Electrical connectors – Including or for use with coaxial cable
Patent
1996-02-27
1998-04-07
Paumen, Gary F.
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with coaxial cable
439583, 439535, 439521, 174 59, H01R 905
Patent
active
057357110
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cable connectors and in particular to CATV boxes or other connector devices used for splitting CATV signals from a distribution cable to subscribers.
Such devices generally have an outlet for a coaxial or other cable carrying an incoming signal, an outlet for passing a signal onto another such device or to a final subscriber, and one or more other outlets through which signals split off the incoming signal are passed to local subscribers. The first-mentioned and second-mentioned outlets are referred to herein an through outlets or outlets for connection to through cables, and said other outlets are referred to herein as drop outlets or outlets for connection to drop cables. The through cables will generally form part of a distribution cable and the drop cables will form part of subscriber cables.
Typical connectors are shown in Gebrauchsmuster G 84 32 279.9 (Stewing) and in EP-A-0051109 (Walter Rose GmbH & Co KG) in which the connectors have only four cable outlets, and the connectors are sealed and/or the cables are sealed to the connector housing by heat shrinkable connecting pieces.
When its desired to remove or to add a subscriber from or to the cable network, the heat shrinkable connecting piece may have to be damaged and/or removed to gain access to the electrical connector. DE-A3127869 (Elektro-und Gas-Armaturen-Fabrik GmbH provides a solution to part of this problem by incorporating a spare coaxial cable in the connector for future use by an additional subscriber.
Furthermore it may be difficult, if not impossible to seal and/or mechanically to fix the subscriber branch cables in a way that allows convenient removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention can therefore allow a branch cable to be added or removed rapidly and economically.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a connector device for cables, comprising a housing and a connector (for example a box having coax outlets and containing electronic circuitry) for electrical interconnection of the cables located within the housing, characterized in that the housing has outlets for a through cable, which is separated from and distinguished from a plurality of outlets for drop cables.
Such an arrangement allows separate mechanical fixing and/or sealing for the through and for the drop or subscriber cables. The drop cables are preferably mechanically-fixed, preferably against axial pull and preferably as a group. This may be achieved by a single part of the housing gripping all of the drop cables substantially simultaneously. That part may comprise a cover removably fixed, preferably by hinging, snap (or other interference) fit and/or sliding to the housing, preferably to a base portion thereof. The cover preferably closes outlets that are otherwise open in cross-section, and which in the absence of the cover allow lateral insertion of the cables.
Preferably the housing comprises a base portion and at least one cover portion which sea jingly engages the base portion, preferably by sliding, especially telescopic relative movement, and is releasably secured thereto by a releasable snap, or other interference, connection.
Also according to the invention there is provided a connector device for joining cables and which comprises a housing having a connector for interconnection of the cables located therein, the housing comprising a base portion and at least one cover portion which sealingly engages the base portion, characterized in that the cover portion is releasably secured to the base portion by a snap, or other interference, connection.
The connector device preferably comprises a housing and an electronic connector for interconnection of cables located within the housing, the housing having at least two outlets for a through cable carrying a signal, and at least six drop cable outlets.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric v
REFERENCES:
patent: 1862811 (1932-06-01), Strong
patent: 3144506 (1964-08-01), Gunthel, Jr.
patent: 3836696 (1974-09-01), Gressitt et al.
patent: 3951490 (1976-04-01), Devendorf
patent: 4025150 (1977-05-01), Nordberg et al.
patent: 4226495 (1980-10-01), Palle et al.
patent: 4408820 (1983-10-01), Eaby et al.
patent: 4605815 (1986-08-01), Wilson
patent: 4835659 (1989-05-01), Goodson
patent: 5006960 (1991-04-01), Kallin et al.
Burkard Herbert G.
Paumen Gary F.
Raychem GmbH
Ta Tho Dac
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