Telecommunications enclosure box employing mounting brackets for supporting components providing communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment
A telecommunications enclosure box for compactly supporting and housing components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment. The enclosure box includes a base, a front door, pairs of first and second mounting brackets, and pluralities of first and second securing elements. The pairs of first mounting brackets and second mounting brackets are adapted to support various components on the base for communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to telecommunications interconnection and cross connection equipment and, more particularly, is concerned with a telecommunications enclosure box employing mounting brackets for compactly supporting and housing components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The organization and management of voice and data telecommunications networks in building and office environments involves the provision of connection assemblies in or near work areas. These connection assemblies establish connection points for both horizontal and vertical runs of cables with one another or with patch cords providing routing to work stations. These connection assemblies further facilitate terminations between the horizontal cables and patch cords which remain undisturbed when the patch cords leading to the work stations have to be reconfigured to make changes in work station arrangements.
There are many different connection assemblies manufactured and sold by Hubbell Premise Wiring, Inc., a subsidiary of Hubbell Incorporated, of Stonington, Conn., which address the demands of diverse cross connection and interconnection schemes. These connection assemblies have performed well and have achieved general acceptance among users in the commercial marketplace. However, as with all products, the need arises from time to time for further innovations which will enhance performance and address additional demands, such as, for more concentrated telecommunication in decentralized applications involving diverse institutions and establishments, for instance, schools, hospitals, warehouses and retail enterprises.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a telecommunications enclosure box designed to satisfy the aforementioned need by employing mounting brackets for compactly supporting and housing various components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment. The enclosure box provides a more simplified and efficient support of the various communicative connection components by using a plurality of pairs of mounting brackets which are mounted in the enclosure box so as to enable support of the various components in different configurations. Also, one of the pairs of mounting brackets provides a positive displacement stop and allows pivotal movement of a connection component to a temporary work position that accommodates and facilitates the carrying out final installation terminations.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a telecommunications enclosure box for compactly supporting and housing components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment. The enclosure box comprises: (a) a base including a back wall and a side wall connected to and surrounding the back wall so as to form an interior cavity therewith, the side wall also forming a peripheral edge defining a front opening to the interior cavity; (b) a front door mounted to the side wall of the base to undergo movement toward and away from the back wall of the base for opening and closing the front opening to the interior cavity of the base to thereby respectively expose and enclose the interior cavity of the base; (c) a pair of first mounting brackets and a pair of second mounting brackets, each pair having means for attaching with and thereby supporting the various components for communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment, the first mounting brackets being attached to the base; and (d) a plurality of first securing elements and a plurality of second securing elements, each of the first securing elements being complementary in configuration to a respective one of the second securing elements for matable interfitting of the first securing element with the second securing element, the first securing elements being formed on one of the back wall of the base and the second mounting brackets, the second securing elements being formed on the other of the back wall of the base and the second mounting brackets and matably interfitted with the respective first securing elements to mount the second mounting brackets on the back wall of the base.
More particularly, each of the first securing elements includes a loop having a rigid construction and protruding outwardly from one of the second mounting bracket and the back wall of the base and a slot defined adjacent to the loop. Each of the second securing elements includes a tongue having a rigid construction and formed on the other of the second mounting bracket and the back wall of the base by a generally U-shaped slot defined therein. The tongue matably interfits through the slot adjacent to the loop.
The first mounting brackets are substantially mirror images of one another. In a first embodiment of the enclosure box where the front door has a first depth size, each of the first mounting brackets includes only a first inner bracket member fixedly attached to the base. In a second embodiment of the enclosure box where the front door has a second depth size larger than the first depth size, each of the first mounting brackets includes both the first inner bracket member and a first outer bracket member. The first inner bracket member is fixedly attached to the back wall of the base and the first outer bracket member is mounted to the first inner bracket member. The rigid loop of the first securing element is formed on one of the first inner bracket member and first outer bracket member. The rigid tongue of the second securing element is formed on the other of the first inner bracket member and first outer bracket member and aligns and matably interfitted with the respective rigid loop of the first securing element to mount the first outer bracket member to the first inner bracket member.
Further, the second mounting brackets are substantially mirror images of one another. Each second mounting bracket includes a second inner bracket member mounted to the back wall of the base and a second outer bracket member mounted to the second inner bracket member so as to permit the second outer bracket member to undergo pivotal movement relative to the second inner bracket member. Each second mounting bracket has formed thereon either one of a pair of spaced apart first securing elements and a pair of spaced apart second securing elements. The back wall of the base has the other of the pair of spaced apart first securing elements and the pair of spaced apart second securing elements formed thereon and being aligned and interfitted with the one of the pair of spaced apart first securing elements and the pair of spaced apart second securing elements so as to mount the second mounting brackets on the back wall of the base. Also, the back wall of the base has a pair of spaced apart tabs cut and bend out therefrom so as to lie along and support the respective second inner bracket members of the second mounting brackets.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which:
In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “top”, “bottom”, “upwardly”, “downwardly”, and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
Referring to the drawings and particularly to
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
With respect to the pair of first mounting brackets 16, with only the right one of the first mounting brackets 16 being shown in
With respect to the second mounting brackets 18, with only the right one of the second mounting brackets 18 being shown in
It is thought that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.
Claims
1. A telecommunications enclosure box for compactly supporting and housing components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment, said enclosure box comprising:
- (a) a base including a back wall and a side wall connected to and surrounding said back wall so as to form an interior cavity therewith, said side wall also forming a peripheral edge defining a front opening to said interior cavity;
- (b) a front door mounted to said side wall of said base so as to undergo movement toward and away from said back wall of said base for opening and closing said front opening to said interior cavity of said base to thereby respectively expose and enclose said interior cavity of said base;
- (c) a pair of first mounting brackets being constructed of a plurality of orthogonally arranged rigidly connected plates having a first configuration and a pair of second mounting brackets being constructed of a plurality of orthogonally arranged connected plates having a second configuration different from said first configuration of said first mounting brackets, each of said first and second mounting brackets having attaching means for supporting various components for communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment, said pair of first mounting brackets each having a first inner bracket member being fixedly attached to said back wall of said base and extending outwardly therefrom in defining a first length of said first mounting bracket and being adapted to be removably connected to a first outer bracket member that extends outwardly from said first inner bracket member in defining a second length greater than said first length of said first mounting bracket; and
- (d) a plurality of first securing elements and a plurality of second securing elements, each of said first securing elements being complementary in configuration to a respective one of said second securing elements for matably interfitting of said first securing elements with said second securing elements, said first securing elements being formed on one of said back wall of said base and said second mounting bracket, said second securing elements being formed on the other of said back wall of said base and said second mounting brackets and matably interfitted with said respective first securing elements to mount said second mounting brackets on said back wall of said base.
2. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said first securing elements includes a loop having a rigid construction and protruding outwardly from one of said second mounting brackets and said back wall of said base and a slot defined adjacent to said loop.
3. The enclosure box as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said second securing elements includes a tongue having a rigid construction and being formed on the other of said second mounting bracket and said back wall of said base by a generally U-shaped slot defined therein, said tongue being matably interfitted through said slot adjacent to said loop.
4. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said second mounting brackets has formed thereon one of a pair of spaced apart first securing elements and a pair of spaced apart second securing elements, said back wall of said base having the other of said pair of spaced apart first securing elements and said pair of spaced apart second securing elements formed thereon and being aligned and interfitted with said one of said pair of spaced apart first securing elements and said pair of spaced apart second securing elements so as to mount said second mounting brackets on said back wall of said base.
5. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein said second mounting brackets of said pair thereof are substantially mirror images of one another.
6. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said second mounting brackets includes a second inner bracket member mounted to said back wall of said box and a second outer bracket member being mounted to said second inner bracket member so as to permit said second outer bracket member to undergo pivotal movement relative to said second inner bracket member, said second outer bracket member being constructed of a pair of orthogonally arranged rigidly connected plates with one plate having a lower enclosed linear-shaped slot and an upper open J-slot for receiving a pair of spaced rivets for pivotal connection to said second inner bracket member of said second mounting brackets such that said second outer bracket member is permitted to undergo pivotal movement relative to said second inner bracket member.
7. The enclosure box as recited in claim 6, wherein said back wall of said base has a pair of spaced apart tabs cut and bent out therefrom so as to lie along and support said second inner bracket members of said respective second mounting brackets.
8. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein said first mounting brackets of said pair thereof are substantially mirror images of one another.
9. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein said front door has an interior chamber for receiving therein the portion of said first mounting bracket extending outwardly beyond said side wall of said base upon closing of said front door against said peripheral edge of said side wall of said base.
10. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein said front door has one of first and second sizes of depths wherein said second depth size is greater than said first depth size.
11. The enclosure box as recited in claim 1, wherein said side wall of said base has knockouts which are removable to form apertures for passage of cables into and from said interior cavity of said base.
12. A telecommunications enclosure box for compactly supporting and housing components that provide communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment, said enclosure box comprising:
- (a) a base including a back wall and a side wall connected to and surrounding said back wall so as to form an interior cavity therewith, said side wall also forming a peripheral edge defining a front opening to said interior cavity, said side wall having knockouts which are removable to form apertures for passage of cables into and from said interior cavity of said base;
- (b) a front door mounted to said side wall of said base so as to undergo movement toward and away from said back wall of said base for opening and closing said front opening to said interior cavity of said base to thereby respectively expose and enclose said interior cavity of said base;
- (c) a pair of first mounting brackets being substantially mirror images of one another and being constructed of a plurality of orthogonally arranged rigidly connected plates having a first configuration and a pair of second mounting brackets being substantially mirror images of one another and being constructed of a plurality of orthogonally arranged connected plates having a second configuration different from said first configuration of said first mounting brackets, each of said first and second mounting brackets having attaching means for supporting various components for communicative connection of remote multimedia equipment, said pair of first mounting brackets being rigidly attached to said back wall and to respective opposite portions of said side wall of said base, each of said pair of second mounting brackets including a second inner bracket member mounted to said back wall of said base and a second outer bracket member mounted to said second inner bracket member so as to permit said second outer bracket member to undergo pivotal movement relative to said second inner bracket member, said back wall of said base having a pair of spaced apart tabs cut and bent out therefrom so as to lie along and support said second inner bracket members of said respective second mounting brackets; and
- (d) a plurality of first securing elements and a plurality of second securing elements, each of said first securing elements being complementary in configuration to a respective one of said second securing elements for matably interfitting of said first securing element with said second securing element, said first securing elements being formed on one of said back wall of said base and said second mounting bracket, said second securing elements being formed on the other of said back wall of said base and said second mounting brackets and matably interfitted with said respective first securing elements to mount said second mounting brackets on said back wall of said base.
13. The enclosure box as recited in claim 12, wherein:
- each of said first securing elements includes a loop having a rigid construction and protruding outwardly from one of said second mounting bracket and said back wall of said base and a slot defined adjacent to said loop; and
- each of said second securing elements includes a tongue having a rigid construction and being formed on the other of said second mounting bracket and said back wall of said base by a generally U-shaped slot defined therein, said tongue being matably interfitted through said slot adjacent to said loop.
14. The enclosure box as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said first mounting brackets includes a first inner bracket member and a first outer bracket member, said first inner bracket member being fixedly attached to said back wall of said base and said first outer bracket member being mounted to said first inner bracket member.
15. The enclosure box as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said second mounting brackets having formed thereon one of a pair of spaced apart first securing elements and a pair of spaced apart second securing elements, said back wall of said base having the other of said pair of spaced apart first securing elements and said pair of spaced apart second securing elements formed thereon and being aligned and interfitted with said one of said pair of spaced apart first securing elements and said pair of spaced apart second securing elements so as to mount said second mounting brackets on said back wall of said base.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 8, 2004
Date of Patent: Jul 10, 2012
Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated (Shelton, CT)
Inventors: Robert C. Baxter (Warwick, RI), William G. Sobieski (Guilford, CT), Dale D. Martin (East Lyme, CT), Steven O. Fournier (Southington, CT)
Primary Examiner: Hanh V Tran
Attorney: Alan I. Cantor
Application Number: 10/960,902
International Classification: A47B 43/00 (20060101);