GB2257573A

GB2257573A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2257573A
Application number: GB9115022A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rowland Spencer White
Original assignee: Mod Tap W Corp
Current assignee: Molex Premise Networks Inc
Priority date: 1991-07-05
Filing date: 1991-07-05
Publication date: 1993-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-05
Also published as: GB9115022D0; GB2257573B

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises a wall box 1 which can receive a building cable, for example an electrical or optical telecommunications cable. A first connector 7 is mounted on a mounting frame 3 in the mounting box and receives the individual conductors of the cable in respective contacts. A second connector 9 connects interface connectors to the first connector through a printed circuit board which has a plurality of edge contacts 11 which are received in a slot 8 in the first connector to establish contact. The printed circuit board carries sockets 13 to receive connections from remote stations. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS This invention relates to electrical connectors, and in particular to connectors mounted in receptacles such as mounting boxes.

Conventionally, electrical receptacles for domestic or commercial use are fixed rigidly to a faceplate assembly. Cable hanging from the mounting box is connected to the faceplate assembly outside the mounting box and the faceplate is then fixed to the face of the box.

This arrangment has a number of disadvantages, most notably the necessity to lodge a length of excess cable within the mounting box caused by the need to attach the faceplate to the cable away from the box. The excess cable often has to be jammed into the mounting box which can lead to distortion of the cable which may alter cable performance or longevity. This problem is especially acute with high speed data cables or fibre optic cables but is also relevant to other cabling such as power cabling where short-circuits or other faults may occur through folding or bending of the cable in the mounting box.

A further major disadvantage of the arrangment described is the need to cable each different kind of wall socket differently according to its use. A telephone socket does not require the same connections as a data socket and the likelihood of the installer making connection errors is great.

The present invention in its various embodiments aims to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.

The invention is defined by the claims to which reference should be made.

According to one aspect of the invention the building cable is wired to a first connector mounted within a mounting box. This arrangment has the advantage that a standard wiring pattern of the cabling to the first connector can be adopted no matter what service is to be provided at the outlet. A second connector connects the first connector to a coupling or interface which may be a further plug or socket and the required connection sequence for the particular interface is adopted between the interface and the contacts of the second connector which engage the first connector. The installer does not have to make these connections and so the risk of faulty connections being made is reduced.

The use of a first connector mounted in the mounting box enables the building cabling to be attached within the mounting box so obviating the need for excess cable lengths and overcoming the disadvantages resulting therefrom.

Preferably the first connector is mounted on a mounting frame assembly attached to the mounting box. The frame assembly preferably comprises a datum face from which a frame depends.

The use of the mounting frame assembly has the advantage that the first connector can be positioned correctly in mounting boxes of different depths and boxes which have been buried to varying depths in walls.

The mounting frame assembly preferably includes means for attaching the first connector.

Preferably, the first connector is a forward facing insulation displacement contact carrying connector.

It is preferably that for communications wiring applications the first connector is a printed circuit edge connector and that the contacts for adjacent outlets are arranged in shorting pairs.

In one preferred embodiment a second connector which establishes contact between the first connector and the interface comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of edge contacts. The desired ones of these contacts are connected to the interface couplings to establish the correct wiring pattern for the application in suit.

It should be understood that the term wiring used herein should be interpreted to include optical coupling and the term electrical connection is used for convenience and should be interpreted as including optical connection where the sense dictates.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the single accompanying drawing which shows an exploded view of a receptacle and connector embodying the invention.

The device illustrated comprises a conventional wallbox 1 which is intended to be mounted on or at least partly buried in a wall.

The wallbox includes on its inner walls a pair of tabs having holes for receiving fixing screws to secure a mounting frame assembly 3. The frame assembly has a front face 4 which acts a datum to cope with boxes of different depths or boxes which are unevenly buried in a wall. Attached to the datum face is a generally C-shaped mounting frame 5. The frame, when the assembly is fitted to the mounting box, extends into the cavity within the box and presents a mounting surface a fixed distance from the datum face.

A first electrical connector 7 is mounted on the mounting frame 5. The first connector 7 is used to terminate the building cable inside the box and includes socket contacts for electrical connection to the faceplate assembly, to be described. The building cable can be neatly dressed and terminated to the first connector 7. The cable arrangement and bend radius can be configured easily through the open front of the mounting frame assembly 3 to comply with relevant regulations.

The building cable is attached to the first connector 7 using a common wiring standard irrespective of the purpose of the socket.

In the embodiment illustrated the first connector carries forward facing insulation displacement contacts for terminating the building cable. The connector illustrated is intended for communications wiring and is a printed circuit edge connector whose contacts are arranged in shorting pairs, the purpose of which will be explained.

The connector has a slot 8 for receiving the edge of printed circuit board 9 which comprises a second connector. The PCB 9 carries a number of plug contacts which are received in slot 8 of the first connector. The plug contacts are wired to sockets 13 which receive external connections in conventional manner. The plug contacts are wired to the sockets 13 in the manner required for the intended application, for example as data sockets or telephone sockets. A faceplate 15 is attached, in the illustrated embodiment by a snap-fit, to the second connector and a bezel 17 attached to the mounting frame to provide a custom finish or colour.

Although in the embodiment described the second connector is a printed circuit board with plugs at one edge wired as required to sockets 13 other configurations could be adopted. For example, discrete wiring could be used from the sockets 13 to integral plug contacts which are received in the socket contacts of the first connector. In practice, the second connector is provided attached to the faceplate or cover 15 so that the installer is not required to make any wiring connections other than the standard connection of the building cable to the first connector.

The use of a printed-circuit edge connector with the contacts arranged in shorting pairs is of particular advantage in installations which are intended to receive pairs of telephone or data sockets such as sockets 13 as it greatly facilities testing.

Conventionally testing of each of the pair of sockets 13 would be by use of a two part tester, one part of which would be plugged into the socket 13 and the other of which would be plugged in at the remote station to which socket 13 is now linked. A signal is sent from the master station to the slave station, eg socket 13 which should register with the testing apparatus. This procedure requires two operators, one at each end who may be in different parts of a building and may have to use radio communication to communicate during testing. This procedure is lengthy and prone to error as it is very possible for a signal sent from one end of a socket pair to be monitored at the other end at the wrong socket, giving false results.

The use of contacts arranged in shorting pairs in the first connector obviates the need for a second tester at a remote location. A board can be inserted which maintains the shorting pairs so that a signal sent from one of the two sockets 13a, b is received at the other socket 13b, a.

For embodiments where testing in the manner described is not required the alternative first connectors may be used, for example screw terminals may be used provided that they are accessible with the connector mounted in the wallbox.

Thus, the embodiment described provides an arrangement which obviates the need for excess lengths of wall cabling in the mounting box, providing a neat cabling arrangement which does not prejudice the performance of the building cable. Moreover it vastly reduces the likelihood of incorrect wiring in the wallbox by adopting a uniform wiring standard regardless of the use being made of the socket.

The interface connector 13 may be a plug or a socket depending on the application. In an alternative embodiment the connector 13 may be replaced by a switch for controlling an electrical circuit.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for connecting a building cable or the like to a remote location, comprising a mounting box for receiving the cable, a first connector mounted within the mounting box to receive and establish electrical or optical connection with the building cable, and a second connector received within the mounting box for establishing electrical or optical connection between a coupling for the remote location and the first connector.

2. An electrical connector according to Claim 1, wherein the first connector is mounted on a mounting frame fixed to the mounting box.

3. An electrical connector according to Claim 2, wherein the mounting frame comprises a datum face having a mounting surface depending therefrom, which, in position on the mounting box extends into a cavity within the mounting box.

4. An electrical connector according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the first connector has a plurality of contacts for receiving individual conductors of the building cable, the contacts facing away from the mounting box.

5. An electrical connector according to Claim 4, wherein the first connector is a forward facing insulation displacement contact carrying connector.

6. An electrical connector according to Claim 5, wherein the insulation displacement contact carrier has contacts arranged in shorting pairs.

7. An electrical connector according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the insulation displacement contact carrying connector is a printed circuit edge connector.

8. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the second connector comprises a plurality of contacts connected to the coupling for the remote location.

9. An electrical connector according to any preceding claim, wherein the second connector is a printed circuit board.

10. An.electrical connector according to Claim 9, wherein the printed circuit board has a plurality of contacts for establishing electrical or optical connection with respective contacts of the first connector and wherein the selected ones of said contacts are connected to the coupling for the remote location.

11. An electrical connector according to Claim 9, appendent Claim 7, wherein the contacts are edge contacts arranged on the circuit board to be slotted into a slot in the printed circuit edge connector, whereby to break the shorting pairs of insulation displacement contacts and connect the coupling to the building cable.

12. An electrical connector according to any of Claims 2 to 11, comprising a faceplate including means for receiving the second connector and being connectable to the mounting frame.

13. An electrical connector according to any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the second connector comprises a switch for controlling an electrical circuit.

14. An electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.