IE76713B1 - Connector for telecommunications devices - Google Patents

Abstract

In a connector for telecommunications devices with a connector lower part (1), which provides an entrance for power cables (L1, L2) of a telephone network, connector contacts (2) therefor, a connector socket (3) or a connector plug, which is electrically connected thereto as well as further connector contacts (7) for individual connection of telecommunications appliances, and a computer upper part (8), which may be fitted to the connector lower part (1), in which the connector upper part (8) is provided with an access opening (10) in the region of the connector socket (3) so that the additional connection possibilities are allowed, but the danger is avoided that the installer will experience an electric shock when making the connection, it is proposed that in the electrical connection between the network connector contacts (2) and the further connector contacts (7) a circuit breaker contact means (13) be included in the circuit, which comprises a first contact means (14), which is secured to the connector lower part (1), and a second contact means (15), which is mounted on the connector upper part (8), wherein when the connector upper part (8) is fitted to the connector lower part (1) the contact means (14, 15) establishes the electrical connection between the network connector contacts (2) and the further connector contacts (7) but breaks this connection when the connector upper part (8) is removed.

Description

COMMIECTOR FOR TELECOMlWSCATWjS DEVICES The invention relates to a connector for telecommunications devices.

Connectors for telecommunications devices are known which may be connected to the conducting cables of a telephone network or the like and which comprise a socket, into which the connector plug of a telecommunications appliance may be plugged. There is a further requirement to provide such connectors with an additional connection point in order to be able to connect further connectors or indeed further telecommunications appliances. Because such further connection possibilities may be installed by the user himself, there exists the risk that during connection of a further connector to an already installed connector, which is in conductive contact with the conducting cables of a telephone network, high voltages may be present in the region of the connector terminals, as a result of which the installer, who is typically an amateur, runs the risk of an electric shock.

Starting from this problem the invention has as its objective to provide a connector for telecommunications devices which on the one hand permits the additional connection possibilities, but on the other hand avoids the danger that the installer who wishes to connect further connectors or telecommunications appliances to such a connector will experience electric shocks. 7671 3 . 2 In order to achieve this objective a connector in accordance with Claim 1 is proposed. A connector of this type comprises a connector lower part in which are integrated for example a conduction plate with electrical circuit elements as well as a connector socket. Furthermore connector contacts are provided, to which the conducting cables of the telephone network may be connected. In addition further connector contacts are provided for individual wiring, so that the user may connect a further connector or even further telecommunications devices to these further connector contacts. All of these components are fixed components of the connector lower part. This connector lower part can be completely sealed by means of a connector upper part attached thereto, which may be slipped onto the connector lower part and may for example be fixed to the connector lower part by means of a screw. The connector upper part is provided with an access opening in the region of the connector socket or the like, so that a corresponding connector plug may be plugged into the corresponding connector socket.

Furthermore a cover is secured to the lower part, by means of which the network connection contacts and the electrical circuit elements which may be connected to the latter may be covered, so that when the connector upper part is removed the user cannot directly come into contact with the electrical contact region which may provide a path for a high voltage. This additional cover may be releasably secured to the connector lower part by means of a screw or the like. The further connector contacts for individual connection of further connectors or telecommunications appliances are not covered by this cover, so that after removal of the connector upper part these latter are accessible to the user for individual wiring.

After the installation of the connector lower part and after connection of the conducting cables of the telephone network the required conducting connection with the connector socket or the like of the lower part is in all cases ensured, so that the user can test whether the telephone connection is functioning properly.

In order to avoid the user possibly receiving an electric shock when the connector upper part is removed, when he touches the connector contacts directly or by means of a tool, a circuit breaker contact means is included in circuit between the network connector and the - 3 further connectors, which consists of a first contact means, which is secured to the connector lower part and of a second contact means, which is mounted on the connector upper part. The circuit breaker contact means is so designed, that the first and second contact means provide an electrical connection between the network connection contacts and the further connector contacts when the connector upper part is fitted onto the connector lower part, whereas when the connector upper part is removed the electrical contact is broken. This ensures that in the event of manipulation of the further connector contacts, which is possible only after removal of the connector upper part, the user cannot receive any electric shock or the like, because the connector contacts are separated from the network connector. When the connector upper part is put back in position the desired contact is restored in an orderly manner, so that the appliances which are connected to the further connector contacts are capable of functioning.

In accordance with a first preferred embodiment a first contact means is arranged on the connector lower part in the form of a socket with contact pairs and a second contact means is arranged on the connector upper part in the form of a plug with contact strips parallel to the operational direction of the plug, so that in the plugged-in state the contact pairs of the first contact means are conduct!velv connected to one another.

As a result, upon removal of the connector upper part the contact pairs of the socket are not connected with one another, so that the electrical conduction is broken. In contrast, when the connector upper part is fitted in position the mutually spaced apart contact pairs are connected to one another by means of the contact strips on the plug secured to the connector upper part, so that with the cover mounted the contact pairs are connected and the connection between the network contacts and the further connector contacts is established.

In accordance with another preferred variant, the connector lower part has mounted thereon a spring opening contact as first contact means and the connector upper part has arranged thereon an adjustable finger as second contact means, by means of which the opening contact is pressed into the contact- (closed-) position when the upper part is fitted. - 4 The opening contact may be provided for example in the form of a contact spring, which is mounted on the conducting plate and includes a contact arm which, when the cover is fitted, is pressed against the conducting strips of the conducting plate, so that the corresponding conducting path is connected. When the connector upper part is removed the contact fingers spring into a position in which they are spaced apart from the corresponding conducting paths of the conducting plate, so that the conducting contact between the network connection contacts and the further connector contacts is broken.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are described in more detail hereinafter. The drawings show: Figure 1 a schematic switching arrangement of the connector lower part in elevation; Figure 2 a concrete example of the lower part in elevation; Figure 3 the same but with conducting paths of the conducting plate and the connected conducting cables of the telephone network illustrated; Figure 4 an elevation, in which the network connector contacts and the electrical circuit elements which are electrically connected to these are covered; Figure 5 a connector with connector upper part fitted, in plan view; Figure 6 corresponding to sectional lines VI-VI of Figure 2 with the connector upper part not yet fitted in position, but in very close proximity; Figure 7 the same with the connector upper part fitted in position; Figures 8 and 9 a variant as seen in the views according to Figures δ and 7.

The connector for telecommunications devices consists of a connector lower part 1, which is shown schematically in Figure 1 and is shown in - 5 further Figures by way of concrete example.

The connector lower part comprises an entrance for the conducting cables LI and L2 of the telephone network as well as connector contacts 2 for these. In addition the connector lower part 1 has a connector socket 3 secured thereto, which is connected to the connector contacts 2 and the further electrical circuit elements 4, 5. Element 4 is a condenser. Element 5 is an ohmic resistor. All of these electrical elements are arranged on a conducting plate 6, which is provided with corresponding conducting paths, which is illustrated in Figure 3. The connector lower part has arranged thereon additional further connector contacts 7 (screw terminal contacts), which serve as individual connectors for a further connector or a further telecommunications appliance. The connector further comprises a connector upper part 8, which may be seen in Figures 5 to 9. The connector upper part may be mounted on the connector lower part and may be secured to the latter by means of a screw 9. The connector upper part 8 comprises an access opening 10 closable by means of a shutter for insertion of a connector plug in the connector socket 3.

As may be particularly seen in Figure 4 a cover 11 may be secured to the lower part 1 (by means of a screw 12), by means of which the network connector contacts 2 and any circuit elements electrically connected thereto may be covered.

In the electrical connection between the network connector contacts 2 and the further connector contacts 7 a circuit breaker contact means 13 is included in the circuit, which consists of a first contact means 14, which is secured to the connector lower part 1 as well as a second contact means 15, which is arranged on the connector upper part 8. The contact means 14, 15 ensure that when the connector upper part 8 is fitted to the connector lower part 1, as may be seen in Figures 7 and 9, the electrical connection between the network connector contacts 2 and the further connector contacts 7 is established. When the connector upper part 8 is removed, as may particularly be seen in Figures 6 and 8, the connection between the contact means 14, 15 is broken. As a result the further connector contacts 7 do not carry any current and may be handled without any danger. - 6 Figure 3 illustrates the leading in of the conducting cables of the telephone network. Also, the conducting paths of the conducting plate 5 have been shown. The connector contacts 2 are thereby in direct conducting connection with the connector contacts of the socket 3 and the circuit breaker contact means 13. The further connector contacts 7 are connected only to the corresponding contacts of the circuit breaker contact means 13.

In Figure 4 may be seen, as has already been described, that the electrically conducting elements are covered by means of a cover 11, so that even when the connector upper part is removed the conducting regions cannot be contacted by the user. Figures δ and 7 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of circuit breaker contact means 13. Here the first contact means 14 are provided with a socket 16 with a plurality of mutually spaced apart contact pairs 17, whereas the second contact means 15 is provided in the form of a plug with contact strips 19 parallel to the plug operational direction 18, arranged on the connector upper part 8. In the plugged-in condition, as may be seen in Figure 7, these conductively connect the contact pairs 17 of the first contact means 14, so that with the connector upper part 8 in position the conducting contact to the further connector contacts 7 is established, whereas upon removal of the connector upper part 8 the further connector contacts 7 are without current.

In the embodiment in accordance with Figures 8 and 9 the first contact means 14 arranged on the connector lower part is a spring opening contact with two contact arms. This spring opening contact 14 is mounted on the conducting plate 6. On the connector upper part 8 a contact finger is provided as a second contact means 15, by means of which upon fitting the connector upper part in accordance with Figure 9 the opening contact 14 is pressed into the contact closure position.

In this position the spring contact fingers of the first contact means 14 contact the corresponding conducting paths of the conducting plate 6 and thus establish the connection with the further connector contacts 7, whereas when the upper part 8 is removed in accordance with Figure 8 the opening contacts 14 with its contact fingers are no longer in contact with the conduction paths of the conducting plate 6, so that the electrical contact to the further connector contacts 7 is broken.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments, but may be the subject of many variations within the field of this disclosure.

All new individual and combinations of features disclosed in the description and/or drawings form part of the invention.

Claims (4)

1. Connector for telecommunications devices with a connector lower part (1), which provides an entrance for power cables (Lp L^) of a telephone network, connector contacts (2) therefor, a connector socket (3) or a connector plug, which is electrically connected to the connector contacts (2), as well as optionally including a conducting plate (5) with electrical circuit elements (4) and further connector contacts (7) for individual connection of a further connector or of telecommunications appliances, and a connector upper part (8), which may be fitted to the connector lower part (1) and secured to the latter, in which the connector upper part (8) is provided with an access opening (10) in the region of the connector socket (3) or connector plug, and in which furthermore a cover (11) may be secured to the lower part (1), by means of which the network connector contacts (2) and optionally also the electrical circuit elements (4) connected thereto may be covered, wherein in the electrical connection between the network connector contacts (2) and the further connector contacts (7) a circuit breaker contact means (13) is included in the circuit, which comprises a first contact means (14), which is secured to the connector lower part (1), and a second contact means (15), which is mounted on the connector upper part (8), wherein the contact means (14, 15) establish the electrical connection between the network connector contacts (2) and the further connector contacts (7) when the connector upper part (8) is mounted on the connector lower part (1) but break this connection when the connector upper part (8) is removed.

2. A connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the contact means (14) arranged on the connector lower part (1) is a socket (15) with contact pairs (17) and the second contact means (15) is a plug with contact strips (19) parallel to the plug operational direction (18) on the upper part (8), which in the plugged-in position electrically connects the contact pairs (17) of the first contact means (14).

3. A connector in accordance with Claim 1, characterized in that a spring opening contact is mounted on the connector lower part (1) to provide the first contact means (14) and that the second contact means - 9 (15) is in the form of an adjustable finger arranged on the connector upper part (8), by means of which the opening contact is pressed into contacting (closure) position when the connector upper part (8) is fitted.

4. A connector according to claim 1 substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 7 or Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.