Modular communication cabling arrangement
First Claim
1. In an office furniture arrangement including a plurality of upright space-dividing wall panels interconnected to define a plurality of adjacent workstations, said plurality of panels including a series of panels which are positioned generally end-to-end in the lengthwise direction thereof to define a main panel run, the panels of said run defining therein a raceway which extends lengthwise thereof, and a telecommunication cabling arrangement disposed in said raceway for providing access to telecommunication links from workstations disposed adjacent said panels, the improvement comprising:
- said telecommunication cabling arrangement being of modular construction and defined by a plurality of elongate main distribution modules which serially couple together and extend throughout the raceways defined by said run of panels, each said main distribution module including an elongate intermediate cable having a connector unit at each end thereof, said cable defining a plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links extending longitudinally therethrough and terminating at the connector units provided at opposite ends thereof, each said connector unit having a plurality of multi-conductor terminals corresponding to the number of telecommunication links;
the connector units as provided on adjacent ends of two said distribution modules being fixedly coupled together to define a series of interconnected main distribution modules so that the terminals on one connector unit respectively engage the individual terminals on the other connector unit, said engaged terminals permitting said plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links to be transmitted between said interconnected main distribution modules wherein the same telecommunication links are transmitted longitudinally along said telecommunication cabling arrangement;
said series of interconnected main distribution modules defining access ports at spaced intervals therealong, each said access port permitting access to at least one, but less than all, of the telecommunication links which extend throughout the interconnected main distribution modules;
at least one tap-off module having a tap-off part engageable with one of the access ports for connection with the telecommunication link defined thereat, said tap-off part having a plurality of contacts which are engageable with contacts provided at the access port and define the one telecommunication link; and
said tap-off module also including an outlet connected to the contacts on the tap-off part, said outlet defining a multi-conductor telecommunication link connected to the link at said one access port.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular communication system, particularly for interior space-dividing wall panels which are serially-connected together to define a plurality of adjacent workstations. The modular communication system is defined by a plurality of prefabricated modules, one of which is an elongate main distribution module mountable within a raceway which extends horizontally longitudinally of the panel. This elongate main distribution module, in one embodiment, has a length which approximately corresponds to the panel length, and has terminals or connectors at opposite ends so that a plurality of main distribution modules can be serially-connected to extend along a plurality of serially-connected panels. The main communication modules define a plurality of telecommunication links (i.e., paths), with each link preferably being defined by eight conductors (i.e., four pairs). The system also includes tap-off modules which cooperate with the main distribution modules to permit one (two in the preferred embodiment) link to be tapped off at a workstation for connection to communication equipment (i.e. a telephone and/or a computer). The tap-off module permits only the selected link or links to be tapped off and accessible at the workstation.
70 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. In an office furniture arrangement including a plurality of upright space-dividing wall panels interconnected to define a plurality of adjacent workstations, said plurality of panels including a series of panels which are positioned generally end-to-end in the lengthwise direction thereof to define a main panel run, the panels of said run defining therein a raceway which extends lengthwise thereof, and a telecommunication cabling arrangement disposed in said raceway for providing access to telecommunication links from workstations disposed adjacent said panels, the improvement comprising:
-
said telecommunication cabling arrangement being of modular construction and defined by a plurality of elongate main distribution modules which serially couple together and extend throughout the raceways defined by said run of panels, each said main distribution module including an elongate intermediate cable having a connector unit at each end thereof, said cable defining a plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links extending longitudinally therethrough and terminating at the connector units provided at opposite ends thereof, each said connector unit having a plurality of multi-conductor terminals corresponding to the number of telecommunication links; the connector units as provided on adjacent ends of two said distribution modules being fixedly coupled together to define a series of interconnected main distribution modules so that the terminals on one connector unit respectively engage the individual terminals on the other connector unit, said engaged terminals permitting said plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links to be transmitted between said interconnected main distribution modules wherein the same telecommunication links are transmitted longitudinally along said telecommunication cabling arrangement; said series of interconnected main distribution modules defining access ports at spaced intervals therealong, each said access port permitting access to at least one, but less than all, of the telecommunication links which extend throughout the interconnected main distribution modules; at least one tap-off module having a tap-off part engageable with one of the access ports for connection with the telecommunication link defined thereat, said tap-off part having a plurality of contacts which are engageable with contacts provided at the access port and define the one telecommunication link; and said tap-off module also including an outlet connected to the contacts on the tap-off part, said outlet defining a multi-conductor telecommunication link connected to the link at said one access port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A telecommunication cabling arrangement comprising:
-
said telecommunication cabling arrangement being of modular construction and defined by a plurality of elongate main distribution modules which serially couple together, each said main distribution module including an elongate intermediate cable having a connector unit at each end thereof, said cable defining a plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links extending longitudinally therethrough and terminating at the connector units provided at opposite ends thereof, each said connector unit having a plurality of multi-conductor terminals corresponding to the number of telecommunication links; the connector units as provided on adjacent ends of two said distribution modules being fixedly coupled together to define a series of interconnected main distribution modules so that the terminals on one connector unit respectively engage the individual terminals on the other connector unit, said engaged terminals permitting said plurality of multi-conductor telecommunication links to be transmitted between said interconnected main distribution modules wherein the same telecommunication links are transmitted longitudinally along the telecommunication cabling arrangement; said series of interconnected distribution modules defining thereon access ports at spaced intervals therealong, each said access port permitting access to at least one, but less than all, of the telecommunication links which extend throughout the interconnected main distribution modules; at least one tap-off module having a tap-off part engageable with one of the access ports for connection with the telecommunication link defined thereat, said tap-off part having a plurality of contacts which are engageable with contacts provided at the access port and define the one telecommunication link; and said tap-off module also including outlet means connected to the contacts on the tap-off part for providing access to said telecommunication link to which said tap-off part is connected, said outlet means defining a multi-conductor telecommunication link for connecting said outlet means to the link at said one access port. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A communication cabling arrangement comprising:
-
a plurality of elongate multi-conductor cable modules, each of said cable modules including an elongate cable which defines a plurality of multi-conductor communication links extending longitudinally therethrough and a connector unit at one end of the cable module, said connector units including a plurality of terminal contacts therein which are connected to said plurality of communication links, said connector units as provided on adjacent ends of said cables being interconnected together, the terminal contacts on one of said connector units respectively engaging the individual terminal contacts on the other connector unit such that the same communication links extend through said communication cabling arrangement; said interconnected connector units defining thereon a plurality of access ports which permit access to said engaged terminal contacts, each said access port permitting access to at least one, but less than all of said communication links; and a tap-off module having a tap-off part which is engageable with one of said access ports for connection to the communication link defined thereat, said tap-off module including an outlet which is connected to contacts on said tap-off part, said contacts of said tap-off part being engageable with said engaged terminals provided in said access port such that said outlet is connected to said communication link at said access port. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A communication cabling arrangement comprising:
-
an elongate distribution cable defining a plurality of multi-conductor communication links extending longitudinally therealong; a plurality of access units connected to said cable in longitudinally spaced relation, each of said access units being connected to sections of said cable on upstream and downstream sides thereof, each of said access units including a plurality of contacts therein which correspond to the number of communication links, each of said access units including a plurality of access ports therein, each said access port permitting access to at least one, but less than all of said telecommunication links wherein said contacts are accessible through said access ports; and at least tap-off part which is engageable with one of said access ports for connection to the communication link defined thereat, said tap-off module including an outlet which is connected to tap-off contacts on said tap-off part, said tap-off contacts of said tap-off part being engageable with said contacts provided in said access port such that said outlet is connected to said communication link at said access port. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
Specification