Granted Patent B2

US 7,563,996 · App. 11/800,062 · Granted Jul 21, 2009

Abstract

Claims (73)

1. A combiner module, comprising:

a) a housing having a front and a back;

b) rear connectors located at the back of the housing;

c) front connectors located at the front of the housing, each of the front connectors including a first spring contact and a second spring contact, each of the first and second spring contacts being electrically connected to one of the rear connectors;

d) attenuator plugs that plug into the front connectors, each attenuator plug including first and second pins that engage the first and second spring contacts of one front connector when plugged into the one front connector wherein signals entering the one front connector from the rear connectors are caused to be routed through the attenuator plug; and

e) electrical by-pass circuits that each permit signals from the rear connectors to pass through an associated front connector in the absence of the attenuator plug.

2. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein the electrical by-pass circuits each electrically connect the first and second spring contacts of the associated front connector in the absence of the attenuator plug.

3. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein each front connector has a ground contact, and wherein each attenuator plug has three pins including the first and second pins that engage the first and second spring contacts and a ground pin that engages the ground contact of the front connector.

4. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein the combiner module is a 6-port combiner module including six front connectors.

5. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein the combiner module is an 8-port combiner module including eight front connectors.

6. The combiner module of claim 1 , further including a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the front connectors being mounted on a front edge of the printed circuit board.

7. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein each attenuator plug partly defines a first electrical circuit when the plug is fully plugged into the front connector, the first electrical circuit and the associated electrical by-pass circuit existing concurrently when the attenuation plug is partially removed from the front connector.

8. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein the spring contacts of the front connectors are normally biased to establish connection with the associated electrical by-pass circuit.

9. The combiner module of claim 1 , wherein the rear connectors are coax connectors.

10. A combiner module, comprising:

a) a housing defining a plurality of attenuator plug ports;

b) attenuator plug connectors positioned within the housing adjacent the attenuator plug ports, each of the attenuator plug connectors including a first contact and a second contact;

c) a plurality of input coax connectors mounted to the housing;

d) an output coax connector mounted to the housing;

e) circuitry that electrically connects the input coax connectors to the output coax connector, the circuitry including a plurality of combiners and at least one directional coupler, the circuitry being routed through the attenuator plug connectors as the circuitry extends from the input coax connectors to the output coax connector;

f) attenuator plugs that plug into the attenuator plug connectors, each attenuator plug engaging both the first and second contacts of one attenuator plug connector when plugged into the one attenuator plug connector wherein signals entering the one attenuator plug connector from the input coax connectors are caused to be routed through the attenuator plug before being transmitted to the output coax connector; and

g) electrical by-pass circuits that each permit signals from the input coax connectors to pass through an associated attenuator plug connector in the absence of the attenuator plug;

h) wherein the electrical by-pass circuits close before the attenuator plugs break contact with the first and second contacts during withdrawal of the attenuator plugs from the attenuator plug ports.

11. The combiner module of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a front side and a rear side, wherein the input and output coax connectors are positioned at the rear side, and wherein the attenuator plug ports are positioned at the front side.

12. The combiner module of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry that electrically connects the input coax connectors to the output coax connector is provided on a circuit board positioned within the housing.

13. An equalizer module, comprising:

a) a housing having a front and a back;

b) rear connectors located at the back of the housing;

c) a front connector located at the front of the housing, the front connector including a first spring contact and a second spring contact, the first and second spring contacts being electrically connected to at least one of the rear connectors;

d) an equalizer plug that plugs into the front connector, the equalizer plug including first and second pins that engage the first and second spring contacts of the front connector when plugged into the front connector wherein signals entering the front connector from the rear connectors are caused to be routed through the equalizer plug; and

e) an electrical by-pass circuit that permits signals from the rear connectors to pass through the front connector in the absence of the equalizer plug.

14. The equalizer module of claim 13 , wherein the electrical by-pass circuit electrically connects the first and second spring contacts of the front connector in the absence of the equalizer plug.

15. The equalizer module of claim 13 , wherein the front connector has a ground contact, and wherein the equalizer plug has three pins including the first and second pins that engage the first and second spring contacts and a ground pin that engages the ground contact of the front connector.

16. The equalizer module of claim 13 , further including a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the front connector being mounted on a front edge of the printed circuit board.

17. The equalizer module of claim 13 , wherein the equalizer plug partly defines a first electrical circuit when the plug is fully plugged into the front connector, the first electrical circuit and the electrical by-pass circuit existing concurrently when the equalizer plug is partially removed from the front connector.

18. The equalizer module of claim 13 , wherein the spring contacts of the front connector are normally biased to establish connection with the electrical by-pass circuit.

19. The equalizer module of claim 13 , wherein the rear connectors are coax connectors.

20. An equalizer module, comprising:

a) a housing defining an equalizer plug port;

b) an equalizer plug connector positioned within the housing adjacent the equalizer plug port, the equalizer plug connector including a first contact and a second contact;

c) an input coax connector mounted to the housing;

d) an output coax connector mounted to the housing;

e) circuitry that electrically connects the input coax connector to the output coax connector, the circuitry including a directional coupler, the circuitry being routed through the equalizer plug connector as the circuitry extends from the input coax connector to the output coax connector;

f) an equalizer plug that plugs into the equalizer plug connector, the equalizer plug engaging both the first and second contacts of the equalizer plug connector when plugged into the equalizer plug connector wherein a signal entering the equalizer plug connector from the input coax connector is caused to be routed through the equalizer plug before being transmitted to the output coax connector; and

g) an electrical by-pass circuit that permits a signal from the input coax connector to pass through the equalizer plug connector in the absence of the equalizer plug;

h) wherein the electrical by-pass circuit closes before the equalizer plug breaks contact with the first and second contacts during withdrawal of the equalizer plug from the equalizer plug port.

21. The equalizer module of claim 20 , wherein the housing includes a front side and a rear side, wherein the input and output coax connectors are positioned at the rear side, and wherein the equalizer plug port is positioned at the front side.

22. The equalizer module of claim 21 , wherein the circuitry that electrically connects the input coax connector to the output coax connector is provided on a circuit board positioned within the housing.

23. A combiner module, comprising:

a) a housing having a front and a back;

b) rear connectors located at the back of the housing;

c) front connectors located at the front of the housing, each of the front connectors including a first contact and a second contact, each of the first and second contacts being electrically connected to one of the rear connectors;

d) attenuator plugs that plug into the front connectors, each attenuator plug engaging both the first and second contacts of one front connector when plugged into the one front connector wherein signals entering the one front connector from the rear connectors are caused to be routed through the attenuator plug; and

e) electrical by-pass circuits that each permit signals from the rear connectors to pass through an associated front connector in the absence of the attenuator plug;

f) wherein each attenuator plug partly defines a first electrical circuit when the plug is fully plugged into the front connector, the first electrical circuit and the associated electrical by-pass circuit existing concurrently when the attenuation plug is partially removed from the front connector.

24. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein the electrical by-pass circuits each electrically connect the first and second contacts of the associated front connector in the absence of the attenuator plug.

25. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein each front connector has a ground contact, and wherein each attenuator plug has three pins including first and second pins that engage the first and second contacts and a ground pin that engages the ground contact of the front connector.

26. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein the combiner module is a 6-port combiner module including six front connectors.

27. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein the combiner module is an 8-port combiner module including eight front connectors.

28. The combiner module of claim 23 , further including a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the front connectors being mounted on a front edge of the printed circuit board.

29. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein the first and second contacts of the front connectors are sleeve-like sockets.

30. The combiner module of claim 23 , wherein the rear connectors are coax connectors.

31. An equalizer module, comprising:

a) a housing having a front and a back;

b) rear connectors located at the back of the housing;

c) a front connector located at the front of the housing, the front connector including a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being electrically connected to at least one of the rear connectors;

d) an equalizer plug that plugs into the front connector, the equalizer plug engaging both the first and second contacts of the front connector when plugged into the front connector wherein signals entering the front connector from the rear connectors are caused to be routed through the equalizer plug; and

e) an electrical by-pass circuit that permits signals from the rear connectors to pass through the front connector in the absence of the equalizer plug;

f) wherein the equalizer plug partly defines a first electrical circuit when the plug is fully plugged into the front connector, the first electrical circuit and the electrical by-pass circuit existing concurrently when the equalizer plug is partially removed from the front connector.

32. The equalizer module of claim 31 , wherein the electrical by-pass circuit electrically connects the first and second contacts of the front connector in the absence of the equalizer plug.

33. The equalizer module of claim 31 , wherein the front connector has a ground contact, and wherein the equalizer plug has three pins including first and second pins that engage the first and second contacts and a ground pin that engages the ground contact of the front connector.

34. The equalizer module of claim 31 , further including a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, the front connector being mounted on a front edge of the printed circuit board.

35. The equalizer module of claim 31 , wherein the rear connectors are coax connectors.

Assignments (10)