The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors and jacks and more specifically to an improved electrical jack capable of providing both testing and monitoring access. Such jack is adapted for use primarily in the communications industry, however, it is contemplated that it may have application in various other fields such as an audio industry and the like as well.
One type of jack currently existing in the prior art includes a lamination of several spring metal contacts separated by insulators and mounted on one end of a metal frame. These spring metal contacts, when connected with corresponding normal contacts, provide a circuit path for the transmission of data or voice signals. When a suitable plug is inserted into the jack, such circuits are broken, thus providing testing access thereto through various portions of the plug. A second type of jack includes a body portion formed of insulating material and a plurality of wrap-around contact members. These wrap-around contact members extend across a portion of a generally cylindrical opening such that when a plug is inserted into such opening, the contact members make electrical contact with various portions of the plug and break the normal data or voice transmission circuit. Jacks of this type are commonly used in the telephone or communications industry and are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,147.
In each of the above described jacks, insertion of the plug into the jack breaks the normal data or voice transmission circuit and provides testing or split access to such circuit via the plug member. It is often desired, however, to obtain monitor or bridge access to these circuits without breaking the circuits. Neither of the above-identified jacks provides any feature enabling such monitoring access. Thus there is a need in the art for an electrical jack usable in the communications industry having means for providing both testing and monitoring access.