Plate for cable connector attachments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660397-B2
Application number	US-201514667578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A mounting system for facilitating ordered mating of plural connectors includes a bracket having at least one feature for securing to a pole or wall. A plate is connected to the bracket and includes plural mounting positions. Optional grounding and/or surge arrestors may be included. In a keying embodiment, each mounting position has an inner perimeter shape different than the inner perimeter shapes of the other mounting positions. Each connector of plural first connectors includes a threaded portion holding a first nut with an outer perimeter having a shape unique as compared to the first nuts of other first connectors. The outer perimeter of the first nut seats into one, and only one, of the plural mounting positions of the plate. Optionally, a second plate may be mounted to and spaced from the first plate. The second plate includes plural keyholes which are aligned to the plural mounting positions. Each keyhole has an inner perimeter shape matching the inner perimeter shape of the mounting position to which the keyhole is aligned. The keyholes only permit a second connector, with a matching key nut, to pass therethrough and mate into the first connector in the aligned mounting position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A mounting system comprising:
a first plate comprising a plurality of mounting positions, wherein each mounting position within said plurality of mounting positions comprises a tab attached on one side to said first plate and disconnected on other sides from said first plate, wherein each tab is angled out from a plane of a face of said first plate, and wherein each mounting position comprises an inner perimeter shape formed in said tab of said mounting position, wherein each inner perimeter shape is different from each other inner perimeter shape of said tabs of said plurality of mounting positions;
a second plate attached to and spaced apart from said first plate, said second plate having a plurality of keyholes which are aligned to said plurality of mounting positions formed in said first plate, wherein each keyhole of said plurality of keyholes comprises an inner perimeter shape formed in said second plate and different from inner parameter shapes of other keyholes of the plurality of keyholes; and
a bracket connected to said first plate and said second plate and comprising a feature configured to secure said bracket to an object.

2. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein said bracket includes a bracket first portion and a bracket second portion, and wherein said first plate is located between said bracket first portion and said bracket second portion, wherein both of said bracket first portion and said bracket second portion include said feature for securing said bracket to said object.

3. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein said feature comprises two through holes formed in said bracket, said mounting system further comprising:
a clamp with a first threaded end and a second threaded end, each threaded end passing through a respective one of said two through holes, and
a first pair of nuts and second pair of nuts respectively attached to said first threaded end and said second threaded end.

4. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein said first plate extends at an angle to said bracket, and wherein said angle is not zero, ninety or one hundred eighty degrees.

5. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein an angle of each tab is between 10 to 80 degrees.

6. The mounting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first connectors, each first connector comprising a first threaded portion holding a first nut having an outer perimeter shape wherein each outer perimeter shape is different from each other outer perimeter shape of said first nuts of said plurality of first connectors, and wherein each outer perimeter shape seats into a corresponding inner perimeter shape of said tabs of said plurality of mounting positions, and
wherein each first connector includes a second threaded portion holding a second nut, wherein said second nut secures said first connector into a corresponding mounting position.

7. The mounting system according to claim 6 , wherein a selected outer perimeter shape comprises a pentagon, square, circular, triangular, circular with at least one flat edge portion, circular with at least one star tip protrusion, or hexagonal shape.

8. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein an inner perimeter shape of a first keyhole in the plurality of keyholes matches the inner perimeter shape of a first mounting position in said first plate to which said first keyhole is aligned.

9. The mounting system according to claim 8 , wherein the inner perimeter shape of the first keyhole is larger in size than the inner perimeter shape of the first mounting position in said first plate to which said first keyhole is aligned.

10. The mounting system according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a plurality of second connectors, each second connector including a third threaded portion holding a third nut with an outer perimeter having a shape unique as compared to third nuts of other second connectors of said plurality of second connectors, each outer perimeter of each third nut being able to pass through at most one keyhole of said plurality of keyholes of said second plate, and
each second connector being structured to mate with a respective first connector attached to the mounting position in said first plate which is aligned with the keyhole through which said second connector passes.

11. The mounting system according to claim 1 , wherein said second plate is attached to said first plate by fasteners such that a spacing between said second plate and said first plate may be adjusted.

12. The mounting system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a grounding region associated with at least one of said first plate and said bracket, said grounding region including plural through holes for accepting ground wires.

13. The mounting system according to claim 12 , wherein said grounding region includes a bus bar mounted thereto via offsets, said bus bar including said plural through holes for accepting ground wires.

14. The mounting system of claim 1 , wherein a first connector is mounted at a first mounting position and a second connector is mounted at a second mounting position, wherein the first connector is mated to a first cord carrying an optical fiber, and wherein the second connector is mated to a second cord carrying an electrical conductor.

15. A plurality of connectors comprising:
a plurality of first connectors, each first connector including a first threaded portion and a first nut threaded onto said first threaded portion, wherein said first nut of each first connector comprises an outer perimeter having a shape different from shapes of other first nuts of other first connectors of said plurality of first connectors; and
a plurality of second connectors, each second connector including a third threaded portion and a third nut threaded onto said third threaded portion, wherein said third nut comprises an outer perimeter having a shape unique as compared to third nuts of other second connectors of said plurality of second connectors,
wherein each second connector being structured to mate with a first connector of said plurality of first connectors, and
wherein each first connector includes a second threaded portion and a second nut threaded onto said second threaded portion, wherein said second nut is used to secure said first connector into a mounting position in a plate.

16. The plurality of connectors according to claim 15 , wherein each first connector further includes a stop flange, wherein said first threaded portion is adjacent to said stop flange and said first nut abuts said stop flange, and wherein said second threaded portion is adjacent to said first threaded portion, and wherein said first connector is mounted to the plate by locating the first nut within the mounting position and sandwiching a portion of the plate forming a perimeter of the mounting position between said stop flange and said second nut or a washer adjacent to said second nut.

17. A mounting system comprising:
a bracket having at least one feature for securing said bracket to a pole or wall;
a plate connected to said bracket, said plate having a plurality of mounting positions, each having an inner perimeter shape different from the inner perimeter shapes of the other mounting positions;
a plurality of connectors, each connector including a first threaded portion holding a first nut with an outer perimeter having a shape unique as compared to first nuts of other first connectors of said plurality of connectors, said outer perimeter of said first nut seating into one and only one of said plural mounti

Assignees

• Commscope Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Islam Nahid
• Hanley John T

Classifications

• H01R13/74 Primary

  Means for mounting coupling parts in openings of a panel · CPC title

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/518 Primary

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title

• H01R13/746

  using a screw ring · CPC title

• H01R13/64

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title