AU2018101780A4 - Electrical Equipment Housing - Google Patents

Abstract

2873-P103-AU-U A cabinet is constructed for housing electrical equipment, in which a recess is cut into an upper surface of a base. A first wall is located in a portion 5 of the base recess and a second wall is located in a portion of the base recess, wherein said first wall and said second wall include durable outer surfaces and side edges. A first edge of the first wall is connected to a second edge of said second wall, without penetrating the durable outer surface of the first wall and without penetrating the durable outer surface of the second wall. 2873-Pl1 3-AU-U __= C=II 0

Description

Electrical Equipment Housing

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application represents the first application for a patent directed towards the invention and the subject matter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for housing electrical equipment. The present invention also relates to a method of constructing a housing for electrical equipment.

It is known to house electrical equipment, primarily to support the equipment and also to limit access to the equipment. Often, equipment of this type is stored in a climate-controlled environment and standard metal racks and cabinets are available for this purpose. However, it is sometimes necessary to house electrical equipment at outside locations when, for example, the equipment is required in relation to the operation of a railway.

Furthermore, the equipment may be handling voltages at conventional mains levels or higher, therefore the restriction of access to the equipment becomes more important.

Problems arise when using metal cabinets for the purpose of housing electrical equipment outdoors. Regular maintenance is required, otherwise 20 metal cabinets can degrade significantly due to weathering. Cabinets of this type are also susceptible to graffiti, damage and theft.

To overcome problems associated with the use of metal cabinets, other materials have been deployed. These other materials are often available with highly-protective outer surfaces that can add significant benefit to the integrity 25 of the cabinet structure. However, structures of this type can be compromised if these outer surfaces are penetrated during a construction process.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet for housing electrical equipment, comprising: a base; a plurality of 30 walls, each having a durable outer surface and side edges; connection means for connecting said plurality of walls at adjacent edges, without penetrating

2873-P103-AU-U said durable outer surfaces; and a roof.

In an embodiment, the base includes a durable lower outer surface and a durable upper inner surface; and the durable upper inner surface includes a base recess for receiving lower edges of the walls. The edges may be bevelled, such that the walls are connected at adjacent edges by abutting respective bevelled edges.

Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed embodiments show the best mode known to the inventor and provide support for the invention as claimed. However, they are only exemplary and should not be used to interpret or limit the scope of the claims. Their purpose is to provide a teaching to those skilled in the art. Components and processes distinguished by ordinal phrases such as “first” and “second” do not necessarily define an order or ranking of any sort.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a cabinet for housing electrical equipment;

Figure 2 illustrates a high-pressure compact laminate;

Figure 3 shows a base panel of a cabinet;

Figure 4 shows a wall for a cabinet;

Figure 5 shows an orifice cut into a bevelled edge;

Figure 6 shows portions of a connection device;

Figure 7 shows use of a location tool;

Figure 8 shows the first portion of the connector engaging with the second portion of the connector;

Figure 9 illustrates the connection of walls;

Figure 10 illustrates the creation of a gap between wall edges;

Figure 11 shows a bevelled edge with additional connection devices

Figure 12 shows the addition of a second wall;

Figure 13 shows a first edge of a first wall being connected to a second edge of a second wall;

2873-P103-AU-U

Figure 14 shows the application of reinforcement fillet;

Figure 15 shows the attachment of a third wall;

Figure 16 shows the addition of a fourth wall and a roof in order to complete the cabinet; and

Figure 17 shows an alternative connecting means for connecting adjacent walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1

A cabinet 101 is shown in Figure 1 for housing electrical equipment. In this example, the cabinet 101 is positioned close to a railway line 102 and includes electrical equipment relating to railway related systems. As such, the cabinet 101 is exposed to the environment and should therefore be constructed in a way that resists environmental degradation. Furthermore, the cabinet should also be resistant to vandalism, including the application of unauthorised spray-paint.

The cabinet 101 includes a plurality of walls and a roof. The walls and the roof consist of high-pressure compact laminates, of the type described with reference to Figure 2.

Figure 2

A high-pressure compact laminate 201 is shown in Figure 2, which includes a core 202 and an outer surface 203. The outer surface includes a polyurethane acrylate binder. In an embodiment, a similar inner surface 204 is provided, that is also formed form a polyurethane acrylate binder.

Material of the type illustrated in Figure 2 is available from commercial sources, such as Trespa International BV, of The Netherlands, under the commercial designation Trespa (registered trade mark) Meteon (registered trade mark). The material may be identified as a “panel”, on the basis that it is primarily constructed for application as exterior cladding. Typical examples have a thickness of eight millimetres and the material has an expected lifespan of fifty years.

Trespa Meteon is a low maintenance decorative construction panel

2873-P103-AU-U consisting of seventy percent (by weight) of paper or residual wood from the industrial processing of softwoods and thirty percent by weight of a phenolic binder, making up the core 202. The binder is a completely hardened, insoluble thermo-setting resin which, in this embodiment, is made of phenol/formalin.

In this formulation, the outer surface may be decorative and as such includes pigments in a solvent free polyurethane acrylate binder, which again is fully cured and hardened. This particular implementation does not use heavy metals, biocides, plasticises, inorganic fibres, halogens and any ozone depleting products or preservatives.

Thus, in an embodiment, the walls and roof are cut from panels of high pressure compact laminate and as such present cut edges. The cut edges are protected by the application of a primer. Before the primer is applied, a grinding operation is performed upon the cut edges, followed by a cleansing operation.

In an embodiment, the cabinet provides a housing for electrical equipment and comprises a base, a plurality of walls, each having a durable outer surface and side edges, connection means for connecting the plurality of walls at adjacent edges, without penetrating the durable outer surfaces, and a roof.

Figure 3

A base panel 301 for the cabinet is illustrated in Figure 3. A preferred method of construction involves cutting a base recess 302 into an upper surface 303 of the base panel 301. Edges 304 and the cut recess are protected by the application of a primer, before being glued. For applications such as that described with reference to Figure 1, when the cabinet will be exposed to environmental conditions, adhesives manufactured for use in structural glazing are considered acceptable, given their inherent resistance to degradation under ultraviolet light. Adhesives of this type are provided by Sika Services AG of Switzerland and identified by the commercial designation Sikasil (registered trade mark). Prior to the application of the adhesive, surfaces, such as the base recess 302, must be clean, dry and free from grease. Mechanical grinding is performed on the surfaces to be bonded using an eccentric grinder of grain

2873-P103-AU-U

2018101780 19 Nov 2018 value eighty.

Following the grinding operation, the surface is cleaned with a clean grease free and fluff free cloth or cleansing paper soaked in an appropriate cleaning solution, such as that made available be Sika Services AG under the 5 commercial designation Sika cleaning 205. Wiping should be performed in one direction only and cleaning cloths should be regularly replaced. Thereafter, a ventilation period of ten minutes is required before any further action is taken.

After cleaning the surfaces, a primer is applied, such as that produced by Sika Services AG and made available under the commercial designation 10 Sika Tack Panel Primer. This primer is applied uniformly over the machined surface with a brush or felt and requires a ventilation time of at least thirty minutes before the adhesive is applied.

Although not requiring adhesive as such, a similar priming operation is also applied to the edges 304 of the base panel 301.

Figure 4

A first wall 401 for the cabinet is shown in Figure 4, cut from the panel illustrated in Figure 2. The wall 401 has a durable outer surface 402 and, in this embodiment, a similar durable inner surface 403. Connection means are provided for connecting the walls at adjacent edges, such as edge 404. In an 20 embodiment, integrity is maintained by connecting the walls at adjacent edges without penetrating the outer durable surfaces.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, to achieve this, the edges, including a first edge 404, are bevelled. The walls are then connected at adjacent edges by abutting respective bevelled edges.

In this embodiment, a connection means includes a plurality of connection devices, as described with reference to Figure 6.

Figure 5

To allow for the deployment of the connection devices, an orifice 501 is cut into the bevelled edge 404. Similar orifices are cut into the other bevelled 30 edges and additional orifices may be cut into each bevelled edge. In the example shown in Figure 5, a single orifice 501 is shown for the purposes of

2873-P103-AU-U illustration. However, additional orifices may be included in each bevelled edge, with an appropriate spacing therebetween, for different sizes of cabinet.

In the embodiment described with reference to Figures 11 to 16, a total of three orifices have been cut in each bevelled edge, to accommodate three similar connection means between the bevelled edges.

Figure 6

In an embodiment, each connection device includes a first connector portion 601 that engages with a second connector portion 602. The first connector portion 601 is located within a first bevelled edge and the second connector portion 602 is located within a second cooperating bevelled edge.

In an embodiment, both bevelled edges, via their respective orifices, receive components substantially similar to the second portion 602. The first portion 601 includes a locating section 603 and an extension section 604. Thus, the first connector portion 601 is first located in a channel (similar to channel 605) by means of its locating section 603, whereafter engagement is achieved by receiving the extension section 604 within the second portion 602.

Figure 7

As illustrated in Figure 7, a second portion 602 is located within an orifice 501 using an appropriate application tool 701.

Figure 8

After using the application tool, as described with reference to Figure 7, the first portion 601 is located (within a second portion 602) by means of the locating section 603. The resulting combination effectively defines a first portion subassembly and each subassembly of this type is individually assembled, as illustrated in Figure 8.

Examples of connectors of this type are available from OWO Technology (registered trade mark) of County Louth, Republic of Ireland.

Installation instructions from OWO Technology suggests that the devices should be received within orifices 501, such that they lie flush with the surface of the edge 404. However, in this embodiment, the orifices 501 are milled to a lesser depth, such that, when the connector portions are received,

2873-P103-AU-U

2018101780 19 Nov 2018 they are slightly proud of the surface of the edge 404. Thus, as the edges are brought together, a gap is created between them for receiving an adhesive, of the type identified above.

Figure 9

As illustrated in Figure 9, walls are assembled, in this embodiment, by receiving extension sections 604 within respective channels 605. Before being connected as illustrated in Figure 9, adhesive is applied to each of the surfaces.

Figure 10

As illustrated in Figure 10, the first wall 401 has been connected to a second wall 1001. The positioning of the connection devices results in a gap 1002 being established between the first wall 401 and the second wall 1001. The gap 1002 provides space for the adhesive previously applied to the bevelled edges, including edge 404.

Thus, the extension section 604 is located within the channel 605. The extension section is then secured by the channel by a displacement of the second wall 1001 relative to the first wall 401.

Figure 11

The invention provides a method of constructing a cabinet for housing electrical equipment. As described with reference to Figure 3, a base recess 302 is cut into an upper surface 303 of a base 301. The first wall 401 is located within a portion of the base recess.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 11, bevelled edge 404 includes a first connection device 1101, a second connection device 1102 and a third 25 connection device 1103.

Figure 12

Following the method of this embodiment, the second wall 1001 is also located within a portion of the base recess 302. Thus, as previously described, the first wall and the second wall both include durable outer surfaces and side 30 edges.

Figure 13

2873-P103-AU-U

As illustrated in Figure 13, the first edge 404 of the first wall 401 has been connected to a second edge of the second wall 1001. Furthermore, this connection has been achieved without penetrating the durable outer surface of the first wall and without penetrating the durable outer surface of the second wall.

Figure 14

The internal surface 402 of the first wall 401 is shown in Figure 14. An internal surface 1401 of the second wall 1001 is also shown, with the two walls connected together at their edges. In this embodiment, the cabinet also includes a reinforcement fillet 1402 located at the internal corner defined by the connected edges of the walls. In an embodiment, the reinforcement fillet 1402 presents a substantially triangular cross-section and is attached to the internal corner using an adhesive of the type previously described.

In an embodiment, a generous quantity of adhesive is applied in order to ensure that a weathertight seal is established and any excess adhesive found on the external corner may be removed by the deployment of an appropriate tool.

Figure 15

After the attachment of the second wall 1001 to the first wall 401, as described with reference to Figure 12 and Figure 13 and the deployment of the fillet 1402, as described with reference to Figure 14, similar operations are performed to attach a third wall 1501.

Figure 16

To complete the cabinet, a fourth wall 1601 is attached to the third wall 1501 and the second wall 1001. To allow access, a hinged door 1602 is provided as part of the fourth wall.

A roof 1603 is applied and a lower surface of the roof 1603 may include a roof recess, substantially similar to the base recess 302, for receiving upper edges of the walls.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 16, the side edges at the top of each side wall, including the third wall 1501, are angled, such that the roof 1603

2873-P103-AU-U slopes when engaged with the walls.

Figure 16

To complete the cabinet, a fourth wall 1601 is attached to the third wall

1501 and the second wall 1001. To allow access, a hinged door 1602 is provided as part of the fourth wall.

A roof 1603 is applied and a lower surface ofthe roof 1603 may include a roof recess, substantially similar to the base recess 302, for receiving upper edges of the walls.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 16, the side edges at the top of each side wall, including the third wall 1501, are angled, such that the roof 1603 slopes when engaged with the walls.

Figure 17

An alternative connection means for connecting walls at adjacent edges is shown in Figure 17. In this alternative embodiment, an adapter piece 1701 has an outer portion 1702 and an inner portion 1703. The outer portion 1702 and the inner portion 1703 may be moulded from a thermoplastic material such as poly-vinyl-chloride (PVC). The outer portion 1702 defines an elongate rightangled channel section, having an element 1704 extending inwardly from the apex ofthe channel. The inner portion 1703 defines a second elongate rightangled channel section that is similar to the outer portion 1702. The inner portion 1703 has an element 1705 extending outwardly from the apex of the channel. The two portions are connected by means of sliding the opposing halves towards each other to engage element 1704 with element 1705.

Thus, in this alternative embodiment, the adapter piece 1701 has a twopart construction comprising opposing halves that define a ‘V’ shaped channel section when connected. As illustrated, in the alternative embodiment, adjacent walls are aligned against outer portion 1702 and abut against inwardly extending element 1704. The inner portion 1703 is then pushed against the inside corner of the adjacent wall and the inwardly extending element 1705 of outer portion 1703 engages with the outwardly extending element 1704 of

Claims (13)

1. The invention claimed is:

   1. A cabinet for housing electrical equipment, comprising:

   5 a base;

   a plurality of walls, each having a durable outer surface and side edges; connection means for connecting said plurality of walls at adjacent edges, without penetrating said durable outer surfaces; and a roof.
2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

   said base includes a durable lower outer surface and a durable upper inner surface; and said durable upper inner surface includes a base recess for receiving 15 lower edges of said walls.
3. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

   said edges are bevelled; and said walls are connected at said adjacent edges by abutting respective 20 bevelled edges.
4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

   said connection means includes a plurality of connection devices;

   each said connection device includes a first portion that engages with a 25 second portion;

   a said first portion is located within a first said bevelled edge; and a said second portion is located within a second said bevelled edge.
5. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

   30 said first portion is located within a first orifice cut into a first bevelled edge to define a channel;

   2873-P103-AU-U

   2018101780 19 Nov 2018 said second portion is located within a second orifice cut into a second bevelled edge to define an extension extending from said second bevelled edge; and said extension extending from said second bevelled edge is received 5 within said channel located within said first bevelled edge.
6. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said extension is secured by said channel, following a displacement of said second wall relative to said first wall.
7. 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

   two or more first portions are located within a first bevelled edge; and two or more respective second portions are located within a second bevelled edge.
8. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising reinforcement fillets, wherein a respective reinforcement fillet is located at each internal corner defined by connected edges of said walls.

   20
9. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each said reinforcement fillet has a substantially triangular cross section.
10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

    said base, said walls and said roof consist of a high-pressure compact 25 laminate;

    said high-pressure compact laminate include a core and an outer surface; and said outer surface includes a polyurethane acrylate binder, to provide said durable outer surface.
11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said core comprises wood2873-P103-AU-U

    2018101780 19 Nov 2018 based fibres impregnated with a thermo-setting resin.
12. 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of said roof includes a roof recess for receiving upper edges of the walls.
13. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein side edges are angled, such that said roof slopes when engaged upon the walls.