EP-4736587-A1 - WALL-MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

EP4736587A1EP 4736587 A1EP4736587 A1EP 4736587A1EP-4736587-A1

Abstract

A wall-mounting apparatus (100) for a telecommunications device (110), said apparatus comprising: a first plate (120-1), for fixing to a wall, comprising: a first engagement formation (130-1); a first locking formation (140-1); and a keyed opening (150); a second plate (120-2), for coupling to, or forming a part of, the telecommunications device, the second plate comprising: a second engagement formation (130-2), complementary to the first engagement formation, so as to slot together with the second engagement formation, thereby to engage the first and second plates together; and a second locking formation (140-2), complementary to the first locking formation, for fixedly locking the second plate to the first plate when engaged together; wherein, in use, the first and/or second locking formation/s is/are accessible through the keyed opening so as to actuate said formation/s thereby to unlock the first and second plates.

Inventors

DOWE, William

Assignees

British Telecommunications public limited company

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240521

Claims (14)

1 . A wall-mounting apparatus for a telecommunications device, said apparatus comprising: a first plate, for fixing to a wall, comprising: a first engagement formation; a first locking formation; and a keyed opening; a second plate, for coupling to, or forming a part of, the telecommunications device, the second plate comprising: a second engagement formation, complementary to the first engagement formation, so as to slot together with the second engagement formation, thereby to engage the first and second plates together; and a second locking formation, complementary to the first locking formation, for fixedly locking the second plate to the first plate when engaged together; wherein, in use, the first and/or second locking formation/s is/are accessible through the keyed opening so as to actuate said formation/s thereby to unlock the first and second plates.
2. A wall-mounting apparatus according to Claim 1 , wherein the first locking formation is recessed within the first plate and/or wherein the second locking formation is recessed within the second plate.
3. A wall-mounting apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second locking formations comprise complementary mating male-female engagements.
4. A wall-mounting apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the first or second locking formation comprises a resilient member for urging together the male-female engagement.
5. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and/or second locking formation/s comprise/s a ramp, wherein said ramp is accessible from the keyed opening.
6. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the keyed opening is provided on a peripheral wall of the first plate.
7. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and/or second engagement formation/s is/are raised above a base surface of the respective first and/or second plate.
8. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second engagement formations comprise complementary mating male-female couplings for slotting together the first and second plates.
9. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and/or second engagement formation/s comprise/s an end-stop to limit travel of the first and second plates when slotting said plate together.
10. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a partial obstruction for partially obstructing access to the first and/or second locking formation/s via the keyed opening.
11 . A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first plate comprises a channel for receiving a cable for the telecommunications device, and wherein the channel is arranged to be obstructed by at least the second plate when said second plate is engaged to the first plate thereby to prevent unslotting of the cable from the channel.
12. A wall-mounting apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a key for unlocking the first and second locking formations, wherein the key is shaped and dimensioned to be received by the keyed opening.
13. A key for a wall-mounting apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 11 , the key comprising: a wedge, complementary to the first and/or second locking formation/s so as to actuate said formation/s apart, thereby to unlock the first and second plates; and an elongate shaft, wherein the wedge is provided at terminus of said shaft, the wedge and shaft are shaped and dimensioned so as to be receivable by the keyed opening, and wherein the shaft is dimensioned to deliver the wedge from the keyed opening to the first and/or second locking formation/s so as to actuate said formation/s apart.
14. A kit of parts comprising: a wall-mounting apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 11 ; and a key according to Claim 13.

Description

WALL-MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR A TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE Field of Invention The present invention relates to a wall-mounting apparatus for a telecommunications device, and in particular a secure such apparatus for locking said device to a wall, and for limiting access to unlock the device. Background Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) is any terminal or associated equipment located at a subscriber's premises and connected with a network service provider, such as a fixed-access broadband network, which may include a copper or fibre optic network. Examples of CPE include modems, routers and Optical Network Terminals (ONTs). When a customer subscribes to a telecommunications service, the service provider typically provides, on loan, the customer with CPE. The CPE typically remains the property of the service provider, and it is therefore not supposed to be removed from the customer's premises by the customer. Occasionally, a customer may, accidentally or intentionally, take the CPE with them when moving properties. Replacement of the CPE then falls to the network service provider, which, at scale, can incur significant resources (e.g. cost for replacement equipment, and labour and logistics for installation). The problem is also exacerbated where CPE becomes increasingly sophisticated with ever-improving telecommunications services. It is an aim of the present invention to at least alleviate some of the aforementioned problems. Statements of Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided: a wall-mounting apparatus for a telecommunications device, said apparatus comprising: a first plate, for fixing to a wall, comprising: a first engagement formation; a first locking formation; and a keyed opening; a second plate, for coupling to, or forming a part of, the telecommunications device, the second plate comprising: a second engagement formation, complementary to the first engagement formation, so as to slot together with the second engagement formation, thereby to engage the first and second plates together; and a second locking formation, complementary to the first locking formation, for fixedly locking the second plate to the first plate when engaged together; wherein, in use, the first and/or second locking formation/s is/are accessible through the keyed opening so as to actuate said formation/s thereby to unlock the first and second plates. As used herein, the terms “in use”, “installed”, “in situ” and “in normal use” preferably connote, the first plate being mounted, and fixed, to a mounting wall, the telecommunications device being a part of, fixed, or bonded, to the second plate, and the first and second plates being engaged together by means of the first and second engagement formations and/or locked together by means of the first and second locking formations. Optionally, the first plate comprises a portion of the keyed opening, and wherein the second plate comprises another portion of the keyed opening, so that, upon locking of the first and second plates together, the union of said portions forms the keyed opening as a whole. Preferably, the first locking formation is recessed within the first plate and/or wherein the second locking formation is recessed within the second plate. Preferably, in use, the first and/or second locking formation/s is/are only accessible through the keyed opening. Preferably, in use, the first and second locking formations and/or the first and second engagement formations are wholly enclosed by, at least, the mounting wall and telecommunications device. Preferably, the first and/or second locking formation is concealed within the first and/or second plates, such that said formation/s are internal, and are only internal, and externally inaccessible and unexposed. Preferably, the first and second locking formations comprise complementary mating male-female engagements. Preferably, the first and second locking formations are configured, when locked together, to prevent sliding apart (or “unslotting”) of the first and second engagement formations, and therefore of the first and second plates. Optionally, the male-female engagements comprise a/an: pin and hole; detent and detent notch (or pocket); and/or tongue (or lip or flange) and groove (or channel). Optionally, a male portion of the male-female engagements forms part of the second locking formation, and a female portion of the male-female engagements forms a part of the first locking formation, or vice versa. Optionally, the male and/or female portion/s is/are ramped so as to form a ratchet. Preferably, the male portion is oversized, or protrudes out of the plane of the plate (i.e. first or second) comprising said portion. Preferably, the plate comprising the female portion comprises a base surface for abutting against the male portion when slotting the first and second plates together, thereby to urge the male portion away from said base surface. Preferably, the first or second locking formati