Building entrance box with localized wire potting

Details Building entrance box with localized wire potting Building entrance box with localized wire potting

1998-03-13

2001-02-20

Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Boxes and housings

C220S004020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06191358

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a building entrance box and, more particularly, to a wire potting arrangement which reduces the infiltration of moisture from the splice chamber to the connector chamber of the box.
Where telephone wires enter a building, there is usually provided a building entrance box. The incoming wires, which are typically contained within one or more multi-wire cables, enter a splice chamber in the box, where they are connected to wires which go to a protector field, in a connector chamber of the box, providing protection against lightning, high voltage and high current, and then connections are made within the connector chamber to an output wire connector field. At the connector field, connections are made to wires which extend through the building to output jacks at various locations in the building.
When such a box is used in an outdoor application, moisture can enter the box through the opening provided for the incoming cables. This moisture can pass from the splice chamber to the connector chamber and can condense on the underside of the protector field and the connector field, where it can short out terminals. To prevent such problems, in the past the underside of the protector field and the connector field have been potted. This is a time consuming and costly procedure, requiring a large amount of potting material.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved manner of reducing the infiltration of moisture from the splice chamber to the connector chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the connector field (and protector field if there is one) are mounted to a cover plate within the connector chamber of the box. A separator plate is secured transversely to the cover plate and extends toward a base wall of the box and into a recess provided in the base wall. The wires which extend from the splice chamber to the connector chamber are routed to the recess and pass under the separator plate within the recess. The recess is filled with potting material to a height less than the depth of the recess but sufficient to contact the separator plate within the recess. Accordingly, a moisture impervious seal is provided between the splice chamber and the connector chamber within the recess.
In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the potting material comprises a polyurethane mix.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5452873 (1995-09-01), Laughlin
patent: 5669522 (1997-09-01), Million et al.
patent: 5717164 (1998-02-01), Shetterly
patent: 5796585 (1998-08-01), Sugiyama et al.
patent: 5942724 (1999-08-01), Russo et al.
patent: 6060660 (2000-05-01), Bauer

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