Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to wiring of information circuits, and particularly to a wiring layout of information circuits provided at one working location, e.g. telephone and computer connection circuits provided in one room or one floor of a building, or in a whole building. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     As a method for wiring the information circuits of information device terminals, such as telephones, personal computers and the like, in an office or other working location, it is known to connect the terminals with collective information handling devices, such as telephone switchboards, LAN units and the like, by aggregating the information circuits of the respective information device terminals. 
     FIG. 6 shows wiring in such an office. The office is divided into a plurality of blocks, such as department units or section units. One or more people work at each block. Information device terminals, such as telephones, personal computers and the like, are arranged on desks constituting the respective blocks A to F, and the information device terminals are connected via wire harnesses  1  installed at each block A to F to an interconnection unit  3 . 
     The wire harnesses  1  are composed of the bundles of circuit cables, having connectors  2  equipped with modular outlets at one end. The various information device terminals are connected to the wire harnesses  1  through the connectors  2 . The use of bundled wire harnesses in buildings is disclosed in JP-A-8-33 1734, published Dec. 8, 1996. 
     The interconnection unit  3  is equipped with a plug board  4  shown in FIG. 7, which has a primary side and a secondary side. The modular outlets  5  connected to the collective information handling devices such as telephone switchboards, network servers and the like are arranged at the primary side, while the modular outlets  6  installed on the respective circuit cables of the respective wire harnesses  1  are arranged at the secondary side. Connecting cables  7  equipped with modular jacks at both ends are connected between the respective outlets  5  at the primary side and the respective outlets  6  at the secondary side, whereby the respective information device terminals are connected in the desired manner to the fixed collective devices. 
     With such wiring, when a layout in an office is changed, for example, when the block A is replaced by the block B as a whole, changing of the connection positions of the connecting cables  7  in the plug board  4  enable the wiring of the block A to be exchanged with the wiring of the block B without renewing the laying of the wire harnesses  1 . 
     However, in such a conventional wiring system, as only sequential numbers are usually attached to the respective outlets  5 ,  6  of the plug board  4 , it cannot be identified which blocks of which information device terminals the modular outlets  6  at the secondary side are connected to by inspecting only the plug board  4  at the time of a layout change. 
     Therefore, a layout table in which sequential numbers attached to the respective modular outlets  6  at the secondary side correspond with the information device terminals is usually prepared, and the work of exchanging the connecting cables  7  is done by inspecting the layout table. When there are large numbers of the modular outlets  6  in use on the secondary side, the modular outlets  6  must be searched relying on the sequential numbers, but it is troublesome to find the modular outlets  6  whose connection is to be altered. Further, when there is no layout table at hand, there is an inconvenience that it cannot be identified which blocks of which information device terminals the modular outlets  6  are connected to. 
     Since the connecting cables  7  connecting the primary side to the secondary side are usually all the same, independent of the kind of the collective device, in the plug board  4 , there is an inconvenience that it is difficult to identify which collective information handling devices the modular outlets  6  at the secondary side are connected to. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention has as its object to provide a wiring layout for information circuits, wherein information circuits from a plurality of information device terminals are aggregated in an interconnection unit and connected to collective information handling devices, such as telephone switchboards, LAN units and the like, in which the above-mentioned problems are at least partially solved and in which the work required for rearranging the connecting cables in an interconnection unit according to layout change and the like can be efficiently carried out. 
     According to the invention, there is provided a wiring layout of information circuits which are used by personnel who work at a plurality of blocks, each block accommodating at least one person, the wiring layout comprising: 
     at each block, a plurality of outlet connectors connectible in use to information devices used by personnel at the block, 
     an interconnection unit having a plurality of primary connectors adapted to be connected to collective information handling devices, and a plurality of secondary connectors, 
     a plurality of wiring structures each comprising a plurality of wiring cables connecting respective groups of the secondary connectors to respective ones of the blocks, the wiring cables of each wiring structure terminating at the respective outlet connectors of the block, and 
     a plurality of interconnection cables detachably and interchangeably connecting the primary connectors and the secondary connectors at the interconnection unit, wherein 
     (i) first identification signs which identify respective ones of the blocks are associated with the wiring cables, and 
     (ii) at the interconnection unit, the plurality of the secondary outlets connected by a respective one of the wiring structures to one of the blocks are grouped together in space and have associated with them an identification sign which is the same as the one of the first identification signs identifying the block to which they are connected. 
     With this arrangement it can be easily identified at which part of the interconnection unit each secondary connector associated with a specific block, from among the many secondary connectors in the interconnection unit, is attached. 
     Preferably second identification signs which identify respective ones of the wiring cables in each wiring structure are associated with the wiring cables, and identification signs which are the same as the second identification signs are provided in association with the respective secondary connectors to which the wiring cables are respectively connected. In this case, it can be easily identified which secondary connectors the respective circuit cables correspond to. 
     Preferably also third identification signs enabling identification of the collective information handling devices are provided on the interconnection cables. Then, it can be easily identified which collective devices the respective wiring cables are connected to. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a wiring layout in an office embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a wire harness used in the wiring layout of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial view showing one end of the circuit cables which constitute the wire harness of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a view showing the plug board of an interconnection unit in the wiring layout of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a table showing one example of a layout table used in the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the wiring in a conventional office wiring system; and 
     FIG. 7 is a view showing the plug board of an interconnection unit in the conventional wiring system of FIG.  6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows an example of a wiring layout in an office embodying the invention. The working space of the office comprises a plurality of work stations, herein called blocks A to F, such as department units or section units. Information device terminals, such as telephones, personal computers and the like, are arranged on desks of the respective blocks A to F. Specifically, four telephone sets (TEL  1  to TEL  20  in Figure) and two personal computers (illustrated as PC  1  to PC  10  in Figure) are provided at each of the blocks A to E, and a telephone set (illustrated as TEL  21  and TEL  22  in Figure) and a personal computer (illustrated as PC  11  and PC  12  in Figure) are at each of the two desks of block F. 
     The interconnection unit  10  for connecting the information device terminals to external collective information handling devices, such as a telephone exchange or switchboard or a PC network controller, is at a fixed position in the office, and the wire harnesses  12  to  17  are laid between the interconnection unit  10  and the respective blocks A to F. 
     In FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure of the wire harness  12  is shown. The wire harness  12  has six twisted pair wires  20  (hereinafter referred to as the circuit cables  20 ). Modular outlets  21  are installed on both ends of the circuit cables  20 . The modular outlets  21  at a first end of the circuit cables  20  are located in the connector housing of the connector V 1 , and the modular outlets  21  at the second end of the circuit cables  20  are installed in the interconnection unit  10  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the identification digits “1” to “6” (the second identification symbols of the invention) which identify the respective circuit cables  20  are attached on the respective circuit cables  20  at fixed intervals over their whole length, and further the identification digits “1 ” to “6” for identifying the modular outlets  21  are placed on them or next to them as shown in FIG.  2 . The modular outlets  21  at the first end of the circuit cables  20  are mounted in the connector housing of the connector V 1  so that the identification digits of the respective circuit cables  20  coincide with the identification digits of the connector V 1 . 
     The circuit cables  20  are mutually twisted and integrated, for example, by twisting a red tape  22  (the first identification symbol of the invention), and further the modular outlets  21  which are in the connector V 1  are colored in the same color as this tape on the circuit cables  20 . 
     The wire harnesses  13  to  17  laid to the other blocks B to F have the same structure as the wire harness  12 , but the color of the tape binding their circuit cables  20  and the color of the modular outlets  21  are selected in each case so that they may mutually differ among the respective blocks A to F. The colors of the tapes  22  are, for example, yellow, green, blue, purple and brown in the wire harnesses  13  to  17 . 
     The plug board  30  shown in FIG. 4 is installed in the interconnection unit  10 . 
     The plug board  30  is composed of a primary side  30   a  and a secondary side  30   b  as shown in FIG.  4 . The modular outlets on the primary side  30   a , connected to the external collective information devices, are arranged in a plurality of rows. The twelve modular outlets  31  connecting to a LAN unit are in a first transverse row and the twenty-four modular outlets  32  connected to a telephone switchboard are in a second row below. The identification digits “1” to “12” identifying the modular outlets  31  and the identification digits “1” to “24” identifying the modular outlets  32  are attached in accordance with the respective modular outlets  31  and  32  on a frame holding these modular outlets  31  and  32 . 
     The modular outlets  21  installed on the respective circuit cables  20  of the wire harnesses  12  to  17  are arranged on the secondary side  30   b  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 in two transverse rows. The respective modular outlets  21  of each wire harness  12  to  17  are collectively arranged in blocks in these transverse rows. The identification digits “1” to “6”, identifying the respective modular outlets  21  are attached on the frame holding the modular outlets  21 , and the respective modular outlets  21  of the respective wire harnesses  12  to  17  are arranged in the switching part  30  so that the. above-mentioned identification digits of the respective circuit cables  20  coincide with the identification digits on the frame. 
     Interconnection cables  33  (hereinafter referred to as the batch cables  33 ) are used to interconnect modular outlets  21  on the secondary side and the fixed modular outlets  31 ,  32  on the primary side. Only one batch cable  33  is illustrated but in practice as many as are needed are provided. The batch cables  33  have modular jacks on both ends of twisted pair wires. The modular jack at the primary side is connected to any one of the modular outlets  31 ,  32  and the modular jack on the other end is connected to any one of the modular outlets  21  at the secondary side. In this way the respective circuit cables  20  of the wire harnesses  12  to  17  are connected with the telephone switchboard or LAN unit in the desired manner. 
     The respective batch cables are distinguished by colors in accordance with the destination, that is to say, for example, the batch cables  33  connected with the modular outlets  31  of the LAN unit are colored in black and the batch cables  33  connected with the modular outlets  32  of the telephone switchboard are colored in white. 
     With this wiring of information circuits, in order to accommodate to a layout change, e.g. of personnel at the blocks A to F, it is possible to use the previous telephone numbers at a different seat after the layout change without renewing the laying of the wire harnesses  12  to  17 , by rearranging the batch cables  33  in the plug board  30  of the interconnection unit  10 , that is by carrying out a change of connection positions of the batch cables  33 . 
     In the wire harnesses  12  to  17  of the respective blocks A to F, the respective modular outlets  21  are arranged in the connectors V 1  to V 6  so that the identification digits given to the respective circuit cables  20  coincide with the identification digits of the respective connectors V 1  to V 6 , as described above. Further, the respective modular outlets  21  are installed on the plug board  30  so that the identification digits of the respective circuit cables  20  coincide with the identification digits on the frame. Therefore the respective modular outlets  21  installed on both ends of the respective circuit cables can be easily identified. 
     Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the layout table relating the information device terminals which are connected with the respective connectors V 1  to V 6 , with the circuits to which the information device terminals are connected, that is, the identification digits of the modular outlets  21  to which the information device terminals are connected, is previously prepared, it is possible to smoothly carry out the work for rearranging the batch cables  33 . 
     Next, the work necessary for replacing the batch cables  33  is described, by way of example, together with the effect, referring to a case in which the circuits of telephone sets are replaced between different blocks (for example, between the block C and the block D). 
     First, the modular outlets  21  of the circuit cables  20 , to which the respective telephone sets are connected, are found at the secondary side of the switching part  30 . As the modular outlets  21  are distinguished by colors for the respective blocks A to F as described above and are arranged in a row on the secondary side of the switching part  30 , the position to which the modular outlets  21  of the block C and the block D are installed is searched first, according to their colors. Then the identification digits of the modular outlets  21  to which the telephone sets are connected according to the above-mentioned layout table are identified and the position of the modular outlets  21  on the switching part  30  is identified. 
     After the identification of the respective modular outlets  21 , then the modular jacks of the batch cables  33  connected to the respective modular outlets  21  are removed and reconnected. The work is thus completed. 
     As the modular outlets  21  at the secondary side of the plug board  30  are distinguished by colors, it can be easily and rapidly recognized where the specific modular outlets  21  are installed in the switching part  30 . Therefore, the modular outlets  21  can be efficiently searched in comparison with the case of conventional wiring by which the modular outlets are required to be searched, relying on only the sequential numbers given to the modular receptacles. Efficiency is therefore improved. 
     Further, as the batch cables  33  are distinguished by colors according to the external collective devices, at a glance a worker can identify which external devices the particular modular outlets  21  are connected to. Therefore, when the identification work after the layout change is carried out etc., for example, even if a very large number of batch cables  33  are complicatedly wired, the external collective devices connected can be easily identified. This also increases efficiency. 
     The modular outlets  21  at the secondary side of the plug board  30  are distinguished by colors for the blocks A to F, and the modular outlets  21  installed on both ends of the respective circuit cables of the wire harnesses  12  to  17  are identified by the same identification digits. Therefore, specific modular outlets  21  at the secondary side can be identified on the plug board  30  without the layout table shown in FIG. 5, by identifying the tape colors which bundle the respective wire harnesses  12  to  17  and the identification digits of the modular outlets  21  to which the information device terminals are connected in the connectors V 1  to V 6 . Therefore, even if the layout table is lost or becomes inaccurate, the work of exchanging the batch cables  33  can be carried out, and in view of this, efficiency is improved in comparison with a conventional method for wiring by which the modular outlets cannot be identified on a plug board without a layout table. 
     In this embodiment, the respective wire harnesses  12  to  17  of the respective blocks A to F are identified by bundling the circuit cables  20  with a colored tape, but the wire harnesses  12  to  17  may be identified by coloring in the same color the respective circuit cables  20  themselves which constitute the respective wire harnesses  12  to  17 . 
     The identifying digits are attached on the respective circuit cables  20 , the frame of the switching part  30  and the housing of the connectors V 1  to V 6  as the identification symbols, but, for example, alphabet codes, Greek characters or any other suitable indicia or distinguishing marks may be used as the identification symbols. 
     Codes for clarifying the modular outlet groups of the blocks A to F which are bundled may be attached on the frame at the secondary side of the interconnection unit  10 . In this case, for example, codes composed of the head letter of alphabet and the digits corresponding to the colors of the modular outlets of the blocks A to F may be used which is convenient when there are many blocks on the floor, etc. For example when there are many blocks, there may be a case in which the tape color  22  of two wire harnesses must be the same, and this may cause trouble in identifying the modular outlets on the interconnection unit  10  in such a case. Therefore, when there are two blocks whose tape color for the tapes  22  is “Red”, the identification digits corresponding to the respective blocks are previously  15  determined, and codes “R 1 ” and “R 2 ” of which the identification digits are arranged after the head letter of alphabet indicating the tapes  22  can be attached on the frame of the interconnection unit  10 . Thus, even if modular outlets having the same colors are used, it is convenient to be able to rapidly identify which blocks they correspond to. Further, when the colors of the tape  22  are “Green” and “Violet”, the codes of “G 1 ” and “G 2 ” and the codes of “V 1 ” and “V 2 ” may be used. 
     As illustrated above, the method for wiring of the invention makes it easy to identify the installed position of the outlets on the secondary side because first identification symbols enabling identification of the blocks is attached to the circuit cord, the same identification symbol is attached to the socket on the secondary side, and the respective outlets on the secondary side corresponding to the same block are grouped together in the interconnection unit; in the method for wiring, wherein the circuit cables of the information device terminals are aggregated to the interconnection unit, the outlets on the secondary side are installed on the interconnection unit, and the information device terminals are connected to the external collective devices by mutually connecting the respective outlets on the primary side and the secondary side through the interconnecting cables. Therefore, the work for replacing or exchanging the interconnection cables can be efficiently carried out in comparison with a conventional wiring of this type. 
     Particularly, when the second identification symbols enabling identification of the circuit cables in the same block are attached to the respective circuit cables and the same identification symbols as the second identification symbols are attached to the outlets on the secondary side which correspond to the respective circuit cables, it can be easily identified which outlets at the secondary side the respective circuit cables correspond to. 
     Further, when identification symbols enabling identification of the specific external devices are attached to the respective interconnection cables, it can be easily identified which external collective devices the respective-circuit cables are connected to.

Technology Category: h