GB2338612A

GB2338612A - Connection between pairs of contacts in telecoms terminal device

Info

Publication number: GB2338612A
Application number: GB9908534A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Friedrich Denter; Klaus-Dieter Burmeister; Yongda Xu; Jingsong Zhang; Lianggang Xu; Shudong Cai
Original assignee: Quante GmbH
Current assignee: 3M Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1998-04-15
Filing date: 1999-04-14
Publication date: 1999-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-14
Also published as: AR019064A1; GB2338612B; BR9903182A; GB9908534D0; DE19816678C1

Abstract

A telecommunications terminal device 10 comprises pairs of terminals 16 connected to incoming and outgoing wires. Each pair of terminals can be connected to each other using a safety plug (20, fig 3). The safety plug is pushed down between the terminals so that an external plug 12 can still be connected on top. The safety plug (20) may contain a surge arrester and an LED indicating an overload. The safety plug may also have dimples (28, fig 3) so that it can be pushed half-way in, at which point it does not connect the terminals together but power is still supplied (22, 24, fig 2) to the surge indicating LED.

Description

2338612 A tel eQommuni cations encrineerincr terminal device

Technical field

The invention relates to a telecommunications engineering terminal device.

To connect individual cable wires, telecommunications engineering and data technology make wide-spread use of terminal devices which comprise two opposite rows of terminal contacts. The terminal contacts of the one row are used to connect the incoming wires, while the opposite contacts of the other row are used to connect the outgoing wires. Due to the fact that a connection between the two wires connected at the contacts is produced by contacts which face one another, such opposite terminal contacts can be termed mated contacts.

Prior art

The connection between two mated contacts can be designed for example as a through contact in that the two terminal contacts are provided at one and the same contact member so that an electrically conducting connection between the wires connected at both sides is always made available by this integral contact member.

Such terminal devices can be protected by surge (or llovervoltagell) devices, as known for example from DE 39 17 270 Al, by designing surge arrester taps on the individual contact members which conduct the electrical energy to earth whenever too high a voltage occurs. Due to the designated arrangement of the surge protection magazine, the terminal device 2 described in this document nevertheless accommodates the rows of terminal contacts which are to be connected on two different sides of the terminal device.

DE 87 17 407 U1 describes a switching block in which respective contact reeds formed integrally with opposite terminal contacts are held apart in the initial state at a defined distance from one another. A'switching plug can be introduced into a space in the front region between the of terminal contacts; this switching plug contacts each two described contact reeds in an electrically conducting manner, thus switchably connecting together the mated terminal contacts. In the final state, the switching plug is largely disposed in front of the terminal device. Based on this arrangement of the switching plug in the region before the terminal device, the rows of terminal contacts are at least partially covered, making it impossible to connect the terminal contacts in a freely accessible way when the switching plug is attached.

rows of the Descrintion of the invention 1 The invention is based upon the object of creating a telecommunications engineering terminal device which can be flexibly fitted with plugs in order to connect opposite and hence mated contacts, whereby the terminal contacts of both rows are also intended to be freely accessible for the necessary connection work, should plugs be attached.

This object is solved by the terminal device according to claim 1.

Mated contacts are therefore connected together by a plug which is detachably disposed to a largely complete extent between the contact rows. In other words, resilient contact lugs which are separate from one another in the initial state are e.g. each formed on the opposite terminal contacts. In 3 contrast to the known break strips, these lugs therefore do not make resilient and separable contact with one another. On the contrary, a space is formed between the aforementioned portions of respectively opposite contacts in the initial state of the terminal device according to the invention. This space is connected in an electrically conducting manner by a plug which is introduced into the region between the contact rows in such a way as to be received largely completely between the opposite contact rows.

1 No appreciable portion of the respectively introduced plugs therefore extends into the region in front of the contact rows. The plugs can in particular be introduced such that the terminal contacts of the two contact rows are freely accessible for connection purposes. A terminal device that is designed to save space can therefore be achieved by the aforementioned arrangement of the plug which connects together mated terminal contacts; in the case of such a terminal device, the space in front of the terminal contacts needed for connection work is particularly not impaired by the inserted plugs. The spatial separation of the mated contacts in the region between the contact rows particularly creates sufficient space for the plugs to be received. In accordance with the invention, however, those zones in direct proximity thereto, i.e. the regions in front of the contacts, can nevertheless remain free of the plugs so as not to impede connection work.

Preferred extensions of the invention are described in the other claims.

As regards the region to be fitted with several plugs between the opposite contact rows, it has proved advantageous to design a continuous channel into which the individual plugs can be introduced to a largely complete extent.

4 Although it is in principle conceivable for opposite contacts to be connected by a plug individually provided for each pair of opposite contacts, the invention gives preference to designing the deployed plugs such that contacts disposed side by side in pairs are connected by the single plug to the respectively mated contacts, thus advantageously producing a plug for each pair of contacts that are respectively connected to a dual wire.

Particularly in the case of a plug assigned to one pair of wires at a time, it is preferable for this plug to be designed as a safety plug. As mentioned, it is in principle conceivable for the terminal device according to the invention to be fitted with simple connecting plugs. All the same, to protect the connected wires from currents and/or voltages that are too high, the plug is preferably fitted with various safety devices, e.g. thermal resistors, and/or a surge arrester, preferably with a fail-safe device.

1 Such a safety plug is also preferably designed such as to be able to be arranged in the terminal device in a final and in an intermediate position. In both these positions, the safety plug contacts an earth bus and therefore optionally conducts to earth the too high electrical energy applied to one of the participating wires, consequently triggering the safety devices. The intermediate position is characterized in that the mated contacts are electrically separate from one another. Such a separation is preferably effected by slightly pulling out the safety plug, whereby the safety function is preserved by continuing to contact the earth bus. In contrast, the two mated contacts are electrically connected together in the final position, i.e. they are through-contacted.

The safety plug design offers considerable practical benefits when the plug is provided with a display device in the event that the safety plug has been or was activated, i.e. has switched the connected wires to earth. A current type of display device may be provided e.g. in the form of an LED.

In this case, preference is given to providing the safety plug with a contact which can contact a power supply that supplies the power necessary for the display device.

Lastly, advantages are gained by enabling the components accommodated within the plug, i.e. the thermal resistors and/or the surge arrester, to be replaced by new components when the plug has been taken out. In consequence, the entire safety plug advantageously does not need to be replaced after those components accommodated in the safety plug have been disengaged; instead, only the components affected in each case have to be replaced.

Brief description Qf the drawings

A few embodiments of the invention depicted by way of example in the figures will now be explained in more detail.

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the terminal device according to the invention; 1 Fig. 2 shows a side view of the terminal device according to the invention; and Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a safety plug inserted between two mated pairs of contacts.

Detailed descrintion of mreferred embodiments of the invention The terminal device 10 according to the invention with a test plug 12 fitted thereon can be identified in Fig. 1 as a perspective view. The terminal device 10 is shaped like a flat cassette and is provided, at that end which is depicted as the lower end in Fig. 1, with catch means 14 by means of which the 6 terminal device can lock on to a suitable carrier system. The housing of the terminal device 10 is provided with wire guidance channels at that side which is depicted as the left side in Fig. 1. These channels correspond to those of the housing known from DE 93 13 404 U1 and which is herewith explicitly referred to.

At the end face the terminal device 10 is fitted with two rows 16 of terminal contacts 18 which each serve to connect incoming or outgoing wires, with opposite contacts being mated with one another and each being connected together - as will be described below - by a plug introduced between the contact rows 16.

The plug 20 respectively inserted between the contact rows 16 can be partially identified in the side view of Fig. 2. It should be noted that Fig. 2 depicts an intermediate position of the plug 20 in which this plug contacts an earth bus 22 and a power supply contact 24. As will be explained below in more detail, the power supply contact 24 is used to supply electrical energy to a display means of the plug 20. The region of the plug 20 which accommodates the display means can be identified in the region between the contact rows 16 on the basis of the plug's intermediate position shown in Fig. 2.

That region of the plug 20 which protrudes according to Fig. 2 and which houses the display means is also completely received between the contact rows 16 in the final position if the inserted plug 20 contacts not only the earth bus 22 and the power supply contact 24, but also connects together the respectively opposite contacts of the two contact rows 16 by means of the current guides described below.

The side view in Fig. 2 therefore makes it apparent that the inserted plugs 20 advantageously do not cause the terminal device 10 according to the invention to obstruct the terminal contacts arranged in the contact rows 16. In contrast to the configurations known in the prior art, the inserted safety

7 plugs 20 can in fact be largely completely in serted into the region between the terminal contacts and do not project above the level of the terminal contacts at that end which is depicted as the upper end in Fig. 2. As a result, the optionally necessary connection work is not impeded. In the final position, tapping contacts of the plug 20 are each in electrically conducting connection with resilient contact lugs formed on the opposite contacts. These contact lugs of mated contacts are spaced apart from one another in the starting state and are connected together by the plug 20 disposed in the current path.

The plug 20 can in principle be a simple connecting plug. It is nevertheless preferred that this plug should be designed as a safety plug which will be described in even more detail as follows. The intermediate safety-plug position shown in Fig. 2 is used to disconnect the conducting connection between mated contacts for test purposes or for performing changeover work and at the same time is used to maintain the protective function in that the safety plug 20 also contacts the earth bus 22 in the intermediate position, as can be identified in Fig. 2. The safety plug 20 is still in electrically conducting connection with the power supply contact 24 so that after the surge protection means of the safety plug 20 are triggered and have established a connection to earth, a consequently actuated display means also continues to be supplied with current. Should the safety devices be triggered, the plug 20 is drawn - upwardly according to Fig. 2 out of the terminal device, thus separating the mated contacts. It is possible to measure in this position whether a surge still makes contact. optionally after remedying a corresponding malfunction, the detached safety plug 20 is replaced by a new.safety plug.

To ensure a defined intermediate position of the plug 20, recesses in the form of small depressions 28 - as shown in Fig. 3 - are formed in the housing of the plug 20 directly below the tapping contacts 26 laid bare to the outside. The 8 contact lugs formed on the opposite mated contacts are connected to the tapping contacts 26 of the safety plug 20 in the usual state connected together by the safety plug 20 in an electrically conducting manner (final position) in that these lugs make resilient contact with the tapping contacts. If the safety plug 20 is now pulled slightly out of the terminal device - upwardly to the left according to Fig. 3 -, the bent ends of the contact lugs gently lock into the depressions 28. This allows the user, during the process of removal, to sense, as it were, that the plug 20 has reached the intermediate position.

As stated above, another tapping contact 30 of the plug 20 is connected, in this intermediate position, to a power supply contact for a display means provided in the safety plug 20. The earth contacts 32 which can be identified at the lower end of the safety plug 20 are also connected to the earth bus of the terminal device 10 in order to maintain the protective function.

h The inner workings of the plug 20 - not shown in detail in the figures can be described as follows. This plug comprises two current -carrying contacts for the incoming and outgoing wires respectively; these contacts are fitted with respective tapping contacts 26. The current path runs from the terminal contacts located within the terminal device of the one side, e.g. the incoming side, via the contact lugs formed thereon to the tapping contacts within the plug 20. From here, the current path runs via bent contacts via a respective current protection device which usually has the shape of a thick disk from where the current flows to another contact also each provided with a tapping contact 26 with which a contact lug of the opposite contact, i.e. of the contact for the outgoing side, is in electrically conducting contact. The current protection devices each constitute a so-called polyswitch which represents a thermal resistor. In other words, the resistance of the respective overcurrent protector rises with 9 the flow of current, with the result that when there is an excessively high flow of current, the resistance becomes so high that the current path is interrupted.

A surge arrester is provided in the depicted safety plug 20 as a further safety device. This is a 3-pole surge arrester which is largely cylindrical and connected, at its contacts formed on the outsides, to a contact of the depicted safety plug, whereby the respective contact is assigned either to the incoming or to the outgoing side of mated contacts.

The surge arrester is also provided with a fail-safe device which is triggered in the event that the excessively high voltage makes contact for too long. If the fail-safe device in the form of a fusible thin plastic plate is triggered, the mated contacts are short-circuited with earth, causing the energy to be conducted to earth. In parallel thereto, the LED "switch" located in this instance behind the LED is closed, thus closing the current path which passes through a resistor and in which the LED is located, and causing the LED to light up. The power supply for the LED display means is brought about from outside the safety plug 20, as described with reference to the preceding figures.

1 1

Claims

Claims

A telecommunications engineering terminal device (10) comprising at least two rows (16) of terminal contacts each serving to connect incoming or outgoing wires, opposite terminal contacts being mated with one another and being connected by a plug (20) disposed between said rows of contacts, said plug being detachably disposed to a largely complete extent between said rows (16) of contacts such that said terminal contacts are free for connection.

A terminal device according to claim 1, characterized in that said terminal device comprises between said rows (16) of contacts a continuous channel into which said respective plugs (20) can be largely completely introduced.

1 3. A terminal device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said plugs (20) are each designed such that contacts disposed side by side in pairs are connected by said plugs to said respectively mated contacts.

A terminal device according to at least.one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plug (20) is a safety plug having thermal resistors and/or a surge arrester.

5. A terminal device according to claim 4, characterized in that the surge arrester has fail-safe means.

6. A terminal device according to claim 4, characterized in that the failsafe means is in the form of a fusible plastic plate.

7. A terminal device according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that said safety plugs (20) in said terminal device (10) contact an earth bus (22) in a final and in an intermediate position, said safety plugs being electrically separate from said mated contacts in the intermediate position.

8. A terminal device according to any one of the preceding claims 4 to 7, characterized in that said safety plugs (20) comprise display means in the event of effected earth contacting.

9. A terminal device according to claim 8, characterized in that said display means is in the form of an LED.

10. A terminal device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said safety plugs (20) comprise a further contact (30) for contacting a power supply (24) provided for said display means.

11. A terminal device according to any one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the thermal resistors and/or surge arresters and/or other components accommodated within said safety plug (20) can 12 be replaced by new components when said safety plug (20) is detached.

12. A telecommunications engineering terminal device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.