MXPA99001816A - Improved cover for a remote terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A cover (32) is provided for a remote terminal base, the cover (32) defines an interior cavity (44) having a mount for a 400-series card electronic module (40) therein. The cover (32) may replace a standard flat cover on a remote terminal base to facilitate the implementation of a 400-series card module. The interior cavity (44) of the cover (32) is deep enough to accommodate the card module and has a hinged intermediate door (38) to which the card module is mounted. When the door (38) is open, card guides (54) on the door receive the card module. The door is closable to sealably encase the card module within the cover.

Description

IMPROVED COVER FOR A REMOTE TERMINAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a remote telephone service terminal and more particularly to a cover for a remote terminal, which facilitates the assembly and enclosure of an additional circuit module. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The demand for telecommunications service has increased greatly in recent years in response to the use of telephone lines for a variety of analog, digital and video data and voice applications.

Such demand for lines only increases with the growth of communication needs, such as the Internet. The communication companies have an internal infrastructure that contains only a fixed number of lines that connect to the clients. Therefore, in order to avoid the installation of additional wiring lines to meet the growth of the user's demand, several multiplexing techniques have been developed that allow the transmission of different channels on each line. The increase of the transmission capacity over existing lines has been a main point of the telecommunications developments.

In user environments that include numerous customer lines, such as commercial office buildings or apartment buildings, multiplex circuitry has been used to convert each signal of the subscriber line into multiple user signals. For example, a currently popular multiplexing technology is known as digital double line ("DDL") (one inside / two outside). The DDL circuitry essentially allows a subscriber line to carry the signals of two telephone lines for clients. This advantageously increases the number of circuits for the same number of lines. The improved electronic circuitry for carrying out a DDL multiplexing can be contained within a standard configuration circuit module known as a 400 series card module. In addition to the DDL circuitry package, the card modules are widely used to package the circuitry for various other technologies such as HDSL ("high density subscriber line"), ADSL ("asynchronous digital subscriber line"), RDSU ("charge") circuitry. fast descending / slow uploading ") and ISDN (" integrated services digital network "). In all of these applications, the standard card module facilitates a convenient" plug-in "installation of the electronics.

Although the card modules have been used to implement advanced transmission techniques in high-density telecommunication environments, such modules have not been used in applications that have relatively few lines for users, such as individual homes. Instead, each of these locations is usually provided with at least one wall-mounted box known as a remote terminal (known in the industry as an "RT"), which houses a connection interface between a main line of the telephone company and each individual line of the user. In a growing trend, home and apartment occupants install additional lines for users for computer modems, fax machines or simply for additional business or personal telephone lines in the home. This installation of new line for users conventionally requires the routing of corresponding additional subscriber lines in a remote terminal. Unfortunately, there have been no practical means to date to implement advanced electronics at an individual customer site to avoid the growing number of relatively bulky remote terminals. In order to provide improved modern service to customers having standard remote terminals, it is desirable to implement within a remote terminal the type of modern telecommunications electronics provided in the card modules. In doing soAlso, the number of subscriber lines directed in a multi-user remote terminal would be reduced, because the improved circuitry could multiplex a single subscriber line in multiple lines for users. Unfortunately, an existing remote terminal unit does not have enough internal space to mount a standard card module, and it would not be practical to redesign a completely new remote terminal base to allow the mounting of a card module adjacent to the existing connector components. mounted on the base because many standard remote terminals are in use, and the complete replacement of each unit would include enormous resources for its manufacture and reinstallation in each equipment. Accordingly, there is a need for a means to adapt the wiring of the conventional remote terminal for use with the improved circuitry, in a manner that maximizes the use of a conventional remote terminal structure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A main object of the invention is to provide a remote terminal capable of housing advanced electronic circuitry. Another object of the invention is to adapt the equipment of the existing remote terminal for the improved operation with the modern electronic telecommunication circuitry. A related object is to provide a means for mounting such circuitry with the existing remote terminal structure. In accordance with the invention, a remote terminal is provided to receive a standard circuitry module for manipulating a signal. The remote terminal includes an improved cover, which can also be replaced by a conventional cover in a standard remote terminal. The improved cover of the invention has an enlarged interior capability to accommodate the installation of a circuitry module to operate in conjunction with existing components conventionally mounted on the base. Preferably, the improved cover is adapted to connectably receive a standard sized card module. An advantage of the invention is that the cover can be used with an existing remote terminal base to improve the electronic circuitry without completely replacing the complete structure of the existing remote terminal. These and other features and advantages of the invention are described, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and from the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of a remote terminal with eight lines having an improved cover according to an embodiment of the invention, showing the door open relative to the cover to provide access to the cavity of the circuitry. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a base of the remote terminal with eight lines, constructed according to the teachings of the invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the remote terminal of Figure 2, showing the door in a closed position in the improved cover. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cover according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the hinge includes pins that extend through the body of the cover and that engage the complementary interior surfaces in the door. Figure 5 is a perspective view of an improved cover including a closure element for holding the card in an inserted position and a luminous tube element mounted to the door.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a corner of the door of Figure 5, showing the closure element in greater detail. Figure 7 is a fragmentary side view of the corner of the door of Figure 6, showing the closure element in a closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the figures, in which similar numbers designate a similar part, a remote terminal with eight lines 30 having an improved cover 32 according to one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the remote terminal 30 has a base mountable to the wall 12 that includes a base body 13. The base body 13 is generally formed as an open-sided box, on which the equipment is mounted. to connect an individual subscriber line to a particular line for the user. Traditionally, the left side of base 12 contains the cabling, which is in the domain of the telephone company. The right side of the base 12 typically hosts lines for individual users that are traditionally in the user's domain. The connected equipment on the right side is known as the CPE, or "customer's premises team." The wiring on the right side is connected to the left side in a central region known as a demarcation point. The base 12 receives a subscriber line through a port 16 on a lower left side of the base for connection to a terminal (not shown). On the left side of the base 12, a cover of the telephone company 18 may be provided to avoid tampering with the telephone company's connections. The right side of the base 12 contains a plurality of screw terminals 20 provided to connect the individual lines for clients. Individual lines for customers pass from the screw terminals 20 through a port 22 on the lower right side of the base 12 for connection to individual users at a remote location such as, for example, individual apartments in an apartment building . According to one aspect of the invention, an improved cover is provided which mounts to the base while maintaining the hinges. Because the cover is preferably designed to replace a conventional flat cover for a remote terminal, cover 32 has appropriately designed dimensions and latch tools 34 to facilitate replacement by a particular standard flat cover. It will be appreciated that, although the new base 12 is preferably designed to equal the conventional closure dimensions, the cover 32 and the base 12 could be cooperatively sized otherwise. The improved cover 32 has a box-like shape that is larger than a conventional cover 14 and defines an interior for receiving a circuit module, as described below. Particularly, the cover 14 is adapted to house a card module 40 such as the 400 series electronic card module for the multiplexed network interface. The open side closes cushioned against the base. According to the preferred embodiment, the cover 32 has a door 38 that can pivot between the positions, open and closed, to seal the interior of the body 36 at approximately the average depth. In "the open position, the door 38 projects outwardly from the inside, as shown in Figure 4, to slidably receive the card module 40. In the closed position, the door 38 separates the interior of the cover between a space receiving the base 42 and a sealable circuit cavity 44. A pair of hinges 46 is provided to pivotally mount the door 38 to the body 36. The hinges 46 are mounted on opposite sides of the door 38. As shown in FIG. Figure 4, each hinge 46 includes a plug 50 that extends through an inner surface 52 in the body 36 and fits easily in the door 38, such that the ends of the pins 50 rotatably reside on the cooperating interior surfaces 52 in the body 36. Through the hinges 46, the door 38 can be pivoted open to provide access to the circuit cavity. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the door 38 may be hingedly mounted to the body of the cover 36 by other suitable means as well. For example, in the embodiment of Figure 3, hinges 46 'according to an alternative construction, are provided on opposite sides of the door 38, each hinge 46' including a key extending outwardly (not shown) to engage respectively the inner surfaces in the body 36. In Figure 1, which shows the door 38 in an open position, means for mounting the card module 40 is shown. A pair of parallel guides of cards 54 are mounted on opposite sides of the door 38 in front of the circuit cavity 44. An elongated slot 56 is formed in each of the card guides 54 to receive a projection 58 that emerges from the card module 40. At one end of the door 38 near the hinges 46, a connector block 60 is provided to receive in a dampened manner a male connection portion of the card module 48 in a connectable manner to form an electrical connection. When the door 38 is opened to provide access to the circuit cavity 44, the card module 40 can be easily installed to slidably insert the card module 40 between the card guides 54 until the card module 40 is electrically coupled with the connector block 60. As illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7, a closure element 70 is preferably provided to keep the card module 40 installed securely between the card guides 54 and to engage it with the connector block 60. in an installed position. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure element 70 is formed in L, having a projection fastener 71. In addition, the closure element is mounted to the door 38 by a threaded screw 72 for rotation between the open and closed positions. In the open position shown in Figure 6, the fastener 71 is placed out of the module 40 in such a way that the module can be inserted / retracted slidably in the slots. In the closed position, the fastener 71 is placed inside the module 40 to prevent inadvertent retraction of the module 40 of the door 38. As shown in Figure 7, a screw 72 extends through an oblong hole 73 in the closure element 70 to allow the slidable fit of the closure element relative to the door 38. The closure element 70 also includes a small tab 74 which slides in a channel 76 placed in the door 38 parallel to the card guides 54 to guide linearly the closure element 70 for adjustment within the range allowed by the oblong hole 73. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the closure element 70 is shown in an unclosed position. In the closed position shown in Figure 7, the lug 74 aligns with the channel 76 and guides the closure element 70 to securely contact the module 40. Also, to facilitate convenient access to the circuit cavity. 44 for insertion, repair or removal of a card module, the cover 32 may include an obstruction member (not shown) to selectively hold the door in an open position. As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the body of the cover 36 has a flange 80 positioned around a periphery of the inner walls, to which the door 38 contacts in a closed position. Preferably, the flange 80 has a peripheral groove 82 that can be filled with a sealant, such as an epoxy resin, to create a water impervious seal between the body 36 and the door 38 when closed. According to the above, the door 38 may include a flange 84 (also shown in Figure 6) positioned near a peripheral edge of the door 38 to clutch the slot 82 when the door 38 is closed. The flange 84 provides a good surface fastening for the solidified sealant. In addition, the cover 32 may include screws 86 as illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, which extend through the door 38 and toward the flange 80 to screw the door 38 in the closed position in a threaded manner. A flexible cable 88 (FIG. 3) is provided to provide electrical communication between the module 40 and the base 12. In particular, the cable 88 carries an appropriate electrical signal to and from the card module 40, passing through an aperture 90. (see Figure 4) on the door 38 and connected to the connector block 60 for communication with the card module 40. The cable 88 has a sufficient amount of slack so as not to interfere with the opening and closing of the cover 32 on the base 12. The door 38 includes a cable cover 92 (see Figures 3 and 4) that form a closed channel through which the cable passes. The cable cover 92 is removable to assist in the handling of the cable 88 during installation. Some card modules 40 may have one or more LED indicators 94 indicating the operation of a certain function by the card module. When the door 38 closes in the body of the cover 36, enclosing the card module 40 in the circuit cavity 44, the module 44 and the associated LEDs 94 are not directly visible by a person of repairs. As illustrated in Figure 5, to allow visibility of these optical indicators 94 while the door 38 is closed, in the body 36, an optional luminous tube element 96 can be mounted to the door to provide optical communication through the door 38. The luminous tube element 96 is essentially a translucent optical guide that can be made of molded plastic. In the illustrated embodiment, the light tube element 96 includes three light channels in an angled shape 98. As shown, each of these light channels 98 has a first end that is visibly positioned in a view opening in the door 38 and a second end which is placed next to a corresponding one of the LED indicators on the card module 40. The first visible ends of the light tube element 96 are illuminated when the optical indicators 94 on the card module 40 are activated. As will be understood by those in the industry, the card module 40 may have a push button switch to drive a particular circuit operation or device. For example, a DDL card module may include an enhanced provisioning function ("EPREP") for use with a digital subscriber line. The pressure button on the card module 40 can be pressed to turn off the EPREP function for certain repairs. According to the foregoing, in order to allow the pressing button to be actuated while the door 38 is closed in the body 36, a flexible membrane 100, such as rubber or the like, as shown in Figure 3, is preferably mounted in an opening of the door 38 in a position adjacent to the button in the card module 40. The presence of the membrane 100 avoids the need to open the door 38 to give access to the card module 40, which can be difficult when a sealant is applied between the flange 80 of the body 36 and the door 38. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a plurality of tip and neck covers 120 are preferably provided to cover the respective screw terminals 20 for each line for users. The tip and nape cover 120 allows the respective user to restrict access to their respective telecom connections. Each of the tip and nape covers 120 is pivoted between an open and closed position through a quick-fit hinge 122 formed on the right side thereof. The hinge 122 engages a cooperating channel 124 formed in the body of the base 13. Each of the tip and nacelle covers 120 are closed with a lock in the closed position by means of a lug 126., which is bent over a draw hinge 128. More particularly, when the tip and nape cover 120 is pivoted down to the closed position, a projection flange 130 on the tab 126 snaps shut under a cutting edge 134. of the cover of the telephone company 18, securely securing the tip and nape cover 120 on the respective screw terminals 20 as well as an associated jack 132. In addition, the closed tip and nape cover 120 is closed to prevent access not authorized when cover 18 of the telephone company is closed. To close the tip and nape cover 120, the lug 126 has a relief 131 that receives a portion of an appropriately sized closure 133 (such as for example a pedlock No. 10), preventing inner movement of the lug 126 that frees the flange 130 from the edge closing gear under the cut 134. Advantageously, telephone company personnel can access all user connections, even if one or more of the tip and neck covers 120 are closed, since all of the lugs 126 are released when the cover 18 of the telephone company is opened. Although the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments thereof, there is no attempt to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is recognized that various changes and modifications to the exemplary embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, cover 32 could be designed to receive the circuits in place of the 400 series card module. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the cover made in accordance with the invention can be used to install the circuitry for a variety of applications, to provide the desired communication channels in both analog and digital environments, for voice applications, data and fax. In addition, the cover of the invention could be used to connect an electronic card module in either the telephone company side or the customer side of the demarcation point. Therefore, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (29)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and therefore the property described in the following claims is claimed as property. An improved cover that is mounted hinged to a standard base portion of a remote terminal, the cover comprising: a body similar to a box defining an interior; and means for mounting a circuitry module inside. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that said circuitry module is a standard 400 series card module. The cover according to claim 2, characterized in that said body has at least one open side and a depth from said open side, wherein said mounting means comprises a door extending through said interior, intermediate to the depth to define a circuitry cavity to accommodate said card module and a hinge to mount the door to said body. The cover according to claim 3, characterized in that said means for mounting further comprises a pair of parallel card guides fixed to said door, forming a pair of opposed slots adapted to slidably receive the projections formed cooperatively of said circuit module. . The cover according to claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a closing element for securing said circuitry module in said slots. The cover according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises a female connector block mounted to said door to receive in a dampened manner a male connector of said circuit module. The cover according to claim 3, characterized in that the hinge comprises at least one interior surface in the door and at least one peg that extends rotatably through a hole in the body, receiving the peg cooperatively on the inner surface. . The cover according to claim 3, characterized in that said body has a peripheral rim against which the door is received when the door is in a closed position. The cover according to claim 8, characterized in that it also comprises a peripheral sealing groove placed in the flange. The cover according to claim 9, characterized in that it further comprises a flange positioned near a peripheral edge of said door to extend complementarily towards said peripheral sealing groove in said flange, when said door is in a closed position. The cover according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of screws extending through the door, which are threadably engaged in the rim to secure the door in a closed position. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a cable extending between said cavity and said base to carry a signal between said base and said cavity. The cover according to claim 3, characterized in that it further comprises at least one luminous tube that provides optical communication through said door from said circuit cavity, the luminous tube having ends, first and second, said door having an opening in the which a first end of the luminous tube is placed visibly, placing a second end of the luminous tube near an indicator that emits light in said module. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a flexible membrane mounted in an opening in said door, through which a button can be manually pressed in said module. 15. A remote terminal comprising: a base to which the line connectors are mounted, the base being mounted to a wall and; a cover hingedly mounted to the base, the cover having an interior adapted to movably accommodate a circuitry module in operable connection with said line connectors. The remote terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that said cover includes a body similar to a box defining said interior; and means for securely mounting said circuitry module in said interior. The remote terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that said body has at least one open side and a depth from said open side, wherein said means for mounting comprises: a door extending through said interior, intermediate of the depth to define a cavity of sealable circuitry to accommodate said module on one side of the door and a space to receive the base on an opposite side of said door; and a hinge to mount the door to said body. The remote terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that said means for mounting further comprises a pair of parallel card guides fixed to said door, the card guides forming a pair of opposed slots adapted to slidably receive projections formed cooperatively from said circuit module. The remote terminal according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises a closing member for securing a module installed in said slots. The remote terminal according to claim 18, characterized in that it further comprises a female connector block mounted to said door to receive in a damping manner a male connector of said circuit module, when said module is received in said slots. The remote terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that the hinge comprises at least one interior surface in said door; and at least one pin extending rotatably through a hole in the body and secured within said inner surface. 22. The remote terminal according to the claim 17, characterized in that said body has a peripheral rim, against which the door is received in a closed position. 23. The remote terminal according to claim 22, characterized in that it further comprises a peripheral groove placed in the flange. The remote terminal according to claim 23, characterized in that it further comprises a flange placed near a peripheral edge of said door to lie complementaryly in said peripheral groove of said flange, when said door is in the closed position. The remote terminal according to claim 23, characterized in that it further comprises screws extending through the door, which are threadably engaged in the rim to secure the door in a closed position. The remote terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that it further comprises at least one luminous tube that provides optical communication through said door, the luminous tube having ends, first and second, said door having an opening in which a first end of the luminous tube is placed visibly, placing a second end of the luminous tube near an indicator that emits light in said module. 27. The remote terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that it further comprises a flexible membrane mounted in an opening in said body, through which a button can be manually pressed in said cavity. 28. The remote terminal according to claim 15, characterized in that said interior is sized to accommodate a standard 400 series card module. 29. The remote terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that it further comprises a flexible cable extending between said interior and said base to carry a signal between said base and said cavity.