GB2254735A

GB2254735A - Switchgear cabinet with air-conditioning apparatus.

Info

Publication number: GB2254735A
Application number: GB9206146A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Manfred Immel; Ralf Schneider
Original assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1991-03-28
Filing date: 1992-03-19
Publication date: 1992-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-19
Also published as: GB9206146D0; FR2675317B1; GB2254735B; DE4110323C1; FR2675317A1

Description

2 25 4735 SWITCHGEAR CABINET WITH AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS The invention

relates to a switchgear cabinet with an air-conditioning apparatus, wherein the top wall of the cabinet body and the underside of the airconditioning apparatus are provided with openings and are interconnected. A first sealing member being disposed between the top wall of the cabinet body and an intermediate unit, and a second sealing element being disposed between the intermediate unit and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus. The sealing members are provided with openings, which expose the openings in the top wall of the cabinet body and in the base of the air-conditioning apparatus.

A switchgear cabinet with an air-conditioning apparatus of such type is known from DE 37 10 566 C2. In such case, the intermediate unit is a quick-change plate, on which the air-conditioning apparatus is mounted in a rapidly detachable manner.

1 An air-conditioning apparatus for a switchgear cabinet is also known, wherein a collecting trough for the condensed water produced in the airconditioning apparatus is accommodated in the housing of the airconditioning apparatus, as shown in DE 37 35 551 Cl. The condensed water is discharged from the airconditioning apparatus through a water outlet by means of a current of air. Since the water outlet is still situated above the top wall of the cabinet body, it is not absolutely certain that no water will enter the cabinet body.

An object of the invention is to provide a switchgear cabinet with an airconditioning apparatus of the initially mentioned type, wherein the condensed water of the air-conditioning apparatus is positively prevented from entering the switchgear cabinet.

cabinet body of the This object is achieved according to the invention, in that the intermediate unit is a frame-like collecting trough of U-shaped cross- section, which extends around the air-conditioning apparatus and is provided with a base and two lateral walls, in that the air-conditioning apparatus is provided with an outlet for the condensed water above the collecting trough, in that the inner lateral wall extends into a horizontal mounting flange, which is connected to the base of the airconditioning apparatus via the second sealing member and is connected to the top wall of the cabinet body via spacer members, in that the base of the collecting trough is supported on the top wall of the cabinet body by the first sealing member, and in that the outer lateral wall of the collecting trough is provided with an outlet.

The condensed water, which is produced in the air-conditioning apparatus, may be discharged from the air-conditioning apparatus in an unhindered manner via the water outlet, means for collecting the condensed water and discharging such via the water outlet being accommodated in the airconditioning apparatus in known manner. The condensed water emerging from the airconditioning apparatus is collected by the collecting trough of the intermediate unit, which has a considerable volumetric capacity. In consequence, it is only necessary to inspect the collecting trough at relatively long intervals of time. If, however, the outlet of the collecting trough is an outlet pipe, the water collected in the collecting trough may be removed from the switchgear cabinet by a hose. The hose is simply slipped onto the outlet pipe.

W If, however, the outlet of the collecting trough is an outlet tap, the water may be released f rom. the collecting trough, as necessary, and be received by a container.

The required connecting conduits between the interior of the cabinet body and the interior of the air-conditioning apparatus are provided with specific sealing of the transitional areas, in that the top wall of the cabinet body and the horizontal mounting f lange of the intermediate unit have identical openings, which are in alignment with one another, and said component parts are provided with mounting bores, which are aligned with one another, around the openings, in that the second plate-like sealing member and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus are provided with mounting bores, which are in alignment with the mounting bores in the top wall of the cabinet body and in the mounting flange of the intermediate unit, and in that the second sealing member and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus have two openings, which are adapted to one another, are aligned with one another and are disposed internally of the openings in the top wall of the cabinet body and in the mounting flange of the intermediate unit.

According to one embodiment, the connection between the cabinet body, the intermediate unit and the air-conditioning apparatus is such that the spacer members are adapted to the height of the collecting trough, they are supported on the top wall of the cabinet body around a mounting bore by an end f ace which is provided with a threaded bore, and they are connected to the top wall of the cabinet body by means of connecting screws, which are screwed into the threaded receiving means through these mounting bores; the other end faces of the spacer members are supported on the underside of the mounting flange of the intermediate unit and extend by threaded bolts through the mounting bores' in the mounting flange of the intermediate unit, in the second sealing member and in the base of the air-conditioning apparatus; and nuts are screwed onto the ends of the threaded bolts which protrude from the base of the air-conditioning apparatus.

According to an additional embodiment, the sealing between the cabinet body and the intermediate unit is improved, in that the base of the collecting trough is supported on the top wall of the cabinet body by a first sealing member, which is formed from two separate sealing frames, and in that these sealing frames are disposed in the base regions which communicate with the lateral walls.

The invention is explained more fully with reference to one embodiment, which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the mounting of an air-conditioning apparatus on the top wall of a cabinet body of a switchgear cabinet according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the airconditioning apparatus connected to the top wall, the mounting locations being shown in crosssectional form.

Fig. 1 illustrates a switchgear cabinet with a cabinet body 10, the open front end of which is closed by means of a cabinet door 11. The upper end of the 1 cabinet body 10 is closed by means of a top wall 12, in which a rectangular opening 13 is provided. Mounting bores 14 are provided in the top wall 12 around the opening 13.

An intermediate unit 20 is mounted on the top wall 12 and is a frame-like collecting trough 27 of Ushaped cross-section, as shown by the lateral walls 21 and 22 and by a base 23 and as is clearly apparent from Fig. 2. The collecting trough 27 is such that it encloses an air-conditioning apparatus 40 on all sides, the inner lateral wall 22 being substantially flush with the external configuration of the air-conditioning apparatus 40. The inner lateral wall 22 of the collecting trough 27 extends into a horizontal mounting flange 24, which encloses an opening 26. This opening 26 in the intermediate unit 20 is adapted to the opening 13 in the top wall 12 of the cabinet body 10 and is aligned therewith. A water outlet 28 is provided on the outer lateral wall 21 of the collecting trough 27 and may be an outlet pipe or an outlet tap.

The mounting flange 24 of the intermediate unit 20 has mounting bores 25, which may be covered by the mounting bores 14 in the top wall 12. The same applies to mounting bores 31 in a plate-like sealing member 30, which effects the sealing between the mounting flange 24 and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus 40. This sealing member 30 has two openings 32 and 33, which are adapted to corresponding openings (not shown) in the base of the air-conditioning apparatus 40 and are alignable therewith. In addition, the base of the airconditioning apparatus 40 has mounting bores 42, which correspond to the pattern of the mounting bores 14 in the top wall 12 of the cabinet body 10, the mounting bores 25 in the mounting flange 24 of the intermediate unit 20 and the mounting bores 31 in the sealing member 30.

The connection is effected by spacer members 17, which stand on the top wall 12 with an end face which is provided with a threaded bore. Connecting screws 15 are screwed into these threaded bores with washers 16 positioned inbetween and are inserted through the mounting bores 14 in the top wall 12. The upper end faces of the spacer members 17 extend into connecting bolts 18, upon which the intermediate unit 20 may be placed. In such case, the spacer members 17 support the underside of the mounting flange 24, and the threaded bolts 18 extend through the mounting bores 25. The base 23 of the collecting trough 27 is covered by two separate sealing frames, which form the first sealing member 19 between the top wall 12 of the cabinet body 10 and the intermediate unit 20. one sealing frame is disposed in the region communicating with the inner lateral wall 22, and the other sealing frame is disposed in the region of the base 23 of the collecting trough 27 which communicates with the outer lateral wall 21, so that double sealing is achieved.

The sealing member 30, with its mounting bores 31, is slipped onto the ends of the threaded bolts 18 which protrude from the mounting flange 24. The remaining ends of the threaded bolts 18 are inserted through the mounting bores 42 in the base of the airconditioning apparatus 40 and accommodate nuts 29, which complete the connecting and mounting locations.

The air-conditioning apparatus 40 is provided with a water-outlet 41, which is disposed above the collecting trough 27, so that the condensed water emerging from the air-conditioning apparatus passes directly into the collecting trough 27, which has a substantially greater volumetric capacity than the collecting trough accommodated in the air-conditioning apparatus 40. Such an arrangement provides a substantially greater safeguard against water being able to enter the cabinet body 10.

The collecting trough 27 may be continuously emptied via a water outlet 28, in the form of an outlet pipe, or, as the case may be, via a water outlet 28 which is in the form of an outlet tap. In such case, the water may also be conducted away from the switchgear cabinet by means of a hose. In addition, the collecting trough 27 has the advantage that, in oilcontaining ambient air, the drops of oil produced on the ventilation grids 43 of the air-conditioning apparatus 40 can drip into the collecting trough 27.

The intermediate unit 20 may also still be a quick-change frame. The intermediate unit 20 is then screwed tightly to the spacer members 17, and snap closures secure the air-conditioning apparatus 40 on the intermediate unit 20. The sealing member 30 may be connected to the air- conditioning apparatus 40 or the intermediate unit 20.

Claims

1. A switchgear cabinet with an air-conditioning apparatus, wherein the top wall of the cabinet body and the underside of the air-conditioning apparatus are provided with openings and are interconnected, a f irst sealing member being disposed between the top wall of the cabinet body and an intermediate unit, and a second sealing element being disposed between the intermediate unit and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus, the sealing members being provided with openings which expose the openings in the top wall of the cabinet body and in the base of the air-conditioning apparatus, characterised in that the intermediate unit (20) is a frame-like collecting trough (27) of U-shaped crosssection, which extends around the air-conditioning apparatus (40) and is provided with a base (23) and two lateral walls (21, 22), in that the air- conditioning apparatus (40) is provided with an outlet (41) for the condensed water above the collecting trough (27), in that the inner lateral wall (22) extends into a horizontal mounting flange (24), which is connected to the base of the air-conditioning apparatus (40) via the second sealing member (30) and is connected to the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) via spacer members (17), in that the base (23) of the collecting trough (27) is supported on the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) by the first sealing member (19), and in that the outer lateral wall (21) of the collecting trough (27) is provided with an outlet (28).

2. A switchgear cabinet as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) and the horizontal mounting flange (24) of the intermediate unit (20) have identical openings (13, 26), which are in alignment with one another, and said component parts are provided with mounting bores (14, _Z 25), which are aligned with one another, around the openings (13, 26), in that the second plate-like sealing member (30) and the base of the air- conditioning apparatus (40) are provided with mounting bores (31, 42), which are in alignment with the mounting bores (14, 25) in the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) and in the mounting flange (24) of the intermediate unit (20), and in that the second sealing member (30) and the base of the air-conditioning apparatus (40) have two openings (32, 33), which are adapted to one another, are aligned with one another and are disposed internally of the openings (13, 26) in the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) and in the mounting flange (24) of the intermediate unit (20).

3. A switchgear cabinet as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the spacer members (17) are adapted to the height of the collecting trough (27), they are supported on the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) around a mounting bore (14) by an end f ace which is provided with a threaded bore, and they are connected to the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) by means of connecting screws (15), which are screwed into the threaded receiving means through these mounting bores (14); the other end faces of the spacer members (17) are supported on the underside of the mounting flange (24) of the intermediate unit (20) and extend by threaded bolts (18) through the mounting bores (25, 31, 42) in the mounting flange (24) of the intermediate unit (20), in the second sealing member (30) and in the base of the air-conditioning apparatus (40); and nuts (29) are screwed onto the ends of the threaded bolts (18) which protrude from the base of the air-conditioning apparatus (40).

4. A switchgear cabinet as claimed in any of Claims - 10 1 to 3, characterised in that the base (23) of the collecting trough (27) is supported on the top wall (12) of the cabinet body (10) by a first sealing member (19), which is formed from two separate sealing frames, and in that these sealing frames are disposed in the base regions which communicate with the lateral walls (21, 22).

5. A switchgear cabinet as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the outlet (28) of the collecting trough (27) is an outlet pipe.

6. A switchgear cabinet as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the outlet (28) of the collecting trough (27) is an outlet tap.

7. A switchgear cabinet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.