Abstract:
A junction box to seal the contents from the effects of dust and moisture while providing convenient access inside the box. In the invention provides a connection system for communication media that includes: (a) a housing defining an internal cavity and an opening to allow access; (b) one or more apertures extending through the housing to the cavity, each aperture adapted to receive communications media; (c) one or more connectors mounted within the cavity adapted to interconnect the communications media extending through the aperture(s); and (d) a cover adapted to cooperate with the housing to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity. Also provided is an apparatus for conveniently raising and lowering the junction box in and out of a below ground cavity.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a connection system and a method for interconnecting communications media and in particular to a waterproof junction box for interconnecting communications media below ground level.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Currently, there is a requirement for communications media, such as fibre optic, copper, coaxial cables, or the like to be interconnected at various locations in order to provide communication services over distributed areas, such as to individual&#39;s houses, or the like. This is typically achieved by providing junction boxes to interconnect wires, with the junction boxes being buried underground in a convenient location.  
         [0003]     It will be appreciated that as the junction boxes typically contain electrical connections and optionally other electronic apparatus, then it is important that the contents of the junction box are protected from contaminants such as dust and moisture. This may be achieved in a number of ways.  
         [0004]     In one example, junction boxes are provided in the form of a sealable reinforced plastic container. In use, communications media are connected via connectors in the junction box. The box is then closed and sealed using a rubber seal which is compressed between two housing portions. The junction box may then be positioned underground, or the like as required.  
         [0005]     An example of a prior art system for housing electrical apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,936. This document describes a system in which inner and outer casings are provided, the inner casing being adapted to hold the electrical apparatus in use. The outer casing, which has a substantially tubular shape, is sealed at one end so that it may be positioned over the inner casing with the open end facing the ground. In use, when water rises above the level of the open end of the outer casing, this causes air to become trapped in the outer casing. The air pressure of the trapped air prevents water rising within the outer casing, and hence prevents water entering the inner casing and effecting the electrical apparatus.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006]     There is a need to provide a junction box which can successfully seal the contents from the effects of dust and moisture. It is desirable to provide convenient access to the inside of the box, with an arrangement that is durable and easy to maintain.  
         [0007]     In a first broad form the present invention provides, a connection system for interconnecting communication media, the connection system including: 
        a) A housing defining an internal cavity, the housing including an opening to thereby allow access to the cavity;     b) One or more apertures extending through the housing to the cavity, each aperture being adapted to receive respective communications media;     c) One or more connectors mounted within the cavity, the connectors being adapted to interconnect the communications media extending through the aperture(s);     d) A cover adapted to cooperate with the housing to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity.        
 
         [0012]     Typically the connection system further includes a lid adapted to be removably mounted into the opening to thereby seal the cavity.  
         [0013]     The connectors may be coupled to a frame, the frame being pivotally mounted to the housing to move between: 
        a) A first position in which the frame is contained in the cavity; and,     b) A second position in which the frame extends through the opening to thereby allow access to the connectors.        
 
         [0016]     The cavity can have first and second cavity portions, the connectors being mounted in the first cavity portion, the housing and cover being arranged such that the first cavity portion is contained in the air reservoir.  
         [0017]     The aperture(s) may extend into the first cavity portion. Alternatively, the apertures may extend in to the second cavity portion, depending on the desired arrangement.  
         [0018]     The second portion of the housing may be adapted to receive further connectors and/or control systems.  
         [0019]     The housing may have first and second opposing ends, the opening being positioned at the first of the housing, the second end of the housing forming a base.  
         [0020]     The cover can be formed from an upper member having side members extend substantially perpendicularly therefrom, the cover being positioned adjacent the opening in use, such that the side members extend towards the base.  
         [0021]     The connection system typically further includes a container having a container opening to thereby allow the housing and cover to be positioned in the container in use.  
         [0022]     The container may be positioned in the ground in use, with the housing positioned below ground level, with the communications media extending into the container through an aperture from a below ground level conduit.  
         [0023]     In a second broad form the present invention provides a container for containing a connection system for interconnecting communication media, the container including: 
        a) A cavity;     b) A loading system mounted in the cavity, the loading system being formed from: 
            i) A support adapted to support the connection system in use;     ii) A drive system positioned in a first end of the container, the drive system being coupled to the support to selectively move the support between: 
                (1) A retracted position in which the connection system is supported in the container below ground level; and,     (2) An extended positioned in which at least a portion of the connection system extends above ground level.    
               
               
 
         [0030]     Typically the support is formed from two or more tines extending laterally across the container.  
         [0031]     The drive system typically includes a winch coupled to one end of the container to thereby allow the support to be manually winched between the retracted and extended positions. However, alternative systems, such as powered drive systems may also be used.  
         [0032]     The connection system may be a connection system according to the first broad form of the invention.  
         [0033]     In this case, the support is preferably adapted to cooperate with the housing defining the first cavity portion.  
         [0034]     In a third broad form the present invention provides a method of interconnecting communications media, the method including: 
        a) Extending the communications media into an internal cavity defined by a housing through one or more apertures, the housing having an opening therein to thereby allow access to the cavity;     b) Interconnecting the media using one or more connectors mounted within the cavity; and,     c) Positioning a cover over the housing such that the housing and cover cooperate to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity.        
 
         [0038]     The method of extending the communications media through the aperture can include: 
        a) Inserting the communications media into the cavity through the aperture(s); and,     b) Sealing the aperture, to thereby prevent fluid entering or leaving the cavity through the aperture.        
 
         [0041]     The method typically further includes positioning the housing in a container through a container opening.  
         [0042]     The method may further include: 
        a) Positioning the housing adjacent the container;     b) Extending the communications media into the cavity;     c) Interconnecting the communications media; and,     d) Positioning the housing in the container.        
 
         [0047]     The housing typically has first and second opposing ends, the opening being positioned at the first of the housing, the second end of the housing forming a base, the cover being formed from an upper member having side members extend substantially perpendicularly therefrom. In this case, the method preferably includes positioning the cover adjacent the opening in use, such that the side members extend towards the base.  
         [0048]     The method may further include removably mounting a lid in the opening to thereby seal the cavity.  
         [0049]     The method typically includes using a connection system according the first broad form of the present invention.  
         [0050]     In a fourth broad form the present invention provides a method of loading a connection system into a container, the method including using a loading system to position the housing in the container, the loading system including: 
        a) A support adapted to support the housing in use;     b) A drive system positioned in a first end of the container, the drive system being coupled to the support to selectively move the support between: 
            i) A retracted position in which the housing is supported in the container below ground level; and,     ii) An extended positioned in which at least a portion of the housing extends above ground level;    
             the method including positioning the housing in the container by: 
            (1) Placing the support in the extended position;     (2) Positioning the connection system such that the connection system is supported by the support;     (3) Moving the support to the retracted position.    
               
 
         [0059]     Typically the support is formed from two or more tines extending laterally across the container.  
         [0060]     The connection system is typically a connection system according to the first broad form of the invention.  
         [0061]     The method of interconnecting the communications media may include: 
        a) Positioning the housing such that the housing is supported by the support, with the support in the extended position;     b) Placing the frame in the second position;     c) Interconnecting the communications media;     d) Placing the frame in the first position;     e) Removably mounting a lid in the opening to thereby seal the cavity;     f) Positioning a cover over the housing such that the housing and cover cooperate to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity; and,     g) Moving the support to the retracted position.        
 
         [0069]     The method of interconnecting the communications media may be a method according to the third broad form of the invention.  
         [0070]     In a fifth broad form the present invention provides a system for protecting contents against immersion in a fluid, the system including: 
        a) A housing defining an internal cavity for containing the contents, the housing including an opening to thereby allow access to the cavity; and,     b) A cover adapted to cooperate with the housing to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity.        
 
         [0073]     The cover is generally formed from a base member having a number of side members extending perpendicularly thereto, the base member and sided members being arranged such that the side and base members cooperate with the housing to define an air reservoir.  
         [0074]     The housing typically has a base for supporting the housing in use, and a top opposite the base, wherein in use, the cover is adapted to be positioned adjacent the top such that the side members extend toward the base.  
         [0075]     In this case the opening is preferably in the top.  
         [0076]     In a sixth broad form the present invention provides a method of protecting contents against immersion in a fluid, the method including: 
        a) Placing the contents in a housing defining an internal cavity, the housing including an opening to thereby allow access to the cavity; and,     b) Mounting a cover to the housing, the cover being adapted to cooperate with the housing to define an air reservoir containing at least a portion of the housing including the opening, the reservoir and the housing cooperating to prevent fluid entering the cavity.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0079]     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0080]      FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention;  
         [0081]      FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view of the junction box of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0082]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view along the line A-A of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0083]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view along the line B-B of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0084]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the junction box of  FIG. 1  along the line A-A when immersed in water;  
         [0085]      FIG. 6  is a schematic plan view of the junction box of  FIG. 1  including processing electronics;  
         [0086]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view along the line C-C in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0087]      FIG. 8  is a schematic plan view of a frame for use in the junction box of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0088]      FIG. 9  is a schematic plan view of the junction box of  FIG. 1  incorporating the frame of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0089]      FIG. 10  is a schematic side view of the junction box of  FIG. 8  with the frame in a closed position;  
         [0090]      FIG. 11  is a schematic side view of the junction box of  FIG. 8  with the frame in an open position;  
         [0091]      FIG. 12  is a schematic side view of a pit for receiving the junction box of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0092]      FIG. 13  is a schematic side view of the pit of  FIG. 12  including a loading device;  
         [0093]      FIG. 14  is a schematic plan view of the pit of  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0094]      FIG. 15  is a schematic side view of the pit of  FIG. 13  and junction box of  FIG. 1  with the loading system in the extended position;  
         [0095]      FIG. 16  is a schematic plan view of the pit and junction box of  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0096]      FIG. 17  is a schematic end view of the pit and junction box of  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0097]      FIG. 18  is a schematic side view of the pit of  FIG. 13  and junction box of  FIG. 1  with the loading system in the retracted position;  
         [0098]      FIG. 19  is a schematic end view of the pit and junction box of  FIG. 18  with the loading system in the retracted position;  
         [0099]      FIG. 20  is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention;  
         [0100]      FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view of the junction box of  FIG. 20 ;  
         [0101]      FIG. 22  is a schematic side view of the pit of  FIG. 13  and the junction box of  FIG. 20 .  
         [0102]      FIG. 23A  is a schematic side view of a third embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention;  
         [0103]      FIG. 23B  is a schematic plan view of the junction box of  FIG. 23A ;  
         [0104]      FIG. 23C  is a schematic end view of the junction box of  FIG. 23A ;  
         [0105]      FIG. 23D  is a schematic end view of the junction box of  FIG. 23A  mounted in the pit of  FIG. 12 ;  
         [0106]      FIG. 24A  is a schematic side view of a third embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention;  
         [0107]      FIG. 24B  is a schematic plan view of the junction box of  FIG. 24A ;  
         [0108]      FIG. 24C  is a schematic end view of the junction box of  FIG. 24A ; and,  
         [0109]      FIG. 24D  is a schematic end view of the junction box of  FIG. 24A  mounted in the pit of  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0110]     An exemplary embodiment will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  3 , and  4 , which show an embodiment of a connection system according to the present invention.  
         [0111]     The connection system includes a housing  1 , having upper and lower portions  2 ,  3  defining respective upper and lower cavities  4 ,  5 . An aperture  6  is provided to allow communications media, such as copper wire, fibre optic, coaxial cables or the like (hereinafter referred to generally as “cables”) to be inserted into the cavity  4 , as will be explained in more detail below.  
         [0112]     An opening  7  provides access to the cavities  4 ,  5 . An upper lip  8  is provided around the perimeter of the opening  7 , as shown. The lip  8  is adapted to cooperate with a lid  9 , to allow the lid  9  to be removably mounted to the upper housing  2 . In use, the lid  9  may be attached to the lip  8  by a variety of attaching means, such as screws, clips, or the like. The lid may also be provided with a seal (not shown) to prevent moisture and dust entering the cavities  4 ,  5 .  
         [0113]     Two lower lips  11 A,  11 B are provided at either end of the upper housing  2 . The lips  2  are provided to allow a cover  10  to be mounted over the upper housing  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The cover includes an upper member  12 , side members  13  and two lips  14 A,  14 B. The lips  14 A,  14 B may be attached to the lips  11 A,  11 B, using suitable fixing means such as screws, clips or the like, to thereby secure the cover  10  to the housing  1 . Alternatively, the cover may be held in position by other techniques, as described for example in  FIG. 19 .  
         [0114]     In any event, the positioning of the cover  10  over the housing  1  in use forms an air reservoir, shown generally at  15 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , as the cover is not a flush fit with respect to the housing  1 , this allows air to flow in and out of the reservoir  15  via a space between the upper housing  2  and the side members  13 , as shown at  16 .  
         [0115]     In use, the connection system is adapted to be placed in the ground, to allow underground cables to be connected to each other. The cables are inserted into the apertures  6 , which are then sealed to prevent water, dust and air flowing into or out of the cavities  4 ,  5 . This may be achieved using any one of a number of sealing techniques and products such as Cold Shrink Tubing (CST), available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn., USA, which is an open ended tubular rubber sleeve of high stretch rubber that has been factory expanded and assembled onto a removable hollow core. CST Tubing may be formed from rubber, silicon rubber, or the like and can be coupled to the aperture  6  and then extended over the cables, as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. Alternatively, a seal between the aperture  6  and the cable can be achieved using, mastic rubber, self bonding sealing tape, adhesive lined heat shrink PVC tubing, or the like  
         [0116]     The presence of the lid  9  will prevent dust and moisture from entering the cavities  4 ,  5  thereby protecting the electrical connections therein. In an exemplary embodiment, the presence of the lid and the arrangements disclosed herein can provide protection at a rating of IP4 and IP5 according to “(AS 1939-1990)-IEC529-1989 degrees of protection provided by enclosures for electrical equipment (IP code)”: IP4 protection corresponds to protection against foreign objects of 1.0 mm diameter or greater and, IP5 corresponds to protection against dust.  
         [0117]     However, the presence of the lid  9  may not generally be sufficient to protect the junction box against immersion in water, for example during flooding or heavy rain. In some applications, it is desirable that junction boxes of this form are capable or providing protection at a standard of between IP6 and IP8, according to the above mentioned standard, where IP8 indicates that the housing provides “Protection against the effects of prolonged immersion in specified conditions”.  
         [0118]     Accordingly in an exemplary embodiment, this additional level of protection may be provided by the presence of the cover  10 , and the air reservoir  15  trapped therein. In particular, in the event that the junction box is immersed in water as seen in  FIG. 5 , as the water level rises to immerse the housing  1 , the rising water level will cause air to be trapped in the air reservoir as shown at  15 . The air pressure in the air reservoir  15  prevents water rising up the level of the housing to the upper lip  8 , with the maximum level the water reaches being shown at  17 , thereby preventing water entering the cavity.  
         [0119]     This is important as it is generally difficult to provide a seal between the lip  9  and the lip  8  which is sufficiently water tight, and yet easy to remove to allow access to the cavities  4 ,  5 .  
         [0120]     In addition to this, the air in the air reservoir  15  provides pressure balance to compensate for temperature changes. In particular, if the housing  1  cools, the air in the cavities  4 ,  5  will also cool and contract. This causes air to flow from the air reservoir  15  into the cavities  4 ,  5  balancing the pressure change. It will be appreciated that this will reduce the air pressure in the air reservoir, which will in turn be compensated for by a slight rise in the water level  17 . However, the rise in the water level will only be small and would not greatly effect the ability of the system to resist immersion in water.  
         [0121]     It will be appreciated that in general, the maximum level  17  to which the water will rise will depend on a number of factors including the depth of immersion, and the volume of air in the reservoir. In this embodiment, in order to protect contents of the housing  1  against immersion in water depths of up to 500 mm, the cover is adapted to contain over four litres of air. However it will be appreciated that the volume of the air reservoir can be adjusted depending on the desired level of immersion protection required.  
         [0122]     In order to allow the cables to be interconnected, the housing  1  is can be provided in an exemplary embodiment with first and second sets of supports  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and,  23 ,  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In this embodiment, the supports  22 ,  24  are incorporated into a single element, but it will be appreciated that separate elements may be used.  
         [0123]     In any event, the first set of supports  20 ,  21 ,  22 , allow processing electronics, connectors, or the like to be placed in the lower cavity  5 , as shown by the dotted lines at  25 . This can include: 
    1. Fibre optic cross connect patch panel, splice or joints;     2. Copper patch panels;     3. Installation Displacement Connection (IDC) modules;     4. Chassis mounting frames for digital/analogue electronics multiplexing devices and line or repeater amplifiers;     5. ISDN Repeaters;     6. Optical amplifiers/repeaters;     7. Broad band TV analogue/digital processing equipment; and,     8. Other electrical apparatus not mentioned above.    
 
         [0132]     In an exemplary embodiment, the second set of supports  23 ,  24  are used to support a frame  26  having upright side portions  26 A, shown in FIGS.  8  to  11 . The frame includes two apertures,  27  having upright side portions  27 A, are adapted to receive modules shown generally at  28 .  
         [0133]     These modules may be connection modules, such as: 
    1. Standard voice grade connection/disconnection modules;     2. High speed data modules;     3. Other similar IDC modules; and,     4. Fibre optic connectors.    
 
         [0138]     Thus, it will be appreciated that the modules may be any form of module, but typically are connection modules suited to the termination of copper, fibre optic or coaxial type telecommunications signal cables.  
         [0139]     The frame  26  is pivotally mounted to the support  23  via a hinge  29  A, so as to move between a closed position shown in  FIG. 10 , and an open position shown in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0140]     In the open position the frame  26  can be held in place by a support  29 B, which can be retracted when not in use as shown in  FIG. 10 .  
         [0141]     In any event, in use, cables may extend through the apertures  6 , and pass along the frame  26  to suitable connections on a respective connection module  28 . The cables can then be connected directly with other cables, by having the other cables attached to other suitable connections on the same connection module. Alternatively, the cable may be connected via suitable connections from the connection module  28 , to the processing electronics or the like  25 .  
         [0142]     This allows processing, such as routing, encryption, compression, or format conversion to be performed within the processing electronics. This can be useful for example for converting optical signals from fibre optic cables into electrical signals for copper cabling, and vice versa.  
         [0143]     It will be appreciated that any power requirements for on board processing may be obtained via power cabling routed through a respective aperture  6 .  
         [0144]     It will also be appreciated that alternative electronics and associated mountings may be used depending on the applications involved. Thus, for example, the supports  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24  and the frame  26  may be replaced with alternative supports or mountings adapted to receive any electronic or other systems as required.  
         [0145]     As mentioned above, the connection system may be placed in the ground to allow subsurface cabling to be interconnected. This is achieved by placing the connection system in a pit, the top of which is may be located at, above, or below ground level. An example of a suitable pit  30  is shown in  FIGS. 12, 13  and  14 . As shown, the pit  30  includes a base  31 , and side walls  32  with an opening  33 , which define a cavity  34 . A lip  35  is generally provided to allow a lid to be fitted as will be described in more detail below.  
         [0146]     The pit  30  may be formed from any suitable material, such as concrete, and may be pre-cast, or built on site. A conduit  36  is provided to receive cables or the like, as shown at  37 . In this embodiment, the pit  30  is positioned at ground level  38 .  
         [0147]     In this embodiment, the pit includes a roller plate  41  coupled to the one of the side walls  32  and shaped to define a recess  42 . The roller plate  41  supports four sets of rollers, two sets of which are shown at  43 .  
         [0148]     In use a loading arm  44  can be positioned in the recess  42  and is supported by a bolt or the like  45 , which extends across the recess  42 . The loading arm  44  includes a winch  45  as shown.  
         [0149]     In use two rails  46  are adapted to be mounted to the rollers  43  as shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . The rails are coupled together via a support  47 , and are adapted to support tines  48 , which extend outwardly from the rails  46 , substantially parallel to the base  31 .  
         [0150]     The support  47  is coupled to the winch  45  via a cable  49  to allow the rails  46  and the attached tines  48  to be moved in the direction of the arrow  50 . The winch may be a hand driven winch, as shown. Alternatively however, powered drive systems or other suitable drive systems may also be used.  
         [0151]     In any event, the drive system allows the tines  48  to be moved between a retracted position, as shown in  FIG. 12 , and an extended position shown in dotted lines. This allows the connection system to be positioned in the pit as will now be described with respect to FIGS.  14  to  16 .  
         [0152]     In the extended position bolts can be extended through the rails  46  as to abut the top of the recess  42 . This allows the recess  42  to support the rails  46 , thereby allowing the drive system  44 ,  45  to be removed whilst the tines  48  are held in the extended position. This is particularly useful during maintenance as it allows for easier access to the housing  1 .  
         [0153]     As shown in  FIGS. 15, 16  and  17 , when the connection system is initially placed on the tines  48 , the tines are in the extended position, with the upper housing portion  2  supported by shoulders  2 A, as shown. As a result, the upper housing portion  2  projects above the ground level  38 . This allows access to the cavities  4 ,  5 , to mount control electronics  25  and the like, as well as the frame  26 .  
         [0154]     As the housing is positioned in the pit, the cables  37  can be fed through the apertures  6  into the cavity  4 . This is generally done as the housing is positioned in the pit, to ensure that the cables are not unduly stressed or bent, which can cause damage in some circumstances. After the cables are inserted in the apertures  6 , then the apertures  6  are sealed, as described above to prevent moisture or dirt entering the cavity  4 .  
         [0155]     This allows the cables to be connected to appropriate connector modules  28 , or control electronics  25 , whilst the tines  48  are in the extended positions with the housing extending above ground level. This makes it easier for engineers or others to work on the connections.  
         [0156]     Once the connections are completed, the support  29 B can be retracted and the frame  26  may be moved to the closed position, with the lid  9  and cover  11  being mounted to the housing  1  to define the required air reservoir.  
         [0157]     At this point the cover  10  and housing  1  may be coupled to the tines  48  by bolts or the like extending through the lips  11 A,  11 B,  14 A and  14 B. The bolts can typically be moved along the tines, for example by having the bolts cooperate with a mounting adapted to a slide along a recess in the tines. Thus allows the position of the housing  1  on the tines  48  to be adjusted during the mounting procedure to avoid undue stress on the cables  37 .  
         [0158]     The tines  48  are then lowered using the drive system  44 ,  45 , until the tines  48  are in the retracted position. At this point, the connection system is completely contained in the pit below ground level  38 . The drive system  44 ,  45  can then be removed, allowing the pit  30  to be covered, by a suitable lid  39  or the like, to protect the junction box, as shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 .  
         [0159]     If future maintenance needs to be performed on the connection system, the lid can be removed from the pit, and the drive system  44 ,  45  remounted. The tines  48  can then be moved to the extended position, allowing the cover  10  and lid  9  to be removed and maintenance performed. The housing can even be removed from the pit if for example access is required to the cables  36  or the conduit  35 .  
         [0160]     It will be appreciated that the use of tines  48 , the rails  46  and the winch  45  are not essential to the invention, and that any form of winch and corresponding support may be used. However, the tines advantageously support the housing  1  as shown, so that the housing  1  is supported above the housings centre of gravity, thereby ensuring the housing that can be raised and lowered in a stable manner, with the winch providing an easy and cheap mechanism via which this can be achieved.  
         [0161]     Another exemplary embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 20, 21  and  22 . In this embodiment the majority of the components are identical to the embodiment described above and therefore will not be described in detail. The main distinction is that in this embodiment, the lips  11 A,  11 B are shortened and the cover  10  extended.  
         [0162]     As a result, in use, the cover extends over the lips  11 A,  11 B as shown in  FIG. 11 . When mounted to the tines  48 , the housing  1  can be attached to the tines  48  using a bolt extending through the lips  11 A,  11 B. The cover  10  can then be attached to the tines  48  separately via respective bolts extending through the lips  14 A,  14 B.  
         [0163]     Again this is typically in such a manner as to allow the position of the bolts along the tines  48  to be adjusted, to thereby allow the position of the housing  1  and cover  10  to be moved along the tines  48 , as described above.  
         [0164]     This allows the cover  10  and lid  9  to be removed to allow access to the cavities  4 ,  5 , without detaching the housing  1  from the tines  48 , thereby aiding maintenance procedures.  
         [0165]     It will be appreciated that the pit  30  and loading system  40  may be used in conjunction with any housing which may need to be mounted underground, although it is particularly suited for use with the connection system describe above.  
         [0166]     Once mounted in the pit, the cavities  4 ,  5  are protected from contamination by dust and the like by the lid  9 , and from immersion in water by the cover  11 . It will be appreciated that the use of a lid and cover  11  in the manner described above to define an air reservoir may be used with any suitable housing and need not be restricted to the connection system described above.  
         [0167]     Another exemplary embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 23A, 23B  and  23 C. In this embodiment, the majority of the components are similar to those described above and will not therefore be described in detail, with similar reference numerals being used to identify similar elements.  
         [0168]     In any event, in this embodiment, the housing  1  is modified as shown in the drawings, by lowering the support shoulders, shown at  60  in  FIG. 23C , so that the housing  1  defines a cavity  61 , equivalent to the previous cavity  4  and the cavity  5 , and an additional cavity  62 . In this embodiment, the shoulders  60  cooperate with the tines  48 , which extend across the pit  30 , to support the housing  1 , in the manner described above with respect to the previous embodiments.  
         [0169]     In use, a connection board is provided, as shown generally at  63 . The connection board provides a mounting for any required processing electronics, and fibre optic connections and is adapted to provide similar functionality to the connection modules  28 . This therefore obviates the need for the supports  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , the frame  26  and the modules  28 , which in turn allows the connection board to extend into the cavity, thereby increasing the capacity of the connection board.  
         [0170]     However, it will be appreciated that the supports  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 , the frame  26  and the modules  28  may be incorporated into the housing  1  in the manner described above.  
         [0171]     The housing also includes mountings  64 , which are used to receive the cover, in a manner similar to the lip  11  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0172]     In one exemplary embodiment, the dimensions of the housing are as shown in Table 1.  
                                                             TABLE 1                           Length                       Dimension   (mm)   Dimension   Length (mm)   Dimension   Length (mm)                                L 1     20   W 1     20   A 1     50       L 2     805   W 2     320   A 2     30       L 3     20   W 3     20   A 3     40       L 4     675   W 4     240   A 4     60       L 5     450           A 5     80                  
 
         [0173]     It will be appreciated that the housing will then be fitted with a lid  9  and a cover (not shown for clarity) and mounted in the pit  30  in the normal way, as shown in  FIG. 23D .  
         [0174]     Another embodiment of a junction box according to the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 24A, 24B  and  24 C. Again, in this embodiment, the majority of the components are similar to those described above and will not therefore be described in detail, with similar reference numerals being used to identify similar elements.  
         [0175]     In any event, in this embodiment, the housing  1  is modified in a manner similar to that described above by having lowered shoulders  70 , so as to define a single cavity  71 , and a cavity portion  72 . A connection board  73  is mounted in the cavity  71  and is adapted to operate substantially as described above.  
         [0176]     In order to allow the housing  1  to be mounted in a pit, the shoulders  70  are used to allow the housing  1  to be supported by the tines  48 , as shown in  FIG. 24D . Mountings  74  are also provided for receiving the cover (not shown).  
         [0177]     In this embodiment, the apertures  6  used for receiving the cable  37  are moved from the position shown in the previous embodiment, into one end of the cavity portion  72  as shown. The purpose behind this is to further reduce the bending of the cable  37 . In particular, it can be seen in the embodiment of  FIG. 23A , that whilst minimal bending of the cable  37  is required in order to allow the cable to enter the apertures  6 , significant additional bending may be required in the cable portion  37 A, to allow the cable to extend from the apertures  6  to the connection board  63 .  
         [0178]     Whilst this will not generally be an issue with copper based cabling, fibre optic cables are more sensitive to bending, and in particular can become damaged relatively easily. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that by allowing the system to be implemented with a reduce cable curvature, as shown in  FIGS. 24A and 24D , this makes this configuration ideal for use with fibre optic cables.  
         [0179]     Again, exemplary dimensions for this embodiment are shown in Table 1, above.  
         [0180]     Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and modifications will become apparent. All such variations and modifications which become apparent to persons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within the spirit and scope that the invention broadly appearing before described.  
         [0181]     Thus for example, the positioning of the apertures  6  may be modified such that the apertures  6  are contained in the air reservoir  15  in use, thereby preventing water entering the housing between the aperture  6  and the cable  37 . However, this is not generally essential, as it is relatively easy to provide a waterproof seal in this instance.