Environmentally protected housing for using central office protector modules outdoors

Claim 1

An environmentally protected housing for receiving a connector block, said connector block having a predetermined shape and surface area, said connector block also having a front face and a rear face, said front face having means for receiving a multiplicity of central office protector modules, said rear face having a multiplicity of outwardly projecting terminals to which wires of at least first and second cables can be connected, said housing comprising: (a) a bottom; (b) wall means attached to said bottom for completely enclosing said bottom to form a hollow structure having a predetermined shape which is the same as the predetermined shape of said connector block and a predetermined depth, said structure having a surface area which is slightly larger than said connector block surface area; (c) connector block receiving means mounted in said hollow structure such that when said connector block is attached thereto said block rear face is above said housing bottom by a predetermined distance which is less than said predetermined depth, said block including means for mounting said block to said receiving means such that when said block is mounted on said receiving means said multiplicity of modules project upwardly a distance which is slightly less than the difference between said predetermined depth and said predetermined distance and said rear face and said bottom defining an area for receiving said wires of at least said first and second cables and environmentally protecting compound after said wires are connected to said outwardly projecting terminals; (d) cable entry means for receiving said first and second cables in said structure; (e) a cover including sealing means on said cover's inside surface for completely enclosing said structure when said cover is placed over said structure; and (f) means on said housing exterior to said hollow structure for use in mounting said housing in a further housing.