Telephonic communications – Centralized switching system – Structure of equipment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-08
2003-07-22
Hong, Harry S. (Department: 2642)
Telephonic communications
Centralized switching system
Structure of equipment
C029S739000, C439S045000, C439S075000, C361S803000, C379S292000, C379S303000, C379S306000, C700S248000, C901S016000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597784
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a main distributing frame (MDF). More particularly, it relates to a main distributing frame having a function of automatically connecting and disconnecting between subscriber terminals and subscriber circuits of an exchange by employing a robot.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
is an explanatory diagram of a function of a main distributing frame (MDF).
The main distributing frame
2
optionally connects plural subscriber terminals
1
to subscriber circuits of an exchange
3
. When a subscriber terminal
1
is newly added, the main distributing frame
2
connects the newly added subscriber terminal
1
to the exchange
3
. In addition, when the subscriber moves or the subscriber number is changed, the main distributing frame
2
changes the connection.
In the conventional main distributing frame
2
, as shown in
FIG. 9
, terminal boards
21
and
22
are respectively provided for the subscriber terminal
1
and the exchange
3
. The subscriber terminals
1
and the subscriber circuit of the exchange
3
are respectively connected to the terminal boards
21
and
22
by a pair of cables. The subscriber terminals
1
are further connected to the exchange
3
by manually connecting jumper wires
23
between the terminal boards
21
and
22
.
Further, it is general that the number of terminals on the terminal board
21
for the subscriber terminals
1
are more than that of terminals for the exchange
3
so that the connection with the subscriber circuit of the exchange
3
can be effectively changed.
However, such the change of the connection requires technical engineers. Therefore, for a unattendant telephone exchange provided at a remote location or an isolated island, it is difficult to provide a rapid service, because it required much time to send a technical engineer.
Additionally, connecting operation is performed while the exchange
3
is working. Therefore, it is required to perform the connecting operation without giving any influence on other lines, thus increasing a time of performing the connecting operation as the result.
From the foregoing, an automatic main distributing frame has been introduced in recent years. In the automatic main distributing frame, jumper-wiring is performed by a robot to connect between the terminal boards
21
and
22
.
FIGS. 10A
,
10
B, and
10
C are explanatory diagrams of an outline of the conventional automatic main distributing frame.
FIG. 10A
shows a structure of the conventional automatic main distributing frame described in
FIG. 9
, in which the terminal boards
21
and
22
are connected by jumper-wires
23
.
FIG. 10B
is an explanatory diagram of an automatic main distributing frame, substituted for the conventional automatic main distributing frame using the jumper-wiring connection as explained in FIG.
9
. In
FIG. 10B
, a matrix switch board
20
is employed as a key structural element of the main distributing frame
2
.
The matrix switch board
20
has a base board
27
, on which plural X and Y conductors
24
and
25
are formed. The matrix switch board
20
further includes plural intersection points
28
, at which each X and Y conductors
24
and
25
are crossed each other.
Therefore, it is possible to form an optional connection between the X and Y conductors
24
and
25
by inserting a conductive pin
26
into the intersection point
28
. Additionally, a network is constituted to connect multi-stacked plural matrix switch boards
20
. As the result, it is possible to connect a large number of terminals on the subscriber side X with a small number of terminals on the exchange side Y.
FIG. 11
is a perspective view of a structure of the conventional automatic main distributing frame, a part of which is dismantled. The structure of
FIG. 11
has plural matrix switch boards
20
. Each of the plural matrix switch boards
20
has a base board
27
including plural layers of X and Y conductors
24
and
25
, which are orthogonal each other, as shown in
FIG. 10
c.
Additionally, at each of the plural intersection points
28
formed by the conductors
24
on the subscriber side and the conductors
25
on the exchange side, which are orthogonal each other, in each layer, a through hole is provided. Therefore, a conductor
24
on the subscriber side can be connected to a conductor
25
on the exchange side by inserting the conductive pin
26
for connection at an intersection point.
In this example, a robot
40
inserts or extracts the conductive pin
26
for connection, automatically. In the conventional automatic main distributing frame, plural matrix boards
20
are arranged in two dimension so as to form one flat board
41
, as show in FIG.
11
. Further, a main body
4
, in which the robot
40
inserting or extracting the conductive pin
26
is accommodated, is set between two flat boards
41
.
The robot
40
detects a specified intersection point
28
from one plain plate
41
, and inserts the conductive pin
26
into the through hole of the specified intersection point
28
, or extracts the conductive pin
26
from the through hole.
It is possible to rotate a driving hand
44
holding the conductive pin
26
, which is attached to the robot
40
, and therefore, it is possible to insert the conductive pin
26
into the flat board
41
, which is constituted with the plural matrix switch boards, which are provided on the reverse surface of the body
4
.
The robot
40
is driven by a driving motor accommodated in the body
4
, not shown in
FIG. 11
, and the position of the robot is controlled by a vertical direction sensor
42
and a horizontal direction sensor
43
.
In this example, the connection between the line on the subscriber side and the line on the exchange is performed, while the exchange
3
is working, and one conductive pin
26
is inserted for one line to be connected.
In the above-described conventional automatic main distributing frame, one flat board
41
is formed by arranging the plural matrix switch boards
20
in two dimension. Therefore, the length of the flat board
41
becomes several meters.
Additionally, a connecting tool, i.e., a link bundle line, having connectors on the both sides, is employed to connect between the plural matrix switch boards
20
accommodated in the flat board
41
. In this way, as the plural matrix switch boards
20
are arranged on one plain in the conventional automatic main distributing frame, the size should become large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a small sized main distributing frame.
Further,when inserting the conductive pin
26
into a through hole, the minimization of the matrix switch board
20
requires severe accuracy of the size. Therefore, it is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic main distributing frame, which can easily maintain the size accuracy required to insert the conductive pin into a through hole.
The above-described objects according to the present invention can be attained by a main distributing frame including, a frame body, plural matrix switch boards accommodated in the frame body, each having matrix switch sections and input/output connectors on a rear section, a back wire board provided on a rear section of the frame body, having connectors connected to the input/output connectors on each rear section of the plural matrix switch boards, and plural robots, each positioned between a pair of two matrix switch board sections of the plural matrix switch boards, each having a hand section for inserting connection pins to the matrix switch sections of the two matrix switch boards.
In one preferred mode of the present invention, each of the plural robots has a frame structure with a vertical axis, which is arranged between upper and lower frames, and moves between the front and rear frames of the frame structure, and the hand section is movably mounted along the vertical axis.
Additionally, in another preferred mode, the back wire board includes reference pins, and re
Honda Koji
Kakihara Eiichi
Fujitsu Limited
Hong Harry S.
Katten Muchin Zavis & Rosenman
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