MXPA00002961A - Telephone subscriber line module - Google Patents

Abstract

A telephone subscriber module (30) allows a telephone subscriber to selectively interconnect a subscriber telephone line (42) with one ofa plurality of available telephone service provider lines (38). A base (32) has a first jack (54) configured to receive a plug connected to a subscriber telephone line. A second jack (60), electrically connected to the first jack, is configured to receive a plug connected to a selected one of a plurality of telephone service provider lines to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the subscriber telephone line and the selected telephone service provider line. The first jack may include a pair of electrical conductors extending outwardly therefrom and terminating in a plug (59). The plug (59) may be configured to be inserted within a jack adjacent to or remotely located from the first jack to establish an electrical communication connection between a service provider line electrically connected thereto and the subscriber line. A test device may be connected to the first jack for determining whether a fault exists within a selected one of the plurality of service provider lines.

Description

TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBER LINE MODULE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to telephone network interfaces and, more particularly, to subscriber line modules within telephone network interfaces for interconnecting a telephone service provider line with a telephone subscriber line.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A demarcation point, termed as a network interface device (NID), is typically provided between a line of telephone subscriber premises and an entry line of a telephone service provider. A device typically used in an NID to physically connect a telephone subscriber line with a telephone service line provider is referred to as a "subscriber line module" or "subscriber bridge". A subscriber line module typically includes a jack (jack) connected to the incoming telephone service provider line. A plug connected to the subscriber's telephone line is usually located nearby. When the plug of a subscriber line is inserted into the jack, an interconnection is made between the subscriber's telephone line and the incoming telephone service provider line. When the plug is removed from the jack, a demarcation point is established between them. The plug of a test device can be inserted into the jack to facilitate the determination of whether there is a fault in the line of the incoming telephone service provider. An illustrative subscriber line module having a cover is described in European Patent Application No. 0 633 704 A1. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) to give entry rights to alternate with telephone service providers. The likely impact of this legislation is that multiple telephone service provider lines will be available within one more NIDs located in the subscriber's premises lines so that a subscriber can select among alternate providers. In accordance with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it may be required to re-install an important NID in order to allow a subscriber to select between multiple telephone service provider lines and allow alternate service providers to access the service. installation of wiring of subscriber's premises lines. Since many NIDs include only an individual subscriber line module, the addition of extra subscriber line modules may be necessary. In addition, some form of testing of each of the available service provider lines is likely to be necessary.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a telephone subscriber with access to multiple lines of telephone service provider within a NID having only one subscriber line module. It is another object of the present invention to provide a telephone subscriber with access to multiple lines of telephone service provider without requiring to redo an important installation in the Syrian of a NID. It is yet another object of the present invention to facilitate testing of any of the multiple telephone service provider lines within a NID using only a subscriber line module. These and other objects are achieved, in accordance with the present invention, through a telephone subscriber module for interconnecting a telephone subscriber line with one of a plurality of available telephone service provider lines.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a telephone subscriber line module includes a base with a first jack mounted thereto. A second jack can be mounted to the base and is electrically connected to the first jack. The first jack has a cavity configured to receive a plug, which is connected to a telephone subscriber line. The second jack has a cavity configured to receive a plug, which is connected to a selected line of a plurality of telephone service provider lines to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line and the telephone service provider line. In addition, the cavity of the first jack is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device to facilitate testing of the telephone service provider line plugged into the second jack. In one embodiment, a protective sealant material, such as a gel, is disposed within each of the first and second jacks. In another aspect of the present invention, the telephone subscriber module includes a cover pivotally attached to the base and moving between an open position exposing the first and second jacks and a closed position covering the first and second jacks. A contact electrically connected to a telephone subscriber line is mounted on the cover. The cover contact is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity of the first jack when the cover is in a closed position to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line and the selected telephone service provider line. According to a further aspect of the present invention, a telephone subscriber line module includes a base with first and second jacks mounted thereto. The first jack has a cavity configured to receive a plug from a telephone subscriber line. The second jack has a cavity configured to receive a plug from a telephone service provider line. A first pair of electrical conductors is electrically connected to the first jack and extends outwardly therefrom. The first pair of electrical conductors ends in a first plug that is configured to be inserted into the second jack or into another jack remotely located from the first jack. A second pair of electrical conductors is electrically connected to the second jack and to a telephone service provider line. In this way, when a subscriber line is plugged into the first jack and when the first jack is inserted into the second jack, an electrical communication connection can be established between the telephone subscriber line and the telephone service provider line. When a telephone subscriber line is plugged into the first jack and when the first jack is inserted into a thirdly located jack, an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line and the electrically connected telephone service provider line can be established. to the third jack. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cavity of the first jack is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device, to facilitate testing of the selected telephone service provider line. For example, if the first plug is plugged into the second jack, the test device can test the telephone service provider line electrically connected to the second jack. If the first plug is plugged into a third jack, the test device can test the telephone service provider's line electrically connected to the third jack. The present invention is advantageous in that an individual telephone subscriber line module provides a telephone subscriber with access to some of the multiple available telephone service provider lines. In addition, even if only one subscriber line module is used, any of the selected service provider lines can be tested. The present invention provides a modular connection point allowing telephone subscribers to easily disconnect from one service provider and connect to another without having to make expensive installation at the network interface site and without requiring line modules. of additional subscriber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of an NID with its housing cover in an open position thus exposing a telephone subscriber module mounted thereon. Figure 2A is a perspective view of a modular subscriber line module and not packets. Figure 2B is a perspective view of a modular base of a subscriber line module. Figure 2C is a perspective view of a sealed electronic portion of a subscriber line module.

Figure 2D is a perspective view of a modular base of a subscriber line module with the sealed electronic portion of Figure 2C installed. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first mode of the non-packet subscriber line module of the present invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second mode of the non-packet subscriber line module of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention can be modalized in many different ways and should not be constructed as a limitation of the modalities established herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this description will be complete and thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Referring now to Figure 1, a telephone subscriber line module 10 is shown mounted within a NID enclosure 12. The illustrated NID enclosure 12 is commonly mounted to a pole or to the external wall of a telephone subscriber's premises . The NID 12 enclosure customarily and illustratively includes a base section 14 which is secured in a conventional manner to a subscriber's premises, and to which a telephone subscriber line module is attached. The telephone service provider lines 15 enters the NID enclosure as shown and is connected to the telephone line 17 of a subscriber's premises through a subscriber line module 10. The NID enclosure 12 customarily and illustratively includes external and internal lockable door members 16, 18, which pivot relative to the base section of enclosure 14 between the open and closed positions. A plurality of hook-shaped members 18 'is located on the inner door 18. A telephone subscriber can access the subscriber components within the NID enclosure 12 by unlocking and opening the external door 16, but can not access the components of the NID telephone service provider as these are covered by the internal door 18 that can only be unlocked by the service provider. The subscriber line modules configured in accordance with the various aspects of the present invention can be mounted within the various types of NID enclosures, and are not limited to the NID enclosure illustrated in Figure 1. Referring now to the Figure 2A, a telephone subscriber line module 30 is illustrated, according to the embodiment of the modular base of the present invention. The telephone subscriber line module 30 illustrated includes a generally rectangular base 32 having first and second end portions 32a and 32b, respectively. The end portion 32a includes a telephone jack 34 mounted thereon. The jack 34 has a cavity 36 configured to removably receive a telephone line plug. Typically, jack 34 is an RJ11 jack and the telephone line jack that will be removably inserted with it is an RJ11 jack. However, as understood by those skilled in the art, other types of plugs and jacks, such as RJ45 plugs and jacks, can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The jack 31 is provided with a pair of electrical conductors 38 for electrically connecting the jack to a telephone service provider line. The end portion 32b includes a pair of tabs 33a and 33b extending from the base 32 in a separate relationship, generally parallel, as illustrated. The base 32 has a modular configuration that allows the addition of several modules. In the illustrated embodiment, an average portion 35 of the base 35 includes a flange having a cavity 37 therein. The cavity 37 is configured to receive a telephone jack, such as an RJ11 jack. The telephone subscriber line module 30 illustrated also includes a cover 40 pivotally attached to the base 32 between the opposite tabs 33a and 33b. The cover 40 can be moved between an open position exposing the jack 34 and a closed position covering the jack 34. The cover 40 includes a plurality of connectors 44, to which a respective telephone line 42 within the premises of a subscriber is electrically connected The cover 40 also includes a plug 46 mounted thereto as illustrated in Figure 2A. The cover contact 46 is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity 36 of the jack 34 when the cover is in a closed position. When the cover 40 is moved to an open position, the cover contact 46 is decoupled from the inside of the jack 34. The cover contact 46 and the connector 44 are electrically connected so that when the cover 40 is in a closed position, an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 42 and the telephone service provider line electrically connected to the jack 34. Also, when the cover 40 is in an open position, a plug of a test device can be inserted within the cavity 36 of jack 34 to determine if there is a fault within the telephone service provider line. Figures 2B-2D illustrate various aspects of the modular subscriber line module of the present invention. Figure 2B is a perspective view of a modular base of a subscriber line module. The base can be wired allowing modular connection to any female RJ jack. Figure 2C is a perspective view of a sealed electronic portion of a subscriber line module. The illustrated portion may reside below a subscriber bridge and is designed to be fixed in place. Figure 2D is a perspective view of a modular base of a subscriber line module with the sealed electronic portion of Figure 2C installed. Referring now to Figure 3, a telephone subscriber line module 50 is illustrated according to a non-packet provider appearance mode of the present invention. The telephone subscriber line module 50 illustrated includes a base 52 having first and second opposite end portions 52a and 52b, respectively. The end portion 52a includes a first telephone jack 54 mounted thereto. The first jack 54 has a cavity 56 configured to removably receive a telephone line plug. Preferably, the first jack is an RJ11 jack and its cavity 56 is configured to removably receive an RJ11 plug therewith. Extending from the first jack 54 is a pair of electrical conductors 58, which end in a first socket 59 for electrically connecting the first jack 54 with a telephone service provider line, either through a second jack 60 placed adjacent to the first jack or through a third jack 74 remotely placed from the telephone subscriber line module 50, as described below in detail. The end portion 52b includes a pair of tabs 53a and 53b extending from the base 52 in a separate, generally parallel relationship, as illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, a second jack 60 is mounted to the base 52 and has a cavity 62 configured to receive a telephone jack with it. The jack 60 is mounted on a middle portion of the modular base 52 as previously described with reference to Figure 2A. Preferably, the second jack 60 is an RJ11 jack and its cavity 62 is configured to removably receive an RJ11 plug therewith. A second pair of electrical conductors 64 electrically connects the second jack 60 to a first telephone service provider line. The telephone subscriber line module 50 also includes a cover 66 pivotally attached to the base 52 between opposite tabs 53a and 53b. The cover 66 can be moved between an open position exposing the first and second jacks 54 and 60, and a closed position covering the first and second jacks 54 and 60. The cover 66 includes a connector 68 to which a telephone line 69 is electrically connected within the premises of a subscriber. As illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 3, a plurality of connectors 68 are placed on the cover 66 allowing a connection to a plurality of telephone lines 69. The cover 66 also includes a contact 70 mounted thereto, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 3. The cover contact 70 is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity 56 of the first jack 54 when the cover 66 is in a closed position. When the cover 66 moves to an open position, the cover contact 70 is configured to be uncoupled from the interior of the cavity 56 of the first jack 54. The cover contact 70 and the connector 68 are electrically connected, so that the cover 66 is in a closed position, and when the plug 59 is inserted into the cavity 62 of the second jack 60, an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 69 and the first line of telephone service provider 64 electrically connected to the second jack 60. The configuration of the telephone subscriber line module 50 i nluusstirraadaaa eenn l laa F Migguurraa 3 ,, ppeerrmmiittee that aabooonnaad or tteel? eeftóonni? cco easily be interconnected with any of a plurality of telephone service provider line . For example, in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 3, the second jack 62 is electrically connected to a first telephone service provider line 64. When the first plug 59 is inserted into the second jack 60, and when the cover 66 is in a closed position, the cover contact 70 is inserted into the first jack 54 to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line 69 and the first telephone service provider line 64. However, upon disconnecting the first plug 59 of the second jack 60 and when inserting the first plug 59 in a third jack 74, an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 69 and the second line of telephone service provider 76 electrically connected to the third jack 74 when the cover 66 is in a closed position. The third jack 74 can be located within the same NID qu <; it contains the telephone subscriber line module 50, or it can be inside a NID located far away from it. Preferably, the pair of electrical conductors 58 electrically connected to the first jack 54 are configured to extend outwardly from the telephone subscriber module 50, so that the first plug 59 can be inserted into a cavity of any jack located very close to the telephone subscriber module. Referring now to Figure 4, a telephone subscriber line module 80 is illustrated according to another embodiment of the non-packet provider aspect of the present invention. The telephone subscriber line module 80 includes a base 82 having first and second opposite portions 82a and 82b, respectively. The end portion 82a includes a first telephone jack 84 mounted thereto. The first jack 84 has a cavity 86 configured to removably receive a telephone line plug. Preferably, the first jack 84 is an RJ11 jack and its cavity 86 is configured to removably receive an RJ11 plug therewith. A second jack 88 is mounted to the base 82 adjacent the first jack 84, as previously illustrated and described with respect to the modular base aspect of the present invention. Preferably, the second jack 88 is an RJ11 jack and its cavity 89 is configured to removably receive an RJ11 plug therewith. The first and second jacks 84 and 88 are electrically connected together through a pair of electrical conductors 90. The end portion 82b includes a pair of tabs 83a and 83b extending away from the base 82 in a separate, generally parallel relationship, as shown in FIG. illustrate The telephone subscriber module 80 illustrated also includes a cover 90 pivotally attached to the base 82 between opposite tabs 83a and 83b. The cover 90 can move between an open position exposing the first and second jacks 84 and 88, and a closed position covering the first and second jacks 84 and jacks 88. The cover 90 includes a connector 92 to which a line is electrically connected. telephone 94 from inside a subscriber's premises. As illustrated in Figure 4, a plurality of insulation displacement connectors 92 is provided to connect to a plurality of telephone lines 94. The cover 90 also includes a contact 96 mounted thereto as illustrated in Figure 4. The cover contact 96 is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity 86 of the first jack 84 when the cover 90 is in a closed position. When the cover 90 moves to an open position, the cover contact 96 is configured to be decoupled from the cavity 86 of the first jack 84. The cover contact 96 and the connector 92 are electrically connected so that when the cover 90 is in a closed position, an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 94 and a telephone service provider line inserted into the cavity 89 of the second jack 88. The configuration of the telephone subscriber line module illustrated in FIG. Figure 4 allows a telephone subscriber to easily interconnect with any of a plurality of telephone service provider lines near the telephone subscriber line module 80. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 4, two provider lines are illustrated. of incoming telephone service 100 and 102. Lines of incoming telephone service provider 10 0 and 102 terminate at plugs 104 and 106, respectively, each of which are configured to be removably inserted into the cavity 89 of the second jack 88. Thus, when the cover 90 is in a closed position, a connection of electrical communication between the telephone subscriber line 94 and the selected telephone service provider line plugged into the second jack 88. It should be understood that the various aspects of the present invention can be realized using telephone subscriber line modules that do not have a cover contact configured to be inserted into the cavity of a jack mounted to the telephone subscriber module. For example, in relation to the aspect of the present invention illustrated in Figure 3, the telephone line 69 within the premises of a telephone subscriber may end in a socket, which is configured to be inserted into the cavity 56 of the first jack 54. When a telephone line 69 of the premises of the subscriber is electrically connected to the first jack 54 via a plug inserted into the cavity 56 of the first jack, an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 69 and the telephone provider line. telephone service electrically connected to the pair of conductors 58 extending from the first jack 54. In this configuration, the cover 66 serves only as a protective function and does not establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line 69 and the telephone provider line. telephone service electrically connected to the pair of conductors 58. With regard to the modality of the present invention illustrated in Figure 4, the telephone line 94 within the subscriber premises can be electrically connected to the first jack 84 via a plug inserted into the cavity 86 of the first jack. Then an electrical communication connection is established between the telephone subscriber line 94 and the telephone service provider line plugged into the second jack 88. In this configuration, the cover 99 only serves as a protective function and does not establish an electrical communication connection. between the telephone subscriber line 94 and the telephone service provider line electrically connected to the second jack 88. For each of the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, when the cover is in an open position, it is establishes a demarcation between the telephone line within the premises of a telephone subscriber and a telephone service provider line. The plug of a test device can be inserted into the cavity of the first jack 54, 84 of each of the respective modes to determine if there is a fault in a telephone service provider line electrically connected to each subscriber line module telephone number. Furthermore, for each of the embodiments of the present invention, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, it is preferable that a protective sealant material be disposed within the cavity of each jack mounted to the respective telephone subscriber line module. A particularly preferred embodiment is a gel such as a silicone, polyurethane or thermoplastic elastomer, and can be used as generally described in US Patents. Nos. 4,634,207 and / or 4,864,725, the descriptions of which are incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not constructed as limiting thereof. Although some illustrative embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all these modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the specific embodiments described, and that the modifications of the described modes, as well as other modalities, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with their equivalents included therein.

Claims (22)

1. - A telephone subscriber module (80) for interconnecting a telephone subscriber line (94) with one of a plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (100, 102), the telephone subscriber module (80) comprising: a base (82); a first RJ jack (84) mounted to the base, wherein the first RJ jack (84) comprises a first cavity (86) configured to receive an RJ plug; a second RJ jack (88) mounted to the base (82) in a separate relationship with the first RJ jack (84), wherein the second RJ jack (88) comprises a second cavity (89) configured to receive an RJ plug from one of a plurality of telephone service provider lines (100, 102), and wherein the second RJ jack (88) is electrically connected to the first RJ jack (84); and a cover (90) pivotally attached to the base (82) and movable between an open position exposing the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88) and a closed position covering the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88). ), wherein the cover (90) comprises a contact (96) electrically connected to the telephone subscriber line (94), and wherein the cover contact (96) is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity of the first jack RJ (86) when the cover (90) is in the closed position to establish electrical communications between the telephone subscriber line (94) and one of a plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (100, 102) having a plug RJ inserted into the cavity of the second jack (89).

2. A telephone subscriber module (80) according to claim 1, wherein the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88) are RJ-11 jacks.

3. A telephone subscriber module (80) according to claim 1, wherein a protective sealant material is disposed within at least one of the first and second jacks RJ (84, 88).

4. A telephone subscriber module (80) according to claim 3, wherein said protective sealant material is a gel.

5. A telephone subscriber module (80) according to claim 1, wherein the first jack cavity (86) is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device to facilitate the testing of a telephone line. telephone service provider having a plug inserted into the second jack cavity (89).

6. A telephone subscriber module (50) for interconnecting a telephone subscriber line (69) with one of a plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (64, 76), comprising: a base (52); first and second jacks (54, 60) mounted on said base (52) in a separate relation, the first jack (54) having a cavity (56) configured to receive a plug from the telephone subscriber line (69), the second jack (60) having a cavity (62) configured to receive a plug from one of said plurality of telephone service provider lines (64, 76); a first pair of electrical conductors (58) electrically connected to the first jack (54) and ending in a first plug (59) configured to be inserted into the second jack cavity (62); and a second pair of electrical conductors (64) electrically connected to the second jack (60) and a telephone service provider line to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line (69) and the service provider line telephone (64) when the first plug is inserted into the second jack cavity (62).

7. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 6, wherein the first pair of electrical conductors (58) is configured to extend outwardly from said telephone subscriber module (50) so that the first plug (59) can be inserted into a cavity of a third jack (74) located remotely from the telephone subscriber module (50) to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line (69) and a provider line telephone service (76) electrically connected to the third jack (74) when the first plug (59) is inserted into the cavity of the third jack (74).

8. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 6, wherein the cavity of the first jack (54) is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device to facilitate testing of a telephone service provider line electrically connected to the second jack (60) and a provider line telephone service (76) electrically connected to the third jack (74).

9. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 6, further comprising a cover (66) pivotally attached to the base (52) and moving between an open position exposing the first and second jacks (54). , 60) and a closed position covering the first and second jacks (54, 60).

10. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 9, further comprising a contact (70) mounted on said cover (66), the contact (70) being electrically connected to the telephone subscriber line (69). ), the cover contact (70) configured to be removably inserted into the first jack (54) when the cover (66) is in the closed position to thereby establish electrical communications between the telephone subscriber line (69) and one of a plurality of telephone service provider lines (64, 76).

11. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 6, wherein a protective sealant material is disposed within at least one of the first and second jacks (54, 60).

12. A telephone subscriber module (50) according to claim 6, wherein the protective sealant material is a gel.

13.- A telephone network interface device, comprising: a housing (12); a telephone subscriber module (50) removably mounted within said housing (12) for interconnecting a telephone subscriber line (69) with one of a plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (64, 76); Telephone subscriber (50) comprises: a base (52); first and second jacks (54, 60) mounted on the base (52) in a separate relation, the first jack (54) having a cavity (56) configured to receive a plug from the telephone subscriber line (69), the second jack (60) having a cavity (62) configured to receive a plug from one of said plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (64, 76); a first pair of electrical conductors (58) electrically connected to the first jack (54) and ending in a first socket (59) configured to be inserted into the cavity (62) of the second jack; and a second pair of electrical conductors (64) electrically connected to the second jack (60) and to a telephone service provider line to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line (69) and the telephone service line ( 64) when the first plug is inserted into the cavity (62) of the second jack.

14. A telephone network interface device according to claim 13, wherein the first pair of electrical conductors (58) is configured to extend outwardly from the telephone subscriber module (50) so that the first plug ( 59) can be inserted into a third jack (74) remotely located from the telephone subscriber module (50) to thereby establish an electrical communication connection between the telephone subscriber line (69) and a telephone service provider line (76). ) electrically connected to the third jack (74) when the first plug (59) is inserted into the cavity of the third jack (74).

15. A telephone network interface device according to claim 13, wherein the first jack (54) is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device to facilitate testing of a telephone service provider line ( 64) electrically connected to the second jack (60) and a telephone service provider line (76) electrically connected to the third jack (74).

16. A telephone network interface device according to claim 14, further comprising a cover (66) pivotally attached to the base (52) and movable between an open position exposing the first and second jacks (54). , 60) and a closed position covering the first and second jacks (54, 60).

17. - A telephone network interface device according to claim 16, further comprising a contact (70) mounted to said cover (66), the contact (70) being electrically connected to the telephone subscriber line (69), the cover contact (70) configured to be removably inserted into the first jack (54) when the cover (66) is in the closed position to thereby establish electrical communications between the telephone subscriber line (69) and one of said plurality of lines of telephone service provider (64, 76).

18.- A telephone network interface device, comprising: a housing (12); and a telephone subscriber module (80) removably mounted within the housing (12) for interconnecting a telephone subscriber line (94) with one of a plurality of incoming telephone service provider lines (100, 102); telephone subscriber (80) comprises: a base (82); a first RJ jack (84) mounted to the base, wherein the first RJ jack (84) comprises a first cavity (86) configured to receive an RJ plug; a second RJ jack (88) mounted to the base (82) in a separate relationship with the first RJ jack (84), wherein the second RJ jack (88) comprises a second cavity (89) configured to receive a RJ plug to starting from one of said plurality of telephone service provider lines (100, 102) and wherein the second RJ jack (88) is electrically connected to the first RJ jack (84); and a cover (90) pivotally attached to the base (82) and movable between an open position exposing the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88) and a closed position covering the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88). ), wherein the cover (90) comprises a contact (96) electrically connected to the telephone subscriber line (94), and wherein the cover contact (96) is configured to be removably inserted into the cavity (86) of the first RJ jack when the cover (90) is in the closed position to establish electrical communications between the telephone subscriber line (94) and one of said plurality of telephone service provider lines (100, 102) having an inserted RJ plug inside the second cavity (89) of the RJ jack.

19. A telephone network interface device according to claim 18, wherein the first and second RJ jacks (84, 88) are RJ-11 jacks.

20. A telephone network interface device according to claim 18, wherein a protective sealant material is disposed within at least one of the first and second jacks RJ (84, 88).

21. A telephone network interface device according to claim 20, wherein the protective sealant material is a gel.

22. - A telephone network interface device according to claim 18, wherein said cavity (86) of the first jack (84) is configured to removably receive a plug from a test device to facilitate the testing of a vendor line telephone service having a plug inserted into the second cavity (89) of the jack.