Electronics housing with combined internal hinge and catch

An electronics cabinet can include a cylindrical housing, providing a wall defining an interior space for locating electronics equipment therein. A cylindrical section door can be located in an access cutout defined by the wall. An internal hinge can attach an interior of the door to an interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing. The internal hinge can include a pivoting curved hinge arm. The internal hinge can also include wall mount, configured to be attached to the interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing. The internal hinge can also include a pivot connection between the hinge arm and the wall mount. The internal hinge can also include a catch, integrated with or attached to the hinge arm, the catch configured for self-engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle, and to permit closing of the door only upon manual user-disengagement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document pertains generally, but not by way of limitation, to an enclosure for housing small cell wireless communications or other electronics components, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation to a cylindrical electronics housing with a door having an integrated internal hinge and catch.

BACKGROUND

Small cell wireless communications reduces the cellular coverage area of a wireless antenna mounted high above the ground upon a long monopole or other structure, in favor of a multiplicity of smaller antennas, e.g., in high usage areas, which can instead be positioned more cheaply on or near the ground.

One example of a housing for small cell wireless communications or other electronics components can include an electronics equipment cabinet with a cylindrical housing. An interior region of the cylindrical housing can provide a shelter in which electronics components can be located and to which power can be provided. A section of the cylindrical housing can be cut out to provide a door. The door can be opened to allow access to the interior region, such as to allow installation of, removal of, or access to the electronic components housed therein. The electronics equipment cabinet can be configured to be located outdoors and exposed to the elements, such as while protecting the electronic components housed therein.

SUMMARY

The present inventor has recognized, among other things, a need to provide a door that, after opening, will not blow back toward an operator accessing the electronics housed within the interior of the cylindrical housing provided by the electronics equipment cabinet. Further, it is desirable that the door be provided an internal hinge that is not visible when viewing an external portion of the cylindrical housing. Moreover, it is desirable that the door be open at angles beyond 90 degrees, if possible. Still further, it is desirable that space within the cylindrical housing be preserved for housing electronics components, without unnecessary room being taken up by the internal hinge or any wind-stop components.

A numbered list of illustrative non-limiting aspects of the present subject matter is presented below.

Aspect 1 can include or use an electronics cabinet. The electronics cabinet can include a cylindrical housing, providing a wall defining an interior space for locating electronics equipment therein. A cylindrical section door can be located in an access cutout defined by the wall. An internal hinge can attach an interior of the door to an interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing. The internal hinge can include: a pivoting curved hinge arm; a wall mount, configured to be attached to the interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing; a pivot connection between the hinge arm and the wall mount; and a catch, integrated with or attached to the hinge arm, the catch configured for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle.

Aspect 2 can be optionally combined with Aspect 1 to include or use the catch including a pin.

Aspect 3 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-2 to include or use a pin that includes a spring-loaded pull-pin.

Aspect 4 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-3 to include or use the catch including a glide path along which the pin travels during a portion of the pivoting of the curved hinge arm.

Aspect 5 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-4 to include or use a ramp providing a glide path.

Aspect 6 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-5 to include or use a glide path that can include a recess such as to receive an end of the pin such as for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle.

Aspect 7 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-6 to include or use the pin including a handle at an opposite end from the end of the pin received by the recess.

Aspect 8 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-7 to include or use a thickness of the wall of the cylindrical housing being greater than a thickness of the door.

Aspect 9 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-8 to include or use a plurality of the internal hinges.

Aspect 10 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-9 to include or use a lock retention member, affixed to an interior of the cylindrical housing. An access opening can be defined in the door, such as can be configured to receive a portion of the lock retention member to permit access from outside of the cylindrical housing when the door is closed.

Aspect 11 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-10 to include or use a catch configured for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle exceeding 90 degrees, or exceeding 100 degrees, or exceeding 120 degrees.

Aspect 12 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-11 to include or use an internal hinge is located within an interior of the cylindrical structure and avoids having any externally protruding portions visible from outside of the cylindrical structure.

Aspect 13 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-12 to include or use a catch that can be configured to remain engaged to inhibit closing of the door until a user manually disengages the catch.

Aspect 14 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-13 to include or use an electronics cabinet comprising: a cylindrical housing, providing a wall defining an interior space for locating electronics equipment therein; a cylindrical section door, located in an access cutout defined by the wall; an internal hinge, attaching an interior of the door to an interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing, the internal hinge including: a pivoting curved hinge arm; a wall mount, configured to be attached to the interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing; means for allowing pivoting between the hinge arm and the wall mount; and means for self-engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle.

Aspect 15 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-14 to include or use the means for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle is configured to withstand a wind speed of 50 miles per hour without disengagement.

Aspect 16 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-15 to include or use the internal hinge being located within an interior of the cylindrical structure and avoids having any externally protruding portions visible from outside of the cylindrical structure.

Aspect 17 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-16 to include or use a catch that can be configured to remain engaged to inhibit closing of the door until a user manually disengages the catch.

Aspect 18 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-17 to include or use a catch being configured for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle exceeding 100 degrees.

Aspect 19 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-18 to include or use a method of accessing an electronics cabinet comprising a cylindrical housing, providing a wall defining an interior space for locating electronics equipment therein; a cylindrical section door, located in an access cutout defined by the wall; an internal hinge, attaching an interior of the door to an interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing, the internal hinge integrated with a catch for engagement to inhibit opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle. The method can include: opening the door, thereby permitting the catch to self-engage the door in an open position and inhibit further opening of the door; disengaging the catch; and closing the door.

Aspect 20 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-19 to include or use locking the door in a closed position.

Aspect 21 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-20 to include or use permitting the catch to engage the door includes inhibiting opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle exceeding 90 degrees.

Aspect 22 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-21 to include or use inhibiting opening of the door beyond a specified door opening angle to withstand a wind speed of 50 miles per hour without disengaging the catch.

Aspect 23 can be optionally combined with any of Aspects 1-22 to include or use manually disengaging the catch to permit closing of the door.

Each of these non-limiting examples/aspects can stand on its own, or can be combined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of the other examples/aspects.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A-1Bshow an illustrative example of an electronics cabinet100. The electronics cabinet100can include a rounded or cylindrical housing102. Within the housing102, an interior space103can be provided, such as for housing small cell wireless communication or other electronics components to protect them from the elements when the electronics cabinet100is located outdoors and is exposed to the weather conditions of the surrounding environment. Power for such electronic components can be provided within the interior space103of the housing102. A cylindrical section door104can be located in a similarly-shaped access cutout in the wall of the cylindrical housing102, When closed, the door104can be flush with the housing102such that, together, these components can provide a smooth cylindrical outer façade.FIG. 1Ashows an example of these components with the door in a closed position.FIG. 1Bshows an example of these components in an open position. The door104can be attached to the housing102via an internal hinge200(or two or more such internal hinges200), such as shown in the detail view ofFIG. 2A(with the door closed) and in the detail view ofFIG. 2B(with the door open). The internal hinge200completely avoids having any externally protruding or visible portions, such as may otherwise be the case with an alternative non-internal hinge, which may otherwise disturb the appearance of the smooth cylindrical outer façade, or which may be more prone to external tampering by an unauthorized person seeking to gain access to the interior space103.

As shown in the examples ofFIGS. 2A-2B, the internal hinge200can attach an interior of the door104to an interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing102. In an example, the internal hinge200can include a pivoting curved hinge arm202. The hinge200can also include a wall mount204, which can be welded, fastened, or otherwise configured to be attached to the interior of the wall of the cylindrical housing102. The hinge200can also include a pivot connection206between the hinge arm202and the wall mount204. For example, the pivot connection206can include a pin extending through a receptacle on the hinge arm202and also through an aligned receptacle on the wall mount204. The hinge200can further include a catch208, The catch208can be integrated with or attached to the hinge arm202, which helps avoid an alternative approach in which the catch may otherwise occupy a portion of the valuable interior space103within the housing102within which electronic components are to be located. For example, an alternative approach might include a separate rod extending from a fixed location within the interior space103of the housing102to a curved rail or slot on an interior of the door104. However, with such an approach, the rod would intrude into the interior space103when the door104is closed.

The catch208can be configured for engagement, such as to inhibit opening of the door104beyond a specified maximum door opening angle, such as 90 degrees or preferably even greater, such as 100 degrees, 110 degrees, 120 degrees, or the like. A wider door opening angle can help provide better ease of access for a user seeking to access the interior space103within the housing102, such as for installing, removing, or servicing the electronic components housed therewithin.

For example, the catch208can include a spring-loaded pull-pin or other pin210. The catch208can also include a ramp212or other surface, such as can provide a glide path along which a distal end of the pin210can travel, such as during a portion of the pivoting of the curved hinge arm202. A recess214be provided along the glide path of the ramp212or another surface. The recess214can be sized, shaped, or otherwise configured such as to receive the distal end of the pin210for engagement, such as to inhibit opening of the door104beyond a specified door opening angle. A spring-loaded push pin210can “self-engage” with the recess214when the distal end of the spring-loaded push pin210aligns with the recess214as the door104is opened to the specified door opening angle. This can occur without requiring additional user effort (other than opening the door104) to accomplish the self-engagement. An opposite (proximal) end of the pin210can include a handle216. For example, the handle216can include a 90 degree or other bent portion of the pin210, an attached ball, or the like. The handle216can be sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to allow a user to easily grasp the handle216, such as to manually pull on the pin210to disengage its distal end from the recess214, such as to allow closing of the door104.

A wall thickness of the cylindrical housing102can be larger than a wall thickness of the door104. The pivoting curved hinge arm202can be shaped to define a notch region that is large enough to provide adequate clearance of the wall of the curved cylindrical housing102from the curved cylindrical section door104as the door104swings from a closed position that is flush with the wall of the cylindrical housing102to an open position at the specified maximum door opening angle, and at all angles therebetween.

InFIG. 1B, the door104can be affixed to the cylindrical housing102by a top internal hinge200A and a bottom internal hinge200B, each of which can optionally be welded or otherwise fastened to or integrally formed with a shared mounting strip or other member, which, in turn, can be welded or otherwise fastened to an interior portion of the door. The shared mounting strip can help provide alignment, structural rigidity, or both.

One environmental challenge when the electronics cabinet100is located outdoors is wind, which could otherwise blow the door104open or closed or into the user if not restrained by the catch208. In an example, the configuration shown inFIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2Bcan be configured to withstand a wind speed of up to at least 30 miles per hour blowing the door104open before the respective catches208associated with the respective internal hinges200A-B activate and limit further opening at the specified maximum door angle, without incurring damage or loss of function to the pivoting door104. In an example, the configuration shown inFIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2Bcan be further configured to withstand a wind speed of up to at least 50 miles per hour blowing the door104shut, without disengaging the activated respective catches208associated with the respective internal hinges200A-B activate and without incurring damage or loss of function to the pivoting door104.

In an example, such as shown in the detail view ofFIG. 2C, the electronics cabinet100can further include a lock retention member220, which can be affixed to an interior of the cylinder housing102. An access opening222can be defined in the door104. The access opening222can be configured to receive a portion of the lock retention member220to permit access from outside of the cylindrical housing102when the door104is closed. The lock retention member220can include a through-hole, through which a padlock can be inserted to lock the door104. An optional curved cylindrical section cover224can be secured above the padlock to conceal it from the outside and to preserve the flush cylindrical appearance of the electronics cabinet100.

In an illustrative, non-limiting example, an internal diameter of the cylindrical housing102can be 20 inches, a height of the cylindrical housing102can be 84 inches, a height of the door104can be 53¾ inches, a height of the door opening can be 54 inches, a wall thickness of the cylindrical housing102can be ⅜ inches a wall thickness of the door104can be ⅛ inch. Some other illustrative non-limiting examples of the diameter of the cylindrical housing include 12 inches, 16 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, or 24 inches.