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Carrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications moduleRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, With Relatively Guided Members And Intermediate Pliable Conductor, Relatively Movable About Axis, HingeCarrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications module description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070275581, Carrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications module. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/247,400, filed Oct. 11, 2005, now pending, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a carrier in the field of telecommunications, an assembly of a carrier and a telecommunications module, a telecommunications module, a method of connecting wires or cables with a telecommunications module and a use of a spacer or a hinge part of a carrier or a telecommunications module. BACKGROUND [0003] In the field of telecommunications, numerous customers are connected with the switch of a telecommunications company over telecommunications lines. Such customers can also sometimes be referred to as subscribers. The switch is often called an exchange or "PBX" (central office exchange operated by the telecommunications company). Between the subscriber and the switch, sections of the telecommunications lines are connected with telecommunications modules. Telecommunications modules establish an electrical connection between one wire attached to the telecommunications module at a first side and another wire attached to the telecommunications module at a second side. The wires of one side can also be called incoming wires and the wires of the other side can be called outgoing wires. Plural telecommunications modules can be put together at a distribution point such as a main distribution frame (or "MDF"), an intermediate distribution frame, an outside cabinet or at some other distribution point located, for example, in an office building or on a particular floor of an office building. At such distribution points, racks can be provided on which carriers are directly mounted, allowing plural telecommunications modules to be directly attached to the carriers. To allow flexibility in wiring some telecommunications lines are connected with a set of first telecommunications modules in a manner to constitute a permanent connection. Flexibility is realized by jumpers or cross-connects, which flexibly connect contacts of the first telecommunications modules with contacts of a set of second telecommunications modules. These jumpers can be changed, for example, when a person moves within an office building to a new telephone (i.e., a different telephone line) and he or she wants to keep a former telephone number. Such a change of jumpers can be called patching or cross-connecting. Within the telecommunications module disconnection points can be located in the electrical connection between the two sides. Disconnection plugs can be inserted at the disconnection points to disconnect the line. Protection plugs and magazines are also sometimes used. They are connected to the module and protect any equipment connected to the wires from overcurrent and overvoltage. Test plugs can also be inserted at a disconnection point to test or monitor a line. [0004] Recently, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or "ADSL" technology has spread widely in the field of telecommunications. ADSL technology allows at least two different signals to be transmitted on a single line and is achieved by transmitting the different signals at different frequencies along the line. Signals are combined at a particular point in the telecommunications line and split at another point. In particular, at the subscriber side separate voice and data signals are combined and sent to the central office over one line. In the central office the combined signal is split. The voice signal is then directed to the other subscriber(s) on the telephone call, and the data signal is directed to the other subscriber(s) participating in the data exchange. For transmission of voice and data signals to the subscriber, separate voice and data signals are combined at the central office, sent to the subscriber and split at the subscriber side. After splitting the POTS, or "plain old telephone service" can be used to transmit voice signals. The remaining portion of the split signal can be used to transmit data or other information. Splitters, which are used to split or combine the signal, can generally be arranged at any distribution point. [0005] Any electronic components necessary to perform the above functions can be contained, sometimes together with a printed circuit board as a base, in a single splitter module. Other functional modules include protection modules, which contain components to provide protection against overvoltage and/or overcurrent, and testing and monitoring modules, which contain suitable electronic components to test and/or monitor a telecommunications line. Other functional modules or plugs are also known. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] In several individual aspects, the invention provides, generally, a carrier useful in the field of telecommunications; an assembly of a carrier and a telecommunications module: a telecommunications module; a method of connecting wires or cables with a telecommunications module; and a use of a spacer or a hinge part of a carrier or a telecommunications module by which the handling of wires or cables is improved. [0007] Thus, the invention, in one individual aspect, provides a carrier to which a plurality of telecommunications modules are mountable. The carrier has at least one spacer adapted to create a wire or cable stack by spacing the wires or cables from that part of the carrier on which the spacer is provided. In another aspect, the invention provides a use of a hinge part of a telecommunications module for guiding wires or cables. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] The invention will be described in part by reference to illustrative embodiments depicted in drawings in which: [0009] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an assembly of a carrier and a telecommunications module in a "normal", closed position; [0010] FIG. 2 shows the assembly of FIG. 1 in a pivoted, open position; [0011] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a second embodiment of an assembly of a carrier and a telecommunications module in a closed position; [0012] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the telecommunications module of FIG. 3, and [0013] FIG. 5 shows a rear view of the telecommunications module of FIG. 4. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0014] The invention, in one aspect, provides a carrier useful in the field of telecommunications to which a plurality of telecommunications modules are mountable. The carrier can comprise one or more rails, bars, rods or wall-type elements. When two or more of such bars, rods etc., are present, they may be parallel to allow telecommunications modules to be mounted to two or more of these components in a manner in which they are moveable along the components. The carrier may also have a trough-like appearance with two opposing sidewalls to which telecommunications modules are mountable. Alternatively, the carrier can have an essentially "L"-shaped cross-section and the telecommunications modules can be mounted to one leg of the cross-section. This leg, as well as the above-mentioned walls, can comprise openings at regular intervals to define a predetermined spacing or pitch for the telecommunications modules mounted thereon. One suitable carrier construction is offered by 3M Telecommunications of Neuss, Germany under the trade name "Flexirail" which has two parallel profiles having a cross-sectional configuration suitable for releasably mounting telecommunications modules. Any of the above-mentioned legs, walls, rails or the like can, apart from openings, comprise projections or any other suitable structures which define edges for cooperating with latching mechanisms (such as latch hooks) for mounting telecommunications modules to the carrier. [0015] The carriers of the invention include at least one spacer adapted to, in one embodiment, create slack in a wire or cable by spacing the wires or cables from that part of the carrier on which the spacer is provided. The spacer is provided on the carrier and can be incorporated with the spacer as the carrier is produced. The spacer can alternatively be retrofitted to the carrier, for example, when the carrier has already been in use. Thus, the carrier is, independent from the type of wires or cables connected to telecommunications modules mounted on the carrier, prepared to create slack. In this context, wires are considered relatively thin, elongate metallic objects, usually with an insulation and adapted to transmit a signal. In the field of telecommunications a pair of wires usually constitute a telecommunications line. Plural wires or wire pairs can be combined to form a cable. For example, plural wires or wire pairs can be surrounded by an outer sheath. In ADSL applications a cable containing plural wires can be used to provide connection with a DSLAM. The term "cable" will be used hereinafter, and it is to be understood that this term comprises a single wire, a wire pair or any multiple of wires or wire pairs. [0016] In the carriers of the invention wire or cable slack is created, for example, when a cable is connected with the contacts of a telecommunications module. In particular, this connection can be made in a position of the telecommunications module that differs remarkably from a "normal," operating position of the telecommunications module. A "normal" position of the telecommunications module can refer to a position the telecommunications module takes after a wire is connected and telecommunications service is provided. Slack is created by the spacer to some extent when the above-described connection is made. When the telecommunications module is returned to the normal position, the slack can become larger. For example, the telecommunications module can be pivotable relative to the carrier so that wires may be more easily connected or additional components such as protection or splitter plugs may be added. The telecommunications module may be moveable in a substantially linear direction relative to the carrier. It may also be constructed to allow for both pivotable and linear movement. [0017] The cable or cables connected to the telecommunications module will generally assume a certain shape and will acquire a certain position after a connection is completed. When bringing the telecommunications module back to a "normal" or closed position, the spacer serves to ensure that less stress is created on the cables that could endanger the connections with the contacts of the telecommunications module. In a case where the telecommunications module is pivotable relative to the carrier, there might be, for example, a designated area such as the side walls of the carrier toward which the cables can be deformed without colliding with any other structures. In such a case the spacer can provide a longer path for the cables than would exist without it. In particular, the spacer can deform the cables somewhat toward this designated area. When the pivoting motion is carried out, therefore, the cables will reliably move toward that designated area instead of in a direction in which unwanted interference with other components could occur. The spacer may be relatively rigid to provide enough counterforce to direct the cables to the designated area and withstand any tendency of the cables to move in undesired directions. In this manner, the spacer may be provided on a particular part of the carrier, such as a sidewall, and adapted to space the cables from that part of the carrier in which the spacer is provided. The space required for the spacer is relatively small, and it can be restricted to the surroundings of the carrier. In other words, other areas of the carrier, such as an opposite sidewall, can be left substantially unaffected. [0018] As already mentioned, the telecommunications module can pivot about a pivot axis relative to the carrier. The spacer can, moreover, be provided at a distance from the pivot axis. The pivotability of the telecommunications modules relative to the carrier allows, for example, easy access to the rear side of the telecommunications module to connect wires or other components such as protection or splitter plugs. Providing the spacer at a distance from the pivot axis can provide reliable formation of a cable slack. It may be advantageous to form the pivot axis as a hinge pin. Continue reading about Carrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications module... Full patent description for Carrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications module Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Carrier and an assembly including a carrier and a telecommunications module patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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