Local loop telecommunication repeater housings employing thermal collection, transfer and distribution via solid thermal conduction

A passively cooled repeater housing for use in a telecommunication network's wire transmission local loop outside plant to house a plurality of standardized repeater modules, comprising:

• thermal chassis having a plurality of repeater connectors for mounting a respective plurality of repeater modules that generate waste heat and a plurality of having protector connectors for mounting a respective plurality of voltage surge protectors, each staid protector connector being spaced apart from its paired repeater connector;
• and
• an environmental enclosure around and fixed to said chassis for providing mechanical and environmental protection for said repeater modules, said enclosure having an I/O port for wiring the connectors to the local loop and a field accessible cover for providing top access to said chassis to replace said voltage surge protectors on-site without having to remove said repeater modules, said environmental enclosure removing a small portion of the waste heat from the repeater modules via convection to the cover and then to the ambient air,
• said thermal chassis collecting a majority of the repeater modules' waste heat through respective thermal interfaces, transferring the waste heat along respective conduction paths to the sidewalls of the environmental enclosure, and distributing the waste heat over a surface area larger than that of the cover to form a second thermal interface for transferring waste heat between the thermal chassis and the enclosure and then convectively transferring the waste heat to the ambient air.

A passively cooled repeater housing for use in a telecommunication network's wire transmission local loop outside plant to house a plurality of standardized repeater modules, comprising:

• an environmental enclosure having a fixed base an I/O port for receiving degraded signals, from the local loop and returning regenerated signals to the local loop, a shell on said base having sidewalls that define an inner volume, and a removable cover on said shell for gaining access to said inner volume;
• and
• a thermal chassis mounted in said fixed base comprising:
• a plurality of repeater connectors disposed around the perimeter of the inner volume towards the base for mounting a respective plurality of repeater modules in said inner volume;
• and
• a plurality of thermal sleeves that are mounted over the respective repeater connectors to mechanically support said repeater, modules, each said thermal sleeve having an interior dimension that forms a first thermal interface with said repeater module for collecting waste heat and a front surface that transfers the collected waste heat to an interior surface of the shell's sidewalls and distributes the waste heat to form a thermal interface with said shell for transferring heat through the shell and to the ambient air.

A passively cooled repeater housing for use in a telecommunication network's wire transmission local loop outside plant to house a plurality of standardized repeater modules, comprising:

• a cylindrical base having a port for receiving wires from the local loop;
• a cylindrical dome on said base having an integrally formed shell that fits over said base and a cover having a hole formed at its center;
• a mechanism for sealing said dome to said base;
• and
• a thermal chassis comprising:
• a circular platform in said base, said platform having a plurality of slots that are regularly spaced around the platform adjacent the shell;
• a plurality of repeater connectors that are free to slide in the respective slots in different radial directions while connected to said wires;
• a plurality of thermal sleeves mounted on said platform over the respective repeater connectors that are also free to slide in said slots in said radial directions, each said thermal sleeve having an interior dimension that forms a first thermal interface with a repeater module mounted in said connector for collecting waste heat and a front arcuate surface that first transfers and then distributes the waste heat over the shell thereby forming a second thermal interface for transferring heat through the shell and to the ambient air;
• an internal mounting bracket in said base that allows said platform to tip when the dome is removed to access the connector wiring;
• and
• an actuator mechanism that extends axially from the center of the platform through the hole in said cover and radially to the respective thermal sleeves, a downward axial force on said mechanism producing outward radial forces on said thermal sleeves that urge their arcuate surfaces against the shell, the release of said axial force causing said thermal sleeves to retract so that said dome can be removed.

A passively cooled repeater housing for use in a telecommunication network's wire transmission local loop outside plant to house a plurality of standardized repeater modules, comprising:

• a cylindrical base having an I/O port for bringing wires from the local loop inside said housing;
• a plurality of connectors in said base for mounting repeater modules and electrically connecting them to said wires;
• a thermal chassis having a plurality of thermal sleeves positioned over the respective connectors for supporting said repeater modules and collecting their waste heat and having an extrusion pattern around said sleeves that distributes the waste heat over an enlarged surface area;
• a cylindrical shell on said base, said shell having a complementary extrusion pattern in close thermal contact with said chassis' extrusion pattern to increase the external surface area for convectively transferring waste heat to the ambient air;
• and
• a cylindrical cover on said shell, said cylindrical base, shell and cover together providing mechanical and environmental protection for said repeater modules and said thermal chassis, said cylindrical cover being removable to provide top access to said repeater modules to remove them on-site.

A passively cooled repeater housing for use in a telecommunication network's wire transmission local loop outside plant to house a plurality of standardized repeater modules, comprising:

• a cylindrical base having an I/O port for bringing wires from the local loop inside said housing to receive degraded transmission signals and return regenerated transmission signals;
• a plurality of connectors in said base for mounting repeater modules and electrically connecting them to said wires;
• a cylindrical shell on said base, said shell having a plurality of circumferential fins that increase its surface area;
• a cylindrical thermal chassis having a plurality of thermal sleeves over the respective connectors for supporting said repeater modules and collecting their waste heat and having a complementary plurality, of circumferential fins that fit inside the cylindrical shell to distribute the waste heat over the cylindrical shell for convective transfer to the ambient air;
• and
• a cylindrical cover on said shell, said cylindrical base, shell and cover providing mechanical and environmental protection for said repeater modules and said thermal chassis, said cylindrical cover being removable to provide top access to said repeater modules to remove them on-site.