Permanent terminations of network cables

• US 7,241,170 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lindner, Leonard Scott, Pellegrino, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US11/400,325
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 439/535, 439/536, 439/538, 439/539, 439/344, 439/540.1, 439/557, 174/53
• US Class Current: 439/539
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/74 Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel

Abstract

An improved bracket is utilized in a mounting system for a modular system connector used in connecting devices to cables such as network cable, coaxial cable, or fiber optic cable. The bracket has a pair of mounting portions for securing to an outlet box and a modular receiving portion for receiving a modular connector. The modular receiving portion is located in the outlet box and angled downward to allow the connection of the cable at such an angle and position that it can connect to a flush mounted device. Accordingly, the modular connector is not flush or projecting from the outlet such as in conventional devices and therefore is not required to be removed from its mounting in order to mount a flush mounted device such as a voice over IP telephone.

Claims

1. A bracket for retaining a modular connector in relation to an outlet box, the bracket comprising:

a pair of mounting portions, each mounting portion having an opening for receiving a fastener for securing the bracket to the outlet box, the mounting portions defining a wall surface plane; and

a modular receiving portion interposed between the pair of mounting portions, the modular receiving portion having at least one modular receiving opening to receive the modular connector, a plurality of breakable tabs extending into at least one modular receiving opening for adjusting the size of the opening for the modular connector, the modular receiving portion with the modular opening being spaced from the wall surface plane and located in the outlet box such that the modular connector is located within the outlet box.

2. A bracket of claim 1 wherein the opening for receiving a fastener of each mounting portion has a plurality of slots allowing movement of the bracket relative to the outlet box.

3. A bracket of claim 1 further comprising a pair of threaded openings for receiving a fastener for securing a device to the bracket and the outlet box.

4. A bracket of claim 1 further comprising at least one positioning portion interposed between one of the mounting portions and the modular receiving portion, the positioning portion projecting generally perpendicular to the mounting portion to space one end of the modular receiving portion inward from the wall surface plane.

5. A bracket of claim 1 wherein the modular receiving portion defines a receiving plane that intersects the wall surface plane at an angle of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees.

6. A bracket of claim 5 wherein the modular connector has a jack receiving opening and the receiving portion plane intersects the wall surface plane above the modular receiving opening with the jack receiving portion of the modular connector positioned to open downward relative to an upper portion of the outlet box to limit contamination from entering the jack receiving opening.

7. A bracket of claim 5 wherein at least one of the mounting portions further comprises a breakable tab for assisting in positioning the bracket relative to the outlet box and a wall.

8. A bracket for retaining a modular connector in relation to an outlet box, the bracket comprising

a pair of mounting portions, each mounting portion having at least a pair of slots each capable of receiving a fastener in the alternative for securing to the outlet box, each mounting portion having a threaded opening for receiving a fastener for securing a device to the bracket and the outlet box, the mounting portions defining a wall surface plane;

a modular receiving portion interposed between the pair of mounting portions, the modular receiving portion having at least one modular receiving opening, the modular receiving portion defining a receiving plane that intersects the wall surface plane at an angle of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, the receiving portion plane intersects the wall surface plane above the modular receiving opening, the modular receiving portion with the modular opening spaced from the wall surface plane and located in the outlet box such that the modular connector is located within the outlet box, the modular receiving portion further comprising a plurality of breakable tabs extending into at least one modular receiving opening for adjusting the size of the opening for the modular connector; and

a pair of positioning portions, each positioning portion interposed between the mounting portion and the modular receiving portion for positioning the modular receiving portion relative to the mounting portion.

9. A mounting system for cable comprising:

an outlet box having a series of side walls and a pair of mounting flanges, each mounting flange having a threaded mounting hole, the mounting flanges defining a wall surface plane;

a bracket having a pair of mounting portions and a modular receiving portion,

each mounting portion having an opening for receiving a fastener accepted by the threaded mounting hole of the mounting flanges of the outlet box; and

a modular receiving portion interposed between the pair of mounting portions, the modular receiving portion having at least one modular receiving opening, the modular receiving portion further comprises a plurality of breakable tabs extending into at least one modular receiving opening for adjusting the size of the opening for the modular connector, the modular receiving portion with the modular opening being spaced from the wall surface plane and located in the outlet box such that the modular connector is located within the outlet box;

at least one modular connector, the modular connector being received in the modular opening space of the modular receiving portion of the bracket, the modular connector located within the outlet box; and

a cable extending into the outlet box and connecting to the modular connector.

10. A mounting system of claim 9 wherein the modular receiving portion defining a receiving plane intersects the wall surface plane at an angle of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees.

11. A mounting system of claim 10 wherein the modular connector has a jack receiving opening and the receiving portion plane intersects the wall surface plane above the modular receiving opening with the jack receiving portion of the modular connector positioned to open downward relative to an upper portion of the outlet box to limit contamination from entering the jack receiving opening.

12. A mounting system for cable comprising:

an outlet box having a series of side walls and a pair of mounting flanges, each mounting flange having a threaded mounting hole, wherein the opening for receiving a fastener of each mounting portion has a plurality of slots allowing movement of the bracket relative to the outlet box, the mounting flanges defining a wall surface plane;

a bracket having a pair of mounting portions and a modular receiving portion,

each mounting portion having an opening for receiving a fastener accepted by the threaded mounting hole of the mounting flanges of the outlet box; and

a modular receiving portion interposed between the pair of mounting portions, the modular receiving portion having at least one modular receiving opening, the modular receiving portion with the modular opening being spaced from the wall surface plane and located in the outlet box such that the modular connector is located within the outlet box; and

at least one modular connector, the modular connector being received in the modular opening space of the modular receiving portion of the bracket, the modular connector located within the outlet box.

13. A mounting system of claim 12 wherein the modular receiving portion defines a receiving plane intersecting the wall surface plane at an angle of between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, further comprising:

a pair of threaded openings, each for receiving a fastener for securing a device to the bracket and the outlet box; and

a cable extending into the outlet box and connecting to the modular connector;

wherein the fasteners for securing the device to the bracket are a pair of mounting studs adapted to be received by the device.

14. A mounting system of claim 13 wherein the device is a wireless router.

15. A mounting system of claim 13 wherein the device is a camera.

16. A mounting system of claim 13 wherein the fasteners for securing the device to the bracket are a pair of mounting studs adapted to be received by the device.

17. A mounting system of claim 13 wherein the device is a telephone.

18. A mounting system of claim 17 wherein the telephone is a voice over IP telephone.

19. A mounting system of claim 17 wherein the telephone is a plain old telephone service (POTS) telephone.