AU4872999A

AU4872999A - A telecommunications engineering terminal strip

Info

Publication number: AU4872999A
Application number: AU48729/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Friedrich Wilhelm Denter; Norbert Gaertner; Stefan Wildner
Original assignee: Quante GmbH
Current assignee: 3M Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1998-09-25
Filing date: 1999-09-15
Publication date: 2000-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 2019-09-15
Also published as: DE19844095C1; HUP9903223A2; ATE358395T1; ES2285808T3; EP0989760A3; HU9903223D0; EP0989760A2; HUP9903223A3; EP0989760B1; ZA996088B; AU743017B2

Abstract

The connecting strip (10) has first openings (14) near the ends for accommodating attachment arms of a first carrier system. There are movable fixing elements (16) near both ends, with a first locking element (24) directed towards the first openings. The strip has a second set of openings (18) near the ends for accommodating fixing arms for a second carrier system. There are second locking elements (26) on the fixing elements directed towards the second openings. The fixing elements (16) can be pivoted about an axis (22) with respect to the connecting strip.

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: QUANTE AG Stefan WILDNER Friedrich Wilhelm DENTER Norbert GAERTNER CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: A TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING TERMINAL STRIP The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: A telecommunications engineering terminal strip Technical field The invention relates to a telecommunications engineering terminal strip comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Telecommunications engineering and data technology make wide-spread use of strip-shaped components which comprise two rows of contacts each connected together in pairs so that two wires connected to respective contacts can be joined together.

The terminal strips are fitted to a carrier system for example in the form of rails extending in parallel or a trough having two parallel side walls.

Prior art DE 44 28 198 Cl describes a telecommunications engineering terminal strip that is suitable for various carrier systems and can be partly dismantled once again without the use of tools. At each end, the terminal strip comprises an opening *0 0" having a first catch hook located therein, a shank of a securing trough being insertable into the opening. A flexible actuating contour in the entrance area of the opening with a catch hook makes it possible to detach the terminal strip from a securing trough without the use of tools. For this purpose, this actuating contour must be manually bent out of the locking position, against the elasticity of the contour, until the catch hook disengages from the corresponding part of the S securing trough. The terminal strip according to DE 44 28 198 also has another catch hook in the entrance area of the opening; this hook allows the terminal strip to be inserted onto a different carrier system, i.e. a securing trough with different securing projections.

A device for mounting telecommunications engineering terminal strips is known from DE 37 28 368 Cl; the terminal strips of this device comprise snap members which can be locked onto profiled rails and by means of which the locked-on terminal strips are movable on the profiled rails. The design of the snap members on the terminal strips is therefore adapted to a specific carrier system.

Finally, a receiving trough in distributor devices of telecommunications facilities is known from DE 38 13 078 Al; terminal units can be secured in this trough by means of catch mechanisms. In this instance, the catch mechanisms formed on the terminal strips are also adapted to a specific kind of carrier system.

Description of the invention The invention is based on the object of providing a telecommunications engineering terminal strip which can be oo*" fitted on and secured to a variety of carrier systems.

This object is solved by a telecommunications engineering terminal strip comprising the features of claim 1.

The idea behind the invention is for the terminal strip to accommodate, in addition to first openings, second openings to receive securing shanks of a second carrier system. This allows the terminal strip to be used with two different carrier systems, whereby these carrier systems are varyingly designed not only in relation to the geometry of the securing shanks, but also in relation to the distance between the two securing shanks in the longitudinal direction of the terminal strip. A single securing member cooperates with the securing shanks of the first carrier system and of the second carrier system in order to use a first locking member respectively facing toward the first opening and a second locking member facing toward the second opening so as to bring about the locking of the connection between the terminal strip and the respective carrier system.

The securing member is also formed to be pivotable around an axis relative to the terminal strip. The provision of a pivoting axis results in a lower expenditure of force when engaging the securing member with a catch setting or disengaging it therefrom.

Preferred embodiments are characterized by the other claims.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first and/or second locking member is/are designed as a catch hook. As a result, locking that can withstand very high loads can be produced with little expenditure of force in that the catch hooks cooperate with correspondingly shaped depressions or openings in the securing shanks of the respective carrier systems. The resultant positive locking formed between the securing member S and the securing shanks of the respective carrier systems can readily withstand loads.

The first locking member and the second locking member are preferably each located relative to the pivoting axis on opposite sides of the securing member. This means that when the securing member moves around the pivoting axis, the first locking member and the second locking member each move in an opposite tangential direction around the pivot formed by the pivoting axis. This preferred measure makes it possible to provide, in each case, the same release positions and catch positions for the securing member, irrespective of the terminal strip's attachment to the first carrier system or second carrier system, because if there is a corresponding movement of the securing member, a pivoting movement around the axis causes both locking members simultaneously to engage with the corresponding openings.

According to a preferred embodiment, the securing member is formed integrally with the terminal strip via a torsional axis. This produces distinct advantages in terms of manufacturing engineering, because the securing member that can be moved relative to the terminal strip can be formed integrally with the terminal strip, thus dispensing with preassembly.

According to a preferred embodiment, there is formed on the actuating member an actuating tab which can be manually engaged. This allows the terminal strip to be fitted and locked onto the various associated carrier systems without the use of tools in each case; only the actuating tab has to be gripped and correspondingly moved by the user each time.

The securing member can preferably be locked in at least one position. Locking the securing member can ensure the secure connection to the securing shanks of one or both carrier systems. If, as explained above, the first locking member and the second locking member are each located relative to the pivoting axis on opposite sides of the securing member, the securing member can be locked in a closed position by means of a single locking position regardless of the use of the first carrier system or of the second carrier system. Even if a terminal strip formed as a torsional axis is used, it is possible to take advantage of the securing member's natural tendency to return to the position with the least torsional stresses by pressing for example the securing member in this position against a stopper so that a further fixing position might be very easily achieved by using this restoring effect.

According to a preferred embodiment, a snap connection is formed between the relatively movable securing member and the terminal strip; in this connection, at least one locking lug on the securing member can be latched into a locking groove in the terminal strip during a relative movement between the securing member and the terminal strip.

The terminal strip preferably also comprises wedge-shaped formations on the walls of the first opening and/or second opening in the terminal strip. These wedge-shaped formations cooperate with the securing member and prevent the securing shank from elastically yielding upon introduction of the corresponding securing shank of a carrier system into the opening, thereby offering a secure hold. The cross section of the openings is also reduced and the terminal strip is prevented from being tilted when fitted on.

Brief description of the drawings, The invention will now be described purely by way of example on the basis of the accompanying Figures.

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of the relevant portion of a terminal strip comprising the securing member according to the invention; *a Fig. 2 illustrates a lateral sectional view through a terminal strip comprising a securing member, the intersection extending through the pivoting axis; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the interaction of the terminal strip with a securing shank of a carrier system being diagrammatically illustrated; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the actuating projection in the area of a locking means.

Ways of implementing the invention In the following drawings, identical or similar components will be designated by identical reference numbers in each case.

Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of a telecommunications engineering terminal strip designated in general by reference number 10. Since the exact function and geometry of the terminal strip are themselves unimportant as regards understanding the invention, the exact design of the elongated terminal strip 10 is merely illustrated by dot-dash lines.

The terminal strip 10 is formed in mirror symmetry to the axis 12 and has an opening at each of the two ends; this opening is subdivided by a securing member 16 into two openings 14 and 18.

The two openings 14 and 18 are adapted to the geometry of special-purpose securing shanks of a respective first carrier system and of a second carrier system and have essentially a slot-like shape. As is evident from the illustration in Fig. 1, the openings 14 and 18 at the two ends of the terminal strip are each varyingly spaced apart from one another so that depending on the carrier system to be coupled to the terminal strip, securing shanks of the carrier system can engage with S the receiving openings 14 or 18.

The securing member 16 subdivides the opening in the terminal strip 10, as explained above, into the two opening regions 14 0. ~and 18 and serves to fix securing shanks of a carrier system within the openings 14 or 18. For this purpose, the securing member 16 is provided with an actuating projection 20 formed integrally with the securing member 16. The securing member 16 is also movable relative to the terminal strip 10 in that the securing member can be rotated around a pivoting axis 22.

As is evident from Fig. 2, the pivoting axis 22 can be formed integrally with the terminal strip. The securing member 16 together with the pivoting axis 22 can also, however, be formed integrally with the terminal strip so that the pivoting axis is formed as a torsional axis due to the relative immobility of the integral design of components. When designing the torsional axis, attention must be paid to the fact that on the one hand this axis is thin enough in shape for the user to be able to pivot the securing member with minimum expenditure of force, but that on the other hand the axis can also absorb the emergent torsional forces. In this regard, various alternative designs are conceivable in which the torsional axis does not act on its own, but in which there are regions formed on the securing member 16 and cooperating with the torsional surface of the axis. Measures can also be taken to enlarge the attachment surface of the torsional axis to the securing member 16 or to the terminal strip 10 so as to increase the strength of the securing lever or strip.

If a force F diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 is then so 0 I applied to the actuating projection 20, the securing member 16 S9• S pivots relative to the terminal strip 10 around an angle x which may range between e.g. 50 and 200. After pivoting the securing member 16, it ends up in the unhatched position in

*SSS

Fig. 1. The securing member 16 is therefore moved between a first and a second position as a result of a manual operation by the user at the actuating projection By varying the position of the securing member 16 between the 0. first and second position, locking members can be ova* systematically moved into the openings 14 and 18 or in their area in order to effect a locking engagement by means of corresponding securing shanks of carrier systems.

For this purpose, the securing member 16 has first catch lugs 24 that are engaged with the first openings 14 of the terminal strip 10 in the securing-member position shown by hatching. As is made apparent by a comparison of the position of the first catch lug 24 in accordance with the angular position of the securing member 16, the securing-member position illustrated by hatching represents the locking position in which the first catch lug 24 engages more deeply with the first opening 14.

A second catch lug 26 which faces toward the opening 18 is also located on the securing member 16. It can again be concluded from a comparison of the positions of the pivoting lever 16 illustrated with and without hatching that the position with hatching corresponds to a locking position in which the second catch lug 26 projects more deeply into the second opening 18.

Regardless of the opening used when mounting the terminal strip on different carrier systems, these defined release positions and locking positions of the securing member 16 are due to the fact that the first catch lug 24 and second catch lug 26 are located on opposite sides in relation to the pivoting axis 22 and consequently have opposite tangential directions on the pivoting radius of the securing member 16 during a pivoting movement of the securing member, as S illustrated in Fig. 1. The associated benefit is that the user can always actuate the terminal strip 10 in the same manner regardless of the carrier system in use and hence regardless of the opening used for connection to the carrier system. In the present example, inwardly pivoting the actuating projections 20, i.e. toward one another, therefore causes the securing members to be released on both sides, whereas the reverse pivoting movement moves the actuating members into a 9 S locking position (hatched).

Wedge-shaped run-out surfaces 28 can also be provided in the openings in order to cooperate with the catch lugs facing toward the corresponding opening. These wedge-shaped formations can also, however, fulfil other functions and upon introduction of a carrier system's securing shanks, they encourage the terminal strip to be aligned with the carrier system so as not to be tilted, before locking is executed by manual actuation of the actuating tab. These wedge-shaped formations prevent the carrier system's securing shanks from elastically yielding, thereby offering a secure hold.

Fig. 3 is essentially identical to the illustration in Fig. 1, but the securing member 16 was shown in the locking position only. An example of an introduced securing shank 30 of a first carrier system 32 (left side on the plane of projection in Fig. 3) and a securing shank 34 of a second carrier system 36 is simultaneously depicted. Naturally the terminal strip according to the invention will only be simultaneously used with a single carrier system and will therefore be fitted either onto the carrier system 32 or onto the carrier system 36. What is, however, also conceivable in theory is a carrier system which comprises securing shanks specially adapted on both sides to the openings 14 and 18 respectively and consequently has a width between that of a first carrier system adapted to the openings 14 and of a second carrier system adapted to the openings 18.

Fig. 3 makes it clear that the catch lugs 24 and 26 each engage with openings 40 and 42 in the securing shanks 30 and 34 and consequently produce secure locking of the connection between the terminal strip and the particular carrier system.

S The different depths of penetration exhibited by the corresponding securing shanks of the different carrier systems 32 and 36, as illustrated in Fig. 3, were only chosen as examples; it is, of course, also possible for the securing shanks 30 of the carrier system 32 to extend much further into the opening 14. It is also left to the skilled person's discretion to provide suitable stopper members in the terminal S strip itself, e.g. in the openings 14 and 18, or on the securing shanks or carrier system itself in order to align the correct position of the openings 40 and 42 relative to the corresponding catch lugs 24 and 26 after a stopper or a defined resistance has been introduced and reached.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view in the area of the actuating projection 20 of the pivoting lever 16 in the terminal strip so as to illustrate how, in the locked position, the actuating projection 20 catches. The actuating projection is located in the locked position in Fig. 4 with the result that the second opening 18 is only very narrow in shape in the view from above illustrated in Fig. 4.

Due to the locking pins 44 that each cooperate with a corresponding locking groove 46 within the body of the terminal strip, the securing member 16 is held in the torsional axis 22 without a torsional stress.

The wall of the terminal strip 10 cooperating with the respective locking pin 44 accommodates a slide-on flank 48 which reduces the free cross section of the opening in the terminal strip toward the ends thereof in order to merge into the locking groove 46. During movement of the securing member 16 from the release position into the locking position shown in Fig. 4, a resistance has to be overcome while the locking pins 44 move over the slide-on surface 48 before the locking pins 44 engage with the locking grooves 46 and the securing member is in the locked position.

In the release position, the locking pins 44 make contact with the slide-on flanks 48 and are pressed against the slide-on flanks on account of the torsional stress in the torsional axis 22 that takes effect in the release position.

Due to the shape of the locking pins 44 and the transition regions between the slide-on flank 48 and the locking grooves 46, sliding on is also effected at the inclined wall (49) of the locking groove upon release of the securing member, i.e.

because the securing member 16 moves in the direction of arrow 11 A from the locking position shown in Fig. 4 into the release position, thereby moving the securing member 16 back into the release position.

Of course, other technical option familiar to the skilled person are also feasible in order to effect locking between the securing member 16 and the terminal strip 10. The advantage of the locking means explained above and depicted in Fig. 4 nevertheless lies in the fact that the movement of the securing member between the two positions is accompanied by a clicking noise which audibly informs the user that the securing member has reached the desired position. If this clicking noise is absent e.g. during movement of the securing member into the locking position, this constitutes an indication that proper catching has not yet been achieved.

a *•oo e oo*o *o

Claims

2. A terminal strip according to claim i, wherein said first and/or second locking member is/are respectively formed as catch hooks (24, 26)
3. A terminal strip according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said securing member (16) is integrally connected to said terminal strip by means of a torsional axis (22). ooeei
4. A terminal strip according to at least one of the preceding claims, 13 wherein said first locking member (24) and said second locking member (26) are each located relative to said pivoting axis (22) on opposite sides of said securing member (16) A terminal strip according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein an actuating projection (20) is formed on said securing member said actuating projection being able to be manually engaged.
6. A terminal strip according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said securing member (16) can be locked in at least one position.
7. A terminal strip according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein °a snap connection (44, 46) is formed between said relatively movable securing member (16) and said terminal strip said snap connection having at least one ."locking lug (44) on said securing member (16) that can catch into a locking groove (46) within said terminal strip (10) during a relative movement between said "securing member and terminal strip 0*°
8. A terminal strip according to at least one of the preceding claims, said terminal strip further comprising wedge-shaped formations (28) on the walls of said first opening and/or second opening within said terminal strip for a secure catch connection. 14
9. A telecommunications engineering terminal strip substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 1 5 th day of September 1999 QUANTE AG By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.