GB2297197A - Integrated modular telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring switcing centre - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an integrated switching centre of the type comprising a plurality of electronic devices performing telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring functions, said switching centre being dimensioned for housing within modular containers (12), to reduce overall volume, to facilitate switching centre installation within cubicles containing other electrical and electronic equipment, and to facilitate the relative connections. The number of modular containers connected in series and the number of sectional modules used within the modular containers depend on the type and number of functions provided. <IMAGE>

Description

INTEGRATED TELEPHONE, INTERCOM AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND-MONITORING SWITCHING CENTRE, DIMENSIONED AS A MODULAR VERSION This invention relates to an integrated switching centre of the type comprising a plurality of electronic devices performing telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring functions.

Integrated switching centres currently exist connected to a one or two wire internal telephone network, to one or more telephone lines (up to a maximum of three lines, also usable if the feed voltage fails), and to a plurality (up to a maximum of ninej of telephone extension appliances (hereinafter known as internal extension units), which enable the intercom to be answered, the electric lock of the apartment door or main building door to be opened, and conversation to be exchanged at a distance with persons unable to use the telephone.

The exchange of information between each internal extension unit and the external intercom station (including operation of the door opening button, which is done directly using the numerical keyboard of the telephone appliance), together with the facility for monitoring determined locations in the apartment (for example the children's room) or for exchanging conversation at a distance with elderly or infirm persons unable to use the telephone, represent functions which in this type of integrated switching centre are additional to the services which telephone switching centres regularly provide (such as the automatic or announced forwarding of a call, simultaneous conversation for some or all of the connected internal extension units, replying for absentees, reservation of urban and internal lines, repetition of the last number dialled, abbreviated dialling, blocking of urban, interurban or international dialling, night service, deviating the cal- to another appliance, priority service for privileged users, chain service for passing the same call to several users one after another).

in the known art the switching centre can be completed with further accessories which expand its versatility.

For example, a programmed electronic musical device for internal waiting is available, which memorizes (by means of a microprocessor) and reproduces a piece of music chosen from a large catalogue of titles, with which to entertain the listener while waiting for the desired extension to be free. Further available functions include awakening, sound monitoring, and trip counting for charged urban calls, by adding further electronic modules.

The aforesaid integrated switching centres of known type suffer however from the drawback of occupying a total volume (including the internally mounted electronic devices and the relative wiring) which might hopefully be reduced, especially if the aforesaid additional functions are provided or if the switching centre is to be installed in a cubicle containing other connected electrical and electronic user equipment.

In this respect, as stated, these supplementary functions require individual additional devices, one for each particular function desired, which has to be connected to the switching centre and has to be positioned either internally (if electronic microprocessors have to be programmed or printed circuit cards have to be added) or in locations adjacent or close to the internal extension units (if microphones and loudspeakers are positioned to monitor cildren or the infirm).

t is therefore usually necessary to run a considerable number of electric and telephone cables between the devices and the power supply and between one device and another, the location of these latter implying considerable distances which vary in relation to the system constructed and the users reached. All this results in connection difficulties, space problems which could make the ir.stallation of supplementary devices for the additional functions difficult, problems for the producer, seller and installer because of the low level of standardization, and high costs.

X, object of the present invention is to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks by providing an integrated telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring switching centre dimensioned such as to be able to be housed within known modular containers, so limiting its overall volume and facilitating its installation within cubicles containing other connected electrical and electronic user equipment.

The modular containers used internally house a variable number of sectional modules, in accordance with the directives provided by current international DIN standards. The choice of the type of modular container to be used and the number of said containers to be connected in series depend on technical characteristics and the number of functions performed by the integrated switching centre according to the invention.

A further object of the invention is to be able to locate such containers in modular cabinets within which further electrical and electronic user equipment is already mounted, such as protection devices for low voltage electrical systems and telephone lines.

This simplifies circuit wiring between the switching centre and such switches and the connections between the supply mains and the integrated electronic devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide an integrated switching centre of simple low-cost construction and installation without the use of specialized labour and complicated or costly techniques.

These and further objects are attained by the integrated switching centre according to the invention, comprising a plurality of electronic devices performing telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring functions, characterised in that said electronic devices are housed within modular containers in such a manner as to reduce overall volume compared with known arrangements, to facilitate switching centre installation within cubicles containing other electrical and electronic user equipment, and to facilitate the relative connections.

Advantageously, the switching centre according to the invention comprises electronic devices enclosed within a limited space in a modular cabinet which already contains the electrical and electronic user equipment required for the powering and protection of the low voltage electrical system and the telephone lines. In this manner the number of connections and cable lengths are reduced, hence simplifying circuit wiring between the devices.

In addition, the use of modular containers constructed in accordance with current international DIN standards favours a considerable degree of standardization and a low cost, because such containers are of predetermined form and consist of identical sectional modules, which are assembled in a variable number to achieve a structure of the required dimensions.

These containers are available in a limited number of different types, so that the number of moulds required to obtain shapes of this kind is reduced to just a few easily reproducible units.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the integrated switching centre, illustrated by way of non-limited example on the accompanying schematic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a modular container for an integrated switching centre according to the invention, provided for six modules; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a modular container provided for ten modules; Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the modular container of Figure 1.

In the said figures, the reference numeral 12 indicates a modular container provided for a total of six modules, 1 and 2 indicate the input terminals connected to the supply mains, and 3, 4, 5, 6 indicate the terminals of the secondary winding of a transformer (not shown), which limits the input voltage of the devices (not shown) contained in the modules.

The reference numerals 7, 8, 9, 10 indicate holes used for the possible wall fixing of the container 12, and 11 illustrates a plate containing the rating data of the modular container and applied to the cover 31 of the container 12.

The reference numeral 13 indicates overall, by way of non-limiting example, a number of cooling slots provided in the cover 31 for self-ventilation of the components within the container 12.

In Figure 2, the reference numeral 14 indicates a modular container provided for a total of ten modules, 15 indicates overall, by way of non-limiting example, a number of cooling slots provided in the cover 35, and 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 indicate holes required for possible wall fixing of the container 14.

The plate 28 containing the rating data nf the modular container 14 is applied to the cover 35 of the container 14.

The reference numerals 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 indicate seats provided for housing possible supplementary terminal blocks for use in wiring the containers 12, 14 to other electronic devices assembled in containers of the same type and/or to the supply mains.

The schematic side view of Figure 3 is described with reference by way of example to the modular container 12 of Figure 1. This is not to be considered a limiting example in that the same side view is obtained with other types of modular containers 12, 14, which are of the same shape, although the number of sectional modules contained within them may vary, as consequently may their overall dimensions.

In Figure 3, the reference numeral 32 indicates the base of the modular container 12 on which the cover 31 rests, and 30 indicates a profile in the shape of a reentrant undercut provided in the base 32 of the container 12 and usable for possible connection of the container 12 to a guide 33 instead of its fixing to a wall.

This guide is standardized in accordance with current international DIN standards. The guide known as DIN 35 is usually used for this type of application. In this latter case, as the container 12 is to be connected to the guide 33, the fixing holes 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 are no longer used. In addition, the modular containers 12, 14 can be connected via the guide 33, utilizing a common bottom piece 34 of the base 32 and hence located in a modular cabinet (not shown) in which the electrical and electronic user equipment required for the supply and protection of the electrical low voltage system and the telephone lines has already been mounted.

Finally, the modular containers can be mutually combined to house basic services and supplementary accessories of the integrated switching centre according to the present invention. As a nonlimiting example, six-module containers can be combined with tenmodule containers, six-module containers can be combined with sixmodule containers, ten-module containers can be combined with tenmodule containers, and so on.

It is also possible to use within the integrated switching centre a container provided, for example, for four sectional modules, used to house the power unit of the integrated switching centre.

The materials and dimensions of the described invention illustrated on the accompanying drawings and as hereinafter claimed can be chosen at will according to requirements.

In addition, it is apparent that all details can be replaced with other technically equivalent details and that numerous modifications can be made by the expert of the art to the integrated switching centre of the present invention, without leaving the scope of protection of the ensuing claims.

Claims (8)

1. An integrated switching centre of the type comprising a plurality of electronic devices performing telephone, intercom and environmental sound-monitoring functions, characterised in that said electronic devices are housed within at least one first modular container in such a manner as to limit the overall volume of the components of said switching centre, to facilitate switching centre installation within cubicles containing other electrical and electronic equipment, and to facilitate the relative connections.

2. An integrated switching centre as claimed In claim 1 characterised in that said first modular container is combined with at least one second similar modular container, such that said switching centre: performs a greater number of functions than the number of functions performed by a switching centre composed of a single modular container; and/or is connected to a number of urban telephone lines andjor internal extensions greater than the number of lines and/or internal extension connected to a switching centre composed of a single modular container.

3. An integrated switching centre as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said modular container is applied to support walls by means of at least one fixing hole (7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21).

4. An integrated switching centre as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said first modular container is combined with at least one second similar modular container, said modular containers being fixed to a guide (33) located on the inside of a shaped profile (30) provided within the bottom part (34) of the base (32) of the modular container.

5. An integrated switching centre as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said modular containers are inserted in a modular cubicle containing the electrical and electronic user equipment required for the supply and protection of the electrical low voltage system and telephone lines.

6. An integrated switching centre as claimed in claim 1 or 4, characterised in that said guide (33) satisfies the current DIN 35 standard.

7. An integrated switching centre as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said modular container comprises at least one seat (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27j housing at least one terminal block for the wiring of electrical and/or electronic devices and/or of other similar modular containers.

8. An integrated switching centre as heretofore described and as illustrated on the accompanying drawings.