Connector Bank With Voltage Surge Protection

The invention relates to a connector bank with two rows of insulation displacement contacts for connecting insulated cable conductors and in particular to a connector bank for telecommunication and data systems including a surge arrester magazine which may be inserted into the connector bank and which comprises a connecting element which may be connected between two insulation displacement contacts associated with the rows.

A connector bank of this type is known in the art from DE-PS 28 11 812. This reference discloses a connector bank provided with two parallel rows of insulation displacement contacts serving to connect insulated cable conductors. For protection against voltage surges of such cable conductors, a surge arrester magazine is insertable into the connector bank. Contact tongues arranged at the surge arrester magazine are connected to the insulation displacement contacts. The contact tongues are connected with the surge arresters disposed in the housing of the surge arrester magazine. It is disadvantageous with the connector bank that the insulation displacement contacts are completely covered by the surge arrester magazine and are, thus, not accessible anymore. Removing the connected cable conductors or attaching still free contact elements is only possible after pulling the surge arrester magazine off.

Further, functional tests of the connected cable conductors by means of a test plug are also possible only after pulling the surge arrester magazine off. Another disadvantage is that such an arrangement will, due to its construction height, require a correspondingly large housing for accommodating connector banks provided with surge arresters.

From DP-PS 35 09 523, there is known another connector bank with two rows of insulation displacement contacts and a surge arrester magazine to be connected with the connector bank. Here, too, one row of insulation displacement contacts is completely covered by the magazine such that the cable conductors connected therewith are not accessible.

From DE-PS 29 43 578 there is known a connector bank having opposed rows of connecting contacts. However, this reference odes not disclose a voltage surge protection arrangement.

It is an object of the invention to provide a connector bank with a surge voltage protection arrangement, for which connecting and disconnecting and testing the attached cable conductors at the insulation displacement contacts is possible even with a surge voltage protection module or the like inserted. It is also an object to provide the dimensions of the connector bank such that the connector bank is insertable also into flat-design housing bodies.

According to the invention, the two rows of insulation displacement contacts are provided associated with the connector bank arranged on different sides of the connector bank. The surge arrestor magazine is arranged laterally approximately centrally between the two rows of the insulation displacement contacts.

The connector bank is built up such that the two rows of insulation displacement contacts are arranged on different sides of the connector bank. The surge arrester magazine is arranged laterally approximately centrally between the two rows of insulation displacement contacts. This provides an advantageous, space-saving arrangement. The two rows of insulation displacement contacts are freely accessible even after inserting the surge arrester magazine, so that connecting as well as disconnecting the cable conductors attached adjacent the arrester magazine is possible. Testing the conductor connection by means of test devices is also possible.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the bottom side of the connector bank is provided forming a chamber. The chamber provides a location for the second row of insulation displacement contacts. By this arrangement potting of cable conductors connected with the bottom row of insulation displacement contacts is possible.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a connector bank according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the connector bank with a separating contact according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the connector bank according to a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the connector bank according to the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI--VI in FIG. 4 showing a swivel hook; and,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VI--VI showing the swivel hook turned on.

The connector bank 1 shown in the figures is composed of a bank body made of plastic. The bank body includes an upper section 28 and a lower section 29. Disposed laterally to the connector bank 1, there is arranged a surge arrester magazine 10 which is inserted from above. In the connector bank 1 there are supported insulation displacement contacts 4. The insulation displacement contacts 4 are provided to connect insulated cable conductors or paper-insulated cable conductors (not shown). The insulation displacement contacts 4 are made in a known manner, formed of metal material and provided with a contact slot 30. An insulated cable conductor is pressed into the contact slot 30 by means of a non-shown tool. When pressing the cable conductor into the contact slot 30, the insulation of the cable conductor is cut through, and a contact connection between the conductive core of the cable conductor and the insulation displacement contact is established. Several insulation displacement contacts 4 are arranged one behind the other in a first row 12. The insulation contacts 4, arranged side by side, are separated from one another by clamping pieces 31, as shown in FIG. 4. On the opposite side of insulation displacement contacts 4, relative to the first row 12, there is arranged a second row 13 of insulation displacement contacts 4. As is shown in FIG. 1, the first row 12 of insulation displacement contacts 4 is arranged at the top side 14 of the connector bank 1, and the second row 13 of insulation displacement contacts 4 is arranged at the bottom side 15 thereof.

Each insulation displacement contact 4 of the first row 12 is connected with an insulation displacement contact 4 of the second row 13 over a connecting element 3. Accordingly the cable conductors connected to the insulation displacement contacts 4 are also connected to each other.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the connecting element 3 is formed as a two-piece element. This connecting element has two contact springs 6, 7 abutting against each other. The contact springs form a separation position 8. The connector bank 1 is thus built up as a disconnector bank 2. The contact spring 7 of the connecting element 3 is connected with the insulation displacement contact 4 of the second row. The contact end 32 of the contact spring 7 is inserted into a slot 9 of the connector bank 1 and is held immovably. The contact spring 6 is formed as a one-piece U-shaped separating contact 45 together with the insulation displacement contact 4 of the first row 12. The contact spring 6 rests resiliently against the contact spring 7, and forms a separation position 8. Flush with the separation position 8 there is provided an opening 33 in the connector bank 1. Through this opening a non-shown plug is insertable for testing or separating the contact springs 6, 7.

In the third embodiment (see FIG. 3), the insulation displacement contact 4 of the second row 13 is bent off by 90.degree. toward the front side 16 of connector bank 1. This allows the possibility of attachment of the cable conductors from the front side 16. Such a connector bank 1, as shown in FIG. 3, is employed in particular for cases where the attachment of the connector bank 1 is effected on a plan support or where the bottom side 15 of the connector bank 1 is not accessible.

In the connector banks 1 of all three embodiments, there is provided laterally at one housing side 34 a receiving chamber 35 for the surge arrester magazine 10. Such receiving chamber 35 is provided with a receiving groove 27 extending in parallel to the first row 12 of insulation displacement contacts 4. The surge arrester magazine 10 is inserted in the receiving groove 27. For this purpose, the surge arrester magazine comprises two projections 36 protruding over the front-side ends. The bottom side 37 of the surge arrester magazine 10 rests upon the housing bottom 38 of the receiving chambers 35.

The surge arrester magazine 10 comprises several surge arresters 20 arranged in two parallel rows. Each surge arrester 20 is assigned to a pair of insulation displacement contacts 4 of the top and bottom sides 14, 15. The electrical connection to the insulation displacement contacts 4 is effected over contact tongues 11 supported in the surge arrester magazine 10. The contact tongues 11 are preferably S-shaped. The one end 22 of the S-shaped contact tongue 11 serves as contact surface 19 for the one pole side 24 of the surge arrester magazine 20. The other end of the S-shaped contact tongue 11 projects from the housing 18 of the surge arrester magazine 10, and is inserted between a clamping contact 5 and the connecting element 3. The clamping contact 5 is hook-shaped, and is formed as a one-piece element together with the connecting element 3. Between the contact surface 19 of the contact tongue 11 and the first pole side 24 of the surge arrester 20, there is arranged a clamping spring 23 pressing the surge arrester 20 with the second pole side 25 against an earthing plate 26, 26a. The earthing plate 26, 26a is formed as a U-shaped metal bracket, and is composed, as shown in particular in FIG. 4, of two partial plates which slide from the front side on the surge arrester magazine 10. At the front sides of the earthing plate 26, 26a, sheet-metal lugs 39 are bent off, and are connected with a non-shown earth terminal. The side walls 44 of the earthing plate 26, 26a are bent off, thus the earthing plate 26, 26a is fixedly held at the housing 18 of the surge arrester magazine 10. In case of an over-voltage, the voltage surge flowing over the contact tongue through the surge arrester 20, is carried away over the earthing plate 26, 26a and the earth terminal.

For pulling the surge arrester magazine 1 off from the connector bank 1, there are provided laterally receiving slots 20. These laterally receiving slots 20 accommodate a lever 41 shown in particular in FIGS. 6 and 7. The lever 41 comprises a hook 43 inserted under the surge arrester magazine 10. By turning the lever 41 about a point of rotation 41, the surge arrester magazine 10 can be snapped out toward the top. The contact connection between the clamping contacts 5 and the contact tongues 11 is, thus, loosened.

The connector bank 1 can preferably be employed in a non-shown distribution terminal or cable box. The connector bank 1 is fixed by means of screws which are received in the lateral slots 47 of the connector bank 1 to a frame structure or to a mounting plate. Within the distribution terminal there can be provided up to twenty connector banks 1.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.