JP7073741B2 - Mechanical closure and cable interconnection method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of interconnecting mechanical closures and cables.

Many communication cables that support information and communication networks are laid in urban areas. These communication cables are provided with devices such as terminal boxes and mechanical closures in the middle of the line, and by using these devices, individual carriers and subscribers and between users can be used individually. Communication lines (core lines) are relayed or branched.

The terminal box is mainly attached to a utility pole, and has a configuration in which parts having a large number of connection terminals are housed inside a housing for preventing wind and rain (for example, Patent Document 1). Mechanical closures, also called terminal boxes, are used by erection or installation in a cave, and the core wires of communication cables are directly or indirectly connected inside the outer case. (For example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-60735 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-94851

In recent years, with the further development and diversification of information and communication networks, the number of telecommunications carriers using utility poles is increasing. As a result, the number of devices and overhead wires attached to utility poles is increasing, and it is often difficult to secure an installation space in a terminal box as described in Patent Document 1 described above.

On the other hand, if it is a mechanical closure as in Patent Document 2, it can be erected, so that it is easier to secure an installation place than a terminal box. However, although it is simplified in the figure of Patent Document 2, the inside of the actual mechanical closure is a large number of communicating cables as illustrated in FIG. 8 (a) of the present application as the conventional mechanical closure 10. In many cases, the core wire 12 is bent or bundled, resulting in an extremely cluttered state. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to switch the line, it is difficult to determine the paired core wires, and there is a concern that the work becomes very complicated.

In terms of the complexity of the above connection work, there is a problem in the conventional mechanical closure and the terminal box. First, in the mechanical closure 10 shown in FIG. 8A, the core wires 12 are connected to each other by soldering, and a non-conductive tube 14 made of plastic or the like is placed over the core wires 12 to protect them. However, since the diameter of the tube 14 becomes large, it is necessary to perform an operation such as slightly changing the position of each tube 14 so as not to interfere with the closing of the outer case. Such an operation requires a judgment based on an empirical rule, such as how long the core wire 12 is cut, which imposes a burden on the worker.

Further, even in the conventional terminal box, there is a structure in which each core wire is connected to a large number of connection terminals by soldering, and such a terminal box is still in operation. In such a terminal box, it is necessary to remove the coating of the core wire to expose the conductor part, and then solder the conductor part while winding it around the target terminal, which is a very labor-intensive work that requires skill and time. It was. In particular, it is necessary to cut the core wires to the appropriate length so that it is not necessary to accommodate the excess length of the core wires for the connection terminals arranged in large numbers vertically and horizontally, which requires labor and skill. Was there. Furthermore, for example, in a cable in which 50 core wires are bundled, if the termination of one core wire fails in the middle and is cut off, all the core wires that have been terminated up to that point will also be terminated again. Therefore, workability was low.

In view of such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical closure and a cable interconnection method in which the core wires of cables can be easily connected and the connection destination can be easily changed.

In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the mechanical closure according to the present invention is a mechanical closure for interconnecting a plurality of cables, and the core wires of the cables or the core wires and a jumper are connected to one terminal block. It is equipped with a terminal assembly part in which a large number of terminal blocks are arranged, and an exterior case that accommodates the terminal assembly part and allows multiple cables to be inserted. Each of the connection terminals is a spring terminal that grips the core wire or the jumper wire by the restoring force of the spring.

According to the mechanical closure, not only is it easier to secure an installation space than a terminal box, but by using a spring terminal, the electrical connection is completed simply by inserting a core wire or jumper wire. It has become. Therefore, the work of connecting the core wire and the like and the work of changing the connection destination are easy, and the line can be efficiently managed and operated.

The terminal block is in a state where a large number of terminal blocks are stacked along the overhead wire direction of the cable, and the plurality of connection terminals can be connected in the direction in which the core wire or the jumper wire is orthogonal to the overhead wire direction. You may be.

With the above configuration, each wire can be neatly housed in the outer case, and visibility and work efficiency can be improved.

The mechanical closure is further characterized by having legs that support the terminal assembly by raising it from the inner wall of the outer case.

With the above legs, a space can be secured between the terminal assembly and the inner wall of the outer case. By using this space as a storage place for core wires, it becomes possible to accommodate each core wire in a more orderly manner. In particular, since it is possible to accommodate the excess of the core wire, it is possible to cut each core wire to the same length, and it is not necessary to change the length according to the connection position, so the labor is significantly reduced. Can be reduced.

In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the cable interconnection method according to the present invention is the cable interconnection method using the mechanical closure described above, in which a row of connection terminals on one side of the terminal assembly portion is used. Connect the core wires of one or more cables, and connect the core wires of different cables to the terminal blocks connected to each other in the row of connection terminals on the other side of the terminal assembly, or the core wires of other cables. It is characterized by connecting.

The components and explanations corresponding to the above-mentioned technical idea of the mechanical closure can also be applied to the cable interconnection method. In particular, since each core wire and jumper wire are connected side by side in a row, it is possible to cut the core wires together to the same length and process them, and cut them while adjusting the length of the core wires individually. Compared to the case of connecting, the labor can be significantly reduced. Also, of the many connection terminals provided in the terminal assembly, by connecting the core wire to a predetermined row and connecting the jumper wire to the other row, the cable can be connected simply by changing the connection destination of the jumper wire. It is possible to change the connection destination. Therefore, the line switching work becomes easier, and more efficient management and operation of the line such as replacement work at the time of maintenance becomes possible.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a mechanical closure and a cable interconnection method in which the core wires of cables are easily connected and the connection destination can be easily changed.

It is a figure which showed the outline of the mechanical closure which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged perspective view near the end inside the outer case. It is the figure which showed the side surface of the terminal block enlarged. It is a figure which showed the cable interconnection method using a mechanical closure. It is a figure which showed the outline of each embodiment of the cable interconnection method. It is the figure which further showed the internal structure of the outer case of a mechanical closure. It is a figure which shows another example of a terminal block. It is a figure exemplifying the inside state of the conventional mechanical closure.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to omit duplicate description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown. do.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a mechanical closure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mechanical closure 100 is a device for interconnecting a plurality of cables. The mechanical closure 100 has a configuration in which a terminal collecting portion 104 having a large number of connection terminals is housed in an outer case 102 that can be opened and closed. The mechanical closure 100 can be installed on a utility pole using a messenger wire, or can be installed in a cave or the like, and it is easier to secure an installation space than a terminal box.

The outer case 102 is mainly made of resin and has a cylindrical shape as a whole to protect the terminal collecting portion 104 from wind and rain. The outer case 102 is provided with insertion ports 106a and 106b at both ends in the longitudinal direction through which cables to be connected, messenger wires, and the like are passed, and these cables can be inserted. The outer case 102 is divided into a lower case 102a and an upper case 102b, and the lower case 102a and the upper case 102b can be connected by a hinge.

The terminal gathering portion 104, together with the outer case 102, has a longitudinal shape along the overhead wire direction of the cable. The cable is composed of 20 pairs, 30 pairs, 50 pairs, and other core wires (communication lines, signal lines, etc.) bundled together. The terminal assembly portion 104 serves to connect the individual core wires constituting the upstream and downstream cables, and to relay and branch the core wires.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the inner end of the outer case 102. A bracket 108 for supporting cables is provided in the vicinity of the insertion slot 106a (see FIG. 1). The terminal assembly portion 104 includes a rail 110 and a large number of terminal blocks 112 arranged on the rail 110.

The terminal block 112 is a component that interconnects individual core wires and jumper wires. In the mechanical closure 100, the terminal assembly portion 104 is in a state in which a large number of terminal blocks 112 are laminated along the overhead wire direction of the cable (cable 138 and the like in FIG. 4). A colored spacer 114 or the like is also provided in the middle of the arranged terminal blocks 112 to assist visual inspection during connection work.

The terminal block 112 has a structure in which metal terminal parts 118 and 122 are embedded in a thin plate-shaped resin pedestal 116 so as to extend in the width direction of the pedestal 116. In the example of FIG. 2, the terminal component 118 is provided in the lower stage and the terminal component 122 is provided in the upper stage, each of which has two connection terminals.

The connection terminals 120a and 120b are contact points between the terminal parts 118 and 122 and the core wire and the like, and are provided at both ends of the terminal parts 118. In the present embodiment, by inserting into the connection terminals 120a and 120b, the corresponding core wires are connected to each other, or the core wires and the jumper wires are connected, and each wire is electrically connected via the terminal parts 118 and 122. Be connected. In particular, the connection terminals 120a and 120b are provided so as to face opposite to each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4 to be described later, the core wire 138a and the like and the jumper wire 144 are connected in a direction orthogonal to the overhead wire direction of the cable 138 and the like.

In the pedestal 116, the area where each terminal component or each connection terminal is provided does not penetrate in the thickness direction. Therefore, these terminal parts and the like do not come into contact with the terminal parts and the like of the adjacent terminal block. Further, the number of terminal parts and connection terminals provided on the terminal block 112 is not limited, and three or more terminal parts may be provided on one pedestal, or three or more connection terminals may be provided on one terminal part. It is possible.

The terminal collecting portion 104 is also provided with a number plate 136. The number plate 136 can be installed so as to pass over the upper part of a large number of arranged terminal blocks, and each terminal block, core wire, etc. can be numbered to help facilitate connection work and prevent erroneous work. can.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the side surface of the terminal block 112. A claw 123 for fitting the number plate 136 described above is provided on the upper portion of the terminal block 112, and a rail hook 125 for slidably gripping the rail 110 is provided on the lower portion.

In this embodiment, a spring terminal is adopted as each connection terminal (connection terminal 120a or the like). The spring terminal is realized by a spring steel 124 provided along the terminal component 118. The spring steel 124 is provided at the back of the slot 128 provided next to the slot 126 of the connection terminal 120a, and the core wire 138a and the jumper wire 144 (see FIG. 4) inserted into the slot 126 are restored to the spring. Grip with force.

When connecting the core wire 138a or the like to the connection terminal 120a, first insert an elongated tool such as a screwdriver 132 into the slot 128 to bend the spring steel 124, and then insert the core wire 138a into the slot 126 to insert the screwdriver 132. Pull out. As a result, the spring steel 124 returns to its original shape, and the core wire 138a is gripped. As a result, the core wire 138a does not come out of the slot 126, and the continuity with the terminal parts 118 and 122 is maintained.

By adopting the above spring terminal, the mechanical closure 100 can complete its electrical connection simply by inserting the core wire 138a or the jumper wire 144 (see FIG. 4), which is complicated and complicated. Advanced techniques such as soldering and wrapping are not required, and the number of work steps can be significantly reduced compared to solder terminals and screw terminals, and the connection can be completed in a short time. Therefore, it is easy to switch the line, and the line can be managed and operated efficiently.

By adopting a spring terminal, the mechanical closure 100 can achieve a higher density of internal structure than a solder terminal, a screw terminal, or the like, and has a structure that is more compact and easier to install as a whole. Further, since the exposed metal portion is smaller than that of the solder terminal or the like, the risk of short circuit between the terminals is reduced, and an electric tool is not required, which is advantageous in terms of safety.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cable interconnection method using the mechanical closure 100. The cable interconnection method is characterized in that a plurality of cables are interconnected by using the mechanical closure 100 described above.

As an example of cable interconnection, it is assumed that one 50 pair of cables 138 on the upstream side is branched into 20 pairs of cables 140 and 30 pairs of cables 142 on the downstream side. In the cable interconnection method, the core wires 138a, 140a of the cables 138, 140, 142 are arranged in one row of the connection terminals formed in the terminal assembly portion 104, for example, in the row of the connection terminals 120a in FIG. 142a are connected side by side in a row. Then, a jumper wire 144 connecting the terminal blocks to which the core wires of different cables are connected is connected to the row of connection terminals on the other side of the terminal assembly portion 104, for example, the row of connection terminals 120b in FIG.

According to this method, the core wire and the jumper wire 144 of each cable can be connected side by side in a row. Therefore, compared to the case where the core wires are individually adjusted and connected, for example, the core wires can be cut into the same length for each cable 138, 140, 142. , The labor can be significantly reduced. Further, it is possible to switch the interconnection between the cables 138 on the upstream side and the cables 140 and 142 on the downstream side by simply changing the connection destination of the jumper wire 144. Therefore, it is possible to realize more efficient management and operation of the line, such as changing the connection destination (switching the line) is extremely easy, and the cable can be easily replaced during maintenance. There is.

Further, in this method, the cables 138, 140, and 142 are connected in a row on one side in the width direction of the terminal collecting portions 104 provided in the longitudinal direction, and the jumper wire 144 is connected to the other side. Each core line can be divided and laid in a more orderly manner, and the visibility can be improved together with the number plate 136 to further improve the efficiency of work.

In this method, the method of connecting each cable and jumper wire is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of each embodiment of the cable interconnection method. FIG. 5A is an outline of an embodiment of the connection method shown in FIG. In this example, as described above, the cables 138, 140, and 142 are connected in a row to one side of the row of connection terminals of the terminal assembly portion 104, and the jumper wire 144 is connected to the other side.

FIG. 5B is a first modification of the connection method. In this method, it is also possible to connect cables to each other without using jumper wire 144. For example, 50 pairs of cables 138 are connected to the terminal blocks 1 to 50 of the terminal assembly portion 104 on the connection terminal 120a side (see FIG. 4). Then, on the connection terminal 120b side, 30 pairs of cables 142 are connected to the terminal blocks 1 to 30, and the cables 140 are connected to the terminal blocks 31 to 50. According to this connection method, it is possible to connect a plurality of cables to each other without using a jumper wire 144 (see FIG. 4).

Further, FIG. 5C is a second modification of the connection method. In this method, it is also possible to provide a portion where the cables are directly connected to each other and a portion where the cables are connected via the jumper wire 144. For example, among the 1st to 50th terminal blocks in which the core wires 138a (see FIG. 4) of 50 pairs of cables 138 are connected to the connection terminal 120a side, 30 is connected to the connection terminal 120b of the 1st to 30th terminal blocks. Connect the core wires of the pair of cables 142. Then, a jumper wire 144 is connected to the connection terminal 120b of the remaining 31st to 50th terminal blocks, and is connected to the terminal block to which the core wires of the 20 pairs of cables 140 are connected. That is, both the cable 142 and the jumper wire 144 are connected to the row of the connection terminals 120b. Even when connecting in such a configuration, since each line can be connected in a row to the row of connection terminals 120a and the row of connection terminals 120b, the connection work and the change work are extremely easy, and the line Efficient management and operation becomes possible.

In the mechanical closure 100 of the present embodiment, the terminal assembly portion 104 has a configuration in which a large number of terminal blocks are laminated along the overhead wire direction of the cable 138 on the upstream side and the cables 140 and 142 on the downstream side. Therefore, even if the number of terminal blocks is further increased, the terminal assembly portion 104 is only lengthened in the overhead wire direction, and does not have much effect on securing the installation place of the mechanical closure 100. That is, with the mechanical closure 100, the number of terminal blocks can be freely set according to the configuration of the cable at that time without being restricted by the installation location.

Further, in the mechanical closure 100, each wire such as the core wire 138a and the jumper wire 144 is connected to the connection terminal 120a and the connection terminal 120b in a direction orthogonal to the overhead wire direction (90 °). Therefore, each wire can be neatly housed in the outer case 102 (see FIG. 1). In addition, each line at this time will be lined up along the number of the number plate 136. Therefore, the mechanical closure 100 has extremely high visibility of each line as compared with the conventional mechanical closure 10 in which the core wires 12 shown in FIG. 8 are soldered to each other, and the work efficiency can be significantly improved. can.

FIG. 6 is a diagram further showing the internal configuration of the exterior case 102 of the mechanical closure 100. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a state in which the core wire of each cable is not connected to the terminal assembly portion 104. As shown in FIG. 6A, the mechanical closure 100 supports the terminal assembly portion 104 by the leg portion 146. The leg portion 146 supports the terminal gathering portion 104 by raising it from the base plate 103. As a result, a space E1 can be secured between the terminal gathering portion 104 and the base plate 103 (that is, between the inner wall of the lower case 102a).

FIG. 6B shows a state in which the core wire of each cable is connected to the terminal gathering portion 104. The space E1 secured by the leg portion 146 can be used as a storage place for the core wires 138a, 140a, 142a. This makes it possible to store the surplus portion of each core wire and to accommodate each core wire in a more orderly manner.

Here again, reference is made to the figure illustrating the inside of the conventional mechanical closure 10 described as FIG. FIG. 8A is an overall photograph of the conventional mechanical closure 10. In the conventional mechanical closure 10, a large number of core wires 12 are bent or bundled to be accommodated. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram of each core line of the conventional mechanical closure 10. The core wires LR1 to LRN on the right side and the core wires LL1 to LLN on the left side were connected by soldering at intermediate points, and the connecting portion was covered with a tube 14. At this time, since the diameter of the tube 14 becomes large, it is necessary to slightly change the position of each tube in each of the lines 1 to N so as not to interfere when closing the outer case. At this time, in order to prevent excess length from occurring in each wire while changing the position of each tube, it is necessary to individually judge how long each core wire should be cut, and the work is skillful and laborious. Was required.

FIG. 6 (c) is a schematic view of a state in which the surplus portion of each core wire in the mechanical closure 100 of the present embodiment is housed. As described above, in the present embodiment, the core wires 138a, 140a, 142a can be accommodated in the space E1 secured by the leg portion 146 (see FIG. 6B). By folding back or the like, each core wire partially overlaps to form a thickened region. However, even if such a region is formed, the periphery of the terminal assembly portion 104 is arranged in an orderly layout only by accommodating it in the space E1 (see FIG. 6B) under the terminal assembly portion 104. That is, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to consider the surplus length of each line, and it is not necessary to individually adjust the core wires so that the surplus length does not occur. Therefore, for example, as described with reference to FIG. 4, it is possible to perform the process of cutting the core wires together without any problem. As described above, in the present embodiment, since the surplus portion of the core wire can be stored, the cutting work does not require accuracy, and therefore the labor can be significantly reduced.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the terminal block. In the branch terminal block 150, a total of two sets of five connection terminals are provided. In the branch terminal block 150, for example, the core wire connected to the connection terminal 152 at the end is branched to the core wire connected to the other four connection terminals 153 to 156. As described above, for the mechanical closure 100, it is possible to adopt a terminal block in which the number of connection terminals and the number of terminal parts are appropriately changed, such as the terminal block 112 in FIG. 2 and the branch terminal block 150 in FIG. 7. It is possible.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modifications or modifications within the scope of the claims, which naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

The present invention can be used as a mechanical closure and cable interconnection method.

10 ... Conventional mechanical closure, 12 ... Core wire in conventional mechanical closure, 14 ... Tube, 100 ... Mechanical closure, 102 ... Exterior case, 102a ... Lower case, 102b ... Upper case, 103 ... Base plate, 104 ... Terminal assembly , 106a ... Insertion port on the right side in the figure, 106b ... Insertion port on the left side in the figure, 108 ... Bracket, 110 ... Rail, 112 ... Terminal block, 114 ... Spacer, 116 ... Pedestal, 118 ... Terminal parts, 120a ... One side Connection terminal, 120b ... Other connection terminal, 122 ... Terminal component, 123 ... Claw, 124 ... Spring steel, 125 ... Rail hook, 126 ... Connection terminal slot, 128 ... Spring steel slot, 132 ... Driver, 136 ... Number plate, 138 ... 50 pairs of cables on the upstream side, 138a, 140a, 142a ... core wire, 140 ... 20 pairs of cables on the downstream side, 142 ... 30 pairs of cables on the downstream side, 144 ... jumper wires, 146 ... legs Part, 150 ... Branch terminal block, E1 ... Space for accommodating core wire and jumper wire

Claims (3)

A mechanical closure that interconnects multiple cables
A terminal set portion in which a plurality of connection terminals are provided on one terminal block to connect the core wires of cables or the core wires and jumper wires to each other, and a large number of the terminal blocks are arranged.
An exterior case that accommodates the terminal assembly and allows the plurality of cables to be inserted.
Equipped with
Each of the connection terminals is a spring terminal that grips the core wire or the jumper wire by the restoring force of the spring .
The terminal assembly portion is in a state in which a large number of terminal blocks are laminated along the overhead wire direction of the cable.
The plurality of connection terminals are mechanical closures, wherein the core wire or the jumper wire can be connected in a direction orthogonal to the overhead wire direction . The mechanical closure according to claim 1 , further comprising a leg portion for supporting the terminal assembly portion by raising it from the inner wall of the outer case. The cable interconnection method using the mechanical closure according to claim 1 or 2.
Connect the core wires of one or more cables to the row of connection terminals on one side of the terminal assembly.
A cable interconnection method comprising connecting a jumper wire connecting terminal blocks to which core wires of different cables are connected to a row of connection terminals on the other side of the terminal assembly portion.

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