Tool-less wall-mount distributed filter housing

• US 6,904,149 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Cable Systems LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Menke, Brett A., Staber, Harley J., Keenum, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/928,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 379/445, 379/435, 379/447, 379/438, 439/536
• US Class Current: 379/445
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0293 Terminal boxes for telephone sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0297 Telephone sets adapted to be mounted on a desk or on a wall

Abstract

A housing for a distributed filter removably mounts to a wall plate between the wall plate and a wall-mount telephone without the use of a tool. The housing includes a base and a cover attached to the base that together define a cavity. A filter circuit for filtering voice signals is disposed within the cavity. A phone jack and at least one auxiliary jack are also disposed in the cavity and accessible through the cover. In one embodiment, viewing windows are formed through the cover to permit an installer to view the mounting studs on the wall plate during installation. A slide lock is also provided to secure the housing to the wall plate. In another embodiment, a push-button lock is provided to secure the housing to the wall plate. The push-button is forced outwardly during installation when a mounting stud engages a slot formed in the base and is subsequently depressed to secure the housing to the wall plate.

Claims

1. A housing for mounting to a wall plate having at least one mounting stud protruding outwardly therefrom, the housing comprising:

a base having a slot formed therein for receiving the mounting stud of the wall plate to removably mount the housing to the wall plate;

a cover overlying to base and attached thereto, the cover and the base defining a cavity therebetween, the cover having at least one viewing window for viewing the mounting stud of the wall plate;

a phone jack disposed within the cavity and accessible through the cover, and

a locking mechanism for securing the housing to the wall plate, the locking mechanism slidingly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position without the use of a tool and comprising a stop portion, the stop portion obstructing the slot in the locked position to prevent the housing from being removed from the wall plate.

2. A housing according to claim 1 wherein the at least one mounting stud of the wall plate comprises an upper mounting stud and lower mounting stud and wherein the at least one viewing window of the cover comprises an upper window for viewing the upper mounting stud of the wall plate and a lower window for viewing the lower mounting stud of the wall plate.

3. A housing according to claim 1 wherein the at least one mounting stud of the wall plate comprises an upper mounting stud and a lower mounting stud and wherein the slot of the base comprises an upper slot and a lower slot for receiving the upper mounting stud and the lower mounting stud, respectively, of the wall plate.

4. A housing according to claim 1 wherein the cover comprises at least one mounting stud protruding outwardly therefrom for removably mounting a wall-mount telephone to the housing.

5. A housing according to claim 4 wherein the at least one mounting stud of the cover comprises an upper mounting stud and a lower mounting stud and the wall-mount telephone has an upper slot and a lower slot for receiving the upper mounting stud and the lower mounting stud, respectively, of the cover to removably mount the wall-mount telephone to the housing.

6. A housing according to claim 1 further comprising a line cord having a phone plug attached at one end and wherein a portion of the line cord and the phone plug extend outwardly through an opening formed in the base of the housing.

7. A housing according to claim 6 further comprising at least one auxiliary jack disposed within the cavity and accessible through the cover.

8. A housing according to claim 7 wherein the at least one auxiliary jack comprises a secondary phone jack and a digital subscriber line (“

DSL”

) jack.

9. A housing according to claim 8 further comprising a filter circuit disposed within the cavity and electrically connected in series between the line cord and at least one of the phone jack, the secondary phone jack and the DSL jack for delivering a filtered voice signal to the at least one of the phone jack, the secondary phone jack and the DSL jack.

10. A housing according to claim 6 wherein the phone plug is electrically connected to a phone jack on the wall plate and the phone jack of the housing is electrically connected to a wall-mount telephone.

11. A housing according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of wire terminating devices disposed on the base and selected from the group consisting of screw terminals, insulation displacement contacts (IDCs”

) and solder points.

12. A housing for mounting to a wall plate having at least one mounting stud protruding outwardly therefrom, the housing comprising:

a base having a slot formed therein for receiving the mounting stud of the wall plate to removably mount the housing to the wall plate;

a cover overlying the base and attached thereto, the cover having at least one viewing window for viewing the mounting stud of the wall plate while the housing is attached to the wall plate; and

a locking mechanism for securing the housing to the wall plate, the looking mechanism slidingly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position without the use of a tool and comprising a stop portion, the stop portion obstructing the slot in the locked position to prevent the housing from being removed from the wall plate.

13. A housing for mounting to a wall plate having at least one mounting stud protruding outwardly therefrom, the housing comprising:

a base having a slot formed therein for receiving the mounting stud of the wall plate to removably attach the base to the wall plate;

a cover overlying the base and attached thereto, the cover having at least one viewing window for viewing the mounting stud of the wall plate; and

means for locking the bowing to the wall plate, the locking means slidingly movable between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the slot is obstructed to prevent the housing from being removed from the wall plate.

14. A housing according to claim 13 wherein the base and the cover define a cavity therebetween and wherein the locking means is disposed substantially within the cavity.

15. A housing according to claim 13 wherein the locking means comprises a slide lock having a grip portion adjacent one end and a stop portion adjacent the other end, the stop portion not obstructing the slot of the base in the unlocked position and obstructing the slot of the base in the locked position.

16. A housing according to claim 15 wherein the grip portion extends outwardly from the housing in the unlocked position and is substantially flush with the housing in the locked position.

17. A housing according to claim 16 wherein the slide lock has a recess formed therein and wherein the locking means further comprises a pair of opposed guide ribs extending inwardly from one of the base and the cover for guiding the stop portion and a retaining rib extending inwardly from the other of the base and the cover into the recess to retain the stop portion between the guide ribs.

18. A housing according to claim 13 wherein the locking means comprises a push-button lock having an actuating portion adjacent one end and a stop portion adjacent the other end, the stop portion not obstructing the slot of the base in the unlocked position and obstructing the slot of the base in the locked position.

19. A housing according to claim 18 wherein the actuating portion extends outwardly from the housing in the unlocked position and is substantially flush with the housing in the locked position.

20. A housing according to claim 19 wherein the locking means further comprises a pair of opposed retaining clips extending inwardly from the base and the stop portion has a pair of opposed retaining posts for engaging the retaining clips to retain the stop portion in the locked position.

21. A housing for mounting to a wall plate having at least one mounting stud protruding outwardly therefrom, the housing comprising:

a base having a slot formed therein for receiving the mounting stud of the wall plate to removably attach the base to the wall plate;

a cover overlying the base and attached thereto, the base and the cover defining a cavity therebetween, the cover having at least one viewing window for viewing the mounting stud of the wall plate; and

a slide lock slidingly disposed substantially within the cavity and having a grip portion adjacent one end and a stop portion adjacent the other end, the stop portion not obstructing the slot of the base in an unlocked position and obstructing the slot of the base in a locked position.

22. A housing according to claim 21 wherein the grip portion extends outwardly from the bowing in the unlocked position and is substantially flush with the housing in the locked position.

23. A housing according to claim 21 wherein the slide lock has a recess formed therein and the housing further comprises a pair of opposed guide ribs extending inwardly from one of the base and the cover for guiding the stop portion and a retaining rib extending inwardly from the other of the base and the cover into the recess to retain the stop portion between the guide ribs.