Lucent Technologies Inc.

Robert George Drach

Jeremia P Starace

Kar Lan Kam

A stackable splice module adapted to engage and mount to additional stackable splice modules to form an electrical connector for pairs of wires, the stackable splice module including an upper portion and a lower portion. A series of indexing teeth are formed along the length of the upper portion, defining wire receiving passages therebetween. Contact elements are mounted within the stackable splice modules, each having an upper end that projects into the teeth of the upper portion of its stackable splice module. The contact elements each include a wire receiving slot aligned with a wire receiving passage of the upper portion and which engages in the insulated wires to establish contact therewith. Lower ends of each contact element project into the lower portions of the splice modules and each include contact slots adapted to engage and receive a contact member of an upper end of a contact element of an additional splice module being stacked thereunder.

Universal stacking modular splicing connector

An insulation displacement connecting (IDC) terminal that allows wires to be parked in a retaining region thereof prior to being terminated within and IDC portion of the terminal. The retaining region of the terminal is generally a rounded longitudinal slot having a width which is slightly less than the outermost diameter of a conductor to be inserted into the terminal. The terminal which is designed with large fiat spring contacts located about a central slot, includes an IDC portion, which cuts into the insulation of the wire to establish contact. A slight gap in a top portion of the retaining region pulls apart and allows for insertion of a wire into the slot of the retaining region. The spring contacts of the terminal pull together and the gap is narrowed once the wire enters the retaining region, thus, preventing the wire from escaping through the gap. The spring contacts then close on the wire where it remains parked until such time as the wire is terminated within the IDC portion of the terminal. The retaining region allows conductors to be dressed into the terminals of a connector module as one operation and then seated into the IDC terminals as a second operation. The terminals are adapted for use with connector modules which house multiple pairs of IDC terminals on both the front and rear sides thereof. The connector modules are insertable into a hinged mounting bracket that is mounted at a telephone switching area to make up a modular connecting block.

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Omaha, NE, United States of America

Robert George Drach