Patent Application
20070283406
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures in which:
a) is a side view of a twisted wire pair to coax balun adapter in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
b) is a side view of a twisted wire pair to coax balun adapter in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
Repeat use of reference characters throughout the present specification and appended drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.
As discussed above, the present invention provides apparatus and methods for installing a twisted wire pair to coax balun adapter at a subscriber premise, with or without assistance from a trained service technician.
Selected combinations of aspects of the disclosed technology correspond to a plurality of different embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that each of the exemplary preferred embodiments presented and discussed herein are not intended to limit the desired scope of the invention. Features or steps illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in combination with aspects of another embodiment to yield yet further embodiments. Additionally, certain features may be interchanged with similar devices or features not expressly mentioned which perform the same or similar function.
Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments of a twisted wire pair to coax balun adapter. Referring now to the drawings,
The twisted wire pair to coax adapter 100 comprises a housing 102 which is designed to contain a twisted wire pair to coax balun (not visible) and to support input and output connections configured to provide signal coupling between a drop cable provided by the service provider and a shielded coaxial cable deployed within a subscriber premises. The input connection may correspond to twisted pair wires 114, 116 passing through an appropriately sized access hole in housing 102 and coupled at first ends to a pair of spade connectors 110, 112 for connection to conventional screw terminals (not shown). The second end of each of the twisted pair wires is electrically coupled to an input of the balun disposed within the housing 102. In an alternate embodiment, a pair of conventional screw terminals or other appropriately configured connector may be mounted to the exterior surface of housing 102 for electrically coupling a twisted wire pair from a service provider drop cable to the balun.
A coax connector 120 may be coupled to an exterior portion of housing 102 as illustrated in
Housing 102 is configured for snap-in mounting in a subscriber accessible compartment within a NID as discussed later with respect to
With reference now to
Referring now to
In some embodiments of the present invention, line jack 214 and/or screw terminals 210, 212, as well as the selected circuitry contained within line module 202 may be combined with the balun circuitry contained within twisted wire pair to coax adapter 100. With further reference to
Housing 102 of twisted wire pair to coax adapter 100 may be constructed of any suitable material including, but not limited to, metals and plastics. Housing 102 may also be grounded for EMI shielding. If made of plastic, grounding may be provided by coating either or both of the interior or exterior of the housing with a conductive material.
The balun disposed within housing 102 and coupled between the input and output connections may correspond to various designs, any of which, presently known or yet to be developed, may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition to the possible inclusion of line module components as previously noted, a digital subscriber line (DSL) splitter may be incorporated into housing 102 along with or in place of the line module components.
While the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the present invention does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
