Abstract:
A compact multifunction 5-terminal type compatible telephone line tester has batteries fitted in its frontal access shaft that fits into a to be tested connector between tightly arrayed protectors assembled in a cross connect box. A light powered by the battery is integrated at the tester front face in between the connection pins. The protector removed from the to be tested connector may be inserted in a terminal that laterally extends from the tester. An electric circuit tests and indicates the protector condition and switches the light on upon manual pushing of a switch. The electric circuitry is powered by the batteries. A mechanical switch is actuated by the protector housing while the protector is connected to the terminal for automated protector through connection to the to be tested connector. Lateral terminals and a jack connector on the back side provide access to the connector.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE 
     The present invention cross references U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,213 of the same inventor, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to 5-terminal type connector compatible telephone line testers. In particular, the present invention relates to multifunction 5-terminal type connector compatible telephone line tester featuring an integrated power source and circuitry for automatic protector testing and through connecting and/or for coupling face positioned illumination. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     In house wired telecommunication infra structure is commonly centrally connected to outside lines via cross connect boxes in which a number of outside lines are through connected with a number of in house lines across well known protectors. Cross connect boxes may also be found anywhere in the field as central telephone line testing locations. Protectors act as fuses that block abnormal signals such as voltage spikes or sneak current peaks between in house and outside lines. A protector is commonly electrically simultaneously connected to the well known tip and ring wires of corresponding in house and outside line as well as to an electrical ground. A common connector type for connecting up to five electrical leads in a single connector is the well known 5-terminal type compatible telephone line connector standard as is also described in more detail in the cross referenced patent of the same inventor. 
     Cross connect boxes may feature a large number of densely arrayed 5-terminal type telephone line connectors with tightly spaced protectors inserted. Diagnostic of in house and outside lines via the telephone line connectors may include visual inspection of the telephone line connector for eventual conductance degrading corrosion, operational testing of the protector as well as electrically accessing tip and ring wires of in house and out side lines for well known signal testing preferably while the protector is kept in use. Therefore there exists a need for a compact 5-terminal type telephone line connector compatible telephone line tester that provides for close illumination of the 5-terminal type connector for visual inspection and for visual connection alignment monitoring. Further, there exists also a need for operational testing of the protector, electrical access to all four signal wires with and without concurrent protector connection. The present invention addresses these needs. 
     SUMMARY 
     A compact multifunction 5-terminal type connector compatible telephone line tester has an integrated power source of two AAAA type batteries that are fitted in the frontal access shaft of the telephone line tester. The access shaft has an cross section boundary that corresponding to that of the protector so that it can be inserted in between tightly arrayed protectors assembled in a cross connect box. In between the frontal connect pins of the access shaft is integrated a light source powered by the power source for a most direct illumination of the to be tested 5-terminal type connector. 
     The telephone line tester may be conveniently hand held at its back portion for illuminated approach to the to be tested 5-terminal type connector. At the same time, the protector, previously removed from the to be tested 5-terminal type connector, may be electrically connected to a protector terminal laterally extending from the back portion of the telephone line tester. Electric and electronic circuitry that connects to the protector terminal and the front connector provides for optional protector testing and protector through connection with the front connector. 
     Protector testing and light source switching is preferably manually initiated via a push switch. An additional mechanical protector position switch adjacent the protector terminal may through connect the protector automatically once it is connected to the protector terminal. Dual visual information of a good and bad protector condition is preferably provided by a dual light LED. The protector testing including the LED are also powered by the integrated power source. Once the telephone line tester is connected with the to be tested 5-terminal type connector, the individual tip and ring wires of both in house and outside lines may be accessed at terminals lateral and at the back portion of the telephone line tester and/or via a well known jack connector at the back side of the telephone line tester. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  depicts in a first perspective view a preferred telephone line tester of the present invention together with a prior art protector in assembly approach position 
         FIG. 2  is a second perspective view of the elements of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a third perspective view on the bottom side of the telephone line tester of  FIG. 1  with a battery lid removed. 
         FIG. 4  is a frontal view of the telephone line tester of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is the second perspective view of the preferred telephone line tester with a top housing portion removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A telephone line tester  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a power source in the preferred configuration of two well known AAAA type batteries fitted in a frontal access shaft  110  that has an outer cross section boundary that is within an outer protrusion contour of a well known 5-terminal type telephone line connector. The outer protrusion contour such as the one of prior art protector  10  may be defined by a protector width  10 W of about 19.2 mm and a protector height  10 H of about 13 mm. The outer cross section boundary may be defined by a shaft width  110 W and a shaft height  110 H. 
     The telephone line tester  100  further includes a protector connector socket  105  with up to five protector receiving contacts  118  in which the contacts  11  of a well known protector  10  are inserted up to the point where the protector front face  14  touches the protector connector socket  105 . Thereby, the protector contacts  11  are electrically and structurally connected such that the protector  10  is structurally fixed with respect to the telephone line tester  100  and electrically accessed at the same time. 
     The protector connector socket  105  is preferably positioned with respect to the elongate housing  102 / 103  such that a tester rear portion  120  with a rear portion length  120 L that is about equal to a protector housing length  10 L is available for an ergonometric fix of the protector  10 . The ergonometric fix provides for a convenient handling of the telephone line tester  100  unimpeded by the attached protector  10 . The ergonometric fix further provides for minimal risk of inadvertent lateral bending of the protector  10  with respect to the protector connector socket  105  and consequently minimal risk of structural damage of the protector contacts  11  while the protector  10  is connected to the telephone line tester  100 . In addition, the ergonometric fix provides also for an easy access to the protector handle  13  for removing the protector  10  again from the protector connector socket  105 . 
     While the protector  10  is connected to the protector connector socket  105  via protector receiving contacts  118 , a protector testing and switching circuitry is electrically through connecting the prior art protector  10  with corresponding frontal contact pins  114 . Alternately to through connecting the protector  10 , the testing and switching circuitry may be activated by a test and light switch  108  for testing the protector  10  while it is disconnected from at least one of the frontal contact pins  114  but preferably both in house and outside line connecting frontal contact pins  114 . The protector testing and switching circuitry is powered by the batteries  140 . 
     The telephone line tester  100  preferably also includes a light source  113  in the preferred configuration of a well known LED embedded in the insertion front face  112  of the telephone line tester  100 . The LED  113  has a cross section that is sufficiently small so that it is conveniently embedded in between the contact pins  114  without compromising the structural integrity of the insertion end housing  1122  as may be well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. In particular and referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and the well known 5-terminal type telephone line connection standard, the substantially rectangular outer protrusion boundary provides for two parallel rows with a total of up to five frontal connector sites on the insertion front face  12 . In case of a male connector as configured at the insertion front face  112 , up to five frontal contact pins  114  are positioned at these connector sites. The present invention includes embodiments in which one or more of the contact terminals  114  are well known female connectors positioned at these connector sites. In that case and as may be well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art, the configuration of protector contacts  11  may be equally varied between male pins and female connectors. Also in that case and as may be well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art, the protector receiving contacts  118  may be oppositely configured such that male pins  11  and/or female connectors  11  of the protector  10  would fit together with female connectors  118  and/or male pins  118 . 
     These frontal contact pins  114  extend from the insertion front face  112  in a connection direction that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the insertion front face  12 . The frontal contact pins  114  are fixed in a rigid insertion end housing  1122 . The LED  113  is fitted in between the two frontal contact pins  114  of the top row such that light is emitted from the insertion front face  112  centering substantially parallel along the connection direction. Due to the small scale of the LED  113 , it may be embedded without compromising the structural rigidity of the insertion end housing  1122 . The insertion end housing  1122  is preferably a separate housing component that interlocks with the housing bottom and top portions  102  and  103  via interlock ribs  1121 . In that way, the telephone line tester  100  may be eventually adapted to variations of and/or to the well known 5-terminal type telephone line connector standard. 
     The test and light switch  108  is preferably configured as a push switch. It may also switch the light source  113  with the batteries  140  simultaneously with activating the protector testing and switching circuitry. The batteries  140  power also a visual protector condition indicator  107  and optional electrical relay(s)  152  that are also preferable part of the protector testing and switching circuitry. The visual protector condition indicator  107  is preferably a dual light LED providing a first distinct light such as green light and a second distinct light such as red light. The first distinct light may correspond to a protector good condition in which all of the protector&#39;s  10  fuse(s) is/are good. The second distinct light may correspond to a protector bad condition in which at least one of the protector&#39;s  10  fuse(s) is/are bad. The relays  152  provide for a direct through switching of the protector  10  in case the batteries  140  are dead. The relays  152  provide also for a insulated through connection of the telephone lines that is completely electrically separated from other well known circuitry elements of the testing and switching circuitry. 
     The protector testing and switching circuitry preferably further includes a protector through switch  151  that may incorporate a switch lever  104  that extends through the housing  102 / 103  and that is positioned with respect to the protector connector socket  105  such that it is switched by the protector  10  while the protector  10  is connected to the protector connector socket  105 . The through switch  151  is in structural interaction with the lever  104  such that the lever&#39;s  104  depression by the protector  10  is passed on to the through switch unit  151  for electrically switching the testing and switching circuitry in a well known fashion and as may be appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. 
     In particular, the lever  104  is configured and positioned such that it acts together with the switching unit  151  as a protector housing contacting switch  104 / 151  positioned with respect to the protector connector socket  105  such that it is switched by a protector housing  12  of the protector  10  while the protector  10  is connected to the protector connector socket  105 . For that purpose, the protector connector socket  105  is laterally extending from the elongate housing  102 / 103  and oriented with respect to the elongate housing  102 / 103  such that a first side face  19  of the protector housing  12  is in immediate and substantial parallel proximity to a second side face  1031  of the elongate housing  102 / 103 , and wherein the protector housing contacting switch  104 / 151  with its through switch lever  104  is embedded in the second side face  1031 . In that way, the protector housing contacting switch  104 / 151  preferably acts as and is a mechanical switch with its lever  104  extending above the second side face  1031 . Consequently, it is depressed and actuated while the first side face  19  is in immediate and substantial parallel proximity to the second side face  1031 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the protector through switch  151 , LED  113 , dual light LED  107 , battery contacts  141 , relay(s)  152 , protector receiving contacts  118 , a jack connector  117  as well as tip, ring and ground connect terminals  109 A,  109 B,  115 A,  115 B and  116  are conductively connected either directly or via cables to a circuit board  150  of the testing and switching circuitry as may be well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. Other well known elements such as resistor(s), transistor(s) and the like may also be part of the testing and switching circuitry in particular for generating a testing signal for the protector  10  via receiving contacts  118  and for transforming the protector  10  response to that testing signal for the protector condition indicator as may be also well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. For a more detailed description of the terminals  109 A,  109 B,  115 A,  115 B,  116  and jack connector  117  it is referred to the cross referenced patent of the same inventor. Eventual cables are hidden in  FIG. 5  for clarity. 
     The multiple functions of the telephone line tester  100  described above are integrated in a highly compact housing including housing top and bottom portions  103 ,  102 , protector connector socket  105 , insertion end housing  1122 , housing cover  106  and battery lid  111 , all preferably made of injection molded plastic material. The housing bottom portion  102  features a pen clip  101  such that the telephone line tester  100  having an overall length  100 L of less than 160 mm may be conveniently carried in a shirt pocket. A main overall height  100 H of the telephone line tester  100  housing without the pen clip  101  is about 31 mm and an overall width  110 W is less than 27.5 mm. The battery lid  111  under hooks at one end into the bottom housing  102  and on the opposite end is fixed by a battery lid screw  131 . The battery lid screw  131  may be screwed in a lid screw socket  132  that may be part of the housing bottom portion  102  and/or that may be exclusively part of the housing top portion  103 . In that way, the battery lid screw  131  may hold housing top and bottom portions  103  and  102  together. Various labels  119  may identify the individual terminals  109 A,  109 B,  115 A,  115 B,  116  as well as the test and light switch  107 . 
     Within the overall length  100 L are fitted the rear portion  120 , center portion  130 , and the frontal access shaft  110 . The rear portion  120  is about equally long as the protector housing length  10 L. The center portion  130  has a height  130 H that is about equal to the protector height  10 H. The frontal access shaft  110  is at least as long as the protector housing length  10 L for an unimpeded insertion into a to be tested 5-terminal type telephone line connector eventually deeply recessed between other protectors  10  connected immediately adjacent other 5-terminal type telephone line connectors as may be well appreciated by anyone skilled in the art. 
     At an initial step during telephone line testing, a protector  10  is removed from its 5-terminal type telephone line connector. At that initial step and by manually actuating the test and light switch  108 , the telephone line tester  100  may already be employed as a flash light to identify the location of the to be tested connector and its protector  10 . The removed protector  10  may be connected to the connector socket  105  and tested by the telephone line tester  100  again by manually actuating the test and light switch  108  while monitoring the dual light LED  107 . The to be tested 5-terminal type connector may then be visually inspected with assistance of the front side LED  113 . Next, the telephone line tester  100  may be approached and connected with its frontal contact pins  114  to the to be tested connector. 
     Due to the front side LED  113 , unobstructed illumination of the to be tested connector is warranted to the very moment the frontal contact pins  114  are connected. This substantially assists in an efficient alignment and connection of the telephone line tester  100  with the to be tested connector without need for an additional flash light. Especially in cases of aged to be tested connectors having eventually corroded and bent receiving contacts, a precise alignment of the telephone line tester  100  with front side illumination may significantly reduce risks of further structural damage to the receiving contacts of the to be tested connector. 
     Once the telephone line tester  100  is conductively connected with its frontal contact pins  114  to the to be tested connector, the terminals  109 A,  109 B,  115 A,  115 B,  116  and/or the jack connector  117  may be accessed for in house and/or out side line testing as described in more detail in the cross referenced patent. At the same time, the previously tested protector  10  secures the in house and out side lines while it is connected to the connector socket  105 . Once the testing is completed, the telephone line tester  100  is again removed and the protector  10  reconnected to the tested connector. 
     Accordingly, the scope of the invention as described in the figures and the specification above is set forth the following claims and their legal equivalent: