Junction box

The invention relates to a connection box intended for several pairs of conductors used in telecommunications to connect telephone service conductors to distribution cables.

The connection boxes are used to provide telephone connections between the telephone subscribers' service conductors and the telephone company's distribution cables. Typically, such connection boxes connect two to fifty pairs of individual service conductors to the distribution cable through a direct connection cable or short cable that is part of the connection box. In turn, customer service pairs are linked to the connection box through a type of connection that easily connects and reconnects on the spot.

One of the most widely used connections is a simple terminal in which a desiccated service conductor is connected to the terminal and then secured with a certain type of cover.

Another known type is a connection to which the service conductor should not be disassembled prior to attachment to the connection box, the insulation being pierced with a blade or other sharp edge when the service conductor attaches to the respective box. In the insulation removal type connection box, a certain type of cover is also used to ensure the service conductor is fixed.

While the lids, commonly used at simple connection terminals or those with insulation removal type, provide some protection against the environment it is found that moisture, pollutants, chemicals, dust and even insects can penetrate the connection area resulting in corrosion or other degradation of the contact. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that in addition to the classical aerial arrangement of such connection boxes, the connection boxes for telephone distribution applications are increasingly required to be placed on the ground or even in water. As a result, efforts are being made to better isolate the connection from the connection box to the environment to prevent such degradation. One of the ways is to use a variety of insulating media such as greases or gels to surround the connection where electrical connections are made.

The use of an insulating medium to protect a connection of service wires against the action of the environment is found in US Pat. No. 4734061. In the telecommunications connection box to which this patent refers, the service wiring connections are provided in a series. of isolated cells, the body of the connection box being made of a dielectric material. An existing threaded contact plate at the base of each cell and an adapter thread are used to make the electrical connection to the service conductor. A sealing ring is provided on the plug to make contact with the cell wall when the plug is inserted into the cell to reduce moisture and other environmental factors that come into contact with the contact area. In addition, an insulating medium, such as a silicone gel, is injected into the region under the plug in the process of manufacturing the junction box to provide better protection against the environment.

Although the connection box according to the patent US 4734061 apparently provides improved protection over a simple screw and terminal type connection, the penetration of moisture or other harmful factors from the environment through the inlets of the service wires into the cells is prevented only by the presence an insulating gel in the contact area of ​​the cell and a precise adaptation of the diameter of the service conductor to the holes of the wires. However, due to the requirement that the plug is required to make sure contact with the service conductor at the base of the cell, the volume available in the cell, for an insulating gel, is very limited. During the repeated connections and reconnections of the service conductors inserted into the gel cell portion, this gel may be lost or dislodged leaving a space through which moisture or harmful environmental factors enter the electrical contact area of ​​the cell. In addition, such a solution is not readily adaptable to a type of connection with insulation piercing because such connections require the service wires to be moved sufficiently far into the cell to have the insulation cut with an insulation cutting blade. During such a relatively large displacement, the gel ar

RO 114209 Blade will be forced out of the service conductor holes and lost, allowing moisture or other harmful factors to enter the cell when a connection is restored.

In the telecommunication connection box, according to US patent 4846721, a threaded connection terminal and an adaptive screw cap are used to make electrical contact to a service conductor inserted into an opening in the body of the connection box, in addition to the patent. US 4846721, Measures are taken to use larger amounts of insulating gel in said opening by providing another opening for the excess gel to flow in when the connecting cover is screwed onto the connection terminal. Although this solution allows for increased gel volume and is apparently designed to eliminate some of the issues discussed above in connection with US Pat. No. 4734061, it is doubtful that it introduces its own problems, particularly the opening for excess gel. it would provide an access point for moisture or harmful factors to enter if left open to the outside of the body of the junction box. Conversely, if the opening is closed, then the gel volume would be limited due to the resulting compression resulting in the gel being opened during the cap screwing, in addition, during repeated connections of the service conductors there may be gaps in the region surrounding the connection due to gel flow in and out of the opening at repeated screwing and unscrewing of the terminal cover.

As a result, there is a need for an improved telecommunications connection box, which offers increased resistance to moisture and other harmful environmental factors that subject internal connections to degradation over time, limiting applications where such connection boxes can be used safely.

The connection box according to the invention comprises a housing provided with a chamber and at least one orifice to allow the insertion of a conductor into said chamber. An electrical contact element as well as a support element are configured in said chamber. The conductor support member has an opening for receiving a conductor inserted through the hole in the chamber. The support member is movable inside the chamber so as to move a conductor to bring it into contact with the electrical contact member. An actuator coupled to the support member is adapted to move it within said chamber so as to move a conductor to bring it into contact with the electrical contact member. The chamber is adopted to hold a preset volume of fluid insulating medium. The actuator element ensures the movement of the support member for the conductor such that a volume, mainly constant, of said fluid medium relative to the total volume of said chamber is mentioned in the respective chamber during such movement.

By applying the invention, the following advantages are obtained:

- increased resistance to environmental factors, which are: moisture, chemicals and other harmful factors;

- relatively simple construction;

- light manufacturing;

- increased reliability.

In a preferred embodiment, the telecommunication connection box according to the invention has a housing made of a dielectric material, the interior of which is divided into several electrically insulated rooms. The number of rooms will be determined by the number of pairs of conductors that are wanted to be connected through the connection box and can usually vary between 2 and 50, in the case of conventional telecommunications applications. □ pair of wires access holes is practiced in the housing for each room so as to allow the conductor pair to be inserted inside each insulated room. Inside each room there is a mobile support for conductors that have openings aligned with the access holes of the conductors in the housing, to receive the pairs of conductors introduced into the room. The support is driven by an actuator element outside the housing for the user of the connection box during the connection and reconnection of the service conductors, on the ground. A set of blades for electrical contacts and insulation drilling are

RO 114209 Bl electrically connected to a direct connection cable passing through the rear of the housing outside the insulated chambers.

The room provides space for an insulating environment, such as a grease or gel, which must be injected so that it surrounds the support element of the conductors and fills the openings in the housing that comprise the conductors.

To connect a pair of service conductors, the conductors are first inserted into a conductor support element. The support member is then moved to a second position where the conductors are forced into contact with the contact elements for perforating the insulation by an actuator. On the sides of the conductor support there are channels to allow the insulating medium to flow from one end to the other end of the support when this support is moved from the position where the conductors are received into the support, to a second position in the which conductors are forced into contact with the insulation cutting blades. Similarly, during the disconnection of the conductors, the channels allow the insulating medium to flow back to its original position. This allows a constant volume of insulating medium to be maintained inside the room even during multiple connections and reconnections of service conductor pairs in the connection box, in addition, on one side of the support, adjacent to the conductor holes, if necessary. it provides a flange to keep such slots sealed when the support moves from the first position to a second, to prevent leakage out of the insulating environment.

This avoids the loss of the insulating environment because in the environment inside the room there are holes or bags that prevent sources of entry for moisture or harmful factors in the rooms where the electrical connections are made. Since the insulating medium may flow around the support while connecting the service conductors to the terminal, a relatively large volume of insulating medium may be used so that any relatively small loss, also medium, during the replacement of some service conductors will not affect the protection required. .

In another embodiment, the actuating element may take the form of a simple threaded element mounted in the housing with the support having an adaptive threaded opening so as to be driven alternately rectilinearly, up and down, by rotational motion. At the same time, a test contact and test openings of the conductors in the housing may also be provided to allow testing of cable pairs before or after mounting the service conductors.

The following is an example of making the connection box according to the invention and FIG. 1 ^ -4, which represents:

FIG. 1 a, perspective view of the connection box;

FIG. 1b, horizontal view of the connection box;

- Fig. 2a, perspective view, with sections, of the interior of an isolated room and the conductor support before connecting the conductors;

- Fig. 2b, perspective view, with sections, of the interior of an isolated room and the conductor support after connecting the conductors;

3 is an exploded view of a chamber in the connection box;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of a chamber of the connection box.

The telecommunication connection box according to the present invention consists of a housing 10, made of a dielectric material, which is divided into a series of 22 electrically insulated rooms. The number of rooms will be determined by the number of pairs of conductors that is desired to be connected through the connection box, and can usually have between two and fifty rooms for conventional telecommunications applications. In the housing 10 there is provided a pair of access ports 12 of the conductors for each chamber, so as to allow the insertion of the conductive pairs inside each isolated room.

Inside each room there is a movable support element 24 for conductors which has openings 28 aligned with the ports 12 of access of the conductors in the housing, to receive the pairs of conductors introduced into the room. The element 24 is driven by an actuator 14 which extends out of the housing 10 thus

RO 114209 Bl so that it is easily accessible to the user of the connection box during the connection and disconnection of the service conductors, on the ground.

Also provided in the chamber is a set of perforated electric contact blades 36, 38 which are connected to a direct connection cable that passes out of the isolated chambers at the rear of the housing. A room is provided in the room for an insulating medium, such as a grease or a gel, to be injected in order to surround the wire support element and to fill the openings in the support comprising the conductors.

To connect a pair of service conductors, they are first introduced into the conductor support member 24. Then, the support member 24 of the conductor is moved to a second position (fig.2b) where the conductors are forced by the actuator 14 to come into contact with some insulation contact and contact blades 36,38. Some channels 54 are provided in the sides of the support member 24 to allow the insulating medium to flow from one end to the other end of the element when the support moves from the position where the wires are inserted (fig. 2a), in a second position in which the conductors are forced to come into contact with the cutting edges 36,38 of the insulation. Similarly, during disconnection of the conductors, the channels 54 allow the insulating medium to flow back to its original position. This allows a constant volume of insulating medium to be maintained inside the room even during multiple connections and reconnections of service conductor pairs in the connection box. In addition, a flange 30 is provided on one side of the support member 24 adjacent to the holes 12 to keep these holes isolated when the support member moves from the first position to the second position to prevent leakage out of the insulating medium through the conductor holes.

Due to these characteristics, the loss of insulating environment is avoided, because inside the room there are gaps or bags that prevent the sources of moisture or harmful factors from entering the rooms where the electrical connections are made. Moreover, since the insulating medium may flow around the support while connecting the service conductors to the terminal, a relatively large volume of insulating medium may be used so that any relatively small loss of such an environment during service conductor replacements does not will affect the protection required.

The actuator 14 may be in the form of a simple threaded plug mounted with the support having a threaded opening 26 to adapt such that it performs an alternate rectilinear motion, up and down, by rotating the actuator 14. a contact may be provided in the housing and a suitable test opening to allow testing of cable pairs before or after mounting the service conductors.