Patent Application
20180358739
This application claims the benefit of Spanish Patent Application No. P201530418, filed on Mar. 27, 2015, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to color caps attached to telecommunications connectors that include a dust caps for protecting an unused telecommunications connector.
Electrical connectors, for example RJ-type connectors, are useful for providing wall sockets where electronic data cables can be terminated and mating electrical plugs can be inserted. A problem with such electrical connectors can occur when dust, dirt or other contaminants come into contact with electrically conductive elements inside the connector. Such contaminants may cause corrosion, unintended conduction or adhesion of components that impedes their movement. Ingress of contaminants into the electrical connector may be particularly likely when the connector is placed in a wall cavity. This may be the case when building works generate abrasions and contaminants, for example.
Some electrical connectors, such as some RJ-type connectors, are assembled in such a way that an exposed cavity containing one or more conductive elements of the electrical connector is not covered once installed. This exposed cavity may be prone to accumulation of contaminants. It is generally desirable to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above described difficulties, or at least provide a useful alternative.
Another concern regarding connectors is the provision of identification means on the connectors such that a user can more quickly identify an appropriate connector. Although some connectors are provided with color caps for this purpose, many are installed one the connector in such a way that their removal and replacement the field is difficult or impossible without removing the connector from its mounting location.
A cover assembly is disclosed. The cover assembly is for covering a jack receptacle located at a front face of a telecommunications connector, the cover assembly includes: a base portion including at least one attachment feature for securing the base portion to the front face of the telecommunications connector, the base portion having a front face that defines an opening; a cover portion connected to the base portion via a living hinge, the cover portion being movable between a closed position and an open position: when the cover portion is in the closed position, a front face of the cover portion covers the opening and is coplanar with the front face of the base portion; when the cover portion is in the open position, the opening is at least partially uncovered by rotating the cover portion about the living hinge with the at least a portion of the base portion remaining unobscured by the cover portion.
A telecommunications system is disclosed. The system includes: a connector defining a jack receptacle located at a front face of the connector; a mounting panel to which the connector is mounted; a cover plate having a front face defining an opening, the cover plate being placed in a mounted position; a cover assembly removably secured to the connector and located at least partially within the covering plate opening. The cover assembly is similar to that as described above.
A method of attaching a cover assembly for a telecommunications jack is disclosed. The method can include the steps of: providing a connector defining a jack receptacle located at a front face of the connector; mounting the connector to a mounting panel; mounting a cover plate that has a front face defining an opening to a surrounding structure; providing a cover assembly of the type described above; and mounting the cover assembly to the connector.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.
Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims.
Referring now to
As most easily viewed at
As shown, the cover portion 110 and the base portion 150 are connected to each other by a living hinge 118. By use of the term “living hinge” it is meant to mean a relatively thin, flexible hinge made from the same material as the cover portion 110 and the base portion 150. This configuration allows for the cover assembly 100 to be produced in a single manufacturing step, as no assembly of the base portion 150 and the cover portion 110 is required.
In one aspect, the cover portion 110 is provided with one or more securing features 116 that engage with the interior surfaces of the jack receptacle 206. Securing feature 116 is for retaining the cover portion 110 in the closed position and may also act as an alignment guide when moving the cover portion 110 from the open to the closed position. The securing feature 116 has a width w1 such that, when the cover portion 110 is moved to the closed position, the ends of the securing feature 116 frictionally engage with side walls 206a and 206a of the jack receptacle 206. Additional or alternative securing features may be provided, for example, the securing features disclosed in United States patent application publication 2013/0260582, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference.
In one aspect, the base portion 150 includes a main body 152 having a front face 152a and a rear face 152b. When the cover portion 110 is in the closed position with respect to the base portion 150, the front face 152a is flush (i.e. coplanar) with and faces in the same direction as the front face 110a of the cover portion 110. In one aspect, attachment features can be provided on the rear face 152b to secure the cover assembly 100 to the front face 204 of the jack 200. Examples of suitable attachment features can be most easily seen at
As shown, the locking features 164, 166 are respectively each provided with a lock portion 164a, 166a and a recess portion 164b, 166b while the locking features 220, 222 are respectively each provided with a complementarily shaped lock portion 220a, 222a and a recess portion 220b, 222b. When engaged, the lock portions 164a, 166a engage with the recess portions 220b, 222b while the lock portions 220a, 222a engage with the recess portions 164b, 166b. As such, the locking features 164/220, 166, 222 lock the cover assembly 100 to the connector 200 such that the cover assembly is constrained from moving horizontally away from the front face 204 proximate the engaged locking features 164/220, 166/222 and is constrained from moving vertically in a direction from the engaged locking features 164/220, 166/222 towards the jack receptacle 206. The protrusions 160, 162 frictionally engage with the recesses 224, 226 to prevent the cover assembly 100 from moving horizontally away from the front face 204 and also prevent the cover assembly 100 from moving in any direction parallel to the plane defined by the front face 204.
To install the base portion 150 onto the front face 204 of the connector 200, the locking features 164, 166 can be first engaged with the locking features 220, 222 on the connector main body 202 and the cover assembly 100 can be rotated about the engaged locking features 164/220 and 166/222 such that the protrusions 160, 162 are pressed into the recesses 224, 226 located on the front face 204 of the connector 200. In this position, the locking features 164/220 and 166/222 are unable to disengage as long as one or both of the protrusions 160, 162 are engaged with the recesses 224, 226. Removal of the cover assembly 100 is the reverse of installation, such that the base portion 150 must first be pulled away at the end opposite the locking features 164, 166 to pull the protrusions 160, 162 out of recesses 224, 226. Once this step is completed, the base portion 150 can then be displaced downwardly in a direction towards the locking features 164, 166 to release the locking features 164, 166 from locking features 220, 222.
In the embodiment shown, the height H and width W of the base portion 150 and the height H and width W of the connector 200 are the same, as can be seen at
In the embodiment shown, the rear face 152b has a surface area that is generally equal to the surface area defined by the front face 204 of the connector 200 (i.e. cover portion 110 and front face 204 have the same width and height H and W). As such, even when the cover portion 110 is moved to an open position, the base portion 150 remains visible to a user and unobscured by the cover portion 110, as can be seen at
In example embodiments, the components of the cover assembly 100 may be made of a plastic material, such as injection molded polyethylene and polypropylene. Other materials can be used.
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claims attached hereto. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P201530418 | Mar 2015 | ES | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/ES2016/070212 | 3/26/2016 | WO | 00 |
