Network access terminal

Details Network access terminal Network access terminal

2001-02-23

2002-05-07

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With insulation other than conductor sheath

Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...

C439S049000, C439S165000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06383034

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an enclosure for wiring terminations. More specifically, the invention relates to a network access terminal having a connector panel that provides wiring termination points between telephone lines from multiple local exchange carriers (“LECs”) and individual subscriber telephone lines so that a subscriber can be conveniently connected to any one of the LECs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Telephone service is available from a number of different telephone companies, referred to herein as the service provider. The subscriber may purchase as many separate telephone lines as he desires and equip his home or business with various telephone equipment. Subscribers are responsible for the proper operation of telephone equipment and the service provider is responsible for the proper operation of the telephone network equipment up to the interface between the service provider wiring and the subscriber wiring.
Before the deregulation of the local exchange telephone industry, an incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) had the exclusive right to provide local exchange telephone services to a subscriber. With this near monopolistic control, the ILECs laid extensive large pair count telephone cables throughout cities within their local access transport area (LATA). Oftentimes, such cables terminate in a building entrance terminal (BET) mounted on the side of a commercial building or a multi-tenant dwelling. The BET provides an enclosure for establishing and protecting multiple wiring terminations. The BET may also house protection elements, such as voltage surge protectors. For example, an ILEC might lay a telephone cable that contains 256 twisted pair of wires, even though the capacity of the cable far exceeds the immediate needs of the subscribers. Each twisted pair typically services a single phone line and comprises a tip wire and a ring wire. The twisted pair wires are then routed and terminated to a unique pair of tip and ring connectors within the BET for connection to the tip and ring wires of a particular subscriber line.
With industry deregulation, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) must now be given access to the subscriber wiring. The CLEC is entitled to lease the ILEC's existing infrastructure, including the BET and the telephone lines leading up to the BET. In addition, the CLEC is entitled to route its own telephone lines into the BET for termination with the subscriber wiring. However, many ILECs are concerned that the field technician employed by the CLEC might be inexperienced and may damage the equipment or existing wiring terminations within the BET.
One solution is to provide a separate network access terminal, as shown in
FIG. 1. A
BET
12
is shown mounted on the side of a structure
10
, such as a building or wall. The ILEC telephone cable
16
is shown entering the BET
12
. Inside the BET
12
, the cable
16
is separated into multiple telephone lines and each line is terminated to, for example, a connector. A lock
14
may be placed on the BET
12
to ensure that no one except an ILEC field technician has access to the BET
12
. A second enclosure, the network access terminal
20
in
FIG. 1
is also mounted on the structure
10
. A patch cable
18
connects at least a portion of the terminated wires in the BET
12
to a similar connector within the network access terminal
20
. A second patch cable
19
is provided by the CLEC from a BET (not shown) belonging to the CLEC and likewise is routed into the network access terminal
20
for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Subscriber wiring
22
enters the network access terminal
20
where it is also terminated, for example, to the connector within the network access terminal
20
. Both ILEC and CLEC field technicians have access to the network access terminal
20
.
If a CLEC leases several of the telephone lines in the ILEC cable
16
, then access to those telephone lines is provided from within the network interface terminal
20
through the patch cable
18
. The more likely situation, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, is that the CLEC utilizes its own BET (not shown) and routes a separate patch cable
19
into the network access terminal
20
from its BET. Thus, a subscriber can be connected to either the ILEC's or the CLEC's telephone lines that are terminated in the network interface device
20
. For example, a CLEC field technician can respond to a request for service from a particular subscriber by opening the network access terminal
20
and installing a jumper cable between one of the CLEC's telephone lines and the subscriber's telephone line.
Cross connect cabinets, such as the cabinet
20
shown in
FIG. 2
, are commercially available. The cabinet
20
can serve the same function as a network access terminal, and thus, is indicated herein by the same reference numeral. A door
24
protects an inner panel
26
, also known as a layer. The panel
26
can have a service provider side
26
A and a subscriber side
26
B. Telephone cable
18
enters the cabinet
20
, as shown, and is separated into a plurality of individual twisted pair wires. The twisted pair wires terminate into connectors
28
. A more detailed view of a modular connector
28
is shown in FIG.
3
. The connector
28
includes a number of individual termination points on both its front and rear surfaces. Thus, a tip wire and a ring wire
30
,
32
, respectively, from one twisted pair are inserted into the rear of a connector
28
on the service provider side
26
A of the panel
26
. Likewise the subscriber tip and ring wires are also terminated into the rear of a connector
28
on the subscriber side
26
B of the panel
26
. Wires
34
,
36
of a jumper cable can then be inserted between the front of the connector
28
on the service provider side
26
A of the panel
26
and the connector
28
on the subscriber side
26
B of the panel
26
. The connectors may be insulation displacement connectors (IDCs) to permit the connections to be made rapidly and without the need to strip insulation from the wires.
One problem with this type of panel
26
occurs during the initial insertion of the wires into the rear of the connector
28
. The connector
28
must be removed from the panel
26
to give the field technician access to the rear of the connector
28
. In some instances, there is not be enough slack in the wires to allow the field technician to connect the wires with the connector
28
removed from the panel
26
. Even if there is enough slack to connect the wires, the field technician may damage the wires while replacing the connector
28
in place on the panel
26
. Another problem with this type of panel
26
occurs if the wires
30
,
32
terminating into the rear of a connector
28
must be relocated to another connector
28
or become disconnected. The connector
28
must be removed from the panel
26
and the wires
30
,
32
carefully relocated to another connector or reinserted. Relocating or reinserting the wires
30
,
32
typically requires an experienced and skilled field technician. Furthermore, during the relocating or reinserting process other wires connected to the rear of the connectors
28
can become inadvertently dislodged.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved network access terminal that permits easy access to the rear of the connectors on the connector panel.
A further need exists for a network access terminal that permits multiple LECs to easily route new wiring into the enclosure and to terminate the wiring into the rear of connectors on the connector panel.
A further need exists for a network access terminal that provides convenient management of wiring slack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network access terminal that overcomes many of the disadvantages in the prior art. The network access terminal includes a unique connector panel configured such that the connector does not need to be removed from the connector panel to access the rear of the connector. The networ

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