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  Telecommunications module and an assembly including at least one telecommunications moduleUSPTO Application #: 20070082524Title: Telecommunications module and an assembly including at least one telecommunications module Abstract: A telecommunications module has a front and a rear side and at least two contacts which are in disconnectable contact with each other at a disconnection point, wherein at least one contact has at least two projections in the vicinity of the disconnection point and on either side of the disconnection point. The contacts can be separated by inserting an external component or a portion thereof in an insertion direction between the projections. At least one of the projections formed on a contact of a telecommunications module in the vicinity of a disconnection point may be used as a test access to the contact. (end of abstract) Agent: 3m Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul, MN, US Inventors: Guy J. Barthes, Guy Metral USPTO Applicaton #: 20070082524 - Class: 439188000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, Having Circuit Interrupting Provision Effected By Mating Or Having "dead" Contact Activated After Mating The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070082524. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The invention relates to a telecommunications module, an assembly including at least one telecommunications module and use of a projection formed on a contact of a telecommunications module. BACKGROUND [0002] In the field of telecommunications, numerous customers are connected with the switch of a telecommunications company over telecommunications lines. Such customers are also sometimes referred to as subscribers. The switch is also often called an exchange or "PBX" (central office exchange operated by the telecommunications company). Between the subscriber and the switch, sections of 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 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. 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 so-called jumpers or cross connects, which flexibly connect contacts of the first telecommunications modules with contacts of a second set of telecommunications modules. These jumpers can be changed when, for example, a person moves within an office building to provide a new telephone (i.e., a different telephone line) with a telephone number the relocated person intends to keep. 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. These 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. [0003] Recently, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, or "ADSL," technology has spread widely in the field of telecommunications. ADSL 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. For the 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 signal, the POTS, or "plain old telephone service," can be used to transmit voice signals. The remaining part 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. [0004] Any electronic components necessary to perform the above functions can be contained, sometimes together with a printed circuit board as a base, in a functional module, and the entire module may function as a splitter. Similar functional modules include protection modules, which contain components that provide protection against overvoltage and/or overcurrent or testing and monitoring modules, which contain suitable electronic components and circuits to test or monitor a telecommunications line. Other functional plugs are known to those skilled in the art. [0005] These functional plugs may be inserted into a receiving space of the telecommunications module. Specifically, the contacts of the functional plug can establish electrical contact with the contacts of the telecommunications module. When a functional plug is not inserted opposing contacts within the telecommunications module can be in electrical contact with each other at a disconnection point. The contacts can be separated by inserting a functional plug where electrical contact between the separated contacts of the telecommunications module and the contacts of the functional plug can be established. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] In one aspect of the present invention provides a telecommunications module in which two contacts are in disconnectable contact at a disconnection point and in which the reliability of the contact at the disconnection point may be improved. In another aspect, the invention provides an assembly including at least one such telecommunications module. [0007] In still another aspect, the invention provides a use of a projection formed on a contact of a telecommunications module in the vicinity of a disconnection point at which at least two contacts are in disconnectable contact with each other. As described more fully herein, a projection is used to space the contacts from each other without contacting the disconnection point. In a second use, the projection may be used as a test access to the contact and, thus, form a second contact point next to the contact point which forms the disconnection point. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0008] The invention will be described hereinafter in part by reference to non-limiting examples, illustrated with reference to drawings in which: [0009] FIG. 1a shows a sectional view of the contacts for a telecommunications module of the current invention [0010] FIG. 1b shows a sectional view of the telecommunications module with a disconnection plug; [0011] FIG. 2a shows a detail of FIG. 1a; [0012] FIG. 2b shows a detail of FIG. 1b; [0013] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the telecommunications module with a splitter module inserted; [0014] FIG. 4a shows a sectional view of the telecommunications module with a disconnection plug on the rear side and a splitter module on the front side; and [0015] FIG. 4b shows a detail of FIG. 4a Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments [0016] The telecommunications modules of the invention comprise at least two contacts. A contact generally means any component that is adapted to establish electrical connection with at least one outside wire. For this purpose the contact can be formed, for example, at a first end as an Insulation Displacement Contact ("IDC"), a wire wrap contact or in any other suitable manner. The contacts can each have a first end that is adapted to connect a wire. They can also have a second end at which they are in disconnectable contact with each other. This connection can also be formed along the contacts. The point where the contacts are in disconnectable contact with each other is referred to as a disconnection point. At the disconnection point an electrical connection with a further component can be established. This can, for example, be the outside contact of an splitter module. In such a case the signal transmitted from the wire to the first contact is further transmitted to the electronic components of the splitter module and processed. A second contact can also be connected with the splitter module such that the signal processed, split or combined by the splitter module is transmitted via the second contact to a wire connected with the second contact. The first and/or second contact can be t least partially located outside a housing of the telecommunications module. [0017] In the telecommunications modules of the invention at least one contact has at least one projection or protrusion in the vicinity of the disconnection point. With this projection the contacts, which are in disconnectable contact with one another, can be separated by inserting an external component or a portion of an external component in an insertion direction such that it first reaches and contacts the projection. In other words, the external component which acts to separate the contacts first contacts the projection. In this way the main force which serves to separate the contacts acts on the projection, and the contacts are not affected at those locations where they are in disconnectable contact with each other, i.e. at the disconnection point. The external component can, after contacting the projection, also contact the contacts at the disconnection point. The main force for separating the contacts, however, acts on the projection so that the disconnection point is left substantially unaffected and less abrasion and/or erosion occurs at the disconnection point. This maintains reliable electrical contact at the disconnection point for an extended period of time. [0018] The disconnection point can reliably be used for contacting the contacts for various purposes. For example, a splitter module can be inserted to contact each of the contacts at the disconnection point. A "lifeline" service can also be provided when the splitter is removed and the contacts are brought into contact with each other at the disconnection point. The direct electrical connection between the contacts can be used for the lifeline service, since a line contact to which a wire leading to the subscriber is connected and a POTS-contact to which a wire leading to the switch is connected are in contact with each other. [0019] The projection can, moreover, advantageously be used as a second contact point for the contact. Thus, a first contact point can be seen at the disconnection point. The projection formed in the vicinity of the disconnection point on at least one contact can additionally be used to electrically contact this contact such as, for example, when the contacts are separated at the disconnection point by inserting a suitable test device. [0020] It provides advantages when the disconnection point is not contacted by the inserted external component, particularly where the component is inserted beyond the projection which it first contacts. Also, when an external component is inserted too far contact with the disconnection point to protect against erosion and/or abrasion can be realized by the following structure. The disconnection point can be formed on at least one contact such that it projects from a plane parallel to the insertion direction of the external component less than at least one projection projects when the external component is inserted. Thus, the insertion direction is taken as a reference, and a plane parallel to this direction, and preferably parallel to the sheet-metal plane of the contact, is defined. For example, in a cross-sectional view of the telecommunications module, such a plane can be seen as a line parallel to the insertion direction. The disconnection point can advantageously be formed to project far enough such that the contacts are in contact with each other at the disconnection point when there is no external component inserted. However, as described above, when such a component is inserted it first contacts the projection. This causes the contacts to be separated or spaced from each other at the disconnection point. In particular, the projection on one or both contacts can be formed so that it extends far enough towards the opposing contact that insertion of the external component will space the contacts particularly far apart at the disconnection point. This spacing can advantageously be formed large enough to avoid contact between the external component and the disconnection point of both contacts, even when the external component is inserted so as to reach the location of the disconnection point. Continue reading... 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