Test connector apparatus for look-both-ways testing

Test connector apparatus having an elongate tubular body housing a rotary switch, a cord extending from one end of the body to terminate with an adapter head, a rotary knob at the other end of the body to actuate the rotary switch, a plurality of terminals in the rotary knob electrically connected to the adapter head by the rotary switch and the cord, and a plurality of test heads having differently configured test probes electrically connectable to differently configured test access points electrically connected between conductor pairs, wherein the plurality of test heads are interchangeably electrically connectable to the adapter head.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/AU2010/000900, filed on Jul. 15, 2010, claiming priority based on Australian Patent Application No. 2009903923, filed Aug. 20, 2009, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to test connector apparatus for look-both-ways (or test-both-ways) testing of conductor pairs in telecommunications networks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Look-both-ways (or test-both-ways) testing of conductor pairs in a voice/data telecommunications network is conventionally performed using a test cord to interconnect a test device to a test port in a main distribution frame of the network. One end of the test plug has a test plug to plug into the test port, and the other end has electrical connectors to plug into the test device. The lack of standardized test plugs/ports means that technicians are required to carry many different proprietary test cords from site-to-site.

What is needed is test connector apparatus for look-both-ways testing which addresses the above difficulties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided test connector apparatus having an elongate tubular body housing a rotary switch, a cord extending from one end of the body to terminate with an adapter head, a rotary knob at the other end of the body to actuate the rotary switch, a plurality of terminals in the rotary knob electrically connected to the adapter head by the rotary switch and the cord, and a plurality of test heads having differently configured test probes electrically connectable to differently configured test access points electrically connected between conductor pairs, wherein the plurality of test heads are interchangeably electrically connectable to the adapter head.

The rotary switch can be a three-position selector switch which is actuatable to allow the test probes to selectively perform look-both-ways testing of the conductor pairs using a test device electrically connected to the plurality of terminals in the rotary knob.

The rotary knob can concentrically abut the body, and together the body and the rotary knob can be sized and shaped to be handheld.

The test probes can be test plugs, and the test access points can be test ports in main distribution frames.

The plurality of terminals in the rotary knob can be a plurality of banana sockets.

The adapter head and the plurality of test heads can be interchangeably connectable to one another by mating male and female connectors.

The adapter head can have a female socket, and each test head can have a male plug extending oppositely from the test plug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1illustrates an embodiment of test connector apparatus10of the invention. The apparatus10includes a handpiece12having an elongate tubular body14with a cord16extending from one end of the body12to terminate with an adapter socket18. A rotary knob20concentrically abuts the other end of the body14. The body14and the rotary knob20are formed, for example, as moldings in electrically insulative plastics.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the body14houses a rotary switch22which is actuatable by the rotary knob20. Referring toFIGS. 2 and 4, a plurality of terminals24are provided in the rotary knob20. The terminals24are, for example banana sockets, for receiving banana plug leads electrically connected to a test device, for example, a test telephone, an oscilloscope, a meter, etc. Other equivalent electrical terminals and test devices may also be used.

Referring again toFIGS. 2 and 3, the terminals24are electrically connected to the adapter head18by the rotary switch20and the cord16. Referring again toFIG. 1, the apparatus10further includes a plurality of test heads26having differently configured test probes28that electrically connectable to differently configured test access points (not shown) electrically connected between conductor pairs (not shown). The set of differently configured test probes28are, for example, different proprietary test plugs that are electrically connectable to differently configured test access points (not shown) between conductor pairs (not shown) of voice/data telecommunications networks (not shown). The differently configured test access points are, for example, different proprietary test ports in different proprietary disconnection modules of the networks.

The test heads26are interchangeably electrically connectable to the adapter head18. For example, the adapter head18and any of the test heads26are interchangeably connectable to one another by mating male and female connectors. Referring toFIG. 5, the adapter head18is, for example, configured as a plug or jack30, and each test head26has, for example, a mating socket or port32extending oppositely from the test plug28. Other equivalent mating connectors may also be used.

Referring again toFIG. 1, the rotary switch20is a three-position selector switch having the positions “Customer”, “Monitor”, and “Exchange” which is actuatable to allow the test probes28to selectively perform conventional look-both-ways testing of the conductor pairs using a test device electrically connected to the terminals24in the rotary knob20.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention provide test connection apparatus that enable safe, selective modular electrical connections between test access points and test equipment to perform look-both ways testing of conductor points. The interchangeability of the test heads26avoids the need for technicians to carry many different proprietary test cords from site-to-site when testing different proprietary network access points. It will be appreciated that the test heads26are advantageously more compact, and hence more easily carried by technicians, compared to conventional proprietary test cords.

The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims which follow.