GB2543881A

GB2543881A - Equipment enclosure mount

Info

Publication number: GB2543881A
Application number: GB1611846.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Blease Mark
Original assignee: Ritherdon & Co Ltd
Current assignee: Ritherdon & Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-07-07
Filing date: 2016-07-07
Publication date: 2017-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-07
Also published as: GB2543881B; GB201611846D0

Abstract

An equipment enclosure mount 1 for mounting an equipment enclosure comprising: a base housing 3 for fixing in the ground, the base housing having an open upper end; and a cable guiding body 5 locatable at the open upper end of the base housing, the cable guiding body defining a plurality of holes (41a, 41b, figure 2) for cables to pass through from the base housing to the equipment enclosure, wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached 7 to the base housing. A second embodiment defines the holes as being hole forming portions, each of which is formed to be structurally weaker than the surrounding region of the cable guiding body so as to be removable to form a hole through which cables may pass. Preferably the cable guiding body includes locking means (39) to secure the cable guiding body in a closed position. The equipment enclosure may be a roadside cabinet for connecting underground cables to traffic lights or similar, where cramped working conditions can make installation difficult.

Description

Equipment enclosure mount

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to equipment enclosures. For example, the present invention relates to an improved mount for an (electrical) equipment enclosure which is supplied with cables from the ground via the mount.

Background of the invention

Equipment enclosures often require access points in order to connect the equipment within the enclosure, for example electronics, to further components external to the enclosure, for example cables in the ground.

One known type of equipment enclosure uses a two part structure. The known equipment enclosure includes a base section which is secured in the ground to provide a fixed attachment point for the equipment enclosure. The base section is designed to have a low profile extending above ground, in order to reduce material costs and so that the equipment enclosure is not raised too far off the floor. Underground cables to be connected to electronics in the equipment enclosure need to be fed through the base section in order to be connectable to the electronics in the equipment enclosure.

Furthermore, due to the nature of the design of the known equipment enclosure, the base section is installed in the ground first, with installation of the cabinet and connection of the cables afterwards. As such, the installation of the equipment enclosure on the base section, and the connection of cables in the equipment enclosure is performed in situ. This can be problematic for the installation engineer installing the equipment enclosure, as there may be limited space around the equipment enclosure installation location for the installation engineer to work in. Cramped working conditions can be make it difficult for the installation engineer to install the equipment enclosure in a safe and efficient manner.

One particular type of equipment enclosure is a roadside cabinet. Roadside cabinets are used to provide a housing for control electronics and to provide connecting points for underground cables, e.g. for traffic lights or similar. The control electronics and cables need to be accessible to an engineer on occasions.

One known type of traffic-signal controller-cabinet adaptor is disclosed in GB 2488338 A.

The cabinet adaptor comprises a hollow base housing having an open upper end for supporting a traffic-signal controller cabinet, and an open lower end adapted to mate with an access chamber opening, the base housing including a closable access opening in a side wall, and a sealing tray on or in the base housing for sealing a cable and/or duct passing through. Through the closable access opening provided in the side wall of the base housing, cables and/or ducts are drawn up from the access chamber and inserted through the sealing tray.

The present inventors have realised that by providing a closable access opening in the side wall of a base housing, access to the inside of the base housing is restricted by the dimensions of the closable access opening. In particular, as the base housing desirably has a low profile for the reasons above, and thus the base housing preferably does not protrude very far above the ground, consequently the dimensions of the closable access opening are limited by necessity. As a result of this, it can be difficult for an installation engineer to draw up a cable from the access chamber and insert it through the sealing tray of the traffic-signal controller-cabinet adaptor disclosed in GB 2488338 A. For example, an installation engineer may need to lie on the floor in order to reach the rear parts of the hollow base housing and the sealing tray through the closable access opening. This is undesirable, as often it may not be practical for the installation engineer to lie on the ground for reasons of space and/or safety.

Thus the present inventor(s) propose the present invention with the knowledge that there is a need for an improved equipment enclosure mount which aims to address at least the problems above.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention provides an equipment enclosure mount according to claim 1. The present invention thereby provides an equipment enclosure mount which provides improved accessibility during installation and mounting of the equipment enclosure.

The present inventors have realised that by pivotably attaching the cable guiding body to the base housing, access to both sides of the holes of the cable guiding body can be provided. As both sides of the holes of the cable guiding body are accessible, it is easier to feed cables through the equipment enclosure mount for connection to an equipment enclosure.

Accordingly, cables can be easily arranged and fed through the cable guiding body prior to the installation of (i.e. mounting of) the equipment enclosure on the equipment enclosure mount at a later time - at which time the cables can be connected to relevant points in the equipment enclosure.

In particular, the equipment enclosure mount of the present invention does not require an installation engineer to lie on the floor in order to access the base housing, as access to the base housing is instead provided through the open upper end of the housing, with both sides of the holes of the cable guiding body being accessible at the same time. Thus the improved accessibility of the presently claimed equipment enclosure mount means that the mount is safer and easier to install for an installation engineer. By providing an easily accessible equipment enclosure mount, the cables fed through the mount can also be easily modified in the future if necessary.

Preferably, the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing by a hinge. By attaching the cable guiding body by a hinge, the cable guiding body can be easily repositioned so that both sides of the cable guiding body can be accessed when passing cables through the cable guiding body.

Preferably, the cable guiding body is pivotable about a horizontal axis of the open upper end of the base housing when in use. Accordingly, the cable guiding body can be separated from the open upper end of the base housing, such that the base housing is accessible.

The cable guiding body may be pivotable from a closed position where the cable guiding body closes the open upper end of the base housing, to an open position to provide access to the interior of the base housing. In the closed position, the cable guiding body can rest on the base housing, such that the cable guiding body is held in place relative to the base housing. In the open position, the interior of the base housing is accessible, as are both sides of the holes of the cable guiding body, thus improving accessibility for an installation engineer to feed cable from the base housing through the cable guiding body when installing the equipment enclosure mount and/or equipment enclosure.

Preferably the equipment enclosure mount includes locking means for engagement with complimentary locking means provided by the base housing to secure the cable guiding body in the closed position. By providing locking means (and complimentary locking means), only a person with suitable unlocking means, can unlock the locking means in order to pivot the cable guiding body to the open position. As such, the locking means prevents unauthorised access to the cables and the like that run through the equipment enclosure mount.

Preferably, the cable guiding body includes a floor portion which defines the plurality of holes of the cable guiding body. The holes defined by the floor portion of the cable guiding body provides means for an installation engineer to easily manage the cables to be fed to an equipment enclosure.

Preferably, the cable guiding body includes at least one side wall extending from the floor portion to define a cavity. The side wall(s) define a cavity of the cable guiding body to provide protection for the cables fed through the holes of the cable guiding body, e.g. from weather.

Preferably, the cavity of the cable guiding body has a depth sufficient to include at least one cable supporting bracket mounted on at least one side wall in the cavity for supporting cables. As such, the cables passed through the holes of the cable guiding body can be further secured and guided though the cable guiding body by way of the cable supporting bracket(s) being fixed to the side walls of the cable guiding body. Accordingly, the equipment enclosure mount integrates cable management features into the equipment enclosure mount in a way that is simple to manufacture and easy to install.

Preferably, when in use the equipment enclosure to be mounted on the equipment enclosure mount is separated from the base housing by at least the depth of the cavity of the cable guiding body. In this way, space can be provided between the base housing and the equipment enclosure to be mounted by the cable guiding body. Accordingly, the cables to be attached to the equipment enclosure can be easily arranged in the cable guiding body, prior to the mounting of the equipment enclosure.

Preferably, the cable guiding body includes an upper rim for mounting the equipment enclosure upon. In this way, the equipment enclosure can be easily located on and secured to the equipment enclosure mount.

The holes of the cable guiding body may be adapted to receive cable glands. By adapting the holes to receive cable glands, cables can be more easily secured in place by an installation engineer when installing an equipment enclosure mount and/or an equipment enclosure.

Preferably, the equipment enclosure includes at least one support member attachable between the cable guiding body and the base housing for supporting the cable guiding body in the open position. By including a support member to hold the cable guiding body in the open position, an installation engineer can easily access the base housing and efficiently install cables in through the base housing, as they are not required to hold the cable guiding body in the open position.

The equipment enclosure mount may include at least one additional attachment point, so that the cable guiding body may be pivotably attached to the housing in a different orientation. As such, the axis about which the cable guiding body can pivot can be changed. This provides a greater degree of flexibility for the installation engineer when installing the equipment enclosure mount and/or the equipment enclosure in the case where space is restricted around the desired installation point.

Preferably the base housing includes a ground level indicating mark for indicating the preferred depth the base housing should be buried in the ground when in use. A second aspect of the invention provides an equipment enclosure including an equipment enclosure mount. By providing an equipment enclosure with an equipment enclosure mount, the equipment enclosure can be easily installed and/or replaced on the equipment enclosure mount. A third aspect of the invention provides an equipment enclosure mount for mounting an equipment enclosure comprising a base housing for fixing in the ground, the base housing having an open upper end and a cable guiding body locatable at the open upper end of the base housing. The cable guiding body includes a plurality of hole forming portions, each of which is formed to be structurally weaker than the surrounding region of the cable guiding body so as to be removable from the cable guiding body to form a hole through which cables may pass from the base housing to the equipment enclosure, wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing. By pivotably attaching the cable guiding body to the base housing, access to both sides of the hole forming portions of the cable guiding body can be provided. As both sides of the hole forming portions of the cable guiding body are accessible, it is easier to feed cables through the equipment enclosure mount for connection to an equipment enclosure

Preferably each hole forming portion includes one or more perforations through the cable guiding body to structurally weaken the hole forming portion with respect to the surrounding region of the cable guiding body. By including perforations in the hole forming portions, the hole forming portions can be easily removed from the cable guiding body to form holes.

Preferably each hole forming portion includes a thin region relative to the thickness of the cable guiding body in the surrounding region to structurally weaken the hole forming portion with respect to the surrounding region of the cable guiding body. By including a thin region in each hole forming portion, the hole forming portions can be easily removed from the cable guiding body to form holes

The third aspect of the invention preferably includes any of the optional features of the first and second aspects of the invention, and vice versa.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of an equipment enclosure mount in an open position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows an isometric view of an equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a section through a front side of an equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a front side view of an equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a top side view of an equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows a side view of an equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 shows a section through the equipment enclosure from a side view, the equipment enclosure mount in a closed position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 shows a section through the equipment enclosure from a side view, the equipment enclosure mount in an open position, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description and Further Optional Features of the Invention

Fig. 1 shows an isometric view of an equipment enclosure mount 1 in an open position according to a first embodiment of the invention. The equipment enclosure mount 1 comprises a base housing 3, a cable guiding body 5 and hinges 7.

According to the first embodiment, the base housing 3 comprises an upper base housing section 11, a lower base housing section 13, a flange section 15, a ground level indicator 17 and reinforcing members 19.

The upper base housing section 11 is rectangular shaped box formed from four sidewalls. The upper end of the upper base housing section is open, so that the internal space of the upper base housing section is accessible. The open upper end of the upper base housing section is defined by a rim section 21, formed around the perimeter of the open upper end of the upper base housing section 11.

The upper base housing section 11 is attached to the lower base housing section 13 at the lower end of upper base housing section 11 by the flange section 15. The flange section 15 is formed around the perimeter of the upper base housing section 11. The flange section 15 is formed at the interface between the upper base housing section 11 and the lower base housing section 13. The flange section provides a means for securing the base housing 3 in the ground when installing the equipment enclosure mount 1 in the ground. For example, the flange section 15 can be fixed to an access chamber or the like in the ground.

The lower base housing section 13 is substantially rectangular shaped, formed from 4 side walls with open upper and lower faces. As such, the lower base housing section is accessible from the open upper end of the upper base housing section 11. The side walls of the lower base housing section 13 define a substantially rectangular shape with a larger width and length than the rectangular shape of the upper base housing section 11. The corners of the lower base housing section 13 are chamfered.

The ground level indicator 17 is marked on one of the side walls of the upper base housing section 11. Alternatively, the ground level indicator 17 may be marked on a plurality of the side walls of the upper base housing section 11. The ground level indicator is marked at a position on the side walls that indicates that the base housing 3 is buried at an optimum depth when the ground level indicator 17 is level with the ground level.

The reinforcing members 19 are provided between the rim section 21 and a side wall of the upper base housing section 11 where the hinges 7 attach the cable guiding body 5 to the base housing 3. A reinforcing member 19 is disposed either side of each hinge 7, such that each hinge 7 is supported by a pair of reinforcing members 19. The reinforcing members 19 provide additional strength and stiffness around the points of the base housing 3 which support the majority of the load of the cable guiding body 5 when the equipment enclosure mount 1 is in the open position.

Fig. 2 shows an isometric view of the equipment enclosure mount 1 in a closed position, including the cable guiding body 5 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The cable guiding body 5 includes a cable guiding plate 31, side walls 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, mounting rim 35, handle 37 and locking mechanism 39.

The cable guiding plate 31 forms the base of the cable guiding body 5. The cable guiding plate is rectangular shaped to correspond with the rectangular shape of the upper base housing section 11 of the base housing 3. The cable guiding plate 31 is formed as a flat plate. The cable guiding plate 31 defines a plurality of holes 41a, 41b for guiding cables from the base housing through the cable guiding plate 31 into the cable guiding body 5. The plurality of holes can be of different diameters for guiding different diameter cables, or a plurality of different diameter cables. The holes 41a, 41b of the cable guiding body can also be shaped to include tabs for engaging with cable glands when installing cables through the holes 41a, 41b. Preferably, the cable guiding plate 31 is formed integrally as part of the cable guiding body 5.

The cable guiding plate 31 is attached to the side walls 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d of the cable guiding body 5 as shown in Fig. 2 to form a box shape (tray shape) with an open upper surface.

The mounting rim 35 is formed on the upper surface of the cable guiding body 5, around the perimeter of the cable guiding body 5d defined by the side wall 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d. The mounting rim 35 provides a mounting point for mounting an equipment enclosure on the equipment enclosure mount 1. The mounting rim includes a plurality of attachment points 43 for attaching the equipment enclosure to the equipment enclosure mount 1.

The cable guiding body 5 includes one or more locking mechanisms 39. According to the first embodiment, two locking mechanisms 39 are provided for securing the equipment enclosure mount 1 in the closed position. According to the first embodiment, the locking mechanisms 39 are key operated locks, built in to the side wall 33a of the cable guiding body 5. The key operated locks (locking mechanisms) engage with locking holes 45 in the rim section 21 of the base housing 3. Key operated locks are well known in the art, and so the nature of the locking mechanism 39 are not further described. The skilled person is also aware that alternatives to the key operated locking mechanisms, such as attachment points for a padlock, combination locks or other known locking system would be equally suitable for locking the cable guiding body 5 and the base housing 3 together in the closed position.

The cable guiding body includes a handle 37. The handle 37 is mounted on a front side wall 33a of the cable guiding body. The handle 37 provides a means for a person to easily move the cable guiding body from the closed position to the open position.

The cable guiding body also includes a number of cable supporting brackets 53 for securing cables in the cable guiding body in a fixed position. Further additional cable supporting brackets (not shown) can be attached to the cable supporting brackets 53 to provide additional suitable attachment points for cable management in the cable guiding body.

Reinforcement brackets 51 are provided in the cable guiding body 5 between the side wall 33a and the cable guiding plate 31. The reinforcement brackets are provided at the attachment points for the hinges 7 in order to provide extra strength and stiffness for the cable guiding body 3.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view from the front side of the equipment enclosure mount through the equipment enclosure mount. The view shows that the base housing 3 and the cable guiding body 5 are hollow bodies (shells). As such, the hollow interior provides sufficient space in both the cable guiding body 5 and the base housing 3 for feeding cables through the equipment enclosure mount to be connected to or in an equipment enclosure.

The equipment enclosure mount 1 is formed from sheet metal. The various components of the equipment enclosure mount may be formed by cutting sheet metal and welding together the components. Alternatively, the various components of the equipment enclosure mount may be formed by bending sheet metal and welding appropriate joints. The holes 41a, 41b of the cable guiding body and the attachment points 43 of the cable guiding body may be formed by drilling, laser cutting or other suitable cutting method known in the art.

Fig. 4 shows a front side view of the equipment enclosure mount in a closed position according to a first embodiment of the invention. In the closed position, the cable guiding body 5 rests on the top of the base housing 3. The two locking mechanisms can be operated to lock the cable guiding body 5 in the closed position by locking the cable guiding body to the base housing 3.

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the equipment enclosure mount 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 shows that the holes 41a, 41b defined by the cable guiding body 5 are accessible from a top side of the cable guiding body 5.

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the equipment enclosure mount 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. In the first embodiment the hinge 7 is disposed on the outside of the rear side wall 33c of the cable guiding body and the corresponding side wall of the upper base housing section 11, so as to attach the cable guiding body 5 to the base housing 3.

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of the equipment enclosure mount 1 from the side according to the first embodiment of the invention. The sectional view shows that a pair of cable supporting brackets 53 are attached to opposite side walls 33a, 33c of the cable guiding body 5.

Fig. 8 shows a sectional view of the equipment enclosure mount 1 from the side in an open position according to a first embodiment of the invention. The cable guiding body 5 can be moved into the open position by way of handle 37. In the open position, the lower side of the cable guiding body (the lower side of cable guiding plate 31) defining holes 41a, 41b are accessible, as is the open end of the base housing, and also the top side of the cable guiding body 5. In this way, cables can be easily installed through the cable guiding body 5 when installing the equipment enclosure mount 1 in the ground.

The equipment enclosure mount 1 can be installed by burying the equipment enclosure mount in the ground, up to a depth where the ground level indicator is level with the ground. As such, the lower base housing section 13, the flange section 15 and part of the upper base housing section 11 are below ground level when correctly installed. The equipment enclosure mount 1 can be buried in the ground as a whole piece, or alternatively, only the base housing 3 can be buried in the ground, and then the cable guiding body 5 attached to the base housing 3 at a later time with hinges 7. By providing a range of different options for the installation of the equipment enclosure mount 1, the actual method of installation can be tailored to the space available at the actual location for the equipment enclosure mount to be installed in.

Once the equipment enclosure mount 1 is installed in the ground, cables can be fed from the base housing 3 into the cable guiding body through the holes 41a, 41b defined by the cable guiding plate 31. In order to make the cable feeding operation quicker and easier for the installation engineer to perform, the cable guiding body can be repositioned repeatedly from the open position to the closed position and vice versa. In this way, both sides of the holes of the cable guiding body are easily accessible for the installation engineer, as is the base housing 3 where the cables from the ground will be initially located. The cable guiding body also provides cable supporting brackets 53 for attaching cable to, so that further support for the cables in the cable guiding body 5 is also provided. In the case where cable glands are installed in the holes 41a, 41b of the cable guiding body, it is particularly advantageous to be able to access both sides of the holes 41a, 41b in order to make installing the cable glands easier and less time consuming for the installation engineer, due to the improved accessibility.

Once the cables have been fed through the cable guiding body holes 41a, 41b and secured appropriately in the cable guiding body to the cable supporting brackets 53, an equipment enclosure can be mounted on the equipment enclosure mount. Prior to mounting, the cables from the equipment enclosure mount are connected to the equipment enclosure. The equipment enclosure then rests on top of the equipment enclosure mount, the equipment enclosure supported by the mounting rim 35 of the equipment enclosure mount 1. The equipment enclosure is designed to be attached to the attachment points 43 by suitable fasteners e.g. nuts and bolts, screws, etc.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the equipment enclosure mount 1 may be provided with an additional attachment point or a plurality of attachment points for the hinges 7 between the base housing 3 and the cable guiding body 5. In this way, the hinges 7 may be attached between the base housing 3 and the cable guiding body 5 in a plurality of different configurations. In this way, the direction in which the cable guiding body 5 can be opened relative to the base housing 3 can be configured according to the space available in the location where the equipment enclosure mount 1 is to be installed. In particular, if the space around one or more sides of the location for the equipment enclosure mount is restricted, the location of the hinges can be chosen so that the cable guiding body 5 opens in a different, more suitable direction that allows for the easiest access for the installation engineer. A handle 37, or a plurality of handles 37 may also be mounted in suitable locations on the side walls of the cable guiding body 5 in order to easily open the cable guiding body in a suitable direction.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an equipment enclosure mount for mounting an equipment enclosure is provided. The equipment enclosure mount comprises a base housing for fixing in the ground, the base housing having an open upper end and a cable guiding body locatable at the open upper end of the base housing, the cable guiding body including one or more hole forming portions, each of which is structurally weaker than the surrounding region of the cable guiding body so as to be removable from the cable guiding body to form a hole through which cables may pass through from the base housing to the equipment enclosure wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing. Preferably, the features of the base housing are substantially the same as the features of the base housing according to the first embodiment.

The one or more hole forming portions of the cable guiding body are preferably positioned in similar locations to the holes 41a, 41b of the first embodiment. Preferably, the hole forming portions are shaped to form holes of similar dimensions to the holes 41a, 41b of the first embodiment.

The hole forming portions may include perforations formed through the cable guiding body, to structurally weaken the cable guiding body in the hole forming portion. As such, the hole forming portion may be provided in the cable guiding body to include a perforated region (e.g. formed in the cable guiding body). Perforations in the cable guiding body may be formed by laser cutting, drilling or punching or similar methods. The perforated region may be provided in the hole forming portion such that one or more small metal tabs remain in the hole forming region, which can be broken to open the hole.

The hole forming portions may be provided in the cable guiding body to include, or to be, relatively thin portions (regions) compared to the thickness of the cable guiding body in the surrounding region. The hole forming portions may be formed by punching or pressing (regions of) the cable guiding body, and the relatively thin portions (regions) may be formed during the punching or pressing process.

The hole forming portions may be selectively removable from the cable guiding body. For example, during installation, an installation engineer may choose to only remove sufficient hole forming portions corresponding to the number of cables to be fed through the cable guiding body, while the remaining hole forming portions are not removed. By selectively forming holes corresponding to the number of cables to be installed, the cable guiding body can provide a more effective seal between the base housing and the equipment enclosure to be mounted on the cable guiding body of the equipment enclosure mount. The seal can be further improved by preferably shaping the hole forming portions to form holes adapted to receive cable glands.

In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the equipment enclosure includes at least one support member arrangeable to maintain the cable guiding body in the open position. The at least one support member is provided (e.g. between the base housing 3 and the cable guiding body 5) for supporting the cable guiding body when it is in the open position. The support member can be provided as a stay, a gas strut or other similar means suitable for maintaining (keeping) the cable guiding body 5 in the open position e.g. during the installation of the equipment enclosure mount. For example, at least one gas strut may be attached between the cable guiding body and the base housing, or a stay may be attached to the base housing 3 (or the cable guiding body 5) and positioned to support the cable guiding body 5 in the open position.

The embodiments of the present invention relate to equipment enclosure mounts for equipment enclosures. Preferably, an equipment enclosure (and respective mount) is an external enclosures or an outdoor enclosure which are suitable for protecting equipment, such as electronics, and cables from external conditions, e.g. weather, vandalism, and the like. As such, an equipment enclosure is preferably an outdoor cabinet for containing equipment, such as electronics. The outdoor cabinet (equipment enclosure) according to the present invention is able to receive cables from the ground which have been fed through an outdoor cabinet mount (equipment enclosure mount) during installation according to the present invention. In order to provide an outdoor enclosure/outdoor cabinet/external enclosure and respective outdoor enclosure mount/outdoor cabinet mount/external enclosure mount that provides the necessary protection from external conditions, the outdoor enclosure/outdoor cabinet/external enclosure (and respective mounts) are preferably formed from a durable material, e.g. waterproof/weatherproof material, for example a metal (such as steel, stainless steel, aluminium) or a plastics material and the like.

In a similar manner, an equipment enclosure and equipment enclosure mount according to the present invention may be installed at the roadside. For such a roadside installation, the equipment enclosure is a roadside cabinet (roadside enclosure/roadside equipment enclosure) which is mounted on a roadside cabinet mount according to the present invention. A roadside cabinet may be a traffic signal cabinet for example. The roadside cabinet encloses (contains) equipment, for example electronics. The roadside cabinet is able to receive cables from the ground which have been fed though a roadside cabinet mount (roadside enclosure mount/roadside equipment enclosure mount). The roadside cabinet and roadside cabinet mount may incorporate passively-safe design principles into design of the roadside cabinet mount and the roadside cabinet. As such, the maximum height that the roadside cabinet mount preferably protrudes above ground is limited by passively-safe design principles. A roadside cabinet mount according to the present invention allows for safe and easy access for installation of cable through the cable guiding body of the roadside cabinet mount.

Claims

1. An equipment enclosure mount for mounting an equipment enclosure comprising: a base housing for fixing in the ground, the base housing having an open upper end; and a cable guiding body locatable at the open upper end of the base housing, the cable guiding body defining a plurality of holes for cables to pass through from the base housing to the equipment enclosure, wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing.

2. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 1 wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing by a hinge.

3. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cable guiding body is pivotable about a horizontal axis of the open upper end of the base housing when in use.

4. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of claim 1 to claim 3 wherein: the cable guiding body is pivotable from a closed position where the cable guiding body closes the open upper end of the base housing, to an open position to provide access to the interior of the base housing.

5. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 4 wherein the cable guiding body includes locking means for engagement with complimentary locking means provided by the base housing to secure the cable guiding body in the closed position.

6. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cable guiding body includes a floor portion which defines the plurality of holes of the cable guiding body.

7. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 6 wherein the cable guiding body includes at least one side wall extending from the floor portion to define a cavity.

8. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 7 wherein the cavity of the cable guiding body has a depth sufficient to include at least one cable supporting bracket mounted on at least one side wall in the cavity for supporting cables.

9. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein when in use the equipment enclosure to be mounted on the equipment enclosure mount is separated from the base housing by at least the depth of the cavity of the cable guiding body.

10. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cable guiding body includes an upper rim for mounting the equipment enclosure upon.

11. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the plurality of holes of the cable guiding body are adapted to receive cable glands.

12. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base housing includes a ground level indicating mark, for indicating the preferred depth the base housing should be buried in the ground when in use.

13. An equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the equipment enclosure includes at least one support member arrangeable to maintain the cable guiding body in the open position.

14. An equipment enclosure mount for mounting an equipment enclosure comprising: a base housing for fixing in the ground, the base housing having an open upper end; and a cable guiding body beatable at the open upper end of the base housing, the cable guiding body including a plurality of hole forming portions, each of which is formed to be structurally weaker than the surrounding region of the cable guiding body so as to be removable from the cable guiding body to form a hole through which cables may pass from the base housing to the equipment enclosure, wherein the cable guiding body is pivotably attached to the base housing.

15. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 14 wherein each hole forming portion includes one or more perforations through the cable guiding body to structurally weaken the hole forming portion with respect to the surrounding region of the cable guiding body.

16. An equipment enclosure mount according to claim 14 wherein each hole forming portion includes a thin region relative to the thickness of the cable guiding body in the surrounding region to structurally weaken the hole forming portion with respect to the surrounding region of the cable guiding body.

17. An equipment enclosure assembly including an equipment enclosure mounted on an equipment enclosure mount according to any one of the preceding claims.

18. A roadside cabinet mount including the equipment enclosure mount according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A roadside cabinet assembly including a roadside cabinet mounted on a roadside cabinet mount according to claim 18.