Connecting block for digital system cross-connect frame
First Claim
1. Apparatus for interconnecting first and second digital systems, said apparatus being housed in a frame comprising upper and lower crossarms, said apparatus comprisinga backplane having front and rear surfaces and housing a plurality of first terminals extending outwardly from said rear surface for terminating a plurality of circuits to and from said first and second digital systems,a housing unit connected mechanically and electrically to said backplane said housing unit having a plurality of second terminals for interconnecting said first and second digital systems, said housing unit having front and rear surfaces, said second terminals extending forwardly from said front surface of said housing unit,a resilient tang on the upper surface of said apparatus and adapted to be snapped removably into place in said upper crossarm within said frame for retaining said apparatus,a pedestal comprising anterior and posterior projections and a central recess in an upper surface of said pedestal facing a lower end of said housing unit to mate with said housing unit, said pedestal further comprising a longitudinal recess in a lower surface of said pedestal adapted to mate with said lower crossarm of said frame for retaining said apparatus, anda plurality of printed wiring boards within said apparatus for establishing an electrical path between said first terminals of said backplane and said second terminals on said front surface of said housing unit.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connecting block for a digital cross connect system has printed wiring circuit boards to interconnect terminals on the rear surface with jacks and terminals on the front surface. The terminals on the front surface are multipled to jack appearances also on the front surface of the connecting block. The connecting block has a pedestal which sits on a lower crossarm of a frame. The upper surface of the connecting block has a resilient tang which snaps into an upper crossarm of the frame. The tang is depressed with a screw driver or the like to disengage it from the upper crossarm. The connecting block is suspended by the anterior section of the pedestal from a panel located in front of the lower crossarm to expose the terminals on the rear surface. Conductors in cables to and from digital systems are then terminated on the rear terminals.
45 Citations
11 Claims
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1. Apparatus for interconnecting first and second digital systems, said apparatus being housed in a frame comprising upper and lower crossarms, said apparatus comprising
a backplane having front and rear surfaces and housing a plurality of first terminals extending outwardly from said rear surface for terminating a plurality of circuits to and from said first and second digital systems, a housing unit connected mechanically and electrically to said backplane said housing unit having a plurality of second terminals for interconnecting said first and second digital systems, said housing unit having front and rear surfaces, said second terminals extending forwardly from said front surface of said housing unit, a resilient tang on the upper surface of said apparatus and adapted to be snapped removably into place in said upper crossarm within said frame for retaining said apparatus, a pedestal comprising anterior and posterior projections and a central recess in an upper surface of said pedestal facing a lower end of said housing unit to mate with said housing unit, said pedestal further comprising a longitudinal recess in a lower surface of said pedestal adapted to mate with said lower crossarm of said frame for retaining said apparatus, and a plurality of printed wiring boards within said apparatus for establishing an electrical path between said first terminals of said backplane and said second terminals on said front surface of said housing unit.
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2. An improved apparatus for providing a location at which a circuit is established between first and second digital systems, said apparatus being housed in a frame having a plurality of horizontal crossarms, said apparatus which has front, rear, top and bottom surfaces comprising
a plurality of first terminals on said rear surface of said apparatus for terminating conductors from said first and second digital systems, a plurality of second terminals on said front surface of said apparatus, said plurality of first and second terminals being interconnected by electrical paths through said apparatus, and a plurality of jacks on said front surface of said apparatus, wherein the improvement in said apparatus comprises a pedestal having top and bottom surfaces said pedestal adapted to be removably mounted on the bottom surface of said apparatus, said pedestal comprising a longitudinal slot on said bottom surface of said pedestal so as to mate with the upper surface of a first one of said crossarms in said frame, a tang on the top surface of said apparatus, said tang being flexible and adapted to mate removably with a lower surface of a second one of said crossarms so as to hold said apparatus securely within said frame between said first and second crossarms, and said electrical paths comprising a plurality of electrical wires printed on a plurality of circuit boards within said apparatus.
Specification