Modular protector for telecommunications equipment
First Claim
1. Apparatus for protecting equipment connected to a telephone line and for protecting persons using said equipment against spurious voltages and spurious currents said apparatus comprising(1) a housing, said housing comprising a base, a landing, first and second wells between said base and said landing, each of said wells having an end elevated above said landing by a predetermined height and an opening through each end, the base of said housing having a trough surrounding the interior walls of said wells,(2) first and second terminals, said terminals housed within said first and second wells, respectively, said terminals forming a substantially air tight seal with said ends, and said terminals projecting through said openings,(3) first and second protectors introduced through an opening in said base and housed within said first and second wells respectively and communicating with said first and second terminals,(4) first and second springs communicating with said first and second protectors,(5) a base cup, said base cup substantially covering said open base and retaining said first and second springs in said first and second wells respectively said base cup lodged within said trough, trapping an air pocket within said housing and forming a substantial seal with said housing, and(6) means for grounding said spurious signals from said first and second terminals, said grounding means comprising a plurality of tines, said tines retaining said base cup in position by penetrating apertures in opposite walls of said housing to form a tight seal, said grounding means further comprising means for securing said grounding means to a binding post of an adaptor.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An adaptor terminates one or more modular protectors of the same size obviating the need for a telephone company to carry an inventory of many different sizes. Each modular unit, which protects a telephone line, has a hollow shell into which two terminals are received, each terminal communicating with a protector. The terminals are elevated above a landing on the housing so that the distance between the two terminals exceed a predetermined distance to reduce noise. The protectors are enclosed within the hollow shell by a base cover which is secured in place by a grounding clip which has many tines on one end for penetrating the side of the housing; the other end of the grounding clip is so formed as to secure the housing to the adaptor.
23 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for protecting equipment connected to a telephone line and for protecting persons using said equipment against spurious voltages and spurious currents said apparatus comprising
(1) a housing, said housing comprising a base, a landing, first and second wells between said base and said landing, each of said wells having an end elevated above said landing by a predetermined height and an opening through each end, the base of said housing having a trough surrounding the interior walls of said wells, (2) first and second terminals, said terminals housed within said first and second wells, respectively, said terminals forming a substantially air tight seal with said ends, and said terminals projecting through said openings, (3) first and second protectors introduced through an opening in said base and housed within said first and second wells respectively and communicating with said first and second terminals, (4) first and second springs communicating with said first and second protectors, (5) a base cup, said base cup substantially covering said open base and retaining said first and second springs in said first and second wells respectively said base cup lodged within said trough, trapping an air pocket within said housing and forming a substantial seal with said housing, and (6) means for grounding said spurious signals from said first and second terminals, said grounding means comprising a plurality of tines, said tines retaining said base cup in position by penetrating apertures in opposite walls of said housing to form a tight seal, said grounding means further comprising means for securing said grounding means to a binding post of an adaptor.
-
11. A modular telephone line protector for conveying surge voltages and fault currents to ground, said line protector comprising
(1) a housing shell comprising an open base and a closed end, a plurality of wells between said open base and said closed end, said closed end defining an orifice with each of said wells, the open base having a trough surrounding said wells, each well having a top end, the top ends of said wells being raised above said base so that the surface distance between any two of said terminals within said wells exceeds a predetermined distance. (2) each of said wells comprising in series (a) a terminal, said terminal projecting through said orifice and used for terminating conductors, said terminal forming a substantially air tight seal with said top end, (b) a protector, and (c) a volute spring (3) a cup retaining said volute spring and said protector against said terminal within each of said wells, said cup fitting within said trough and substantially covering said open base, and a grounding clip, said grounding clip comprising means for retaining said base cup within said trough of said open base of said housing shell, said means for retaining said base cup forming a substantial seal with said housing shell, said grounding clip further comprising means for securing said protector to a conductor terminating means of an adaptor.
-
19. An improved station protector for conveying spurious voltages and spurious currents in a telephone line to ground potential, said protector comprising
a housing having a base, a landing and first and second wells between said base and said landing, each well having an end with an aperture and a terminal projecting through said aperture, first and second protectors, respectively, lodged in said first and second wells, and first and second resilient means urging, respectively, said first and second protectors against said terminals, the improvement comprising said terminals forming a substantially air tight seal with the end of said wells, said ends of said first and second wells being elevated above said landing so that the distance between said two ends measured along the height of each well above the landing and the length along the landing between the two wells exceeds a predetermined value, said base having a trough open to the atmosphere and surrounding said first and second wells, a base cup substantially closing said open trough and lodged within said trough said base cup making contact with said first and second resilient means, and retaining means penetrating a pair of side walls of said base to retain said base cup within said trough.
-
23. A modular telephone line protector for conveying surge voltages and fault currents to ground, said line protector comprising
(1) a housing shell comprising an open base and a closed end, a plurality of wells projecting from said closed end, the open base providing a trough surrounding said wells, each well having a top end, a terminal housed within each well, the top ends of said wells being raised above said base so that the surface distance between any two of said terminals within said wells exceeds a predetermined distance. (2) each of said wells enclosing in series (a) said terminal projecting through the top end of said well and used for terminating conductors, said terminal forming a substantially air tight seal with said top end of said well, (b) a protector, (c) a spring communicating with said protector, (3) a cup retaining said spring and said protector against said terminal within each of said wells, said cup fitting within said trough and substantially covering said open base, and means including a grounding clip for retaining said cup within said trough of the open base of said housing shell, said cup when retained by said retaining means forming a substantial seal with said housing shell, said grounding clip comprising means for securing said line protector to a conductor terminating means.
-
24. An improved station protector for conveying spurious voltages and spurious currents in a telephone line to ground potential, said station protector comprising
a housing having a base, a landing and first and second wells projecting from said landing, each well having a top end with an aperture therein and a terminal projecting through the top end aperture, first and second protectors, respectively, lodged in said first and second wells, and first and second resilient means urging, respectively, said first and second protectors against said terminals, said terminals forming a substantially air tight seal with the apertured ends of said wells, said apertured ends of said first and second wells being elevated above said landing so that the distance between said two apertured ends measured along the height of each well above the landing and the length along the landing between the two wells exceeds a predetermined value, said base providing a trough open to the atmosphere and surrounding said first and second wells, base cup means substantially closing said open trough and lodged within said trough, said base cup means making contact with said first and second resilient means, and retaining means penetrating said base to retain said base cup means within said trough.
Specification