Telecommunications wiring system

• US 5,272,277 A
• Filed: 10/26/1990
• Issued: 12/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: Holscher-Wernig Incorporated
• Inventors: Humbles, Marion S., Humbles, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tone, David
• Application Number:
  US07/603,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/49, 307/147, 379/397, 379/399
• US Class Current: 174/520
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/288 in modular walls, e.g. wall panels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/71 Substation extension arrangements

Abstract

A telecommunications wiring system reliably provides fast configuration and reconfiguration of user telecommunications devices within a localized telecommunications network. A series of piping assemblies creates a network of pair appearances in multiple. Then, hard-wired pair selectors, extractors, are used to connect at least one preselected signal from the piping assembly to the telecommunications device. Since only several of the many signal paths are permanently spliced within the connector of the extractor, only those several paths provide a continuous path for transmission. Whenever the position of a telecommunications device needs to be changed within the network, the extractor associated with the telecommunications device is unplugged from the piping assembly to accompany the telecommunications device to its new location. Then, to complete the reconfiguration of the telecommunications device within the network, the accompanying extractor simply plugs into the piping assembly at the new location and the telecommunications device is plugged once again into the same extractor; thereby, the same, preselected paths are once again utilized. Methodology of providing easily relocatable and reconfigurable telecommunications local system connections between a local termination facility and user telecommunications devices is described accordingly.

Claims

1. A telecommunications wiring system comprising at least one piping assembly including a cable with a connector of a first gender type on one end and at least two connectors of an opposite gender type in multiple on the other end, the cable carrying multiple user signals by means of multiple available transmission paths intended for a plurality of user communications devices, one end of the piping assembly being configured for interconnection with a local termination facility offering a plurality of available transmission paths, whereby at least some of the available transmission paths are provided by the piping assembly and at least one extractor assembly for permanently providing a continuation of at least one preselected signal path from the plurality of available transmission paths provided by the piping assembly through the extractor assembly to a user telecommunications device, the extractor assembly comprising a cable with an extractor connector of the first gender type on one end and a terminal on the other end for connection of a user telecommunications device corresponding to said preselected signal path, the extractor connector having capability for accessing the plurality of available transmission paths provided by the piping assembly, and wherein the at least two connectors of an opposite gender type in multiple can mate with both the connector of first gender type of the extractor assembly and the connector of first gender type of another such piping assembly.

2. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 1 in combination with a plurality of office divider panels in an office area, the local termination facility being a punch-down block, means for interconnecting one end of said at least one piping assembly with the punch-down block for communication with the office area, the piping assemblies and extractor assemblies being placed substantially within the office divider panels, the extractor assemblies being associated with corresponding different user telecommunications devices within the office area.

3. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 2 wherein the first and opposite gender types are respectively male and female, wherein the at least two connectors of an opposite gender type are female gender type connectors in multiple and carried in a hybrid connector box which can be threaded through conventional wiring chases of such office divider panels, and the female connectors in multiple of said hybrid connector box can each mate with both the connector of male gender type and the connector of male gender type of another such piping assembly.

4. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 3 wherein the hybrid connector box is of thin, relatively elongated configuration which carries two such female type connectors, positioned along at least one surface thereof, the hybrid connector box carrying means for quick securement of male gender type connectors received by each female gender type connector.

5. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 4 wherein the means for quick securement comprises a hook-and-pile fabric strap to be selectively tightened about a connector so received.

6. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 5 wherein the means for quick securement has a support structure including a slot for the fabric strap, the strap being secured to itself to be tightened after passing through a slot.

7. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 1 wherein the first and opposite gender types are respectively male and female.

8. A telecommunications wiring system according to claim 1 further comprising means for quick securement of the connection between the piping assembly and the extractor assembly or another such connector assembly.

9. A method of providing easily relocatable and reconfigurable telecommunications local system connections between a local termination facility and each of a plurality of user telecommunications devices, comprising

(a) preselecting signal paths for the user telecommunications devices from a plurality of available transmission paths,

(b) providing at least one extractor cable from a possible plurality of such extractor cables, each such extractor cable having a preselected signal path corresponding to a given user telecommunications device, and each such extractor cable being part of an extractor assembly including for the extractor cable an extractor connector of first gender type on one end,

(c) providing a first one from a possible plurality of like telecommunications piping assemblies having opposite ends, one end including a connector of first gender type adapted for being connected to the local termination facility and the other end being adapted for being interconnected with an extractor cable, and

(d) orienting and configuring at least one end of said at least one piping assembly to provide at least two connectors of an opposite gender type in multiple for permitting a further such piping assembly to be connected to the first piping assembly, and wherein each such piping assembly provides at its ends access to each of the plurality of available transmission paths, such that the at least two connectors of an opposite gender type in multiple can mate with both the connector of first gender type of the extractor assembly and the connector of first gender type of another such piping assembly, whereby each such extractor cable may easily and quickly provide correct continuation of the preselected signal path to a user telecommunications device upon relocation or reconfiguration of local system connections.