Housings, for example for a fiber optic network distributor or a junction box

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing (14), for example for a fiber optic network distributor or a junction box, which has solid walls (16, 18, 20), at least one access door (22) attached thereto and a mounting interface which surrounds an access cross-section to the interior of the housing (14), characterized in that the mounting interface has a mounting leg (30) which is detachably connected to the housing (14) and which can be removed for the purpose of installing the housing (14).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a housing, for example for a fiber optic network distributor or a junction box, which has solid walls, at least one access door attached thereto and a mounting interface that surrounds an access cross-section to the interior of the housing.

[0002] The housing can be a junction box, for example for a building connection, in which electrical cables or fiber optic cables coming from outside the building are connected to cabling inside the building.

[0003] The housing can also be part of a fiber optic network distributor, which serves to connect the individual fiber optic cables connecting to individual home connections to the main fiber optic cables of a network operator. Both the main fiber optic cables and the fiber optic cables connecting to homes are buried underground and fed into the housing through a base installed in the ground. Inside the housing, the fiber optic cables are spliced ​​appropriately.

[0004] During the installation of the fiber optic network distributor, the main fiber optic cables and the fiber optic connections to the customer's premises are fed out of the top of the base before the distributor housing is installed. The distributor housing is then typically placed onto the base from above, while simultaneously inserting the main fiber optic cables and the fiber optic connections into the housing's access opening. This requires several people working together.

[0005] The purpose of the invention is to create a housing that is easier to assemble.

[0006] For this purpose, the invention provides that the mounting interface has a mounting leg that is detachably connected to the housing and can be removed for the installation of the housing.

[0007] The invention is based on the fundamental idea of ​​designing the housing, and in particular the mounting interface, in such a way that it can be slid flat into its mounting position, for example, onto the base, and does not have to be placed on top. For this purpose, the access cross-section, which is normally surrounded on all sides by the mounting interface, is temporarily opened on one side so that the housing can be slid into a position on, for example, the base, in which the cables to be connected lie within the access cross-section of the mounting interface. Finally, the mounting leg is reattached so that the mounting interface has the desired stability of a completely enclosed frame.

[0008] In one embodiment, the mounting interface is formed by a base frame attached to the walls of the housing. A separate base frame allows it to be designed with regard to the loads to be absorbed, without having to consider the cost-effective manufacturing of the housing walls. The base frame can be made of metal, plastic, or a combination of both.

[0009] In an alternative design, the mounting interface is formed by reinforced edge sections of the walls. Depending on the dimensions of these edge sections, the mounting interface can be considered a frame formed integrally with the walls of the housing. This eliminates the need for mounting a base frame.

[0010] The mounting leg can be screwed to the rest of the mounting interface, resulting in less effort when disassembling and assembling the mounting leg.

[0011] Preferably, the mounting leg is connected to the rest of the mounting interface by means of a positive locking connection, which fixes the mounting leg against movement in the plane of the mounting interface. This increases the mechanical stability of the mounting interface.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the positive-locking connection has a fold on the mounting leg, which secures it, in particular, against displacement towards the outside of the housing. In practice, higher loads occur in this direction, so the fold can reliably absorb the loads that occur.

[0013] The positive locking connection can also have a cylindrical projection at the mounting interface and a bushing on the mounting leg, so that relative movement in all directions except one direction parallel to the central axis of the bushing is prevented.

[0014] According to one embodiment, an opening can be provided within the projection into which a mounting screw engages, the head of which rests on the upper surface of the mounting leg. In this embodiment, the projection has a dual function. Firstly, it forms part of the positive-locking connection, ensuring that the mounting leg is firmly connected to the rest of the assembly interface. Secondly, the projection provides sufficient material into which the mounting screw can be screwed to generate the desired clamping force.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the mounting leg has a support for locking the access door, so that it can be reliably held in the closed position even in the middle at its lower edge.

[0016] The invention is described below with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These show: - Fig. 1 in a schematic sectional view a base with housing mounted on it during assembly; - Fig. 2 a housing according to the invention in a perspective front view; - Fig. 3 the case of Fig. 2 in a perspective bottom view; - Fig. 4. The lower part of the housing is shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 2; - Fig. 5 a top view of the mounting interface of the housing of Fig. 2; - Fig. 6. Enlarged scale, a detail of the assembly interface of Fig. 5; - Fig. 7 the assembly interface of Fig. 5 in a perspective exploded view; - Fig. 8 in an enlarged view a detail of the assembly interface of Fig. 7; - Fig. 9 the detail of Fig. 8 in a perspective top view; - Fig. 10 the detail of Fig. 9 in another perspective top view; and - Fig. 11 in a perspective view the casing of Fig. 2 with some exemplary introduced guide tubes of glass fibers.

[0017] The invention is described below using a fiber optic network distributor mounted on a base as an example. In principle, the concept according to the invention can be used with any enclosure (for example, a junction box) where several cables must be fed into the interior of the enclosure through a normally closed access cross-section, and where assembly is simplified by temporarily opening the access cross-section.

[0018] In Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a base 2, which is installed in the ground down to a level E. The base 2 has the shape of a cuboid, into whose interior several main fiber optic cables 4 are routed, belonging to a fiber optic network operated by a network operator. Many fiber optic cables 6 extend from the base 2 to nearby residential connections.

[0019] The main fiber optic cables 4 and the house connection fiber optic cables 6 are led out of the base 2 with a certain excess length of 1 to 2 m, so that they can later be connected to each other in the desired way.

[0020] The base has a rectangular cross-section in a top view. On base 2, a [unclear text] is mounted. Fig. 1. A schematically shown section of a fiber optic network distributor 10 is mounted, which has a base frame 12 (see the Fig. 2 to 5) and has a housing 14.

[0021] The housing 14 has several fixed walls, namely a rear wall 16, two side walls 18 and a top wall 20. An access door 22 is located on one of the side walls 18 (see Fig. 1) attached, with which access to the interior of housing 14 can be locked or unlocked.

[0022] For ease of orientation, the "front" here refers to the side where access door 22 is located, providing access to the interior of the fiber optic network distributor for work purposes. Accordingly, the "back" is the rear side of the fiber optic network distributor as viewed from the front.

[0023] The base frame 12 has a rectangular shape with dimensions corresponding to the upper edge of the base 2 and is made of plastic. It has a longer rear section 24, two short side sections 26, and a front section 28.

[0024] The front section consists of a central mounting leg 30 and two short side stubs 32. The side stubs 32, the side parts 26, and the rear part 24 are formed in one piece. The mounting leg 30 is detachable from the side stubs 32 (see in particular the Fig. 6 to 10).

[0025] In general terms, the mounting leg 30 is screwed to the respective side stub 32 at both ends. Screws 34 are used for this purpose.

[0026] To achieve high mechanical stability of the base frame 12, the mounting leg 30 is connected to each of the side stubs 32 by means of a positive locking connection.

[0027] One aspect of the positive locking connection is that the mounting leg, viewed from outside the base frame 12, engages behind the side stubs 32. For this purpose, a rebate 36 is provided at each end of the mounting leg 30, which interacts with a complementary projection 38 on the opposite end face of the side leg 32.

[0028] Since the fold 36 engages behind the projection, loads that attempt to push the mounting leg 30 outwards from the interior of the base frame 12 are reliably diverted into the side stubs 32.

[0029] Another aspect of the positive-locking connection is a cylindrical projection 40 provided on each side stub 32. A hollow bushing 42, formed integrally with the mounting leg 30, is fitted onto the projection 40. More precisely, the two bushings 42 are formed at the ends of mounting tabs 44, which are provided at the ends of the mounting leg 30.

[0030] When the mounting leg 30 is attached to the side stubs 32 of the base frame 12, the screws 34 are screwed through the bushings 42 into the projections 40. The screws 34 may be provided with self-tapping threads for this purpose.

[0031] The base frame 12 is screwed to the housing 14 in such a way that the rear part 24 of the base frame extends along the underside of the rear wall 16 of the housing 14 and the side parts 26 extend along the side walls 18.

[0032] The base frame 12 forms an assembly interface, as it establishes the connection between the housing 14 and the socket 2.

[0033] In its delivered state, the mounting leg 30 is usually screwed to the rest of the base frame 12 to ensure high stability of the fiber optic network distributor 10 during transport. When the housing 14 is to be mounted on the base 2, the mounting leg 30 is then unscrewed from the rest of the base frame 12.

[0034] In this state, the fiber optic network distributor can be slid onto the base 2 from the rear. This is possible because, due to the absence of the mounting bracket 30 during assembly, access to the interior of the fiber optic network distributor 10 is unobstructed (the access door 22 must, of course, be open). Care must be taken to ensure that the main fiber optic cables 4 and the branch fiber optic cables 6 are centered in the area between the side stubs 32. The fiber optic network distributor 10 can then be slid horizontally onto the base 2 in the direction of arrow P until the base frame 12 is in position on the top of the base and can be screwed into place.

[0035] The mounting leg 30 is then also screwed in place, so that the base frame 12 is closed in the circumferential direction.

[0036] On the mounting leg 30, a support 46 is also provided for locking the access door 22, so that when the mounting leg 30 is mounted, the access door can be locked not only at the top of the housing 14, but also at the bottom of the base frame 12.

[0037] The fiber optic network distributor 10 (shown here without an access door for clarity) with closed base frame 12 and the cross-section enclosed by the base frame 12 is in Fig. Figure 11 can be seen. Several guide tubes 48 for glass fibers extend through the cross-section enclosed by the base frame 12.

[0038] As an alternative to a mounting interface that is designed separately from the housing walls (in the form of the base frame 12), the mounting interface can also be integrally formed with the housing 14. In this case, the edge sections of the walls, which are placed on the base of the housing (in the case of a fiber optic network distributor 10, on the plinth 2) when assembled, are appropriately designed, for example, reinforced, thickened, and / or with tabs, openings, etc., for mounting screws. Even with a mounting interface that is otherwise integrally formed with the walls, the mounting leg, which is designed separately from the rest of the mounting interface, is used, as this ensures that the mounting interface has high mechanical stability (due to a circumferentially closed cross-section).

[0039] The mounting leg 30 does not need to be completely detached from the housing for its removal. It can also be removed by detaching it from the rest of the mounting interface on one side and moving it around a hinge or pivot point to which it is connected at its other end to the housing or base frame, so that the access cross-section is exposed.

Claims

[1] Housing (14), for example for a fiber optic network distributor or a junction box, comprising solid walls (16, 18, 20), at least one access door (22) attached thereto and a mounting interface surrounding an access cross-section to the interior of the housing (14), characterized by , that the mounting interface has a mounting leg (30) detachably connected to the housing (14), which can be removed for the installation of the housing (14). [2] Housing (14) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the mounting interface is formed by a base frame (12) which is attached to the walls of the housing (14). [3] Housing (14) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the assembly interface is formed by reinforced edge sections of the walls (16, 18, 20). [4] Housing according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the mounting leg (30) is screwed to the rest of the mounting interface. [5] Housing (14) according to claim 4, characterized by , that the mounting leg (30) is connected to the rest of the mounting interface by means of a positive locking connection (36, 38; 40, 42) which fixes the mounting leg (30) against movements in the plane of the mounting interface. [6] Housing (14) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the positive locking connection has a fold (36) on the mounting leg (30). [7] Housing (14) according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized by , that the positive locking connection has a cylindrical projection (40) at the mounting interface and a bushing (42) on the mounting leg (30). [8] Housing (14) according to claim 7 and claim 4, characterized by , that an opening is provided within the projection (40) into which a mounting screw (34) engages, the head of which rests on the top of the mounting leg (30). [9] Housing (14) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the mounting leg (30) has a support (46) for locking the access door (22).

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