Drop and insert card

A card is provided for insertion in a telecommunications chassis. The card includes two sets of ports each having tip and ring contacts. The normal springs of the first set are electrically connected to normal springs of the second set.

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to the telecommunications industry. More 
particularly, this invention pertains to a card for use in providing 
access to a plurality of telecommunication lines. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In the telecommunications industry, cross-connecting and switching 
functions are common. Historically, the industry has utilized manually 
operated digital system cross-connect (DSX) apparatus for connecting two 
or more units of telecommunications equipment. The DSX equipment could 
provide cross-connect, monitor and other access functions in the network. 
In recent years, the telecommunications industry has considered the 
implementation of electronic digital signal cross-connect (EDSX) equipment 
to replace conventional manual DSX equipment. When utilizing EDSX 
equipment, it is desirable to retain opportunities for manual 
cross-connect as well as test access and monitoring functions independent 
of the EDSX equipment. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,878 to Dewey et al. dated Apr. 6, 1993 entitled 
"Plug-In Jack Card For Normally Closed Contacts" teaches an apparatus 
which can permit a module to be inserted into a normally closed contact 
with the module permitting cross-connect as well as test access and 
monitoring functions. With the product as shown in the '878 patent, tip 
and ring lines of a twisted pair signal are terminated on the normally 
closed contacts of a chassis. Specifically, tip and ring lines from the 
network equipment and tip and ring lines from DCS equipment are terminated 
on wire wrap pins on the rear of a chassis. The lines are appropriately 
connected through normally closed contacts on the chassis. When access is 
desired, a module such as module 14 in the '878 patent can be inserted 
into the chassis. Insertion of the module maintains communication between 
the network and the DCS lines. However, insertion of a jack plug into 
forward ports of the module 14 permits access to the signal. For example, 
insertion of a plug into out-port 84 permits the out-signal of the network 
to be patched to a different piece of equipment. This effectively breaks 
communication of the out-signal between the network and the DCS. 
Similarly, the in-signal may be patched off by inserting a plug into the 
in-port 86 of the prior art module 14. Another alternative available with 
the prior art module 14 is to insert a plug into the monitor port 82 which 
permits the signal on the out-line to be monitored without interruption of 
the out-signal. 
As shown in the '878 patent, the module 14 may be inserted into the chassis 
in any one of two orientations. In a first orientation, one set of 
equipment (for example, the network) is terminated and the other set of 
equipment (for example, the DCS equipment) can be monitored or accessed 
through the module 14. When the module 14 is inverted and plugs are 
inserted into ports 84,86, the opposite sets of equipment are terminated 
or accessible. Accordingly, with the prior art module of the '878 patent, 
a technician is able to access the signal in only one direction at a time. 
Also, so called "in-service patching" is not possible where it is 
desirable to move traffic from one module 14 to another module. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a module which 
overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art module. 
II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a module is 
provided for insertion into the telecommunication chassis. The module 
includes a body member sized to be removably inserted into the chassis. A 
plurality of ports are provided on the front end of the body with each 
sized to receive a jack plug having a tip and ring contact surface. A 
plurality of exposed contacts are provided on the rear end of the body 
member. A plurality of spring contacts including tip and ring spring 
contacts and tip and ring normal contacts are disposed on the body member 
to engage the tip and ring contact surfaces of a jack plug inserted within 
either of the ports. The plurality of spring contacts includes first and 
second sets of such spring contacts associated with first and second sets 
of such ports. The normal contacts of the first set are in electrical 
communication with the normal contacts of the second set.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the several drawing figures in which identical elements 
are numbered identically throughout, a description of the preferred 
embodiment of the present invention will now be provided. 
The present invention is intended for use in an apparatus such as apparatus 
10 shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,878. The '878 patent and its teachings and 
drawings are incorporated herein by reference. Specifically, the present 
invention is intended to be used in lieu of any one of the jack cards 14 
of the '878 patent. The present invention is a card for insertion into the 
chassis 16 of the '878 patent. Throughout this specification, reference 
will be made to the '878 patent and the reference numerals to those 
elements of that patent will be made with reference to the drawing figures 
and reference numerals in the '878 patent. 
With initial reference to FIGS. 1-3 of the present application, a test and 
access card 10 according to the present invention is shown. The card 10 
includes a dielectric frame 12 having top and bottom rails 14 sized and 
positioned to be slidably received within slots of a chassis such as slots 
66 in chassis 12 as shown in the '878 patent. 
Each of the cards 12 has a thickness identical to that of the module 14 of 
the aforesaid '878 patent such that a module 14 of the '878 patent can be 
replaced with a card 10 of the present invention. Therefore, a plurality 
of cards 10 can be disposed in side-by-side relation or a card 10 may be 
disposed in side-by-side relation with a module 14 of the '878 patent. 
The card 10 of the present invention includes a front wall 16 and a rear 
end 18. The front wall 16 is provided with a plurality of ports sized to 
receive a jack plug (not shown). The plurality of ports includes a first 
set of ports (referred to as the "network" ports) comprising a first 
monitor port 20, a first OUT port 21 and a first IN port 22. A second set 
of ports (referred to as the "DCS" ports) includes a second monitor port 
20', a second OUT port 21' and a second IN port 22'. The two sets of ports 
are arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis X--X (FIG. 1) of 
the card 10. 
The frame 12 is injection molded plastic and is provided with a plurality 
of slots 26 formed in a sidewall 19 (see FIG. 5) for holding individual 
ones of a plurality of electrically conductive jack springs. In order to 
cover and protect the springs, a snap-on dielectric cover 90 (shown in 
FIG. 3) is provided. 
The plurality of jack springs includes a ground spring 28 positioned to 
electrically engage the collar of a jack plug inserted into either of 
ports 20-22, 20'-22' in order to ground the collar. Each of the springs 
has a contact end which protrudes through holes 17 (FIG. 6) in sidewall 19 
and is electrically connected to the circuit of a printed circuit board 
30. A dielectric plate 23 covers and protects the solder connections to 
the printed circuit board 30. 
At the rear end 18 of the module the printed circuit board 30 has a second 
printed circuit board 31 connected thereto by a pin connector 33 (shown 
most clearly in FIG. 3). The second printed circuit board 31 has a 
plurality of exposed contacts. 
The plurality of exposed contacts on second printed circuit board 31 
includes a first (or "network") set 39 and a second (or "DCS") set 37. The 
contacts of the first and second sets 37,39 include a first and second tip 
OUT contacts 40,40', first and second tip IN contacts 41,41', 
respectively, first and second ring OUT contacts 42,42', respectively, and 
first and second ring IN contacts 43,43', respectively. As shown, the 
contacts 40-43, 40'-43' are arranged around longitudinal axis X--X. 
Contacts 40 and 42 are the tip and ring contacts which may, using 
conventional terminology, be referred to as the network OUT contacts. 
Contacts 41 and 43 are the tip and ring contacts which may conventionally 
be referred to as the network IN contacts. Contacts 40' and 42' are tip 
and ring contacts which may conventionally be referred to as the DCS OUT 
contacts and contacts 41' and 43' are tip and ring contacts which may 
conventionally be referred to as the DCS IN contacts. The plurality of 
contacts also include ground contacts 50 on both sides of second printed 
circuit board 31 which are connected along the circuit path on the PC 
board to the ground spring 28. 
Although not necessary, in one embodiment, the contact pairs are 
symmetrically arranged about axis X--X such that rotation of the card 10 
about its axis X--X can permit insertion of the card 10 into the chassis 
of the '878 patent at any one of two orientations similar to the insertion 
of card 14 of the '878 patent in any one of two orientations as 
illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 19 of the '878 patent. 
As mentioned, each of the slots 26 contains individual ones of the 
plurality of spring contacts. 
While the spring contacts are shown in FIG. 3, they are numbered only in 
FIG. 4 for purpose of clarity. The plurality of spring contacts includes 
first and second tip IN spring contacts 60,60', respectively, first and 
second ring IN springs 61,61', first and second tip OUT springs 62,62', 
first and second ring OUT contacts 63,63', first and second tip IN normal 
springs 60a,60a', first and second ring IN normal springs 61a,61a', first 
and second tip OUT normal springs 62a,62a' and first and second ring OUT 
normal springs 63a,63a' Shown most clearly in schematic in FIG. 4 tip and 
ring spring pairs 62,63; 60,61; 62',63' and 60',61' are positioned and 
aligned to electrically engage the tip and ring contact surfaces, 
respectively, of a jack plug inserted into ports 21,22,21',22', 
respectively. 
Each of the tip and ring contacts 60-63 and 60'-63' are associated with the 
individual ones of the normal spring contacts 60a-63a and 60a'-63a'. The 
normal spring contacts are biased to be in normal electrical communication 
with their associated spring contacts in the absence of a jack plug 
inserted within a port. Upon insertion of a jack plug within the port, the 
jack plug urges the tip and ring contacts away from the tip and ring 
normal contacts. 
The plurality of spring contacts further include tip and ring springs 80,81 
positioned to engage a plug inserted within monitor port 20 and tip and 
ring springs 80',81' positioned to engage a plug inserted within monitor 
port 20'. 
Monitor tip spring 80 is electrically connected to OUT tip spring 62 across 
resistor 80b. Monitor ring spring 81 is electrically connected to OUT ring 
spring 63 across resister 81b. Similarly, spring 80' is electrically 
connected to spring 62' across resistor 80b' and spring 81' is 
electrically connected to spring 63' across resistor 81b' As a result, 
insertion of a jack plug into monitor port 20 permits a signal on the Out 
springs 62,63 to be monitored without interruption of the signal. 
Similarly, insertion of a plug into monitor port 20' permits a signal on 
OUT springs 62',63' to be monitored without interruption of the signal. 
For a 100 ohm system, a first normally open spring 61c is spaced from a 
first contact spring 61d. Contact spring 61d is provided with a dielectric 
cam 61e such that insertion of a plug in first IN port 22 causes first IN 
ring spring 61 to urge against cam 61e and force first contact spring 61d 
into electrical contact with first normally open spring 61c. Similarly, a 
second normally open spring 61c' is spaced from a second contact spring 
61d' having a dielectric cam 61e' opposing spring 61' Each of springs 
61c,61c' are connected to normal springs 63a',62a across 100 ohm resistors 
61f,61f', respectively. Springs 61c and 61a are connected to spring 63a'. 
Springs 61c' and 60a' are connected to spring 62a. Springs 61d and 60a are 
connected to spring 62a'. Springs 61d' and 61a' are connected to spring 
63a. 
It will be appreciated the ohm rating of resistors 61f,61f' is given for 
purpose example. The ohm rating may be varied to achieve a desired 
impedance. 
The printed circuit board includes a plurality of circuit paths (shown 
schematically in FIG. 4) connecting individual pairs of the spring 
contacts and the contacts on the edge connector 31. Specifically, the 
circuit paths connect the contact and spring pairs 62,40; 63,42; 60,41; 
61,43; 63',42'; 62',40'; 60',41'; and 61',43'. 
In the present invention, the normal spring contacts 60a-63a of the first 
set are electrically connected with individual ones of the normal spring 
contacts 60a'-63a' of the second set. Specifically, the tip and ring 
normal OUT contacts 62a,63a are electrically connected with the tip and 
ring normal IN contacts 60a',61a' respectively. The tip and ring normal IN 
contacts 60a,61a are in electrical connection with the tip and ring normal 
OUT contacts 62a' and 63a' respectively. 
Insertion of a plug in the Network IN port 22, connects the plug with the 
contacts 41,43. Further, such insertion urges contact 61d against contact 
61c resulting in the DCS OUT line (at contacts 40',42') being presented 
with the 100 ohm impedance. Similarly, insertion of a plug in the DCS IN 
port 22' connects the plug with the contacts 41',43'. Such insertion urges 
contact 61d' against spring 61c' resulting in the Network OUT line (at 
contacts 40,42) being presented with a 100 ohm impedance. 
With the structure thus described, the card 10 may be inserted within the 
chassis of the prior art chassis of the '878 patent. 
With the structure thus described and with the card inserted within the 
chassis of the '878 patent, the card 10 permits a variety of task and 
maintenance functions in both the network and DCS sides of a circuit 
simultaneously. By way of illustration, FIG. 7 shows a card in use with a 
test set 100 (e.g., well-known PCM equipment). The network (,i.e.), IN and 
OUT lines 200, 201 (represented by single lines but, in fact, twisted pair 
lines each containing a tip and ring line) are connected to the OUT and IN 
contacts 40-43 on the rear of the card 10. Similarly, the IN and OUT lines 
200', 201' of the DCS line are connected to the IN and OUT contacts 
40'-43' associated with the second set of ports. The first monitor port 20 
is connected to the receive side 310 of test set 100 and a jack plug is 
inserted into the input port 22 to connect it to the transmit side 300 of 
the network side 400 of the test set. The monitor port 20' of the second 
set of ports is connected to the receive side 300' of the line side 400' 
of test set 100 and the input port 22' of the second set is connected to 
the transmit side 310' of the PCM line. With the structure in use thus 
described, the card 10 has the advantage of full duplex testing, traffic 
monitoring, performance monitoring and other tests which may be desired. 
This permits electronic switching from the network to DCS sides without 
patching and without wasted time. Further, tests in both directions (i.e. 
to both the network and DCS sides) can be run on a single card 
simultaneously. Also, with use of printed circuit board 30, circuit 
enhancement functions (for example, repeaters or amplifiers) can be placed 
on the card. 
Having described the foregoing invention and preferred embodiment, it has 
been shown how the objects of the invention have been attained in a 
preferred embodiment. However, modifications of the disclosed concepts 
which readily occur to one skilled in the art are intended to be included 
within the scope of the claims of the present invention.