Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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DISTRIBUTION FRAMES AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ARRANGEMENTS
This invention relates to distribution frames and
electrical connection arrangements.
Present electrical connection arrangements between
an incoming telecommunications supply cable, such as a trunk
cable, and a private telecommunications network, hinder or
even prevent a user from testing his own network. In order
for testing procedures to be followed by the user, his
private network needs to be electrically isolated from the
incoming cable. However, it is common practice for the
incoming cable to be connected into terminals for
distribution throughout the private network in a housing, the
housing and its internal distribution arrangement normally
referred to as an "access block". These access blocks,
referred to throughout this specification as "access
assemblies" are the property of the company installing the
incoming cable. It is conventional for the cable
installation company to own these access assemblies and a
private network user may not have permission to open such
assemblies for private network user test purposes. This has
been found to be highly inconvenient for the private network
user. In order to ascertain whether a fault within a
telecommunications system occurs within his own private
network, the user necessarily needs to contact the cable
installation company to open an access assembly to disconnect
his private network from the incoming cable. This leads to
unnecessary delay, and the inconvenience of having a faulty
system and the expense of correcting the fault is increased
by the charge made by the installation company for his visit
to open the access assembly.
Problems also exist in easily isolating parts of
private telecommunications networks to test for faults. It
would be convenient if parts of such networks could be easily
isolated, not only for ease of test purposes, but also for
purposes of repair.
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The present invention provides a distribution frame
arrangement which may be used to minimize or alleviate the
above problems.
Accordingly, the present invention includes a
distribution frame and wiring assembly comprising: a
distribution frame having mounting means for detachably
holding two cross-connect connectors in spaced relationship
in predetermined locations and an attachment region for
attachment of a multiple contact connector; a cross-connect
connector for mounting in one of said mounting means; a
plurality of insulated electrical conductor wires
; electrically connected, each by one end, to terminals of one
of the rows of said cross-connect connector; and a multiple
contact connector which is attached to the attachment region;
said cross-connect connector connected by the plurality of
wires to said multiple contact connector with the wires
extending through the frame so as to permit said cross-
` connect connector to be mounted in the mounting means.
In the above paragraph defining the invention and
as referred to elsewhere in this specification and appendant
claims, the term "cross-connect connector" relates solely to
` a connector having a dielectric body with two spaced rows of
-~ 25 electrical terminals held by the body with the terminals of
one row interconnected electrically and in desired fashion
with those of the other row through the dielectric body, and
also in which the terminals are of a construction normally
referred to as "insulation displacement terminals" in that
they cut into insulating material surrounding a conductor
wire, when the conductor wire is forced into the terminal, so
that conductive portions of the terminal electrically contact
the conductor wire.
With the above assembly according to the invention,
and with a multiple contact connector mounted in position to
the attachment region, then the assembly may be used
advantageously in an access assembly to enable ease of
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connection and disconnection of an incoming cable and an
outgoing cable or wires. Its use is primarily for the
purpose of connecting and disconnecting two in series access
assemblies, one of which is connected to an incoming cable
and the other of which is connected to an outgoing cable or
wires. with an interconnecting cable extending between the
two access assemblies and joined at its ends to the multiple
contact connectors provided in the distribution frame
arrangement and wirlng assembly of each of the two access
assemblies, then disconnection of one assembly from the other
for enabling tests to be performed upon a private network is
a simple matter.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan view of a prior art cross-
connect connector;
Figure 2 is a circuit diagram showing the wiring
for a prior art access assembly;
Figure 3 is an isometric view showing a prior art
method of attachment of prior art cross-connect connectors
into an access assembly;
Figure 4 is an isometric view in the opposite
direction from Figure 3 and showing one prior art mounting
means of an access assembly;
Figure 5 is a front view of a distribution frame
and wiring assembly according to a first embodiment;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly
of the first embodiment taken along line 'VI-VI' in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a circuit diagram showing wiring to a
diagrammatic plan view of access assemblies which include
` frame and wiring assemblies according to the first
embodiment;
Figure 8 is a front view of a distribution frame
and wiring assembly according to a second embodiment;
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Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly
of the second embodiment taken along line 'IX-IX' in Figure
8;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing
wiring to access assemblies incorporating distribution frame
and wiring assemblies accordiny to both the first and second
embodiments; and
Figure 11 is a circuit diagram showing the use of a
distribution frame and wiring assembly according to the
second embodiment installed in a customer's private network.
~ As shown in Figure 1, a prior cross-connect
; connector 10 comprises a substantially planar strip shaped
body 12 of dielectric material having along each edge a row
of terminals 14a and 14b. In this known connector structure,
each of the terminals comprises two opposed electrically
conductive portions (not shown) arranged on either side of a
molded groove in an edge of the body 12. These conductor
portions act to cut into insulating material surrounding a
conductor wire when the conductor wire is forced into the
groove so that the conductor portions electrically contact
the conductor wire. Such terminals are normally referred to
as "insulation displacement terminals".
This prior cross-connect connector structure is
used in access assembly constructions for connecting a trunk
or incoming cable to a customer's private network. This is
as shown in Figure 2 in which two prior cross-connect
connectors 10 are located in parallel and spaced positions
within an access housing 16 of an access assembly 18. The
two connectors 10 are each mounted with one row of terminals
(e.g. row 14b) facing forwardly of the assembly and these two
rows are connected together by individual insulated conductor
wires 20. The rearwardly facing row of terminals (e.g. row
14a) of one connector 10 is connected to the incoming wires
~ 22 of a trunk cable 24. The rear facing row of terminals of
- the other connector 10 is electrically connected to outgoing
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wires 26 which connect the trunk cable with the private
network 28 (shown diagrammatically in chain-dotted outline).
Each cross-connect connector 10 is mounted into the
housing 16 in the following manner. Within the housing 16
are disposed two mounting means 32, one for each connector
(as shown by Figures 3 and 4). Each mounting means comprises
a pair of spaced latches 34 resiliently and integrally
carried by a carrier 30. The latches in an unstrained
condition project forwardly and parallel and are spaced apart
a distance sufficient to enable the associated cross-connect
connector 10 to be located horizontally with its ends within
slots 36 in the latches and engaging stops 38 outside the
latches. The latches are resiliently movable apart to allow
a connector 10 to be located between them. Cross-connect
connectors therefore normally lie parallel to one another
between their mounting means 32 as shown by Figure 2. In the
finished access assembly according to the prior art, the
wires 22 of the incoming cable 24 are passed to the rear
facing elements 14a of one of the cross-connect connectors 10
as shown in Figure 3. Similarly, the wires 26 extend from
the rear facing row of elements of the other connector 10 as
described. Thus the conductor wires are permanently attached
to the connectors in the access assembly. For the wires to
be connected to their respective terminals, it is necessary
for each connector to be already mounted within its mounting
means 32. This is effected in known manner, by locating the
connectors initially in a reversed position from their normal
operating position and then in their normal operating
position to enable the conductor wire ends to be inserted
into the terminals along each row in turn. For instance, if
it is considered that in Figure 3, terminal ends 40 are
connected to the terminals 14a of the associated connector 10
in its operating position, then initially the connector is
located in its mounting with the row 14a of terminals facing
forwardly. This enables the conductor wire ends to be
inserted in the terminals 14a. The connector is then removed
and turned about a longitudinal axis so that its row of
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terminals 14a faces towards the rear of the access assembly
as shown in Figure 3. This movement then exposes the row 14b
of terminals to the forward facing position, as shown in
Figure 3, to enable the conductor wires 20 to be located
within this row. Thus the assembly procedure for connecting
the wires to the connectors and for changing the position of
the connectors within their mountings, is a lengthy one.
Apart from the above assembly problem, another and
more practical problem exists. If it is found by the user of
his private network that there is a fault within the
telecommunications system involving his network, then it is
possible that he may be incapable of testing his network
unless the cable installation company disconnects the network
from the incoming cable 24 at the access assembly. The user
is therefore dependent upon the cable installation company
for this service before he can determine where the fault
lies.
The invention is concerned with providing a
distribution frame and wiring assembly which may be used to
overcome the above problems.
As shown in a first embodiment, in Figures 5 and 6,
~ 25 a distribution frame and wiring assembly 42 comprises a
- distribution frame 44 having a rectangular back panel 46.
The back panel carries two mounting means 32, each comprising
a pair of horizontally spaced latches 34 as described with
reference to Figure 3. The mounting means may hold two prior
cross-connect connectors 10 and lOd in spaced relationship on
the distribution frame 44. The connector lOd is not normally
a part of the assembly 42 and is added when the assembly is
placed in service as described below with reference to Figure
7.
In the structure of Figures 5 and 6, a single
attachment region 48 is provided for holding a multiple
contact connector, i.e., a ribbon connector 50. The ribbon
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connector 50 is carried upon a flange 52 which lies parallel
to the back plate 46 and is spaced from it by a right angle
plate portion 54. The ribbon connector 50 has its rearward
facing terminals connected by insulated conductor wires 56
with the rearwardly facing row of terminals of the connector
10. The ribbon connector 50, the wires 56 and the connector
10 are a pre-formed connector and wiring assembly which is
mounted into the distribution frame 44 to provide the frame
arrangement and wiring assembly 22 which may be kept in
storage prior to use as part of an access assembly.
Distribution frame and wiring assemblies 42 are
used in the construction, shown in Figure 7, for connecting a
trunk cable with a private network. As may be seen from
Figure 7, there are two in series access assemblies 60 and 62
used to join the trunk cable with the private network. In
each of the assemblies 60 and 62, a pre-formed distribution
frame and wiring assembly 42 is used. As described above,
each assembly 42 includes frame 44 and the conductor 10 is
pre-wired by wires 56 to the ribbon connector 50 carried by
flange 52. The two ribbon connectors 50 are interconnected
by a cable 64 extending between housings 66 and 68 of the two
assemblies. The interconnecting cable 64 has ribbon
connectors 70 at its ends, the connectors 70 interconnected
with the ribbon connectors 50. It is then simply necessary
to introduce a remaining connector lOd into each assembly,
each connector lOd disposed in a vacant mounting means 32.
In the assembly 60, the connector lOd is electrically wired
to the incoming cable 72 in conventional fashion and bridging
wires 74 are provided between the elements of the forwardly
facing rows of the two connectors lO and lOd to electrically
; connect them together. The connector lOd of the assembly 62
is similarly connected to the private network in conventional
fashion and also to the connector 10 of that assembly.
It is clear therefore that with regard to Figure 7,
the two assemblies 42 are easily and quickly assembled into
place together with the pre-wired interconnecting cable 64.
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This drastically reduces the difficulty and time involved in
making the two access assemblies. Thus while two assemblies
may be used instead of one as in the prior constructions, the
reduction in labor and time significantly minimizes any
disadvantage which is found with the use of the two
assemblies.
With the use of the construction shown in Figure 7,
there is the further advantage that if it is required to test
either the incoming trunk cable or the customer network for
faults, it is a simple matter to separate the two parts of
the circuit by disconnecting the cable 64 from one or both
ends. The customer may then test his private network with
the incoming cable 72 disconnected and without having to
interfere with the access assembly 60 which may be the
property of the cable installation company.
In a second embodiment as shown in Figures 8 and 9,
a distribution frame and wiring assembly 80 is of the same
construction as that described in the first embodiment except
that, in this embodiment, two similarly constructed
attachment regions 48 and 82 are provided. Both attachment
regions carry ribbon connectors 50.
Each ribbon connector 50 is provided as a part of a
pre-formed connector and electrical conductor wiring
assembly, as described in the first embodiment with the
ribbon connector connected by wires 56 with a respective
cross-connect connector 10. This construction of
distribution frame and wiring assembly 80 is pre-formed and
may be stored not only with the wiring assemblies described
above, but also with bridging wires 84 extending between the
forwardly facing row of elements of the two conductors.
The structures shown in the first and second
embodiments may be used in an access assembly circuitry
arrangement as shown in Figure 10. In this arrangement, a
main access assembly 86 contains both an assembly 80 and an
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assembly 42 within a housing 88. The trunk cable 90 is
connected into the assembly 42 in the manner described with
regard to Figure 7 and the ribbon connector of the assembly
42 is joined to the assembly 80 within the housing 88 by a
cable 92.
In this structure, the customer has his personal
test access assembly 94 which includes assemblies 80 and 42
joined in series by a cable 96 within housing 98. The cross-
connect connector lOd of the assembly 42 in the assembly 94is joined by individual insulated wires 100 to the private
network. The two access assemblies 86 and 94 are connected
together by an interconnecting cable 102 having male
connector parts 70 which electrically connect the ribbon
connectors 50 of the two assemblies 80.
The access assembly circuitry illustrated in Figure
10 has similar advantages to that discussed with regard to
Figure 7.
In a further circuitry arrangement shown in Figure
11, the assembly 80 shown in Figures 8 and 9 may be used to
electrically connect two parts 104 and 106 of a private
; network. As can be seen from Figure 11, the pre-formed
assembly 80 is located in position and is simply connected to
the two circuitry parts 104 and 106 by the use of ribbon
connectors 70 as described in the other embodiments. If it
is desirable to test either part of the circuitry, it is a
simple matter to disconnect the two parts 104 and 106 by
simply disconnecting it at one of the ribbon connectors.
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