GB2194398A

GB2194398A - Electrical socket

Info

Publication number: GB2194398A
Application number: GB08719077A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart James Reeves
Original assignee: BICC PLC
Current assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
Priority date: 1986-08-14
Filing date: 1987-08-12
Publication date: 1988-03-02
Also published as: GB8719077D0; GB8619776D0

Abstract

A pluggable telephone socket comprises a housing (1,2) having therein a chamber (6) and an aperture (11) through which a pluggable telephone connector may be introduced into the chamber. A shutter (12) is movable between a closed position in which it obscures the aperture (11), and an open position in which it is displaced therefrom to allow entry of a pluggable telephone connector into the chamber (6). The shutter (12) has an angled face (16) such that movement of a pluggable telephone connector along a longitudinal axis and into the chamber causes the shutter (12) to be moved from the closed position to the open position. The shutter may be pivotable between the open end and closed positions, or may alternatively be laterally movable with arms being slideably constrained within recesses present in the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical socket This invention relates to electrical sockets for accommodating pluggable telephone connectors and the like.

Existing sockets for such connectors have a shutter mechanism which closes the aperture of the socket when no connector plug is present therein. To insert a connector into the socket, the shutter is moved by engaging a ledge on the shutter with the connector and lifting the shutter to expose the aperture in which the connector is received. The present invention provides an improvement to this type of shutter mechanism.

Accordingly there is provided a pluggable telephone socket for receiving a pluggable telephone connector, the socket comprising a housing having therein a chamber adapted to receive a pluggable telephone connector, an aperture in the housing through which a pluggable telephone connector may be introduced into the chamber along a longitudinal axis, a shutter movable between a closed position in which it obscures the aperture and an open position in which it is displaced therefrom to allow entry of a pluggable telephone connector into the chamber, and biasing means urging the shutter into the closed position, wherein the shutter has an angled face adapte to cooperate with a pluggable telephone connector such that movement of the connector along the longitudinal axis into the aperture causes the shutter to be moved against the action of the biasing means from the closed position to the open position.

This arrangement provides that a male pluggable telephone connector may be inserted into the socket by a single movement in a straight line. Movement along this axis automatically displaces the shutter to allow for insertion of the connector.

The biasing means is conceivably provided by the action of gravity, but preferably the biasing means comprises a spring. Typically the spring is a wire spring, or a leaf spring.

The shutter is conveniently mounted with respect to the housing such that it is laterally movable between the closed and open positions. The shutter is- conceivably provided with one or more arms and the housing with one or more recesses in which the one or more arms are slidably received such that the shutter is laterally movable between the closed and open positions. In this way the entry of a male pluggable telephone connector causes the shutter to slide to its open position, exposing the aperture into which the connector is accommodated. Alternatively, the shutter is pivotally mounted with respect to the housing such that is is pivotable between the closed and open positions. Whether the shutter is pivoted or slidable, it is the action of the pluggable telephone connector on the angled face which initiates movement of the shutter towards its open position.Preferably the angled face is at substantially 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis along which a male pluggable telephone connector is introduced into the chamber.

The invention further resides in a two part electrical coupling comprising a pluggable telephone connector and a socket, the socket comprising a housing having therein a chamber adapted to receive a pluggable connector, an aperture in the housing, the pluggable telephone connector being engageable with the socket by moving the connector along a longitudinal axis through the aperture and into the chamber, the socket further including a shutter movable between a closed position in which it obscures the aperture and an open position in which it is displaced therefrom to allow entry of the pluggable telephone connector, and biasing means urging the shutter into the closed position, wherein the shutter has an angled face which cooperates with the pluggable telephone connector when the connector is moved along the longitudinal axis into the aperture to cause the shutter to be moved against the action of the biasing means from the closed position to the open position.

The invention is further illustrated, by way of example only, by the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an exploded diagram of a pluggable telephone socket according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a shutter mechanism according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the shutter of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the shutter of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a socket for a pluggable telephone connector, the socket consisting of a two part housing comprising a moulded base unit and a cover 2. The base unit 1 and the cover 2 are securable one to the other by means of connection screws 3 which pass through holes 4 in the cover and are received in bores 5 provided in the base unit 1.

The base unit 1 is also provided with a chamber 6, access to which can be gained via a recess 7 present in a front face 8 of the base unit. The recess 7 co-operates with a corresponding inverted recess 9 in a front face 10 of the cover 2, to provide an aperture through which a pluggable telephone connector (not shown) may be inserted into the chamber 6. Electrical contacts (not shown) are also supported by the base unit such that they engage corresponding contacts carried by the pluggable telephone connector when the connector is inserted into the chamber 6.

A shutter 1 2 is present across the aperture 11. The shutter comprises a front beam 13 and side members 14, each side member hav ing a lug 15 which co-operates wih a corresponding fixing (not shown) present on the cover 2 such that the shutter is pivotable with respect thereto. The front beam 13 is provided with a shaped face 16 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the chamber 6. The shutter is biased by means of a wire spring 17 into a closed position in which it obscures the aperture 11.

As a pluggable telephone connector is introduced into the chamber 6 through the aperture 11, it engages the shaped face 16 caus ing the shutter to be pivoted about the lug, against the action of the wire spring 17, into an open position in which it is clear of the aperture.

Figures 2 to 4 show an alternative design of shutter mechanism in which the side members 14 and lugs 15 are replaced with arms 20 which are slidable in recesses 21 provided in the moulded base unit. The front beam 13 and shaped face 16 are provided as before, but integral with the front beam 13 is a longitudinally extending projection 22. The projection 22 has a longitudinally extending trough 23 formed therein, in which trough is received one end of a wire spring 24. As a pluggable telephone connector (shown schematically at 25 in Figure 3) engages the shaped face 16, the shutter moves upwards with the arms 20 being constrained within the recesses 21. As the shutter is raised, the wire spring 24 slides in the trough 23, moving from position A to position B as shown in Figure 2.

Claims

1. A pluggable telephone socket for receiving a pluggable telephone connector, the socket comprising a housing having therein a chamber adapted to-receive a pluggable telephone connector, an aperture in the housing through which a pluggable telephone connector may be introduced into the chamber along a longitudinal axis, a shutter movable between a closed position in which it obscures the aperture and an open position in which it is displaced therefrom to allow entry of a pluggable telephone connector into the chamber, and biasing means urging the shutter into the closed position, wherein the shutter has an angled face adapted to cooperate with a pluggable telephone connector such that movement of the connector along the longitudinal axis into the aperture causes the shutter to be moved against the action of the biasing means from the closed position to the open position.

2. A pluggable telephone socket according to claim 1 wherein the biasing means comprises a spring.

3. A pluggable telephone socket according to claim 2 wherein the spring is a wire spring.

4. A pluggable telephone socket according to claim 2 wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

5. A pluggable telephone socket according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the shutter is mounted with respect to the housing such that it is laterally movable between the closed and open positions.

6. A pluggable telephone socket according to claim 5 wherein the shutter is provided with one or more arms and the housing is provided with one or more recesses in which the one or more arms are slidably received such that the shutter is laterally movable between the closed and open positions.

7. A pluggable telephone socket according to claims 1 to 4 wherein the shutter is pivotally mounted with respect to the housing such that it is pivotable between the closed and open positions.

8. A pluggable telephone socket according to any proceeding claim wherein the angled face is at substantially 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis along which a male connector is introduced into the chamber.

9. A pluggable telephone socket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A two part electrical coupling comprising a pluggable telephone connector and a socket, the socket comprising a housing having therein a chamber adapted to receive a pluggable telephone connector, an aperture in the housing, the pluggable telephone connector being engageable with the socket by moving the connector along a longitudinal axis through the aperture and into the chamber, the socket further including a shutter movable between a closed position in which it obscures the aperture and an open position in which it is displaced therefrom to allow entry of the pluggable telephone connector, and biasing means urging the shutter into the closed position, wherein the shutter has an angled face which cooperates with the pluggable telephone connector when the connector is moved along the longitudinal axis into the aperture to cause the shutter to be moved against the action of the biasing means from the closed position to the open position.