Electronic device with weather-tight housing

• US 8,031,472 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meraki Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biswas, Sanjit, Bicket, John, Calderon, Benjamin, Teachworth, Morgan
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Hung
• Application Number:
  US12/235,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 439/687, 439/620.2, 439/488, 439/490, 439/620.21, 600/38, 600/481, 600/509, 600/140, 600/306, 455/566, 455/573, 455/572, 455/575.7, 455/456.1, 361/679.01, 361/699, 361/679.38, 361/679.37, 345/156, 345/157, 345/109, 345/173, 385/14, 385/91
• US Class Current: 361/752
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing with electrical circuitry that is sealed against penetration by dust, moisture, water, and the like, and permits convenient mounting and reconfiguration during operation. The electronic device can be reconfigured to add or delete a connecting plug and cable without compromising the seal. Mounting brackets are provided for mounting to both horizontal and vertical support structures, depending on orientation of the brackets.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a housing front and a housing back, the housing back having an internal side and an external side, wherein the internal side of the housing back defines a cavity and the housing front mates to the internal side of the housing back to seal the cavity and define a space within which electrical circuitry is disposed;

a connector garage defined in the external side of the housing back such that at least one electrical connector port is in communication with the electrical circuitry in the housing space and is accessible from the connector garage such that a modular plug at the end of a cable can be removably coupled to the electrical connector port from the connector garage and such that the cable extends from the connector garage;

a garage door adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back such that a seal is formed around the connector garage and the cable.

2. An electronic device according to claim 1, further including a yoke in the connector garage, the yoke mating with the garage door to contribute to the seal and having at least one recess that receives the cable.

3. An electronic device according to claim 2, further including a plug adapted to be received in the recess of the yoke and thereby contribute to the seal.

4. An electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the plug is tethered to the yoke.

5. An electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the yoke includes two recesses, each of which is adapted to receive a cable, and includes a tethered plug for each recess, such that each tethered plug is flexibly attached to the yoke and is adapted to be received in a respective one of the recesses and thereby contribute to the seal.

6. An electronic device according to claim 1, further including a gasket that mates with the garage door, wherein the gasket is configured such that movement of the garage door in a longitudinal direction for attachment of the garage door to the housing back produces a compressive force against the gasket in a lateral direction from the housing back toward the gasket, thereby forming the seal around the connector garage and the cable.

7. An electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the gasket includes an undercut portion in a side surface of the gasket such that the undercut portion is recessed away from the housing back in the lateral direction.

8. An electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the gasket further includes a groove in a gasket surface normal to the side surface.

9. An electronic device according to claim 1, further including a bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in a first orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface and in a second orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally cylindrical surface.

10. An electronic device according to claim 9, further including a second bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in the first orientation, along with the first bracket in the first orientation, to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface.

11. An electronic device according to claim 1, further including at least one suction cup adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a housing front and a housing back, the housing back having an internal side and an external side, wherein the internal side of the housing back defines a cavity and the housing front mates to the internal side of the housing back to seal the cavity and define a space within which electrical circuitry is disposed;

at least one electrical connector port in communication with the electrical circuitry in the housing space, such that a modular plug at the end of a cable can be removably coupled to the connector port such that the cable extends from the housing;

a yoke disposed within the housing and having at least one recess that receives the cable and contributes to forming a seal around the connector port and cable.

13. An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the external side of the housing back defines a connector garage in which the electrical connector port is accessible and in which the yoke is disposed, further including:

a garage door adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back such that a seal is formed around the connector port and the cable in cooperation with the yoke.

14. An electronic device according to claim 13, further including a plug adapted to be received in the recess of the yoke and thereby contribute to the seal.

15. An electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the plug is tethered to the yoke.

16. An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the yoke includes two recesses, each of which is adapted to receive a cable, and includes a tethered plug for each recess, such that each tethered plug is flexibly attached to the yoke and is adapted to be received in a respective one of the recesses and thereby contribute to the seal around the connector port and the cables.

17. An electronic device according to claim 12, further including a gasket adapted to be pressed against the housing back by the garage door, wherein the gasket is configured such that movement of the garage door in a longitudinal direction toward the housing front produces a compressive force against the gasket in a lateral direction from a surface of the housing back toward the gasket, thereby forming the seal around the connector garage and the cable.

18. An electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the gasket includes an undercut portion in a side surface of the gasket such that the undercut portion is recessed away from the housing back in the lateral direction.

19. An electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the gasket further includes a groove in a gasket surface normal to the side surface.

20. An electronic device according to claim 12, further including a bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in a first orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface and in a second orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally cylindrical surface.

21. An electronic device according to claim 20, further including a second bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in the first orientation, along with the first bracket in the first orientation, to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface.

22. An electronic device according to claim 12, further including at least one suction cup adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface.

23. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a housing front and a housing back, the housing back having an internal side and an external side, wherein the internal side of the housing back defines a cavity and the housing front mates to the internal side of the housing back to seal the cavity and define a space within which electrical circuitry is disposed;

at least one electrical connector port in communication with the electrical circuitry in the housing space, wherein the external side of the housing back defines a connector garage in which the electrical connector port is accessible, such that a modular plug at the end of a cable can be removably coupled to the connector port from the connector garage for connecting the cable with the electrical circuitry, and the cable extends from the connector garage;

a garage door adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back such that a seal is formed around the connector port and the cable, further including a gasket that mates with the garage door, wherein the gasket is configured such that movement of the garage door in a longitudinal direction for attachment of the garage door to the housing back produces a compressive force against the gasket in a lateral direction from a surface of the housing back toward the gasket, thereby forming the seal around the connector garage and the cable;

a yoke in the connector garage, the yoke mating with the garage door to contribute to the seal and having at least one recess that receives the cable;

wherein the yoke includes two recesses, each of which is adapted to receive the cable coupled to each respective connector port, and includes a tethered plug for each recess, such that each tethered plug is flexibly attached to the yoke and is adapted to be received in a respective one of the recesses and thereby contribute to the seal;

a bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in a first orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface and in a second orientation to facilitate mounting to a generally cylindrical surface.

24. An electronic device according to claim 23, further including a second bracket adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back in the first orientation, along with the first bracket in the first orientation, to facilitate mounting to a generally planar surface.

25. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a receiving back configured with a component receptacle on an internal side and a connector garage on an external side, and a front that mates with the internal side of the receiving tray along a mating surface and forms a seal around the mating surface;

electrical circuitry mounted in the component receptacle of the receiving back, the electrical circuitry including first and second connecting ports adapted to receive corresponding first and second connector plugs;

a yoke disposed in the connector garage of the receiving back, the yoke having first and second recesses that receive corresponding first and second cables of the first and second connector plugs;

a garage door adapted for being removably attached to the receiving back so as to form a seal around the connector garage, wherein the yoke and garage door form a seal around the cables when the garage door is attached to the receiving back, and the yoke includes first and second plugs adapted to fit within the respective recesses if the corresponding cable is absent, such that the plug maintains the seal, and further including a gasket adapted to be pressed against the housing back by the garage door, wherein the gasket is configured such that movement of the garage door in a longitudinal direction toward the housing front produces a compressive force against the gasket in a lateral direction from a surface of the housing back toward the gasket, thereby forming the seal around the connector garage and the cable, and wherein the gasket includes an undercut portion in a side surface of the gasket such that the undercut portion is recessed away from the housing back in the lateral direction and the gasket further includes a groove in a gasket surface normal to the side surface.

26. An electronic device housing comprising:

a housing front and a housing back, the housing back having an internal side and an external side, wherein the internal side of the housing back defines a cavity and the housing front mates to the internal side of the housing back to seal the cavity and define a space adapted to receive electrical circuitry;

a connector garage defined in the external side of the housing back such that at least one electrical connector port is adapted to be in communication with the electrical circuitry and accessible from the connector garage such that a modular plug at the end of a cable can be removably coupled to the electrical connector port from the connector garage and such that the cable extends from the connector garage;

a garage door adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back such that a seal is formed around the connector garage and the cable.

27. An electronic device housing according to claim 26, further including a yoke in the connector garage, the yoke mating with the garage door to contribute to the seal and having at least one recess that receives the cable.

28. An electronic device housing according to claim 27, further including a plug adapted to be received in the recess of the yoke and thereby contribute to the seal.

29. An electronic device housing according to claim 28, wherein the plug is tethered to the yoke.

30. An electronic device housing according to claim 27, wherein the yoke includes two recesses, each of which is adapted to receive a cable, and includes a tethered plug for each recess, such that each tethered plug is flexibly attached to the yoke and is adapted to be received in a respective one of the recesses and thereby contribute to the seal.

31. An electronic device housing according to claim 26, further including electrical circuitry disposed within the housing cavity.

32. An electronic device housing comprising:

a housing front and a housing back, the housing back having an internal side and an external side, wherein the internal side of the housing back defines a cavity and the housing front mates to the internal side of the housing back to seal the cavity and define a space within which electrical circuitry is disposed;

at least one electrical connector port in communication with the electrical circuitry in the housing space, such that a modular plug at the end of a cable can be removably coupled to the connector port such that the cable extends from the housing;

a yoke disposed within the housing and having at least one recess that receives the cable and contributes to forming a seal around the connector port and cable.

33. An electronic device housing according to claim 32, wherein the external side of the housing back defines a connector garage in which the electrical connector port is accessible and in which the yoke is disposed, further including:

a garage door adapted for attachment to the external side of the housing back such that a seal is formed around the connector port and the cable in cooperation with the yoke.

34. An electronic device housing according to claim 32, further including a plug adapted to be received in the recess of the yoke and thereby contribute to the seal.

35. An electronic device housing according to claim 34, wherein the plug is tethered to the yoke.

36. An electronic device housing according to claim 32, wherein the yoke includes two recesses, each of which is adapted to receive a cable, and includes a tethered plug for each recess, such that each tethered plug is flexibly attached to the yoke and is adapted to be received in a respective one of the recesses and thereby contribute to the seal around the connector port and the cables.

37. An electronic housing according to claim 32, further including electrical circuitry disposed within the housing cavity.