Voltage and/or current protector and grounding bar arrangement for AT&T style 110 block

Claim 2

In combination, a voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement, and a telephone terminal block, comprising: a telephone terminal block having at least two rows of terminals which are laterally spaced apart with respect to each other so as to form a longitudinally extending channel therebetween; a grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel defined between said at least two rows of terminals of said terminal block and having a plurality of holes defined therein; a housing; voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing; a plurality of terminal contacts disposed within laterally spaced portions of said housing for mating with opposed terminals of said at least two rows of laterally spaced terminals of said terminal block, disposed upon opposite sides of said longitudinally extending channel, when said housing is mounted upon said terminal block; ground contact means disposed within said housing and between said laterally spaced terminal contacts for connection to said voltage suppressor means and to one of said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel of said terminal block defined between said laterally spaced rows of terminals; and plug-in carrier means, having contacts carried therein, removably disposed upon said housing for connection to said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said plug-in carrier means comprises a plug-in fuse carrier having a plurality of fuses disposed therein wherein said plurality of fuses have fuse blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said plug-in carrier means comprises a plug-in bridging clip carrier having a plurality of bridging clips disposed therein wherein said plurality of bridging clips have blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage protection for said terminal block.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said plug-in carrier means comprises a plug-in current limiting carrier having a plurality of positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) devices disposed therein wherein said plurality of PTC devices have lead contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said housing comprises a pair of co-mating front and back halves.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: rectifying means disposed within said housing.

Claim 8

The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein: said rectifying means comprises a diode bridge rectifier.

Claim 9

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said voltage suppressor means comprises silicon avalanche suppressors.

Claim 10

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said voltage suppressor means comprises sidactors.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said housing has a substantially square-shaped configuration; and said plug-in carrier means is disposed atop said housing.

Claim 12

The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar are serially aligned within said grounding bar and laterally offset with respect to a longitudinal centerline of said grounding bar in a polarized manner.

Claim 13

In combination, a voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement, and a telephone terminal block, comprising: a telephone terminal block having at least two rows of terminals which are laterally spaced apart with respect to each other so as form a longitudinally extending channel therebetween; a grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel defined between said at least two rows of terminals of said terminal block and having a plurality of holes defined therein; a housing; voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing; a plurality of terminal contacts disposed within laterally spaced portions of said housing for mating with opposed terminals of said at least two rows of laterally spaced terminals of said terminal block, disposed upon opposite sides of said longitudinally extending channel, when said housing is mounted upon said terminal block; ground contact means disposed within said housing and between said laterally spaced terminal contacts for connection to said voltage suppressor means and to one of said plurality of hole defined within said grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel of said terminal block defined between said laterally spaced rows of terminals; and at least one plug-in carrier means, having contacts disposed therein, removably disposed upon said housing for connection to said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing.

Claim 14

In combination, a voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement, and a telephone terminal block, comprising: a telephone terminal block having at least two rows of terminals which are laterally spaced apart with respect to each other so as form a longitudinally extending channel therebetween; a grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel defined between said at least two rows of terminals of said terminal block and having a plurality of holes defined therein; a housing; voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing; a plurality of terminal contacts disposed within laterally spaced portions of said housing for mating with opposed terminals of said at least two rows of laterally spaced terminals of said terminal block, disposed upon opposite sides of said longitudinally extending channel, when said housing is mounted upon said terminal block; ground contact means disposed within said housing and between said laterally spaced terminal contacts for connection to said voltage suppressor means and to one of said plurality of hole defined within said grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel of said terminal block defined between said laterally spaced rows of terminals; and at least one plug-in carrier means, having contacts disposed therein, removably disposed upon said housing for connection to said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing.

Claim 15

The combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said at least one plug-in carrier means comprises at least one plug-in fuse carrier having a plurality of fuses disposed therein wherein said plurality of fuses have fuse blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 16

The combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said at least one plug-in carrier means comprises at least one plug-in bridging clip carrier having a plurality of bridging clips disposed therein wherein said plurality of bridging clips have blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage protection for said terminal block.

Claim 17

The combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said at least one plug-in carrier means comprises at least one plug-in current limiting carrier having a plurality of positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) devices disposed therein wherein said plurality of PTC devices have lead contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 18

The combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein: said housing has a substantially triangular configuration; and said at least one plug-in carrier means comprises a pair of plug-in carrier means disposed upon two sides of said substantially triangular housing.

Claim 19

The combination as set forth in claim 16, wherein: said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar are serially aligned within said grounding bar in a non-polarized manner along a longitudinal centerline location of said grounding bar.

Claim 20

The combination as set forth in claim 16, wherein: said housing comprises a pair of co-mating front and back halves; and said plurality of terminal contacts disposed within said housing comprises three terminal contacts disposed within each one of said housing halves and located at corner apex locations of said substantially triangular housing.

Claim 21

The combination as set forth in claim 18, wherein: each one of said plurality of terminal contacts disposed within said housing halves has a substantially Y-shaped configuration.

Claim 22

The combination as set forth in claim 19, wherein: said ground contact means comprises a ground contact disposed within a base portion of said substantially triangular housing, and said ground contact has a substantially T-shaped configuration.

Claim 23

In combination, a voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement, and a telephone terminal block, comprising: a telephone terminal block having at least two rows of terminals which are laterally spaced apart with respect to each other so as to form a longitudinally extending channel therebetween; a grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel defined between said at least two rows of terminals of said terminal block and having a plurality of holes defined therein; a housing; voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing; a plurality of terminal contacts disposed within laterally spaced portions of said housing for mating with opposed terminals of said at least two rows of laterally spaced terminals of said terminal block, disposed upon opposite sides of said longitudinally extending channel, when said housing is mounted upon said terminal block; ground contact means disposed within said housing and between said laterally spaced terminal contacts for connection to said voltage suppressor means and to one of said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel of said terminal block defined between said laterally spaced rows of terminals; and a pair of plug-in carrier means, having contacts disposed therein, removably disposed upon said housing for connection to said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing.

Claim 24

In combination, a voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement, and a telephone terminal block, comprising: a telephone terminal block having at least two rows of terminals which are laterally spaced apart with respect to each other so as to form a longitudinally extending channel therebetween; a grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel defined between said at least two rows of terminals of said terminal block and having a plurality of holes defined therein; a housing; voltage suppressor means disposed within said housing; a plurality of terminal contacts disposed within laterally spaced portions of said housing for mating with opposed terminals of said at least two rows of laterally spaced terminals of said terminal block, disposed upon opposite sides of said longitudinally extending channel, when said housing is mounted upon said terminal block; ground contact means disposed within said housing and between said laterally spaced terminal contacts for connection to said voltage suppressor means and to one of said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar disposed within said longitudinally extending channel of said terminal block defined between said laterally spaced rows of terminals; and a pair of plug-in carrier means, having contacts disposed therein, removably disposed upon said housing for connection to said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing.

Claim 25

The combination as set forth in claim 21, wherein: said pair of plug-in carrier means comprises a pair of plug-in fuse carriers having a plurality of fuses disposed therein wherein said plurality of fuses have fuse blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 26

The combination as set forth in claim 21, wherein: said pair of plug-in carrier means comprises a pair of plug-in bridging clip carriers having a plurality of bridging clips disposed therein wherein said plurality of bridging clips have blade contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage protection for said terminal bloc

Claim 27

The combination as set forth in claim 21, wherein: said pair of plug-in carrier means comprises a pair of plug-in current limiting carriers having a plurality of positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) devices disposed therein wherein said plurality of PTC devices have lead contacts for engaging said plurality of terminal contacts of said housing whereby said voltage protector and grounding bar arrangement provides over-voltage and over-current protection for said terminal block.

Claim 28

The combination as set forth in claim 21, wherein: said housing has a substantially triangular configuration; and said pair of plug-in carrier means are disposed upon two sides of said substantially triangular housing.

Claim 29

The combination as set forth in claim 25, wherein: said plurality of holes defined within said grounding bar are serially aligned within said grounding bar in a non-polarized manner along a longitudinal centerline location of said grounding bar.

Claim 30

The combination as set forth in claim 25, wherein: said housing comprises a pair of co-mating front and back halves; and said plurality of terminal contacts disposed within said housing comprises three terminal contacts disposed within each one of said housing halves and located at corner apex locations of said substantially triangular housing.

Claim 31

The combination as set forth in claim 27, wherein: each one of said plurality of terminal contacts disposed within said housing halves has a substantially Y-shaped configuration.

Claim 32

The combination as set forth in claim 28, wherein: said ground contact means comprises a ground contact disposed within a base portion of said substantially triangular housing, and said ground contact has a substantially T-shaped configuration.

Claim 33

The combination as set forth in claim 21, further comprising: diode bridge rectifying means disposed within said housing.