AU1495400A

AU1495400A - A distributor device

Info

Publication number: AU1495400A
Application number: AU14954/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Friedrich Wilhelm Denter; Dieter Schluter
Original assignee: Quante GmbH
Current assignee: 3M Deutschland GmbH
Priority date: 1999-02-26
Filing date: 2000-02-07
Publication date: 2000-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-07
Also published as: ATE239993T1; AU756261B2; PL338594A1; EP1032102A3; PT1032102E; PL193748B1; EP1276196A1; EP1032102A2; ES2193013T3; DE29903518U1; DE50002034D1; EP1032102B1; ZA200000703B

Abstract

The device (10) has a first wire guide channel which runs from one side of the housing (12) to the front of the housing. A second channel runs from the opposite side to the front of the housing. The first channel has a greater cross-section than the second channel.

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT •go H ft ftftt f Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: QUANTE AG Friedrich Wilhelm DENTER Dieter SCHLOTER CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, QId. 4000, Australia.

A DISTRIBUTOR DEVICE a a a.

a a.

a fft« Invention Title: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: A distributor device Field of the invention The invention concerns a distributor device for cable cores, in particular for telephone, signal or control cables, comprising the features of the preamble to claim i.

Distributor devices have the object of laying, connecting and contacting with each other and/or separating numerous cable cores in a desirable, individual manner.

Prior art In the technology, widely used distributor devices are designed as wire guide disks and in alternating sequence are placed or notched with terminal strips on the longitudinal walls of an assembly trough. For this purpose the wire guide disks have holder means, which interact with securing devices, e.g. tongues or slots in the assembly trough.

From EP 0 647 072 A2, a distributor device is known in which a pair of wire guide disks jointly forms a box-shaped housing of housing halves which have the same form. Therefore the housing has first wire guide channels, which extend from one side of the housing to the front of it as well as second wire guide channels, which extend from the opposite side of the housing to the front side. The first as well as the second wire guide channels are designed to be arcuate and are used for threading through the wires and/or cable cores.

The individual wire guide channels have defined dimensions with respect to their width and height, which are coordinated with the conventional cable cores. But frequently thicker cable cores are also used, which either are supplied on a terminal strip which is fitted on the distributor device, or are to be removed from it. In this case, distributor devices are used which are formed by housing halves with identical forms to each other which have wire guide channels of larger dimensions.

Description of the invention The invention is based on the object of suggesting a distributor device for cable cores, which is designed to accept various cable cores and cable diameters.

This problem is solved by a distributor device for cable cores IS which has the features of claim 1.

i The invention is based on the idea of providing a distributor device with first and second wire guide channels, in which the first wire guide channels have a larger passage cross-section than the second wire guide channels. Thereby it becomes possible deliberately to introduce thicker cable cores from S. one side of the housing of the distributor device, whereas on the opposite side of the housing, cable cores with a small diameter can still be introduced into the wire guide channels with smaller passage cross-sections.

Therefore the housing is not formed by housing halves of identical shape, but by a housing which combines large channels on one side and small channels on the other with each other. This design of a housing has the advantage that on the one hand, adequately large channels are present for the insertion of cable cores with large cable diameter, and on the other hand, no space is wasted when inserting cable cores with small cable diameter.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized by the other claims.

Thus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first wire guide channels and/or the second wire guide channels have an arcuate course. Because the exit holes of the wire guide channels in the housing of the distributor device are located respectively on the top and on one side of the housing, in the longitudinal course of the wire guide channel, a change in direction has to be carried out between the two exit holes, which can have different geometries. An arcuate course constitutes a harmonic form of change in direction for the insertion of the cable cores.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distributor device has in addition securing devices which are located on the back of the housing and are used for application on an assembly trough. Thereby the distributor device can be applied firmly on the assembly trough and fixed in position there.

a• Preferably the distributor device comprises in addition holder means for the mounting of a terminal strip. This together with 25 the securing device for application on an assembly trough permits a firm connection between the terminal strip and the assembly trough.

Preferably the distributor device comprises in addition toothshaped gradations in the aperture zone of the first wire guide channel and/or of the second wire guide channel. These toothshaped gradations are used as an insertion aid in the zone of the entry apertures for the cable cores which are to be passed through the wire guide channels.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the wire guide channels have a linear entry zone and/or a linear exit zone.

This special geometry with linear entry and exit zones and with an arc which connects respectively and tangentially with the linear zones with a constant radius of curvature forms an especially suitable geometry, in order to facilitate the insertion of cable cores or of pairs of cores.

Preferably the angle between the direction of entry and the direction of exit is larger than 900, preferably between 950 and 1100. This takes into consideration the direction of the cable cores which arrive on the cable side, and which are easily inserted from below into the distributor device. By the choice of the angle between the entry direction and the exit direction as larger than 900, an especially harmonic course of S the cable cores and pairs of cores is therefore achieved.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the wire guide channels increases from the side of the housing to the front of the housing. However, the insertion of the cable cores is facilitated in that because of the increasing cross-sectional area, during the continuing insertion the kinking and clamping of the cable cores is prevented, because increasingly there is more space available for the cable cores which are to be inserted. In addition, the contact between the cable cores to be inserted with the walls of the wire guide channels is reduced, whereby the friction is reduced and the insertion is still further facilitated.

Short description of the drawings Below the invention will be described purely as an example on the basis of the enclosed figures, in which: Fig. 1 shows a section through the wire guide channels of a distributor device; and Figs. 2 and 3 respectively show perspective side views of the distributor device in accordance with the invention.

Ways for embodying the invention Figures 2 and 3 show respectively a perspective view of the distributor device 10 from different sides. This means that the side area 12a of the housing 12, which is shown above in Fig. 2, is not visible in Fig. 3, and instead the opposite 1: 5 side area 12b is at the top in Fig. 3.

ee° °o The distributor device 10 has securing devices 14 on its bottom, which are used for fastening on holder rails or on an assembly trough. The geometry of the securing devices 14 is not material to the understanding and essence of the invention, because it is only to be ensured by the securing devices that the distributor device 10 can be secured, preferably notched on to a suitable profile, for example an assembly trough At the top of the distributor device, there is a terminal strip 16. This is placed on the top of the distributor device in which the notch hooks 18 of the terminal strip, which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, interact with corresponding holder means of the distributor device.

On the respective sides of the distributor device which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, there are holes 20a, 20b, which are used for the entry and/or exit of cable cores. As can be discerned from a comparison between Figs. 2 and 3, the holes which are visible in the view in accordance with Fig. 2 have respectively a smaller cross-sectional area than the holes 20b which are to be seen in the view in accordance with Fig. 3. Therefore the distributor device which is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is not formed of housing halves which are identically shaped, but it is equipped with different wire guide channels, the cross-section of which remains approximately constant along their course, and the crosssections of the holes of which 20a, 20b are shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The wire guide channels which are shown in detail in Fig. 1 extend from the holes 20a, 20b along the lateral edges of the distributor device in the form of an arc to the exit holes on the upper side. Therefore they have a course which causes, when the cable cores are inserted, a change in direction through 900 for the cable cores.

A

The wire guide channels with larger passage cross-section which are adjacent to the holes 20b which are discernible in Fig. 3 are used for the passage of cable cores with larger cross-section, whereas the wire guide channels which are shown in Fig. 2 in the zone of the holes 20a are suitable for cable cores which have smaller cross-sectional dimensions. As follows from a comparison of Figs. 2 and 3, from the side of the distributor device which is visible in Fig. 2, double channels for switching purposes are passed through the distributor device. Therefore there are twice as many wire guide channels, viewed from the side visible in Fig. 2, through the distributor device as there are from the side which is to be seen in Fig. 3. Therefore with the distributor device in accordance with the invention, the use of special thicker cable cores or pairs of cables can be provided intentionally. Naturally thinner cable cores can also be introduced.

As is discernible, in addition, from the Figs. 2 and 3, for assistance in insertion, the lateral edges 22 in the zone of the entry holes 20a, 20b which are discernible in Figs. 2 and 3 are provided with tooth-shaped gradations. Whereas on the side which is to be seen in Fig. 3 the gradations are provided respectively only over one individual wire guide channel, in the lateral edge which is to be seen in Fig. 2, the gradations are formed respectively over two adjacent wire guide channels.

By means of the gradations, even given poor visibility conditions, the position of the aperture of a desired wire guide channel can also be easily identified.

In Fig. i, the wall part 26 of the distributor device is shown with the wire guide channels 32 which are formed therein and which are open upwards in the drawing in accordance with Fig.

1. The wire guide channels are closed by an intermediate wall part, so that a substantially rectangular cross-section of the wire guide channels 32 is the result. The wall part 26 which is shown in Fig. 1 is part of the housing half, the aperture side of which is shown in Fig. 2. As a whole, 16 wire guide channels 32 can be seen, of which in the zone of the toothshaped gradations, respectively two adjacent channels are led away over one step. Between the wire guide channels 32, there are walls 34 for the lateral limitation of the individual wire guide channels and for the correct supply of the cable cores or pairs of cores to the terminal strips or heels.

In addition, eyes 30 are provided in Fig. i, which on the one hand bundle together and guide the arriving cable cores and/or pairs of cores, and on the other hand bundle and guide the corresponding outgoing cable cores and/or pairs of cores.

On the basis of Fig. i, the introduction of a pair of cable cores into the arcuately extending wire guidance channels 32 will be explained. In this context, a cable core or a pair of cores (not shown) which are to be inserted is introduced in the direction of arrow A into the hole 20a of the wire guide channel and is pushed along the interrupted curve through the channel, until the cable emerges in the direction of arrow B from the upper side of the distributor device. The wire guide channels can either have along their course an arcuate curve with even radius of curvature, or however, as is shown in Fig.

1, at first they can have a substantially linear inlet zone which adjoins in the further course a zone 42 with an even radius of curvature. The exact geometry of the wire guide channels is oriented towards the requirement for the simplest possible and least complicated insertion of the cable cores or pairs of cables through the wire guide channels. The angle between the direction of entry (direction of arrow A) and the direction of exit (arrow B) is preferably greater than 900.

The distributor device in accordance with the invention provides the advantage that thicker cable cores can be deliberately combined with thinner cable cores, in that correspondingly dimensioned wire guide channels are provided for the cable cross-sections which are respectively necessary.

Claims

2. A distributor device in accordance with claim i, .o characterized in that the first wire guide channels and/or the second wire guide channels have an arcuate course.
3. A distributor device in accordance with claims 1 or 2, which further comprises securing devices which are go located on the rear of the housing (10) and are used for application on an assembly trough. .,oo
4. A distributor device in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 3, which further comprises holder means (18) for the application of a terminal strip. A distributor device in accordance with one or more of claims 1 to 4, which further comprises tooth-shaped gradations (22) in the aperture zone (20a, 20b) of the first wire guide channel and/or of the second wire guide channel.
6. A distributor device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wire guide channels have a linear entry zone and/or a linear exit zone.
7. A distributor device in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the angle between the direction of entry and the direction of exit is greater than 90°, preferably between 950 and
1100. 8. A distributor device in accordance with one of the preceding claims, 15 characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the wire guide channels increases from the side of the housing to the front of the housing. 9. A distributor device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 7 th day of February 2000 QUANTE AG By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.