Wall mounted DSL adapter jack with latches for attachment

• US 7,054,442 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oldcastle Infrastructure, Inc. (CRH PLC)
• Original Assignee: Communications Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Weikle, Owen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/630,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20040022387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 379/438, 379/428.01, 439/536, 439/545, 439/546
• US Class Current: 379/438
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/506 assembled by snap action of the parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94

Abstract

An adapter for connection to telephone lines to provide a filter for DSL connections to the telephone lines has pivoting latches that will engage existing studs on a wall mounted jack plate. The housing has a circuit board with a connector that will plug into the telephone jack on the wall mounted jack plate, and has outlet jacks for connection to remote equipment. The latches pivot between a released position wherein they clear the existing studs so that the housing can be placed against the existing wall mounted jack plate, and a latched position where the latches are held in place on the studs and the housing is supported on the existing jack plate. Studs provided on the housing replicate the position of the studs on the existing jack plate.

Claims

1. An adapter for attachment to an existing wall mounted jack plates for communication jacks having a pair of mounting studs on an outer surface thereof, the studs including shanks and heads of larger diameter than the shanks, said adapter comprising an adapter housing, the adapter housing including a base plate and a cover, a pair of pivoting stud latches, the stud latches comprising latch housings, the latch housings each having an end wall with an open ended slot of size to receive the shank of a mounting stud and of smaller width than the head of a mounting stud on an existing wall mounted jack plate, the latch housings being pivotally mounted to said adapter housing for pivoting about an axis parallel to the base plate of the adapter housing and spaced from the end wall of the respective latch housing so the end walls move in arcs as the latch housings are pivotally movable from an open position wherein the adapter housing can be placed against an existing wall mounted jack plate when the latch housings are aligned with a respective mounting stud of such existing wall mounted jack plate, and being pivotable to a second position wherein the respective end wall moves over a head of a respective mounting stud and wherein the slots of the end walls fit over a respective shank of a stud on such existing wall mounted jack plate to secure the adapter housing to the wall mounted jack plate, the arcs of movement of the end walls of the latch housings being such that the end walls clear the heads of the respective existing studs as the adapter housing is placed against an existing wall mounted jack plate and as the latch housings are moved to their second positions.

2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a circuit board for connecting to a jack on the wall mounted jack plate, and connected to adapter housing output jacks on the adapter housing.

3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein said circuit board carries a filter circuit for DSL connections.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said latch housings are mounted on flexible supports integrally molded with the base plate that permits pivotal movement of the latch housings.

5. The adapter of claim 4, wherein said adapter housing carries studs replicating the position of the studs on the wall mounted jack plate.

6. The adapter of claim 1, wherein said latch housings have pivot members on opposite sides thereof, the adapter housing having pivot supports for receiving the pivot members, the latch housings being pivotally mounted for movement outwardly of the cover through provided openings to change the position of the end walls to permit placing the base plate against the existing wall mounted jack plate.

7. The adapter of claim 6 wherein there are detents on the pivot connections for holding the latch housings in their second positions and an open position.

8. The adapter of claim 7 and releasable connectors for holding the cover on the adapter base plate.

9. An adapter for providing a connector in a telephone line for use with DSL connections that mounts onto existing telephone mounting studs on a wall mounted jack plate, the studs being at first and second ends of the wall mounted jack plate and having stud shanks and stud heads larger then the stud shanks, the stud heads being spaced from an outer surface of the wall mounted jack plate, the adapter comprising an adapter housing, said adapter housing having a back plate and a cover to form an interior space, a circuit board mounted in said adapter housing having a connection to a telephone jack on the existing wall mounted jack plate, and at least one output jack for connection of a telephone line, a pair of latches pivotally mounted on the adapter housing positioned to be latchable with the studs, respectively, the latches each comprising a latch housing having an end wall with an open ended slot of size to receive the stud shank of a respective stud and the slot being smaller in width than the respective stud head, the latch housings being pivoted to the adapter housing about axes spaced a sufficient distance from the end walls so the end walls are raised clear of the respective stud head in a first pivoted position of the latch housings, wherein the back plate can be placed against the existing wall mounted jack plate without interference from the studs on the wall mounted jack plate to a position wherein the slots in wherein the end walls of the latch housings receive the stud shanks on the existing wall mounted jack plate with the back plate against the existing wall mounted jack plate, and the end walls are trapped between the stud heads and the existing wall mounted jack plate, and the adapter housing carrying second studs that replicate the positions of the studs on the existing wall mounted jack plate.

10. The adapter of claim 9, wherein said pivotal mounting for the latches comprises a flexible hinge member.

11. The adapter of claim 9, wherein each of said pivoting latch housing has spaced side walls joined to the end wall and has pivot members extending laterally from the side walls, and pivot supports the back plate for receiving the pivot members and permitting pivotal movement of the latch housing.

12. The adapter of claim 11, wherein said adapter housing has openings of size to receive front walls of the respective latch housings, and when the adapter housing is mounted on the base plate, the front wall of the latch housings being exposed through the openings, and the second studs replicating the position of the studs on the existing wall mounted jack plate being on the front walls of the respective latch housing.

13. The adapter of claim 12, and detents for holding the pivoting latches in a closed position.