Information circuit wiring allowing efficient layout

• US 6,269,471 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Tatsuo, Inagaki, Tomonori, Yamano, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US09/013,475
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500.14, 395/500.09, 395/500.12, 395/500.01, 439/61, 439/151, 716/13, 716/8, 716/11
• US Class Current: 716/129
• 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

Abstract

On a floor of a building, a wiring layout of information circuits which are used by personnel who work at a plurality of blocks, has at each block outlet connectors connected to information devices at the block. An interconnection unit has primary connectors connected to extend devices e.g. telephone exchange or network controller, and secondary connectors. Wiring structures each having a plurality of wiring cables connect respective groups of the secondary connectors to respective blocks.

Interconnection cables detachably and interchangeably connect the primary and secondary connectors at the interconnection unit. To enable efficient and simple re-arrangement for the information circuits, first identification signs, e.g. colors, identify blocks associated with the respective wiring cables, and at the interconnection unit, the secondary outlets connected by one of the wiring structures to one of the blocks are grouped together in space and have associated with them an identification sign which is the same as the first identification sign identifying the block to which they are connected.

Claims

1. A wiring layout of information circuits which are used by personnel who work at a plurality of blocks, each block accommodating at least one person, the wiring layout comprising:

at each block, a plurality of outlet connectors connectable in use to information devices used by personnel at the block;

an interconnection unit having a plurality of primary connectors adapted to be connected to collective information handling devices, and a plurality of secondary connectors;

a plurality of wiring bundles, each comprising a plurality of wiring cables associated with a particular one of the blocks, the plurality of wiring cables connecting respective groups of the secondary connectors to respective ones of the blocks, the wiring cables of each wiring bundle terminating at the respective outlet connectors of the block; and

a plurality of interconnection cables detachably and interchangeably connecting the primary connectors and the secondary connectors at the interconnection unit, wherein

(i) first identification signs are provided on each bundle to identify respective ones of the blocks to which the wiring bundles are connected, the first identification signs being provided by a color-coded indicia tape wound around substantially an entire length of each bundle,

(ii) at the interconnection unit, the plurality of the secondary connectors connected by a respective one of the wiring bundles to one of the blocks are grouped together in space, each group of secondary connectors being colored with the same color as the corresponding cable bundle indicia tape to identify the block and associated wiring bundle, and

(iii) second identification signs are associated with the wiring cables to identify respective ones of the wiring cables in each said wiring bundle, and the same second identification signs are provided to identify respective secondary connectors to which the wiring cables are respectively connected.

2. A wiring layout according to claim 1, wherein third identification signs enabling identification of the collective information handling devices are provided on the interconnection cables.

3. A wiring layout according to claim 2, wherein the third identification signs are colors.

4. A wiring layout according to claim 1, wherein the second identification signs are numerical.

5. A readily reconfigurable information circuit wiring harness assembly adapted to extend between information device terminals of a specific work station among a plurality of work stations and an interconnection unit that connects the information device terminals to corresponding external collective information handling devices, said information circuit wiring harness assembly comprising:

at least two bundles of circuit cables, each having first and second ends;

a connector for each bundle having a plurality of sockets, the sockets being connected to the first end of a respective one of the at least two bundles and adapted to be connectable to individual information device terminals of a specific work station; and

a plurality of plugs for each bundle, said plurality of plugs being connected to individual circuit cables at the second end of a respective one of said bundles, the plugs being adapted to be connectable to an interconnection unit,

wherein a different, color-coded indicia tape is wound around substantially an entire length of each of said at least two bundles of circuit cables, and the respective plugs of each bundle are of a same color as the color-coded indicia tape, the combination of the colored bundle and colored plugs forming first identification signs allowing ready identification of a particular one of the at least two bundles of circuit cables, as well as the particular work station from which the plugs for the particular one bundle originate,

further wherein second identification signs are provided on respective circuit cables of each bundle, and the same second identification signs are provided on corresponding socket accommodating portions formed on the connector, whereby the second identification signs allow ready identification of which plugs are connected to which information device terminals of the particular work station.

6. A readily reconfigurable information circuit wiring harness assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one identification sign is provided on the connector to identify the work station.

7. A readily reconfigurable information circuit wiring harness assembly according to claim 5, wherein the wiring harness assembly further includes reconfigurable interconnection cables, each selectively connectable at a first end to a particular one of the plugs and at a second end to an information handling device, the interconnection cables being distinguished by colors according to a type of information device terminal that is being connected by the wiring harness assembly.