Universal enclosure with electrical panel

• US 5,136,463 A
• Filed: 04/05/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emerson Network Power Energy Systems North America Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Reliance Comm/Tec Corporation
• Inventors: Webster, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US07/680,767
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 200/50 C, 307/150, 211/41, 312/223, 174/38, 174/52.1, 174/52.3, 174/59, 361/331, 361/334, 361/332, 361/333, 361/335, 361/356, 361/357, 361/358, 361/360, 361/390, 361/391
• US Class Current: 361/622
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/305 Cable entries
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 7/06 Distribution substations, e.g. for urban network H02B7/01 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatus for housing outside plant equipment in order to protect the equipment from the possibly harmful effects of weather and an external environment comprises a universal enclosure encompassing the outside plant equipment and having an interior and an exterior. An opening is disposed on the universal enclosure of a size sufficient to afford access to a predetermined portion of the equipment. The predetermined portion of the equipment is mounted adjacent the opening and in the interior of the universal enclosure, and is mounted in a disposition about the opening so as to be accessible only from the exterior of the universal enclosure. In this manner, one desiring to access the equipment may do so only from the exterior of the universal enclosure and will not be required or permitted to enter the interior thereof.

Claims

1. Apparatus housing outside plant telecommunications equipment accessible for service and activation only from within the apparatus, without dismantling said apparatus, comprising:

a universal enclosure having an interior and an exterior;

the universal enclosure for protecting telecommunications equipment housed in the interior from possibly harmful effects of surrounding environments;

said equipment including switching equipment, multiplexing equipment or protection blocks and being housed in the interior such that said equipment is accessible only form the interior without dismantling the apparatus;

an interior access door disposed on the apparatus for allowing a workman to enter the interior;

the interior being of dimensions sufficient for allowing a workman to physically bodily enter, such that no body portion of the workman remains outside the interior, and access the telecommunications equipment for service and activation;

an opening disposed in the universal enclosure communicating to the exterior thereof;

an electrical service panel including a bank of circuit breakers and mounted in the interior of the universal enclosure adjacent the opening;

mounting means mounting the electrical service panel within the interior so that the panel is accessible for service and activation only form the exterior, without dismantling said apparatus, so that a workman will not be required or permitted to enter the interior of the universal enclosure in any way to service and to activate the electrical service panel; and

a controlled access door disposed over the opening such that the controlled access door must be opened from the exterior to operatively access the electrical service panel for service and activation.

2. Apparatus housing outside plant telecommunications equipment as defined in claim 1 further comprising a power receptacle for supplying electrical power to the electrical service panel mounted on the exterior of the universal enclosure and electrically connected to the electrical service panel in the interior of the universal enclosure so that a workman cannot enter the interior of the universal enclosure in any way to connect a source of electrical power to the power receptacle without dismantling the apparatus.

3. Apparatus housing outside plant equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein outside plant equipment is disposed along interior wall surfaces of the interior of the universal enclosure.

4. Apparatus housing outside plant telecommunications equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical service panel includes at least one circuit breaker and a pair of switch means for selecting one of electrical utility-supplied power and another source of electrical power for supplying power to the circuit breaker;

and switch lockout means for permitting the operation of only one of the switch means at a time to permit selection of only one of the electric utility-supplied power and another source of electrical power at a time.

5. Apparatus housing outside plant telecommunications equipment as defined in claim 1 wherein the access door is disposed over the opening so that contact between the access door and the universal enclosure forms a water-tight, weather-proof seal therebetween so that the predetermined portion of the equipment will not be exposed to an exterior atmosphere.