Group wiring device for facilitating wire pair identification

• US 6,900,629 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: YFC-BonEagle Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Jim Hwang, Memiee Hwang, Richard Hwang, Wayne Hwang
• Inventors: Hwang, Memiee, Hwang, Jim, Hwang, Wayne, Hwang, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Emily Y
• Application Number:
  US10/354,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 324/66, 324/158.1, 379 101- 35, 439/188
• US Class Current: 324/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/67 Testing the correctness of wire connections in electric apparatus or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/717 with built-in light source
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/64 for high frequency, e.g. RJ 45
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/136 having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements

Abstract

A group wiring device which has built-in light emitting means and switch mechanism coupled with wire pair receptacle thereof. The switch mechanism is normally on a “CLOSE” status but can be switched to an “OPEN” status when a plug mates with the wire pair receptacle. When the switch mechanism is “CLOSE” and a testing voltage is applied to the circuit of the light emitting means, the light emitting means will emit light for assisting wire pair identification. After the process of wire pair identification is complete, the group wiring device is deemed to be in normal operation, that is, to perform ordinary signal transmitting functions. The wire pair receptacle will then be mated with plug of network cable so as to drive the switch mechanism to become “OPEN”. Therefore, the circuit of light emitting means becomes an open circuit and provides no function at all. As a result, the built-in light emitting means and switch mechanism of the present invention will not result in “loop back shorting” nor disrupt the communication at all.

Claims

1. A group wiring device for facilitating wire pair identification, said group wiring device comprising:

a plurality of wire pair receptacles capable of receiving plugs, each receptacle further comprising at least two contacts each connecting with a conductive wire; and

a plurality of testing circuits each testing circuit coupling between said conductive wires of said contacts of one receptacle and further comprising;

at least one light emitting means connected on said testing circuit for emitting light when a testing voltage is applied to said light emitting means; and

at least one switch mechanism connected with the light emitting means on said testing circuit and being switchable between an “

OPEN”

status and a “

CLOSE”

status;

wherein, the switch mechanism remains on the “

CLOSE”

status when there is no plug received in the receptacle, and the switch mechanism switches to the “

OPEN”

status when there is a plug mated with the receptacle;

wherein the switch mechanism comprises at least one metal stick having one end thereof connected with the light emitting means, the contact is a flexible contact pin, one end of the pin is coupled with the light emitting means, while the other end is a bendable and contactable with the metal stick of the switch mechanism the bendable end of the pin keeps contact with the metal stick when no plug is received in the receptacle so as to make the circuit of the light emitting means to be a close loop, and when the plug is plugged in the receptacle, the bendable end of the pin is pressed and bended by the plug and thus lose contact with the metal stick so as to make the circuit of the light emitting means to be an open circuit.

2. The group wiring device of claim 1, wherein said group wiring device further comprises a panel and a circuit board for furnishing said testing circuit, said light emitting means and said switch mechanism;

wherein said panel supports said wire pair receptacles and the circuit board;

wherein at least part of light emitted by said light emitting means is exposed out of a front surface of the panel.

3. The group wiring device of claim 2, wherein said light emitting means comprises two individual LED members connected in parallel but in reverse polarities.

4. A group wiring system for wire pair identification comprising:

a tester for supplying a testing voltage;

a group wiring device comprising a plurality of wire pair receptacles, each wire pair receptacle having at least two contacts and being coupled with at least one light emitting means and a switch mechanism, the light emitting means being coupled between said contacts, said switch mechanism being coupled with the light emitting means between said contacts and being switchable between a “

OPEN”

status and a “

CLOSE”

status;

at least one local receptacle being located remote from said group wiring device, said local receptacles having at least two contacts; and

means for electrically coupling said contacts of said local receptacles with said contacts of said wire pair receptacles so as to define wire pairs between the local receptacles and wire pair receptacles;

wherein, the switch mechanism remains on the “

CLOSE”

status when there is no plug mated with the wire pair receptacle, and the switch mechanism switches to the “

OPEN”

status when there is a plug mated with the wire pair receptacle;

wherein, said tester supplying said testing voltage to one of the local receptacles causing the light emitting means of the wire pair receptacle which is coupled with that local receptacle to light when the switch mechanism is on the “

CLOSE”

status so as to identity the corresponding wire pair between the local receptacles and the wire pair receptacles;

wherein, when the switch mechanism is on the “

OPEN”

status, circuit of the light emitting means becomes an open circuit, and the light emitting means will not light no matter if there is testing voltage applied thereto or not;

wherein the switch mechanism comprises at least one metal stick having one end thereof connected with the light emitting means, the contact is a flexible contact pin, one end of the pin is coupled with the light emitting means, while the other end is a bendable end contactable with the metal stick of the switch mechanism, the bendable end of the pin keeps contact with the metal stick when no plug is received in the receptacle so as to make the circuit of the light emitting means to be a close loop, and when the plug is plugged in the receptacle, the bendable end of the pin is pressed and bended by the plug and thus lose contact with the metal stick so as to make the circuit of the light emitting means to be an open circuit.

5. The group wiring system of claim 4, wherein said group wiring device further comprises a panel and a circuit board for furnishing said light emitting means and said switch mechanism;

wherein said panel supports said wire pair receptacles and the circuit board;

wherein at least part of light emitted by said light emitting means is exposed out of a front surface of the panel.

6. The group wiring system of claim 5, wherein said light emitting means comprises two individual LED members connected in parallel but in reverse polarities.