AU2009251099B2 - Weatherproof Double Door Sealing Arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a weatherproof sealing arrangement for a frame 10 having first and second doors 15, 15a. The frame 10 has an opening defined by horizontal and vertical frame members 12, 11, forming a continuous frame face against which the doors 15, 15a are required to provide a weatherproof seal. The doors 15, 15a have adjacent opening sides which are separated by a space when the doors 15, 15a are in a closed position. Figure 2 21a 12a Figure 2

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Weatherproof Double Door Sealing Arrangement Applicant: B&R Enclosures Pty Ltd The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 1 2 WEATHERPROOF DOUBLE DOOR SEALING ARRANGEMENT Field of the Invention 5 The present invention relates to a double door sealing arrangement. In particular, the present invention relates to a weatherproof sealing arrangement for a frame which has double doors. Although the present invention will hereafter generally be described with particular reference to 10 switching cabinets, it should be appreciated that the sealing arrangement of the present invention is not necessarily limited to being used only with switching cabinets and that it may also be used with other types of frames. Background of the Invention 15 Electrical/electronic power meters, switches, circuit breakers and other electrical/electronic equipment for commercial and industrial installations, houses and other buildings are usually housed inside a switching cabinet located either inside or outside a building. A typical switching cabinet can 20 include side, rear, bottom and/or top walls, together with one or more doors (depending on the size of the cabinet) which cover an opening of the cabinet and which are hinged to the cabinet. Opening the one or more doors enables the equipment housed in the cabinet to be accessed. 25 Such switching cabinets are available in many sizes ranging from relatively small cabinets to large wardrobe-sized cabinets which are used in factories, shopping centres, office blocks and other buildings. The large wardrobe-sized cabinets usually include a metal frame (referred to in the art as a "rack"), which maintains the structural integrity of the cabinet. The frame typically 30 includes a plurality of vertical frame members and a plurality of horizontal frame members, which usually extend between those vertical frame members at the top and bottom of the cabinet. Collectively, these frame members form the basis for the cabinet's four sides.

3 The horizontal and vertical frame members are typically connected to each other by corner elements which will receive two horizontal members and a single vertical member in a tripod like manner. When connected in this way, the horizontal and vertical frame members form a continuous frame. 5 The top, the bottom and three of the sides of the cabinet are usually covered by metal panels (panel members) which sit against the face of the frame to form walls, with the remaining side (normally the front) being covered by one or more doors which are usually hinged to a vertical frame member to provide 10 access to the interior of the cabinet. However, it may also be possible to fix doors to any of the other sides of a cabinet in place of the metal panels. In some situations, multiple of these cabinets are secured together as modules (referred to in the art as "baying") to form a bayed enclosure. 15 Switching cabinets are typically assembled on-site and are often purpose-built for whatever situation is required. Ideally, the components of the cabinets are joined together without the need for sophisticated assembly equipment such as welding apparatus, glues, and the like. In this regard, the components can be assembled by non-skilled individuals with efficiency. Components of 20 cabinets of this type are commonly connected by snap- or slide-lock mechanisms, and/or through the use of screws or similar fastening devices. However, cabinets assembled in this manner are invariably not weatherproof. Cabinets with double door arrangements for example are particularly 25 susceptible to the entry of contaminants such as dust and rain water, thereby creating the potential for causing significant damage to the electrical components housed within the cabinet. The doors of cabinets of this type are typically hinged on opposing sides of the cabinet frame such that they have adjacent opening sides. It is at the gap or space between the opening sides of 30 each door where entry of contaminants is most prominent. Attempts to solve this problem in the past have not been entirely practical or successful. For example, previous double door cabinet designs require a component on the frame itself which integrates with the door seals. These 4 methods have the negative effect of causing an obstruction to the opening of the cabinet and in some cases use of the full height of the cabinet is impeded. Furthermore, bridging the space between the two doors invariably leads to the creation of further gaps or pin holes where the door meets the cabinet frame. 5 Therefore effective sealing across the gap between the doors of double door frames in order to prevent the entry of harmful contaminants is highly desirable. 10 It is an aim of the present invention to provide a weatherproof sealing arrangement for frames with double doors, including for switching cabinets of the type referred to above, so that such frames may be installed outdoors, whereby the risk of the entry of harmful contaminants such as rain and dust is significantly reduced or eliminated. 15 Before turning to a description of the present invention, it is to be appreciated that the above discussion of the background to the present invention is included to explain the context of the present invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, 20 known, or part of the common general knowledge in Australia (or elsewhere) as at the priority date of any of the claims in this application. Also before turning to a description of the present invention, it is useful to provide an explanation of some of the terms that will be used to define the 25 spatial relationship of various parts thereof. In this respect, spatial references throughout this specification will generally be based upon an assembled switching cabinet standing generally upright on a surface. With this environment as the basis, some parts may then be defined with reference to the surface, and also to the "horizontal" and the "vertical" (or "up" and "down"), 30 allowing further references to "upper" or "upwardly" and "lower" or "downwardly". Further, it will be understood that a switching cabinet always has an interior, and thus some parts may be defined with directional reference to "inner" or "inwardly" and "outer" or "outwardly" with respect to the interior of the switching cabinet.

5 Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a weatherproof sealing arrangement for a frame having two doors, the frame having an opening defined by horizontal 5 and vertical frame members forming a continuous frame face against which the doors are required to provide a weatherproof seal, the doors having adjacent opening sides which are separated by a space when the doors are in a closed position, the weatherproof sealing arrangement including: (i) a mullion for a vertical opening-side of a first door, the mullion 10 extending substantially along the length of the first door, and extending across the space between the first door and a second door; (ii) a first mullion gasket in the connection between the first door and a terminal top portion of the mullion, so that when the doors are in a closed position the first mullion gasket extends across the space between the 15 first door and second door, and extends from the terminal top portion of the mullion to the front face of its adjacent horizontal frame member; (iii) a second mullion gasket in the connection between the first door and a terminal bottom portion of the mullion, so that when the doors are in a closed position the second mullion gasket extends across the space between 20 the first door and second door, and extends from the terminal bottom portion of the mullion to the front face of its adjacent horizontal frame member; and (iv) a gasket formed in each door, wherein, when the first door is in a closed position, its gasket will seal against the frame face, and will contact, and thereby seal against, the first and 25 second mullion gaskets at the regions where the first door, mullion and a horizontal frame member meet, and wherein when the second door is closed, its gasket will also seal against the frame face, and will contact, and thereby seal against, the first and second mullion gasket at the regions where the second door, mullion and a horizontal frame member meet, so as to 30 collectively provide a weatherproof seal for the frame face when the doors are in a closed position. The frame typically includes a series of vertical and horizontal frame members which are joined to a number of corner elements. During assembly, a vertical 6 frame member and two horizontal frame members are joined to each corner element of the frame such that the assembled structure typically consists of eight corner elements, at least four vertical frame members and at least four horizontal frame members. Components of frames of this type are commonly 5 connected by snap- or slide-lock mechanisms, and/or through the use of screws or similar fastening devices. When assembled in this manner, each side of the frame is formed as a continuous surface. In a preferred form, the surface is planar so as to present 10 a continuous frame face to which a side panel or one or more doors can be fitted against. In a double door frame for use with the present invention, the hinge for each door is provided on opposing sides of the frame. Typically, the hinge is 15 present on opposing vertical sides of the frame so that the vertical opening side of one door is adjacent the vertical opening side of the other door. This configuration of the doors allows unrestricted access to the interior of the assembled frame when both doors are opened. 20 Double door frames for use in the present invention are also configured in such a way that when each door is in a closed position, a space or gap is present between the doors. This space or gap must be present to allow opening and closing of each door without inhibition from the other door. 25 In order to seal this space, thereby preventing the entry of contaminants, the weatherproof sealing arrangement of the present invention includes a mullion for a vertical opening side of one door (a first door) of the double door frame. The mullion may be an integral component of the first door, or it may exist as a separate entity to the door. When the mullion exists as a separate entity, it 30 provides the advantage of enabling on-site assembly, thereby allowing maximum flexibility for making adjustments to the frame if required. When the mullion exists as a separate entity to the first door, it may be attached to the first door by any suitable securing means known in the art, 7 including but not limited to, screws, bolts, rivets, pins, glues and the like. In one embodiment, the mullion includes a securing element that engages with the first door. In a further embodiment, the securing element engages with a back surface portion of the first door. 5 The mullion may be made from any material which is impervious to contaminants such as dust and water. For example, the mullion may be made of the same material as the frame, such as aluminium or steel, or may be made from rubber, plastic or like materials. 10 When assembled to the first door, the mullion extends across the space which exists between the first door and a second door of the double door frame when the doors are in a closed position. In this manner, when the doors are closed, the first door, its attached mullion, and the second door, collectively, 15 provide a barrier to the entry of contaminants. The mullion also extends substantially along the length of the first door. The term "substantially along" in the context of the present invention is taken to mean extending from the top of the door to the bottom of the door but only to 20 the extent that the mullion does not prevent the door from closing. In one embodiment, the mullion extends along the length of the first door such that the entire mullion passes under (at the top of the frame) or over (at the bottom of the frame) an adjacent horizontal frame member of the frame face. 25 In this manner, the entire mullion will sit inside the frame when the door is closed, i.e. when the back surface of the door sits against the front of the frame face. In a further embodiment, the mullion extends along the length of the first door 30 such that a terminal top and/or bottom portion of the mullion sits against an adjacent horizontal frame member of the frame face when the door is closed. However, the remainder of the mullion passes under (at the top of the frame) or over (at the bottom of the frame) the adjacent horizontal frame member of 8 frame face, such that the remainder of the mullion sits inside the frame when the door is closed. With the mullion in place, and when the double doors are closed, a small 5 notional gap will exist between the terminal top portion of the mullion and the top of the frame, i.e. the front face of the mullion's adjacent horizontal frame member. When the entire mullion can sit inside the frame when the double doors are closed, this notional gap will be the physical space which separates the terminal top portion of the mullion from the top of the frame. When a 10 terminal top portion of the mullion can sit against an adjacent horizontal frame member of the frame face (when the double doors are closed), then the notional gap will be where the terminal top portion of the mullion physically sits against the front face of the adjacent horizontal frame member. In both of these embodiments, the notional gap, if not sealed, will allow the entry of 15 contaminants. Accordingly, the present invention provides a first mullion gasket at the site where the terminal top portion of the mullion connects with the first door. Similarly, in both of the embodiments described in the preceding paragraph, a 20 small notional gap will also exist between the terminal bottom portion of the mullion and the bottom of the frame, i.e. the front face of the mullion's adjacent horizontal frame member. Therefore, the present invention provides a second mullion gasket at the site where the terminal bottom portion of the mullion connects with the first door. 25 In effect, the first and second mullion gaskets extend to remove the notional gap which exists between the terminal top and bottom portions of the mullion, respectively, and the adjacent horizontal frame members that form the top and bottom of the frame. While the mullion gaskets must extend across the space 30 which is formed between the doors when they are in a closed position, the mullion gaskets need not extend to the same degree as the mullion. The first and second mullion gaskets may have a similar or identical form. The gaskets are generally flat in appearance, and are compressible or yielding in 9 nature such that they can deform to tightly fill the space where the terminal top (or bottom) portion of the mullion connects with the first door, and can seal the notional gap between the terminal top (or bottom) portion of the mullion and the top (or bottom) of the frame face. In this regard, the gaskets may be made 5 from materials such as rubber, silicone, neoprene, nitrile rubber, or plastic polymers. In one embodiment, the side of the mullion gasket which sits against or contacts the outer face of the terminal top or bottom portion of the mullion and 10 frame face is generally flat. In a further embodiment, the portion of the generally flat face which sits against the mullion is recessed with respect to the portion which sits against the frame face. This enables a tight seal to form where the mullion is connected to the door and subsequently where the door is closed against the frame face. 15 In one embodiment, the portion of the mullion gasket which sits against or contacts the outer face of the mullion may include means for attaching the gasket to the mullion. The mullion gasket may be installed on-site as the doors are being attached to the frame, or it may be pre-affixed to the mullion. 20 In one embodiment, the side of the mullion gasket upon which the first and second door sit against (when the door, mullion and mullion gasket are assembled) includes one or more raised portions which are preferably tapered toward their extremities. 25 The weatherproof sealing arrangement of the present invention also includes a gasket formed in each door, also referred to herein as a "door gasket". The door gasket not only provides a seal between the door and the outer face of the frame but also provides a seal where pin holes commonly form, namely at 30 the position where the door, mullion and frame meet. In this regard, the tapered regions of the mullion gasket provide a smooth transition at the point where the door gasket contacts the first and second mullion gasket, thereby preventing or eliminating the formation of pin holes.

10 The door gasket may be made from any one of the materials described above for the mullion gaskets. However, the door gasket need not be as compressible or yielding as the mullion gaskets. 5 In one embodiment the door gasket is first die cut then hand placed onto the door at the appropriate position. In another embodiment, the door gasket is "formed in place" or "foamed in place" to the door at the appropriate position. In a further embodiment, the door gasket is made of neoprene. 10 It will be appreciated that while the weatherproof sealing arrangement according to the present invention has been described with reference to a particular type of frame, the sealing arrangement can be used on any type of frame or cabinet frame structure which presents an opening face that requires 15 sealing by double doors. Brief Description of the Drawings Having briefly described the general concepts involved with the present 20 invention, a preferred embodiment of a sealing arrangement that is in accordance with the present invention will now be described. However, it is to be understood that the following description is not to limit the generality of the above description. 25 In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled double door cabinet frame to which a weatherproof sealing arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention is typically applied. The frame is shown without side, top 30 and bottom panels; however, the first and second doors are shown in an open position.

11 Figure 2 illustrates a portion of a sealing arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention, showing from the rear the connection between a mullion, a horizontal frame member and the first door. 5 Figure 3A illustrates a rear view of a mullion gasket according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 3B illustrates a front view of the mullion gasket shown in Figure 3A. 10 Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but also showing the mullion gasket fitted to the mullion. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing instead the second door and a part of the gasket on the second door. The horizontal frame member is not 15 illustrated. Figure 6 is a front view showing the relationship between a part of the first door, the first door's gasket, the mullion gasket and the mullion. 20 Description of the Embodiment Illustrated in the Drawings The present invention provides a weatherproof sealing arrangement for a frame having first and second doors (i.e. double doors). A frame 10 is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes a series of vertical 11 and horizontal 12 25 frame members which are joined to a number of corner elements 13. During assembly, a vertical frame member 11 and two horizontal frame members 12 are joined to each corner element 13 of the frame 10 such that the assembled structure typically includes eight corner elements 13, at least four vertical frame members 11 and at least four horizontal frame members 12. 30 The aforementioned components of the frame 10 depicted in Figure 1 are commonly connected by snap-lock or slide-lock mechanisms, and/or through the use of screws or similar fastening devices. The use of such connection and fastening means enables assembly of the frame at the site of installation, 12 rather than requiring pre-assembly. This allows maximum flexibility such that modifications to the frame can be easily made at the time of installation or at any time thereafter, for example for the removal of the frame and re-assembly at another site. Furthermore, the frame can be assembled on-site by a non 5 skilled individual given that sophisticated assembly equipment such as welding apparatus, glues, and the like are not required. When assembled in this manner, each side of the frame 10 is formed as a continuous surface. In a preferred form, the surface is planar so as to present 10 a continuous frame face to which a side, top, bottom or back panel, or one or more doors, can be fitted against so as to ultimately provide a weatherproof seal. When the components of the frame 10 have been assembled together, the 15 frame 10 has a series of openings. The openings include two side openings 14a, a top opening 14b, a bottom opening 14c, and a back opening 14d, to which the aforementioned panels are affixed in order to enclose the frame 10, thus forming a cabinet-type structure. 20 The frame 10 depicted in Figure 1 also includes a front opening 14e, which is arranged to be enclosed by first and second doors 15, 15a when the doors 15, 15a are in a closed position. Each door 15, 15a is typically connected to the frame 10 by a series of hinges 16a -16h which enable a simple opening and closing movement of each door 15, 15a. 25 In the double door frame 10 shown in Figure 1, the series of hinges 16a -16h for each door 15, 15a are provided on opposing vertical sides of the frame opening so that the vertical opening side of one door 15 is adjacent the vertical opening side of the other door 15a. This configuration of the doors 15, 30 15a allows unrestricted access to the interior of the assembled cabinet when both doors are in an open position. It will be appreciated that double door frame 10 is configured in such a way that when each door 15, 15a is in a closed position, a space or gap is present 13 between the adjacent vertical opening sides of the doors 15, 15a. This space or gap is present to permit opening and closing of each door 15, 15a without inhibition from the other door 15, 15a. 5 In order to seal this space or gap, thereby preventing the entry of contaminants into the assembled cabinet, the weatherproof double door sealing arrangement of the embodiment includes a mullion for a vertical opening side of one of the doors 15, 15a of the double door frame. Throughout the following description, the mullion will be described as being 10 secured to the first door 15. However, it should be appreciated that the mullion may alternatively be secured to the second door 15a. In this regard, Figure 2 shows a view of a part of a back surface of the first door 15 which has attached to it a mullion 21 according to an embodiment of 15 the invention. For ease of depiction, only the top corner of the back surface of the door 15 is shown, although it will be appreciated that the mullion 21 extends substantially along the full length of the vertical opening side 22 of the door 15. 20 The mullion 21 is attached to the back surface of the first door 15 by securing means. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the securing means includes a flange 21a which is an integral component of the mullion 21, and which extends outwardly from a main body 21b of the mullion 21 so as to engage with a back surface portion 15a of the first door 15. The outwardly-extending 25 flange 21a, and therefore the mullion 21 itself, is secured to the back surface portion of the first door 15 by means of screws which pass through holes 21c and equivalent holes present in the back surface portion of the first door 15. When assembled to the first door 15 in this manner, the width of the mullion 30 21 extends across the space which exists between the first door 15 and the second door 15a when they are closed. Therefore, when the doors 15, 15a are closed, the first door 15 with the attached mullion 21 and the second door 15a collectively provide a barrier to the entry of contaminants into the cabinet.

14 Although not depicted in Figure 2, as mentioned above the mullion 21 extends along the entire length of the vertical opening side 22 of the first door 15 (i.e. from the top of the first door 15 to the bottom of the first door 15) but only to the extent that the mullion 21 does not prevent the door 15 from closing. That 5 is, even with the mullion 21 attached to the first door 15, the back surface of the first door 15 is able to contact (either directly or indirectly) a front face 12a of each of the horizontal upper and lower frame members 12 that form the frame of the front opening 14a. The front face 12a of the upper horizontal frame member 12 is represented by dashed lines in Figure 2. 10 The mullion 21 extends along the length of the first door 15 and includes a terminal top portion 21d and a terminal bottom portion (not shown). As depicted, the terminal top portion 21d extends from a body portion 21b of the mullion 21 so that it is adjacent a portion of the front face 12a of the upper 15 horizontal frame member 12 when the door 15 is closed. However, the remainder of the mullion 21 (i.e. the body portion 21b) passes under the adjacent horizontal frame member 12 so as to sit inside the frame 10 (i.e. inside the cabinet) when the first door 15 is closed. 20 Although not shown in Figure 2, it will be appreciated that the same arrangement will arise at the bottom of the first door 15. That is, a terminal bottom portion of the mullion 21 will sit adjacent a portion of the front face 12a of the lower horizontal frame member 12 when the first door 15 is closed. However, the remainder of the mullion 21 will pass above the adjacent 25 horizontal frame member 12 of the frame face so that it sits inside the cabinet when the first door 15 is closed. With the mullion 21 in place, and when the double doors are closed, a small gap may exist between the rear face of the terminal top portion 21d of the 30 mullion 21 and the front face 12a of the adjacent upper horizontal frame member 12. A similar gap may also exists between the rear face of the terminal bottom portion 21d of the mullion 21 and the front face 12a of the adjacent lower horizontal frame member 12. These gaps if not sealed properly, will allow the entry of contaminants into the cabinet.

15 In this regard, the weatherproof sealing arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention includes a first mullion gasket 30 arranged to be located on the terminal top portion 21d of the mullion 21 and a second mullion gasket 30 5 arranged to be located on the terminal bottom portion 21d of the mullion 21. The first and second mullion gaskets 30 typically have a similar or identical form and thus the following description will refer generally to the mullion gasket 30 rather than to the upper or lower mullion gaskets. The connection 10 of each of the first and second mullion gaskets 30 to its respective terminal portion of the mullion 21 will be described in more detail below. Figure 3A shows a rear view of the mullion gasket 30 and Figure 3B shows a front view of the mullion gasket 30. The mullion gasket 30 is compressible or 15 yielding in nature such that it can perform two complementary functions. Firstly, the mullion gasket 30 is arranged to seal the gap between the rear face of the terminal top (or bottom) portion 21d of the mullion 21 and the front face 12a of the adjacent upper (or lower) horizontal frame member 12 when the doors 15, 15a are closed. Secondly, as will be described in more detail 20 below, the mullion gasket 30 is arranged to seal any space or gap between the front face of the terminal top (or bottom) portion 21d of the mullion 21 and the back surface of first and second doors 15, 15a. The mullion gasket 30 includes an elongate upper portion 30a with a 25 downwardly depending generally L-shaped leg 30b extending from either end. As shown in Figure 3A, the first side of each leg 30b is recessed with respect to the upper portion 30a. Additionally, extending outwardly from each of the legs 30b is a pin-like projection 31. 30 Figure 3B shows the second side of the mullion gasket 30. The upper portion 30a is formed with a recessed zone 30d. Two pin-like projections 34 extend from the recessed zone 30d.

16 A face of the second side of the mullion gasket 30 surrounding the recessed zone 30d includes a generally flat edge portion 30e which flows into a tapered region 30f which may be feathered towards the outer most edge 30g. The tapered region 30f together with a door gasket 60 located on the back surface 5 of the each of the rear side of the doors 15, 15a prevents or eliminates the formation of pin holes which allow the entry of contaminants (see discussion of pin holes below and with reference to Figure 6). As best shown in Figure 4 and 5 the mullion gasket 30 is positioned on the 10 mullion 21 so that the terminal top portion 21d is located within the recessed zone 30d. The pin-like projections 34 extend through respective apertures 48 formed in the terminal portion 21d and the pin-like projections 31 extend through apertures 49 formed in the body portion 21 b of the mullion 21. 15 In use, the upper portion 30a of the first side (see Figure 3A) of the mullion gasket 30 is located against the front face 12a of the adjacent upper (or lower) horizontal frame member 12 when the doors 15, 15a are closed. The recessed zone 30d of the upper portion 30a of the second side (see Figure 3B) of the mullion gasket 30 is located against the rear face of the terminal top 20 portion 21d of the mullion 21. Accordingly, the upper portion 30a of the mullion gasket 30 is positioned within and arranged to seal the gap between the rear face of the terminal top portion 21d of the mullion 21 and the front face 12a of the adjacent upper horizontal frame member 12 when the doors 15, 15a are closed. 25 Furthermore, when the doors 15, 15a are closed the mullion gasket 30 fills the space or gap between the front face of the terminal top portion 21d of the mullion 21 and the back surface of each of the first and second doors 15, 15a and provides an effective seal there between. 30 The relationship between the first mullion gasket 30, the first door 15 and the mullion 21 is shown in Figure 4. Although Figure 4 only shows a representation of the top region of the first door 15, the components will be arranged in the same manner at the bottom region of the first door 15.

17 Although the first and second doors 15, 15a (when closed), the mullion 21, and the first and second mullion gaskets 30 collectively provide a barrier to contaminants entering the cabinet, there still exists an area of vulnerability for 5 contamination (commonly referred to as "pin holes") at the position where each door 15, 15a, the mullion 21 and the related upper and lower horizontal frame members 12 meet. The positions of possible pin holes 50 are illustrated in Figure 6. Please note that in Figure 6 the first door 15 is not shown and the second door 15a has been shown as transparent so that the components 10 normally covered by the second door 15a are visible. As mentioned previously, the weatherproof sealing arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention also includes door gaskets 60 formed in or associated with each door 15, 15a. Each gasket 60 is arranged to extend 15 across a top width of the door 15, along the vertical height of the door 15, across the bottom width of the door 15 and up the vertical height of the door 15. Each door gasket 60 is arranged to seal against the front face 12a of the 20 upper horizontal member 12, the mullion 30 and the front face 12a of the lower horizontal member 12. Figure 6 best illustrates the position of the door gasket 60 in the first door 15, the mullion gasket 30 on the terminal top portion 21d of the mullion 21, and 25 the front face 12a of the upper horizontal member 12. As shown in Figure 6, the tapered regions 30f of the mullion gasket 30 allows the door gasket 60 of the first door 15 to seal against the front face 12a of the upper horizontal member 12 and to then transition smoothly across the position where the door gasket 60 first comes into contact with the mullion gasket 30. The door 30 gasket 60 also contacts with the generally flat edge portion 30 of the mullion gasket 30, covering any pin holes 50. The tapered regions 30f of the gasket 30 adjacent the L-shaped leg 30b also allow the door gasket 60 to transition smoothly from its contact with the mullion gasket 30 and into contact with the mullion 21.

18 The second function of each door gasket 60 is to provide a seal between the back surface of the door and the continuous outer face of the frame upon which it closes. As a result, the collective combination of the mullion 21, the 5 first and second mullion gaskets 30 and the gasket 60 formed in or on each door 15, 15a, provides a weatherproof sealing arrangement for a double door frame. It will be appreciated that the sealing arrangement shown in Figure 6 in 10 relation to the first door 15, the door gasket 60, the first mullion gasket 30 and the mullion 21 is repeated in relation to the second door 15a. Furthermore, the sealing arrangement is repeated at the bottom of each door 15, 15a with respect to the second mullion gasket. 15 Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. It is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications. The invention also includes all of the steps, features, compositions and compounds referred to, or indicated in this specification, 20 individually or collectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of the steps or features.

Claims (10)

1. A weatherproof sealing arrangement for a frame having first and second doors, the frame having an opening defined by horizontal and vertical 5 frame members forming a continuous frame face against which the doors are required to provide a weatherproof seal, the doors having adjacent opening sides which are separated by a space when the doors are in a closed position, the weatherproof sealing arrangement including: (i) a mullion for a vertical opening-side of the first door, the mullion 10 extending substantially along the length of the first door, and extending across the space between the first door and the second door; (ii) a first mullion gasket between the first door and a terminal top portion of the mullion, so that when the doors are in the closed position the first mullion gasket extends across the space between the first door and the 15 second door, and extends from the terminal top portion of the mullion to the front face of its adjacent horizontal frame member; (iii) a second mullion gasket between the first door and a terminal bottom portion of the mullion, so that when the doors are in the closed position the second mullion gasket extends across the space between the first door 20 and the second door, and extends from the terminal bottom portion of the mullion to the front face of its adjacent horizontal frame member; and (iv) a gasket associated with each door, wherein, when the first door is in the closed position, its gasket will seal against the frame face, and will contact, and thereby seal against, the first and 25 the second mullion gaskets at the regions where the first door, mullion and horizontal frame member meet, and wherein when the second door is closed, its gasket will also seal against the frame face, and will contact, and thereby seal against, the first and second mullion gasket at the regions where the second door, mullion and a horizontal frame member meet, so as to 30 collectively provide a weatherproof seal for the frame face when the doors are in the closed position.

2. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the mullion includes a securing element that engages with the first door. 20

3. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the securing element engages with a back surface portion of the first door.

4. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the 5 mullion is an integral component of the first door.

5. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a side of the first mullion gasket and second mullion gasket which contacts a rear face of the mullion and outer face of the frame is 10 generally flat.

6. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein the first mullion gasket and second mullion gasket includes means for attaching the gasket to the mullion. 15

7. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a side of the first mullion gasket and second mullion gasket which contacts the first and second door includes one or more raised portions which are tapered at their extremities. 20

8. A weatherproof sealing arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the raised portions which are tapered at their extremities provide a smooth transition at the point where the door gasket contacts the first and second mullion gaskets. 25

9. A weatherproof sealing arrangement, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A switching cabinet assembled using a weatherproof sealing 30 arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 9.