Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2001-11-13
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
C174S655000, C174S068300, C174S135000, C439S571000, C016S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316728
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cross-connect cabinet for a telecommunication installation and particularly to a below ground cross-connect cabinet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When cross-connect cabinets are installed below ground, they are placed in a below ground enclosure rather than on an above ground level pad. In such telecommunications installations the telephone cable is attached to a terminal field. Terminal fields are well known in the art, an example being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,880 and incorporated herein by this reference thereto. One example of a below ground cross-connect cabinet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,723. In that patent the cross-connect cabinet is raised vertically out of its below ground enclosure by a vertical reciprocating actuator.
It would be desirable to provide an arrangement whereby the terminal field of a cross-connect cabinet can be accessed without removing the cross-connect cabinet from its below ground enclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cross-connect cabinet for a below ground telecommunications installation having a terminal field which folds down to a horizontal position within the underground enclosure when the enclosure is closed and pivots 90° to a vertical working position when the cover of the enclosure is opened. It is a further object of the invention to provide a cabling system for the pivoted terminal field where one end of the cable is attached to the pivoted terminal field and where repeated cycling of the terminal field to open and closed positions does not affect the service life of the cable due to fatigue as other premature wire failure.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a cross-connect cabinet for a telecommunications installation including an enclosure having an opening for receiving incoming telecommunication cables. A terminal field is pivotally mounted within the enclosure for rotation about a pivotal axis through an angle of about 90° between open and closed positions. A bundle of conductors carries inbound signals from the incoming telecommunications cable to the terminal field. The bundle of conductors has a central axis substantially coincident with the pivotal axis of the terminal field. One end of the bundle of conductors is affixed to the enclosure to stabilize the one end and the opposite end of the bundle of conductors is affixed to the terminal field for rotation of the opposite end therewith whereby when the terminal field is rotated about its pivotal axis to open or close the cross-connect cabinet, the one end of the bundle of conductors is stabilized while the opposite end of the bundle of conductors rotates about the central axis thereby creating a progressive twist over the length of the bundle of conductors between the ends thereof and thus avoiding bending the bundle of conductors across the longitudinal axis of the conductors in a manner likely to cause fatigue or other premature failure during the opening and closing of the terminal field of the cross-connect cabinet. In one form of the invention, a trough extends along the pivotal axis of the terminal field for receiving the bundle of conductors and the trough is mounted on the enclosure and the one end of the bundle is affixed to the trough. Further in accordance with the invention the enclosure has an open top and a cover for closing the open top.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4160880 (1979-07-01), Brey
patent: 4731501 (1988-03-01), Clark et al.
patent: 4835659 (1989-05-01), Goodson
patent: 5001602 (1991-03-01), Suffi et al.
patent: 5093885 (1992-03-01), Anton
patent: 5189723 (1993-02-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5708742 (1998-01-01), Beun et al.
patent: 5715145 (1998-02-01), Wong et al.
patent: 5758002 (1998-05-01), Walters
patent: 6044151 (2000-03-01), Wallace
Hoover Michael Anthony
Lubic Marko Konstantin
Patel Dhiru R
Reichard Dean A.
Tyco Electronics Logistics AG
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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