KR100331579B1 - Modular telecommunication terminal block - Google Patents

Abstract

A protected terminal block has a housing (10) having a plurality of test ports (18) and a plurality of electrical contact elements (40), each of which includes a test lead (48) which is accessible through a test port (18). The electrical contact elements are configured in the housing and connected to an exchange wire which is secured to a stub cable. A protection module retainer (140) is secured to a side of the housing (10) proximate the test ports (18) to form a plurality of retaining cups (142) adapted to receive a protection module (100). A grounding strip (150) is secured to ground and retained between the protection module retainer (140) and the housing (10) proximate the test ports (18), the grounding strip (150) having a plurality of integral ground connectors (158). A protection module (100) is provided having a protector (116) which is connected to a pair of terminal block contact elements (102) and a ground connector (160). When inserted into a retaining cup (142), the terminal block contact elements (102) engage a pair of corresponding test leads (48) in test ports and the protection module ground connector (160) engages the grounding strip ground connector (158) to provide surge protection to a pair of conductive paths through the connection of the test leads in the test ports. The protection module may be removed or replaced as needed.

Description

Modular Telecommunication Terminal Block

The telecommunications terminal block is used to provide convenient and convenient connections between the telephone user service wire ("service" side) and the telephone exchange distribution cable ("exchange" side). Such terminal blocks typically connect up to 25 distribution cable wire pairs on the switching side to up to 25 individual service wire pairs on the service side, which may have thousands of wire pairs.

Terminal blocks are generally formed of standard, multichambered units that connect 5, 10 or 25 wire pairs. In many cases, the number of distribution wire pairs to be wired does not match the standard number. For example, if seven wire pairs are to be connected, a terminal block of 10 wire pairs, which is the closest standard terminal block size, must be installed even if the wiring of three wire pairs is not used.

Switch-side wire pairs are difficult to replace exchange-side wire pairs in that a connection cable providing a connection from the distribution cable of the terminal block to the exchange side is normally permanently bonded to the terminal block during connection to the terminal block. This permanent connection protects both the connection cable and the exchange side of the terminal block from the surrounding environment and ensures a physically stable connection designed to withstand the installation and removal of the connection on a recurring service side.

If the exchange side of the terminal block fails, the entire terminal block of 5, 10 or 25 wire pairs must be replaced, requiring a new terminal block and considerable installation time and materials. The connection between the connecting cable and the failed terminal block shall be physically cut and the old terminal block shall be discarded even if only one connection fails on the exchange side. In addition, when replacing the terminal block, all current service side connections must be separated. Thereafter, a new terminal block is permanently installed on all service side connections and connection cables that are connected. This approach requires considerable resources and, as a result, many terminal blocks must be discarded in one failure.

The service side of the terminal block is most commonly used because the service side is used to repeatedly connect or disconnect telephone service to the distribution line cable through the terminal block. Service wire pairs are typically connected to the terminal block via a terminal of the type that is easily connected and disconnected to a place such as a simple coupling post where the stripe service wire is connected to the coupling post and then secured with some type of cap. Another common type of terminal is an insulated removal terminal in which the insulation does not need to be peeled off before it is connected to the terminal block and the insulation is cut through a blade or other sharp surface when the service wire is secured to the terminal. In addition, in the insulation removal type of the terminal, some type of cap is usually used to fix the service wire in place.

While caps conventionally used for bonding post or insulator removal type terminals protect some from the surrounding environment, moisture, contaminants, chemicals, dust and even insects reach the terminal connections to corrode or degrade the contact. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that in addition to the traditional airborne locations of terminal blocks, the location of underground and even underwater terminal blocks becomes more and more necessary for telephone distribution applications. Thus, efforts have been made to better insulate the terminals in the terminal block from the surrounding environment in order to prevent such deterioration. One such method is to use various insulating media such as grease or gel around the terminals where electrical connections are made.

In order to properly test the connection to determine whether the problem is related to the switching or service side, it is necessary to isolate one side so that either side can be evaluated independently. In general, the service side is separated because the exchange side wire cannot be separated. In this case, a lot of time is spent connecting the wires to the test rig to disconnect the service side wires and strip the wires to assess the problem. Once the problem is solved, the test assembly is removed and the service side wire is connected to the terminal black. This process requires considerable time.

Thus, the exchange side can be added or removed as needed, limiting the applications where the terminal block can be used stably and maintaining resistance to moisture and other environmental factors that degrade the connection over time. There is a need for an improved telecommunications terminal block capable of connecting wires to the service side at. There is also a need for an improved telecommunications terminal block that can perform service floating exchange testing without disconnecting service or switching wires.

The present invention relates to a terminal block for connecting wire pairs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a telecommunications terminal block for connecting a telephone service wire to a telephone switched distribution cable.

1 is a perspective view of a service side of a preferred embodiment of a modular terminal block system of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view of the exchange side of a preferred embodiment of a plurality of modular terminal block systems of the present invention in which a pair of exchange side wires are connected to one terminal block;

3 is an exploded perspective view of the basic parts of a terminal block housing comprising a service side wire support and an exchange side wire support of the invention;

4 is an exploded perspective view showing a housing and a housing insert of a terminal block according to the present invention;

5 is a cross-sectional view of the inner side of the terminal block according to the present invention showing the positions of the service side wire support before the service wire connection and the exchange side wire support before the exchange side wire connection;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of the inner side of the terminal block according to the present invention showing the positions of the service side wire supports after the service wire connection and the support side of the exchange side wire after the exchange side wire connection;

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing a cross section of the service-side wire support and actuator according to the present invention;

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 showing a cross section of an exchange side wire support section according to the present invention;

9 is a perspective view showing in detail the earth connection between the terminal block and the mounting rail according to the present invention;

10 is a bottom view detailing the earth connection between the terminal block and the mounting rail;

11 is an exploded perspective view of the basic parts of the protector module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

12 is an exploded perspective view showing the basic components of a two-way testing module according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the two-way testing module according to another embodiment of the present invention,

14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13 showing a cross section of a two-way testing module according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

15 is an exploded perspective view showing the basic components of a protected two-way testing module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

EXAMPLE

Referring to Figure 1, a modular terminal block system of the present invention is shown. As shown, in a preferred embodiment of the invention a number of individual terminal blocks are used, the number of which may vary from 1-25 or more depending on the application. One of the terminal blocks is shown separated from the mounting rail.

Each terminal block 10 of the modular system of the present invention utilizes a detachable terminal block housing 12. The service side of the terminal block is shown and paired service wire holes 14 are formed along its front face. As will be described in detail below, the paired wire holes 14 allow access of the service wire to the inner chamber in the housing 12. The housing 12 is composed of a dielectric material suitable for manufacturing into the desired shape. For example, one of several commercially available thermoplastic resins may be used due to the advantages of ease of manufacture and relatively low cost. However, other dielectric materials can also be used.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, an exchange wire support 20 is provided in the lower part of the terminal block 10 of the present invention. The exchange wire support 20 is preferably made of the same dielectric material as the housing 12. The exchange wire support also includes an earth connector guide 22 that projects downward from the base of the support 20.

As best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 10, the earth connector guide 22 supports the earth connector 18 connected to the mounting rail 24 in the manner shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The terminal block is mounted on a standard DIN mounting rail 24 which has been adapted to include a rail earth connector 26 which, when installed, is connected to "earth" by the conductive mounting rail 24 being connected to the earth. The mounting rail 24 may be made of steel or aluminum or any other suitable conductive material. Earth connector 18 supported by earth connector guide 22 provides a conductive connection to rail earth connector 26. 9 is a detailed perspective view showing the earth connector guide portion 22 and the earth connector 18 before being connected to the mounting rail 24 of the rail earth connector 26. 10 is a bottom view of the earth connector guide portion 22 and the earth connector 18 connected to the mounting rail 24 of the rail earth connector 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal block 10 includes a front lip 28 disposed near its service side, a rear clip 30 disposed near the exchange side of the terminal block, and an earth connector guide 22. Is fixed to the mounting rails. The front lip 28 has an inner protrusion that fixes the front of the terminal block by constraining the mounting rail between itself and the lower structure of the terminal block. The rear clip 30 provides an inner projection that secures the rear of the terminal block to the mounting rail 24. The terminal block earth connector guide portion 22 (shown in FIG. 9) and the rail earth connector 26 guide the terminal block onto the mounting rail 24. The terminal block is first fixed to the mounting rail by fixing the front lip 28 to the mounting rail. Once the terminal block earth connector 18 and earth connector guide 22 are properly aligned with the rail earth connector 26, the rear clip 30 is engaged with the mounting rail to securely snap the terminal block in place. Downward pressure is exerted on the rear portion of the terminal block until it is secured by means of pushing the rear clip 30 over the edge of the mounting rail. Earth connection is made by snap-fastening the terminal block in place.

According to the application of the terminal block, in the case where no earth connection is required, the mounting portion only needs the front lip 28 and the rear clip 30. Further, instead of the combination of the lip and the clip, the terminal block is fastened to the mounting rail using a clip mechanism at both ends of the terminal block, or the terminal block is reversed by reversing the position of the lip and the clip at the ends of the terminal block. Fastening: or other mounting means, such as fastening the terminal block to the mounting rail using industrial hooks and eye fasteners such as VELCRO.

In order to remove the terminal block 10 of the present invention from the mounting rail 24, a force to lift the rear clip 30 from the mounting rail 24 by using any tool having a flat end such as a driver or the like. By applying, the rear clip 30 can be detached from the mounting rail 24 and the entire terminal block can be released from the mounting rail.

In this manner, any number of terminal blocks can be combined together along the mounting rail to allow access to the other service wires from the connection cable held in the switched distribution cable, if necessary. In this embodiment, a single terminal black is provided for each exchange wire pair and service wire pair. Depending on the shape, a single mounting rail may be used or multiple mounting rails may be used. The terminal blocks can be snapped into place along the mounting rails 24 as needed or removed to change the number of terminal blocks. Further, as will be described later in detail, the exchange side wires of the terminal block and the service side wires of the terminal block can be repeatedly connected and disconnected.

In addition, in other types of applications, a single service wire hole may be used for each terminal block instead of a pair of holes 12, or other service wire holes may be provided in each terminal block if necessary for a particular application. . Thus, the shape of the service wire holes and their shape on the mounting rail 24 are described only as preferred embodiments and may be changed according to special application if necessary.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the upper portion of each housing 12 includes a terminal actuator 32. As will be discussed in detail below, the remainder of the actuator 32 extends through the housing 12 to the service-side inner chamber. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal actuator 32 is omitted for illustrative purposes, the actuator 32 protrudes from the inside of the housing 12 through the hole 34 of the housing 12. The terminal actuator 32 is preferably made of the same dielectric material as the housing 12. The upper portion of the terminal actuator 32 preferably has a shape that can be easily coupled and rotated by a manual driver, wrench, or other tool. Alternatively, the actuator 32 may be adapted to be gripped and rotated by the user of the terminal block. It is preferable that the actuator 32 is displayed as a mark on a predetermined amount, in the housing and the actuator, and rotated as much as this will bring about the effect of connecting the service wire to the replacement wire in the manner described below in detail.

Referring to Fig. 2, a preferred embodiment of a plurality of terminal blocks of the present invention showing the exchange side is shown. The terminal block 10 of the present invention uses a terminal block housing 12 having holes 36 for paired exchange wires along its rear surface. As will be described in detail below, the exchange wire holes 36 allow access of the exchange wires to the inner chamber in the housing 12.

In addition, for other types of applications, instead of a pair of holes 36, a single exchange wire hole is used for each terminal block, or for special applications a different hole for the exchange wire in each terminal block if necessary. Can be provided. Thus, the shape of the holes for the exchange wire and their shape on the mounting rail 24 are only shown as preferred embodiments and can be changed as needed for a particular application.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal block 10 has two "tee-in" test ports 44 (shown in FIG. 1) and a link module having a cap 42 ( 16). As will be described in detail below, the link module 16 provides a connection between the service side and the exchange side of the terminal block and can be implemented in a number of shapes. Preferably, the link module includes a basic shape as described herein as a bridge module having contact points (shown in FIG. 4) that provide a connection between the service side wire and the exchange side wire. The link module of another embodiment, referred to herein as a protector module, protects the voltage spikes on the service and exchange wires. Both the bridge module and the protector module provide test ports 44 which can test the service and wire side without opening the terminal block or disconnecting the service or exchange wire side.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown an exploded perspective view of the basic parts of a terminal block housing comprising an exchange side wire support and a service side wire support of the present invention. The terminal block of the present invention includes a path to each of the two wire connections between the exchange side and the service side. To simplify the description and avoid unnecessary complexity of the drawings, only a single conductive path through the terminal block is described, but the description can be equally applied to both conductive paths.

As shown, the exchange wire support 20 includes an exchange wire conduit 92 that supports the exchange wire after the exchange wire is inserted into one of the pair of exchange wire holes 36 (shown in FIG. 2). do. In addition, the exchange wire support 20 terminates in a contact blade receiving slot 94 and earth connector guide 22 for receiving an exchange wire contact blade (described below) and an earth connector for receiving an earth connector (not shown). And a receiving slot 98.

The service wire support 50 is provided screwed with the terminal actuator 32. More specifically, the service wire support 50 has a threaded hole 34 in its upper end to receive the mating size threaded end of the terminal actuator 32. The terminal actuator 32 includes a plug 54 which is used to hold the insulating medium in the housing 12 as described below. The service wire support 50 also has a wire receiving hole 56 for receiving a service wire inserted into the housing. The wire receiving hole 56 is sealed with a porous seal 58 to retain the insulating medium in the housing 12 as described below.

Each wire receiving hole 56 extends through the flanged extension 60 of the service wire support 50 to the central portion of the support 50. A first contact blade receiving slot 62 is provided in the support in the first position along the hole 56 and a second contact blade receiving slot 64 in the second position along the hole 56. The first and second contact blade receiving slots 62, 64 receive the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66, 68, respectively. The service wire support 50 including the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66 and 68 is retained in the terminal block housing insert 70.

The housing insert 70 includes first and second contact blade retaining slots 72, 74 for each set of contact blades. The first and second contact blade retaining slots accommodate the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66, 68. The housing insert 70 also holds a service wire bond contact 76. Each service wire bond contact 76 is formed integrally with the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66, 68. Thus, when one of the insulating cut contact blades 66, 68 is in conductive communication with the service wire, the corresponding service wire bond contact 76 also suffers from conductivity.

As shown in FIG. 4, the housing insert 70 holds exchange wire bond contacts 80 and earth bond contacts 84 in addition to bond contacts 76. These splice contacts are inserted into the base of a five-prong access jack 120 when the housing insert is positioned into the housing 12. More specifically, service wire bond contact 76 is retained in service wire bond contact slot 122 and exchange wire bond contact 80 is retained in exchange wire bond contact slot 124. Each bond contact 84 is retained in a centrally placed earth bond contact slot 130.

As shown in FIG. 4, the exchange wire support 20 is inserted into a space formed between the housing 12 and the housing insert 70 in the housing 12. Upon insertion, the exchange wire contact blade receiving slot 94 receives the exchange wire insulated cutting contact blade 170. The insulating cutting contact blade 170 is formed integrally with the exchange wire bond contact 80 as a metal conductor to provide good electrical contact from the bond contact 80 to the exchange wire as it penetrates the insulation during connection, as described below. .

As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal block of the present invention includes a bridge module 40 as an embodiment of the link module. The bridge module 40 includes a path for each of the two wire connections between the service side and the exchange side. To simplify the description and avoid unnecessary clutter of the drawings, only those components forming a single conductive path through the bridge module are described, but the description is equally applicable to both conductive paths.

Bridge module 40 includes a set of bridge contacts 110 that are integrally formed. Each set of bridge contacts 110 includes a service wire bond contact 114 and an exchange wire bond contact 116. The contacts are retained in the bridge module in hard capsules, such as non-conductive epoxy, and the top surface of the capsule is shown as a capsule enclosure 38. The hard capsule occupies only a portion of the interior of the bridge module 40. The rest of the interior of the bridge module 40 includes approximately one third of the interior and top of the bridge module 40 filled with insulating gel. Thus, the test probe is inserted into the tee-in test port 44 to make conductive contact with the set of bridge contacts 110.

4 also shows a gasket 118 used to provide a seal between the selected link module and the access jack 120 of the housing 12. The gasket is made of a well known elastic material and can act as an environmental barrier between the access jack 120 and the external environment. The gasket provides a seal to prevent any environmental contaminants and moisture from entering the junction contact area once the link module is snapped into position on the access jack 120.

5, 6 and 8 show a state where an exchange wire is installed on the exchange side. Fig. 5 is a cut sectional view showing the inside of the terminal block of the present invention showing the position of the exchange side wire support before the exchange wire connection. In the installation of the exchange side wire, the exchange side inner chamber 160 is formed as the lower and rear side of the housing insert 70, the side and rear side of the housing 12, and the upper side of the exchange wire support 20. The exchange wire support 20 is in place in the chamber through the combined action of the exchange wire support retaining stub 176 (shown in FIG. 3) corresponding to the first or second exchange wire support retaining slots 178, 180. Is retained. The exchange wire support 20 may be moved to an open or closed position by an exchange wire support actuator slot 164 integrally formed with the support 20. The actuator slot 164 is manipulated with a simple tool such as a driver to push the exchange wire support to an open position away from the loop of the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 5 to open the exchange wire chamber 160. In the open position, the exchange wire support is held by the exchange wire support retaining stub 176 and the exchange wire support retaining slot 178.

Once the exchange wire support 20 is moved to the open position, the exchange wire 162 enters the exchange wire hole 36 of the housing 12 and moves to the exchange wire receiving hole 166 of the exchange wire support 20. And finally moves to the hole until it is at the base of the exchange wire receiving hole 168 of the housing insert 70. Preferably, when both conductive paths are used, both exchange side wires are inserted into the exchange side wire support before the terminal block is snapped into place on the mounting rail.

Fig. 6 is a cut cross-sectional view of the inside of the terminal block of the present invention, showing the exchange side wire support portion position after the exchange wire connection. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 showing the exchange side wire supporter after the exchange wire connection. As shown, the exchange wire is connected when the terminal block 10 is snapped into position on the mounting rail 24. When the terminal block 10 is provided on the mounting rails, a force is applied upward to the exchange wire support portion 20 so as to be in the closed position. When the exchange wire support is pushed upward, the exchange wire support retaining stub 176 is pushed out of the exchange wire support retaining slot 178 and inserted into the exchange wire support retaining slot 180. In addition, the exchange wire can be connected by manually pushing the exchange wire support to the closed position and then installing the terminal block on the mounting rail.

Upon closure of the exchange wire support, the exchange wire is in conductive communication with the exchange wire bond contact 80 as follows. The exchange wire 162 is located in the exchange wire conduit 92. When the exchange wire support is pushed upward to the closed position, the exchange wire mounting cutting contact blade 170 is pushed onto the exchange wire 162 while moving to the exchange wire contact blade receiving slot 94. An insulating cutting contact blade 170 cuts the exchange wire insulator and contacts the metal conductor of the wire. At the same time, the exchange wire bond contact 80 is in conductive communication with the insulating cutting contact blade 170 so that the contact 80 is in conductive communication with the exchange wire.

5, 6 and 7 show an example of installation of the service wire on the service side. 5 shows the inside of the terminal block of the present invention showing the position of the service side wire support before the service wire connection. As shown, the service side internal chamber 150 is integrally formed with the top and side of the housing 12 and the top of the housing insert 70. The service wire support 50 is opened by rotating the terminal actuator 32 until it is completely withdrawn towards the loop of the housing 12. Once the service wire support 50 is withdrawn to the open position, the service side wire 152 enters the porous seal and moves into the hole until it reaches the base of the service wire receiving hole 56. In practice, the wires on both sides of the service side are inserted into the service side wire support before the terminal actuator 32 is used to wire the wires.

Fig. 6 shows the position of the service side wire support after the service wire connection, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 of the terminal actuator and the service side wire support after the service wire connection. As shown, the first and second contact blade receiving slots 62, 64 respectively receive the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66,68 when the service wire support 50 is in the closed position. do. The first and second insulating cutting contact blades 66, 68 are integrally formed with the service wire bond contact 76 and the service wire from the service wire bond contact 76 when the blades 66, 68 penetrates its insulator. And made of metal conductors to provide good electrical contact. Thus, once the insulating cut contact blades are in conductive communication with the service wires, they are also in conductive communication with the corresponding service wire bond contacts 76.

Which of the two blades 66, 68 will be in electrical contact with the wires is determined by the diameter of the wire. That is, whether the wire is inserted into the first slot 62 or the second slot 64 is determined by the wire diameter. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the large diameter wire runs far enough to reach the slot 62 along the hole 56 and is in electrical contact with the blade 66. The smaller diameter wire reaches the second slot 64 and contacts the second longer blade 68.

As shown in FIG. 6, an annular groove 154 is provided around the hole 34 at the top of the housing 12 on the chamber 150. The upper end of the terminal actuator 32 is provided with a corresponding annular flange 156 that fits within the annular groove 154. Thus, during the rotation of the terminal actuator 32, in contrast to the actuator type connector of the prior art, which is tightened downward into the container to contact the service wire, vertical movement is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 4, once the exchange and service wires are wired as in FIGS. 5-8, the exchange wires are replaced with the exchange wire bond contacts 80 in the exchange wire bond contact slots 124 of the access jack 120. Connected conductively. The service wire is conductively connected with the service wire bond contact 76 in the service wire bond contact slot 122 of the access jack 120. Earth connector 18 is conductively connected to earth bonded contact 84 in earth bonded contact slot 130.

In order to conductively connect the service side to the exchange side using the bridge module 40, the bridge module 40 is plugged into the access jack 120. The set of bridge contacts 110 completes the conductive loop between the exchange side and the service side. Once connected, the tee-in test port 44 (shown in FIG. 2) can be used to perform diagnostic testing that examines the signal provided by the connection.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, the bridge module may be removed and replaced with the protector module 140. The protector module 140 has the same function as the bridge module 40 in connecting the service and exchange side when plugged into the access jack 120, and also protects the gas discharge pipe 142 and the earth junction contact 144. Include. The gas outlet tube 142 includes three conductive rings, one ring surrounding the circumference of each of the ends of the outlet tube and a third ring 148 surrounding the middle of the outlet tube. Each of the rings is soldered or conductively fixed to the contact. Thus, each set of contacts 110 is electrically conductively connected to the ends of the rings, respectively, and the earth bond contact 144 is conductively bonded to the intermediate ring. Among its many functions, the gas outlet 142 and earth junction contact connections 144 perform the action with the contacts 110 to block the voltage to earth, for example in the event of a voltage spike on the conductive path. do. Thus, once the protector module is plugged into the access jack 120, two basic conductive paths between the exchange side and the service side are protected from intermittent destructive voltage levels. The use and operation of gas discharge lines in this manner and their application for signal line protection is a well known technique.

As in the bridge module 40 of the present invention, the contacts 110 and the gas outlet pipe 142 in the protector module 140 are held in the protector module as a hard capsule such as a non-conductive epoxy. The hard capsule occupies only a portion of the inside of the protector module 140 as in the bridge module. One third of the remaining top of the protector module 140 is filled with insulating media. Thus, a test probe can be inserted into the tee-in test port 44 to be in conductive contact with the set of contacts 110 to perform a diagnostic test of the connection. The bridge module 40 and protector module 140 may be used interchangeably with the housing 12 and the access jack 120 depending on the application desired by the user.

Alternatively, the bridge module can be removed and replaced with a two-way testing module 200 as shown in FIG. 12. The two-way testing module performs the same function as the bridge module 40 in that it connects the service and the exchange side when plugged into the access jack 120, but the exchange or service side is disconnected without disconnecting the exchange or service side wires. It includes the form of contacts that can be tested. The two-way testing module also includes a protection embodiment described below.

The two-way testing module 200 includes a path for each of the two wire connections between the exchange side and the service side. To simplify the description and avoid unnecessary complexity of the drawings, only those components forming a single conductive path through the two-way testing module have been described, but the detailed description applies equally to both conductive paths.

The two-way testing module 200 includes a housing 202 and a hinged cover 204. The testing module housing 202 and cover 204 are preferably made of the same dielectric material as the housing 12 (shown in FIG. 1). The hinge portion 206 is formed integrally with the cover 204 and the hinge portion and the cover become a single unit. The hinged cover 204 is rotatably fixed to the housing by pins 208 formed integrally with the housing. The hinged cover 204 is formed of a metal conductive material such as brass, but may be appropriately made of another material having sufficient conductivity, and the bayonet contact 210 is fixed perpendicularly to the inside of the cover. It includes.

Two sets of test contacts are retained in the housing 202. Each set of test contacts includes a service wire test contact 214 and an exchange wire test contact 216. Each contact is formed of a metal conductive material similar to a bayonet contact. Each contact includes a plurality of bands. A set of bands forms a region 218 into which a twin gas outlet can be inserted as a protective embodiment of the two-way testing module (described below). A second set of bands 220 corresponding to slot 222 of each contact is provided to allow bayonet contact 210 to be simultaneously inserted into service wire test contact 214 and exchange wire test contact 216. . The upper ends of the service wire test contact 214 and the exchange wire test contact 216 are convenient to secure alligator-type test leads, or other similar test leads, for testing on the service side or the exchange side, near the cover 204. The lip 224 provides a gripping portion.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the inside of a two-way testing module. FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. 13 showing a cross section of a two-way testing module 200. FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the contacts are retained in the two-way testing module 200 as a hard capsule, such as a non-conductive epoxy, with its top surface shown as an enclosure 23. The hard capsule occupies only a portion of the interior of the two-way testing module 200. The remaining portion of the interior of the two-way testing module 200 is sealed by the gasket 232. The gasket is secured to the upper edge of the housing 202. When cover 204 is closed, gasket 232 provides a seal between cover 204 and housing 202 to form an environmental seal that protects the components of the two-way testing module from the environment. More specifically, gasket 232 provides an environmental shield that protects the junction between service wire test contact 214, exchange wire test contact 216, and bayonet contact 210. Thus, the connection between the service side and the exchange side formed when the cover is closed and the bayonet contact is inserted into the slot 222 provided in the service wire test contact 214 and the exchange wire test contact 216 is protected from the environment by the gasket. do. Preferably, the space of the gap between the encapsulation and the gasket is filled with an insulating medium which further protects the junction from the environment.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cover 204 can be leveraged to open with any flat tool such as a driver. Once open, a lip 224 disposed on top of each contact is exposed onto the gasket 232 such that an alligator type or equivalent test connector is used to test the service wire test contact 214 or the exchange wire test contact 216 for testing. ) Can be conveniently connected. Even when the two-way testing module is in the open position, only two slots are normally filled with bayonet contacts open so that the components of the module under the gasket can be protected from the environment.

The cover is provided with a tee-in test port 44. Thus, the test probe is inserted into the tee-in test port 44 once the service and exchange side is connected by bayonet contacts, without opening the two-way testing module cover, to make conductive contact with the service and exchange side. do.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, the two-way testing module 200 may be replaced with a two-way testing module 240 that is removed and protected. The protected two-way testing module 240 performs the same function as the two-way testing module 200 in that it connects the service and exchange sides when plugged into the access jack 120, but the gas executed as described in FIG. Discharge pipe 142 and earth bond contact 144.

The gas discharged 142 includes three conductive rings, one ring 146 surrounds the circumference of each of the ends of the discharge tube and a third ring 148 surrounds the middle of the discharge tube. Each of the rings is soldered or conductively fixed to the contact. Thus, in one embodiment, the exchange wire test contacts 216 may be conductively connected to the ends of the rings, respectively, and the earth bond contact 144 may be conductively connected to the intermediate ring 148. Alternatively, service wire test contacts 214 are each conductively connected to the ends of the rings, and earth bond contact 144 is conductively connected to the intermediate ring. Thus, once a protected two-way testing module is plugged into the access jack 120, two basic conductive paths between the exchange side and the service side are protected from intermittent destructive voltage levels. The use and operation of gas discharge lines in this manner and their application for signal line protection is a well known technique.

When the cover of the protected two-way testing module is in the open position, the lip 224 disposed on top of each contact is exposed onto the gasket 232 so that an alligator type or equivalent test connector is used to test the service wire test contact 214 for testing. Or the exchange wire test contact 216.

As in the two-way testing module 200, the service wire and exchange wire test contacts 214, 216, the earth bond contact 144, and the gas outlet 142 are protected by hard capsules such as non-conductive epoxy. Is retained within. The hard capsule occupies only a portion of the interior of the protected two-way testing module 240, as in the two-way testing module 200. The remaining portion of the interior of the two-way testing module 240 is sealed by the gasket 232. Gasket 232 protects the junction between service wire test contact 214, exchange wire test contact 216, and bayonet contact 210. Thus, the connection between the service side and the exchange side formed when the cover is closed and the bayonet contact is inserted into the service wire test contact 214 and the slot 222 provided in the exchange wire test contact 216 is connected by the gasket 232. Protected from the environment Preferably, the space between the encapsulation and the gasket is filled with an insulating medium which further protects the junction from the environment.

In addition, the test probe can be inserted into the tee-in test port 44 to execute a diagnostic test of the connection between the service side and the exchange side while maintaining the conductive connection between both sides when the cover is in the closed position. . The two-way testing module 200 and the protected two-way testing module 240 may be used interchangeably with the housing 12 and the access jack 120 depending on the application desired by the user.

Referring to Fig. 5, during the manufacture or assembly of the terminal block, before using the terminal block of the present invention for the exchange wire and the service wire connection, the bridge module 40 and the protector to fill all spaces and wire holes of the terminal block. Appropriate insulating media is sprayed onto the hard capsules in module 140 and into the chambers 150, 160. In addition, the spaces of the two-way testing module 200 or the protected two-way testing module 240 are filled in a similar manner. One of a number of well known commercially available insulating media such as grease, gel and other insulating media can be used depending on the specific conditions of the application.

The viscosity and tack of the medium should be such that the wires can be inserted and removed into the holes 56, 166, 44 without excessively adhering to the medium. The media must have sufficient fluidity to flow around the support as it is moved through the exchange wire support 20 and the service wire support 50. The medium may be injected into the chamber 150 via the terminal actuator 32 through the central bore. The central bore in the terminal actuator 32 is secured with a plug 54 to retain the medium 28 in the chamber once the chamber is filled. Similarly, porous seal 58 also acts to prevent the medium from leaking through service wire receiving aperture 56. In addition, the medium is injected into the test port 44 to fill the bridge module 40 and the protector module 140 and is injected into the chamber 160 through the exchange wire receiving hole 166. The medium is also dispensed through the gasket 232 to fill the two-way testing module 200 and the protected two-way testing module 240. Dispensing of the medium is performed after assembly of the terminal block. In addition, in the case of a curable medium such as a gel, it may be precured on the outside of the block and then pumped, or sprayed in an uncured state and then cured.

The exchange wire to be connected to the terminal block is inserted into the holes 166 with the exchange wire support 20 in the first open position shown in FIG. In this position, the wire can be inserted into the exchange wire support 20 while moving only a very moderate amount of insulating medium. As shown in FIG. 5, in the open position, the outflow of the insulating medium through the hole 166 is prevented by the diameter of the wire block. Once the exchange wire is inserted into the exchange wire hole 166, the installer can simply push the exchange wire support 20 into the closed position. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, this operation can be performed by snapping the exchange wire support to a position on the mounting rail 24. This operation drives the exchange wire support 20 upward. In this position, the wires are pushed into contact with the exchange wire insulating cutting contact blades 170. The insulating cutting blade 170 cuts off the insulation on the wires to provide good electrical contact to the inner conductive core of each wire. Because of the flow characteristics of the medium, when the exchange wire support is moved from the open position to the closed position, the insulating medium simply displaces from the chamber 160 to the hole 166 during closure. Thus, despite the action of pushing up the exchange wire support 20 and the wires connected thereto, it is possible to avoid the formation of any space and / or the outflow of the medium that may allow the ingress of dust or contaminants from the surrounding environment, The volume of insulating medium in 160 remains substantially constant.

The medium is also retained in the chamber 150 upon connection and disconnection of service wires in the field. The service wire to be connected to the terminal block is inserted into the holes 56 through the porous seal 58 with the service wire support 50 in the first position shown in FIG. In this position, the wire can be easily inserted into the service wire support 50 while moving only a very moderate amount of insulation media. As shown in FIG. 5, in the first position, the portion of the wire access slot 14 below the hole 56 is shielded by the porous seal 58 and the flanged extension 60 of the support 50. Outflow of the insulating medium through the part is prevented. Once the wire is inserted into the service wire hole 56, the user of the terminal block rotates the terminal actuator 32 to drive the service wire support 50 downward by screwing the support member and the actuator 32. Let's do it. The medium is prevented from leaking through the central portion of the actuator by the plug 54. In addition, the actuator 32 is rotated until the support 50 is driven downward to the second position shown in FIG. In this position, the wires are pushed into contact with the insulating cutting contact blades 64, 66. Insulating cutting blades 64, 66 cut the insulation on the service wire to provide good electrical contact to the inner conductive core of each wire.

During movement of the service wire support 50 downward, that is, when it is moved from the first position shown in FIG. 5 to the second position shown in FIG. 6, the insulating medium inside the chamber 150 is connected to the service wire support 50. Flow around the side of the displacement of the chamber 150 from the bottom to the top. In this regard, the vertical channel 54 on the service wire support 50 to facilitate the flow of the insulating medium around the support member when the support is driven from the first position to the second position by the rotation of the actuator 32. (Shown well in FIG. 3) is provided. Thus, even when the service wire support 50 and the wires connected thereto are pushed downward, the formation of a chamber and / or the leakage of the medium which may allow the inflow of moisture or contaminants from the surrounding environment, and the chamber 150 The volume of the insulating medium in the shell can be kept substantially constant.

Unlike conventional terminal blocks, the terminal block once installed can be removed from the mounting rail and the exchange side wires can be removed while retaining the insulating medium in the terminal block.

As shown in Fig. 2, a tool such as a driver is used to remove the terminal block 10 from the mounting rail 24, and a force is applied to push the rear clip 30 away from the mounting rail. 30) can be removed from the mounting rail 24 and the entire terminal block can be lifted off the mounting rail.

As shown in Figure 5, once the terminal block is removed from the mounting rail, the exchange side wire can be removed and / or replaced. To remove the exchange side wire, a tool having a flat head, such as a driver, is inserted into the exchange side wire support actuator slot 164 to apply downward force to the exchange wire support 20. Downward pressure pushes the exchange wire support 20 to the open position to release the exchange wire from the exchange wire insulated cutting contact blade 170. Once released, the exchange wire can be removed from the terminal block. In addition, new exchange wires can be inserted into the exchange wire support to be installed as needed. As a result, the terminal block can be used repeatedly for the same or different installations while providing maximum flexibility.

The service side wire can be removed by reversing the terminal actuator movement. Reversing the rotation of the terminal actuator pushes the service wire support upwards, thereby separating the service wire from the first and second insulating cutting contact blades 64, 66. Once disconnected, the service wire can be pulled out of the terminal block housing as needed. In this way, service wires can be wired, removed and replaced as needed within the same terminal block.

Accordingly, the terminal block of the present invention provides a greatly improved protection from the environment, and it is possible to multi-connect and disconnect the exchange wire and the service wire to the terminal block without a large loss of insulation medium and a deterioration of protection from the environment. do. In addition, the present invention provides a terminal block that is simple to use, mechanically simple and does not exhibit failure after repeated connection and disconnection. In addition, the terminal block of the present invention provides not only a bridge module or protector module that conveniently and securely connects the service and exchange sides, but also a five-pronged access jack that is used in other modules as desired.

3 and 4, an enlarged side view showing easy manufacturability of the present invention is shown. As shown, each component of the terminal block in the housing 12 is moved and held in place in the housing insert 70 and the housing 12. Accordingly, the present invention provides the above features while at the same time providing the advantages of being able to be manufactured in a cost-saving manner and easily compatible with current manufacturing techniques.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described, the terminal block of the present invention can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, specially shaped housings, housing inserts, exchange wire supports, earth connections on mounting rails, and service wire supports may be modified for manufacturing reasons or other purposes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Also, although the present invention has been described with respect to insulated exchange and service side wires, the present invention can be used equally with non-insulated exchange or service wires. Changes or modifications of the above-described preferred embodiments can be easily carried out by those skilled in the art, and thus, the above description of the present invention is merely exemplary.

The present invention provides a modular telecommunications terminal block system comprising any number of individual terminal blocks that connect a service wire to a telephone exchange cable so that individual terminal blocks can be added or removed while maintaining the insulation medium in each terminal block as needed. to provide. Such media, such as greases or gels, provide resistance to moisture and other environmental factors that degrade the connection over time.

In a preferred embodiment, each individual terminal block of the modular telecommunication terminal block of the present invention uses a separate housing of dielectric material. Each individual terminal block is attached to a mounting rail and fixed in place, for example by a flexible clip integrally formed with the housing. Each housing forms a separate container for an insulating medium that flows into the chamber of the housing during wire connection and disconnection.

A connection to the exchange cable wire is formed on the exchange side of the housing and provided through the exchange wire support that is relatively movable relative to the housing. The connection to the next service wire is provided by a service wire support movably formed in a chamber in the housing, accessible from the service side opposite the housing.

More specifically, a pair of exchange wire access slots are provided on the housing to receive a pair of exchange wires. An exchange wire support is disposed in the chamber of the housing near the exchange wire access slots. The exchange wire support is movable between an open position and a closed position and receives each exchange wire into each exchange wire conduit. The exchange wire support is secured in place at the selected position by a retaining stub that slides into one of two retaining stub slots corresponding to its selected open or closed position.

When the exchange wire support is in the open position, the exchange wire conduits receive each exchange wire through the exchange wire access slots of the housing. The exchange wire support includes two slots that receive insulated through electrical contact blades. The insulator through contact blade is integrally formed with the exchange wire bond contact held in the slot of the access jack.

The terminal block is easily mounted on the mounting rail using a lip formed by the terminal block on the edge of the mounting rail near the service end. The exchange end of the terminal block is pushed to a position on the other edge of the mounting rail until the integrally flexible clip relative to the housing snaps into place. Thus, each end of the terminal block is fixed to the mounting rail.

When the exchange side is pushed onto the mounting rail, the exchange wire support portion is pushed upward by the pressure at the mounting rail and moved to the closed position. When the exchange wire support is moved to the closed position, the insulated through contact blades come into contact with the conductive portion of the exchange wire. As a result, the exchange wire is in conductive contact with the exchange wire bond contact in the slot of the access jack.

Once installed on the mounting rail, the service wire can be wired to the service side of the terminal block. When wired, each service wire is in conductive communication with a service wire bond contact held in a slot of an access jack. The link module is inserted into an access jack having two sets of contacts forming a conductive path between each service wire and the corresponding exchange wire. Each set of contacts can be accessed through "tee-in" ports on top of the link module.

The link module includes several types of plug-in units, including a bridge module that simply connects the service side to the switching side. Another embodiment includes a protector module that connects the service and exchange side when plugged into an access jack and includes a twin gas outlet and any junction contact. Each end of the twin gas discharge line is soldered to a set of contacts and an earth junction contact is conductively connected to the center of the gas discharge line.

Another embodiment of the link module is a two-way testing module. The two-way testing module includes a set of service wire testing contacts and a set of switched wire testing contacts. The cover of the two-way testing module includes a bayonet contact. The service wire and exchange wire testing contacts are each formed as a slot that holds the bayonet contact when the bayonet contact is inserted and connects the service side to the exchange side. The bayonet contact is automatically inserted into the testing contacts when the cover of the two-way testing module is closed. Thus, the exchange side is connected to the service side when the cover is closed. The two-way testing module is sealed with a gasket when the cover is closed. The gasket serves to protect its inner parts from the surrounding environment.

When the cover is opened, the exchange side is not connected to the service side and the service wire testing contacts and the exchange wire testing contacts are exposed on the gasket so that an alligator type or equivalent test connector is connected to the service wire test contact or the exchange wire test contact for testing. It can be easily connected.

Another example two-way testing module includes a protected two-way testing module that connects the service and exchange side when plugged into an access jack and includes a twin gas outlet and an earth junction contact. Each end of the twin gas discharge line is soldered to a set of contacts and an earth junction contact is conductively connected to the center of the gas discharge line.

When protector modules or protected two-way testing modules are used, the earth junction contacts need to be at earth potential. For this purpose, the mounting rail is connected to the earth during installation. Thus, the mounting rails provide the necessary earth connection points for each terminal block. When the terminal block is installed on the earth rail, the terminal block earth connector held in the exchange wire support is connected to the mounting rail earth connector. The terminal block earth connector is conductively connected to the earth junction contact held in the center slot of the access jack. Thus, when the protector module is plugged into the access jack, the earth junction contact enters the center slot of the access jack and connects the protector module to earth through the mounting rail. Among these many functions, the connection of the gas outlet and earth junction contacts is carried out with two sets of contacts, for example, to switch the voltage to earth in the event of a voltage spike on the conductive path between the service side and the exchange side. do.

A chamber is provided in the exchange wire support, which includes a link module and a service wire support for an insulating medium, such as a grease or gel, that is sprayed to surround the respective wire supports and contact sets and fill the wire engaging holes of the supports. The medium flows around the respective supports without spilling out of the housing during wire connection.

The service wire can be removed and reconnected multiple times through the service side holes and the service wire support.

The terminal block can be installed and removed as many times as necessary on the mounting rails while retaining the insulating medium. Removal from the mounting rails is accomplished by lifting the clip to release the terminal block from the mounting rails. No special tools are needed. Once removed, the exchange wire support is moved to the open position to remove the exchange wire. By this removal, the terminal block can be reused.

The feature of the terminal block of the present invention is a stable and easy to manufacture structure. Other features and advantages of the invention will be described again in the following detailed description of the invention.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved telecommunication terminal black having a significantly improved resistance to environmental factors such as moisture, chemicals and other contaminants while maintaining a relatively simple structure.

Claims (15)

A terminal block for connecting a telecommunication service wire and a telecommunication switching wire, Service wire connection means including a service wire contact member; Exchange wire connection means including an exchange wire contact member; And Connecting means for electrically connecting the service wire connection means and the exchange wire connection means, so that the first position and the service signal and the exchange signal which form a conductive path between the service wire connection means and the exchange wire connection means are independently tested. And a connecting means movable between the second positions for destroying the conductive paths. The terminal block of claim 1, wherein the connecting means further comprises a test lead hole for providing a signal test access to a conductive path formed between the service wire connecting means and the exchange wire connecting means in a first position. The method of claim 1, wherein the connecting means: A removable module having a service wire test member and a replacement wire test member; A module cover having a first open position and a second closed position; And A bonding contact fastened inside the module cover, Wherein the junction contact provides a conductive bridge between the service wire test member and the replacement wire test member when the cover is closed, and the conductive bridge is disconnected between the service wire and the replacement wire when the cover is opened to test And a lead can be connected to the service wire test member to test the service signal and a test lead can be connected to the exchange wire test member to test the exchange signal. The method of claim 3 wherein said connecting means is: A gas discharge conduit having a first end electrically connected to one of the service wire test member and the exchange side test member and a second end electrically connected to a ground junction contact providing a connection to ground; And Means for forming a conductive connection between the ground junction contact and ground when the gas outlet tube indicates that an excess voltage is generated on the conductive bridge such that the excess voltage flows through the gas outlet tube to ground. The terminal block according to claim 1, wherein the conductive bridge formed in the connecting means is sealed by a flowable insulating medium. A module terminal block detachably mounted to a mounting member, A housing having an access jack; Service wire connecting means including a service wire contact member accessible through the access jack, the service wire connecting means connecting the service wire in the housing; Mounting means for releasably mounting the terminal block to the mounting member; Means for connecting an exchange wire in response to the action of said mounting means, said exchange wire contact member being accessible through said access jack; And Means coupled with the access jack to connect the contact members such that a conductive path is formed between the service wire contact member and the exchange wire contact member. 7. The terminal block according to claim 6, wherein the connecting means includes a test lead hole providing access to a conductive path formed between the service wire and the exchange wire. 7. The service wire of claim 6, wherein the connecting means comprises a module having an integrally formed set of contacts including a service wire bond contact and an exchange wire bond contact, when the module is plugged into the access jack. And a conductive path formed between said integrally formed contact sets between said switch and a replacement wire. The method of claim 8, wherein the mounting rail is electrically connected to ground, the connecting means: A gas discharge conduit having a first end electrically connected to the integrally formed set of contacts and a second end electrically connected to a ground junction contact to provide a connection to ground; And And forming a conductive connection between the ground junction contact and a mounting rail electrically connected to ground, such that when excess voltage appears on the integrally formed set of contacts, the excess voltage is converted to ground through the gas discharge line. The method of claim 6, wherein the exchange wire connection means: An exchange wire support through which the exchange wire conduits pass; And A slot formed in the wire support extending across the conduit, wherein the exchange wire contact member has a slotted insulated cutting blade with a portion extending to the exchange wire support extending toward a slot in the conduit; Terminal block, which is a metal member formed in the jack. 11. A terminal block according to claim 10, wherein said exchange wire connection means is operated in a closed position when said terminal block is installed on a mounting rail. The method of claim 6 wherein said mounting means is: A front lip near the service wire connection means for fixing the front side of the terminal block to the mounting rail; And And a rear lip disposed near said exchange wire connection means for fixing the rear side of said terminal block to said mounting rail, said exchange wire connection means being closed when said rear side of said terminal block is mounted on said mounting rail. Block operated in the correct position. The method of claim 12 wherein said mounting means is: A ground connector guide formed integrally with the exchange wire support; A ground connector formed integrally with the ground ground junction contact disposed in the access jack and disposed in the ground connector guide; And And a mounting rail having a slot for receiving the ground connector guide and electrically connected to ground, wherein the ground connector is mounted by the ground connector guide when the rear side of the terminal block is installed on the mounting rail. Terminal block guided to the slot and connected to ground. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the service wire connection means comprises a first chamber, the exchange wire connection means comprises a second chamber and the connection means comprises a third chamber, and wherein the first, second and second 3 Chambers are terminal blocks filled with a flowable electrically insulating medium. A modular terminal block detachably attached to a mounting member, A housing having a chamber that holds a volume of fluid insulating medium, the housing including one or more wire access ports leading to the chamber; Service wire connection means in the housing including a wire support for activating movement of the wire support in the chamber in such a manner that a volume of fluid insulating medium is retained in the chamber during its movement; Exchange wire connection means; Means for providing a conductive path between the service wire and the exchange wire; And Means for releasably mounting the terminal block to a mounting member.

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