Abstract:
A communications terminal block that houses a substantially horizontal pin bed with at least one pin disposed at an angle of less than 90 degrees relative to the bed provides access and safety advantages. A kit that includes such a block together with adhesive labels, replacement fanning strips, mounting hardware and so forth provides convenience.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to telecommunications equipment, and particularly to a connecting block terminal block assembly for termination of central office equipment and cross-connect facilities.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Presently, the blocks available for use in the telecomm industry are designed with the connecting pins facing out, directly toward a user standing in front of the block. This configuration sometimes makes counting the pins, connecting wire, and disconnecting wire difficult. Standard blocks present a problem when mounted on lower shelves and on upper shelves because the user must adopt a position where their face is directly in front of the block so the user can see the designations and count the pins. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]     The present invention is further described in the detailed description that follows, by reference to the noted drawings, by way of non-limiting examples of embodiments of the present invention, in which reference numerals represent the same parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and in which:  
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is an isometric top view of a typical prior art telecom block.  
         [0005]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view schematic drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a super block of the present invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 3  is a front view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 4  is rear view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 5  is a side view cross-section schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     In view of the foregoing, the present invention, through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments and/or specific features or sub-components, is thus intended to bring out one or more of the advantages that will be evident from the description. The present invention is described with frequent reference to communication terminal blocks. It is understood, however, that communication is merely an example of a specific embodiment of the present invention, which is directed broadly to electrical termination blocks within the scope of the invention. The terminology, examples, drawings and embodiments, therefore, are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a typical prior art telecom block  110 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , existing blocks used in the telecom industry have connecting pins  120  facing the front  130  of block  110 .  
         [0012]     The present invention solves many problems inherent in the prior art. For instance, with the Super Block of the present invention, the user can see the pins and count them with out having to position their eyes immediately in front of the block. The Super Block of the present invention is an improved design over prior art covered connecting blocks. While the overall dimensions are the same as the other available blocks, the Super Block differs significantly in its features and advantages.  
         [0013]     The Super Block is designed so that the connecting pin bed is positioned approximately horizontally on the top of the block. The configuration makes access on low mounted blocks considerably easier and saves approximately four inches of wire on each wire connected.  
         [0014]     Note that in the description of the present invention, connecting pins are described by referenced to wire/jumper/cable attachments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that pin connection may be accomplished by any number of selected means, including punch-down, screw-down, wire-wrap, quick-connect, and loop and latch.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an isometric top view schematic drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a Super Block of the present invention. To facilitate ease of access, block  200  provides pin bed  210  on the top of the unit facing the individual when mounted horizontally, and angled forward fifteen degrees relative to the horizontal. Pin bed  210  tilts toward the user and allows for relatively easy access to, and more accurate counting of, the pins. A further advantage of tilted pin bed  210  on top of unit  200  is that wire clippings and other foreign material naturally migrate to the front and fall off block  200 .  
         [0016]     Pins  220  are preferably set into the pin bed at an angle of thirty degrees toward the front of block  200  to further enhance the ease of access to the pins for the user. Pin  200  designations are on the left side of pin bed  210  to provide a spacing of approximately 3/16″ between pins. Such a configuration provides additional working space for the wiring and the tools used to connect and remove the wires. Mounting holes  240  are provided for mounting a cover (see  FIG. 5 ) on unit  200 . Fasteners  230  lock pin bed  210  in place.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a front view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Access holes  330  and jumper fanning strip  340  are positioned along top  310  of the unit. Fasteners  230  are near bottom  320  to secure unit  200  in place.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is rear view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Mounting slots  410  are distributed above cabling access holes  420 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side view cross-section schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Block  200  cover  530  extends along top  310  from front  510  to rear  520  and pivots forward from pivot  540 . Pin bed  210  tilts upward 15 degrees from the horizontal. Pin bed  210  pivots up and down from pivot  560 . Connecting pins  220 , for frame jumpers, angle forward 30 degrees from the horizontal. Connecting pins  550 , for switch cable, suspend approximately parallel to front and rear of block  200 . Fastener  230  is recessed in front  510  of unit  200 . Access hole  330  is positioned toward the rear and top of unit  200 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view schematic drawing of the super block embodiment of  FIG. 2 . Front  510  and rear  520  frame bottom  610  of block  200 .  
         [0021]     Multiple types of pins sets are contemplated including, of course, standard wire-wrap and punch-down sets, as well as single pin sets or bifurcated array embodiments. Termination types include Single Wire Wrap (SWW), Bifurcated Wire Wrap (BWW), and Bifurcated Quick Clip (BQC), among others.  
         [0022]     Connector block  200  preferred dimensions are 7.94 inches wide, 4 inches high and 4.25 inches deep. Block  200  is sized to allow for mounting end to end on 8-inch centers. Mounting hole patterns measuring 3.75″×1.18″ (9.53 cm×3.03 cm) for standard frames and 7.5″×1.37″ (19.05 cm×3.48 cm) for older frames are preferred, with associated mounting hardware. The housing of block  200  preferably consists of non-conductive material that inhibits electrical connectivity of any kind across block  200 .  
         [0023]     Additional preferred specifications include: 
        Dielectric Strength—Minimum dielectric strength between any two conductors shall be 1000V RMS; and     Leakage Resistance—Leakage resistance between any two conductors shall exceed 1000 megohms at 100 VDC.        
 
         [0026]     Specific embodiments provide a snap-on protective cover  530 , capable of accepting appropriate stick-on labels to provide accurate circuit identification, together with labels provided with a block of the present invention.  
         [0027]     Preferred embodiments further provide snap-through fanning strips sized to be capable of displaying two BOLD, hot stamped, alphanumeric characters that can be read by a person of normal eyesight from a minimum distance of 5 feet, for easy pin identification, block bodies, housings, and covers made of plastic, rather than metal, to minimize the chance of electric shock or personal injury.  
         [0028]     Block  200  housings have sufficient points, at the rear of the block, to support switchboard/gray cable strain relief, as described in TP76300MP. Replaceable fanning strips may be provided. Fanning strips are available in several colors to facilitate the application block  200  is to be used for: 
        Yellow—Switch Terminations     White—Tie Cables     Blue—Outside Plant     Beige—Miscellaneous        
 
         [0033]     Terminals located behind the plane of the fanning strips are recessed by at least approximately 1/16 of an inch.  
         [0034]     Pins are recommended to be approximately equally spaced across the face of the block, regardless of the pin count. Pins or clips may be replaced without the need for special tools. The working length of the wire wrap pin is recommended to be no less than approximately 16/32 of an inch for both the front and back pins. The edges of the working length are approximately parallel, within 0.0045 inches per inch and preferably square, not rectangular. At least one shoulder is provided in specific embodiments to act as a stop for the wrapping tool.  
         [0035]     Preferably, the working length is free of unusual nicks, burrs and other imperfections in the edges not common in the best punched parts workmanship. Burrs should not be more than 0.006 inch high.  
         [0036]     The diagonal of the cross section of the flat punched terminals must be greater than 0.061 inch but preferably. The maximum diagonal shall not to exceed approximately 0.073 inch.  
         [0037]     An approximately essentially straight working length, substantially free of angular bends or crimps, is recommended, although a small amount of bowing is permissible provided that the working length slides freely without binding into a tubular gauge with a maximum inside diameter of 0.074 inch and a length equal to the working length.  
         [0038]     The cross-connect field may consist of several termination densities, up to 150 pairs. Accordingly, the pins are preferably set at a cumulative angle of forty-five degrees. The pin angle allows the user to make wire wrap connections at a comfortable angle for a more reliable connection.  
         [0039]     Another advantage of Super Block  200  is provided by the single fanning strip embodiment. Standard blocks use at least a dual fanning strip configuration that requires wires to be routed through both fanning strips. Specific embodiments of block  200 , in contrast, provide only one fanning strip required due to the pins being placed on top of the block. Such embodiments save approximately 4″ of wire for every wire terminated on the block.  
         [0040]     The present invention offers increased versatility over existing blocks. It maximizes access and visibility from all horizontal levels. Vertical applications offer similar advantages along with increased protection for the pins as they are not facing outward. That is, by not facing outward, the pins tend to be protected from inadvertent contact with tools and test sets.  
         [0041]     The block of the present invention provides improved accessibility, connections are easier to make, and the pins are better protected. Additionally, pin spacing remains consistent with the blocks in use today with 3/16 th  of an inch between pins in specific embodiments. The cover on specific embodiments of block  200  provides an additional advantage in that it lays flat on top of the pins. Accordingly, the cover is less susceptible to falling open inadvertently or coming open from casual contact with wires as they are being installed.  
         [0042]     Although the invention has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have been used are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in all its aspects. Although the invention has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed; rather, the invention extends to all functionally equivalent technologies, structures, methods and uses such as are within the scope of the appended claims.