Telecommunications terminal block or adapter

Claim 2

An adapter by means of which cores of a multi-core drop wire can be connected to a pair of binding posts of a terminal block, which comprises: (a) two caps that can be received on respective binding posts, and (b) a housing having: (i) two first apertures each extending from a first surface to a second surface of the housing, the housing being positionable with the first surface adjacent the terminal block and the binding posts within respective said first apertures such that the posts can receive respective caps at the second surface, the caps extending within respective said first apertures; and (ii) a second aperture that passes between, and is in communication with each of, said first apertures, the second aperture being capable of receiving said drop wire such that respective cores thereof pass through respective first apertures and are contacted by respective caps when received by respective binding posts within the first apertures.

Claim 3

An adapter according to claim 1, in which the caps are threaded such that they can be screwed onto threaded binding posts.

Claim 4

An adapter according to claim 1, in which each cap has insulation displacement means which can displace insulation of a drop wire.

Claim 5

An adapter according to claim 1, in which each of said first apertures is of substantially circular cross-section.

Claim 6

An adapter according to claim 1, in which said second aperture is of non-circular cross-section such that the cores of a said drop wire therein of non-circular cross-section are maintained in fixed orientation with respect to said first apertures.

Claim 7

An adapter according to claim 1, in which said second aperture is elongate and closed in transverse cross-section.

Claim 8

An adapter according to claim 1, in which the housing has means that limits the extent to which the caps can be received within respective said first apertures.

Claim 9

An adapter according to claim 7, in which said means that limits comprises a shoulder within each of said first apertures, said apertures each being of greater size at the second surface than at said first surface.

Claim 10

An adapter according to claim 1, which additionally comprises: (a) a sealing material at each of said first apertures and/or within each of said caps.

Claim 11

An adapter according to claim 9, in which said sealing material has a cone penetration value as measured by ASTM D217-68 at 21° C. of 100-350 (10-1 mm), and an ultimate elongation as measured by ASTM D638-80 at 21° C. of at least 200%.

Claim 12

An adapter according to claim 1, in which said second aperture is substantially straight.

Claim 13

An adapter according to claim 11, in which the housing has first and second sides that extend between the first and the second surfaces; the second aperture terminating in an opening in said second side; and the first side having a substantially similar shape to the combined shape of the second side plus a substantially straight drop wire extending therefrom, such that two or more said adapters can be positioned side-by-side in substantially close packing configuration.

Claim 14

An adapter according to claim 1, in which the housing comprises first and second parts; the first part having therein one of said first apertures and a portion of said second aperture; the second part having therein another of said first apertures and another portion of said second aperture; the first part being movable relative to the second part.

Claim 15

An adapter according to claim 13, in which orientation of the first part is fixed relative to that of the second part such that axes of the two first apertures are substantially mutually parallel and remain substantially mutually parallel on said movement of the first part relative to the second part.

Claim 16

An adapter according to claim 13, in which the first and second parts are unconnected to one another.

Claim 17

An adapter according to claim 13, in which said portion and said other portion of the second aperture are of non-circular cross-section and in which the second aperture breaks into each of the first apertures to such an extent that less than 67% of a transverse dimension of the second aperture lies within each first aperture.

Claim 18

An adapter according to claim 13, in which the first and second parts are connected together by a flexible web.

Claim 19

A kit which comprises a terminal block according to claim 13 and four said caps.

Claim 20

A kit according to claim 18, in which each of said caps has insulation displacement means.

Claim 21

A kit according to claim 18, in which each of said caps has a sealing material.

Claim 22

An adapter according to claim 13, in which the first and second parts may be arranged such that axes of said portion of the second aperture and of the other portion of the second aperture lie along a common substantially straight line.

Claim 23

An adapter according to claim 13, in which the first and second parts may be arranged such that axes of the two first apertures are substantially parallel, and the first part can be moved relative to the second part such that after the movement said axes remain substantially parallel and the distance between them has varied.

Claim 24

An adapter according to claim 22, in which the first and second parts can each be angularly rotated about an axis of a respective first aperture therein without orbital rotation of one part about the other.

Claim 25

An adapter according to claim 13, in which each of the first and second parts comprises: a base; and a wire holder; the wire holder being rotatably mounted in the base; a part of the second aperture extending through at least part of the wire holder; the first aperture extending through the wire holder and the base; and the base of the first part being slidably fixed to the base of the second part such that the distance between axes of the two first apertures can be varied.

Claim 26

An adapter according to claim 24 in which each base has a recess therein at a surface opposite to that in which the wire holder is rotatably mounted, said recess being substantially concentric with said first aperture.

Claim 27

An adapter according to claim 25, in which said recess contains a sealing material.

Claim 28

An adapter according to claim 13, in which each of the first and second parts has a recess therein at said first surface, said recess being substantially concentric with the first aperture.

Claim 29

An adapter according to claim 27, in which said recess contains a sealing material.

Claim 30

An adapter by means of which cores of a multi-core drop wire can be connected to a pair of binding posts of a terminal block, which comprises: a housing having: (i) two first apertures extending from a first surface to a second surface of the housing, the housing being positionable with the first surface adjacent the terminal block and the binding posts within respective said first apertures; and (ii) a second aperture that passes between, and is in communication with each of, said first apertures, the second aperture being capable of receiving said drop wire such that respective cores thereof pass through respective first apertures; the housing comprising first and second parts; the first part having therein one of said first apertures and a portion of said second aperture; the second part having therein another of said first apertures and another portion of said second aperture; the first part being connected to and movable relative to the second part from a first relative position to a second relative position in each of which relative positions, axes of the two first apertures are substantially mutually parallel, and axes of said portion and of said other portion of the second aperture are substantially mutually parallel.

Claim 31

An adapter by means of which cores of a multi-core drop wire can be connected to a pair of binding posts of a terminal block, which comprises: a housing having: (i) two first apertures extending from a first surface to a second surface of the housing, the housing being positionable with the first surface adjacent the terminal block and the binding posts within respective said first apertures; and (ii) a second aperture that passes between, and is in communication with each of, said first apertures, the second aperture being capable of receiving said drop wire such that respective cores thereof pass through respective first apertures; the housing comprising first and second parts; the first part having therein one of said first apertures and a portion of said second aperture; the second part having therein another of said first apertures and another portion of said second aperture; the first part being connected to and movable relative to the second part from a first relative position to a second relative position in each of which relative positions, axes of the two first apertures are substantially mutually parallel, and axes of said portion and of said other portion of the second aperture are substantially mutually parallel.

Claim 32

An adapter according to claim 29, in which the first and second parts are connected together by a flexible connector.

Claim 33

A terminal block by means of which conductors of a multi-core cable can be connected to the cores of at least two multi-core drop wires, which comprises a housing having: (a) a first pair of binding posts, to respective posts of which respective cores of a first said drop wire can be connected, each post having means for connection to a conductor of said cable; (b) a second pair of binding posts, to respective posts of which respective cores of a second said drop wire can be connected, each post having means for connection to a conductor of said cable; each binding post being capable of receiving thereover a cap, such that when the cap is received by a binding post and over said drop wire adjacent the binding post contact is made to a core of the drop wire; (c) a first aperture that passes between binding posts of the first pair, the aperture being capable of receiving a first said drop wire such that respective cores of the drop wire are adjacent respective binding posts of the first pair and can be individually contacted by caps thereon; and (d) a second aperture that passes between binding posts of the second pair, the aperture being capable of receiving a second said drop wire such that respective cores of the drop wire are adjacent respective binding posts of the second pair and can be individually contacted by caps thereon.

Claim 34

A terminal block by means of which conductors of a multi-core cable can be connected to the cores of at least two multi-core drop wires, which comprises a housing having: (a) a first pair of binding posts, to respective posts of which respective cores of a first said drop wire can be connected, each post having means for connection to a conductor of said cable; (b) a second pair of binding posts, to respective posts of which respective cores of a second said drop wire can be connected, each post having means for connection to a conductor of said cable; each binding post being capable of receiving thereover a cap, such that when the cap is received by a binding post and over said drop wire adjacent the binding post contact is made to a core of the drop wire; (c) a first aperture that passes between binding posts of the first pair, the aperture being capable of receiving a first said drop wire such that respective cores of the drop wire are adjacent respective binding posts of the first pair and can be individually contacted by caps thereon; and (d) a second aperture that passes between binding posts of the second pair, the aperture being capable of receiving a second said drop wire such that respective cores of the drop wire are adjacent respective binding posts of the second pair and can be individually contacted by caps thereon.

Claim 35

A terminal block according to claim 31, in which the binding posts are externally threaded such that internally threaded caps can be screwed thereon.

Claim 36

A terminal block according to claim 31, in which the housing has means that limits the extent to which the caps can be received on respective binding posts.

Claim 37

A terminal block according to claim 31, having from 2 to 25 pairs of binding posts and 2 to 25 aperatures.

Claim 38

A terminal block according to claim 31, in which each of the first and second apertures is non-circular in cross-section such that cores of a said drop wire of non-circular cross-section are maintained in fixed orientation with respect to said binding posts.

Claim 39

A terminal block according to claim 31, in which each of the first and second apertures is elongate and closed in transverse cross-section.

Claim 40

A terminal block according to claim 32, which additionally comprises a sealing material that can encapsulate said drop wires at positions adjacent the binding posts.

Claim 41

A terminal block according to claim 35, in which the sealing material has a cone penetration value as measure by ASTM D217-68 at 21° C. of 100-350 (10-1 mm), and an ultimate elongation as measured by ASTM D638-80 at 21° C. of at least 200%.

Claim 44

A method according to claim 39, which additionally comprises providing a sealing material in said first aperture and/or in said caps, and subjecting the sealing material to compression around the drop wire.

Claim 45

A method according to claim 39, in which said drop wire is positioned within the second aperture without prestripping and without mutually separating its cores, the caps having insulation displacement means.

Claim 46

A method according to claim 39, in which the binding posts are threaded, and the caps are threaded, said steps of positioning the caps further comprising screwing the caps onto respective binding posts.

Claim 47

A method according to claim 39, in which the multi-core drop wire is formed by holding together end portions of two or more single cored drop wires in a holding means.

Claim 48

A cap suitable for use on a terminal block housing for connecting an insulated drop wire to a terminal of the housing, which cap comprises; (a) a body having a male screw thread; (b) a recess around the screw thread; (c) a sealing material in the recess; (d) an insulation-displacement cutting edge around the screw thread; and (e) an aperture which communicates with the screw thread and into which an electrical testing probe can be inserted for electrical connection to the screw thread.

Claim 49

A cap suitable for use on a terminal block housing for connecting an insulated drop wire to a terminal of the housing, which cap comprises; (a) a body having a male screw thread; (b) a recess around the screw thread; (c) a sealing material in the recess; (d) an insulation-displacement cutting edge around the screw thread; and (e) an aperture which communicates with the screw thread and into which an electrical testing probe can be inserted for electrical connection to the screw thread.

Claim 50

A cap according to claim 44 which additionally comprises a plug by means of which said aperture may be temporarily closed.

Claim 51

An adapter according to claim 21, in which the first and second parts are slidably fixed to each other, the direction of sliding being parallel to said substantially straight line.

Claim 52

The adapter according to claim 46 in which the first and second parts are slideably fixed to each other with a rod-like member slideably engaging an aperture in the second part while the second part contains an tubular aperture open within the first and second parts to accept a drop wire and permit the sliding of the first part there along.