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  Termination blockUSPTO Application #: 20060018461Title: Termination block Abstract: A termination block having spaced apart rear and front faces with rear and front apertures, respectively, and a plurality of mounting surfaces on the rear face. A screw receiving portion receiving a screw is positioned at each mounting surface. An interior recess is between the rear and front faces, accessible from the rear and front faces through the rear and front apertures. A terminal connection pad is positioned at the rear face at each mounting surface, and a plurality of tines extend through the rear aperture and are positioned within the interior recess for access through the front aperture. Each tine has a flat contact end portion. A plurality of trace members positioned at the rear face, each electrically coupling together one of the terminal connection pads and one of the tines. The terminal connection pads, tines and trace members are formed as part of a stamped, thin, flat lead frame. (end of abstract) Agent: Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP - Seattle, WA, US Inventors: Darrell W. Zielke, Aubrey D. Nelson USPTO Applicaton #: 20060018461 - Class: 379413040 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Telephonic Communications, Subscriber Line Or Transmission Line Interface, Network Interface Device (nld), Connection Block Or Module The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060018461. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention is directed generally to communication interface equipment and, more particularly, to termination blocks for connecting systems for telephone networks. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Termination blocks are used to quickly connect telephonic devices, such as telephones, to telephone networks. A termination block provides a multi-wire connector jack, having multiple tines, to receive a multi-wire connector plug having multiple tines such that contact is made between the corresponding pairs of plug and jack tines when the connector plug is inserted into the connector jack. The jack tines are connected by wires to termination screws to which the wires of a telephone network are also connected. [0005] The multi-wire connector plug is typically connected to a phone cord having two, four, or more wires by making connections between the corresponding pair or pairs of phone cord wires and plug tines. The phone cord wires are connected to a telephonic device such as a phone. [0006] The termination block is typically mounted to a faceplate and positioned inside of a wall of a room. The faceplate has an opening to access the multi-wire connector jack from the room to allow the multi-wire connector plug of the telephonic device placed in the room to be inserted into the connector jack. Termination blocks allow telephonic devices to be quickly connected to and disconnected from the telephone network. Unfortunately, construction of conventional termination blocks is more expensive and less reliable than desired. Conventional termination blocks have numerous parts including multiple washers, wires, wire connectors, and other parts that are typically hand assembled. Also, since so many parts are involved, very extensive testing is required for each assembled termination block, which further adds to the inconvenience of construction resulting in undesirable costs being incurred. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention resides in a termination block. One disclosed embodiment include a rear face with a rear aperture; a front face with a front aperture, the front and rear faces being spaced apart; and a plurality of mounting surfaces on the rear face. A plurality of screw receiving portions are each positioned at one of the mounting surfaces and have an opening and a screw receiver extending from the rear face toward the front face. An interior recess is provided between the rear and front faces. The interior recess is accessible from the rear face through the rear aperture and accessible from the front face through the front aperture. [0008] A plurality of screws are each extending through the opening of one of the screw receiving portions and threadably received in the screw receiver thereof. [0009] A plurality of terminal connection pads are positioned at the rear face at one of the mounting surfaces. Each of the terminal connection pads has a screw aperture therethrough positioned in alignment with the opening of the screw receiving portion positioned at the mounting surface and one of the screws extends through the screw aperture. A plurality of tines extends through the rear aperture of the rear face and are positioned within the interior recess and positioned for access through the front aperture. Each tine has a contact end portion. The contact end portions of the tines are in spaced apart arrangement in position within the interior recess. A plurality of trace members are positioned at the rear face, with each trace member electrically coupling together one of the terminal connection pads and one of the tines. [0010] The illustrated embodiment includes a plug extending through the rear aperture of the rear face and within the interior recess and holding the tines in spaced apart arrangement. The plug has a plurality of channels, each having one of the tines positioned therein. The plug has a cover portion extending over a portion of the rear face and covering at least a portion of the trace members. [0011] The illustrated embodiment also has at least one rear raised portion positioned adjacent to each of the terminal connection pads and extending from the rear face rearward beyond the adjacent terminal connection pad. [0012] The termination block may also include a plurality of forwardly projecting front support members. The front support members are positioned to engage at least a portion of the rear raised portions of another termination block when two termination blocks are positioned in engagement with the front face toward the rear face of the another termination block. The combined length of the front support members and the portions of the rear raised portions in engagement are sufficient to keep the front face from contacting the rear face of the another termination block, whereby damage to the screws is prevented during face to face shipment or storage of the termination blocks. [0013] The illustrated embodiment includes rear raised portions positioned adjacent to the trace members and extending from the rear face rearward beyond the trace members with the trace members positioned therebetween. [0014] A plurality of spaced apart channels are also provided in the illustrated embodiment at the rear face. Each channel receives a free end portion of one of the tines. [0015] Each of the tines springably engage a portion of the rear face to generate a forwardly directed tension force on the tine. In the illustrated embodiment the free end portion of one of the tines is positioned in each of the channels. [0016] The plug extending through the rear aperture of the rear face and within the interior recess in the illustrated embodiment applies a forward force to the tines to generate a forwardly directed tension force in the tine. [0017] The contact end portion of each of the tines has a flat forward facing contact surface with a coating of conductive metal thereon and the other portions of the contact end portion are uncoated. [0018] A screw retainer extends rearward from the rear face and is sized to removably retain a mounting screw used to mount a mounting member to which the termination block is attached. The screw retainer is sized to retain a wire cable having wires to be connected to the terminal connection pads when the mounting screw is removed therefrom to serve as a cable strain relief. [0019] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) [0020] FIG. 1 is an isometric schematic of a roll of lead frames. [0021] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a several lead frames of the lead frame roll of FIG. 1 showing the front faces of the lead frames. Continue reading... Full patent description for Termination block Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Termination block 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. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Termination block or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Acoustic echo devices and methods Next Patent Application: Make-before-break adsl/vdsl splitter card Industry Class: Telephonic communications ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Termination block patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 2.48521 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error |
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