IE84542B1 - An external termination unit - Google Patents

Description

An External Termination Unit The present invention relates to an external termination unit (ETU) for electrical connectors. Such an ETU unit is of the general type comprising an enclosed casing having a cable inlet, a cable outlet and an access door, the unit containing terminal connectors. Such ETU units are used for the interconnection of electrical power, whether it be mains or electrical power into a building, telephone wires, or indeed many forms of connectors. They are also used for fibre optic cable and the like signal transmission carriers.

Generally speaking such ETUs are either mounted directly above the ground, in the ground, or indeed commonly in or on external walls of buildings. Such ETU units can be manufactured in many constructions and indeed very often are provided with doors which have seals and the like to prevent the ingress of moistures. Usually the inlets and outlets are provided by weakened portions which can be broken to provide inlet and outlet holes. However, the main problem with such ETU units is the difficulty being experienced by most workmen, operators and maintenance personnel who have to open the ETU unit to access the terminals which are usually mounted permanently within the unit so that anybody trying to work on them is restricted by the size of the casing of the ETU unit. This can make working on terminals and connectors within the unit both time-consuming difficult and in some instances dangerous. Problems do arise in that very often connections are not adequately made during such maintenance operations.

In general, the principle of using the access door of an ETU unit to mount part of the equipment is known, for example, in German Patent Specification No. DE 19501339, there is described a moulded plastics connection box for electrical sockets designed for floor level flush mounting which has a lid on which are mounted two pin sockets.

Thus, when the lid is opened out onto the ground, the sockets are exposed for use.

Further, German Patent Specification No. DE 19740246 has a similar housing to that previously described in which the lid carries light conductor splicing cassettes. The housing can be mounted on a vertical wall and the lid is supported in a substantially horizontal position by flexible connectors connecting the lid to the housing. However, this does not provide a stable working platform if it is desired to work on the splicing cassettes. Again, UK Patent Specification No. GB 2260864 describes a terminal box which houses terminal blocks which may be fitted to the lid rather than to the base of the box. Again. there is nothing to indicate that the reason for placing the terminal block on the lid is to allow access to the terminal block for work.

What is required is to provide an ETU unit that will allow work to be carried out on the equipment within the ETU unit in an efficient and satisfactory manner and where connectors, terminal blocks or the like are mounted on the lid of the ETU unit, the ETU be such as to provide a steady and safe platform which can be worked on.

The present invention is directed towards providing an improved construction of such an ETU unit.

Statements of Invention According to the invention, there is provided an external termination unit (ETU) for electrical terminal connectors comprising an enclosed casing having a base, side walls projecting substantially orthogonally from the base, and an access door, the access door having terminal connector mounting means on its interior surface and a pivot connector securing the access door in the casing for pivotal movement away from the closed position into a substantially horizontal position supported on the casing when the ETU is mounted with its base on a vertical wall. The advantage of supporting the lid on the casing is that a solid and safe working platform is provided.

In one embodiment of the invention, the pivot connector of the ETU unit comprises a pair of spaced-apart connectors, each comprising an elongate substantially horizontal slot on one of the access doors and the side wall and a pivot pin on the other for engagement with the slot, the door being pivotal into the horizontal position and then on pushing of the door inwards of the relative movement of pin in the slot to cause the door to move into the casing for further support by the casing.

This allows further movement of the door into the casing for further support by the casing and thus provides an even more stable working platform.

Ideally, adjacent one end of the slot, there is provided an extension socket substantially at right angles to the slot for reception of the pin for pivoting into and out of the horizontal position and on the door being pivoted into the horizontal position, the access door is pushed downwards whereby the pivot pin engages the slot to allow the door to be pushed inwards.

Preferably, the slot is in the casing and the pivot pin is mounted on the access door In one embodiment of the invention, the pivot pin is L-shaped having a casing engaging leg and a door engaging leg.

Ideally, in this latter embodiment, the door engaging leg is mounted between a pair of upstanding resilient spaced-apart lugs for engagement of the leg therebetween.

Ideally, there is provided a guideway in the casing for reception of the door to support the door in the horizontal position. The guide may comprise a channel shaped member in one or both of a side wall and lower wall and preferably the dimensions of the guideway are such as to form a tight fit with the access door. In this way, a solid working platform may be provided and it will be safe and easy for a workman to work thereon. This is particularly important where work is carried on and there is live electrical connectors still in the ETU unit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the slot extends on both sides of the position where the pivot pin can pivot into and out of the horizontal position whereby on pivoting into the horizontal position, the door can be pulled outwards to move the door to a position free of the casing for further pivoting of the door through substantially a further 90°. placed on a horizontal surface or alternatively when on a vertical surface, the The advantage of this is that the ETU unit may be access door can be pivoted totally out of the way so that it will be easier to work on equipment and units mounted within the casing itself without the obstruction of the door projecting laterally therefrom.

In this latter embodiment, ideally the slot is in the side walls and the side walls project beyond the lower wall.

Preferably, there is a restriction in the slot where the door can be opened and closed whereby additional force has to be provided to move the pivot pin in the slot beyond this position.

One particularly suitable ETU unit according to the invention comprises a substantially rectangular casing of a plastics material having a planar base for mounting on a substantially vertical surface, planar upper and lower walls and two planar side walls and a planar access door, the upper and side walls projecting beyond the lower wall and comprising a pivot connector formed from a pair of pivot pins mounted in the access door and an elongate pivot pin receiving slot extending substantially parallel to and beyond the lower wall, the slot having an upwardly directed pivot pin receiving slot whereby in the closed position, each pivot pin is housed in the socket and to open the ETU, the access door is first pivoted to the horizontal position and then pushed downwards so that the pivot pin engages the slot and the door is pushed inwards to support the door in the substantially horizontal position in the casing or pulled outwards for pivotal movement beyond the horizontal.

Ideally, the access door is provided with reinforcing ribs, which reinforcing ribs may surround the terminal connector means.

Ideally, the terminal connector mounting means are IDC connectors. Preferably, the ETU unit according to the invention is manufactured from a suitable plastics material.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ETU unit according to the invention mounted in a vertical wall and in the open position, Fig. 2 is a front view of the ETU unit as illustrated in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a typical vertical section through the ETU unit again mounted in a vertical wall, Fig. 4 is a typical cross section through the ETU unit, similar to Fig. 3, showing the ETU unit closed, Figs. 5(a) and (b) illustrate diagrammatically the opening of the ETU unit, Figs. 6 to 8 illustrate the pivot connector according to the invention in various positions, Fig. 9 is a front view of another ETU unit according to the invention in the open position with the door removed, Fig. 10 is a top view of the ETU unit as illustrated in Fig. 9, Fig. 11 is a sectional view along the lines XI-XI of Fig. 9, Fig. 12 is a sectional view along the lines XII-XII of Fig. 9, Fig. 13 is a front view of an access door for use with the ETU unit of Figs. 9 to 12, Fig. 14 is an underneath view of the access door of Fig. 13, Fig. 15 is a top view of the access door, Fig. 16 is a sectional view along the lines XVI-XVI of Fig. 14, Figs. 17(a) to (e) illustrate diagrammatically an alternative construction and use of pivot connector according to the invention, and Figs. 18(a) and (b) are diagrammatic views illustrating the construction and use of a still further pivot connector according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 5 thereof, there is provided an ETU unit, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, mounted in a vertically arranged wall 2. The ETU unit comprises an enclosure casing having a base 3 mounted upstanding walls, namely, opposed side walls 4 and upper and lower walls 5 and 6 respectively. The side walls 4. upper wall 5 and lower wall 6 extend into a peripheral rim 7 for mounting against the vertical wall 2. An access door 10 is provided. The access door 10 includes a plurality of upstanding ribs 11 on which are mounted IDC’s 12 of conventional construction on a DIN rail 13. A cable feed- in pipe 15 forms an inlet in the lower wall 6. The other walls of the enclosed casing are provided with weakened portions, indicated by interrupted lines and the reference numeral 16. The weakened portions 16 can be broken out in conventional manner to provide access holes to the ETU. The ETU will generally be manufactured from a suitable plastics material. Locks 20 are mounted in holes 21 in the access door 10 for engagement with co-operating holes 22 in the casing.

A pivot connector formed by a pivot pin 25 (see Fig. 3) mounted between the access door 10 and each side wall 4 is provided.

Fig. 5 shows how the access door 10 can be pivoted in the direction of the arrow A from the closed position to lie along and be supported on the lower wall 6 to allow work to be carried out on any piece of equipment mounted on the access door 10.

It will be appreciated that there will be a relatively solid connection between the access door 10 and the lower wall 6. Depending on the shape of the access door and the lower wall 6 and the positioning of the pivot pin 25, the access door 10 will lie closer to the horizontal or further away from it.

Referring to Fig. 6, there is illustrated in more detail the pivot pin, again identified by the reference numeral 25, which is an L-shaped pivot pin having a casing engaging leg 26 and an access door engaging leg 27. The casing engaging leg 26 engages a hole 28 in a side wall 4 and the door engaging leg 27 is mounted between a pair of upstanding resilient spaced-apart lugs 29 on the access door 10.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show clearly how the pivot pin 25 can be placed in position and obviously the access door 10 can be easily removed by simply Ievering the door engaging leg 27 up out of the engagement between the lugs 29.

Figs. 9 to 16 illustrated an alternative construction of ETU unit, indicated generally by the reference numeral 30, in which parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings are identified by the same reference numerals.

Referring now to Fig. 17(a) to (e), there is illustrated an alternative construction of pivot connector for an ETU unit, again indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, and parts similar to those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 are identified by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, there is illustrated a pivot connector, indicated generally by the reference numeral 40, comprising a pair of spaced-apart connectors each comprising an elongate substantially horizontal slot having an extension socket 42. A pin 43 is mounted on the access door 10.

Further, on the lower wall 6, there is a guideway 45 in the form of a channel shaped member which can be mounted on both the side wall 4 and the lower wall 6. The guideway 45 is so constructed as to form a force-fit with the access door 10.

In operation, the access door 10 is first pivoted in the extension socket 42 on the pivot pin 43 in the direction of the arrow A to what is substantially the horizontal position as illustrated in Fig. 17(b). Then, the access door 10 is pushed downwards in the direction of the arrow B so that the slot 41 is now exposed to the pin 43 and the access door 10 is then pushed inwards in the direction of the arrow C as illustrated in Fig. 17(c) until it engages within the guideway 45 as illustrated in Figs. 17(d) and (e). The access door 10 now provides a very solid working platform for any work that may be required to be carried out on connectors or the like mounted on the access door 10.

Referring to Fig. 18, there is illustrated an alternative construction of ETU unit, again indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, because its construction is of relatively little difference from that of the construction of the other ETU units, except that the side walls 4 effectively project beyond the upper and lower walls 5 and 6.

In this embodiment, there is again provided a pivot connector, indicated generally by the reference numeral 50, again having a slot 51 projecting laterally on both sides of an extension socket 52 within which the access door 10 pivots as already described with reference to Fig. 17 on a pivot pin 53. However, in this embodiment, the access door 10 can be pulled outwards beyond the extension socket 52 and thus can be pulled to the position illustrated in Fig. 18 where it can be pivoted downwards in the direction of the arrow D totally out of the horizontal to lie against a vertical wall or, for example, if the ETU unit was mounted in a horizontal floor, to lie on the floor itself.

It will be appreciated that in some situations, for example, where it is desired to work on connectors, units, etc. mounted within the ETU, it may be desirable to pivot the access door totally out of the way so as to allow ease of working within the enclosure casing itself.

Ideally, the ETU according to the invention, is made from a suitable plastics material.

Ideally, for example with the embodiment described in Fig. 18, there will be provided some form of restriction adjacent the extension socket 52 so that, for example, additional force will be required to pull or push the access door 10 beyond the extension socket 52 so as to make it easy for the user to recognise when the pivot pin is in a position to be pushed up into the extension socket.

It will be appreciated that generally the ETU unit will comprises planar walls and be of a substantially rectangular construction, however, such a construction is not essential.

It will be appreciated that the ETU unit according to the invention could be used for other services such as, for example, water services or the like. It will also be appreciated that the ETU unit does not have to be fully recessed into a structure and indeed can be mounted directly on a structure. Similarly, the shape of flanges, dimensions and material of construction may be varied in accordance with good engineering practice depending on the use to which the unit is being adapted.

The unit will be sufficiently robust to endue the weight of traffic for example cars, trucks, buses, etc. when the unit is placed in a roadway or indeed in the ground anywhere.

In the specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” or any variation thereof and the terms “include, includes, included and including" or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS An external termination unit (ETU) for electrical terminal connectors comprising an enclosed casing having a base, side walls projecting substantially orthogonally from the base, and an access door, the access door having terminal connector mounting means on its interior surface and a pivot connector securing the access door in the casing for pivotal movement away from the closed position into a substantially horizontal position supported on the casing when the ETU is mounted with its base on a vertical wall. An ETU as claimed in claim 1, in which the pivot connector comprises a pair of spaced-apart connectors, each comprising an elongate substantially horizontal slot on one of the access doors and a side wall and a pivot pin on the other for engagement with the slot, the door being pivotal into the horizontal position and then on pushing of the door inwards of the relative movement of pin in the slot to cause the door to move into the casing for further support by the casing. An ETU as claimed in claim 2 in which adjacent one end of the slot, there is provided an extension socket substantially at right angles to the slot for reception of the pin for pivoting into and out of the horizontal position and on the door being pivoted into the horizontal position, the access door is pushed downwards whereby the pivot pin engages the slot to allow the door to be pushed inwards. An ETU as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the slot is in the casing and the pivot pin is mounted on the access door. An ETU as claimed in claim 4, in which the pivot pin is L-shaped having a casing engaging leg and a door engaging leg. An ETU as claimed in claim 5, in which the door engaging leg is mounted between a pair of upstanding resilient spaced-apart lugs for engagement of the leg therebetween. An ETU as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, in which there is provided a guideway in the casing for reception of the door to support the door in the horizontal position. An ETU as claimed in claim 7, in which the guideway comprises a channel shaped member in one or both of a side wall and lower wall. An ETU as claimed in claim 7 or 8, in which the dimensions of the guideway are such as to form a tight fit with the access door. An ETU as claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, in which the slot extends on both sides of the position where the pivot pin can pivot into and out of the horizontal position whereby on pivoting into the horizontal position, the door can be pulled outwards to move the door to a position free of the casing for further pivoting of the door through substantially a further 90°. An ETU as claimed in claim 10, in which a slot is in the side walls and the side walls project beyond the lower wall. An ETU as claimed in claim 10 or 11, in which there is a restriction in the slot where the door can be opened and closed whereby additional force has to be provided to move the pivot pin in the slot beyond this position. An ETU as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a substantially rectangular casing of a plastics material having a planar base for mounting on a substantially vertical surface, planar upper and lower walls and two planar side walls and a planar access door, the upper and side walls projecting beyond the lower wall and comprising a pivot connector formed from a pair of pivot pins mounted in the access door and an elongate pivot pin receiving slot extending substantially parallel to and beyond the lower wall, the slot having an upwardly directed pivot pin receiving slot whereby in the closed position, each pivot pin is housed in the socket and to open the ETU, the access door is first pivoted to the horizontal position and then pushed downwards so that the pivot pin engages the slot and the door is pushed inwards to support the door in the substantially horizontal position in the casing or pulled outwards for pivotal movement beyond the horizontal. An ETU as claimed in any preceding claim in which the access door is provided with reinforcing ribs. An ETU as claimed in claim 14, in which the reinforcing ribs surround the terminal connector means. AN ETU as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the terminal connector mounting means are IDC connectors. An ETU as claimed in any preceding claim made of a plastics material. An ETU substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.