Abstract: A faceplate for a front edge of a printed circuit board has a detachable carrier for supporting an optical fibre connector adapter. The carrier has open and closed positions. When the carrier is in the closed position, a front portion of the adapter extends through an opening formed within the faceplate. To remove the adapter, the carrier is pivoted along a wall of the faceplate. When the carrier has been pivoted approximately 90 degrees from the axis of the faceplate, the carrier can be lifted out of the faceplate, and the adapter can be removed from the carrier if desired. According to another embodiment, allowing access to the adapter from the front of the faceplate, the adapter is removably retained in a mounting within the faceplate by a retaining spring. A door, pivotable from below the mounting, has an open and closed position.

Abstract: An electronic shelf having a back plane and side walls which are themselves printed circuit boards in communication with the back plane. Each side walls has connectors which may be opened for the sliding reception of an edge card into the shelf, the connectors then being closed to make electrical contact with the edge cards through terminals in the connector. Each connector has flexible conductors to permit opening and closing of the connector and conveniently the flexible conductors are provided by a flexible cable. Use of flexible cable permits minimizing distances between conductors and terminals. Also covered is an electrical connecor with specific features suitable for its use upon a side wall of the shelf.

Abstract: A storage holder for optical fibers, the holder having a base and a movable lid for opening or closing an access side to a storage chamber provided within the base for storing the fibers. The chamber has an inlet and an outlet for the fibers. The base and lid having cooperable means to ensure that at least one winding of the fiber remains within the storage chamber with the lid closed and remains within the chamber with the lid open until manually removed from within the chamber.

Abstract: Optical cable enclosure for connecting a supply optical cable to a customer cable having respective storage regions for optical fibers of both cables and an interconnection region for the fibers. The optical fibers of the customer cable extend either to their storage region or to the interconnection region, guide members being positioned for change in direction from one region to the other. The paths of the optical fibers are controlled regardless of their destination to ensure no undue stresses are placed upon the fibers. This control is effected quickly and easily.

Abstract: Transmission cable enclosure with a resiliently flexible cable sealing member within an inlet passage of a housing of the enclosure. The sealing member surrounds the cable when installed and a device is provided to apply a constant compressive force axially upon the sealing member. This constant force resiliently deforms the sealing member inwards to continuously seal against the cable irrespective of ambient temperature and pressure conditions. Also provided is a device for gripping the cable close to the sealing member to prevent axial movement of the cable at this location. The arrangement is suitable for passage of a single length or two closely positioned lengths of cable passing through the inlet passage.

Abstract: An optical fiber tray including a fiber connector holder with storage in the holder for incoming fibers for connection to rear facing ends of the connectors. Front facing connector ends are joined to outgoing fibers in the form of patch cords which pass through a storage facility in which each patch cord is disposed in its own storage region. A minimum bend radius channel through which the patch cords travel is movable in the tray to lessen the distance moved by patch cords as the tray is moved forwardly and rearwardly. This movable channel allows for excess fiber from within the tray during tray movement and without disturbing patch cord material outside the tray.

Abstract: A connector holder assembly for holding optical connectors in which a plurality of holders are disposed in a stack. Each holder has optical connectors in mounting positions at a front end region of the holder and rear ends of these connectors are connected to optical fibers disposed in coils in a storage facility. Provision is made for holding the holders in the stack, this provision comprising two rigid members one on each side of the stack, the rigid members being urged against the stack. The optical fibers in the storage facilities of all of the holders may be provided by a single or optical cable.

Abstract: A planar connector holder for optical fibers having storage compartments for incoming fibers and a mounting region for connectors to outgoing fibers. Two storage compartments lie back-to-back on each side of a planar base of the holder, the compartments being interconnected for fiber to pass from compartment-to-compartment. The mounting region and the storage compartments are aligned from end-to-end of the holder. With connector mounts mounted in the mounting region, the mounts lie in planes common with the two storage compartments in a depth direction of the holder. Also included is a distribution frame and holder combination in which the holders are mounted in two banks with patch cords extending between the banks and selectively between connectors.

Abstract: A planar connector holder for optical fibers with a storage facility for coiled fiber, a mounting region at the front end region of the holder for connectors with an end of each connector facing forwardly. The holder has a connector guard to shield the forward facing ends of the connectors. The shield is located in front of the mounting region to define a space for other optical fibers to be connected to the forward facing ends of the connectors. Provision is made for limiting the minimum bend radius of fibers as they enter into this space and then laterally of the holder through an inlet to the space.

Abstract: An electrical connector to connect to an insulation displacement terminal in which a housing body has integral latches to releasably hold the body to a connector. A chamber within the body has an entrance for insulated conductor which may form part of a cable. One side of the body has an access opening to the chamber and to a terminal position for the conductor at which the conductor is connectable to an electrical contact blade extending from the body. A conductor strain relief is also accessible through the opening and a cover is locatable in snap-on manner over the opening. Preferably, the cover covers the strain relief to prevent removal of the conductor and the strain relief is integral with the body.

Abstract: Termination shelf for telecommunications cable with mounting positions for conductor connector devices. The mounting positions are accessible from one side of the shelf for insertion of the connector devices. Also a guide is provided to enable a flexible transmission element to be inserted into the tray from the same side as for shelf insertion, the guide being shaped to guide the transmission element towards a remote side of the frame and then to guide the tramsmission element in the opposite direction through the mounting position. Frontal loading of the connector devices and of incoming conductors is thereby a use feature with the termination shelf.

Abstract: A telecommunications wall outlet having a circuit assembly, i.e. a printed circuit or a resistor network within a housing. A modular jack and a connector are electrically connected together by the circuit assembly and are mounted upon it. Preferably, the housing wall and circuit assembly cooperate to hold the circuit assembly in position and the walls have provision for holding conductors in place as they are led from a wall into the outlet.

Abstract: Insulation displacement terminal member having cantilever spring contact members which are spaced-apart to receive a conductor between them. Each contact member has an outward projection for engagement with the wall of a cavity of a connector housing to prevent undue movement apart of the members when a heavily insulated conductor is forced between them under extremely cold conditions. Ideally, the projections are convex to permit a rolling action upon the cavity wall.

Abstract: Cable terminal connector with a housing to receive conductors of one cable into terminal positions within the housing and a closure member having terminal positions for conductors of another cable. Insulation displacement contact members have an insulation displacement terminal at one end and are initially located in detent positions with the terminals spaced from the terminal positions of the housing. The closure member is movable into a fully retained position upon the housing and during this movement, the contact members are caused to move to locate their terminals into the terminal positions of the housing to connect them to the cable conductors in the housing. Conveniently, the contact members also have insulation displacement terminals at their other end for movement into the terminal positions of the closure member as the closure member moves into the fully retained position.

Abstract: A bridging link is disclosed for electrically connecting each of a selected pair of insulation displacement terminals of a first terminal array to a respective one of a corresponding pair of insulation displacement terminals of a second terminal array. The bridging link comprises a dielectric body including a rigid housing, a first pair of spaced apart electrical contact members projecting from a first region of the housing, and a second pair of spaced apart electrical contact members projecting from a second region of the housing which is spaced apart from the first region. The contact members of the first pair are electrically connected through the housing each to a respective one of the contact members of the second pair.

Abstract: Electrical connector with an insulation displacement member within an insulating body and a closure member for covering an insulation displacement terminal of the insulation displacement member. Two passages are provided into the closure member, one for guiding large diameter insulated wires to the position of the insulation displacement terminal and a second for smaller diameter wires. The second passage extends at an angle to the first passage and opens into the first passage close to the terminal position to produce a bend in the smaller diameter wire adjacent to the terminal position whereby the smaller diameter wire is stiffened at the terminal position.

Abstract: An electrical connector for mating with a terminal assembly to complete an electrical connection with an insulation displacement terminal of the terminal assembly is disclosed. The connector comprises a dielectric housing having a latch for releasably latching the connector in a predetermined position on the terminal assembly and a male electrical contact member carried on the housing for insertion into the insulation displacement terminal. The electrical contact member has an inclined lateral surface for intimately contacting a surface of the insulation displacement terminal over an extended area when the housing is latched in its predetermined position on the terminal assembly. The extended area of contact is more resistant to wear and less vulnerable to oxidation than a point or line contact would be, particularly over repeated matings and unmatings of the connector with the terminal assembly.

Abstract: An insulation displacing terminal has opposed cantilever spring contact members having two portions, lower and upper. The lower portions have their outer edges inclined upward and inward to give a first tapered portion. The upper portions have the outer edges inclined upward and outward to give second tapered portions. The upper and lower portions join at a neck or narrow section. The upper portions are of reduced thickness relative to the lower portions, the reduced thickness starting just above the neck section.

Abstract: A connector, for use for connection of local conductors to a distribution cable, in telephone systems, has an elongate body in which are a plurality of recesses. Insulation displacing terminals are positioned in the recesses, the lower part of each terminal connecting to a cable conductor. Connector members are pushed into the recesses by a trapped screw in each connector member. Local conductors are inserted into transverse passages or bores and as a connector member is pushed down, the top ends of the terminals pass up into the connector member and make contact with the conducitve cores of the conductors.

Abstract: A distributing frame, for telecommunications systems, comprises an upright hollow member, on the front of which are mounted a number of shelf members, spaced vertically, one above the other. Modules, containing connectors are mounted on the fronts of the shelf members, usually in pairs, a pair on each shelf member, the modules side-by-side. Further modules are mounted on the back of the hollow member, again usually in vertically spaced pairs. Access to the modules is provided from the interior of the hollow member. A number of such frames can be mounted side-by-side and the tops of the shelf members form continuous shelves for carrying conductors. In an arrangement of a plurality of frames side-by-side, the front is referred to as the horizontal side, while the back is referred to as the vertical side.