Enclosures

Details Enclosures Enclosures

2000-10-06

2003-02-04

Nguyen, Chau N. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Boxes and housings

C174S058000, C312S265100, C220S495040

Reexamination Certificate

active

06515225

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to enclosures and, in particular, to enclosures suitable for use in a telecommunications network or a data communications network such as a computer network. Such an enclosure is commonly used to house cable connecting equipment but other network equipment, for example servers or modems, may be mounted in the enclosure, according to the requirements of a user.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
An enclosure is commonly provided in a communications network to house a multiplicity of cable connections. In order to protect the connections and also to protect persons from connections, the connections are surrounded by an enclosure. It is important that the enclosure is substantially closed on all sides in order to provide the desired degree of protection. On the other hand, the cables have to be connected in the enclosure and, in order to make efficient use of space, a high density of connections is desirable; consequently it is desirable for the enclosure to provide as little obstruction as possible to access for the purpose of making the connections initially or to access subsequently to alter connections or for servicing, repair or replacement of equipment. Those two requirements have proved difficult to reconcile.
In the case of a free-standing enclosure it will often be necessary for the enclosure to have panels at both the front and rear and on both sides in order to provide the desired protecting function. It is, however, also possible that, for example, the free-standing enclosure will be placed with its back against a wall so that a back panel is no longer needed and it is also possible that two similar enclosures will be placed immediately adjacent to one another, in which case the adjacent side panels of the two enclosures are no longer needed and indeed may be undesirable if they obstruct the passage of cables from one enclosure to another.
It is an object of the invention to provide an enclosure which is able to provide adequate protection but is also able to provide little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an enclosure suitable for use in a telecommunications or data communications network, the enclosure including a frame and a plurality of panels, the frame including first and second upright frame members, an upper forward cantilevered frame portion including elongate side frame portions extending from the upright frame members substantially horizontally forwardly along opposite sides of the enclosure and an elongate transverse portion at the front, and an upper rearward cantilevered frame portion including elongate side frame portions extending from the upright frame members substantially horizontally rearwardly along opposite sides of the enclosure and an elongate transverse portion at the rear, the side frame portions being fixed directly or indirectly to the upright frame members.
By providing upright frame members from which upper cantilevered frame portions project both forwardly and rearwardly it is possible to provide an enclosure with a frame that causes very little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure and yet is able to provide the desired degree of protection when panels are fitted to the frame.
The frame preferably includes upper and lower forward and rearward cantilevered frame portions. Providing lower cantilevered frame portions as well as upper ones further facilitates the provision of a frame that causes very little obstruction to access to any part of the interior of the enclosure.
The side frame portions and transverse frame portion of each cantilevered frame portion are preferably integral with one another. Furthermore the side frame portions of a forwardly projecting cantilevered frame portion may be integral with the side frame portions of a corresponding rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portion. Thus the upper forwardly and rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portions may be integral with one another and, similarly, the lower forwardly and rearwardly projecting cantilevered frame portions may be integral with one another.
One or more of the panels are preferably at least partly detachable. As will be described further below, the arrangement of panels and their detachability can be arranged to provide especially advantageous enclosures according to the invention.
Preferably, at least a major part of a first side of the enclosure is defined by a front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and a rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member, one of the side panels being at least partly detachable. By providing at least partly detachable front and rear side panels extending in opposite directions from the first upright frame member, which is therefore intermediate the front and back of the enclosure, an enclosure can be realised, which can readily be fully closed, but in which when, say, the front side panel, is partly or fully detached, is very accessible from the front or the first side to the front of the first upright member. Similarly, when the rear side panel is partly or fully detached, the enclosure can become very accessible from the rear or from the first side to the rear of the first upright member.
The frame can be used to provide the structural S strength of the enclosure, the panels being supported by the frame.
Preferably the front side panel is at least partly detachable. Preferably the front side panel is pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at a front and/or rear end of the panel; such partial detachment of the side panel enables good access to be obtained to the side of the enclosure at the front when the side panel is pivoted into an open position. The partial detachment may be achieved by releasing a latching device, such as a sliding pin or a lock, at the end of the front side panel opposite the end at which the pivot axis is disposed. As indicated above, the front side panel may be pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at its rear end and/or at its front end. In a case where pivotability is provided at both ends the pivots may be selectively disengageable so as to release one end of the side panel and allow pivoting about an axis at the other end. Preferably the front side panel is fully detachable; when the front side panel is fully detached even greater access is provided to the side of the enclosure at the front.
Similarly, the rear side panel is also preferably at least partly detachable and, more preferably, fully detachable and is preferable pivotable about a substantially vertical axis at a front and/or rear end of the panel. As described above for the front side panel, a latching device, such as a sliding pin or a lock, may be provided at the end of the panel opposite the end at which the pivot axis is disposed and the panel may be pivotable at either or both ends. The rear side panel is also preferably fully detachable. Thus good access can be provided to the side of the enclosure at the rear.
Especially if two enclosures are to be placed side-by-side it may be desirable for only one side of each enclosure to be as defined above and side panels may be omitted from the adjacent sides of the enclosures, but in a more usual case it is preferable for both sides of the enclosure to be of similar form. Thus, preferably at least a major part of the first side of the enclosure is defined by a first front side panel extending forwardly from the first upright frame member and a first rear side panel extending rearwardly from the first upright frame member and at least a major part of a second opposite side of the enclosure is defined by a second front side panel extending forwardly from the second upright frame member and a second rear side panel extending rearwardly from the second upright frame member.
Preferably each of the front side panels and the rear side panels is partly or fully detachable and preferably also pivotable, preferably about a substantially vert

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