Seamless slide plate for outdoor enclosure

Abstract

An outdoor enclosure defines an internal cavity for receiving an electrical cable and for protecting wiring connections from adverse environmental conditions, such as water from rain, sleet, melting snow, or melting ice. The enclosure includes a housing having a back wall, a pair of side walls, a floor, and a top wall that together define an opening for providing access to the internal cavity. A slide plate is removably attached to the housing and extends continuously at least the entire width of the opening. The enclosure further includes a door attached to the housing that is movable between a closed position covering the opening and an opened position to expose the internal cavity. The slide plate is positioned between the top wall of the housing and the door and defines at least one passageway with the top wall for permitting passage of the electrical cable from an initial enclosure to a subsequent enclosure vertically stacked on the initial enclosure. In a preferred embodiment, the slide plate comprises a first flange depending downwardly from the top wall and a second flange extending outwardly from the first flange that directs the water away from the opening of the housing.

That which is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An enclosure comprising a housing defining an internal cavity and having an opening for providing access to the internal cavity; and 
 a slide plate removably attached to the housing, the slide plate extending at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.    
     
     
         2 . The enclosure of  claim 1  wherein the housing comprises a back wall, a pair of side walls affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, a floor affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, the floor affixed to and extending between the side walls, a top wall affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, the top wall affixed to and extending between the side walls opposite the floor.  
     
     
         3 . The enclosure of  claim 2  further comprising a door attached to the housing and movable between a closed position covering the internal cavity defined by the housing and an opened position exposing the internal cavity defined by the housing.  
     
     
         4 . The enclosure of  claim 3  wherein the door is hinged to the housing adjacent one of the side walls.  
     
     
         5 . The enclosure of  claim 1  further comprising a rain cap affixed to the housing and overlying the slide plate.  
     
     
         6 . The enclosure of  claim 3  wherein an inner edge of the slide plate is positioned adjacent the top wall of the housing and the slide plate comprises channeling means for preventing water from entering the internal cavity defined by the housing, the channeling means extending continuously between the side walls of the housing at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.  
     
     
         7 . The enclosure of  claim 3  wherein an inner edge of the slide plate is positioned adjacent the top wall of the housing and the slide plate comprises a downwardly depending first flange and an outwardly depending second flange for preventing water from entering the internal cavity defined by the housing, the second flange extending continuously between the side walls of the housing at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.  
     
     
         8 . The enclosure of  claim 2  wherein the slide plate defines at least one passageway with the top wall of the housing for permitting the passage of an electrical cable therethrough.  
     
     
         9 . The enclosure of  claim 2  wherein the top wall of the housing depends outwardly from the back wall of the housing along a portion of the side walls and the slide plate extends inwardly in the direction of the back wall of the housing along the remaining portion of the side walls and wherein the slide plate defines at least one passageway with the top wall of the housing for permitting the passage of an electrical cable therethrough.  
     
     
         10 . The enclosure of  claim 9  wherein the slide plate comprises a first horizontal flange adjacent the top wall of the housing, a second flange depending vertically downwardly from the first flange, and a third flange depending outwardly from the second flange, the second and third flanges extending continuously at least the entire width of the opening defined by the housing.  
     
     
         11 . The enclosure of  claim 10  further comprising a lip depending upwardly from the third flange and wherein the second flange, the third flange and the lip define a generally J-shaped cross section.  
     
     
         12 . An outdoor enclosure defining an internal cavity for receiving an electrical cable and for protecting electrical wiring connections within the cavity from exposure to adverse environmental conditions, the enclosure comprising 
 a housing having a back wall, a pair of side walls affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, a floor affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, the floor affixed to and extending between the side walls, a top wall affixed to and depending outwardly from the back wall, the top wall affixed to and extending between the side walls opposite the floor, the top wall, the floor, and the side walls of the housing defining an opening; and    a slide plate removably attached to the housing, the slide plate extending continuously between the side walls of the housing at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.    
     
     
         13 . The outdoor enclosure of  claim 12  further comprising a door attached to the housing adjacent a side wall of the housing, the door being movable between a closed position covering the opening of the housing and an opened position exposing the internal cavity defined by the enclosure.  
     
     
         14 . The outdoor enclosure of  claim 13  wherein an inner edge of the slide plate is positioned adjacent the top wall of the housing and wherein the slide plate comprises channeling means for preventing the adverse environmental conditions from entering the internal cavity defined by the enclosure, the channeling means extending continuously between the side walls of the housing at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.  
     
     
         15 . The outdoor enclosure of  claim 13  wherein an inner edge of the slide plate is positioned adjacent the top wall of the housing and wherein the slide plate comprises a downwardly depending first flange and an outwardly depending second flange for preventing the adverse environmental conditions from entering the internal cavity defined by the enclosure, the second flange extending continuously between the side walls of the housing at least the entire width of the opening of the housing.  
     
     
         16 . The outdoor enclosure of  claim 12  wherein the slide plate defines at least one passageway with the top wall of the housing for permitting the passage of an electrical cable therethrough.  
     
     
         17 . The outdoor enclosure of  claim 12  wherein the top wall of the housing depends outwardly from the back wall of the housing along a portion of the side walls and the slide plate extends inwardly in the direction of the back wall of the housing along the remaining portion of the side walls and wherein the slide plate defines at least one passageway with the top wall of the housing for permitting the passage of an electrical cable therethrough.  
     
     
         18 . An outdoor enclosure for use in a communications service network, the enclosure defining an internal cavity for receiving an electrical cable and for protecting wiring connections within the cavity from exposure to adverse environmental conditions, the enclosure comprising: 
 a housing having a rear wall, a pair of opposed side walls affixed to and depending outwardly from the rear wall, a floor affixed to and depending outwardly from the rear wall and affixed to and extending between the side walls, a top wall affixed to and depending outwardly from the rear wall and affixed to and extending between the side walls opposite the floor, and a door hingedly attached to the housing opposite the rear wall and extending between the side walls; and    a slide plate having an inner edge positioned adjacent the top wall of the housing and extending between the opposed side walls, the slide plate defining at least one opening with the top wall for permitting the passage of the electrical cable therethrough, the slide plate comprising a continuous channel extending at least the entire width of the door to prevent the entry of the adverse environmental conditions into the internal cavity defined by the enclosure.