GB2238183A

GB2238183A - Weather resistant enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2238183A
Application number: GB8923030A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Victor J Spencer
Original assignee: CONTACTUM Ltd
Current assignee: CONTACTUM Ltd
Priority date: 1989-10-12
Filing date: 1989-10-12
Publication date: 1991-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2009-10-12
Also published as: GB2238183B; GB8923030D0

Abstract

A weather resistant enclosure for electrical sockets or valves, keys or tools comprises a body (1) which includes an enlarged front portion (2) provided with a cavity (3) to receive and mount the intended contents of the enclosure. A cover (6) is mounted to slidably fit over the enlarged front portion (2) of the body, and form a weather resistant seal therewith. <IMAGE>

Description

A WEAThER RESISTANT ENCLOSURE WITH SLIDABLE FRONT COVER This invention relates to a weather resistant enclosure mainly for domestic use, to mount on an outside wall or at another exterior location where protection is required against the weather for any item, for instance electrical sockets, telephone sockets, control valves, keys or tools.

There is an increasing need for a simple weather resistant enclosure particularly for standard electrical accessories so that they can be mounted on the outside of a building to provide power for items such as domestic lawnmowers, barbecues, floodlights, do-it-yourself power tools, etc. Fully waterproof enclosures are known but these are extremely expensive to manufacture because they have to meet exacting British Standards as regards their level of waterproofing, particularly if the contents of the enclosure are electrical appliances or related electrical connections. Normally, such devices have a non-removable membrane sealing attached to the front of the enclosure thereby providing full weather protection at all times.

The applicants have realised that it is not always necessary for the enclosure to be waterproof at all times and that instead, a removable cover can be provided. With such a device, the contents of the enclosure are weather protected when the cover is in place but no such protection is provided when the cover is open. Such a design is much simpler and therefore relatively cheap to produce.

Hinged covers have been used in the past but these are not particularly reliable in maintaining the initial degree of waterproofing as an obvious weak point is the pivot arrangement of the hinge, which is extremely difficult to seal properly.

According to the invention, there is provided a weather resistant enclosure for an appliance such as an electrical socket, comprising a hollow body to receive and mount said appliance, the hollow body having an open front over which a cover is slidably arranged, the front including an upwardly extending top portion with a rearwardly facing step over which a U-shaped top part of the cover fits to provide a weather resistant seal with the body.

Preferably each side edge of the cover is U-shaped in cross section, each U-shaped side edge fitting over an enlarged front side portion of the body and being slidable therealong. Conveniently the enlarged side edge portions are tapered along their length, the top part of each side edge portion being narrower than the bottom.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the cover of the preferred embodiment has at its rear face an inwardly directed flange which fits over an enlarged portion of the body. Preferably the flange is inclined with respect to the front face of the cover so that when it is pushed down on to the enlarged body portion, whose side edges are also preferably tapered, the cover makes a tight fit with the body portion thereby preventing water getting into the enclosure.

In an alternative embodiment, a groove is provided along each side of the body which receives the inwardly directed flange of the cover so that it can slide along this groove. Preferably, the grooves are inclined with respect to the front face of the cover so that when the cover is pressed down onto the body with its inwardly directed flanges sliding in the grooves on each side of the body, the cover will make a wedge fit with the body. The cover can have locking means thereon to make a snap fit with the body when the cover is in its fully lowered position. These means can take any form, for instance a projection may be provided on the body which cooperates with a recess on the cover, or vice versa.

Alternatively, the front face of the body can be bowed slightly.

The preferred wedge engagement of the cover with the body should provide a good seal therebetween. However, to ensure that no water creeps into the enclosure, barrier grooves can be provided at the appropriate locations, for instance on the rear of the step at the top and/or along the bottom of the enclosure at the front.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an enclosure of the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross section through the enclosure of Figure 1 but with some parts omitted for ease of illustration and, Figure 3 is a partial section viewed in plan of the cover fitted to the enclosure.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figure 1, there is shown a water resistant enclosure comprising a body 1 with an enlarged front portion 2 over which a cover 6 is slidably mounted for vertical movement in the direction of arrow A. The enlarged front portion 2 is provided with a cavity 3 which can receive and mount a double electrical socket 4 which is held in position by means of retaining screws 5. It is to be understood that the double socket shown is by way of example only and that single, treble sockets or any other type of appliance can be mounted in the body 1 provided that it is suitably dimensioned to receive and mount that particular appliance.

The cover which can be transparent, translucent or non-transparent, has a front face 6A, two side faces 6B and a top face 6C. An inwardly directed projection extends around the rear of the cover to provide side flanges 7, 9 and a top flange 8. As can be seen clearly from Figure 1, the side flanges 7 and 9 engage with the rear face of the side walls 14, 15 of the enlarged front portion 2. This provides a very convenient arrangement whereby the cover 6 can be slid up and down in a controlled manner over the enlarged front portion 2.

As can be seen more clearly from Figure 2, each side wall 14, 15 of the enlarged front portion 2 is tapered whereby rear face 16 is not parallel to front face 6A of the cover. In Figure 2, the taper is exaggerated for ease of illustration but this taper is an important feature of the preferred embodiment of the invention because it ensures that when the cover is pushed down onto the enlarged front portion 2, the wedging action between the cover and the enlarged front portion ensures a good weather resistant seal.

When the cover 6 is pushed fully down, the bottom edge of the top flange 8 of the cover 6 engages with the top surface 10 of the body 1. In addition, a tongue 17 can engage with a notch 18 provided in the front face 6A of the cover to retain the cover in its lower position (see Figure 2). The provision of step 11 at the top of the enlarged front portion 2 is an essential feature of the present invention because the cover fits over this step 11 to make a good water resistant seal therewith.

This seal can be further improved by the provision of one or more barrier grooves 19, 20 if required.

Whilst the embodiment illustrated in the drawings is the preferred arrangement, it will be appreciated that the assembly could be modified so that inwardly directed side flanges 7 and 9 of the cover 6 could move in a groove formed in the side wall of the body 1 extending rearwardly from the enlarged front portion 2.

In such an arrangement, the grooves would preferably be inclined with respect to the front face 6A of the cover to provide the preferred wedging action as the cover is pushed down onto the body, thereby forming a good water resistant seal therewith.

The illustrated design uses a vertically slidable cover to divert rainwater away from the parts to be protected. No other sealing member or sealing agent is required other than that provided by the shape and juxtaposition of the enclosure 1, 2 and the cover 6.

Protection from upward splashing is provided by the close fit of the cover with the side walls 14, 15 of the enlarged front portion 2.

Bottom cable entry is protected by sleeved elastic grommets (not shown). Side skirts may be provided along the side of the enclosure and the bottom of the side walls 14, 15 to protect the cable entry point from splash in addition to its main function of mechanical protection.

Claims

1. A weather resistant enclosure for an appliance such as an electrical socket, comprising a hollow body to receive and mount said appliance, the hollow body having an open front over which a cover is slidably arranged, the front including an upwardly extending top portion with a rearwardly facing step over which a U-shaped top part of the cover fits to provide a weather resistant seal with the body.

2. An enclosure as claimed in claim 1 wherein each side edge of the cover is U-shaped in cross section, each U-shaped side edge fitting over an enlarged front side portion of the body and being slidable therealong.

3. An enclosure as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enlarged side portions are tapered along their length, the top part of each side edge portion being narrower than the bottom.

4. An enclosure as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the cover has at its rear face an inwardly directed flange which fits over an enlarged portion of the body.

5. An enclosure as claimed in claim 4 wherein the flange is inclined with respect to the front face of the cover so that the cover makes a tight fit with the body portion when it is pushed down on to the enlarged body portion.

6. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a groove is provided along each side of the body to slidably receive the inwardly directed flange of the cover.

7. An enclosure as claimed in claim 6 wherein the grooves are inclined with respect to the front face of the cover so that when the cover is pressed down onto the body with its inwardly directed flanges sliding in the grooves on each side of the body, the cover will make a wedge fit with the body.

8. An enclosure as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cover has locking means thereon to make a snap fit with the body when the cover is in its fully lowered position.

9. An enclosure as claimed in claim 8 wherein the locking means comprises a projection provided on the body which cooperates with a recess on the cover.

10. An enclosure as claimed in claim 8 wherein the front face of the body is bowed to provide the locking means.

11. A weather resistant enclosure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.