NZ573985A - Telecommunications module plug with rotating shutter and drip point - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a telecommunications module (200) with improved protection and ease of disassembly for cleaning and maintenance. The module comprises: a casing (230), a signal conductor, and a rotating shutter (204). The casing has an internal cavity and an opening which passes into the cavity, the opening and cavity to receive a plug. The shutter is coupled to the casing and rotates between open and closed, where the front face of the shutter covers the opening when closed. The conductor is within the casing and connects to wiring and the plug to transmit signals. The casing is formed from releasably engageable components around the conductor and shutter. The casing has a drip point (212) to provide a location for the discharge of accumulated liquid.

Description

Received at IPONZ 20 January 2011 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No: 573985 Date: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION AN ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION ADAPTER We, MODEMPAK LIMITED, a duly incorporated company under the laws of New Zealand of 417A Church Street, Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to electrical sockets for use in walls, ducting or similar, and in particular to electrical sockets for telephone or data cables, and shutter mechanisms for use with these electrical sockets.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART It is usual in the telecommunications industry to connect devices such as telephones or PC modems to the local area network or the wider networks via a cable or cables. Usually one or both ends of the cables are fitted with a connector or a plug (male portion), which is mated with a corresponding socket (female portion) located in e.g. an office wall, cable ducting, PC port, or similar. This arrangement allows a degree of flexibility when setting up an office or home layout. For example, cables of differing lengths can be used to connect e.g. telephones and PC's to outlet sockets, so that the location of equipment can be changed or set up to an individual users requirements. An example of a widely-used plug for both telephone and data cables is the British Telecom 631A plug, shown in Figure 1. This is a 6-pin plug that is widely used for telephone or data cables, and is frequently used in conjunction with a socket and socket assembly of the type shown in Figure 2a, 2b, 2c, or 3.

The 631A plug, along with the similar 431 A, and the RJ11, RJ14 and RJ25 are all examples of'registered jacks'. That is, a standardised physical interface for connecting telecommunications equipment - most commonly, a telephone jack.

Telephone jacks form one half of a modular connector. Modular connectors as used in the 'jack' system are well specified, to enable manufacturers of disparate devices to ensure that the connection interfaces will work with items produced by other manufacturers.

The male connector in a modular connector is called a plug, while the female connector is called a jack or a socket.

One problem that can occur with devices of these types is providing an adequate degree of protection for the socket. The sockets are normally recessed, and can be difficult to access for cleaning or maintenance, especially if this requires disassembling a socket assembly. It is therefore desirable to protect the socket as much as possible, and prevent dirt, moisture, or similar entering the socket when it is not in use.

One widely-used solution to this problem is to fit a vertical shutter at the front of the socket. An example of this type of arrangement is disclosed in US 4,624,516, and another example is shown in Figures 2c and 3. The shutter can be fitted as part of the socket assembly, or it can be fitted to a faceplate that covers the front of the socket. An example of the faceplate arrangement is shown in Figure 3. The shutter can be spring loaded, so that it is biased towards the closed position. Normally, the shutter is also fitted with a lip, located at the lower edge of the shutter. When a user wishes to plug a device into the socket, the shutter is moved or scrolled out of the way using the lip, with the shutter pushed (usually upwards) against the spring loading.

An alternative solution is shown in WO 05/025007. The disclosure of this specification shows and describes a socket that is protected by a set of three pivoting shutters, located side by side across the front of the socket. When an appliance is plugged into the socket, these shutters pivot backwards into the socket assembly around an axis generally defined by the lower front edge of the socket, so that the plug can be pushed into the socket. The shutters are spring-loaded, so that when the plug is removed from the socket, they will pivot back to a substantially vertical position, blocking the front of the socket and preventing dirt or other foreign matter entering the socket.

One other problem with socket assemblies of the type described above is that of creating a socket assembly which can be taken apart easily, either for maintenance or repair, or for adding different elements with different uses - e.g. a 4-pin socket in place of a 6-pin socket, or similar. It is common for the individual components to be connected using rigid clip hooks that locate into corresponding recesses. Keystone Electronics Corp. manufacture a socket assembly - the Keystone module - which has become one of the main industry standard socket assemblies. The Keystone wall jack is widely used in residential and business environments. The assembly consists of a modular face plate to which jacks or sockets are mounted. The jacks or sockets include at least one flexible clip hook located on one side of the socket assembly. These flexible clip hooks locate into recesses to hold the socket assembly in position, but can be bent or flexed in order to release the hook from the corresponding recess. This allows components to be easily removed and replaced. An example of a Keystone socket assembly that includes both flexible clip hooks 28 and rigid clip hooks 27 is shown in Figure 4. The Keystone socket has an overall length of approximately 30mm, with a total height of approximately 23mm from the tip of one clip e.g. clip 27 to the _4- tip of the other e.g. clip 28. The overall width of the socket is approximately 14.5mm. The vertical rear faces of each of the clips 27, 28 are set back a distance of 8mm from the front face of the Keystone socket.

As outlined above, sockets of this type are normally located in cable ducting, wall cavities, or similar. It is also common to have several sockets co-located in the same area. It is therefore desirable to minimise as far as practicable the space taken up by the socket assemblies, and also to minimise the amount of space required for a shutter assembly to operate.

Furthermore, there are several different type of cable and connectors that are typically used for telephones, data cables, etc. For example, the 4-pin and 6-pin plugs referred to above, and the RJ11, RJ14, RJ25 registered jacks referred to above. There are also several different casing designs which are available. Depending on the manufacturer and the intended use, the outer casings can have different dimensions or shapes. Different sockets may, for example, have rigid or flexible clips on their outer surfaces, or a combination of both rigid and flexible clips, as in the Keystone example. It would be useful to provide a user with a socket assembly that as far as possible allows different common components (e.g. those from different manufacturers) to be changed over as required, for example swapping different sockets into the same casing. This would minimise the overall number of components needed.

A further problem that can occur is that of having sufficient room to fit all the components behind ducting, or in a limited amount of space. It would be useful for a user who may be attempting to design a layout with a limited amount of room to have available an alternative arrangement to the vertical shutter or pivoting shutter layouts described above.

It should be noted that in this specification, where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

In a first aspect the invention consists in a telecommunications module comprising: a housing with an internal cavity sized to receive a telecommunications plug, a signal conductor housed within the housing and configured to electrically connect to telecommunications wiring, the signal conductors adapted to form an electrical connection with the telecommunications plug and transmit telecommunications signals between the plug and the wiring, a rotating shutter coupled to the casing and configured to rotate between an open and a closed position, in the closed position a face of the shutter covering an opening of the internal cavity, the shutter rotating about an axis located remote of the face, the housing engaging releasably around the signal conductor and the shutter. In a further aspect the housing comprises a plurality of components coupled together by reciprocal snap fit engagements.

In a further aspect the snap fit engagement is a hook and recess engagement. In a further aspect the telecommunications module further includes a drip hood, the drip hood covering an interface between the signal conductor and the telecommunications wiring.

In a further aspect the drip hood is integrated with two liquid dispersal points. In a further aspect the dispersal points are located on opposing sides of the module and are spaced equidistant from the drip hood.

In a further aspect the liquid dispersal points are located at the lowest point on the socket housing.

In a further aspect the drip hood has a deflection lip located proximate said interface.

In a further aspect the shutter retracts within the housing when in the open position. In a further aspect the signal conductor comprises a contacting pin and a plurality of insulation displacement connectors integrated as a single uninterrupted homogeneous component.

In another aspect the invention consist in a telecommunications module comprising: a housing with an internal cavity sized to receive a telecommunications plug, a signal conductor housed within the housing and configured to electrically connect to telecommunications wiring, the signal conductors adapted to form an electrical connection with the telecommunications plug and transmit telecommunications signals between the plug and the wiring, a shutter coupled to the housing and covering an opening to the internal cavity when in a closed position, a drip hood and drip point connected to the housing, the drip hood covering an interface between the signal conductor and the telecommunications wiring and the drip point providing a location for dispersing liquid that accumulates on the drip hood, the housing engaging releasably around the signal conductor and the shutter. In a further aspect the housing comprises a plurality of components coupled together by reciprocal snap fit engagements.

In a further aspect the snap fit engagement is a hook and recess engagement. In a further aspect the module includes two drip points located on opposite side of the housing and spaced equidistance from the drip hood.

In a further aspect the drip points are located at the lowest point on the housing. In a further aspect the drip hood has a deflection lip located proximate said interface. In a further aspect the shutter retracts within the housing when in an open position. In a further aspect the signal conductor comprises a contacting pin and a plurality of insulation displacement connectors integrated as a single uninterrupted homogeneous component.

In another aspect the invention consists in a modular telecommunications socket assembly comprising: i. a socket with: a. a pair of integrated signal conductors, each signal conductor having a contacting pin and a plurality of insulation displacement connectors, b. a front housing with an internal cavity configured to receive a telecommunications plug, the contacting pins located proximate an upper surface of the internal cavity, b. a rear housing with a plurality of slotted protrusions, the protrusions housing the insulation displacement connectors, the front and rear housings releasably engaged around the signal conductors to form the socket, ii. a socket casing with: a. an upper housing fitted over the socket and including a drip hood and two drip points, the drip hood extending over the rear housing protrusions and connecting with the drip points which provide a location for liquid accumulated on the drip hood to disperse, b. a lower housing fitted under the socket and releasably connected to the upper housing, the socket casing releasably engaging around the socket, and iii. a rotating shutter coupled to the casing and configured to rotate between an open and a closed position, in the closed position a face of the shutter covering the aperture, the shutter rotating about an axis located remote of the face.

In a further aspect the front and rear housings are coupled together by reciprocal snap fit engagements.

In a further aspect the upper and lower housings are coupled together around the socket by reciprocal snap fit engagements.

In a further aspect the socket includes an aligning recess and the socket casing includes an aligning protrusion, the aligning recess receiving the aligning protrusion to locate the socket relative to socket casing.

In a further aspect the snap fit engagement is a hook and recess engagement. In a further aspect the socket assembly can be disassembled into individual components.

In another aspect the invention consists in a telecommunications socket casing for covering a telecommunications socket comprising a drip protection hood and a liquid dispersal point, the drip protection hood covering an interface between the telecommunication socket and associated telecommunications wiring connected to the socket, the drip hood integrated with a liquid dispersal point for dispersing liquid that accumulates on the drip protection hood.

In a further aspect the casing comprises two liquid dispersal points located on opposing side of the socket assembly and spaced equidistant from the drip hood.

In a further aspect the liquid dispersal points extend below the socket such that liquid is dispersed away from the socket.

In a further aspect the liquid dispersal points are located at the lowest point on the socket casing.

In a further aspect the drip protection hood has a deflection lip located proximate said interface, the deflection lip deflecting liquid away from said interface toward the deflection points.

In a further aspect the drip hood is located behind a fascia or wall when the socket casing is installed.

In another aspect the invention consists in a telecommunications module comprising: a pair of integrated signal conductors, each signal conductor having a contacting pin configured to abut with a telecommunications plug and an insulation displacement connector configured to engage an insulated telecommunications wire to form an electrical connection, the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector integrated in a single uninterrupted homogeneous component that provides an electrical pathway between the plug and the wire, a housing enclosing the signal conductors, the housing having an internal cavity sized to receive a telecommunications plug and a plurality of slots located in the rear of the housing, the contacting pin of each signal conductor located proximate an upper surface of the cavity and the respective insulation displacement connectors located proximate the slots, each slot sized to receive a telecommunication wire, a shutter, the shutter covering an opening of the internal cavity when in a closed position and retracting within the housing when in a open position to allow a telecommunications plug to be inserted into the cavity.

In a further aspect the telecommunications module further includes a drip hood, the drip hood covering an interface between the signal conductor and the telecommunications wire.

In a further aspect the drip hood is integrated with two drip points.

In a further aspect the drip points are located on opposing sides of the module and are spaced equidistant from the drip hood.

In a farther aspect the drip points are located at the lowest point on the socket housing.

In a further aspect the drip hood has a deflection lip located proximate said interface.

In a further aspect the shutter is rotationally coupled to the housing and rotates about an axis located remote of the front face.

In another aspect the invention consists in integrated telecommunications signal conductor for transmitting a telecommunication signal comprising: a) a resiliently deformable contacting pin adapted to abut a complimentary conducting strip located on a telecommunications plug to form an electrical connection between the contacting pin and the plug suitable for transmitting a telecommunications signal, and b) at least one insulation displacement connector adapted to receive a conductor enclosed by an electrical insulator, displace a localised section of the electrical insulator to expose a corresponding localised section of the conductor and form an electrical connection with the conductor, wherein the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector are integrated in a single uninterrupted homogeneous component that provides an electrical pathway between the plug and the conductor.

In a further aspect the signal conductor is fabricated from a corrosion resistant material.

In a further aspect the signal conductor includes a plurality of insulation displacement connectors integrated with a single contacting pin to permit bridging between telecommunications sockets, each insulation displacement connector configured to receive a single insulated conductor.

In a further aspect the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector project from a centrally located supporting member.

In a further aspect the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector project from the supporting member in geometrically opposing directions.

In a further aspect the contacting pin projects from the supporting member at a first location and the insulation displacement connector projects from the supporting member at a second location, the first location being separated spatially from the second location by a distance transverse to said geometrically opposing directions.

In a further aspect the contacting pin is an arcuate member which projects forward from a base located on the supporting member and is supported at a forward position by a front socket housing adapted to receive the telecommunications plug.

In a further aspect the action of the telecommunications plug abutting with the contacting pin causes the contacting pin to deflect toward a straightened position defined by a chord between the base of the contacting pin and the forward position support.

In a further aspect the insulation displacement connector comprises two prongs projecting from a common base, the prongs converging over at least a portion of their length.

In a further aspect the insulation displacement connector is configured for use with a specific gauge of insulated conductor, the separation between the prongs being less than a diameter of the insulated conductor at a section remote from the base.

In a further aspect the prongs diverge for a portion of their length subsequent to converging, the diverging portion permitting orientation and insertion of the conductor.

In a further aspect the base of the insulation displacement connector is integrated with a stanchion, the stanchion located remotely of the supporting member and supporting a first additional insulation displacement connector located adjacent the original insulation displacement connector and remote of the supporting member.

In a further aspect a second additional insulation displacement connector is integrated with the stanchion and located adjacent the first additional insulation displacement connector.

In a further aspect the orientation of the first and second additional insulation displacement connectors relative to the contacting pin is the same as the orientation of the original insulation displacement connector.

In another embodiment the invention consists in an integrated telecommunications signal conductor for use transmitting a telecommunications signal comprising: a) an elastically deformable contacting pin formed from a conductive material as a single uninterrupted homogeneous component, the contacting pin adapted to abut a complimentary conducting strip located on a telecommunications plug to form an electrical connection between the contacting pin and the plug, the electrical connection being suitable for transmitting the telecommunications signals, and b) an array of electrically coupled insulation displacement connectors formed from conductive material as a single uninterrupted homogeneous component, each insulation displacement connector being adapted to receive a conductor enclosed by an electrical insulator, displace a localised section of the electrical insulator to expose a corresponding localised section of the conductor and form an electrical connection with the exposed section of the conductor, the insulation displacement connector array including a connector part adapted to engage with a complimentary connector part located on the contacting pin to physically and electrically couple the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector array and form an electrical pathway between the plug and the conductors.

In a further aspect the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector array are formed from a corrosion resistant material.

In a further aspect each insulation displacement connector is integrated with a bracket which couples adjacent insulation displacement connectors In a further aspect the insulation displacement connector array connector part is an aperture and the contacting pin connector part is an arcuate member, the aperture and the arcuate member configured to engage and retain the insulation displacement connector array and the contacting pin in contact.

In a further aspect the contacting pin and the insulation displacement connector project in geometrically opposing directions.

In a further aspect the insulation displacement connectors electrically coupled in the array each comprise two prongs projecting from a common base, the prongs converging over at least a portion of their length.

In a further aspect the insulation displacement connector is configured for use with a specific gauge of insulated conductor, the separation between the prongs being less than a diameter of the insulated conductor at a section remote from the base.

In a further aspect the prongs diverge for a portion of their length subsequent to converging, the diverging portion permitting orientation and insertion of the conductor.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One preferred form will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 shows a prior art British Telecom 631A plug.

Figure 2a shows a side view of a prior art socket or jack of the type commonly used with the plug of Figure 1.

Figure 2b shows a side view of a prior art socket assembly, including an outer casing, of a type that is commonly used with the plug of Figure 1.

Figure 2c shows a front view of the socket assembly of Figure 2b.

Figure 3 shows a prior art socket assembly suitable for use with the plug of Figure 1 that includes a face plate and wall mounted box.

Figure 4 shows a prior art socket assembly manufactured by Keystone Electronics Corp. that includes both flexible and rigid clips.

Figure 5 shows a side front view of the preferred form of socket assembly, showing a socket casing that is assembled from separate upper and lower parts, with a closed shutter located at the front of the socket assembly, and a socket located within the casing and protruding from the rear face of the casing.

Figure 6 shows the socket assembly of Figure 5 with the shutter in the open position, and a plug passing into the front of the socket assembly to locate within the socket.

Figure 7 shows the socket assembly of Figure 6, with a faceplate located in place over the front of the socket assembly.

Figure 8 shows a cutaway side view of the socket assembly of Figure 5.

Figure 9 shows a cutaway side view of the socket assembly of Figure 6.

Figure 10 shows a front view of the socket assembly of Figure 5, with a face plate located in place over the front of the socket assembly.

Figure 11 shows a side front semi-cutaway view of the socket assembly of Figure 5, with the upper portion removed.

Figure 12 shows a side front semi-cutaway view of the socket assembly of Figure 6, with the upper portion removed, the shutter in the open position, and a plug passing into the front of the socket assembly to locate within the socket.

Figure 13 shows a perspective front view of an assembled modular socket assembly with an eyelid shutter in the closed position covering an aperture located at the front of the socket, the socket assembly including a socket and socket casing with the individual socket sub-components being held together by reciprocal snap fit inter-engagements.

Figure 14 shows a perspective rear view of the assembled modular socket assembly of Figure 13.

Figure 15 shows an exploded front view of the individual releasable components comprising the socket and socket casing of the socket assembly of Figure 13; including the vertically offset upper housing, shutter and lower housing of the socket casing and the horizontally offset front housing, telecommunication signal conductors and rear housing of the socket.

Figure 16 shows an exploded rear view of the individual releasable components of the socket assembly of Figure 15, excluding the telecommunications signal conductors.

Figure 17 shows a cutaway side view of the socket assembly of Figure 13 with the eyelid shutter in the closed position.

Figure 18 shows a perspective front view of a preferred form of assembled socket with the shutter retracted within the socket assembly casing (the open position) and a telecommunications plug received within the socket.

Figure 19 shows a side view of the socket assembly of Figure 18 with the eyelid shutter retracted within the socket assembly casing (the open position) and a telecommunications plug located within the socket and electrically connected to the integrated signal conductor contacting pin.

Figure 20 shows an exploded view of the modular socket of the socket assembly of figure 13; including the front and rear housings and a pair of integrated telecommunications signal conductors.

Figure 21 shows an assembled side section view of the socket of Figure 20 with a telecommunications plug received within the socket.

Figure 22 shows a side view of the socket assembly of figure 13.

Figure 23 shows a rear view of the socket assembly of figure 13.

Figure 24 shows a perspective view of a pair of integrated insulation displacement connectors of the type pictured with the socket in Figures 15 and 20.

Figure 25 shows a side view of the integrated insulation displacement connector of Figure 22.

Figure 26 shows a perspective view of a connection pin according to an embodiment of a modular signal conductor; the contacting pin and insulation displacement connectors of this embodiment are interconnected by reciprocal male/female connectors.

Figure 27 shows a side view of the connection pin of Figure 26.

Figure 28 shows a top view of the connection pin of Figure 26.

Figure 29 shows a perspective view of an array of insulation displacement connectors configured to engage with the connection pin of Figure 26 to form the modular signal conductor.

Figure 30 shows a top view of the connection pin of Figure 29.

Figure 31 shows a rear view of the connection pin of Figure 29.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the Figures.

Figures 5 and 6 show the preferred embodiment of the socket assembly 2, assembled and ready for use. In use, the socket assembly 2 is intended to be located behind a faceplate 6, such as the one shown in Figure 7. The front or foremost part 29 of the socket assembly 2 (on the front facing portion 14) is shaped so that in use it can locate into a corresponding aperture in a faceplate 6. However, it should be noted that the socket assembly 2 could, for example, be built into a device such as a telephone or PC during manufacture. Figure 7 shows a side and front view of the socket assembly 2 located in a faceplate 6, and a plug 7 of the 631A type passing into the socket assembly 2.

The socket assembly 2 shall now be described in more detail.

In the preferred embodiment, the socket assembly 2 consists of three main parts: a socket 3, a casing 4, and a shutter 5. However, it should be noted that 'assembly' as used in this specification is used to refer to the assembly 2 with or without the socket 3. When assembled, the socket 3 and the shutter 5 are located substantially within the casing 4, which surrounds and encloses at least the front portion of the socket 3, and holds it in position. In the preferred embodiment the casing 4 is roughly cuboid in its proportions, and has a slightly larger external profile than the socket 3 (this external profile being minimised as far as practicable). The casing 4 consists of two main parts, an upper part 8 and a lower part 9. The lower part 9 forms the bottom or base part of the casing 4, and includes two side walls 11. The upper part 8 includes two side walls 12, a horizontal top portion, and a front facing portion 14. The lower part 9 is set back behind the front facing portion 14, with the front facing portion 14 forming the front of the casing 4. The front facing portion 14 includes a plug aperture 15 sized to receive a plug that corresponds to the socket enclosed by the casing 2. It should be noted that the terms 'upper' and 'lower' are used in relation to the orientation of the preferred embodiment, which is shown in the Figures, and are not intended to limit the socket assembly to any particular orientation.

In use, when the casing 4 is assembled, the upper and lower parts 8, 9 are mated by pressing them together. The lower side walls 11 include side apertures or recesses 16 which act co-operatively with side clips or hooks 17 on the upper side walls 12 when the two portions are pressed together, to clip or hold the upper and lower portions 8, 9 together.

The rear face of the casing 4 is substantially open, allowing the socket 3 to protrude from the rear of the socket assembly 2. The preferred embodiment of the socket 3 shall now be described in more detail, with particular reference to Figures 7-12.

In the preferred embodiment, the socket 3 is held in position within the socket assembly 4 by an upper clip 18 and a lower clip 19 located on the upper and lower surfaces respectively of the socket 3. In this position, the front opening 129 of the socket, which receives the plug 7 in use, is aligned with the plug aperture 15. The upper clip 18 acts cooperatively with an upper recess 21 which is located on the inner surface of the upper portion 8, and the lower clip 19 acts co-operatively with a lower recess 20 which is located on the inner surface or base of the lower part 9. In the preferred embodiment, the upper recess 21 does not pass fully through the top portion 13. It is preferred that the upper clip 18 is substantially rigid, and once positioned in the upper recess 21, it cannot easily be flexed or bent in order to remove it from the recess 21. The lower clip 19 is shaped so that when it is positioned in the lower recess 20, it can be flexed or bent towards the body of the socket 3, so as to remove it from the lower recess 20. In order to assist this process, the lower recess 20 passes through the base of the lower part 9. This allows the lower clip 19 to be pushed inwards from the outside of the casing 4, for example by pressing the end of a screwdriver, paperclip, or similar into the lower recess 20. When the socket assembly 2 is assembled, the socket 3 is placed between the upper part 8 and the lower part 9 and the socket clips 18, 19 are positioned in the recesses 20, 21 before the upper and lower parts 8, 9 are pressed together, with the hooks 17 engaging with the recesses 16. It is preferred that the hooks 17 can be released from the recesses 16 to disassemble the socket assembly 2 if required. It should also be noted that the clips 18 and 19 are preferably positioned on the socket 3 so that they are in substantially the same positions and have substantially the same dimensions as e.g. the Keystone socket shown in Figure 4, and described above. It can be seen that the upper recess 21 and the lower recess 20 will be located in corresponding positions on the casing 4. This arrangement allows the socket 3 to be used independently of the rest of the assembly 2. The socket 3 described above can be inserted into and used with any other component - e.g. a casing, wall plate or adapter, that conforms to the standard Keystone layout and dimensions. Although they can include a shutter, it is not a necessary inclusion for these alternative casings that may be used with the socket 3. Alternatively, the rear opening of the casing 2 can be shaped to allow the socket 3 to be pushed in directly in use, after the casing has been assembled.

The preferred embodiment of the shutter 5 and its operation shall now be described in more detail, with particular reference to Figures 5 to 11.

Figure 10 shows a front view of the faceplate 6, with the socket assembly 2 positioned behind the face plate 6, and the foremost part of the socket assembly 2 located in the faceplate aperture in a similar manner to that previously described. The shutter 5 is shown in the closed position. The socket assembly 2, with the shutter 5 in the closed position, is also shown in Figure 5 without the face plate 6. The shutter 5 includes a lip 22 at the lower edge of the shutter 5. This lip 22 is used to open and close the shutter 5, so that a plug can access the socket 3, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 5, in the closed position, the shutter 5 substantially blocks the aperture 15 in the front facing portion 14.

The shutter 5 includes a front face 23, which is the portion of the shutter that substantially blocks the plug aperture 15 when in the closed position. Two side arms 24 are connected one at each side of the front face 23. The side arms 24 are aligned generally perpendicularly to the front face 23 and face inwards or backwards into the casing 4, when the socket assembly 2 is assembled for use. The outer end of each of the arms is connected to the front face 23. A pair of rotation knobs 25 are connected one at each of the inner ends of the side arms 24, the rotation knobs 25 facing outwards perpendicularly from the side arms 24. The side arms 24 are sized and shaped so that at the front face 23 they are the same height as the front face, with the arms 24 narrowing as they approach the rotation knobs 25. When viewed from the side, the arms 24 appear triangular or wedge-shaped.

The rotation knobs 25 are sized to fit into corresponding holes in the sides of the casing 4. In the preferred embodiment, the upper and lower portions 8, 9 of the casing 4 have a pair of semi-circular notches in each of the lower portion side walls 11 and the upper portion side walls 12. These notches are aligned so that when the casing 4 is assembled by mating the upper and lower portions 8, 9 as described above, circular holes are formed in each of the side walls of the casing 4. The rotation knobs 25 locate into these holes, so that the shutter 5 is joined to the casing 4, but can rotate relative to the casing 4. That is, the shutter 5 is movably coupled to, or movably joined to the casing 4. In the preferred embodiment as described above, this movable coupling is a rotational coupling. In alternative embodiments, the holes can be formed in the side walls, and the side arms of the shutter bent slightly inwards in order to push the shutter into position so that the side arms can locate into the holes. When the shutter 5 is opened and closed, the holes and the rotation knobs 25 act as an axis or centre of rotation about which the shutter 5 rotates.

It can be seen that the rotation path formed as the front face 23 rotates is an arc, or part of the perimeter of a circle, with the centre or axis of this circle located at the centre of the rotation knobs 25. In the preferred embodiment, the front face 23 of the shutter 5 is curved, so that it follows or conforms to this first arc. However, if preferred, the front face 23 could be planar, with the shutter 5 rotating about the axis of rotation and following the first arc as it moves between an open and a closed position, in a similar fashion to that described above. It can be seen that in the open position, as shown in Figure 8, the shutter 5 will be located above and towards the front of the socket 3.

The preferred embodiment described above is for a shutter that rotates around an axis of rotation formed by the rotation knobs. However, the shutter and the socket assembly could be adapted or manufactured so that the shutter moves from the closed position to the open position along rails, grooves or tracks formed in the walls of the casing on the inner surface, shaped to conform to the curve of the shutter. That is, aligned with the first arc. It should also be noted that what has been described above is a casing with a shutter located inside the casing. If required, the shutter could be located outside the casing. For example, the rotation knobs could be aligned facing inwards, with the shutter and casing sized to allow the shutter to rotate over the top front corner of the casing. It should also be noted that embodiments with a non-static or moving pivot point are envisaged. For example, the shutter could open and close along a set of rails, with one portion of the rails angled in relation to another portion. During the first part of this opening operation, the shutter would move in one direction - e.g. a straight line vertically upwards, or a straight or curved line inclined slightly rearwards. This is the first portion. As the shutter reaches the second portion, the angle of the rails, and the angle of travel of the shutters changes. One or both of the portions could be curved or straight. It should be noted that the rotation holes into which the rotation knobs 25 fit could be formed as elongated slots, which would allow the shutter to move e.g. through an arc for the first portion of movement, and then to slide directly backwards for the second portion of movement. The overall movement of the shutter from a closed position where said front face substantially blocks the plug aperture, to an open position which allows the socket to be externally accessed, should be considered to be movement along a first arc, in a similar manner to that described above. As described, the shutter is movably coupled with the casing.

As shown in Figure 8, the preferred embodiment of socket 3 includes a curved surface, located to curve between the upper surface that connects to clip 18, and the front part of the socket 3 that includes the opening 129. The surface of the socket 3 follows an arc at this location, the arc having a centre of rotation that is generally co-located with the centre of rotation of the shutter 5, but this second arc having a slightly smaller radius. This allows the radius of curvature of the shutter 5 to be minimised, and the size of the components (e.g. the shutter 5 and the socket 3) to be kept as small as possible. The dimensions of the preferred embodiment of the socket 3 broadly correspond to the de facto industry standard that has been set by the Keystone socket. That is, an overall height of 23mm, from tip to tip of the clips 18, 19, with the vertical rear faces of these clips being set back 8mm from the front of the socket, so that they can locate into the recesses 20, 21. The overall height of the socket 3, excluding the clips, is approximately 12.5mm between the upper and lower surfaces.

It should be noted that this specification refers to both pivoting shutters and rotating shutters. 'Pivoting' and 'rotating' should be read as having their normal or dictionary meanings. However, 'pivoting' has been used in this specification to exclusively refer to shutter arrangements of the prior art type described in WO 05/025007, and 'rotating' has been used exclusively to refer to the shutter arrangement of the preferred forms.

As the socket assembly is modular, the upper part 8 (which includes the front facing portion or face 14, and the foremost part 29) can be removed from the rest of the assembly 2 and replaced with a separate upper part suitable for the use required. For example, the foremost part 29 may need to be a different design or shape to enable fitting to a wall plate that has a differently shaped aperture. Alternatively, a user may not wish to use a socket assembly that includes a shutter 5, and in this case, the upper part 8 can be swapped out for an alternative upper portion that does not include a shutter. Alternatively, the casing 2 can be disassembled and the shutter 5 removed. The preferred embodiment of the casing 2 is sized and shaped to include sufficient space at the top front corner to allow a socket of the type which does not include a curved upper front surface to be used with the casing 2, once the shutter 5 has been removed. That is, a square upper front corner as with the Keystone socket shown in Figure 4. If the shutter 5 were not removed, part of the socket would otherwise overlap with the curve path followed by the shutter as it opens and closes, interfering with the operation of the shutter. As has already been noted, in the preferred embodiment, the lower and upper recesses 20, 21 are located on the casing 4 in corresponding positions to the clips on a Keystone socket. This allows a standard Keystone socket to be used with the casing 4 in these alternative configurations, with the shutter removed.

In the preferred embodiment described above, the upper part 8 includes the front portion or face 14. It should be noted that other configurations are possible. For example, in order to make the assembly or manufacturing process easier, the front facing portion or face 14 could be split so that the upper part 8 includes the upper part or half of the face 14, and the lower part 9 includes the lower part or half of the face 14. When the upper and lower parts 8, 9 are brought together, the two halves of the face mate to form the whole face 14. A number of alternative arrangements or configurations such as this could be used to aid in manufacturing processes or similar if required.

It should also be noted that the socket assembly described above could be resized in order to allow it to be used in other applications. Also, the socket assembly can be re-proportioned to enable standard sockets with a squared-off upper front corner to be used which include the rotating shutter arrangement described.

The socket casing and rotating shutter assembly described offers an alternative to vertically hinged shutters and pivoting shutters. The rotating shutter could for example be used in situations where the layout or sizing makes it difficult or impractical to use vertical shutter or a pivoting shutter to be used. Also, the pivoting shutter offers a cosmetic alternative to vertically sliding or pivoting shutter assemblies.

MODULAR SOCKET ASSEMBLY A modular socket assembly 200 according to another embodiment is pictured in Figures 13-23. The socket assembly 200 comprises two subassemblies, each of which are individually compiled from releasably interconnected subcomponents. The first subassembly is a telecommunications socket 220 (pictured in Figures 20 and 21). The telecommunication socket 220 is assembled from a front housing 207, a rear housing 203 and a pair of integrated telecommunication conductors 210. In use, the socket 220 provides an interchangeable access point for appropriately configured telecommunications devices to connect to a telecommunications network. The preferred embodiment of the socket 220 is specifically configured to receive a telecommunications plug 201, such as the British Telecom 631 A, and electrically connect the plug 201 to a signal transmission network.

The second subassembly is a variation of the socket casing described above. The socket assembly casing 230 includes an upper housing 208, a lower housing 209 and a shutter 204. The socket casing 230 of this embodiment is adapted to be compiled over the assembled socket 220, such that the entire modular socket assembly 200 is releasably inter-engaged.

The front housing 207 of the socket 220 is located proximate the rotating shutter 204 in the compiled socket assembly 200. The front housing 207 is adapted to receive a complimentary telecommunications plug 201. In the preferred embodiment, the upper forward surface of the front housing 207 is curved or recessed to accommodate the movement of the shutter between open and closed positions. The front housing 207 has an aperture with an opening located in the forward surface below the curved portion. The front housing is located directly behind the shutter 204 in the compiled or assembled socket assembly 204 such that the aperture is exposed when the shutter 204 is in the open position. The plug 201 is received within the aperture in use. The rear section of the front housing 207 is adapted to releasably engage with the front section of the rear housing 203 to form an internal cavity. The internal cavity accommodates the forward section of the plug 201 in use.

The front housing is adapted to physically support and locate the plug 201 within the socket 220. The front housing 207 may also incorporate a locking mechanism to locate and retain the plug 201 within the socket 220 in use. Such locking mechanisms generally interact with complimentary provisions located on the plug 201 (such as the cantilevered arm located on the British Telecom 631 A).

TELECOMMUNICATION SIGNAL CONDUCTORS The socket 220, pictured in Figures 20 and 21, accommodates a pair of integrated telecommunication signal conductors 210 located between the front 207 and rear 203 housings. The signal conductors 210 are adapted to facilitate an electrical connection between the socket 220 and the plug 201 by providing a physical contact interface between the electrically conductive members of the respective components.

A first embodiment of the telecommunications signal conductors is pictured in Figures 24 and 25. The signal conductors 210 pictured in Figure 24 are configured to occupy a specific side of the compiled socket assembly (left or right in the intended orientation).

The pictured signal conductors 210 comprise a forward projecting resiliently deformable contacting pin 215. It is the contacting pin 215 which in use physically engages with the plug 201 to establish an electrical connection for the transmission of telecommunication data or signals. The contacting pin 215 of the pictured embodiment projects forward from a central supporting member 217 to a free end located remote of the supporting member 217. In the pictured embodiment the contacting pin 215 is an arcuate cantilever which forms an approximately parabolic arc between the supporting member and the free end.

Preferably the front housing 207 includes a support adapted to receive the free end of the connecting pin 215 when the socket 220 is assembled. The support acts to locate the contacting pin 215 within the housing, permitting the contacting pin 215 to be accurately aligned with corresponding conducting strips located on the plug 201. In the pictured embodiment, support for the contacting pin is provided by a ledge 221 constructed from a cut out in the inner top surface of the front housing 207. The end of the ledge 221, which receives the contacting pin 215 in this embodiment, is bevelled to provide a greater contact surface area between the contacting pin 215 and the ledge 221.

In use, when the plug 201 is inserted into the socket 220 the action of the plug 201 abutting the contacting pin 215 causes the contacting pin 215 to deflect. The abutment of the plug 201 and contacting pin 215 causes the contacting pin 215 to deflect upward, toward a straightened position (defined by a chord between the base of the contacting pin and the forward position support located within the front housing 207). Simultaneously, the free fore end of the contacting pin 215 (located proximate the front housing 207 aperture) is urged forward, in a direction opposed to the motion of the plug 201 to compensate for the upward deflection.

Preferably the deflection is elastic or predominantly elastic, and provides a resilient returning force that urges the contacting pin 215 toward an undeflected state coinciding with the location of the plug 201. The returning force retains the contacting pin 215 and the respective conducting strip of the plug 201 in physical contact which provides a physical interface for the electrical connection between the plug 201 and socket 220. It is this electrical connection that allows telecommunications data or signals to be transmitted.

In the preferred embodiment, each one of the pair of signal conductors 210 are fabricated as a single uninterrupted homogeneous component. The material constitution and uninterrupted homogeneous configuration of the signal conductors 210 results in greater data transmission bandwidth when compared with conventional PCB based signal conductors (prevalent in the art).

In the preferred embodiment the telecommunication signal conductors 210 incorporate one or more insulation displacement connectors (IDC) 216. In the pictured embodiment the signal conductors 210 each include three IDC's 216 arranged in an IDC array. Each IDC 216 of the IDC array is electrically connected to the single signal conductor 210 contacting pin 215, enabling reliable bridging between sockets 210 in a 'daisy chain' configuration.

Each IDC 216 is configured to receive a single insulated conductor (such as a conducting wire or wires enclosed by electrical insulation), displace a localised section of the electrical insulator to expose a corresponding localised section of the conductor and form an electrical connection with the conductor.

Each individual IDC 216 in the pictured embodiment comprises a pair of prongs which project from a common base individual to each IDC 216. The prongs converge over a portion of their length to form a least a point of minimum separation or clearance located remote of the base. The clearance between the prongs at this point is preferably less than the diameter of insulated telecommunication wire the signal conductor is intended to be used with.

The prongs of the pictured embodiment incorporate a section of substantially constant separation located remote of the base. This section represents the minimum separation between the prongs.

To accommodate this section, the prongs have a flattened inner surface (the surface which faces the complimentary prong of the prong pair) which is substantially parallel to the flattened surface of the corresponding prong in the particular orientation. The beginning of the flattened inner surface (the end proximate the IDC base) corresponds to the point at which the prongs (as defined by the initial contours of the inner surfaces) have converged to the minimum permissible clearance. After this point, the prongs (as defined by the substantially constant contour of the outer surface) converge for the remaining length of the flattened inner surface while the inner surfaces remain at constant separation. This results in the thickness of the prongs reducing over this segment.

The prongs pictured in Figures 24 and 25 also include a divergent section adjacent the open or free end, and subsequent to the convergent section. This divergent section permits an insulated conductor to be adequately oriented and inserted into the IDC.

In use the prongs function similar to a blade, cutting into and dislodging a localised section of insulation when an insulated conductor is pressed into the open or free end of the IDC 216.

The IDC's 216 of the pictured embodiment are aligned with substantially the same orientation. Each IDC 216 projects in a direction that is geometrically opposed to the projection of the contacting pin 215. The contacting pin 215 and the first or uppermost IDC 216 are connected to opposing ends of the central supporting member 217 and separated spatially along the supporting member 217 by a distance transverse to the projection of the contacting pin 215 and the IDC's 216.

The subsequent IDC's 216 are connected at their base to a stanchion 214. The stanchion 214 is mounted to the base of the first IDC remote of the supporting member 217. Adjacent IDC's 216 are offset by a distance along the stanchion 217. Each IDC 216 is oriented and offset specifically to accommodate the insertion and arrangement of conducting wires.

Preferably the IDC arrays are allocated symmetrically either side of the rear housing 203 in the compiled socket assembly. To compensate for the asymmetrical configuration of the preferred telecommunications plug 201 (a British Telecom 631A), the contacting pins 215 of the pictured signal conductor 210 pair are disproportionally offset to coincide with the plug 201 conducting strips.

The plug 201 lever arm, which releasably locks the plug 201 and socket 220 together, is received on the left side of the socket 220. The conducting strips are offset to the right of the socket 220 when the plug in inserted to compensate for space occupied by the lever arm.

In the pictured embodiment, the central supporting member 217 of the left side signal conductor 210 (when viewed in the intended orientation and from the rear of the signal conductor) protrudes further from the IDC array than the corresponding central supporting member 217 of the right side signal conductor 210. As a result, the left side contacting pin 215 is offset further from the IDC array than the right side contacting pin 215.

Another embodiment of a telecommunication signal conductor is pictured in Figures 26 to 31. The signal conductor of this embodiment comprises a separate contacting pin 315 (figures 26 - 28) and IDC array 322 (figures 29-31). The contacting pin 315 and the IDC array 314 have reciprocal connectors which are adapted to releasably inter-engage the two components to form the signal conductor.

In the pictured embodiment the IDC array 322 includes a connecting aperture 321 adapted to connect to the IDC array 322 to the contacting pin 315. The contacting pin incorporates a complementary connecting arm 320 adapted to engage with the connecting aperture 321. In use the connecting arm 320 and the connecting aperture 321 function as male and female connectors respectively.

Preferably the relative dimensions and tolerances of the connecting arm 320 and aperture 321 are accurately regulated to ensure a reliable electrical and physical connection between the signal conductor components. In the preferred embodiment, the front and rear housings of the socket (which support the signal conductor in the compiled socket assembly) orientate the signal conductor components relative to each other to promote a greater contact surface area. In the preferred embodiment the IDC array 312 is bias forward and downward toward contacting pin 315.

Preferable the connecting arm 320 of the contacting pin 315 incorporates a kink or elbow located proximate the aft free end (the end proximate the rear housing 203 in the compiled socket assembly). The angular configuration of the connecting arm 320 and elbow pictured in the figures helps retain the contacting pin 315 and IDC array 322 in physical contact and requires a specific relative orientation for disengagement. This prevents accidental disconnection of the contacting pin 315 and IDC array 322 when assembled within the socket.

The contacting pin 315 of the pictured embodiment also incorporates a deformable contacting member 318. It is the contacting member 318 which electrically connects the signal conductor and the telecommunications plug in use.

Contact between the pictured contacting member 318 and a complimentary telecommunications plug occurs at the fore free end (located proximate the aperture in the socket front housing) of the contacting pin 315. In use, when the plug 201 is inserted into the socket 220 the action of the plug 201 abutting the contacting member 318 causes the contacting member 318 to deflect inward, in the direction of movement of the plug, and upward, toward the upper segment 319 of the contacting pin 315.

Preferably the deflection is elastic or predominantly elastic, and provides a resilient returning force which urges the contacting member 318 toward an undeflected state coinciding with the location of the plug. The returning force retains the contacting member 318 and the respective conducting strip of the plug in physical contact which provides a physical interface for the electrical connection between the plug and socket.

The IDC array 322 pictured in Figures 29-31 comprises three IDC's 316 of similar configuration to those pictured in Figures 24 and 25. The IDC's 316 are interconnected by two adjoining segments 314, which interlink the IDC's to form the array 322. Preferably the IDC's have a substantially regular orientation and offset such that the adjoining segments 314 have the same geometry and dimension.

A support flange 317 locates the connecting aperture 321 relative to the IDC array. The support flange 317 is connected to the first or uppermost IDC 316. The connecting aperture 321 is located at an end of the support flange 317 remote of the uppermost IDC 316, such that the connecting aperture 321 is offset from each IDC 316 by a distance equivalent to the length of the support flange.

When assembled, the contacting pin 315 is electrically connected to each IDC 316 of the signal conductor. The homogeneous configuration of the IDC array 322 and relatively large contact surface area between the connecting arm 318 and connecting aperture 321 allows greater data bandwidth when compared with conventional PCB based signal conductors.

The left side contacting pin 315 of this embodiment incorporates an offset between the connecting arm 320 and the contacting member 318 (as pictured in Figure 28) to compensate for the position of the telecommunications plug 201 within the socket 220. The offset is preferably configured to coincide with the conducting strips of a British Telecom 631A plug when received within the socket 220.

SIGNAL CONDUCTORS FABRICATION METHOD Preferably the signal conductors 210 are fabricated from a non-corrosive, conductive material, such as copper, bronze or gold. The selected material is preferably machine pressed (punched) from a sheet into the desired component configuration, although the signal conductors could also be formed by an alternate process such as casting.

In the preferred embodiment, each signal conductor 210 is a single uninterrupted homogeneous component. The material constitution and uninterrupted homogeneous configuration of the signal conductors 210 results in greater data transmission bandwidth when compared with conventional PCB based signal conductors (prevalent in the art).

MODULAR SOCKET AND SOCKET CASING In the preferred embodiment, the signal conductor IDC's are received within a rear housing 203 of the assembled socket 220 (pictured in Figures 20 and 21). The signal conductors 210 are releasably retained within the rear housing 203 by a reciprocal snap fit inter-engagement which locates and orientates the IDC's 216. The inter-engagement is facilitated by a cantilevered member located on rear housing 203 which engages with the central supporting member 217 of the signal conductors 210.

The rear housing 203 of the pictured embodiment comprises an open forward section, adapted to receive the signal conductors during assembly, and a projecting rear section, adapted to accommodate the IDC's 216 when assembled. The rear section of the pictured embodiment comprises a plurality of substantially rectangular protrusions which project from the rear housing 203. The protrusions locate and support the IDC's 216 within the socket 220 in use. In the pictured embodiment, four protrusions project backward on either side of the rear housing 203. In the pictured embodiment the number of protrusions located on the rear housing 203 reflects the number of IDC's included with the signal conductors. As the outermost (corresponding to the upper and lower protrusions in the pictured embodiment) protrusions only accommodate a single IDC prong, an additional protrusion is required when compared to the number of IDC's.

The outermost protrusions on either side of the rear housing 203 each have a single slotted opening oriented toward the adjacent inner protrusion. The inner protrusions each have two slotted openings which are located on opposing surfaces proximate the adjacent protrusions (which also have slotted openings). In the pictured embodiment, the first slotted opening of each inner protrusion is oriented toward the corresponding adjacent outer protrusion; whereas the second slotted opening is oriented toward the adjacent inner protrusion. The openings in each protrusion are therefore arranged such that each protrusion has a slotted opening on the section closest to any adjacent protrusions. This configuration provides sufficient access to the prongs of each IDC 216 for an insulated conductor to be inserted.

It is preferable that the individual components comprising the modular socket 220 and socket assembly casing 230 are releasably connected in the assembled product so that the entire socket assembly 200 can be disassembled. The releasable socket assembly configuration permits internally located components (such as the signal conductors 210) to be accessed for cleaning and maintenance. As both the preferred socket 220 and socket assembly casing 230 are of modular configuration, it is also possible to replace individual components instead of the entire socket assembly (which is the current practice in the art) when a fault occurs.

Preferably the individual components of the assembled modular socket assembly 200 are held together by reciprocal snap fit engagements. In the preferred embodiment these engagements are formed by a cantilevered hook and recess arrangement, which are preferably releasable to permit the socket to be disassembled. However annular snap fit engagements, such as a ball and socket joint or a circumferential ring and recess arrangement, could be also be used.

The preferred modular socket assembly 200 incorporating reciprocal snap fit inter-engagements is pictured in Figure 13 (assembled) and Figure 15 (exploded). The hook 225, located on the casing upper housing 208 in the pictured embodiment, consists of a triangular wedge 224 and cantilevered member 223. The hook 225 is configured such that the wedge 224 is aligned with the cantilevered member 223, the thick end of the wedge 224 being located proximate the main body of the upper housing 208. In the preferred embodiment the thickness of the wedge 224 decreases linearly with distance from the main body of the upper housing 208, with the narrow end of the wedge 224 coinciding with the end of the cantilevered member 223 distal the upper housing 208 main body. The rear of the wedge (located proximate the main body of the upper housing 208) forms a lip which projects at 90° from the cantilevered member 223. In use, it is this lip which engages with a corresponding lip located within the recess 226 to interlock the upper housing 208 and lower housing 209 together.

The recess 226, located on the lower housing 209, is preferably formed as an externally accessible aperture, permitting partial access to the hook from the exterior of the assembled casing. This configuration permits the hook 225 to be disengaged from the recess 226 and the socket assembly casing to be disassembled. In the preferred embodiment the recess 226 includes a lip located proximate the upper housing 208 junction. It is this lip that engages with the corresponding lip of the wedge 224 to retain the hook 225 and recess 226 in engagement. A recessed guide slot may also be provided on the inner surface of lower housing 209 between the upper housing junction and the top of the recess 226 to direct the hook 225 toward the recess during assembly of the casing. The guide is sized to accommodate the narrow end of the wedge 224.

In use, when the upper housing 208 and lower housing 209 are aligned and pressed together, the narrow end of the wedge is received into the recessed guide slot and directed toward the recess 226. The recessed guide slot locates the wedge and aligns the hook 225 with the recess 226. As the upper 208 and lower 209 housings are brought together the segment of the wedge 224 abutting the lower housing 209 increases in thickness which causes the cantilevered member 223 to deflect inwardly away from the lower housing 209. The amount of deflection the cantilevered member 223 undergoes corresponds to the interference of the wedge 224 and the lower housing 209 during engagement.

Continued relative movement of the upper 209 and lower 208 housings results in inter-engagement of the hook 225 and recess 226, which is established when the upper 208 and lower 209 housings are adequately aligned to permit the recess 226 to receive the thick end of the wedge 224. The engagement of the wedge 224 and the recess 226 is facilitated by the returning force of the resilient cantilevered member 223, which forces the wedge 224 into the recess 226 when the corresponding lip sections are appropriately located. It is the abutment of the respective lip segments of the hook 225 and recess 226 which interlocks the upper 208 and lower 209 housings together under a separating or tensile force (as pictured in Figure 13 and Figure 14). Following engagement of the hook 225 and recess 226, a pair of complimentary ledges located on the upper 208 and lower 209 housings proximate the respective housing interfaces restrict further compounding movement.

In the pictured embodiment, the hook 225 is accessible from the exterior of the socket assembly 200 through the open ended recess 226, which permits the socket assembly casing 200 to be disassembled. Disassembly is affected by forcing the wedge 224 toward the centre of the socket assembly causing the cantilevered member 223 to deflect away from the inner surface of the lower housing 209. When there is no remaining overlap between the corresponding lip sections of the wedge 224 and the recess 226, the upper 208 and lower 209 housings can be slide apart to permit access to the shutter 204 and socket 203.

Another variation of the hook and recess arrangement is located at the lower interface between the front 207 and rear 203 housings of the socket 220. The hook 245 (Figure 15 and Figure 21), located on the rear housing, has the same constructional features as the upper housing 208 hook 225. The corresponding recess 246 (Figure 16) is located on the front housing 207. The recess 246 is a rearward orientated aperture open to the forward exterior of the socket. The recess includes a protruding spacer 247 with which the wedge of hook 235 engages. The spacer 247 compensates for the close proximity of the socket 220 front 207 and rear 203 housings by providing additional distance between the aperture and the lip where the hook 245 engages. This allows the length of the cantilevered member 248 to be increased which permits greater deflection at the wedge end for a given material flexural stiffness (Young's modulus).

Another embodiment of a hook and recess snap fit connector is provided at the top interface between the front 207 and rear 203 housings of the socket 220. In this embodiment the recess 236 is formed as a cut-out step in the outer top surface of the front housing 207 (most prominent in Figures 20 and 21), while the hook 235 is formed as a inward projecting wedge located on the inner top surface of the rear housing 203 (Figure 15). The upper surface of the rear housing 203 forward of the insulation displacement connector block (IDC) 205 acts as a resilient cantilever during location of the hook 235 and recess 236 arrangement, permitting the hook arrangement to deflect when the front 207 and rear 203 housing are pressed together and providing the returning force which retains the hook 235 and recess 236 in engagement. Access to the hook 235 after engagement is provided from the front of the cut-off recess, permitting the hook 235 and recess 236 arrangement to be disengaged and the front 207 and rear 203 housings be separated.

Preferably each of the individual components comprising the socket assembly 200 incorporate similar reciprocal snap fit inter-engagements. The socket assembly 200 of the pictured embodiment is compiled sequentially, beginning with the socket 220. The socket casing 230 is assembled over the compiled socket 220. In the pictured embodiment, the socket casing 230 encloses the front housing 207 of the socket 220. The shutter 204 is pivotably located between the upper 208 and lower 209 housings, with the pivot point located remote of the shutter 204 front face. The shutter 204 is pivotable between a closed position, in which the shutter 204 face covers the front housing 207 aperture, and an open position where the shutter 204 face is almost entirely retracted within the socket casing 230. The shutter 204 includes a lip located at a lower edge. The lip projects forward from the shutter 204 face and remains accessible from the exterior of the socket assembly 200 when the shutter is in the closed position. The lip provides an abutment point for applying a pivoting force to the shutter 204 in use.

The pictured socket casing 230 has an open ended rear section which permits access to the socket 220 rear housing 203 and the signal conductor 210 IDC's 216. Preferably the socket casing 230 upper housing 208 includes a drip hood 213 which extends over the rear housing 203 upper surface. The socket casing 230 rear opening and drip hood 213 are commonly located behind a fascia or wall panel when the socket assembly 200 is installed, often preventing access from the exterior.

The drip hood 213 is intended to shield the socket 220 from liquid which has accumulated behind the wall or fascia where the socket assembly 200 is installed. In residential installations warm moist air can enter the wall cavity and condense above the socket assembly 200 (which is generally installed in a lower portion of the wall). The condensed liquid can disrupt the function of the socket assembly 200 if it penetrates into the socket 220, particularly corroding the telecommunication signal conductors. The drip hood 213 is intended to prevent the free flowing liquid from entering the socket 220, which can occur through the slotted IDC openings in the rear housing 203, or at the connection interface between the front 207 and rear 203 housings.

Preferably the drip hood 213 incorporates a deflection lip 211 as illustrated in Figures 14 and 22. In the pictured embodiment the deflection lip 211 is located at a rear edge of the drip hood 213. The deflection lip is intended to prevent liquid which has collected on the drip hood 213 from flowing over the rear housing 203 and entering the slotted openings.

The preferred embodiment of the upper housing 208 also further includes a pair of drip points 212. The drip points co-operate with the drip hood 213 and the deflection lip 211 to deflect the accumulated liquid away from the socket 220.

The drip points 212 are located on either side of the upper housing 208 proximate the socket 220 rear housing 203. The drip points 212 provide a specific location for the discharge of liquid collected on the drip hood 213.

In the pictured embodiment, the drip points 212 are the lowest point on both the upper housing 208 and the socket assembly 200 when in the intended orientation. The drip points are specifically located to distribute the accumulated liquid away from the socket 220.

The upper housing 208 is adapted to channel liquid from the drip hood 213 to the drip points 212. Both the drip points 212 and the drip hood 213 are specifically integrated with the upper housing 208 to provide a smooth continuous surface for the flow of liquid. This configuration provides a low resistance pathway which promotes liquid flow toward the drip points 212.

In the preferred embodiment the socket casing 230 is assembled over the socket 220 to form the socket assembly 200. In this embodiment the socket casing 230 is adapted to engage a complimentary face plate. It is the face plate that locates and supports the socket assembly 200 in the preferred orientation.

The upper housing 208 of the socket casing 230 in the pictured embodiment incorporates an aligning protrusion 238. In use the aligning protrusion 238 engages with a complementary aligning recess 239 located in the socket 220 rear housing 203. The inter-engagement retains the socket casing 230 and socket 220 in alignment and prevents relative movement of the sub-assemblies in the compiled socket assembly 200.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

Received at IPONZ 18 February 2011