AU2018101781A4 - Cabinet for Housing Electrical Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

2873-P102-AU-U A cabinet is constructed for electrical equipment. Walls and a roof are cut from a high-pressure compact laminate and assembled to define the 5 cabinet. The high-pressure compact laminate includes a core (202) and an outer surface (203). The outer surface includes a polyurethane acrylate binder. ff5E

Description

Cabinet for Housing Electrical Equipment

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

It is known to provide cabinets for electrical equipment and sometimes 10 it is necessary to house the electrical equipment outside. Situations of this type arise, for example, when the equipment is required in relation to the operation of a railway. Furthermore, when deployed in this environment, the equipment may be handling voltages at conventional mains levels or higher, therefore it is necessary to restrict access and to maintain the integrity of the cabinet over 15 a significant period of time.

Many conventional cabinets are constructed from metal. For these, regular maintenance is required, otherwise the metal can degrade significantly due to weathering. Cabinets of this type are also susceptible to graffiti, damage and theft. Thus, in addition to an initial cost of installation, there is also a 20 significant ongoing cost involved with the maintenance and upkeep of cabinets of this type.

Alternative materials have been considered, including wood and plastic. However, all existing proposals also encounter similar issues of degradation and susceptibility to vandalism.

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 plurality of walls; and a roof, wherein said walls and said roof consist of high-pressure compact laminates; said high-pressure compact laminates include a core and an outer surface; and said outer surface includes a polyurethane acrylate binder.

The presence of the polyurethane acrylate binder maintains the integrity

2873-P102-AU-U

2018101781 19Nov2018 of the outer surface of the resulting cabinet. Materials of this type are commercially available, primarily for the purpose of providing outer cladding on buildings. As such, it is highly weather resistant, with the rigid inner core providing substantial mechanical rigidity. The outer surface is also resistant to the application of graffiti and can be cleaned relatively easily.

In an embodiment, the core comprises wood-based fibres impregnated with a thermo-setting resin and the wood-based fibres may include a proportion of recycled wood-based material.

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

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2018101781 19Nov2018 edge of a second wall;

Figure 14 shows the application of reinforcement fillet;

Figure 15 shows the attachment of a third wall; and

Figure 16 shows the addition of a fourth wall and a roof in order to 5 complete the cabinet.

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 10 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 20 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 25 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 consisting of seventy percent (by weight) of paper or residual wood from the

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2018101781 19Nov2018 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 15 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 value eighty.

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2018101781 19Nov2018

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 commercial designation Sika cleaning 205. Wiping should be performed in one 5 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 Sika Tack Panel Primer. This primer is applied uniformly over the machined 10 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 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 25 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 edges and additional orifices may be cut into each bevelled edge. In the 30 example shown in Figure 5, a single orifice 501 is shown for the purposes of illustration. However, additional orifices may be included in each bevelled

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2018101781 19 Nov 2018 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 30 milled to a lesser depth, such that, when the connector portions are received, they are slightly proud of the surface of the edge 404. Thus, as the edges are

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2018101781 19Nov2018 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 5 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 15 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 20 302 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 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 edges.

Figure 13

As illustrated in Figure 13, the first edge 404 of the first wall 401 has

2873-P102-AU-U

2018101781 19Nov2018 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 15 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 20 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 25 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 slopes when engaged with the walls.

Claims (10)

1. The invention claimed is:

   1. A cabinet for housing electrical equipment, comprising:

   5 a plurality of walls; and a roof, wherein said walls and said roof consist of high-pressure compact laminates;

   said high-pressure compact laminates include a core and an outer surface; and

   10 said outer surface includes a polyurethane acrylate binder.
2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said high-pressure compact laminates also include a polyurethane acrylate inner surface.

   15
3. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

   said walls and said roof have been cut from panels of high-pressure compact laminates to present cut edges; and said cut edges are protected by an application of a primer.

   20
4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a grinding operation has been performed upon said cut edges before the application of said primer.
5. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a cleansing operation has been performed upon said cut edges after said grinding operation and before

   25 the application of said primer.
6. 6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said panels are construction panels.

   30
7. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said core comprises woodbased fibres impregnated with a thermo-setting resin.

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   2018101781 19Nov2018
8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said wood-based fibres include a proportion of re-cycled wood-based fibres.

   5
9. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said thermosetting resin is a phenolic resin.
10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said polyurethane acrylate binder includes a pigment to present a decorative surface.