Locking system for an electronic enclosure

A pedestal enclosure for electronic components is provided. The pedestal enclosure includes a base section and a cover engageable with the base section. A lock mechanism is arranged on the cover. The lock mechanism includes a latch supported in a lock housing for movement between locked and unlocked positions and a rotator rotatably supported by the lock housing such that rotation of the rotator moves the latch between the locked and unlocked positions. The rotator extends through the lock housing and has a head arranged outside a first side of the housing and a shaft end arranged outside a second side of the lock housing. A removable retaining device is arranged on the shaft end outside the second side of the lock housing. A lock receptacle is supported by the base section for receiving the lock mechanism when the cover is engaged with the base section. The lock receptacle includes a catch that engages the latch when the latch is in the locked position and prevents disengagement of the cover from the base section. The lock receptacle defines a pocket including surfaces for supporting the front, rear and opposing lateral sides and the lower edge of the lock housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to electronic enclosures and, more particular, to a locking system for an electronics enclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pedestal style electronics enclosures are used in telecommunications systems to house splices or terminal connections between service wires or distribution wires and buried telephone cables. Such pedestal enclosures can also be used to house connections to other types of buried utility cables such as for cable television or power distribution. A bracket system is generally provided on the interior of a pedestal enclosure to help arrange and support the cabling and various connections housed in the pedestal enclosure. Since pedestal enclosures are located outdoors, they must be substantially weather tight in order to protect the electronic connections from adverse environmental conditions such as wind, rain, snow and flooding. The pedestal enclosures also have to be relatively secure in order to guard against entry by unauthorized personnel and durable in order to withstand the wear-and-tear associated with being located in an outdoor environment.

Typically, pedestal enclosures include a base section and a cover that are secured together with a fastening or locking system. Unfortunately, existing fastening and locking systems have a number of drawbacks. For example, one existing fastening system utilizes a screw with a cup-washer that threads into a metal insert that is pressed into the top of the base section and a pair of press-in studs that are also provided on the top of the base section. The cover includes three corresponding L-shaped slots for engaging the screw and the two studs. A secondary flap latch is also provided to provide additional protection in the event of a flood. The flap latch is secured to the outer surface of the cover over one of the L-shaped slots. The flap latch includes a slot that engages one of the studs in the base section when the flap latch is closed. To fasten the cover to the base section, the cover is placed on the base section, the flap latch is closed over one of the studs, and the cover is rotated to fully engage the studs and the screw in the corresponding slots. The screw is then tightened down.

With this fastening system, it is cumbersome to disengage the cover from the base section because the screw must be loosened, the cover rotated, and the flap latch flexed outward over the stud while the cover is lifted. Additionally, a technician occasionally will overextend the flap latch causing it to be permanently damaged or get his finger pinched between the flap latch and the stud. Technicians also frequently forget to tighten down the screw leaving the enclosure completely unsecured. Technicians working on pedestal enclosures typically will have a tool matching the head style on the screw of the locking system. Occasionally, these heads will become worn or break requiring replacement. There also could be other reasons to change the screw to one having a different head style such as when the enclosure will be switched over for use in a different application (e.g., from telecommunications to cable television). However, with this type of fastening system it is impractical to change the screw once the pedestal enclosure is installed in the field as it requires cutting and grinding away of the old screw and swaging the new screw in place.

Another similar fastening system also utilizes a screw with cup washer that threads into a metal insert attached to the top of the base section. However, instead of studs and a flap latch, this fastening system incorporates a plastic button attached to a flexible member molded into the top of the base section. To secure the cover to the base section, the cover is lowered onto the base so that the screw engages a complementary slot in the cover and the button snaps into a complementary hole in the cover. The screw is then tightened. To remove the cover, the screw is loosened and the button is depressed through the hole. The cover is also cumbersome to remove with this system and pushing the button a sufficient distance through the hole in the cover can be quite difficult and awkward, and even somewhat painful. Moreover, the security of the enclosure depends entirely on the screw being properly tightened by the technician. It is also impractical to change the screw to one having a different head style for the same reasons described above.

There are other locking systems that utilize quarter-turn locks located in the cover. Some of these quarter-turn locks are arranged at the bottom of the cover and engage a receiver molded into the top of the base section. Other quarter-turn locks are arranged at the top of the cover and engage a receiver supported on some internal structure in the pedestal. With both types of quarter-turn locks, the lock automatically engages the receiver when the cover is placed over the base section thereby securing the cover to the base. To remove the cover, the lock is turned approximately 90° using the appropriate tool and the cover lifted off the base section. These quarter-turn locks have plastic rotators that can be damaged during use. The rotators for the locks also cannot be changed once the lock has been installed onto the cover. In addition, the rotators are very difficult to change before the lock is installed. This makes it difficult to switch over the cover from one application to another that requires a different head style on the rotator once the manufacturing process has started.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a pedestal enclosure for electronic components. The pedestal enclosure includes a base section and a cover engageable with the base section. A lock mechanism is arranged on the cover. The lock mechanism includes a latch supported in a lock housing for movement between locked and unlocked positions and a rotator rotatably supported by the lock housing such that rotation of the rotator moves the latch between the locked and unlocked positions. The rotator extends through the lock housing and has a head arranged outside a first side of the housing and a shaft end arranged outside a second side of the lock housing. A removable retaining device is arranged on the shaft end outside the second side of the lock housing. A lock receptacle is supported by the base section for receiving the lock mechanism when the cover is engaged with the base section. The lock receptacle includes a catch that engages the latch when the latch is in the locked position and prevents disengagement of the cover from the base section. The lock receptacle defines a pocket including surfaces for supporting the front, rear and opposing lateral sides and the lower edge of the lock housing.

The invention also provides a locking system for a securing a base section and a cover of a pedestal enclosure. The locking system includes a lock mechanism arranged on the cover and a lock receptacle supported by the base section for receiving the lock mechanism when the cover is engaged with the base section. The lock mechanism includes a latch supported in a lock housing for movement between locked and unlocked positions and a rotator rotatably supported by the lock housing such that rotation of the rotator moves the latch between the locked and unlocked positions. The rotator extends through the lock housing and has a head arranged outside a first side of the housing and a shaft end arranged outside a second side of the lock housing. A removable retaining device is arranged on the shaft end outside the second side of the lock housing. The lock receptacle includes a catch that engages the latch when the latch is in the locked position and prevents disengagement of the cover from the base section. The lock receptacle defines a pocket including surfaces for supporting the front, rear and opposing lateral sides and the lower edge of the lock housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now toFIGS. 1 and 2of the drawings, there is illustrated an exemplary pedestal enclosure10constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The illustrated pedestal enclosure10includes a base section12and a cover or dome14. The cover14nests in a telescoping fashion over the base section12so as to define an interior space within the pedestal enclosure10. This interior space can be used to house electronic equipment such as used in telecommunications, cable television or power transmission applications. The illustrated pedestal enclosure10is cylindrical in shape with both the cover14and the base section12including a respective end wall16,20and a respective sidewall18,22. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to any particular pedestal enclosure size or configuration. Moreover, while the present invention is discussed in the context of telecommunication systems, the present invention is not limited to a pedestal enclosure for housing any particular type of electronic component.

When in use, at least a portion of the base section12is typically filled with dirt and/or gravel and buried in the ground. Underground cables can be fed into the interior space of the pedestal enclosure10through an opening in the base section12. To support the cabling, connections or other electronics housed in the pedestal enclosure10, a bracket system24is provided. The bracket system generally includes a pair of side rails26that are mounted to the base section12. A bracket system of any desired configuration can be used including, for example, internal splice bracket systems, universal backboard bracket systems and bracket systems having a wire or fiber splice closure.

To secure the cover14to the base section12, the illustrated pedestal enclosure10includes a locking system28. As compared with prior art locking systems, the locking system28of the present invention is much more flexible with respect to where it can be installed on the pedestal enclosure10. Moreover, the locking system28is much easier to modify to accept differently configured keys or opening tools as well as otherwise repair in the field. The lock system28is also robust and sturdy providing superior protection against unauthorized forced entry. To this end, the locking system28generally includes a lock mechanism30supported on the cover14and a lock receptacle32supported directly or indirectly on the base section12.

Referring toFIG. 3of the drawings, the illustrated lock mechanism30includes a latch34, cam36and compression spring38arranged within a housing40that, in this case, consists of front and rear housing parts42,44. In particular, the latch34is pivotably supported in the housing40for movement between locked and unlocked positions. The compression spring38is arranged in the housing40so as to bias the latch34towards the locked position. Thus, any movement of the latch34to the unlocked position is counter to the force applied by the spring38. To control movement of the latch34between the locked and unlocked positions, the cam36is supported on the shaft46of a rotator48. The cam36is arranged relative to the latch34such that rotation of the cam36moves the latch34between the locked and unlocked positions. The rotator48is rotatably supported on the housing40and includes a head50arranged outside the front part42of the housing. The rotator shaft46and, in turn, the cam36can be rotated by engaging the rotator head50with a tool adapted to mate with the particular head design. To make the lock mechanism30more durable and secure, the lock mechanism components preferably are made of metal. However, non-metal components can also be used.

Advantageously, the rotator48is connected to the housing40in such a way that the rotator48can be easily removed and replaced without disassembling the lock mechanism housing40. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the rotator shaft46extends completely through the housing40and out the rear housing part44. A manually removable or releasable retaining device, in this case a snap ring52, engages the portion of the rotator shaft46that protrudes out the rear housing part44securing the rotator48to the housing40(see FIGS.3and4). Because the retaining ring52is located outside the housing40, it is easily accessible in the event that the rotator48needs to be removed and replaced in the field such as if the rotator head50is damaged or a change to a different rotator head style is desired. Any suitable removable retaining device can be used on the portion of the rotator shaft outside of the lock housing (e.g., snap rings, pins, threaded fasteners, snap-on fasteners, etc.) provided that the retaining device is capable of retaining, fastening or securing the rotator to the housing and is capable of being removed to release the rotator from the housing.

To remove the rotator48, the retaining ring52is disengaged from the shaft46and the rotator48pulled out of the housing40through an opening in the front housing part42. The new rotator48can then be slid through the housing40through the front housing part42and secured in place by engaging the same or a new retaining ring52on the end of the shaft46protruding through the rear housing part44. The removal and replacement of the rotator48can be done with the lock mechanism30still installed on the cover14as the retaining ring52is accessible from the inside of the cover. As can be seen fromFIGS. 10-12, rotators48having a variety of different head50configurations can be used with the lock mechanism30of the present invention including, for example, a deep star head (FIG.10), a hex head (FIG. 11) and a keyed head (FIG.12). It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to any particular rotator head configuration.

The lock receptacle32is adapted and arranged to capture and engage the lock mechanism30. In the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, the lock mechanism30is arranged near the bottom of the cover14. The lock receptacle32, in turn, is arranged at the upper edge of the base section12(see FIG.7). As shown inFIG. 7, the lock receptacle32is configured to define a pocket into which the lock mechanism30is lowered when the cover14is placed on the base section12. The pocket defined by the lock receptacle32supports the lock mechanism30on its front57, rear59, bottom61and two lateral sides63(see FIGS.4and5). This support gives the locking system a more rugged construction that is resistant to forced entry and other impact loads as well as normal wear. In this case, the lock receptacle32includes a back wall54and two opposing side rails56that define three-sided channels for receiving the sides of the lock mechanism housing40(and for also supporting the front and rear sides of the lock housing). Moreover, an end wall58is provided at the lower end of each of the side rails56for engaging the lower end of the lock mechanism housing40(one end wall58can be seen in FIG.5).

For engaging the lock mechanism latch34, a catch60is provided at the lower end of the lock receptacle32. The catch60has a tapered side surface62that engages a complementary tapered side surface64of a hook66at the lower end of the latch34when the lock mechanism30is lowered into the lock receptacle32. The engagement of the tapered side surfaces62,64on the catch60and the hook66as the lock mechanism30is lowered produces a camming action that pushes the latch34against the force of the compression spring38towards the unlocked position. This allows the latch hook66to move past the catch60. Once the latch hook66clears the catch60, the compression spring38pushes the latch34back into the locked position thereby preventing the lock mechanism30, and in turn the cover14, from moving back upward relative to the lock receptacle32, and in turn the base12. To unlock the cover14from the base12, the rotator head50is engaged with a tool that can be used to turn the rotator48causing the cam36to pivot the latch34to the unlocked position. In the illustrated embodiment, a one-quarter turn of the rotator48will move the latch to the unlocked position. Once the latch34is in the unlocked position, the lock mechanism30can move upward relative to the lock receptacle32past the catch60.

Due to its relatively simple construction, the locking system28can be provided in a variety of different locations on the pedestal enclosure10. As explained above, in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7, the locking system28is arranged near the bottom of the pedestal enclosure10when the cover14is installed on the base section12. This lower location for the locking system28enables the cover14to maintain a bell jar effect that provides the contents of the pedestal enclosure10additional protection against rising floodwaters. Alternatively, the locking system28could be arranged near the top of the pedestal enclosure10where it would be more accessible to technicians in the field. More specifically, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, the lock mechanism30could be arranged near the top of the cover14and the lock receptacle32, in turn, could be arranged near the top of one of the side legs26of the bracket system24supported on the base section12. Of course, the lock receptacle32could be arranged on any other structure in the pedestal enclosure10that was connected, directly or indirectly, to the base section12. In either the top or the bottom location, the lock receptacle32could comprise a separate part that is fastened to the bracket system24or base section12or the lock receptacle32could be molded or formed right into the part. Moreover, the lock receptacle32could be constructed of any suitable material including metal or plastic.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention provides a locking system for a pedestal enclosure that is easy for technicians to operate. Moreover, the locking system allows damaged rotator heads to be replaced in the field and the rotator heads to be easily changed over to heads having a different style if desired. The locking system also is flexible with regard to where it can be arranged on the pedestal enclosure.