Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Avaya Technology LLC

Siecor Corporation

George Andrew DeBalko

Bassel Hage Daoud

Christopher M Helmstetter

Antonio Albino Figueiredo

Walter Pelosi

Jason A Kay

Thomas A Dellinger

Mikhail Sumetskiy

Warren J Rhines

Philip Hughes

Rajendra S Rana

Paul M Muller

James R Hulsey

A connector assembly including at least one connector coupled to a connector housing and, at least one trough disposed on two opposing sides of the housing, such that a wire coupled to the at least one connector passes through both troughs. The troughs operate to reduce the strain on the wire by shifting forces on the wire away from a wire wrap section where the wire is coupled to the at least one connector.

Connector housing design for strain relief of wires

The present invention provides for a customer bridge used to couple a network line of a telecommunications system to customer equipment and has a SPST normally open switch which when closed connects an energy detecting device to the network line without disconnecting the network line from the customer equipment.

Customer bridge with built-in test access

An unbundling demarcation device (UDD) is disclosed for disconnecting the equipment of a local exchange carrier (LEC) from a subscriber in order to permit a competing local exchange carrier (CLEC) to provide local service to the subscriber. The unbundling demarcation device (UDD) and related CLEC equipment may be positioned at any point in the subscriber loop, between the LEC switch and the subscriber equipment. The unbundling demarcation device (UDD) is an electro-mechanical or electro-optical coupling device, such as a sensitive relay, a latching relay, a switching mechanism or a solid state device that simulates a relay. The unbundling demarcation device (UDD) connects the LEC equipment to the CLEC equipment when a voltage or other trigger signal is applied to the subscriber loop by the LEC. When the voltage is removed from the subscriber loop, or when a deactivating signal is sent, the unbundling demarcation device (UDD) will open circuit or decouple, preventing the LEC from accessing the subscriber equipment and allowing the CLEC to access the subscriber. The unbundling demarcation device (UDD) can be utilized to determine whether there is a fault in the subscriber loop up to and beyond the unbundling demarcation device (UDD). With no voltage applied, the unbundling demarcation device (UDD) disconnects the CLEC equipment, and the LEC can evaluate the subscriber loop all the way to the unbundling demarcation device (UDD). With the voltage applied, the LEC can evaluate the CLEC loop and customer equipment for faults as well. Unlike electronic MTUs, the unbundling demarcation device (UDD) does not present a lossy device when deactivated.

Unbundling device and method for connecting a competing local exchange carrier (CLEC) to the subscriber loop of a local exchange carrier (LEC)

A terminal strip with an integrated strain relief mechanism is deployed in an insulation displacement connector that contains a cap section, a base section including at least one terminal strip, and a latch member. The cap section is movable between an open position and a closed position and has therein at least one terminal strip receiving portion and at least one wire insertion channel for holding a wire. The channel has an entrance aperture for entry of the wire. The open position facilitates entry of the wire into the channel. When the cap section is in the closed position, the terminal strip is contained within the cap in the terminal strip receiving portion. The terminal strip includes a first arm having a first arm recess and a second arm having an offset tab. The latch member is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position such that when the latch member is in the engaged position, it maintains the cap section in the closed position. When the cap is closed, the wire in the channel is forced upward by the offset tab of the terminal strip causing the wire to bend around the offset tab. This bend in the wire provides strain relief.

Terminal strip with integrated strain relief mechanism for an insulation

A connector having improved dielectric strength is provided and includes a lower portion having a front side and a rear side and a bottom, a pair of terminal disposed in the lower portion, each of the pair of terminals having a side extension and a wire wrap tail, one of the pair of terminals being disposed in the lower portion toward the front side, the other of the pair of terminals being disposed in said lower portion toward the rear side thereby forming a gap between the side extensions of each of the pair of terminals. A base having a pair of terminal openings for receiving the pair of terminals, respectively, with the base being dimensioned and shaped for receiving the lower portion. A protruding wall is disposed in the base between the pair of terminal openings. A notch is disposed on the bottom of the lower portion, the notch being dimensioned and shaped so that when the lower portion is placed in the base, the protruding wall is matingly engaged with the notch.

Connector with improved dielectric strength

The invention is a surge protector which can provide voltage and current protection in coaxial cable systems. The protector includes a central conductor which is coupled in series with a variable resistance, and a voltage surge arrestor which is coupled between the conductor and the housing of the protector. A capacitor may also be coupled in parallel with the resistor. The protector provides both an ac and dc signal path.

Coaxial cable surge protector

Disclosed is a maintenance termination unit which is protected against lightening strikes and excessive currents. Resistors are placed in series with the tip and ring switches of the unit. Voltage breakdown devices, such as gas tube protectors, are coupled in a parallel with the resistors and switches.

Lightning protected maintenance termaination unit

Disclosed is a device for providing an interface between a customer and a combined telecommunications and cable TV network. The device includes a bottom portion including cable TV interdiction equipment which is connected through the top portion by a coaxial jumper cable. The top and bottom portions are mounted so as to prevent access to the interdiction equipment by the customer.

Network interface device

Disclosed is a circuit and system for preventing tampering with services provided in a broadband transmission network. A coaxial relay is coupled between a cable providing signals in the network and the drop cable to the customer's premises. The coil which operates the relay is coupled to the shield conductor of the drop cable and to a source of dc potential. As long as a current flows through the shield portion and the coil, the customer is connected to the network through the relay. If current stops, as when the customer disconnects the drop cable, the customer is disconnected from the network.

Coaxial cable service interrupter

Disclosed is a circuit which permits a customer to be disconnected from a telecommunications network for testing purposes. The circuit includes a pair of switching means coupled to the tip and ring conductors of the network, and a pair of relay contacts coupled in parallel with respective switching means. The relay contacts are operated by a relay coil also coupled to the tip and ring conductors so that the switching means can be bypassed as the result of a remote signal from the network.

Remotely connectable maintenance termination unit

Disclosed is a device providing an interface between a customer and a combination telephone and broadband network. The device includes two adjacent compartments, one including connections to the network and the other including connections to the customer. The broadband connection is provided by a flexible coaxial jumper cable with one end fixedly mounted in the network compartment and the other end free to move in the customer compartment.

Network interface device with apertures for holding flexible coaxial

Disclosed is a device and method of manufacture which provides a maintenance termination unit (MTU) and surge protector in a single 5-pin package. The components for both the MTU and surge protector are formed on a single printed circuit board separated by a groove but electrically connected by a plurality of wires. After wave soldering the contacts on the board, the board is broken apart while maintaining the electrical connection, and the resulting structure is mounted in a 5-pin package.

Device including a maintenance termination unit and protector

Disclosed is a network interface unit which includes customer bridges and an array of circuits such as maintenance termination units (MTUs). The MTUs are provided on printed circuit boards, each including a male and female connector. Each board is inserted in between posts in the unit housing so that the female connectors plug into a mother board at the bottom. Jack wires are plugged into the male connectors and extend to the customer bridge portion of the unit.

Network interface unit

Disclosed is a device which includes a Maintenance Termination Unit (MTU) and surge protector in a single 5-pin package. In accordance with one embodiment, a base includes an array of spring contacts, including a grounding element, in which are inserted both a surge protector module and an edge of a circuit board including the MTU.

Device including an MTU and protector

A method and apparatus for locating faults in a transmission line as being on a customer side or a network side of the apparatus is disclosed. A maintenance termination unit (30) is described that includes a pair of normally open voltage sensitive switches (16) respectively connected in series with conductors (11,13) of a transmission loop (10) and a distinctive termination (23) connected between the conductors on the customer side of the switches. The distinctive termination includes a resistor (20) and oppositedly disposed diode (18) zener diode (19) pair.

Growing community of inventors

Washington Township, NJ, United States of America

George Andrew DeBalko