GB1597820A

GB1597820A - Housing for an over-voltage leak off device for connector strips in telecommunications

Info

Publication number: GB1597820A
Application number: GB2337678A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Krone GmbH
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
Priority date: 1977-11-09
Filing date: 1978-05-26
Publication date: 1981-09-09
Also published as: DK242878A; DE2750638A1; NL168091C; NL168091B; DK151994B; AT366515B; NL7806031A; BE867872A; CH629918A5; ATA345578A

Abstract

The device is constructed as a plug-in insulating-material housing which in each case holds a multiplicity of overvoltage suppressors which are arranged side-by-side, and in which the suppressors are held on both sides by crown contacts, the contacts on the earth side being attached to a common rail. The lower crown contacts (2), which point upwards in the housing (1), carry integrally formed contact blades (3) which point downwards and are held in guides (4) which intrinsically extend in the longitudinal direction and are integrally formed externally and centrally on the housing (1). The upper crown contacts, which point downwards, can be attached to a metallic earth rail which, at the ends, has in each case one developed surface with in each case one fork female contact integrally formed at the side. The housing can be constructed from a lower part which can be latched to the upper part. The advantages of the invention are the simple arrangement, good contact making and security against lateral displacement within a connecting strip. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) A HOUSING FOR AN OVER-VOLTAGE LEAK OFF DEVICE FOR CONNECTOR STRIPS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS (71) We, KRONE GmbH, a West German Company of Goerzallee 311, 1000 Berlin 37, West Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to a housing for accommodating a plurality of laterally adjacent over-voltage leak off conductors, the housing being of insulating material and comprising upper crown contacts and upstanding lower crown contacts which, in use, hold respective ends of the leak off conductors, said upper crown contacts being earth contacts secured to a common conductor bar.

It is an object of this invention to provide a housing of the kind specified which is suitable for low-cost mass production to satisfy the prevailing high demand in this field.

Housing for over-voltage leak off devices of the kind specified are currently available in various forms and constructions. Besides taking into account the dimensions of the leak-off conductors, they are also suited to the dimensions and connections of given types of connector strips or collector boxes to which they are intended to be applied.

It is thus a further object of the present invention to provide a housing for a overvoltage leak-off device (magazine) which is specifically designed for application to a connector strip or bar of the kind used in LSA technology.

For adaptation to this type of connector strip it is therefore essential that the conductors in the proposed over-leakage leak off device must be arranged in two rows with no lateral offset. Another prerequisite condition is the centric disposition of the contact springs to be tapped between incoming and outgoing conductors.

According to the invention there is provided a housing for accommodating a plurality of laterally adjacent over-voltage leak off conductors, the housing being of insulating material and comprising upper crown contacts and upstanding lower crown contacts which, in use, hold respective ends of the leak off conductors, said upper crown contacts being earth contacts secured to a common conductor bar, and said lower crown contacts carrying downwardly directed knife contact prongs formed thereon, said prongs being engaged in longitudinally extending guide mouldings provided centrally on the outside wall of the housing.

These provisions afford three advantages at one and the same time. Firstly, the guidance in pairs for the knife prongs makes for a generally much simpler arrangement.

Secondly, they ensure safe and good contacting in the connector strip, and thirdly, they ensure that the magazine is securely held within the connector strip to prevent slipping in the transverse direction.

Further important advantages of the invention are obtained from the fact that on the one hand, the upper crown contacts which are downwardly directed in a conventional manner, may be mounted on a metallic earth strip or ground bar which latter however may comprise an angled surface at each end with a fork-spring contact laterally formed on said surface and that magazine guide moulding in line with said fork-spring contact to be provided at the end of the housing base.

These mutually related arrangements on the one hand ensure reliable earth contact and, on the other hand, prevent potential longitudinal slipping of the magazine relative to the connector strip.

An equally important group of advantageous features of this invention comprises the feature that the housing may be made in two parts and that these parts may be adapted for mutual click stop engagement so that the lower crown contacts merely have to be placed in the base part of the housing and are retained in fixed position by the housing top part when this has clicked into engagement with said base part.

There is furthermore electrical improvement thanks to a construction which provides longer surface leakage or creep paths, for adequate ventilation of the leak off conductors, their easy removal from the magazine, and lastly, thanks to the fact that the lower crown contact may be connected with the knife contact by a strip extending on one side tangentially away from the base of said contact for only one and the same form of execution to be required for all lower crown contacts to be fitted, which represents a constructional simplification.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a housing for an over-voltage leak off device (magazine) constructed in accordance with the invention, with an earth bar fitted therein, the left hand part being a section on the line Il-Il of Figure 2, to show the positions of the crown contacts in the housing, of the earth prongs in the aligned guide mouldings and of the forked spring earth contact as well as one of the magazine guide mouldings;; Figure 2 is a top view of the over-voltage leak off device according to Figure 1, with a portion of the earth bar cut open on the left hand side to show the positions and arrangement of the lower leak off contacts, and Figure 3 is a cross section through the housing of a leak off device according to Figures 1 and 2, taken on the line I-I as well as showing, in the lower part of the drawing, the earth connection, one of the knife prong guides and one of the magazine guides.

For the purpose of this description the invention is applied to a conventional overvoltage leak off device for contact strips in telecommunications designed in the form of a plug-in housing of insulating material adapted, in each case, to accommodate a plurality of laterally adjacent overvoltage leak off conductors, wherein said conductors are retained on both sides by crown contacts and earth contacts are mounted on a common contact or earth strip.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, upstanding lower crown contacts, 2, 2' in a housing 1 carry integrally moulded, downwardly directed knife switch prongs 3, 3' which are engaged, in pairs, in longitudinally extending guides 4 consisting of mouldings provided centrally on the outside wall of the housing 1, whilst the downwardly directed, upper crown contacts 5, 5' are secured to a metallic earth or ground strip or bar 6 which has an angled portion 6a, 6b at each of its ends with an integral laterally forked spring contact 6c, 6d.

Figures 1 and 3 show that a magazine guide 8, 8' is integrally moulded on to the base 7 of the housing 1 at each of the ends of the latter in line with the forked spring contact 6c, 6d at the respective end of the earth bar. Each magazine guide 8, 8' comprises a pin 8a and a web, or strip 8h which may be connected with the connecting strip 4a associated with the knife contact guides 4 for still further improved guidance of the magazine relative to the connector strip.

In the context of this invention it is particularly important that, as shown in Figure 3, the housing 1 consists of two parts, namely the base part la and the top part lb.

The top part lob fits inside the base part la and the two parts are adapted to be mutually secured by locating means 9a, 9b.

For preferance these locating means 9a, 9b are snap-fit means 10, 10' extending on both sides in the longitudinal direction along both lateral walls of housing base and top parts la, lh (Figure 3).

Figures 1 and 3 show the configuration of the base part la of housing 1 which is that of an open trough or-box comprising the bottom wall 11, the lateral walls 12, 12', and the end walls 13, 13', with narrow strips 13a, 13b, 13'a, 13'b moulded on the outer edges of the latter. These strips define a clearance between the end walls 13, 13' and the end walls 15, 15' of the top part lb, permitting the angled portions 6a, 6b of the earth bar 6 to pass therethrough and providing secure guidance for these portions.

The top part lh of the housing 1 is of boxtype grid or cell structure which is open on top and bottom sides with a number of interior transverse partition walls 16, 16' extending between its outer lateral walls 14, 14' parallel to the end walls 15, 15' and medially interconnected by a number of longitudinal partitions 17, 17' which extend in the longitudinal direction of the box.

These longitudinal partitions 17, 17' are shortened on their underside by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the knife prongs 3 so as to retain in each case two of the loosely introduced contacts 2, 2' or knife prongs 3, 3' in their correct operative positions (Figure 2).

Figure 3 shows that the longitudinal partitions 17, 17' present a further cut out or recess 18 wherein is accommodated a fin or rib 19 for longer surface leak off or creep ague paths.

As shown in Figure 1, the lateral walls 14, 14' of the top part 1b of housing 1 comprise cut outs 20, 20' associated with the conductors for ventillation of the latter.

Figure 3 shows that the bottom plate 11 of the housing base la is perforated by a hole 21, 21' beneath each of the lower crown contacts 2, 2' which is used for the removal of any conductor which becomes too firmly stuck.

Figure 3 also shows that angled lateral reinforcement tabs 6e, 6f of the earth bar 6 are each provided in the vicinity of the angle portions 6a, 6b with an access openings 6g, 6h for the application of a screw driver or similar tool to extract the earth bar 6 from the housing 1.

It will be seen from Figure 2 that the top part lb is somewhat shorter than the base part la. This leaves enough room on either side of the magazine for an elongated slit 22, 22', Figure 2, through which extends the earth contact 6c, 6d.

Figure 2 finally shows that the lower crown contact 2 is connected with the knife prong 3 by means of a strip 2a, Figure 2, which issues tangentially on one side from the base of contact 2.

This permits the paired disposition of the crown contacts 2, 2' (Figure 3) and their knife contact prongs 3, 3' inasmuch as only one and the same form of constructional execution is required for both parts.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A housing for accommodating a plurality of laterally adjacent over-voltage leak off conductors, the housing being of insulating material and comprising upper crown contacts and upstanding lower crown contacts which, in use, hold respective ends of the leak off conductors, said upper crown contacts being earth contacts secured to a common conductor bar, and said lower crown contacts carrying downwardly directed knife contact prongs formed thereon, said prongs being engaged in longitudinally extending guide mouldings provided centrally on the outside wall of the housing.

2. A housing as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said upper crown contacts are downwardly directed and are secured to a metallic earth bar which comprises an angled portion at each of its ends to which a forked spring contact is laterally fixed.

3. A housing as claimed in Claim 2, where a magazine guide is moulded at each end of the bottom side of the housing in line with the forked spring contact.

4. A housing as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing comprises two parts, namely a base part and a top part.

5. A housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top part fits within the base part, the two parts being adapted to be mutually secured by locating means.

6. A housing as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locating means are snap fit means extending on both sides in the longitudinal direction.

7. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the base part of the housing is of trough or box form comprising bottom wall, lateral walls and end walls with narrow strips moulded along the outer edges of the latter.

8. A housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top part of the housing is a box like grid structure open on top and bottom sides thereof with a plurality of inner transverse partitions extending between the lateral walls of the box like grid structure and parallel to the end walls thereof, said transverse partitions being medially interconnected by a number of longitudinally extending longitudinal partitions.

9. A housing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the longitudinal partitions are shortened on their underside by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the knife contacts to hold in each case two of the loosely fitted, crown contacts or the knife contact prongs in their correct operative position.

10. A housing as claimed in claim 9 wherein the longitudinal partitions comprise a further cut out or recess wherein is accommodated a fin or rib for longer extension of surface leak off paths.

11. A housing as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lateral walls of the top part of the housing are provided with cut outs associated with the leak off conductors for ventilation of the latter.

12. A housing as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bottom plate of the base part of the housing is perforated by a through bore beneath each lower crown contact.

13. A housing as claimed in claim 2, wherein an access opening is provided at each reinforcement of the earth bar in the vicinity of the angled portions for application of a screw driver or the like to extract the earth bar from the housing.

14. A housing as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lower crown contact is connected with the knife contact prong by means of a strip which issues tangentially on one side from the base of the said lower crown contact.

15:-A housing for an over-voltage leak off

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

14' of the top part 1b of housing 1 comprise cut outs 20, 20' associated with the conductors for ventillation of the latter.

Figure 3 shows that the bottom plate 11 of the housing base la is perforated by a hole 21, 21' beneath each of the lower crown contacts 2, 2' which is used for the removal of any conductor which becomes too firmly stuck.

Figure 3 also shows that angled lateral reinforcement tabs 6e, 6f of the earth bar 6 are each provided in the vicinity of the angle portions 6a, 6b with an access openings 6g, 6h for the application of a screw driver or similar tool to extract the earth bar 6 from the housing 1.

It will be seen from Figure 2 that the top part lb is somewhat shorter than the base part la. This leaves enough room on either side of the magazine for an elongated slit 22, 22', Figure 2, through which extends the earth contact 6c, 6d.

Figure 2 finally shows that the lower crown contact 2 is connected with the knife prong 3 by means of a strip 2a, Figure 2, which issues tangentially on one side from the base of contact 2.

This permits the paired disposition of the crown contacts 2, 2' (Figure 3) and their knife contact prongs 3, 3' inasmuch as only one and the same form of constructional execution is required for both parts.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A housing for accommodating a plurality of laterally adjacent over-voltage leak off conductors, the housing being of insulating material and comprising upper crown contacts and upstanding lower crown contacts which, in use, hold respective ends of the leak off conductors, said upper crown contacts being earth contacts secured to a common conductor bar, and said lower crown contacts carrying downwardly directed knife contact prongs formed thereon, said prongs being engaged in longitudinally extending guide mouldings provided centrally on the outside wall of the housing.

2. A housing as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said upper crown contacts are downwardly directed and are secured to a metallic earth bar which comprises an angled portion at each of its ends to which a forked spring contact is laterally fixed.

3. A housing as claimed in Claim 2, where a magazine guide is moulded at each end of the bottom side of the housing in line with the forked spring contact.

4. A housing as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing comprises two parts, namely a base part and a top part.

5. A housing as claimed in claim 4, wherein the top part fits within the base part, the two parts being adapted to be mutually secured by locating means.

6. A housing as claimed in claim 5, wherein the locating means are snap fit means extending on both sides in the longitudinal direction.

7. A housing as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the base part of the housing is of trough or box form comprising bottom wall, lateral walls and end walls with narrow strips moulded along the outer edges of the latter.

8. A housing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top part of the housing is a box like grid structure open on top and bottom sides thereof with a plurality of inner transverse partitions extending between the lateral walls of the box like grid structure and parallel to the end walls thereof, said transverse partitions being medially interconnected by a number of longitudinally extending longitudinal partitions.

9. A housing as claimed in claim 8 wherein the longitudinal partitions are shortened on their underside by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the knife contacts to hold in each case two of the loosely fitted, crown contacts or the knife contact prongs in their correct operative position.

10. A housing as claimed in claim 9 wherein the longitudinal partitions comprise a further cut out or recess wherein is accommodated a fin or rib for longer extension of surface leak off paths.

11. A housing as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lateral walls of the top part of the housing are provided with cut outs associated with the leak off conductors for ventilation of the latter.

12. A housing as claimed in claim 7 wherein the bottom plate of the base part of the housing is perforated by a through bore beneath each lower crown contact.

13. A housing as claimed in claim 2, wherein an access opening is provided at each reinforcement of the earth bar in the vicinity of the angled portions for application of a screw driver or the like to extract the earth bar from the housing.

14. A housing as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lower crown contact is connected with the knife contact prong by means of a strip which issues tangentially on one side from the base of the said lower crown contact.

15:-A housing for an over-voltage leak off

device for connector strips in telecommunications, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.