# US 6,974,911 B2 · Modular wiring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,974,911 B2 - Document ID: US6974911B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/434,697 - Filed: 2003-05-09 - Published: 2004-11-11 - Granted: 2005-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2003-05-09 - Assignees: Electec Limited - Inventors: Douglas Hyde - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6974911B2 ## CPC - H02G 3/00: Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00) - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES ## Abstract A modular terminal connector system for zone wiring systems. A patch panel, a zone box, and a cubicle are connected to each other with cables. Each cable carries a single data channel comprising voice and data communications signals, and has one end coupled to a male compound connector and another end coupled to a female compound connector. The male compound connector includes three plugs and the female compound connector includes three outlets, where the plugs and the outlets are arranged in the same configuration such that the male compound connector can be plugged into the female compound connector. The zone box houses a number of female compound connectors, while the patch panel includes a number of ganged zone boxes. The cubicle or workstation can include a cable grommet for securing a female compound connector therein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A building zone wiring system for providing a data connection between a patch panel having a data channel and a workstation, comprising: a first cable for connecting the data channel with a node, the cable having a first male compound connector for plugging into the patch panel and a first female compound connector for location at the node, the first male compound connector having at least two commercially available plugs, each commercially available plug receiving one communication signal of the data channel, and the first female compound connector having at least two commercially available jacks, each commercially available jack being coupled to a corresponding commercially available plug; and a second cable for continuing the data channel from the node to the workstation, the second cable having a second male compound connector configured identically to the first male compound connector and for plugging into the first female compound connector, and a second female compound connector identically configured to the first female compound connector for location at the workstation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein the second female compound connector is housed in a cable grommet for securing the second female compound connector in a structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein the data channel includes three communication signals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein the first male compound connector and the second male compound connector include three commercially available plugs, each commercially available plug receiving a respective communication signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The building wiring system of claim 4, wherein the first female compound connector and the second female compound connector include three commercially available outlets, each commercially available outlet being coupled to a corresponding commercially available plug. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The building wiring system of claim 5, wherein the three commercially available plugs and the three commercially available outlets are arranged in a row configuration. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The building wiring system of claim 5, wherein the three commercially available plugs of the first male compound connector and the second male compound connector, and the three commercially available outlets of the first female compound connector and the second female compound connector are arranged in a predefined configuration. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The building wiring system of claim 7, wherein each commercially available plug is removably connectable to each commercially available outlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The building wiring system of claim 8, wherein each commercially available plug includes a locking tab for interlocking with each commercially available outlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The building wiring system of claim 9, wherein the first male compound connector includes a release button positioned for simultaneously depressing each locking tab. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein the zone box is shaped to house a predetermined number of second female compound connectors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The building wiring system of claim 11, wherein the patch panel includes a plurality of zone boxes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein the at least two commercially available plugs of the first and the second male compound connectors have identical configurations, and the at least two commercially available outlets of the first and the second female compound connectors have identical configurations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The building wiring system of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two commercially available plugs of the first and the second male compound connectors has a different configuration than the other of the at least two commercially available plugs, and one of the at least two commercially available outlets has a different configuration than the other of the at least two commercially available outlets. ### Claim 15 A building wiring system comprising: a patch panel having a predetermined number identical female compound receptacles for providing respective data channels therefrom; a cable bundle having identically configured male compound connectors, each pluggable into one of the female compound receptacles, for coupling the data channels to corresponding identically configured female compound connectors; a zone box for housing the female compound connectors; and, a cable having a modular male compound connector identically configured to each male compound connector and pluggable into one of the female compound connectors, for coupling one of the data channels to a corresponding modular female compound connector identically configured to each female compound connector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The building wiring system of claim 15, wherein the modular female compound connector is housed in a cable grommet for securing the modular female compound connector in a structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The building wiring system of claim 15, wherein each male compound connector includes at least two commercially available plugs, each commercially available plug receiving one communication signal of one of the data channels, and each female compound connector includes at least two commercially available jacks, each commercially available jack being coupled to the corresponding commercially available plug. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The building wiring system of claim 17, wherein each male compound connector includes a casing for partially housing the at least two commercially available plugs. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The building wiring system of claim 18, wherein the casing of the first male compound connector includes a release button positioned for simultaneously depressing each locking tab. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The building wiring system of claim 17, wherein the at least two commercially available plugs of the first and the second male compound connectors have identical configurations, and the at least two commercially available outlets of the first and the second female compound connectors have identical configurations. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The building wiring system of claim 17, wherein one of the at least two commercially available plugs of the first and the second male compound connectors has a different configuration than the other of the at least two commercially available plugs, and one of the at least two commercially available outlets has a different configuration than the other of the at least two commercially available outlets. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The building wiring system of claim 17, wherein the male compound connector includes three commercially available plugs, each commercially available plug receiving a respective communication signal. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The building wiring system of claim 22, wherein the first female compound connector includes three commercially available outlets, each commercially available outlet being coupled to a corresponding commercially available plug. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The building wiring system of claim 23, wherein the three commercially available plugs of the first male compound connector, and the three commercially available outlets of the first female compound connector are arranged in a predefined configuration. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The building wiring system of claim 24, wherein the three commercially available plugs and the three commercially available outlets are arranged in a row configuration. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The building wiring system of claim 23, wherein each of the three commercially available plugs is removably connectable to each of the three commercially available outlets. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The building wiring system of claim 23, wherein each of the three commercially available plugs includes a locking tab for interlocking with each of the three commercially available outlets. ### Claim 28 (depends on 15) The building wiring system of claim 15, wherein the cable bundle includes a sheath for bundling a predetermined number of zone cables within the sheath, each zone cable housing a plurality of communication lines, and, a predetermined number of communication cables bundled within each zone cable, each communication cable housing the communication lines associated with one of the data channels. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The building wiring system of claim 28, wherein the cable bundle includes four zone cables. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The building wiring system of claim 28, wherein each zone cable bundles three communication cables.