GB2249883A - Adaptor for communications devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An adaptor unit for adapting a terminal connector of a communications device eg. a telephone to a terminal connector or communications system is provided with an enclosure divisable into two parts (4, 5), one part (4) providing access to a socket (2) for connection with a terminal connector plug of the communications device and the other part (5) providing access to a socket for connection with a terminal connector plug of the communications system. A cross-over means (not shown) is provided in the adaptor unit between the socket terminals such that a user may select electrical connections between the socket terminals so that the unit may be used to adapt various communications devices to various communications systems. The two halves of the adaptor enclosure snap together via a rebate 7. A further plug-to-plug adaptor (6) may be connected mechanically and electrically to the part (5). <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Improvements in or relating to Adaptor Units for Communication Systems This invention relates to adaptor units for communications systems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide adaptor units for communications systems and has been devised particularly though not solely for use in the telephone communications industry.

Accordingly in one aspect the invention may be said to consist in an adaptor unit for adapting a terminal connector of a communications device to a terminal connector of a communications system, comprising an enclosure divisible into a first part and a second part, said first part and said second part both having complementary connection means for releaseably connecting the two parts of said enclosure together, said enclosure containing a first terminal socket compatible with a terminal plug for said communications device and a second terminal socket compatible with a terminal plug for said communications system, and cross over means providing at least one electrical connection between socket terminals of said first terminal socket and said second terminal socket, said first part having a first opening for access to said first terminal socket and said second part having a second opening for access to said second terminal socket, the construction and arrangement being such that when said adaptor unit is connected to terminal plugs of said communications system and said communications device, said communications device is operably connected to said communications system.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples only.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described, in which; Figure 1 is an elevational view of the front of an adaptor unit according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the adaptor unit of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an expanded end elevation of the adaptor unit shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the adaptor unit according to the present invention expanded as shown in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is an elevational view of the rear of an adaptor unit in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the front of a first part 4 (hereinafter referred to as the first half) of an adaptor unit generally referenced 1 is shown. It will be seen that this first half of the adaptor unit is substantially the same as a standard British Telecom terminal socket, having a shutter 2 which is held closed over socket opening 3 such that the terminal socket is not accessible unless the shutter 2 is pressed upwardly against a spring (not shown) which holds it in the closed position.

Referring to Figure 2, the first half of the adaptor unit is referenced 4 and the second part (hereinafter referred to as the second half) is referenced 5 and a rear connector plug e.g. a US modular plug as used in United States telephone systems is referenced 6. In Figure 3 connection means on the second half 5 for connecting the two halves 4 and 5 together are referenced 7 and further connection means on the modular plug for connecting the US modular plug 6 to the second half 5 are referenced 8.

In Figure 3 the adaptor unit of Figure 2 is shown with the halves 4 and 5 and the rear connector comprising US modular plug 6 separated. Similarly, in Figure 4 a plan view of the components of the adaptor unit are shown when disconnected. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 it can be seen that the connection means disposed on halves 4 and 5 which connect the halves together comprise a rebate 7 about the edge of the second half 5 and a protruding edge 15 on an inner surface of an outer edge of first half 4. Further connection means are provided between second half 5 and rear connector 6 comprising blade-like projections 9 which have wedge shaped notched ends 10 on a member 5 and rectangular slots referenced 8 on the rear adaptor 6.The second half of the adaptor unit 5 contains a circuit board which is represented by the dotted lines 11 in Figures 2 to 4 and this circuit board contains a terminal socket (not shown) which is in alignment with the shuttered opening 3 in the first half 4 of the adaptor unit.

The second half of the adaptor unit also includes a second socket opening referenced 12 in Figure 5 of the drawings which shows the adaptor unit when viewed from the rear without the rear connector 6 attached. Again the further connection means 9 are seen on either side of the second socket opening and the connection means 7 on the rear of the second half 5 are also shown. This second socket opening is also in alignment with a second terminal socket disposed on the circuit board 11.

A first plug (not shown) of the rear connector 6 is inserted into second socket opening 12 and connection is established between the further connection means as described below such that the adaptor unit and the rear connector are combined as shown in Figure 2. The circuit board also contains cross-over means which include electrical terminals suitable for connecting wires between electrical terminals of the second terminal socket to electrical terminals of the first terminal socket such that the correct connections are made between the rear connector and the standard British Telecom plug when these are connected.

These connections may be made by eg. soldering, or the cross-over means may be adjustable by providing screw terminal connections such that a user may connect the wires from the rear connector to the appropriate screw terminals on the circuit board depending on the communications system or device which is to be used with the invention. Guides, or location means 16 are also provided about opening 12 on the rear surface of the second half of the adaptor unit 5 in order that the rear connector may be easily affixed to the second half 5. The connection means 9 and 10 also act as location means for the rear connector.

In use the adaptor unit may be supplied as a complete assembled unit including the rear connector 6 as shown in Figure 2. To connect a communications device eg. a telephone, fax machine, modem operating from the standard British Telecom telephone system to a standard United States telephone system, for example, a user need only take the assembled unit and place the second plug portion 13 of the rear connector, comprising e.g. a U.S.

modular adaptor unit into e.g. a wall socket terminal of a U.S. telephone system such that the unit as a whole is firmly attached to the socket and the U.S.

adaptor plus is in electrical connection therewith. The user then lifts shutter 2 from the front first half of the unit and inserts the standard British Telecom plug from the telephone into socket opening 3 in the front of the unit such that it engages the socket on the circuit board. Assuming that the correct crossover connections have been made, the telephone or other device is now compatible with the U.S. communications system. If, however, a different telephone or communications system is required, the user separates the portions of the adaptor unit by depressing the head portions 10 of the connection means 9 in towards the body of the unit such that they become disengaged from the rectangular holes 8 in the sides of the rear connector 6, and then pulls the units apart.The first and second halves 4 and 5 are disconnected by squeezing the sides of first half 4 inwardly to disconnect protruding edge 15 from rebate 7 in the second half. Once they are separated the circuit board in the second half 5 is accessible to the user and the user may disconnect wires from the screw terminals and reconnect them to achieve the correct electrical connections such that the system by which the telephone operates and the communications system provided in the wall socket are compatible. The user then only needs to align the blades 9 of the connector means with the 7 rectangular holes 8 in adaptor plug 6 and align the edges of first and second halves 4 and 5 and squeeze these together such that they snap into place. The user then places the plug portion 12 of the rear connector 6 in the wall socket and plugs in the telephone socket as described above. If the adaptor unit is required to be removed from the U.S.

wall socket then the lever 14 of the rear connector need only be depressed in a upward direction and the unit is ready to be disengaged from the wall socket.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an adaptor assembly is provided which allows a communications device eg. a telephone to be compatible with a plurality of different communications systems without requiring any modifications to the communications system, or the telephone. The adaptor is provided as a modular unit and is easily connected between a telephone and a wall socket. It will also be seen that the unit is easy to make, requiring only three fundamental pieces and a circuit board. Also, the three main pieces may be injection moulded from a plastics material for example, thus the unit may be mass produced at low cost.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. An adaptor unit for adapting a terminal connector of a communications device to a terminal connector of a communications system, comprising an enclosure divisible into a first part and a second part, said first part and said second part both having complementary connection means for releaseably connecting the two parts of said enclosure together, said enclosure containing a first terminal socket compatible with a terminal plug for said communications device and a second terminal socket compatible with a terminal plug for said communications system, and cross over means providing at least one electrical connection between socket terminals of said first terminal socket and said second terminal socket, said first part having a first opening for access to said first terminal socket and said second part having a second opening for access to said second terminal socket, the construction and arrangement being such that when said adaptor unit is connected to terminal plugs of said communications system and said communications device, said communications device is operably connected to said communications system.

2. An adaptor unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a rear connector is provided having two terminal plugs in electrical connection with each other, each plug being compatible with terminal sockets of said communications system and one plug of said rear connector being inserted in said second terminal socket

3. An adaptor unit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said cross over means are accessible by manual separation of said first and second parts by disconnecting said connecting means.

4. An adaptor unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said cross over means are adjustable such that said unit is capable of allowing a communications device to be operable with a plurality of selected communications systems or allowing a plurality of communications devices to be operable with a communications system.

5. An adaptor unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said second part includes location means to locate said second terminal plug in said second socket.

6. An adaptor unit as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein a further connection means is provided between said second part and said rear connector such that said second part may be realisably connected to said rear connector.

7. An adaptor unit for adapting a terminal connector of communications device to a terminal connector of a communications system substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.