cap 186 in a second position. In this state, the wires 98 placed in the wire openings 194 are urged onto the insulation displacement contacts 356. As is known in the art, the insulation displacement contacts 356 divide the insulation on each wire 198, thereby forming a electrical contact between the wires 198 and the contacts 350. The outlet 300 also includes a buffer zone 206 similar to that described above with reference to the plug 100. A portion of the first flat shield 336 and the second flat shield 338 extends beyond the end caps 186 to provide the buffer zone 206 having the advantages described above with reference to the plug 100. The next step in the installation process is the placement of the top cover 302 and the bottom cover 304 on the output core 306, as shown in Figure 22. The opening 346 in both the upper cover 302 and in the bottom cover 304 is positioned on a respective hook 344. Upper cover 302 and lower cover 304 are then rotated together and upper cover fasteners 128 engage lower cover openings 130 to secure upper cover 302 to the lower cover 304. The prongs 168 on the shield contacts 164 penetrate the ground layer 196 and the jacket of the cable 10 to mechanically and electrically connect the shield contacts 164 to the cable 10. Figure 23 is a perspective view of the output 300 mounted in a front plate 400. As shown in Figure 23, the opening of the outlet 300 is at an angle with respect to the front face. This angle is established by notch 314 on the upper outlet cover 302 and the notch 315 on the exit core 306 lying in a plane at an oblique angle relative to the face 317 of the outlet. As previously noted, this creates a gravity feed orientation, where the cable connected to a plug coupled with the outlet 300 is angled towards the floor, thus reducing flexure on the cable. This reduces the likelihood that the cable will flex below the minimum bending radius. The identification icon 324 also serves as a closure, securing the exit 300 in the faceplate 400. To install the exit 300 in the faceplate 400, the resilient arms 312 are flexed until both the notch 314 and the notch 315 are aligned with the edge to the opening of the front plate.

At this point, the arms 312 return to their original position. When the identification icon 324 is placed in the depression 318 and the depression 322, this prevents the arms 312 from flexing towards the output core 306 and thus closes the exit 300 in place in the faceplate 400. The Figure 24 is a perspective view of the plug 100 coupled with the outlet 300. The lip 120 engages the pressure 326 to secure the plug 100 to the outlet 300. In an alternative embodiment, the outlet 300 can also be mounted in a flat configuration, in where the face of the outlet is parallel to the front face 400, as described above.

The present invention provides an improved telecommunications outlet and plug, wherein each pair of contacts is individually protected. No separate protection member is joined in a butt joint, but rather all important unions between separate (non-integral) protection members include some form of overlap. Figures 25-32 illustrate overlap protection joints. Figure 25 is a side view of the plug 100. Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 26-26 of Figure 25 and shows the overlap between several plug members. Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 27-27 of Figure 25. The outlet 300 is similar to the plug 100 in that the upper cover 302 and the lower cover 304 includes channels 178 for receiving flanges 337 on the second flat protection 336. The upper cover 302 and the lower cover 304 include depressions 303 for receiving the extensions 327 on the side walls 326 of the output core. Extensions 309 are received on the upper outlet cover 302 in the depressions 313 in the lower exit cover 304. Figure 28 is a side view of the plug 100 coupled to the outlet 300 and Figures 29-32 are cross-sectional views taken along Figure 28. Figure 29 illustrates the overlap between the protection members in the output core and the plug core. As shown in Figure 29, the second planar protection member includes a rib 207 deviated along its edge that overlaps the protection extension 342. The diverting rib 207 also provides a key portion, so that the plug only it can be installed at exit 300 in one orientation. Similarly, the first flat shield 132 includes a diverting rib 206 on its edge to engage the channel 338, which also provides a key aspect. Figure 30 illustrates the overlap between the exit core, the upper exit cover and the lower exit cover. Figure 31 is a cross-sectional view of the junction between the plug and the outlet, showing how the upper side wall 319 of the outlet and the outlet side walls 328 overlap the front face 103 of the plug 100. Figure 32 is a cross sectional view taken along 32-32 of Figure 28, showing the lower cover lip 165, which extends below the lower exit core wall 332. Accordingly, each contact carrier is enclosed in a quadrant, where all the protective joints have the same overlap and the amount of protection between pairs is improved as compared to the protection arrangements that use butt joints. Figure 33 is a perspective view of an assembled plug of a first alternative embodiment according to the present invention, generally shown at 500. The plug 500 is similar to plug 100, but includes two contact pairs, instead of four pairs of contacts. The plug 500 includes a top cover 502, a bottom cover 504 and a core 506. The top cover 502, the bottom cover 504 and the core 506 are all conductive to provide protection, as described herein. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic or any other known conductive material. The core 506 supports insulating contact carriers (e.g. plastic) 508. Each contact carrier 508 includes two contacts 510 defining a pair. A sleeve 512 provides tension relief and is made of a plastic or foldable rubber. A cable 514 that enters the sheath 512 is also shown in Figure 33. A closure 516 is provided on the top cover 502 to mechanically connect the plug 500 to the outlet 700 and electrically connect the grounding layer of the cable to the outlet 700 , as described herein. Figure 34 is an exploded, perspective view of the plug 500. the closure 516 is conductive (eg, metal) and is made of a closure body 518 secured to the top cover 502 in a lock coupling catch 570 and a lock coupling post 572. A portion of the lock body 518 comprises a lock extension 524 for coupling an opening 740 formed in the outlet 700. In addition to securing the plug 500 to the outlet 700, the closure extension 524 allows electrical contact from the cable ground to the output core 706 at the outlet 700. The upper cover 502 includes a semicircular slot 526 and the lower cover 504 includes a similar semicircular slot 526 receiving a circular lip 513 (Figure 37) in the sheath 512, as described below. Two upper cover closures 328 couple two lower cover depressions 230 to secure the upper cover 502 to the lower cover 504. The plug core 506 includes a flat shield 532. The plug core 506 also includes side walls 534. The upper portion 536 and the lower portion 538 of the side walls 534 serve to locate the core 506 within the upper cover 502 and the lower cover 504 and overlap the edges of the upper cover 502 and the lower cover 104 to provide better protection than a splice butt. Two ribs 552 are formed on the inner surface of each sidewall 534 and are parallel to and spaced from the flat shield 532. The contact carrier 508 has a flat base 542, which is supported on the flat shield 532. The base 542 it includes two tabs 544 extending from the base 542, wherein the flange 544 has an inclined portion 545 at one end and a stop 547 at the opposite end. When the contact carrier 508 is installed in the core 506, the flange 544 is positioned below the rib 552 to maintain the contact carrier 508 in the flat shield 532. The contact carrier 508 slides into the core 506 until the stop 547 contacts the end of the rib 552. In this position, a tab 546 is provided, so that when the contact carrier 508 slides toward the core 506, the tab 546 contacts a similarly shaped depression in the flat shield 532 and places the contact carrier 508 in the core 506. The contact carrier 508 also includes a lip 603 (shown in Figure 36B) that extends substanty perpendicular to the flat base 542 and beyond the edge of the shield flat 532 to prevent the contact carrier 508 from sliding out of the core 506. The depressions 550 are provided in the flat shield 532 to receive the ribs 736 over the the side walls of the outlet 700 and provide an overlap between the side walls and the outlet 700 and the flat shield 532. The interior of each side wall 534 also includes a first outlet 556 and a second projection 554, which are used for securing a terminating cap 558, as described below with reference to Figures 36-39. Figure 35 is an exploded perspective view of the upper cover 502 and the closure 516. The closure 516 includes a protective contact 560, which electrically connects the ground to the cable 514 to the exit core 706 of the outlet 700. The protective contact 560 is conductive and preferably made of metal. The protective contact 560 has an arcuate portion 562 formed to generally follow the shape of the cable 514. The arcuate portion 562 includes tines 564 that pierce the ground layer of the cable 514 and the cable jacket. This electrically and mechanically connects the protective contact 560 to the cable 514. When the closure 516 is coupled with the upper cover 502, the arched portion 562 is fixed below the neck 573 of the upper cover 502. When assembled, the arched portion 560 is positioned within the interior of the plug 500 and the remainder of the closure 516 is placed outside the plug 500. the closure 516 includes a first receiving opening 566 and a second receiving opening 568 formed within the closure body 518. The first opening 566 is for receiving a retainer 570 formed in the upper cover 502, and the second opening 568 is for receiving a post 572 formed in the upper cover 502. The post 572 includes a neck portion 574 and a head portion 576. The first receiving aperture 566 has a slot 567 and the second receiving aperture 568 has a slot 569 for coupling the neck 571 of the detent 570 and the neck 574 of the post 572, respectively. The closure 516 is engaged with the upper cover 502 by aligning the first receiving opening 566 with the chamfered surface of the retainer 570 and aligning the second receiving opening 568 with the head portion 576 of the post 572 and then sliding the closure 516 in the direction towards the post 572, so that the neck 571 of the detent 570 slidably engages with the slot 567, and the neck 574 of the post 572 slidably engages with the slot 569. The top cover 502 also includes a knot 578 positioned below the closure 516. Projections 582 couple depressions 584 similarly on sidewalls 534. Node 578 is formed on top cover 502 below body portion 518 to limit travel of closure 516 toward top cover 502. upper cover 502 includes lateral depressions 583 for receiving and coupling side walls 534, wherein depressions 583 include a flange having a pressure n inclined 588 (Figure 36A) and a projection 590 (Figure 36A), wherein the side walls 534 are received on the flange portion and the inclined portion of said flange causes the side walls 534 to be directed onto the projection thereby engaging the two together in an overlapping form. Figure 36A is a perspective view of the lower cover 504. The lower cover 504 includes a depression 585 similar to the depression 583 in the upper cover 506, wherein the depression 585 comprises a projection 586, a projection inclination 588 and a protrusion 588. protrude 590 to receive the sidewalls 534 of the core 506. The sidewalls 534 are received in the protrusion 586 and the sidewalls 534 travel over the inclination of the protrusion 588 toward the shoulder 590. This allows the side walls 534 to be overlapped by the depression 584 of the lower cover 504. The lower cover 508 also includes a projection 582 for coupling depressions 584 similarly in each of the side walls 534. The bottom cover includes side walls 596 having a side wall depression 598 with a shoulder portion, similar to those on the upper cover 506, to receive the side walls 534, thus enabling the tr aslape of the side walls 534 and the bottom cover 508 when the side walls 534 abut the shoulder portion. The lower cover 504 may include a lip 165, as described above, with reference to the plug 100 for overlapping the bottom of the outlet 700. Figure 36B is an exploded, perspective view of the plug 500, including the end caps 558 A termination cover is provided for each pair of contacts. As is known in the art, a termination cap forces the wires on an insulation displacement contact to pierce the insulation and electrically connect the wire and the insulation displacement contact. The termination cap 558 includes a first lip 600 and a second lip 602 that straddles the projections 554 and 556 on the plug core 506. the first lip 600 and the second lip 602 has a bevelled surface, and the first lip 556 and the second protrusion 554 similarly have a beveled surface to facilitate installation of the terminating cap 558, as described below. Each termination cap 558 also includes a contact opening 604 for receiving the insulation displacement contacts 184 (shown in Figure 5) and a pair of wire openings 606 for receiving the wires of the cable 514. The wire openings 606 are aligned with the insulation displacement contacts 184 (Figure 5). The plug in Figure 36B is shown in the status as received by the customer. The end caps 558 are placed in the plug core 506 and are retained in a first position. The first lip 600 rests on the first protrusion 556 to hold the terminating cap 558 in a first position, and the second lip 602 is positioned below the first protrusion 556 to prevent the terminating cap 558 from being inadvertently removed from the plug core 506. FIG. 37 is another perspective, exploded view of the plug 500. As shown. in Figure 37, each end cap 558 is in the first position under the first lip 600 and the second lip 602 straddling the first shoulder 556. The sheath 512 includes a cylindrical lip 513 which engages the slot 526 in the cover upper 502 and lower cover 504.

The installation of the wires in the socket 500 will now be described with reference to Figures 38-41. As shown in Figure 3, the cable 514 includes four wires 608. Each pair of wires 608 is enclosed by a wire pair shield 610. The ground layer 612 is also housed within the wire 514 and is pulled over the sleeve of the cable 514. The wires 608 are inserted into the wire openings 606 in the termination covers 558. As described above, each wire opening 606 is aligned with an isolation contact 184 and thus each wire is positioned by above an insulation displacement contact (shown in Figure 5). It is understood that the sheath 512 is placed on the cable 514 before inserting the wires into the termination caps 558. Once the wires are placed in the termination caps 558, a force is applied to each termination cap towards the core. 506 in the direction shown by the arrows in Figure 38. A single hand tool can be used to apply force to the two termination covers 558 at the same time to facilitate installation. Figure 39 shows the end caps 558 in a second position. The first lip 600 and the second lip 602 now straddle the second shoulder 554 to hold the end cap 558 in the second position. In this state, the wires 608 placed in the wire openings 610 are driven over the insulation displacement contacts 184. As is known in the art, the insulation displacement contacts 184 divide the insulation over each wire 608, thereby forming a electrical contact between wires 608 and contacts 160. An important aspect of the invention, shown in Figure 39, is the use of a buffer zone 614.

The length of the flat length 532 extends beyond the back of each termination cap 158 to establish a buffer zone 614. Each pair of wires rests in the buffer zone 614. The buffer zone 614 is important since, during the installation, the 610 wire pair protection is removed, so that individual wires can be inserted into the 606 wire openings. Assuming the installer removes the exact recommended length of the 610 wire pair protection, a small amount of wire exposed will create the near-end-frequency between adjacent pairs at frequencies greater than 600 MHZ. In non-ideal installations, the installer will remove much of the wire torque protection 610. In this way, the buffer zone 614 reduces the crosstalk in ideal or non-ideal installations and improves the functioning of the connector. The buffer zone 614 should have a length, measured from the rear of the termination cap 558, greater than the length of the exposed wire 608 (protection of wire torque removed) in a worst case installation. The next step in the installation process is the placement of the top cover 502 and the bottom cover 504 on the plug core 506, as shown in Figure 40. The top cover 502 and the bottom cover 504, each including projections 582 that engage depressions 584 with similar shape on the plug core 506 to secure the top cover 502 and the bottom cover 504 to the plug core 506. In addition, the top cover fasteners 528 engage the bottom cover openings 530 to secure the cover 502 to the lower cover 504. The closure 516 is secured to the upper cover 502 by aligning the detent 570 with a first receiving opening 566 and slidably engaging the neck 571 with the slot 567, wherein the slot 567 is integrally connected to the first receiving opening 566. During the closing coupling 516 to the upper cover 502, the post 572 is received in the second opening of reception 568, so that the neck 574 of the post 572 slidably engages the slot 569. The closure 516 is shown with the slot 40 in a first position, wherein the closure body 518 bears against the head portion 576 of the post 572 in that the closure 516 is constructed of an elastic material and due to the engagement of the neck 571 with the slot 567. The protective contact 560 of the closure 516 is disposed below the neck 616 of the upper cover 502, so that the protective contact 560 couples the cable 514. The tines 564 on the protective contact 560 penetrate the ground layer 616 and the cable jacket to mechanically and electrically connect the protective contact 560 to the cable 514. The final step in the assembly of plug is securing the sleeve 512 to the plug 500. As shown in Figure 41, the sleeve 512 is fixed by jumping on the upper and lower covers. The lip 513 on the inner surface of the sleeve 512 couples the groove 526 formed in the upper cover 502 and the lower cover 504.

Figure 42 is a perspective view of an assembly outlet of a first alternative embodiment, shown generally with the number 700, where the outlet 700 is for use with the plug 500. The outlet 700 is similar to the outlet 300, except that the second flat shield 336 is replaced by the vertical shield 732. The outlet 700 includes an upper cover 702, a lower cover 704 and a core 706. The upper cover 702, the lower cover 704 and the core 706 are all conductive to provide protection, as described above. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic or any other known conductive material. The core 706 supports the insulating contact carriers 708. Each contact carrier includes contacts 710. An optional door 711 is also provided to prevent entry of contamination (eg dust) to the outlet 700. The top cover 702 includes a pair of elastic arms 702 having notches 714 formed therein. The notches 714 receive the edge of the faceplate, as described with reference to Figure 23. Another groove 715 is formed on the bottom of the exit core 706 to receive another edge of the faceplate. The notches 714 and 715 lie in a plane that is at an oblique angle relative to the front face 717 of the outlet 700. When mounted on a faceplate, it directs the outlet toward the ground and provides a gravity feed design . The gravity feed reduces the flexion angle of the cable connected to the plug 500 and reduces the likelihood that the cable will flex beyond the minimum bending radius and cause signal degradation or loss. Alternatively, the notches 714 and 715 may lie in a plane parallel to the front face 717 of the outlet 700. A member 716 connects the ends of the elastic cups 714 and includes a depression 718 on a front face thereof. The depression 718 receives an edge of an identification icon 724 (shown in Figure 43). The identification icon 724 rests on the support surface 120 and couples a depression 122. Both the support surface 720 and the depression 722 are formed on the output core 706. The upper cover 702 and the lower cover 704 of Figure 42 they are described herein with reference to Figures 14 and 16. The outlet core of Figure 42 is generally rectangular and includes side pairs 726, top wall 728 and bottom wall 730. A noticeable difference between outlet 300 of Figure 13 and the outlet 700 of Figure 42 is a vertical flat shield 732 extending over the entire length of the output core 706 thereby dividing the core 706 into a left and a right half to provide improved operation by isolation of the contact pairs. Each half is designed to receive a two-pair plug 500 of Figure 33. The side walls 726 and the vertical guard 732 include ribs 736 for coupling depressions 550 in the flat shield 532 to create overlapping protection members.

An important aspect of the output 700 is the formation of the aperture 740 in the output core 706. The aperture 740 is designed to receive a closure extension 524 of the plug 500 and serves to lock the plug 500 into the outlet 700. The extensions 524 are guided to the opening 740 and, as shown in Figure 47, the bottom portion of the upper wall 728 of the exit core 706 includes a lip 1200 (Figure 59) for coupling the opening 568 in the extension of closure 524. As the closure extension 524 is inserted into the opening 740, a beveled surface 1202 of the lip allows the closure extension 524 to slidably engage with the exit core 710 by locking the closure extension 524 with a portion of the closure extension 524. shoulder 1204 of lip 1200. To release plug 500, closure 516 is compressed toward upper cover 502 to decouple opening 568 from lip 1200. in a similar fashion to outlet 300 of Figure 13, the upper cover 702, the lower cover 704 and the core 706 of the output 7000 have overlapping splices to better isolate and protect the contact pairs, so that improved performance is presented. Figure 43 is a perspective view of the two plugs 500 of Figure 33 coupled with the outlet 700. In Figure 43, the outlet 700 is mounted on a front plate 800. The opening of the opening 700 is at an angle with relation to the front plate. This angle is established by notch 714 on top outlet cover 702 and notch 715 on exit core 706 lying in a plane at an oblique angle relative to face 717 of the outlet. As previously noted, this creates a gravity feed orientation where the cable connected to a plug coupled with the outlet 700 is angled towards the floor thereby reducing flexure on the cable. This reduces the likelihood that the cable will be flexed below the minimum bending radius. The identification icon 724 also serves as a closure securing the exit 700 in the faceplate 800. To install the exit 700 in the faceplate 800, the resilient arms 712 are flexed until both the groove 714 and the groove 715 are aligned with the edge the opening of the front plate. At this point, arms 712 return to their original position. When the identification cone 724 is placed in the depression 118 and the depression 722, this prevents the arms 712 from flexing towards the output core 706 and thus closes the outputs 700 in place in the face plate 800. In In this embodiment, the use of two-pair plugs 500 in output 700 takes up the same amount of space as the use of a four-pair plug 100 in output 300. Advantageously, the user can select whether to insert one or two plugs 500 in output 700 and the need to worry about whether the installation will require additional space. Figure 44 is a perspective view of an assembled plug of a second alternative embodiment according to the present invention, generally shown at 900. The plug 900 is coupled with the outlet 700 and is generally similar to the plug 100 described herein, but includes a space in the first flat shield to accommodate the vertical shield 732 at the outlet 700. the plug 900 includes a top cover 902, a bottom cover 904 and a core 906. The top cover 902, the bottom cover 904 and the core 906 all are conductive to provide protection, as described herein. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic or any other known conductive material. The core 906 supports insulating contact carriers (eg, plastic) 908 each contact carrier 908 includes two contacts 910 defending a pair. A sleeve 912 provides tension relief and is made of a plastic or rubber foldable. Also shown in Figure 44 is a cable 914 that enters the sheath 912. A closure 916 is provided on the top cover 902 for coupling the plug 900 to the outlet 700 of Figure 42 as described herein. Figure 45 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative socket 900. The plug 900 is similar to the plug 100 because it includes four pairs of contacts. The first flat protection 930 (ie horizontal) includes an opening for receiving the vertical protection 732 at the outlet 700. the closure 916 is made of a closure body 918 secured to the upper cover in the closure by coupling the seal 920. in closure 916 includes a closure extension 922 for coupling the opening 740 formed in the outlet 700. In addition to securing the plug 900 to the outlet 700, the closure extension 922 provides electrical contact from the ground to the cable to the outlet core 706. The top cover 902 includes a semicircular slot 924 and bottom cover 904 includes a similar semicircular groove 924 that receives a circular lip in sheath 912 (shown generally at 513 on sheath 512 in Figure 37) as described herein. Two top cover fasteners 926 couple two lower depressions 928 to secure the upper cover 902 to the lower cover 904. The plug core 906 includes a flat shield 930. Formed in the flat shield 930 are depressions 909 (similar to depression 550 ) to receive the ribs 736 at the outlet 700 where the plug 900 is coupled. the plug core 906 also includes side walls 932. The top and bottom of each side wall 932 includes a flange 934. The flanges 934 extend beyond the side wall 932 and overlap an edge 936 of the top cover 902 and the bottom cover 904. The ridges 934 are shown as having generally triangular cross sections, but it is understood that different geometries can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. The shoulders 934 serve to locate the core 906 within the upper and lower covers and overlap the edges of the upper and lower cover to provide better protection than a butt splice. A central shield 938 is provided within the core 906. The central shield 938 is parallel to the side walls 932. The central shield 938 also includes a flange 940 on the upper and lower surfaces. As shown in Figure 45, the central flange 940 is triangular, however, it is understood that other geometries may be used without departing from the invention. The central flange 940 couples the channels 942 formed in the upper cover 902 and the lower cover 904. Two ribs 944 are formed on the inner surface of each side wall 932 and are parallel and spaced from the flat shield 930. Similar ribs are formed on each surface of the central protection 938. the contact carrier 908 has a flat base 946 resting on the flat shield 930. The base 946 includes two flanges 948 extending from the base and a stop 950 adjacent to the flanges. When the contact carrier is installed in the core 906, the flange 948 is placed below the rib 944 to maintain the contact carrier 908 in the flat shield 930. the contact carrier slides in the core 906 until the stop 950 makes contact with the end of the rib 944. In this position, a tongue 952 is provided, so that when the contact carrier 908 slides towards the core, the tongue 952 contacts a depression similarly in the protection flat 930 and places the contact carrier 908 in the core 906. The contact carrier 908 also includes a lip 954 extending substantially perpendicular to the flat base 946 and beyond the edge the flat shield 930 to prevent the contact carrier 908 slides out of the core 906. The interior of each side wall 932 and each side of the central wall 938 also includes a first projection 956 and a second projection 958, which They are used to secure a termination cover to the plug core 906. Similar to the bottom cover 904, a channel (not shown) is formed in the top cover 902 to receive the flange 940 of the central shield 938 over the plug core. 906. The front face 903 of the plug 900 also includes three depressed areas 960 that receive extensions on the front face 717 of the outlet 700 as described herein. The top cover 902 includes side wall depressions for receiving rear extensions on the plug core 906 to create an overlap between the rear part of the side wall 932 of the plug core and the top cover of the plug core (not shown). As shown with respect to the plug 100 of Figures 3 and 4, the plug 900 also contains a similar overlap between the wall extensions (not shown) on the side walls 962 of the top cover 902 and the depressions of the side wall of the top cover 902. outlet, which are coupled together to create an overlap between the side walls 962 of the upper plug cover 902 and the side walls 964 of the lower cover 904. The lower cover 904 and the top cover 902 include projections 961 for coupling depressions 963 similarly on the sidewalls 932 of the core 906. The bottom cover 904 is similar to the top cover 902. The bottom cover also includes a channel 942 for receiving the flange 940 on the central shield 938. As noted above, this allows the central flange 940 to be overlapped on the sides of the channel 942 and provide better protection than with a conventional butt splice. Bottom cover 904 includes side walls 964 having side wall depressions 966 for receiving side wall extensions (not shown) on top cover 902. Front face 903 of bottom cover 904 is similar to that of top cover 902 includes depressions 960 to receive the vertical flat protection 732 of the output 700, so that the front face 903 of the plug 900 engages the vertical flat shield 732 in an overlapping manner. The front face 903 of the bottom cover 904 also includes a lip 968, interrupted by the depression 960, which overlaps the outer surface of the bottom wall 730 of the output core 706. The contact carrier 908 includes two channels 970, each from which it receives a contact 972. Each contact 972 has a generally flat body, a contact end and a terminating end (as shown in Figure 5). The terminating end includes an insulation displacement contact that pierces the insulation of individual wires in the cable 914 to make electrical contact with the wire, as is known in the art. The installation of the wires in the insulation displacement contact is described herein with reference to Figures 8-10. Each insulation displacement contact is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact body at an angle of 45 ° C. As shown in Figure 44, the plug 900 includes four contact carriers 908, each having a pair of contacts 972 for a total of contact contacts. Figure 46 is an exploded perspective view of the upper cover 902 and the closure 916. In the closure 916 includes a protective contact 974, which electrically connects the grounding layer of the cable 914 to the exit core 710 of the outlet. 700. With the use of the closure assembly of Figure 46, a more direct electrical path can be obtained from the cable ground to the output core 706, according to the present invention. The protective contact 974 is conductive and preferably made of metal. The protective contact 974 has an arcuate portion 976 formed to generally follow the shape of the cable 914. The arcuate portion 976 includes tines 978 that pierce the ground layer of the cable 914 and the cable jacket. This electrically and mechanically connects the protective contact 974 to the cable 914. When the closure 916 is coupled to the upper cover 902, the arcuate portion 976 is fixed below the neck 980 of the top cover 902. The neck 980 generally has a shape semicircular, but it is within the scope of the present invention that neck 90 may have other shapes, but preferably neck 980 and shield contact 974 have similar shapes so that proper coupling between the two occurs when closure 916 is coupled with the upper cover 902. the closure 916 includes a first opening 982, a second opening 984 having a slot 986 integrally connected thereto, and a pair of third openings 988. The first opening 982 is for receiving the retainer 990 formed in the upper cover 902 and second opening 984 is for receiving post 920 formed in upper cover 902. post 920 includes a core 992 yu head 994. Integrally connected to the second opening 984 is a slot 986 for coupling the neck 992 of the post 920. The closure 916 is engaged with the top cover 902 by aligning the head 994 of the post 920 with the second opening 984 and aligning the retainer 990 with the first opening 982 and sliding the closure 916 in the direction towards the post 920, so that the neck 992 of the post 920 slidably engages the slot 986 and the retainer 990 is disposed within the first opening 982. The cover upper 902 also includes a pair of knots 996 formed on the upper cover 902, wherein the closure body 918 connects the knots 996 when the closure body 918 is compressed towards the upper cover 902. The openings 988 engage the lips 1200 formed in housing 700, as described above. The improved telecommunications plug of Figure 44 and the output of Figure 42 provide individual protection for each pair of contacts. The overlap between the components that protect each pair of contacts is provided, thus resulting in better protection of the contact pairs which could be obtained if the joints between the components were conventional butt splices. Figures 47-48 illustrate component overlap. Figure 47 is a side view of the plug 900 and the outlet 700. Figure 48 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 48-48 of Figure 47 and shows the overlap between several plug-in protection members and the outlet 700. The ribs 736 on the side wall 726 of the outlet serve to secure the plug 900 to the outlet core 706. The ribs 736 serve to couple the depressions 909 formed in the flat shield 930 of the socket 900 to allow the protection flat between slidably to the output core 706 and securely engages the output core 706. Ribs 340 are formed on the side walls 726 of the outlet and on the flat shield 732 of the output core 706 to hold the contact carriers 708. According to the present invention, each contact carrier is enclosed in a quadrant, where all the protective splices have some overlap and the amount of protection between the pairs are improved as compared to a protection arrangement using butt splices. The vertical flat shield 732 of the outlet 700 and the flat shield 930 of the plug 900 create the four quadrant system shown in Figure 48, wherein each contact carrier is enclosed in a separate quadrant having the improved protection features described herein. Figure 49 is a perspective view of an alternative output 1000, which is suitable for mounting on a printed circuit board. The outlet 1000 includes a top cover 1008, bottom 1004, side 1002 and back 1005. Top cover 1008, bottom 1004, side 1002 and rear 1005 all are conductive to provide protection as described herein. These conductive components can be made of metal, metallized plastic or any other known conductive material. The output 1000 supports insulating contact carriers 1012. Each contact carrier 1012 includes contacts 1014. The output 1000 is generally rectangular and includes a vertical flat shield 1010, which extends substantially over the entire length of the output 1000, thereby dividing the 1000 exit in a left half and a right half. The vertical flat protection 1010 serves to isolate the contact pairs and thus improve the functioning of the connector. Each half is designed to receive a two-pair plug 500 of Figure 33. Although the description of the output 100 refers to the plug 500, it is understood that the output 1000 can be used to couple with the plug 900 in a similar manner. The side walls 1002 and the vertical flat shield 1010 include ribs 1016 for coupling the depression 550 formed in the flat shield 532 of the plug 500 to create an overlap between the outlet and the plug protection members. An important aspect of the exit core 1000 is the formation of the opening 1032 at the outlet 1000. The opening 1032 is created by the lid 1028 having four sides and is positioned on the upper part 1008. The opening 1032 is designed to receive the plug extension 524 of plug 500 and serves to lock plug 500 into outlet 700. Lock extension 524 is guided to opening 1032 and as shown in Figure 59, the underside of lid 1028 includes a portion of the lip 1200 for engaging the closure extension 524. As the closure extension 524 is inserted into the opening 1032, the bevelled surface 1202 of the lip allows the closure extension 524 to sliply engage with the outlet 1000 locking the extension of the extension. 524 closure with shoulder portion 1204 of the lip. The upper part 1008 of the outlet 1000 includes a lip 1022 for coupling a depression 1024 similarly in the rear cover 1005. Figure 50 is a perspective view of the bottom of the outlet 1000. Bottom 1004 includes a rear step portion 1034 extending outwardly. The sides 1061 of the rear stepped portion are an extension of the side wall 1002 and center 1062 of the stepped portion which is an extension of the vertical shield 1010. The sides 1061 and the side walls 1002 have a lip 1036 that overlaps a flange 1040 formed on the rear cover 1005. The sides 1061 also contain a depression 1066 for coupling the inner shield 1056 of the rear cover 1005 (as shown in Figure 51). Extending from the bottom 1004 of the core 1000 is a pair of posts 1044 to secure the output 1000 to a circuit board. Posts 1044 are shown with a generally triangular shape, however, it is within the scope of the invention that other forms are also suitable. Also shown in Figure 50 is an insulating film 1046 having first openings 1048 for receiving posts 1044 and second openings 1050 for receiving contacts 1052. Figure 51 is an exploded, perspective view of outlet 1000. Rear cover 1005 it comprises an external protection 1054 and an internal protection 1056, which is substantially parallel to the external protection 1054. Between the external protection 1054 and the internal protection 1053 is a central protection 1058, which is integrally connected to the external protection 1054 and the internal protection 1056. The central protection 1058 is substantially perpendicular to the external protection 1054 and the internal protection 1056. The rear cover 1005 provides electrical protection between the upper contacts 1068 and the lower contacts 1070. Together with the flat protection of the plug that will be coupled with exit 1000 and central member 1062 of the esca portion Backpack 1034 provides effective, continuous protection between the pairs of contacts within the output 1000. A quadrant system is present in accordance with the present invention, whereby each pair of contacts is provided in an electrically protected quadrant of other pairs of contacts through the outlet 1000 of the present invention and the overlapping structural seams therein. The outer shield 1054 includes the depression 1024 to receive a lip 1022 similarly to the top 1008. The outer shield 1054 also includes 10 flanges 1040 for overlapping the lip 1036 on the side walls 1002 and extensions 1061. The inner shield 1056 has a central flange 1060 for coupling a similarly shaped depression 1065 of the central member 1062 of the rear stepped portion 1034 and the shield 1010. When the rear cover 1005 is inserted into the outlet 1000 overlapping between the seams of the rear cover 1005 and the outlet 1000 results, so that each pair of contacts 1014 is enclosed in a quadrant, where all protection splices have some overlap and the amount of protection between the pairs is improved as compared to a protection arrangement using butt splices. Also as shown in Figure 51, there is an upper contact assembly 1068 and a lower contact assembly 1070. The contact 1014 within the contact carrier 1012 is positioned so that the contact is substantially perpendicular to the contact carrier 1012, when the contact 1014 is traveling downwardly of each quadrant defined by the overlap between the lower cover 1005. Figure 52 is an exploded, perspective, additional view of the outlet 1000 illustrating the rear part of the outlet 1000 and the perpendicular flexure. of the contacts 1014. A horizontal protection 1071 is provided within the output 1000 to couple the flat protection of the contact (for example, the flat shield 932 of the plug 900). As shown in Figure 50, horizontal protection 1071 at one end has a depression 1086 for coupling the internal protection 1056 and the other end has a lip 1088 for coupling a similarly shaped shield 1090 in the flat shield of the plug and has a shield 1092 for coupling a lip 1094 with similar shape in the flat shield. The depression has a depression 1092 for coupling a lip 1094 with similar shape in the pineapple protection. The depression 1072 in the contact carrier 1012 is for engaging the rib 1018 in the output core 1000 to allow the contact carrier 1012 to slide slidably to the output core 1000 and thereby be securely coupled to the output core 1000. Figure 53 is a perspective view of the lower contact assembly 1070. The contact assembly 1070 includes a contact carrier 1012 with a depression 1072 and a contact 1014 disposed within the channel 1074. In the lower contact assembly 1070 further includes a shelf 1076. The contact 1014 is flexed on the shelf 1076 and is directed downwards, so that each contact is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact body at an angle of approximately 90 °. Figure 54 is a perspective view of the upper contact assembly 1068. The upper contact assembly 1068 includes a contact carrier 1012 with a depression 1072 and a contact 1014 disposed within the channel 1074. The upper contact assembly 1078 further includes a ledge 1078. The contact 1014 is bent on the shelf 1078 and directed downwards, because each contact is angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the contact body at an angle of approximately 90 °. Figure 55 is a perspective view of a pair of outlets 1000 of Figure 49 and a simplified printed circuit board 1080 having a series of openings 1082 for receiving contacts 1014 of outlet 1000 and a series of second openings 1084 for receiving posts 1044 of the output 1000. To mount the output 1000 on the printed circuit board 1080, the contacts 1014 and the posts 1044 are aligned with the first openings 1082 and the second openings 1084, respectively, and then each is inserted into the respective aperture. The insulating film 1046 (shown in Figure 49) on the bottom 1004 of the outlet 1000 rests between the outlet 1000 and the printed circuit board 1080 to avoid a short circuit. Figure 56 is a perspective view of an output pair 1000 mounted on a simplified circuit board 1080. Figure 57 is a perspective view of the plug 900 of Figure 44 coupled with the output 1000 of Figure 49. As shown in FIG. shown in Figure 59, the closure extension 922 of the plug 900 is inserted into the opening 1032 of the output core 1000. The underside of the cover 1028 of the outlet 1000 includes a portion of the lip for attaching the closure extension 922 As the closure extension 922 is inserted into the opening 1032, the bevelled surface of the lip allows the extension of the closure to slidably engage with the exit core 1000 by locking the closure extension 922 with the shoulder portion of the lip ( as shown in Figure 50). Figures 58-61 illustrate the overlap of the components between the plug 900 when coupled with the outlet 1000. Figure 58A is another perspective view of the plug 900 coupled with the outlet 1000. Figure 58B is a rear view of the plug 900 coupled with the output 1000. Figure 59 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 59-59 of Figure 58B and shows there is overlap between the structural components of the plug 900 and the outlet 1000. Also, the engagement of the closure extension 922 with the lip portion of the opening 1032 of the exit core 1000. An important aspect of the present invention is that this coupling between the closure extension and the exit core provides a more direct electrical path from the grounding layer of the cable 514 towards the output core 1000. The external protection 1054 and the internal protection 1056 effectively protect the upper and lower contacts 1068 and 1070 The horizontal protection 1071 and the flat protection 932 of the plug 900 overlap and the horizontal protection 1071 and the internal protection 1056 overlap to protect the upper contacts 1068 of the lower contacts 1070. The upper part 1008 of the output 1000 and the protection External 1054 also overlap to effectively protect the contacts. Figure 60 is a front view of the output 1000. The Figure 61B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 61B-61B of Figure 60 and showing an overlap between the outer shield 1054, the inner shield 1056 and the central shield 1058 of the back cover 1005 and the side walls 1002 and the vertical protection member 1010. This overlap provides the enhanced protection for each contact pair in the respective protected quadrant. Figure 61B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 61A-61A of Figure 60 showing the protective overlap according to the present invention. Figure 62 is a perspective, exploded view of an alternative output for mounting to a printed circuit board generally shown at 1300. The output 1300 includes a core 1302 and a cover 1304. The upper contact assembly 1068 and the assembly of lower contact 1070 are similar to the contact assemblies described above with reference to Figures 51-54. The insulating film 1046 is similar to the insulating film described above with reference to Figures 50-52. The core 1302 is made of a lower part 1306 and an upper part 1308 generally parallel to the bottom 1306. A vertical guard 1310 connects the upper part 1310 and the lower part 1306 and is generally perpendicular to the upper part 1310 and the lower part 1306. A horizontal protection 1312 is disposed between and generally is for the top portion 1310 and the bottom portion 1306. A contact end shield 1314 is generally perpendicular to the horizontal shield 1312 and extends from the horizontal shield 1312 to the bottom portion. 1306. The core is conductive and can be made of metal or metallized plastic. The cover 1304 includes generally parallel side walls 1318 and a rear wall 1320 generally perpendicular to the side walls 1318. The rear wall 1320 and the side walls 1318 enclose the sides and back of the core 1302. The cover 1304 is conductive and can be made of metal or metallized plastic. The vertical guard 1310 includes a first rib 1316 formed on either side of the vertical guard 1310. A first rib 1316 has a lower edge that couples the depression 1072 over the lower contact assembly 1070 to secure the lower contact assembly 1070. Similarly, the side walls 1318 include the rib 1316 which couples the depression 1072 over the lower contact assembly 1070. The vertical shield 1310 and the side walls 1318 also include second ribs 1322 for coupling the depression 1072 in the upper contact assembly 1068 to secure the upper contact assembly 1068 within the core 1302 and the cover 1304. The lower edge of the first rib 1316 couples the depression 1072 over the lower contact assembly 1070. The upper edge of the rib 1316 overlaps the edge of the flat protection in the plug 500 described above, the plug 900 described above or the plug Ufe 1400 described with reference in Figures 73-76. Horizontal protection 1312 also includes a depression 1324, which overlaps a front lip on the front of a flat plug guard such as the front lip 1094 described above with reference to Figure 59. When the core 1002 matches the cover 1304 , there are overlapping splices. The upper part 1308 of the core 1302 has a lip 1326 around the periphery of the upper part 1308. The lip 1326 is located below the lip 1328 on the upper edge of the side walls 1318 and the rear pairs 1320 of the cover 1304. Figure 63 is a perspective view of the core 1302. As shown in Figure 63, the vertical guard 1310 includes an extension 1330, which is received in a pocket 1332 formed on the rear wall 1320 of the cover 1304. The Figure 64 is another perspective view of the core 1302. As shown in Figure 64, the horizontal protection 1312 includes a lip 1334 that overlaps the upper part of the rib 1316. The contact end shield 1314 abuts against raised shoulders 1336 on the inside of the cover 1304. The shoulders 1336 overlap the contact end shield 1314 Figure 65 is a bottom view of the cover 1304 illustrating the shoulders 1336. Figure 66 is a perspective view of the outlet 1300. To assemble the outlet, the contact assemblies 1068 and 1070 are placed in the core 1302 and the core 1302 is slid towards the cover 1304. Ramp protrusions 338 on the bottom 1306 engage the openings 1340 on the side walls 1318 to secure the core 1302 to the cover 1304. The insulating film 1046 is then placed over the ends of the contacts 1014. Figure 67 is a perspective view of the outlet 1300 without the insulating film 1046. The lower portion 1306 includes a ridge 1307 extending away from the bottom 1306 and ends within the bottom of the cover 1302. As shown in Figure 67, the tail ends of the contacts 1014 are insulated in quadrant, wherein a pair of contacts is placed in each quadrant. The quadrants are established through the vertical shield 1310 and make contact with the end shield 1314. As described above, the enclosure of each pair of contacts in individual protected quadrants reduces the mid-range between pairs and improves performance. Figure 68 is a front view of the exit 1300. Figure 69 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 69-69 in Figure 68. Figure 69 illustrates an overlap between the channel 1332 and the extension 1330 Figure 69 also illustrates overlap between shoulder 1336 and contact end shield 1314. Figure 70 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 70-70 in Figure 68. Figure 70 illustrates the overlap between the lip 1326 on the top 1308 and the lip 1328 on the cover 1304. Figure 72 is a side view of the outlet 1300, and Figure 72 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 72- 72 in Figure 71. Figure 72 illustrates the overlap between lip 1334 and rib 1316. Figure 72 also illustrates the overlap between lip 1326 on top 1308 and lip 1328 on cover 1304. Figure 73 is a perspective, exploding view of a couple of plugs shown generally at 1400. The plug 1400 88 includes a cover 1402 and a base 1404. The cover and the base are conductive and can be made of metal or metallized plastic. An insulating contact carrier 1406 contains two contacts 1408. The plug 1400 can be used with a two-pair cable having a sleeve 1420, a shield 1422 and two insulated wires 1424. The wires 1424 are inserted into the terminating cap 1410 as shown in FIG. described above, and terminating cap 1410 is urged toward base 1404 to terminate cables 1424 at contacts 1410. Contacts 1410 have insulation displacement contact portions as described above. The cover 1402 is secured to the base 1404 through projections 1426 on the cover 1402 by engaging the depressions 1428 on the base 1404. Figure 74 is a perspective view of the plug 1400. As shown in Figure 74, the base 1404 includes a flat shield 1430 extending away from the base 1404 and supporting the contact carrier 1406. The shield 1430 includes side walls 1432, which are generally perpendicular to the flat shield 1430 and provide additional protection of the contacts 1408. It is understood that side walls of similar protection can be included on the flat protections of the plug 500 or the plug 900 described above, so that the side walls are located on each side of the respective contact carriers. Figure 74A illustrates the modified plug 900 for sealing at the outlet 1300 having protective side walls 1432 extending from the flat shield 930. Figure 74B illustrates the modified plug 500 for fixing to the outlet 1300 having protective side walls 1432 extending from the flat protection 532. Figure 75 is another perspective view of the plug 1400. The lower surface of the base 1404 includes a projection 1436 and a depression 1434 with similar shape. The projection 1436 is dimensioned so as to be received in the depression 1434 on the adjacent plug or template as described below with reference to Figures 78-79. Figure 76 is a front view of the plug 1400. Figure 77 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 77-77 of Figure 76. Figure 77 illustrates the mechanism for providing strain relief to the cable. The cover 1402 includes a rod 1438 extending downwardly from the cover to the base 1404. The base 1404 includes a support 1440 having dots 1442 at distal ends. When cover 1402 and base 1404 are assembled, the rod 1438 is positioned between the points 1442. As shown in Figure 77, the rod 1438 pushes the cable towards the base 1404 and wedges the cable jacket 1420 against the points 1442. This secures the cable to the cover 1402 and the base 1404 to provide strain relief. Figure 78 is a perspective view of two plugs 1400 and 14007 When two plugs are installed on the same side of the vertical guard 1310 of the 1300 outlet, the plugs are locked to restrict movement. As shown in Figure 78, the plug 1400 includes a projection 1436, which is received in the depression 1434 'of the plug 14007. Similarly, the projection 1436' of the plug 1400 'is received in the depression 1434 of the plug 1400. As shown in FIG. described with reference to Figure 81, this restricts the movement of plug 1400. If only one plug is installed on one side of vertical guard 1310 of output 1300, a template 1444 shown in Figure 79 is used to restrict movement. of the plug. As shown in Figure 79, the plug 1400 includes a projection 1436, which is received in the depression 1434 'of the template 1444. Similarly, the projection 1436' of the template 1444 is received in the depression 1434 of the plug 1400. Figure 80 is a side view of three plugs of a pair and a template mounted on the outlet 1500. Figure 81 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 81-81 of Figure 80. As shown in FIG. Figure 81, plugs 1400 and 1400 'are mounted on the same side of vertical guard 1300. As noted above, plugs 1400 and 1400' are locked through projections 1436 and depressions 1434. The edges of the plug 1400 'are very close to the ribs 1316 and in this way the movement of the plug 1400' is limited by the ribs 1316. The movement of the plug 1400 is limited by virtue of the locking between the plug 1400 and the plug 14007. In Fig. 81 also The plug 1400"and the template 1444 mounted on the other side of the vertical guard 1310 are shown. As noted above, the plug 1400" and the template 1444 lock through the projections 1436 and the depressions 1434. The edges of the template 1444 is very close to the ribs 1316 and thus the movement of the template 1444 is limited by the ribs 1316. The movement of the plug 1400"is limited by virtue of the locking between the plug 1400 and the template 1444. The Figure 82 is a side view of an alternative outlet generally shown at 1500. The outlet 1500 is designed to be mounted with the front face of the outlet parallel to the panel. The output 1500 is similar to the output 700 described above. The output 1500 differs from the output 700 in that the core surface 1502 includes a structure for receiving a lock identification icon 1600. The identification icon 1600 rests on an icon support surface 1404, which extends between, and it is generally perpendicular to, the front wall 1508 and the rear wall 1506. The front wall 1508 and the rear wall 1506 are generally parallel. Openings 1510 are provided on the icon support surface 1504 to receive the projections 1602 on the icon 1600. Figure 83 is a perspective view of a closure icon 1600. The cone 1600 can be color coded to identify a departure. Icon 1600 also closes output 1500 in a panel as described above. The icon 1600 includes a front wall 1604 having an opening 1606. The opening 1606 provides access to the closure 1608 to allow the insertion of a tool (e.g., a screwdriver) to overcome the latch 1608. A pair of walls 1610 is connected to the front wall 1604. Projections 1602 are formed on the bottom of side walls 1610 and couple openings 1510. Front wall 1604 includes a lip 1612. Icon 1600 is mounted to outlet 1500 by placing lip 1612 against the front wall 1508, the rear end of the side walls 1610 against the rear wall 1506 and the projections 1602 in the opening 1510. The closure 1608 is mounted on a torsion bar 1614. The torsion bar 1614 extends between the side walls 1610 and allows the closure 1608 is rotated and then returned to its rest position, as described below with reference to Figures 88-90. Figure 86 is a front view of the icon 1600. Figure 87 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 87-87 of Figure 86. As shown in Figure 87, the closure 1608 includes a front face. 1618 generally parallel to the rear face 1605 of the front wall 1604. The rear face 1605 and the front face 1618 are positioned on either side of a panel to secure the outlet to the panel as described below. The closure 1608 includes a rearwardly facing cam surface 1616 which is at an oblique angle relative to the front face 1618. A closure lever 1620 extends from the front face 1618 and is generally perpendicular to the front face 1618 The installation of an output 1500 equipped with a lock icon 1600 will now be described with reference to Figures 88-90. As shown in Figure 88, the outlet 1500 is first placed in an opening 1702 in the panel 1700 so that a lower channel 1501 receives an edge a lower edge of the panel opening 1702. The outlet 1500 is rotated toward the panel 1700 and cam surface 1616 makes contact with an upper edge of panel opening 1702. As shown in Figure 89, the interference between cam surface 1616 and the upper edge of panel opening 1702 causes the latch 1608 rotate counterclockwise by tightening torsion bar 1614. The entire closure icon 1600 is made of an elastic material (eg, plastic), which allows for flexing. As shown in Figure 90, when the edge of the cam surface 1616 removes the top edge of the panel opening 1702, the torsion bar 1614 returns the lock 1608 to its original position, thus securing the output icon 1600 1500 to panel 1700. To remove the output 1500, a tool can be inserted through a tool 1606 to flex the closing lever 1620 downward, thereby rotating the lock 1608 counterclockwise, allowing the closure 1608 passes through opening 1702. Figure 91 is a perspective view of another alternative outlet 1800. Output 1800 is similar to output 1300 and similar reference numbers are used for similar elements. The output 1800 provides a modularity of a pair, two pairs and four pairs, as described herein. The side walls 1318 and the vertical guard 1310 include ribs 1316 to secure the contact assembly 1068 and 1070 as described with reference in Figure 62. As shown in Figures 91 and 92, the side walls 1318 and both sides of the Vertical protection 1310 includes ribs 1802 and 1804 positioned between and substantially parallel to the ribs 1316. Ribs 1802 and 1804 provide for the reception of one pair, two pair and four pair plugs, as described herein. Figure 93 is a perspective view of a plug 1900 of a pair, which is similar to plug 1400 of a pair described with reference to Figure 73. The plug of a pair 1900 includes protective side walls 1432 extending from and substantially perpendicular to guard 1430. Each protective side wall 1432 includes a lip 1902 extending from and substantially perpendicular to side wall 1432. Lip 1902 interacts with ribs 1802 and 1804 as described herein. Figure 94 is a perspective view of a two-pair plug 200, which is similar to the two-pair plug 500 shown in Figure 74B. Figure 95 is a perspective view of a portion of the two-pair 2000 jack. As shown in Figure 95, the two-pair socket 2000 includes protective side walls 1432 extending from and substantially perpendicular to the shield 532. The shield 532 extends beyond the protective side walls 1432. Each side shield wall 1432 includes a lip 2002 extending from and substantially perpendicular to the side wall 1432. The lip 2002 and the shield 532 interact with the ribs 1802 and 1804, as described herein. Figure 96 is a perspective view of a four-pair plug 2100, which is similar to the four-pair plug 900 shown in Figure 74A. As shown in Figure 96, the four-pair plug 2100 includes protective side walls 1432 extending from and substantially perpendicular to guard 930. Guard 930 extends beyond protective side walls 1432. Each side protective wall 1432 includes a lip 2102 extending away from and substantially perpendicular to the protective side wall 1432. Arm 2102 and guard 930 interact with ribs 1802 and 1804, as described herein. Figure 97 is a top plan view of two plugs of a pair 1900 and 1900 'coupled to the output 19800 in different orientations. Figure 98 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 98-98 taken along Figure 97. As shown in Figure 98, a first plug of a pair 1900 is coupled to the outlet 1800, so that the lip 1902 is placed between the rib 1804 and the rib 1316. An additional plug of a pair 1900 'is coupled to the outlet 1800, so that the lip 1902 is placed between the rib 1802 and the rib 1316. The interference between the lip 1902 and the ribs 1802 or 1804, prevents vertical movement of the plug of a pair 1900. Interference between the lip 1902 and the side wall 1318 and the vertical shield 1310 prevents horizontal movement of the plug of a pair 1900. Figure 99 is a top plan view of a two-pair plug 2000 mounted on the outlet 1800. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 100-100 of Figure 99. As shown in FIG. Figure 100, the two-pair plug 2000 is it engages with the outlet 1800, so that the lip 2002 is placed between the rib 1316 and the rib 1802. The shield 532 is placed between the rib 1802 and the rib 1804. The thickness and the clearance of the lip 2002, protection 532, rib 1802 and rib 1804, are provided by a polarity key. In other words, if one tries to plug two pairs 200 into the outlet 1800 in a different orientation to that shown in Figure 100, the shield 532 could be contact with the rib 1804 preventing assembly. Figure 101 is a top view of a four-pair plug 2100 mounted on the outlet 1800. Figure 102 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 102-102 of Figure 101. As shown in the Figure 102, a four-pair plug 2100 engages the outlet 1800, so that the lip 2102 is positioned between the rib 1316 and the rib 1802. The shield 930 is positioned between the rib 1802 and the rib 1804.

The thickness and spacing of the lip 2102, protection 930, rib 1802 and rib 1804 are fixed to provide the key polarity. In other words, if one tries to plug the four-pair plug 2100 into the outlet 1800 in an orientation different from that shown in Figure 102, the shield 930 could make contact with the rib 1804 by preventing coupling. Figure 103 is a perspective view of a plug of an alternative pair generally shown at 2200. The plug 2200 includes a protrusion 2202 formed on the surface of the protective side wall 1432 as shown in Figure 104. The other side of the 2200 plug can also include a similar bulge 2202. The protrusion 2202 increases the width of the plug 2200 slightly, so that when the plug 2202 is mounted on the outlet 1800, the protrusion is compressed against either the rib 1802 or the rib 1804 to slightly flex the side wall 1318. The dimension of the protrusion 2202 is fixed so that the amount of deflection of the side wall 1318 is such that the side wall 1318 is maintained on an elastic scale. The tension generated against the wall 1318 is less than the tension produced by the side wall. By bending the side wall 1318 slightly, pressure is applied against the plug 2200, which generates a tight fit between the plug 2200 and the outlet 1800. The two-pair plug 2002 shown in Figures 94 and 95 may also include a protrusion on each protective side wall 1432. The four-pair plug 2100 may also include a protrusion on the outer protective side walls 1432 to flex the side walls 1318.

Figure 105 is a top plan view of an alternative socket 2300 coupled with the alternative outlet 2400. Some components are not shown for clarity. The plug 2300 has a modified front face as shown in Figure 106. As shown in Figure 106, the upper edge of the plug 2300 has a projection 2302, which is fixed below the upper edge 2402 of the outlet 2400. The lower edge of the plug 2300 similarly has a projection 2304, which is fixed above the lower edge 2404 of the outlet 2400. The projections 2303 and 2304 allow full overlap of the plug face and the outlet face, thus improving the protection. Fig. 107 is an exploded, perspective view of another alternative output for mounting to a printed circuit board generally shown at 2500. The output 2500 is similar to the output 1300 in Fig. 62 and similar elements are marked with the same reference numbers. One difference between the output 1300 and the output 2500 is that the upper part 1308 is provided as an integral part of the cover 1304. The core 1302 includes the lower part 1306, vertical protection 1310 protection 1312 and contact end protection 1314 The cover 1304 includes generally parallel side walls 1318, a rear wall 1320 generally perpendicular to the side walls 1318, and an upper part 1308. The manufacture of the upper part 1308 integral with the side walls 1318 and the rear wall 1320 removes a seam. between the upper part 1308, the side walls 1318 and the rear wall 1320 thus improving the protection. The core 1302 and the cover 1304 are in electrical connection and can be made from metal or metallized plastic. The vertical guard 1310 includes an upper edge 2502, and a generally rectangular tab 2504 extending from the upper edge 2502. The upper part 1308 of the cover 1304 includes a notch 2506 for receiving the tongue 2504 and the slot 2508 for receiving the upper edge 2502 In this way, the connection between the upper part 1308 and the vertical protection 1310 is formed to an overlap, thus improving the protection. Figure 108 is a bottom view of the cover 1304 illustrating the notch 2506 and the slot 2508. Figure 109 is a perspective view of the cover 1304. Figure 110 is a perspective view of the assembled outlet 2500. As shown in FIG. shown in Figure 110, tab 2504 is received in notch 2506 to provide an overlap splice. The outlet 2500 uses the ribs 1316, 1802 and 1804 on the side walls 1318, and on both sides of the vertical guard 1310, as described above with reference to Figures 91-102. The horizontal protection 1312 includes projections 2510 formed on the top and bottom of the horizontal protection 1312 on both sides of the vertical shield 1310. The illustrated projections 2510 are generally rectangular, but may be of any shape. The contact carriers 2512 include depressions 2514, which receive projections 2510 to place the contact carriers 2512 at the outlet 2500 during and after assembly. Although several preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

Claims

1. A telecommunications connector comprising: an outlet having a pair of side walls and a vertical guard positioned between the side walls, said side walls and the vertical guard include a first rib and a second rib substantially parallel to the first rib; a plug of a pair having two contacts for a pair of wire and loop, the plug of a pair including a generally flat shield having a contact carrier supporting said contacts placed adjacent to the shield, the shield including side protective walls, extending substantially perpendicular to the guard and a guard lip extending substantially perpendicular to the guard and a guard lip extending substantially perpendicular to the guard side wall; the protective lip being placed above the first rib, when the plug is mounted in the outlet in a first orientation and the protective lip is located below the second rib when the plug is mounted in the outlet in a second orientation .

2. The telecommunications connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a two-pair plug having four contacts for two pairs of wire and loop, the two-pair plug including a generally parallel shield and contact carriers supporting said contacts contacts positioned adjacent the shield, the shield including side protective walls extending substantially perpendicular to the shield and a shield lip extending substantially perpendicular to the shield side wall; the two-pair plug engaging with the outlet in an individual orientation, where the protection is placed between the first rib and the second rib and the protection lip is positioned above the first rib.

3. The telecommunications connector according to claim 1, further comprising: a four-pair plug having eight contacts for each of the four pairs of wire and loop, the four-pair plug including a generally flat shield and carriers of contact supporting said contacts placed adjacent to the protection, the protection including side protective walls extending substantially perpendicular to the protection and a protective lip extending substantially perpendicular to the protective side wall; the four-pair plug engaging the outlet in an individual orientation, wherein said protection is placed between the first rib and the second rib, and the protective lip is positioned above the first rib.

4. The telecommunication connector according to claim 1, wherein a plug of a pair includes a protrusion on the protective side wall, said protrusion contacting and flexing one of the outlet side walls.

5. The telecommunications connector according to claim 2, wherein the two-pair plug includes a protrusion on the protective side wall, the protrusion contacting and flexing one of the outlet side walls.

6. The telecommunications connector according to claim 3, wherein the four-pair plug includes a protrusion on the protective side wall, the protrusion contacting and flexing one of the outlet side walls.

7. A telecommunications connector comprising: an output having four pairs of contacts, each pair of contacts including a wire contact and a loop contact; a plug of a pair having a pair of plug contacts, the plug of a pair can be twisted at the outlet in a plurality of orientations to make an electrical contact between the pair of plug contacts and any other pair of said four pairs of Contact.

8.- An identification icon to secure a telecommunications connector to a panel, the connector comprising: a front wall; a pair of side walls connected to the front wall; a torsion bar extending between the side walls; a closure connected to the torsion bar.

9.- The identification icon according to the claim 8, wherein: the closure includes a cam surface for contacting an edge of an opening in the panel.

10.- The identification icon according to the claim 9, wherein the closure includes a front face to make contact with the panel.

11.- The identification icon according to the claim 10, wherein the closure includes a closing lever extending from the front face.

12.- The identification icon according to the claim 11, wherein the front wall includes an opening to provide access to the closing lever.

13.- A telecommunications connector for mounting on a printed circuit board, the connector comprises: a conductive housing, a lower part, an upper part and a vertical protection connected to and generally perpendicular to the lower part and to the upper part, a protection horizontal generally parallel to the bottom, a contact glue protection generally perpendicular to the horizontal protection and in electrical contact with the horizontal protection, a pair of side walls, and a rear wall, the side walls and the rear wall extending between the upper part and lower part; a plurality of contacts extending beyond the lower part of the conductive housing, a first group of contacts being placed between the rear wall and the contact glue protection, a second group of contacts being placed between the contact glue protection and the bottom part

14. The connector according to claim 13, wherein: the lower part, the vertical protection, the upper part, the horizontal protection and the contact tail protection are integral and define a core; and the side walls and the rear wall are integral and define a cover removably coupled to the core.

15. The connector according to claim 13, wherein: the lower part, the vertical protection, the horizontal protection and the contact tail protection are integral and define a core; and the side walls, the upper part and the rear wall are integral and define a cover removably coupled to the core.

16. - The outlet according to claim 13, wherein: the vertical protection has an upper edge; and the upper part includes a slot to receive the upper edge.

17. The outlet according to claim 16, further comprising: a tongue extending beyond the upper edge; and a notch in the upper part to receive the tongue.

18. The outlet according to claim 13, wherein: the horizontal protection includes a protective lip on an edge thereof; and and the side walls include a rib that overlaps the protective lip.

19. The output according to claim 13, wherein: the vertical protection includes an extension; and the rear wall includes a channel for receiving said extension.

20. - The outlet according to claim 13, wherein: the side walls include shoulders extending from the side walls; and the contact tail protection overlaps the shoulders.

21. The output according to claim 13, further comprising; a contact carrier placed in the outlet, the contact carrier being insulating and containing at least one electrical contact; where the horizontal protection includes a projection; and the contact vehicle includes a depression to receive the projection.