AN INTERMEDIATE COUPLING DEVICE IN A TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for connecting the external side (a) with the station side (b) of an equipment such that the two sides (a, b) will normally be mutually connected in a normal service mode in a coupling block (1). The external cables are connected to a first end of sheet metal contacts (3) in a first row of contacts in the coupling block (1) and the equipment cables are connected to a corresponding first end of contacts (5) in a second row of contacts. The two sides are mutually connected via a link (11). When desiring a service mode other than the normal service mode, a wire (29) is connected at both ends to requisite sleeves (17, 19), disposed over the second ends of respective contacts, whereafter the sleeves (17, 19) are pressed-in so as to push away the link (11), therewith breaking the normal connection between the sides (a, b) while achieving contact of the wire ends with corresponding contacts (3, 5).

Description: AN INTERMEDIATE COUPLING DEVICE IN A TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for connecting together two sides of a telecommunication system. DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND ART In known techniques, the station side of an equipment is connected to the external cables of a telecommunication system with the aid of an MDF (Main Distribution Frame) or a DDF (Digital Distribution Frame) comprising a double coupling block, where the cables on the station side are received in one coupling block and the external cables are received in the other coupling block. The coupling blocks are connected with wires in a cross-connector or jumper between the coupling blocks, such as to bring the two sides into contact with one another. The coupling blocks also normally include a test access facility, a contact breaking facility and an overvoltage protection switch- in facility. Normally, i.e. in the normal service mode, the wires extend parallel with one another. When desiring another service mode, the ends of the wires are removed from the coupling blocks and moved to new connections therein, so that the wires will no longer parallel with one another but cross one another, therewith providing new connections as desired. One drawback with this technique is that a major part of the installation work is taken up in laying the wires, and the coupling blocks also require a great deal of space in the cross- connector. Each station includes a very large number of coupling CONFIRMATION blocks, which together take up a large amount of space in the station. DE-OS-3625422 teaches a layered connector block which includes an inner electric contact device comprising an elastically resilient contact . An outgoing cable connected with a spring contact is connected to an incoming cable through a contact point via a spring contact . The spring connection is broken with the aid of a tongue. DE-OS-3921204 teaches a cable connecting block for use in a telecommunications system and comprising terminals for incoming and outgoing cables, these terminals having extended parts configured as contact means within the connector block. When a tongue is inserted and touches a spring contact, the contact means is opened and the contact between the two terminal sides broken. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to reduce the instal¬ lation work required in the above context, and also to shorten the time taken to connect the external side with the station side of telecommunication equipment. The problem with which the present invention is concerned resides in the possibility of connecting a station side with external cabling in a simple and less laborious manner, where the device used to make said connection will occupy only a small amount of space in the system with knowledge that the proportion of cables that have a certain service mode is known. This object is achieved by combining the external side coupling block with the station side coupling block to form one single coupling block, such that the station side and the external side are connected together in a normal service mode. This single coupling block is constructed so that when a wire is drawn either towards the external side in the combined coupling block or towards the station side in said block, the connection between said sides will be broken. In this regard, it is only necessary to connect up wires in those instances when the cables shall not have the normal service mode. One advantage afforded by the invention is that the device takes up very little space in the system and can be easily installed, since it is only necessary to connect up wires in modes that deviate from the normal service mode, and not in the normal service mode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An exemplifying embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates from above two coupling blocks which are mutually connected by wires in accordance with the known prior art; Figure 2 illustrates an inventive device schematically from above; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the inventive device taken on the line k-k; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the inventive device taken on the line m-m; and Figure 5 is a sectional view of the inventive device with a sleeve inserted, said view being taken on the line k-k. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 illustrates prior art coupling blocks where each coupling block E, H includes a plurality of through-passing channels which extend from one long side of a respective coupling block to the opposite long side thereof and which are separated by a partition wall. Each channel includes two sheet metal contacts D, L and M, K respectively which have a respective contact slot N, P and R, S in one outer end thereof. The cables C incoming from the external side A are inserted into the contact slots N in those sheet metal contacts D that are disposed along the first long side of a first coupling block E. The cables G incoming from the station side B are inserted into respective contact slots S in the sheet metal contacts K disposed along the first long side of a second coupling block H. The two coupling blocks E, H are connected together by wires F, where one end of respective wire F is seated in a contact slot P in a corresponding sheet metal contact L along the second long side of the first coupling block E, and the other end of respective wires F is seated in a contact slot R in a corresponding sheet metal contact M along the other long side of the second coupling block H. These wires F are disposed parallel with one another in the normal service mode . Figures 2-5 illustrate an embodiment in which the two earlier used coupling blocks E, H described above have been replaced with a single coupling block 1 in a manner such that the external side a. and the station side of the equipment are mutually connected in the normal service mode. Figure 2 illustrates a coupling block 1 which includes along its long sides pairs of through-passing sheet metal contacts 3, 5 disposed in a first row and a second row respectively, wherein all pairs of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 are mutually separated by partition walls 7. Each pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 is placed in a respective through-passing channel 9, the width of said contacts 3, 5 being almost equal to the width of the channel 9. The contacts 3, 5 of each pair of contacts are mutually connected by a resilient, i.e. springy, link 11 whose one end is in abutment with a respective contact 3 in the first row and whose other end is in abutment with a respective contact 5 in the second row, as illustrated in Figure 3. The link 11 and the sheet metal contacts 3, 5 are held in place between the partition walls 7 in a manner not shown, for instance with the aid of retaining grooves provided in the partition walls 7. Each of the sheet metal contacts 3, 5 includes a contact slot 13, 15 at each of its two ends. The cables incoming to the coupling block 1 from the external side a. are connected to the contact slots 15 provided on a first end of the sheet metal contacts 3 in the first row of said contacts. The cables incoming to the coupling block 1 from the station side __ of the equipment are connected in the contact slots 15 located in a corresponding first end of the sheet metal contacts 5 in the second row of contacts 5. In a normal service mode, the external side a. and the station side b_ of the equipment are mutually connected via the link 11. As will be seen from Figures 3 and 4, a sleeve 17, 19 having a through-penetrating hole 21, 23 is fitted over the other end of each sheet metal contact 3, 5. As a sleeve 17, 19 is pressed in towards the centre of a corresponding sheet metal contact, the end 25, 27 of said sleeve will force the link 11 out of abutment with its corresponding sheet metal contact, therewith breaking the connection between corresponding pairs of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 and mutually disconnecting the external side .a and the station side fc of said equipment; see Figure 5. When a service mode other than the normal service mode is desired on a line, i.e. when a new connection is desired between an external cable a connected to a first sheet metal contact 3 in a pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 and a stationary cable fc connected to a second sheet metal contact 5 in another pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5, the new connection is established by passing a wire 29 into the holes 21, 23 provided in the sleeve 17, 19 fitted over the first and the second metal contacts 3, 5 respectively. The sleeves 17, 19 are pressed in towards the centre of corresponding sheet metal contacts, so as to break the existing connections at the same time as one end of the wire located in the hole in a corresponding sleeve slides into the contact slot 13 in the first sheet metal contact 3 and the other end of the wire slides into the contact slot 13 in the second sheet metal contact 5. The desired new connection between the external side . and the station side fc of the equipment is established via the wire 29. The other station cable fc in a broken connection in a pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 is connected via wires 29 in a similar manner to an external cable a. in a broken connection in another pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5. As the sleeves 17, 19 fitted over a pair of sheet metal contacts 3, 5 are withdrawn from the coupling block 1, the wire 29 is withdrawn from the slot 13 and the link 11 will spring back, wherewith the sheet metal contacts 3, 5 in said pair will be re¬ connected and the external side a. and the station side fc of the equipment will be coupled together in the normal service mode. The advantage with the inventive arrangement is that the time taken to connect the external side a. with the station side fc of the equipment is shorter than in the earlier known case, since fewer wires need be drawn and since the two sides are normally coupled directly to one another in the normal service mode. It is only necessary to adapt the wire connections between the external side a. and the station side fc when another service mode is desired between two cables incoming respectively from the external side a. and the station side fc, therewith breaking the normal connections and establishing the new service mode connection. The number of coupling blocks required is also reduced with a commensurate saving in space in the station.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device relating to telecommunications systems for connecting cables incoming from an external side (a) with cables incoming from a station side (b) of an equipment, said device comprising a coupling block (1) that has sheet metal contacts (3, 5) to which the incoming cables are connected, characterized in that the sheet metal contacts (3, 5) are through-passing and disposed in pairs in a first row and in a second row in the coupling block (1) , wherein the cables incoming from the external side (a) are connected to a first end in the first row of contacts (3) and the cables incoming from the station side (b) are connected to a corresponding first end in the second row of contacts (5) ; in that the sheet metal contacts (3, 5) of each pair of contacts are mutually connected by a connecting means (11) ; in that the device further includes a displaceable member (17, 19) having an opening (21, 23) which is placed over the other end of each sheet metal contact (3, 5) in the coupling block (1) , wherein when said displaceable member (17, 19) is moved to an inwardly displaced position, it is able to cause the connecting means (11) located between a first pair of sheet metal contacts (3, 5) to break the connection between corresponding sheet metal contacts, while, at the same time, enabling a wire (29) mounted in the opening (21, 23) of said member (17, 19) to be brought into contact with corresponding sheet metal contacts (3, 5) ; and in that in this latter position the wire (29) similarly mounted in the opening (21, 23) of another displaceable member (17, 19) , is disposed over a sheet metal contact (3, 5) in a second pair of sheet metal contacts (3, 5) . 2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the displaceable member (17, 19) functions to force the coupling means (11) away from corresponding sheet metal contacts (3, 5) and therewith break the connection between corresponding sheet metal contacts. 3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the opening (21, 23) in the displaceable member (17, 19) is a through-penetrating opening. 4. A device according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the displaceable member (17, 19) is a sleeve. 5. A device according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the coupling means (11) is a resilient link. 6. A device according to Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the sheet metal contacts (3, 5) each include a contact slot (13, 15) ; and in that the wire (29) is brought into contact with a respective sheet metal contact (3, 5) by virtue of its insertion into the contact slot (13) of a corresponding sheet metal contact (3, 5) .

Inventors: ROOS STURE, ROOS, STURE
Applicants: ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M, ROOS STURE, ROOS, STURE, TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H04Q1
IPC codes: H01R4, H01R13, H04Q1