Multiple telephone outlet box with surge protection

• US 6,373,944 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abacon Telecommunications LLC (Diploma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Abacon Telecommunications LLC (Diploma PLC)
• Inventors: Beavers, Roger L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/405,493
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 379/438, 439/638, 439/536, 439/356, 439/362, 439/364
• US Class Current: 379/438
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/518 for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0293 Terminal boxes for telephone sets

Abstract

An apparatus provides multiple telephone jacks for RJ11 and RJ45 connectors at an outlet box that has an installed telephone jack and holes to receive cover plate support screws. The apparatus includes a housing and a wiring board in the housing. The housing has an outlet box side and another side and generally has the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped with a minimal distance from the outlet box side to the other side to provide the appearance of a conventional outlet box coverplate with minimal protrusion into a room from the outlet box when installed. A telephone cord having a RJ11 or RJ45 plug connected to both ends of the telephone cord extends from the housing on the outlet box side to connect the installed phone jack to the multiple telephone jack apparatus. Further, surge protection circuitry, including an overcurrent protection device and a overvoltage protection device, is mounted on the wiring board to provide automatically resetting surge protection for the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing multiple telephone jacks at an outlet box that has an installed telephone jack and holes to receive cover plate support screws comprising:

a wiring board having mounted thereon an input telephone jack and a plurality of output telephone jacks and wires from said input telephone jack to said plurality of output telephone jacks so that circuits are formed from said input telephone jack to said output telephone jacks;

a housing for said wiring board, said housing having an outlet box side and another side with said wiring board arranged within said housing so that the number of telecommunications paths available from said outlet box side of said housing to said other side of said housing is multiplied, and said housing having mounting holes arranged to receive mounting screws to pass through said housing for engagement with the holes in the outlet box to form a secure mount of said housing on the outlet box; and

a telephone cord having a first telephone plug connected to a first end of said telephone cord a second telephone plug connected to a second end of said telephone cord;

wherein the first telephone plug of said telephone cord engages the input telephone jack on said wiring board;

wherein the second end of said telephone cord extends out of said housing on the outlet box side; and

wherein the second telephone plug of said telephone cord is configured for engagement with the installed telephone jack of the outlet box.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said telephone cord is of such length to permit said telephone cord to be compressed between said outlet box side of said housing and said outlet box so that said telephone cord does not interfere with the secure mount of said housing on said outlet box.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second telephone plugs are RJ11 connectors.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second telephone plugs are RJ45 connectors.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wiring board has an opening, and the outlet box side of said housing has an opening that is aligned with the opening in said wiring board, to provide an access path for said telephone cord to extend out of said housing.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input telephone jack and said output telephone jacks are RJ11 connector jacks.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input telephone jack and said output telephone jacks are RJ45 connector jacks.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a top having a coverplate and sidewalls, and a bottom.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said wiring board is secured between said top and said bottom, so that the top, the bottom, and the sidewalls substantially surround all sides of said wiring board.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a top having a coverplate and sidewalls, and a bottom, and wherein said wiring board is secured between said top and said bottom with fasteners passing through said bottom and said wiring board and lodging in said coverplate, so that said top, said bottom, and said sidewalls substantially surround all sides of said wiring board.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coverplate has an outlet box side and standoffs on its outlet box side positioned to hold said wiring board spaced away said coverplate.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coverplate has an outlet box side and bosses on its outlet box side surrounding said mounting holes to hold said bottom spaced away from said coverplate and away from said wiring board.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing generally has the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped with a minimal distance from the outlet box side to said other side, to provide the appearance of a conventional outlet box coverplate with minimal protrusion into a room from the outlet box when installed.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of output telephone jacks is four output telephone jacks.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wires from said input telephone jack to said output telephone jacks connect all connected output telephone jacks to the same telecommunications path.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wires from said input telephone jack to said output telephone jacks connect one of the connected output telephone jacks to a different telecommunications path than another output telephone jack.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wiring board further comprises surge protection circuitry for protecting said apparatus from abnormally high currents.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said surge protection circuitry includes at least one zener diode for allowing electrical current to flow in only one direction.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said surge protection circuitry includes at least one switch for automatically resetting said apparatus when an electrical surge is detected, allowing normal operations to continue.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein said switch is a PolySwitch.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said surge protection circuitry includes at least one light emitting diode for indicating that said surge protection circuitry is properly functioning.

22. An apparatus for providing multiple telephone jacks at an outlet box that has an installed telephone jack and holes to receive cover plate support screws comprising:

a housing and a wiring board in said housing, said housing having an outlet box side and another side and generally having the shape of a rectangular parallelopiped with a minimal distance from the outlet box side to said other side and providing the appearance of a conventional outlet box coverplate with minimal protrusion into a room from the outlet box when installed;

said wiring board having mounted thereon

an input telephone jack and four output telephone jacks with wires from said input telephone jack to said output telephone jacks so that four telecommunications circuits are formed from said input telephone jack to said output telephone jacks; and

said housing including a top and a bottom;

said top having a coverplate and sidewalls, said wiring board being secured between said top and said bottom with fasteners passing through said bottom and said wiring board and lodging in said coverplate, and said coverplate having holes arranged to receive mounting screws to pass through the housing for engagement with the holes in the outlet box to form a secure mount of the housing on the outlet box, said coverplate having standoffs and bosses, said standoffs being positioned to hold said wiring board spaced away from said coverplate and said bosses surrounding said holes to hold said bottom spaced away from said coverplate and away from said wiring board;

wherein a telephone cord, having a first telephone plug connected to a first end of the telephone cord and a second telephone plug connected to a second end of the telephone cord, extends from said outlet box side of said housing to enable connection of said wiring board with the installed jack mounted in the outlet box, such that the first telephone plug engages the input jack on said wiring board and said second telephone plug is configured for engagement with the installed telephone jack of the outlet box, said wiring board having an opening and the outlet box side of said housing having an opening that is aligned with the opening in said wiring board to provide and access path for said telephone cord to extend out of said housing.

23. A method of assembly of a telephone jack multiplier for an outlet box comprising:

affixing a plurality of output telephone jacks and an input telephone plug to a wiring board;

connecting wires from the input telephone jack to the plurality of output telephone jacks so that circuits are formed from the input telephone jack to the output telephone jacks;

installing the wiring board in a housing having an outlet box side and another side to form a plurality of telecommunications paths from the outlet box side of the housing to the other side of the housing including inserting a first telephone plug on a first end of a telephone cord into the input telephone jack and extending another end of the telephone cord out of the outlet box side of the housing through an access path created by an opening in the wiring board and an opening in the outlet box side of the housing; and

providing mounting screws for the housing to pass through holes in the housing for engagement with the holes in the outlet box to form a secure mount of the housing on the outlet box.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein installing includes affixing the wiring board to between a bottom of the housing and a top of the housing that has a coverplate and sidewalls so that the top, the bottom and the sidewalls substantially surround all sides of the wiring board.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein installing includes securing the wiring board between a bottom of the housing and a coverplate of the housing by passing fasteners through the bottom and the wiring board, and lodging the fasteners in the coverplate.

26. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein connecting the wires from the input telephone jacks to the output telephone jacks includes connecting all connected output telephone jacks to the same telecommunications path.

27. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein connecting the wires from the input telephone jacks to the output telephone jacks includes connecting one of the connected output telephone jacks to a different telecommunications path than another output telephone jack.

28. A method of assembly of a multiple telephone jack apparatus for an outlet box comprising:

affixing a plurality of output telephone jacks and an input telephone jack to a wiring board;

connecting wires from the input telephone jack to the plurality of output telephone jacks so that circuits are formed from the input telephone jack to the output telephone jacks; and

installing the wiring board in a housing having an outlet box side and another side to form a plurality of telecommunications paths from the outlet box side of the housing to the other side of the housing including;

affixing the wiring board between a bottom for the housing and a top for the housing that has a coverplate and sidewalls, and securing the wiring board between the bottom and the coverplate by passing fasteners through the bottom and the wiring board, and lodging the fasteners in the coverplate so that the top, the bottom, and the sidewalls substantially surround all sides of the wiring board;

inserting a first telephone plug on a first end of a telephone cord into the input telephone jack; and

extending another end of the telephone cord out of the outlet box side of the housing through an access path created by opening in the wiring board and an opening in the outlet box side of the housing; and

providing mounting screws for the housing to pass through holes in the housing for engagement with the holes in the outlet box to form a secure mount of the housing on the outlet box.

29. A method of installation of a multiple telephone jack apparatus on an outlet box in a surface comprising:

removing a coverplate from the outlet box to expose an opening in the surface and an installed jack and mounting holes on the outlet box,

positioning a multiple telephone jack apparatus on the opening in the surface while inserting a telephone plug that extends from the apparatus on a telephone cord into the installed jack; and

passing screws through the multiple telephone jack apparatus and into the mounting holes on the outlet box to secure the multiple telephone jack apparatus onto the outlet box.

30. A method of removal of a multiple telephone jack apparatus from an outlet box in a surface comprising:

unscrewing screws that pass through the multiple telephone jack apparatus and into the mounting holes on the outlet box to loosen the multiple telephone jack apparatus from the outlet box;

slightly moving the multiple telephone jack apparatus away from the outlet box;

deflecting a release lever on a telephone plug extending from the multiple telephone jack apparatus on a telephone cord to release the telephone plug from the jack in the outlet box, and

moving the multiple telephone jack apparatus away from the outlet box.

31. A method of installation of a multiple telephone jack apparatus on an outlet box in a surface comprising:

removing screws holding a coverplate to the outlet box that has a single installed jack to expose screw mounting holes in the coverplate on the outlet box,

positioning a multiple telephone jack apparatus on the coverplate while inserting a telephone plug that extends from the multiple telephone jack apparatus on a telephone cord into the installed jack; and

passing long screws through the multiple telephone jack apparatus and into the mounting holes on the outlet box to secure the multiple telephone jack apparatus onto the outlet box.

32. An apparatus for providing multiple telephone jacks at an outlet box that has an installed telephone jack and holes to receive cover plate support screws comprising:

a wiring board having mounted thereon a telephone plug and a plurality of telephone jacks and wires from the plug to the plurality of telephone jacks so that circuits are formed from the plug to the telephone jacks to enable connections to be made to telecommunications equipment;

a housing for the wiring board, the housing having an outlet box side and another side with the wiring board arranged within the housing so that the number of telecommunications paths available from the outlet box side of the housing to the other side of the housing is multiplied, and the housing having holes arranged to receive mounting screws to pass through the housing for engagement with the holes in the outlet box to form a secure mount of the housing on the outlet box;

and surge protection circuitry in the housing for protecting connected telecommunications equipment from abnormally high currents.