Modular electrical enclosure of bolted, two-dimensional components for highly flexible, internal mounting

Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to the field of modularly constructing electrical cabinet using two- dimensional components. It more particularly relates to the field of low-cost and simple way of construction of high-strength electrical cabinets, offering high- flexibility for internal mounting of components. The invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional construction of electrical cabinets and di scloses modular construction of the cabinet from two-dimensional components.

Background of the Invention:

One conventional approach to electrical cabinet construction is bolting twelve members to each other to construct the structure. Such construction entails 3-way corner pieces. The construction suffers due to low rigidity, poor stability and unequal diagonals, resulting in improper closures of the front door and covers.

Another conventional construction of electrical cabinet is providing welded frames on sides and bolting horizontal members. This type of construction provides proper fitting on the sides but fails to ensure a smooth and air-tight closure and opening of the front door. The door closure problem invariably occurs in the construction of large-width cabinets. Yet, another conventional construction of electrical cabinet is providing welded frame each for top and bottom and providing four pillars at the comers. This type of construction too suffers from drawbacks such as instability and proneness of the cabinet to deformation. The problem is inherent in the design of such cabinets, whose long channels are bolted to small top and bottom frames, adversely affecting the squareness of the construction.

Another type of the conventional construction for electrical cabinets is providing welded frame for front and rear ends and bolting the side members. This type of construction poses the same problems as are associated with the afore-mentioned constructions, such as instability of the assembled cabinet and imperfect fitment of the sides.

The following prior works, as reported from other countries, are particularly described to bring forth the drawbacks of their construction and to explain how the present invention removes the drawbacks to provide a simple, low-cost construction of electrical cabinet, having all the advantages over its peers, namely stability, ease of transporting at low-cost two dimensional components, easy handling during transport from works to installation site, high- strength, deformation-free, rigid construction of electrical cabinet and rare flexibility of internal mounting and assembling of electrical components for the working of the power- distribution system. In fact, the present-invention facilitates mounting of three channels depth-wise and also width-wise, offering thereby considerable flexibility during the internal construction of the electrical cabinets.

US Patent 6,062,664 - This prior work discloses construction of electrical enclosures, employing tubular structural solid rods and complex-to-fabricate corner pieces. The frame member (10) is expensive in terms of fabrication and tooling. Assembly of such complex corner pieces poses another problem at the site, if required. Plug-in rods (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37) are solid and weigh heavily, considerably adding to the handling, transportation, fabrication and installation costs for such cabinets. The present invention does not employ any of the features and does not rely upon such heavy or complex members for its construction.

US Patent 5,992,646 - This prior work discloses a switchgear cabinet, employing complex- shaped corner piece (10), which requires complex tooling and fixtures for fabrication and final assembly, considerably adding to the overall cost of installation and construction of such cabinets. The leg (10) is comprised of reversed-mirror image of complex shapes, each employed for an embodiment of the cited work. The present invention employs no such reversed-mirror images for four legs and no features of the prior work for the assembly and construction of the electrical cabinet.

US Patent 6,039,420 - This prior work discloses construction of a frame using extruded, profiled horizontal and vertical members of complex shape and depth struts. There is found no similarity between the present invention and the cited prior work, with the latter employing four vertical channels, providing five or six longitudinal planes for fitment. The present invention requires no complex profiles, extruded sections.

US Patent 6,030,063 - This prior relies upon complex-profiled horizontal and vertical legs for construction of an enclosure. It also relies on using U-shaped cover elements. The present invention uses none of the complex profiled members and none of the U-shaped covering elements. No similarity is found between the cited work and the present invention.

US Patent 5,772,296 - This prior work discloses construction of cabinet frame from horizontal and vertical frame legs (10, 20) and depth struts (40), which are angle sections, with open end facing away from the cabinet. The depth struts (40) join horizontal (10) leg frames with the vertical (20) leg frames. It employs a corner element (30) for all four corners and has an inclined surface at 45 degree angle and longitudinal grooves. The present invention is different than the cited work, employing four vertical channels, each providing five or six planes for internal components mounting. No features of the prior work are found in the present invention.

US Patent 5,695,263 - This prior work of art describes construction of an electrical enclosure with corner pieces and complex profiled members. The present invention employs neither of these components and bears no features of this prior work.

US Patent 8,056,993 - This prior work of art discloses construction of electrical enclosure, employing corner connectors and complex profiled members as horizontal (30) and vertical legs (20) and is different than the present invention.

US Patent 6,915,616 - This work describes an electrical enclosure, constructed of a complex triangular-cross-sectioned vertical member, which is not used by the present invention. No similarity between the prior work and the present invention is found. US Patent 6,902,068 - This work of art is different in terms of employing a corner piece (20) that opens into 3 -dimensional-axial- wings of a trapezium-top shape. Each wing facilitates joint by press-fitting matching profiled members, horizontally and vertically. The prior does not resemble the present invention in terms of the components used.

US Patent 6,811,231 - This work describes a corner piece (20) - in the construction of an electrical enclosure - which opens sideways into twin protruding wings to facilitate a joint at its top end with another profiled member. The corner piece is complex in shape, adding to the cost of construction. No similarity is found between the prior work and the present invention.

US Patent 6,808240 - This prior work of art deals with construction of an electrical enclosure by employing a corner piece which is shaped like a 60 degree-angular letter 'F', that extends at its top end in horizontal direction on both sides and turns a short distance 90 degrees into two parallel vertical ends. The matching complex, profiled members are used for the construction. The prior work is different than the present invention and no conflicting features of the present invention are reported therein.

US Patent 6,776,464 - This prior work describes an enclosure for construction that ensures security of the hinge area and the corners of the closure door by providing free spaces. The prior work does not resemble the present invention in terms of the members employed.

US Patent 6,315,132 - This prior work of art discloses a corner connector - for the construction of an electrical enclosure - which facilitates the assembly of an asymmetrical member, which is of a complex shape and is -attached to the fastening shoulder. It is aligned with a depth strut. Two horizontal profiled sections take up the two other horizontal sides of the corner piece. This work of art does not resemble the present invention in terms of the members employed for construction.

US Patent 6,273,533 and US Patent 6,206,211 describe corner profile members.

No other prior work conflicting with or similar to the present invention is found.

Objects of the Invention:

An object of the present invention is to do away with the use of corner members and complex profiled members for construction and to rely upon using all two-dimensional members for easy transportation to site and easy handling. These costs are significantly reduced with such construction.

Another object of the present invention is to allow flexibility to construct electrical enclosure in 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm or 3 mm thickness of the members for construction, depending on the nature of application without adding to inventory costs. The present invention entails no special dies, tools for construction of the members in varying thickness.

Another object of the present invention is to employ welded front frame, rear frame and side frames to secure their square shape during the assembly and installation at site. Another object of the present invention is to devise an electrical enclosure, freed of instability and deformations and offering enormous flexibility for internally mounting components.

Lastly, the object of the invention is to reduce the cost of construction of the electrical enclosure in transportation, handling, installation, tooling, production and time required for assembly and internal component mounting.

Summary of the Invention:

The present invention eliminates the drawbacks and limitations associated with the construction and installation of the conventional electrical cabinets as disclosed herein below:

An electrical cabinet enclosure (100) is supported on a framework (90), which is constructed by bolting or riveting two-dimensional components such as channels (50), trays and frames. The framework (90) comprises:

i) four channels (50), bolted in vertical position at both ends thereof;

ii) a bottom tray (10) to which said channel (50) is bolted at each of its four corners; iii) a top tray (20) to which said channel (50) is bolted at each of its four corners;

The four channels (50) are characterized by being constructed of two longitudinal sections (51 , 52), which have trapezium-shaped perimeter of two or three sides perpendicular to one another. The section (51) is characterized by being closed at the lateral ends thereof by a plate (77) and the section (52) is characterized by being closed at the lateral ends thereof by a plate (78). The sections (51 , 52) are characterized by longitudinally being joined by welding 45-degree angular edge of largest side of said section (51) with 45-degree angular edge of largest side of said section (52) to form a bend (72) of the channel (50).

The sections (51, 52) are made of single metal sheet folded to form -the shape - as shown - of suitable thickness from 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm to 3 mm.

Description of Drawings:

Figure # 1 illustrates the assembly of the front and rear trays and the two side trays

in the assembled framework (90).

Figure # 2 illustrates the front and side views of the channel (50).

Figure # 3 illustrates the perspective, exterior view of the corner joint (82) of the

bottom tray (10).

Figure # 4 illustrates the perspective, interior view of the corner joint (82) of the

bottom tray (10).

Figure # 5 illustrates the perspective, exterior view of the corner joint (83) of the

top tray (20).

Figure # 6 illustrates the perspective, interior view of the corner joint (83) of the

top tray (20).

Figure # 7 illustrates the perspective, interior view of the other lateral end of the

channel (50), showing the lateral-end-closing plate (78) and the trapezium- shaped section (52) of the channel (50).

Figure # 8 illustrates the exploded view of the lateral-end-closing plate (78), four un-cut bends (97, 98, 99, 101) of the channel (50)

Figure # 9 illustrates the exploded view of the lateral-end-closing plate (78), three un-cut bends (97, 98, 99) of the channel (50). Figure # 10 illustrates the assembly of the four channels (50) for the construction of the framework (90).

Figure # 11 illustrates three depth- wise channel connections (91, 92, 93) and three width- wise internal channel connections (94, 95, 96) for mounting the components.

Detailed Description of the Invention:

As illustrated in the accompanying figure # 1, an electrical cabinet enclosure (100) is constructed and supported on a framework (90), which is constructed by bolting and riveting two-dimensional components, which are front and rear frames (84, 85), side frames (86, 87), top cover (88), bottom cover (89) and four channels (50). Novelty of the present invention and the inventiveness reside in the construction of the channel (50), as illustrated in the accompanying figures # 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The electrical cabinet enclosure (100) is supported on a framework (90) and is illustrated in the accompanying figure # 1 The framework (90) is constructed - as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 10 - by means of bolting one end of a channel (50) in vertical position to each corner piece of a bottom tray (10). A top tray (20) is connected by bolting the other end of the four channels (50) with the corner piece of the top tray (20). A six- sided-framework is thus constructed in a short time period.

The channel (50) as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 2, is characterized by being constructed of two longitudinal sections (51 , 52), which are each characterized by having two or three sides perpendicular to one another. The section (51) is further characterized by being closed at one lateral end thereof by a plate (77) bent from the same sheet. The other section (52) is characterized by being closed at the other lateral end thereof by a plate (78) bent from the same sheet. The sections (51 , 52) are further characterized by longitudinally being joined by welding 45-degree angular edge (51-A) of largest side of the section (51) with 45-degree angular edge of largest side of the section (52-A) to form a bend (72) of said channel (50). The said channel (50) is thus made from a single sheet.

The section (51) of the channel (50) is characterized to have one smaller perimeter and the other section (52) of the channel (50) is characterized by a larger perimeter. The section (51) of the channel (50) is characterized to have one uncut bend (99) or two uncut bends (99, 101), and the section (52) of the channel (50) is characterized to have two uncut bends (97, 98). The channel (50) is characterized to be open in one vertical plane (102) or in one vertical plane (102) and one horizontal plane (not illustrated), as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 7.

The channel (50) is characterized to have a hole (70) in one lateral end-closing-plate (77) of the section (51) of the channel (50). The hole (70) in the lateral-end-closing plate (77) of the section (51) is further characterized to be closer to the open side of the channel (50) and is characterized to be farther from the un-cut bends (99, 101) of the channel (50). The channel (50) is characterized to have a hole (71) in said other lateral-end-closing plate (78) in section (52) of the channel (50). The hole (71) in the section (52) of the channel (50) is

characterized to be closer to the open end of the channel (50) and is further characterized to be farther from the un-cut bends (97, 98) of the section (52) of the channel (50). The channel (50) is characterized in that the hole (70) in one lateral end of the channel (50) is oppositely provided to the hole (71) in the other lateral end of the channel (50). The channel (50) in its natural position is characterized to provide inwardly and longitudinally the two vertical planes (72, 74) and is characterized to provide inwardly and longitudinally the two horizontal planes (73, 75) for internally connecting three depth- wise channel connections (91 , 92, 93) and three width- wise connections (94, 95, 96), as further illustrated in the accompanying figure # 1 1.

The channel (50) is characterized to provide plurality of holes in the two vertical planes (72, 74) in the entire length of the vertical planes. The channel (50) is characterized to provide plurality of holes in one horizontal plane (75) or two horizontal planes (73, 75) of the channel (50). The channel (50) is characterized to have two lateral -end-closing-plates (77, 78) which are aligned with one another to form one plane and are welded from apex end of the cut-bend (72) of the channel (50) to the other end of the plates (77, 78) of the channel (50).

The channel (50) is characterized to have a perimeter of a rectangle- with-carved out- one- unequal-smaller-rectangular segment. The channel (50) is characterized to have, standing, with longest side thereof in vertical position, a shorter vertical side (107) of the section (51) measuring in length equal to a shorter horizontal side (108) of the section (52). The channel (50) is characterized to have, standing with the longest side thereof in vertical position, a shorter horizontal side (109) of the section (51) of the channel (50) measuring in length equal to a shorter vertical side (1 10) of the section (52) of the channel (50) ^' . The bottom tray (10) as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 3, is characterized to have each of four corner areas thereof fitted with a piece (82) matching with said one lateral end of the channel (50) in standing position such that the outermost corner hole (80) in the bottom tray (10) perfectly aligns with the hole (70) in one lateral end of the channel (50). The top tray (20) is characterized to have each of four corner areas thereof fitted with a piece (83) matching with the other lateral end of the channel (50) in standing vertical position such that the outermost corner hole (81) in the top tray (20) perfectly aligns with the hole (71) in the other lateral end of the channel (50).

The channel (50) is characterized to externally support-by-riveting the front frame (84) and the rear frame (85), for complete strength and rigidity to the cabinet enclosure (90) as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 1. The bottom tray (10), as illustrated in the accompanying figure # 3, is characterized to provide three holes (82-1, 82-2, 82-3) in the vertical plane of the corner j oint (82) for fitment by perfect alignment with respective holes in the channel (50), which are nearest to the lateral-end-closing-plate (77). The top tray (20) is characterized to provide three holes (83-1, 83-2, 83-3) in the vertical plane of the corner joint (83) for fitment by perfect alignment with respective holes in the channel (50), which are nearest to the lateral-end-closing-plate (78). The cabinet enclosure (90) is characterized to externally support-by-riveting the side frames (86, 87) for fitment of side covers or doors.

As illustrated in the accompanying figure # 1 1, the channel (50) is characterized to provide depth-wise three channel connections (91 , 92, 93) and three width-wise channel connections (94, 95, 96) for internal mounting of components. The six-way channel connections are possible due to the four bends or five bends (97, 98, 99, 101 , 72), in the channel (50).