All The Claims

1. A flange connection with two pipe ends (1\u2032, 2\u2032, 51\u2032 52\u2032) with pipe axes (15), on each of which one flange (1, 2, 51, 52) is disposed, which, in the direction radial to the pipe axes (15) include flange faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) and are positioned opposite one another, comprising: a centering ring (33, 34) enclosed by the flange faces, an elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) that is at least partially in contact with the centering ring, both flanges (1, 2, 51, 52) comprising means for the detachable clamping of the two flanges (1, 2, 51, 52) against one another such that the flange faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) are in contact on the centering ring (33, 34) and thereby are held at a predetermined flange distance (10, 60, D) and the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is pressed on the flange faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) in the direction parallel to the pipe axes (15) forming a seal, and wherein the centering ring (33, 34) is positioned such that it is at least partially in contact on the periphery of the flanges (1, 2, 51, 52) and in the radial direction to the pipe axes (15), and that thereon are disposed annularly inwardly directed bearing means (18), about which the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54), formed to be U-shaped in cross section, is disposed such that on the side flanks of the U-shape on both sides an annular areal flange contact zone (6, 6\u2032, 56, 56\u2032, B) is formed.
2. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing means (18) is formed as an annular bearing nose.
3. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is fixed on the bearing means (18).
4. The flange as claimed in claim 1, wherein the U-shaped elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) in the radial direction to the pipe axis (15) has a width (B) of the flat U-shank in the range of the 3- to 10-fold of the flange distance (10, 60, D).
5. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange connection is a small flange connection, wherein both flanges (1, 2) comprise on their side one conical tightening face (8, 8\u2032) each which are encompassed with a detachable clamp (5) such that they are clamped in such manner that the flange faces (11, 11\u2032) are in contact on the centering ring (33) and thereby are held at the predetermined flange distance (10) and the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is pressed on the flange faces (11, 11\u2032) in the direction of the pipe axes (15) forming the seal, and that the diameter of the pipe ends (1\u2032, 2\u2032) with the flanges (1, 2) is in the range from 10 to 300 mm.
6. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange connection is a bolted flange connection comprising a clamp flange connection with bolted clamps (64, 65, 72) disposed at the periphery of the flanges and the diameter of the pipe ends (51\u2032, 52\u2032) with the flanges (51, 52) is in the range from 60 to 1000 mm.
7. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange connection is a small flange connection, wherein both flanges (1, 2) comprise on their side one conical tightening face (8, 8\u2032) each which are encompassed with a detachable clamp (5) such that they are clamped in such manner that the flange faces (11, 11\u2032) are in contact on the centering ring (33) and thereby are held at the predetermined flange distance (10) and the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is pressed on the flange faces (11, 11\u2032) in the direction of the pipe axes (15) forming the seal, and that the diameter of the pipe ends (1\u2032, 2\u2032) with the flanges (1, 2) is in the range from 10 to 60 mm.
8. A flange connection with a pipe end (1\u2032, 51\u2032) with a pipe axis (15) on which a flange (1, 51) is disposed and with a plate (81, 83, 62, 63) with an opening, whose axis coincides with the pipe axis (15), wherein in the radial direction to the pipe axis (15) the flange and the plate include faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) and the faces are positioned such that they oppose one another, comprising: a centering ring (33, 34) enclosed by the faces, an elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) at least partially in contact with the centering ring, the flanges (1, 2, 51, 52) including means for the detachable clamping of the flange (1, 51) and the plate (81, 83, 62, 63) against one another such that the faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) are in contact on the centering ring (33, 34) and thereby are held at a predetermined flange distance (10, 60, D) and the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is pressed on the faces (11, 11\u2032, 61, 61\u2032) in a direction parallel to the pipe axis (15), forming a seal, and wherein the centering ring (33, 34) is at least partially in contact on the periphery of the flange (1, 52) and is positioned in the radial direction to the pipe axis (15) and that thereon, annularly directed inwardly bearing means (18) are disposed about which the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54), formed to be U-shaped in cross section, is disposed, such that on the side flanks of the U-shape on both sides an annular areal flange contact zone (6, 6\u2032, 56, 56\u2032, B) is formed.
9. The flange connection as claimed in claim 8, wherein the bearing means (18) is formed as an annular bearing nose.
10. The flange connection as claimed in claim 8, wherein the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is fixed on the bearing means (18).
11. The flange connection as claimed in claim 8, wherein the U-shaped elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) in the radial direction to the pipe axis (15) has a width (B) of the flat U-shank in the range of the 3- to 10-fold of the flange distance (10, 60, D).
12. The flange connection as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange connection is a small flange connection, wherein the flanges (1, 2) comprise on their side opposite their faces one conical tightening surface (8, 8\u2032) each which are encompassed with a detachable clamp (5) such that they are clamped in such manner that the faces (11, 11\u2032) are in contact on the centering ring (33) and thereby are held at the predetermined flange distance (10) and the elastomer sealing ring (14, 54) is pressed on the flange faces (11, 11\u2032) in the direction of the pipe axes (15) forming the seal, and that the diameter of the pipe ends (1\u2032, 2\u2032) with the flanges (1, 2) is in the range from 10 to 300 mm.
13. The flange connection as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flange connection is a bolted flange connection comprising a clamp flange connection with bolted clamps (64, 65, 72) disposed at the periphery of the flanges and that the diameter of the pipe ends (51\u2032, 52\u2032) with the flanges (51, 52) is in the range from 60 to 1000 mm.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A fiber optic connector and cable assembly comprising:
a fiber optic connector including a connector body and a boot, the boot being more flexible than the connector body, and the boot having a distal end portion that is coupled to a proximal end portion of the connector body; and
a fiber optic cable including an optical fiber, an outer jacket that surrounds the optical fiber, and a tensile reinforcing structure that provides tensile reinforcement to the fiber optic cable, the optical fiber extending through the boot towards the connector body, and the tensile reinforcing structure being anchored relative to the boot at an anchoring location positioned at a proximal half-portion of the boot.
2. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a crimp band for securing the reinforcing layer to a reinforcing layer anchor installed within the boot.
3. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the crimp band is distally offset from a proximal-most end of the boot.
4. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the crimp band is positioned at proximal-most end of the boot.
5. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising an anchoring member disposed within an interior of the boot, the anchoring member defining an inner passage through which the optical fiber extends, wherein the tensile reinforcing structure is crimped to the anchoring member.
6. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 5, wherein the tensile reinforcing structure is crimped to the anchoring member with the crimp band.
7. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 5, wherein the anchoring member includes an outer wall and an inner wall, wherein the tensile reinforcing structure is crimped between the outer and inner walls.
8. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the tensile reinforcing structure is adhesively anchored to the boot.
9. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 8, wherein the optical fiber and the outer jacket also are adhesively anchored to the boot.
10. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the anchoring location defines a demarcation point at which the tensile reinforcing structure, the optical fiber, and the outer jacket are fixed relative to the boot.
11. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 10, wherein the tensile reinforcing structure is anchored to a proximal-most end of the boot.
12. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of the boot fits into the proximal end portion of the connector body.
13. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of the boot fits over the proximal end portion of the connector body.
14. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the boot defines a fiber channel configured to accommodate excess fiber length when the distal end of the optical fiber is moved relative to the connector body.
15. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein a moment arm of the fiber optic connector is no more than about 25 mm.
16. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber extends through the connector body so that a distal end of the optical fiber is accessible at a distal end portion of the connector body.
17. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein a stub optical fiber is spliced to the optical fiber of the fiber optic cable at an optical splice, wherein a distal end of the stub optical fiber is accessible at a distal end portion of the connector body.
18. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 17, wherein the optical splice is located within a fiber take-up region of the boot.
19. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, further comprising a ferrule positioned at the distal end portion of the connector body and a spring that biases the ferrule in a distal direction relative to the connector body, wherein the optical fiber is coupled to the ferrule.
20. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector body is an LC connector body.
21. The fiber optic connector and cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector body is an SC connector body.
22. A method of assembling a fiber optic connector and cable assembly, the method comprising:
inserting a distal end portion of a boot into a proximal end portion of a connector body until the boot engages with the connector body at a first position;
anchoring a tensile reinforcing structure of a fiber optic cable to the boot at an anchoring location at a proximal half-portion of the boot; and
moving the boot relative to the connector body from the first position to a second position, the anchoring location being closer to the connector body when the boot is in the second position.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein inserting the distal end portion of the boot into the proximal end portion of the connector body until the boot engages with the connector body at the first position comprises sliding the distal end portion of the boot into the proximal end portion of the connector body until a first ridge of the boot engages a first shoulder defined within the connector body.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein moving the boot relative to the connector body from the first position to the second position comprises further sliding the distal end portion of the boot into the proximal end portion of the connector body until a first ridge of the boot engages a second shoulder defined within the connector body and a second ridge of the boot engages the first shoulder defined within the connector body.

1. A network interface device for providing communications services to a subscriber, the network interface device comprising:
a first base comprising a first floor and a first sidewall that define a first compartment for connecting a network drop cable to a subscriber cable; and
a second base comprising a second floor and a second sidewall that define a second compartment for storing an excess length of the network drop cable, the first compartment being movable relative to the second compartment to provide access to the excess length of network drop cable without disturbing the connections between the network drop cable and the subscriber cable.
2. The network interface device according to claim 1 further comprising a connections and components panel disposed within the first compartment, the panel having an outer side defining a connections area and an inner side defining a components area.
3. The network interface device according to claim 2 wherein the panel is movably disposed within the first compartment between a first position for providing access to the connections area and a second position for providing access to the components area.
4. The network interface device according to claim 3 wherein the panel comprises a security screw for securing the panel to the first base in the first position and thereby prevents unauthorized access to the components area.
5. The network interface device according to claim 2 wherein the network drop cable is a fiber optic cable containing at least one optical fiber and wherein the connections area comprises a fiber optic connection for receiving a connectorized optical fiber of the fiber optic drop cable and a connectorized pigtail that is routed into the components area and optically connected to an optical component disposed within the components area.
6. The network interface device according to claim 5 wherein the optical component is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising an optical-to-electrical converter.
7. The network interface device according to claim 2 wherein the subscriber cable is an electrical cable containing at least one twisted wire pair and wherein the connections area comprises at least one terminating device for receiving the twisted wire pair and a pair of jumper wires that are routed into the components area and electrically connected to an electrical component disposed within the components area.
8. The network interface device according to claim 2 wherein the network drop cable is a fiber optic cable containing at least one optical fiber and wherein the connections area comprises a splice tray for receiving the optical fiber of the fiber optic drop cable and an optical fiber pigtail that is routed into the components area and optically connected to an optical component disposed within the components area.
9. The network interface device according to claim 2 wherein the subscriber cable is an electrical cable containing at least one twisted wire pair and wherein the connections area comprises at least one connector jack for receiving the twisted wire pair and a pair of jumper wires that are routed into the components area and electrically connected to an electrical component disposed within the components area.
10. A network interface device according to claim 1 wherein the first base is rotatably mounted to the second base and wherein the first base rotates outwardly relative to the second base to provide access to the excess length of network drop cable.
11. A network interface device for providing communications services to a subscriber, the network interface device comprising:
a base comprising a floor, a first sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to define a first compartment for connecting a network drop cable to a subscriber cable and a second sidewall extending upwardly from the floor to define a second compartment for storing an excess length of the network drop cable, the second compartment being disposed radially outwardly from the first compartment to provide access to the excess length of network drop cable without disturbing the connections between the network drop cable and the subscriber cable.
12. The network interface device according to claim 11 further comprising a connections and components panel disposed within the first compartment, the panel having an outer side defining a connections area and an inner side defining a components area.
13. The network interface device according to claim 12 wherein the connections area is positioned within the first compartment at a first elevation and the components area is positioned within the first compartment between the connections area and the floor at a second elevation that is different than the first elevation.
14. The network interface device according to claim 12 wherein the panel is movably disposed within the first compartment between a first position for providing access to the connections area and a second position for providing access to the components area.
15. The network interface device according to claim 14 wherein the panel comprises a security screw for securing the panel to the base in the first position and thereby prevents unauthorized access to the components area.
16. A network interface device for providing communications services to a subscriber, the network interface device comprising a first compartment for connecting a network drop cable to a subscriber cable and a second compartment for storing an excess length of the network drop cable, the second compartment being disposed relative to the first compartment to provide access to the excess length of network drop cable without disturbing the connections between the network drop cable and the subscriber cable.
17. A network interface device according to claim 16 further comprising a connections and components panel disposed within the first compartment, the panel having an outer side defining a connections area and an inner side defining a components area.
18. A network interface device according to claim 17 wherein the connections and components panel is movably disposed within the first compartment between a first position for providing access to the connections area and a second position for providing access to the components area.
19. A network interface device according to claim 16 further comprising a connections and components panel disposed within the first compartment, the panel being removable and interchangeable between a first panel having a first configuration adapted for use with a first communications services network and a second panel having a second configuration adapted for use with a second communications network.
20. A network interface device according to claim 16 wherein the first compartment is positioned within a first base and the second compartment is positioned within a second base and wherein the first base is movably mounted to the second base and rotates outwardly relative to the second base to provide access to the excess length of network drop cable.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for preventing robots from browsing a Web site beyond a welcome page, said method in said Web site comprising the steps of:
receiving an initial request from an undefined originator and responding to said initial request with a challenge that prompts a response from said undefined originator; and
receiving a response from said undefined originator and checking said response to determine whether said challenge is fulfilled; and
if said challenge is fulfilled:
processing any further requests; and

if said challenge is not fulfilled:
stopping processing of any further requests, wherein said step of stopping processing of said further requests includes the further step of:
dropping or redirecting a TCP connection established with said undefined originator

logging a source IP address of said undefined originator and starting a timer,
further including steps upon receiving a new request of:
checking whether a source IP address of said new request matches said logged source IP address; and
if said source IP address matches said logged source IP address:
checking whether said timer has expired and, if said timer is expired, resetting said logged IP address; and
proceeding normally with said new request; and
if said timer is not expired, dropping or redirecting said TCP connection;
if said source IP address does not match said logged source IP address, proceeding normally with said new request and executing all the above steps with each newly received request.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
said challenge includes prompting said undefined originator to perform a specific action.
3. The method according to claim 2 wherein:
said prompting is different at each subsequent access of said web site.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein:
said response includes making a choice among a plurality of prompted response options.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
8. The method according to claim 2, wherein said response is suggested by textual meaning.
9. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
said prompting is different at each subsequent access of said web site.
10. The method according to claim 9 wherein:
said response includes making a choice among a plurality of prompted response options.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
13. The method according to claim 1 wherein:
said response includes making a choice among a plurality of prompted response options.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said response is suggested by textual meaning.
16. The method according to claim 9, wherein said response is suggested by textual meaning.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said response is suggested by textual meaning.
19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said response is suggested by textual meaning.
20. A computer process for preventing robots from browsing a web site beyond a welcome page, comprising computer-executable steps of:
receiving an initial request from an undefined originator and responding to said initial request with a challenge that prompts a response from said undefined originator; and
receiving a response from said undefined originator and checking said response to determine whether said challenge is fulfilled; and
if said challenge is fulfilled:
processing any further requests; and

if said challenge is not fulfilled:
stopping processing of any further requests, wherein said step of stopping processing of said further requests includes the further step of:
dropping or redirecting a TCP connection established with said undefined originator

logging a source IP address of said undefined originator and starting a timer,
further including computer-executable steps for:
checking whether a source IP address of said new request matches said logged source IP address; and
if said source IP address matches said logged source IP address:
checking whether said timer has expired and, if said timer is expired, resetting said logged IP address; and
proceeding normally with said new request; and
if said timer is not expired, dropping or redirecting said TCP connection;
if said source IP address does not match said logged source IP address, proceeding normally with said new request and executing all the above steps with each newly received request.
21. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to perform a specific action.
22. A computer process according to claim 21, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response chosen from among a plurality of prompted response options.
23. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
changing said prompting at each access of said website.
24. A computer process according to claim 23, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response chosen from among a plurality of prompted response options.
25. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response chosen from among a plurality of prompted response options.
26. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response chosen from among a plurality of prompted response options.
27. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response that is an answer to a quiz.
28. A computer process according to claim 20, further including computer-executable steps for:
prompting said undefined originator to make a response based upon the knowledge content of said prompt.
29. The method according to claim 2 wherein:
said response includes making a choice among a plurality of prompted response options.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said response includes an answer to a quiz.