Patent · US Expired

Connector for automatically maintaining the integrity of a communications network

US4746773A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
14References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 1985
Grant dateMay 24, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 23, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01R35/04
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Wall mounted connectors are provided in a communications ring network. The connectors join signal carrying lines until a communications node is connected into the network at the connector. When a plug from the node is inserted into the connector socket and rotated, plug contacts on the node plug are brought into contact with fixed, line contacts within the connector. Also, an electrical path through line closing conductors in the connector is broken. When the plug is rotated back and removed from the connector, the ring is again completed through the line closing conductors. The line closing conductors are mounted to a wheel which is driven by the plug. The rotor is positioned within a shielded enclosure formed by two pairs of upper and lower plates connected to the outer conductors of respective coaxial signal lines. A pawl pivoted on a biasing wheel drives the wheel back to the nonrotated position unless the wheel is rotated through half of a full rotation. From that point, the wheel is driven forward to ensure proper connection of the node into the network. In a plug associated with the connector, shielding of the inner conductors of node coaxial wire is enhanced by maintaining …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.