Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2001-10-09
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S417000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299475
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to electrical connectors and in particular to terminal blocks for connecting an incoming telephone cable to individual pairs of drop lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Terminal blocks are commonly used in telephone distribution lines. For example, a telephone cable will lead from the telephone company system to a terminal block. The terminal block has a base with a number of connection stations, for example 10 to 15. Each station has a separate electrical connector that will connect one twisted-pair of wires in the incoming telephone cable to a pair of drop lines that leads to one of the telephones. The wires from the incoming telephone cable are pre-wired into the stations of the base. Each station has two holes for insertion of the two wires from one of the drop lines. Normally, the station will have an insulation displacement connector (referred to herein as “IDC”) terminal registering with each of the holes. An IDC terminal allows the operator to insert the end of the drop line into the hole provided in the station without stripping the insulation from the drop line. The IDC terminal includes a clip having a slit with two sharp edges that are biased toward one another. The wire is pressed through the slit toward the base, thereby making electrical contact without the need for stripping the insulation from the wire.
When installing distribution terminals, it is not uncommon for the telephone company cable to have more capacity than will be initially required by the telephone drop lines. For example, the incoming cable may have a capacity for 15 pairs of drop lines, but only eight will be used initially, although it is possible in the future that the rest will be utilized. The company installing the distribution terminal may install a terminal block that has 15 separate stations to match the full capacity of the telephone company cable even though only eight pairs of drop lines are being used initially. Later, when the other stations are going to be used, the additional drop lines can simply be inserted into the stations. However, a larger terminal block than initially needed is more expensive. On the other hand, if the company elects to install a smaller terminal block, it may find that it later has to replace the smaller terminal block with a larger one.
It is not uncommon for a need to exist to remove drop wires from a module and then reinsert the same or different drop wires. The module housings are filled with an insulating gel to prevent water and other undesirable environmental effects from entering the housing and possibly shorting out the electrical connection. The insulating gel is a viscous substance that does not fully harden with time. It is important on reinsertion that the insulating gel flows around the drop wires and continues to properly encapsulate the drop wires and the IDC clips.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this invention, the distribution terminal block has a plurality of bases. Each of the bases has a platform and two lateral sides on opposite edges of the platform. Mating connectors are on each of the lateral sides of the bases for securing a number of the bases together, in side-by-side relation. The bases can thus be assembled to a desired number to match the number of twisted-pairs of wires from the incoming telephone cable.
Each of the bases has three electrically conductive penetrators extending through the platform. Two of the penetrators have downwardly extending terminal ends for connection to a twisted-pair of wires of the incoming telephone cable. The third penetrator is connected to a ground. A module may be secured to each of the bases over the platform. Each module has a pair of electrical contacts, preferably IDC clips. Each clip engages one of the penetrators when the module is secured to the base. Each of the modules has a pair of holes adjacent to the IDC clips for receiving ends of the drop wires. An actuator for each of the modules presses the drop wires into engagement with the IDC clips.
In the preferred embodiment, each of the actuators has a plunger for pushing the drop wires into engagement with the IDC clips. The plunger moves relative to the housing of the module while the module remains stationary on the base. Rotating a screw in one direction causes the plunger to move toward the base. Rotating the screw in the opposite direction causes the plunger to move away from the base.
The plunger has an upper portion and a lower portion separated by a recess and connected by a spine. The upper portion has a larger cross-sectional area than the lower portion. The upper portion has lateral edges that engage guides in the housing to prevent rotation of the plunger. The power portion has a lesser width and beveled corners on its lower lateral edges. The spine joins to the rearward side of the lower portion and has a tapered inner edge that is oblique to the axis of the plunger, thereby defining a sharp point.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or several embodiments of the invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
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Freeman Elmer O.
Huspeni Paul J.
Laporte Richard B.
Liu Ziwei
Rodriguez, Jr. Antonio P.
Corning Cable Systems LLC
Nguyen Son V.
Patel Tulsidas
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