Re-enterable enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502878-B2
Application number	US-201314412368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2013
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

An enclosure ( 20, 220 ) includes a housing ( 22, 222 ) and a sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) that mounts within a sealing unit opening ( 28, 230 ) of the housing. The sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) provides a peripheral seal between the housing ( 22, 222 ) and the sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) and provides seals around cable ports ( 50 ). The sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) can be mounted to and removed from the housing ( 222 ) through the sealing unit opening ( 28, 230 ). The base ( 26 ) lacks a permanent retention structure ( 55, 155 a ) at the outer end of the base ( 26 ) for retaining the sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) in the base ( 26 ). A cover ( 24 ) is removable from the base ( 26 ) without requiring the sealant arrangement ( 52, 236 ) to be de-pressurized. A fastening arrangement ( 55, 155 a ) releasably retains the sealing unit ( 48, 42 a, 232 ) in the sealing unit opening ( 28, 230 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An enclosure comprising:
a housing defining a sealing unit opening having an outer end;
a sealing unit that mounts within the sealing unit opening, the sealing unit including:
inner and outer pressurization structures separated along an actuation axis;
a sealant arrangement positioned axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures of the sealing unit, the sealant arrangement defining a plurality of cable ports, the sealant arrangement also being configured for providing a peripheral seal between the housing and the sealing unit;
an actuator for pressurizing the sealant arrangement axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures of the sealing unit within the sealing unit opening, the actuator including:
a shaft extending in an axial direction; and
a spring for applying an axial seal pressurization force between the inner and outer pressurization structures to spring bias the inner and outer pressurization structures axially toward one another;

the sealant arrangement being pressurized axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures when the actuator is actuated such that an outer portion of the sealant arrangement forms the peripheral seal with an inner surface of the housing that defines the sealing unit opening;

the sealing unit being mounted in the sealing unit opening by inserting the sealing unit through the outer end of the sealing unit opening, and the sealing unit being removable from the sealing unit opening through the outer end of the sealing unit opening, wherein when the sealing unit is mounted within the sealing unit opening the actuation axis aligns with a central axis of the sealing unit opening;
a cable anchoring location coupled to the inner pressurization structure; and
a fastening arrangement that is movable between a retaining position and a non-retaining position, the fastening arrangement being positioned on the housing and configured to engage the inner pressurization structure when in the retaining position, wherein when the fastening arrangement engages the inner pressurization structure the fastening arrangement restricts the sealing unit from moving axially within the sealant unit opening of the housing, and prevents the sealing unit from being removed from the sealing unit opening through the outer end of the sealing unit opening;
wherein the fastening arrangement can be moved to the non-retaining position to allow the sealing unit to be removed from the sealing unit opening through the outer end of the sealing unit opening.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the fastening arrangement can be fastened and unfastened from outside the housing.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein access to an interior of the housing is required to fasten and unfasten the fastening arrangement.

4. The enclosure of claim 3 , wherein the housing includes a cover that can be removed to access the interior region of the housing.

5. The enclosure claim 1 , wherein a cover covers a side opening of the housing that is separate from the sealing unit opening.

6. The enclosure claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a base and cover that is removable from the base, and wherein the sealing unit opening is defined by the base.

7. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein the cover includes a closed end and an opposite open end, and wherein the open end connects to the base.

8. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the open end of the cover connects to the base via a clamp.

9. The enclosure of claim 6 , wherein the cover is a dome-style cover.

10. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the fastening arrangement includes a fastening pin.

11. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the fastening arrangement includes a latch arrangement.

12. The enclosure of claim 11 , wherein the latch arrangement includes a latch member mounted to the housing, the latch member being moveable between a latching position and a non-latching position, the latch member including a latching portion that engages the inner pressurization structure when the latching member is in the latching position.

13. The enclosure of claim 12 , wherein the latch member includes an actuating portion that is accessible from outside the housing.

14. The enclosure of claim 13 , wherein the housing includes a dome-style cover that removably mounts to a sleeve-style base via a clamp, and wherein the latch member is mounted to the base and is pivotally movable relative to the base between the latching position and the non-latching position.

15. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a cover and a base, the cover having an open end positioned opposite from a closed end, the cover including a cover flange that extends around a periphery of the cover at the open end of the cover, the base being a hollow sleeve having an inner end and an outer end, the base including a base flange the extends around a periphery of the base at the inner end of the base wherein the enclosure includes a clamp for receiving the cover flange and the base flange to couple the cover and the base together, and wherein the sealing unit opening is defined by the base.

16. The enclosure of claim 15 , wherein the base is configured to be attached to a structure such as a hand hole, a wall or a pole.

17. The enclosure of claim 15 , wherein the base includes one or more mounting flanges for affixing the housing to another structure.

18. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is a slot.

19. An enclosure comprising:
a housing including a cover and a base, the cover having an open end positioned opposite from a closed end, the cover including a cover flange that extends around a periphery of the cover at the open end of the cover, the base being a hollow sleeve having an inner end and an outer end, the base including a base flange the extends around a periphery of the base at the inner end of the base;
a clamp that receives the cover flange and the base flange to couple the cover and the base together;
a sealing unit that fits within the base, the sealing unit defining a plurality of cable ports, the sealing unit including inner and outer pressurization structures separated along an actuation axis and a sealant arrangement positioned axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures of the sealing unit for sealing the cable ports and for providing a peripheral seal between the base and the sealing unit;
an actuator separate from the clamp carried with the sealing unit for pressurizing the sealant arrangement axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures of the sealing unit within the base, the actuator including a shaft extending in an axial direction and a spring for applying an axial seal pressurization force between the inner and outer pressurization structures to spring bias the inner and outer pressurization structures axially toward one another, the sealant arrangement being pressurized axially between the inner and outer pressurization structures when the actuator is actuated such that an outer portion of the sealant arrangement forms the peripheral seal with an inner surface of the housing that has the open end;
a fastening arrangement that is movable between a retaining position and a non-retaining position, the fastening arrangement being positioned on the base and configured to engage and interlock with the inner pressurization structure when in the retaining position, wherein when the fastening arrangement interlocks with the inner pressurization structure the fastening arrangement restricts the

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Raychem Bvba
• CommScope Connectivity Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Coenegracht Philippe
• Houben Diederik

Classifications

• H02G3/22

  Installations of cables or lines through walls, floors or ceilings, e.g. into buildings · CPC title

• H02G15/013 Primary

  Sealing means for cable inlets (inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32) · CPC title

• H02G3/14

  Fastening of cover or lid to box · CPC title

• G02B6/4444

  Seals · CPC title

• H02G3/083

  Inlets · CPC title