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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This relates to the field of articles having lids and more particularly to
electrical junction boxes containing connections of service wires and
telephone distribution cable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are several commercially utilized connectors for providing
interconnection between individual wires of service lines for customers to
the main distribution cable of a telephone utility company in an enclosure
or junction box, usually by means of an intermediate stub cable. The
enclosure can be mounted in a ground level pedestal, or within a building,
or mounted on an outside wall or a pole. Such enclosures which are for
outdoor use must protect the connections from the environment, such as
from precipitation, dust, insects, rodents and the like. One example of
such an enclosure is sold by AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. under Part
No. 769164 as AMP Quiet Front Pole Mount Terminal, adapted for connection
of up to 25 pairs of service wires. Another example of enclosure is also
sold by AMP Incorporated, AMP Quiet Front Terminal Closure having Part No.
769147-1 for connection of up to six pairs.
One example of connector for mounting within enclosure is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,006,077 in which terminal blocks include silos within which are
contained respective barrel terminals already terminated to conductors of
the distribution cable and are apertured to receive ends of service wires
inserted thereinto for termination thereto to define the electrical
connection.
In several types of junction boxes for such connectors, overvoltage
protector elements are provided on the circuits which protect the circuits
of the customer's equipment from energy surges, such as from lightning
strikes and the like. Several examples of such protectors are disclosed in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,158,869; 4,161,762; and 4,133,019. Modules containing
such protectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,742,541; 4,159,500;
4,613,732 and 4,675,778. The telecommunications industry has established
standards for performance and certain dimensional and design requirements
for such protectors; one example is Bellcore Technical Reference No.
TR-TSY-000070, Issue 1, February, 1985, entitled "Customer Station Gas
Tube Protector Units".
It is desired to provide a module containing an array of such protectors
which can be assembled within an enclosure such that each protector is
electrically connected in-line for the circuits interconnected by the
terminals of the terminal block contained within the enclosure, upon
termination of a service wire to a terminal.
It is further desired that such protector module be sealed against
moisture.
It is also desired to provide such a protector module with an openable lid
secured to the module's housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a system of securing a lid onto a housing, such as
for a module containing an array of protectors removably contained
therein, where the module includes a housing of dielectric material
defining protector-receiving cavities into which respective protectors are
insertable. Such a protector module is disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 07/863,626 filed Apr. 3, 1992 and assigned to the
assignee hereof.
The module includes a ground plate disposed across the upper face of the
housing body to become electrically engaged with a ground electrode of
each protector. At least a first contact is mounted proximate the bottom
of each cavity and includes a first contact section exposed within the
cavity for electrical engagement with a corresponding active electrode of
a respective protector. The first contact includes a deflectable arm
extending to an enlarged tab disposed transversely near the bottom of the
cavity and slightly upwardly therefrom to be engaged by the active
electrode protruding from the bottom of the protector establishing assured
electrical engagement therebetween with the tab being deflectable
downwardly toward the cavity bottom, which assures spring biased
electrical engagement with the protector's active electrode. The contact
is easily terminatable to an associated conductor wire of a stub cable to
which the enclosure is being assembled and to a corresponding terminal for
the circuit to be protected by the protector by having an end portion
exposed along or extending from the bottom face of the module housing,
defining a second contact section.
A lid of the housing is easily openable for access to the protectors for
servicing, self-retains on the housing body upon being opened, and
establishes a watertight seal with the housing body upon being closed. The
lid is adapted to seal around the entire periphery of the housing body
upon being closed, by including a resilient downwardly extending
peripheral flange having inner and outer wall sections defining an
upwardly extending channel therebetween canted outwardly. The peripheral
flange is forcefittable over a corresponding upwardly and outwardly
projecting lip around the upper edge of the side walls of the housing body
forming a snug fit therewith.
The lid of the present invention is secured to the housing body by a pair
of tabs extending downwardly along the outer side wall of the housing body
and through slots of projecting ledge portions integrally molded with the
housing body. The tabs have laterally extending latches along side edges
thereof proximate the free ends having upwardly facing latch surfaces
which prevent the tabs from being-pulled upwardly through the ledges once
inserted therethrough, retaining the lid to the housing body. The free
ends of the tabs can also be molded to extend rearwardly at a right angle
to the latches, enabling the lid to be lifted when opened until the free
ends engage the bottom surfaces of the ledge portions so that the lid may
be easily pivoted backwardly while still remaining secured to the housing
body, freeing access to the protector array from interference. Outer edges
of the tabs preferably are tapered at the free ends facilitating insertion
through the slots during attachment of the lid.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a module containing
surge protective devices, with the module adapted to provide for
interconnection with conductors of a stub cable and conductor lengths
extending to terminals of a terminal block, defining a unitary assembly
adapted for field connection of service wires to the stub cable in an
enclosure.
It is also an objective for such a protector-containing module to accept
commercially available protectors of several similar designs.
It is a further objective to provide effective sealing of such
protector-containing module by providing an openable lid secured to a
housing of the module in a manner permitting field replacement of the
protectors, if necessary.
It is also an objective to provide a lid for a protector-containing module
which is adapted to remain attached to the module after being opened, and
remain opened in a position to provide clear access to the protector array
during servicing.
It is additionally an objective for such lid to be an integrally molded
article pivotably attachable to one side of the module housing at
complementary securing means integral with the lid and with the housing
respectively.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed by way of
example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a protector module of the present invention
assembled to a corresponding terminal block, with the lid of one shown
open exposing several protectors in position, and a stub cable and
representative customer line assembled thereto;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are partial cross-section views of the protector module
showing the lid in open and closed positions respectively;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are isometric views from rearward and below the protector
module housing body showing the lid being assembled thereto; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a lid tab latched in a housing slot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 is illustrative of a completed enclosure 10 containing a terminal
block 12 within an enclosure housing, and a protector module 50 also
assembled therewithin, all electrically connecting conductors of stub
cable 14 to discrete customer lines such as representative line 16 to
provide telephone service between a central office and the customers.
Terminal block 12 includes a plurality of paired discrete housing sections
18,20 within which are disposed respective terminals interconnecting
respective wires 22,24 of customer lines 16 with respective conductors of
stub cable 14. One or more of customer lines 16 may be protected against
voltage surges by protectors 150 contained within protector module 50 and
electrically connected to the circuit comprising the customer line and the
conductors of the stub cable. Protectors 150 are in grounding engagement
with ground plate 54 secured across the top of dielectric housing 52 of
protector module 50, and extend through respective holes 56 therethrough
into cavities 58 of dielectric housing 52, with ground plate 54 being
electrically connected to ground stud 26 mounted in an end cap 28 which is
itself easily connected to ground by a ground wire (not shown).
Terminations of stub cable conductor wires to contacts of the module along
the bottom face of the module are preferably sealed by potting material as
shown in FIG. 5.
Sealing of the protector module from the environment is desired, and one
system of sealing of lid 60 to housing 52 is disclosed in U.S. patent
application Ser. No.07/862,677 filed Apr. 3, 1992 and assigned to the
assignee hereof. The top surface of module 50 is environmentally sealed by
appropriate sealing fit of lid 60 to module housing 52 and protecting
ground plate 54 and lugs 152 at the upper ends of protectors 150 in a
manner which also permits lid 60 to be opened for access, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3. Such a sealing fit is obtained as a result of the
particular cooperating structures of the periphery 182 of lid 60 and wall
section 62 of housing 52, with lid 60 comprised of resilient elastic
material such as a copolyether elastomer as is sold by General Electric
Company under the designation LOMOD FR5030A or optionally of a resilient
plastic material, with housing 52 preferably composed of a relatively
rigid plastic material such as a blend of acrylobutyl styrene and
polyvinylchloride polymers.
Wall section 62 of housing 52 preferably is canted to extend slightly
outwardly at an angle of between about 2.degree. to about 15.degree. such
as about 10.degree. to rounded edge surface 184. Periphery 182 of lid 60
preferably defines a lip having an edge-receiving channel 186 thereinto
canted upwardly and outwardly at a similar angle of between about
2.degree. to about 15.degree. such as about 10.degree. and thus is
complementary to wall section 62 of housing 52, with the width of channel
186 being dimensioned to form a tight fit with wall section 62 when mated
therewith. Channel 186 is defined between an angled inner wall 188 and an
angled outer wall 190 parallel thereto, and preferably a leadin 192 at the
channel entrance is provided assisting angled wall section 62 of housing
52 to enter canted channel 186 the center of which is otherwise offset
slightly inwardly from the center of edge surface 184 of canted wall
section 62, since the bottom 194 of channel 186 is vertically aligned with
respect thereto substantially entirely peripherally around housing 52 thus
being offset outwardly from the channel entrance. With lid 60 being made
of resilient material, angled outer wall 190 is elastically deflectable
outwardly as edge surface 184 enters canted channel 186, with deflection
initiated by bearing engagement of rounded edge surface 184 with leadin
192, as lid 60 is closed onto housing 52 with moderate pressure easily
manually applied. Also outer wall 190 may be angled toward inner wall 188
at the entrance to define a constriction narrower than the thickness of
canted wall section 62 assuring tight engagement without inhibiting
receipt of the upper edge into the channel.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, lid 60 includes a pair of hinge tabs 196
extending downwardly therefrom along rear surface 198 of housing 52 of
protector module 50 and are inserted into corresponding vertical slots 200
formed through horizontal ledge sections 202 along rear surface 198. Hinge
tabs 196 each preferably include a free end 204 extend around a right
angle bend 206 with outwardly extending latching projections 208 defining
latch surfaces 210 which are latchingly engageable with downwardly facing
surfaces 212 of ledge sections 202 of housing 52. Hinge tab 196 is
insertable into slot 200 from above, with angled outwardly facing surfaces
214 bearing against inside surfaces of ledge sections 202 at ends of slot
200, initiating elastic deformation of free ends 204 by reason of the
resilient material from which lid 60 is made. After latch projections 208
pass below downwardly facing surfaces 212, free end 204 resumes its normal
undeformed state and latch surfaces 210 opposed from downwardly facing
surfaces 212 as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter lid 60 remains attached to
housing 52 even when opened.
Body sections 216 of hinge tabs 196 are of a length such that free ends 204
and bends 206 are disposed spaced from beneath slots 200 when lid 60 is
closed onto housing 52. Bends 206 permit lid 60 to be rotated backwardly
when fully opened as free ends 204 enter into slots 200 from below thereof
but prevent hinge tabs 196 from being pulled completely upwardly through
slots 200. The bends 206 preferably are at least a right angle and may be
up to 180.degree. to retain lid 60 in its rotated-back opened position
clear of housing 52 allowing easy access to protectors therein, as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The protector module of the present embodiment is adapted to be used with
protector elements of any of several existing commercial designs which are
in accordance with Bellcore specifications. The module is sealable against
moisture, is programmable electrically in several manners, is easily used
with a terminal block also modular to define a terminal block for
protected circuits, and enables easy access to the protectors for service
and repair. Variations and modifications may occur which are within the
spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.
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