GB2564443A

GB2564443A - Electrical cabinet adaptor

Info

Publication number: GB2564443A
Application number: GB1711089.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: O'connell Feargal; Mcgee Michael
Original assignee: NAL Ltd
Current assignee: NAL Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-10
Filing date: 2017-07-10
Publication date: 2019-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 2037-07-10
Also published as: GB201711089D0; GB2564443B

Abstract

An adaptor 10 for connecting an electrical cabinet (38, Fig 4) to a (typically underground) access chamber (42, Fig 4) comprises an adaptor body 12 having an electrical cabinet supporting element 14 at an upper end 16 and an access chamber mating portion 18 at a lower end 20. The adaptor body has a first frame member 22 defining a first opening 24 for receiving an access cover (66, Fig 4), and a second frame member 28 defining a second opening 30 which receives a gland tray (56, Fig 5) and the cabinet. The first opening is laterally offset from the second opening.

Description

Electrical Cabinet Adaptor

The present invention relates to an improved design of electrical cabinet adaptor, particularly, but not exclusively for use in an electrical cabinet installation. The invention also relates to an electrical cabinet installation, and a method of installing an electrical cabinet.

Electrical cabinets, also commonly known as electrical enclosures, are a common form of street furniture which may house a wide variety of electrical equipment at transport, commercial and industrial sites. Electrical cabinets are designed to prevent ingress of dust, dirt, debris and water, to prevent damage to the electrical equipment, and may also include security features to prevent unauthorised access.

Electrical cabinets are classified and rated, with respect to the degree of ingress protection offered, by International Electrotechnical Commission Standard 60529, more commonly known as the IP Code.

Typically, electrical cabinets have an access opening on the front of the controller cabinet, and are mounted on a ground-embedded framework stool, having open sides, top and bottom. This is problematic, as if the stool is fully recessed below ground level, the access door may be impeded. However, if the stool is only partially recessed, the open base of the controller cabinet may be inadequately protected with respect to ingress of foreign matter or water.

To overcome this issue, it is known to provide an electrical cabinet adaptor, which enables mounting an electrical cabinet directly to an underground access chamber or utility vault, with the adaptor being closed on all sides, preventing or limiting ingress of foreign matter. An access opening may be provided on the side of the electrical cabinet adaptor to allow access to electrical equipment stored therein.

There are problems with this design; in particular, providing an access opening on the side of the electrical cabinet adaptor results in the electrical cabinet adaptor being taller than otherwise required, increasing the height of the electrical cabinet. This is disadvantageous, as it requires additional material to construct, and a taller electrical cabinet is more likely to be considered obtrusive and/or obstructive to passage around the electrical cabinet. Additionally, an access opening on the side of the electrical cabinet adaptor may only allow limited access to the contents of the electrical cabinet.

The present invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical cabinet adaptor comprising an adaptor body, an electrical cabinet supporting element at an upper end of the adaptor body, an access chamber mating portion at a lower end of the adaptor body, the adaptor body having a first frame member, the first frame member defining a first opening which includes an access cover receiving element, and a second frame member, the second frame member defining a second opening which includes a gland tray receiving element, the first opening being laterally offset from the second opening.

Preferably the first and second frame members each comprise a plurality of elongate walls.

Beneficially, the first frame member and second frame member may share a dividing wall which divides the first opening from the second opening, the dividing wall being at least part of one of the elongate walls defining the first and second frame members. This is advantageous, as it may save material in construction of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

The access chamber mating portion preferably comprises a lip extending perpendicularly from the walls of the first and/or second frame members. Such a lip may beneficially sit flush on a top surface of an access chamber, preventing or limiting the ingress of dirt, debris, dust, water, or other foreign matter.

The lip may be integrally formed with the first and second frame members, for robust construction of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

The access chamber mating portion may advantageously comprise an access chamber engaging element adapted to be receivable within an access chamber. An access chamber engaging element adapted to be receivable within an access chamber may better retain the electrical cabinet adaptor within the access chamber, in particular preventing or limiting lateral movement of the electrical cabinet adaptor with respect to the access chamber.

In this case, the access chamber engaging element may be provided as a rectangular or substantially rectangular skirt of the adaptor body.

The skirt may have a plurality of chamfered corners, to facilitate introduction of the skirt into an opening of the access chamber.

Additionally or alternatively, the second frame member at least in part may project relative to an uppermost edge of the first frame member. This may ensure that the opening of the electrical cabinet is not obstructed by an access cover at the first opening, and that the access cover can be removed from the first opening while a door of the electrical cabinet, facing the first opening, is open.

An upper surface of the second frame member may comprise a plurality of apertures, to allow the electrical cabinet to be fastened thereto.

The access cover receiving element may be provided at least in part as a seat element which extends at least in part around an interior perimeter of the first opening, to support an access cover in use.

The seat element may additionally include a plurality of fastener-receiving apertures to allow fastening of an access cover thereto.

The first and second frame members may have mutually non-coplanar upper surfaces which define mutually parallel planes. Advantageously, this results in a perpendicular orientation of the walls of the electrical cabinet with respect to the access cover, and thus prevents the electrical cabinet from obstructing access to the access chamber through the first opening of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an electrical cabinet installation, comprising an access chamber, an electrical cabinet, and an electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the electrical cabinet being installed at the access chamber by means of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing an electrical cabinet installation in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps of a) mounting an electrical cabinet adaptor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention at the access chamber; b) feeding cabling and/or cable ducting from the access chamber through the second opening of the adaptor; and c) mounting the electrical cabinet on the second frame member of the adaptor, such that the cabling and/or cable ducting passes through the second opening into the electrical cabinet.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view from above of one embodiment of an electrical cabinet adaptor in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a top plan view of the electrical cabinet adaptor shown in Figure i;

Figure 3 shows a second perspective view from below of the electrical cabinet adaptor shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of an electrical cabinet installation in accordance with the second aspect of the invention; and

Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the access chamber, electrical cabinet adaptor and gland tray of the electrical cabinet installation shown in Figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown an electrical cabinet adaptor 10, having an adaptor body 12, there being an electrical cabinet supporting element 14 preferably at an upper end 16 of the adaptor body 12 and an access chamber mating portion 18 preferably at a lower end 20 of the adaptor body 12. The adaptor body 12 has a first frame member 22, which defines a first opening 24 including an access cover receiving element 26, and a second frame member 28, which defines a second opening 30, and a gland tray receiving element 32. The first opening 24 is laterally offset from the second opening 30.

The electrical cabinet adaptor 10 may preferably be formed as a single or multi-piece steel component. A corrosion-resistant carbon steel may be preferred. Alternatively, the electrical cabinet adaptor may be manufactured from cast iron or ductile iron. For installations at critical infrastructure, austenitic stainless steel may be considered for durability and a high degree of corrosion resistance.

The electrical cabinet supporting element 14 may be defined by an upper surface 34 of the second frame member 28 of the adaptor body 12. In this case, there may be a plurality of apertures, clasps or other fastener-receiving elements 36 on the upper surface 34 of the second frame member 28 to allow attachment of an electrical cabinet 38 to the adaptor body 12 directly, or indirectly. Alternatively, the electrical cabinet supporting element could be provided on a lateral surface of the second frame member, as a series of apertures, clasps or other fasteners.

The access chamber mating portion 18 may include an access chamber engaging element 40 adapted to be receivable at least in part within an access chamber 42. As best shown in Figure 3, such an access chamber engaging element 40 may be provided as a skirt 44 of substantially rectangular cross-section to the adaptor body 12, preferably with chamfered comers 46. The access chamber engaging element 40 may include a plurality of apertures 48 to allow it to be fastened to an inner surface of the access chamber 42 once inserted therein. Skirts with substantially square or circular cross-section, as well as other shapes, may also be considered by the person skilled in the art, so that the electrical cabinet adaptor may be installed at a variety of pre-existing access chambers. The access chamber engaging element 40 preferably lies beneath the first and second openings 24, 30, so that its perimeter is aligned with at least part of the outer limits of the first and second openings 24, 30.

The access chamber engaging element 40 may preferably be provided as an independent member, removably attachable to the adaptor body 12 by fastening means, such as a plurality of matched apertures on the two elements suitable to receive screw-threaded fasteners, bolts or rivets. Other fastening means may also be considered, such as an access chamber engagement element receiving portion on the lower surface of the adaptor body, adapted to receive an upper rim of the access chamber engaging element. The access chamber engaging element could also be welded to the adaptor body, or unitarily formed therewith as a one-piece component.

Each of the first and second frame members 22, 28 may comprise a plurality of elongate walls 50a, 50b, which define and/or delimit at least in part the first and second openings 24, 30. The first and second frame members 22, 28, as shown in Figure 1, may share a wall 52 which divides the first and second openings 24, 30. Alternatively, each of the first and second frame members may comprise a plurality of walls which independently delimit the first and second openings respectively.

The gland tray receiving element 32 may be provided as an upper seating surface 54, preferably formed as an inwardly extending rim around the second opening 30 at the uppermost extent of the second frame member 28, adapted to receive a gland tray 56. The upper seating surface 54 may preferably include a plurality of apertures 58, so that the gland tray 56 and/or the electrical cabinet 38 may be fastened thereon. The upper seating surface 54 is preferably provided as a rim which runs continuously around upper surface 34 of the second opening 30, but it could conceivably run discontinuously around the second opening. The upper seating surface 54 may be integrally formed with the walls 50b of the second frame member 28.

On outer surfaces 60 of the walls 50b of the second frame member 28, there may preferably be provided a plurality of vents 62, to allow the ingress of air to cool electrical equipment stored within the access chamber 42, while preventing the ingress of dust, dirt, debris or water. The vents 62 may most preferably be provided as hooded louvre vents integrally formed with the second frame member 28, but alternatively could be provided as grill vents with downwardly slanted grating. If the vents are provided as hooded louvre vents, it may be advantageous to provide mesh grills behind the vents to further limit or prevent ingress of foreign matter. To promote uniform venting, the vents 62 may preferably be spaced evenly around the full longitudinal extent of each wall 50b of the second frame member 28, on the exterior thereof. A single grill vent extending around the second frame member, or a vent to any other design, may alternatively be considered.

The access cover receiving element 26 may include a seat element 64 to support an access cover 66. The seat element 64 may preferably be provided as a rim which extends around an interior perimeter of the first opening 24 and thus the walls 50a of the first frame member 22. If the first frame member 22 and the second frame member 28 share a wall 52 between the first opening 24 and the second opening 30, the seat element 64 may also extend along the shared wall 52, within the first opening 24. Most preferably, the seat element 64 is located below an uppermost interior perimeter of the walls 50a of the first frame member 22, so that the access cover 66 may sit flush with the uppermost interior perimeter of the walls 50a once received by the first opening 24. The seat element 64 may include one or more apertures, or other fastening elements, to allow an access cover 66 supported by the seat element 64 to be fixed thereto, as can be seen in Figure 4.

The walls 50b of the second frame member 28 may preferably have a greater height than the walls 50a of the first frame member 22. This is advantageous, as it allows the vents 62 on the shared wall 52 between the first and second frame members 22, 28, or alternatively, on a second frame member wall proximal to the first frame member, to be located above the seat element 64, so that the vents 62 are not obstructed by an access cover 66 placed on the seat element 64. Furthermore, this design may prevent a door 70 of the electrical cabinet 38, typically provided on the same face of the electrical cabinet as the access opening in previously known designs, from being obstructed by the access cover 66. It will be appreciated, however, that the first and frame member could conceivably have the same height.

The top surfaces of the first and second frame members first and second openings 22, 28 may preferably be non-coplanar and define mutually parallel planes, at the upper end 16 of the adaptor body 12, so that an electrical cabinet 38 installed above the second opening 30 may be perpendicular to an access cover 66 installed in the first opening 24, preventing or limiting obstruction of access to the access chamber 42 via the first opening 24 of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 by the electrical cabinet 38.

The adaptor body 12 may also include a lip 72 extending perpendicularly from the base of the first and the second frame members 22, 28, most preferably extending away from exterior sides of the walls 50a, 50b thereof, so that the lip 72 does not lie within the first or second openings 24, 30. The lip 72 may be coplanar with the lowermost extent of the walls 50a, 50b of the first and second frame members 22, 28. Alternatively, the lip may be unitarily formed with the access chamber mating portion of the electrical cabinet adaptor, so that the lip at least in part is receivable within an access chamber.

The first and second frame members 22, 28 thus may preferably be coplanar at the lower end 20 of the adaptor body 12, as any protrusions of the adaptor body 12 perpendicular to the lip 72 may prevent the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 from lying flush on a top surface 74 of an access chamber 42.

In use, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 may be inserted into an access chamber 42, which may preferably be a modular access chamber, such that the access chamber 42 may be constructed to the required height or depth using interconnectable stackable chamber parts 76. At least one of the stackable chamber parts 76 may preferably comprise a plurality of conduits 78 for receiving cables and/or cable ducting (not shown), which may enter the access chamber via apertures otherwise coverable by knockouts 68. The lip 72 of the adaptor body 12 may sit flush with the top surface 74 of the access chamber 42, to prevent ingress of dust, dirt, debris or water into the access chamber 42.

The access chamber engaging element 40 may preferably be received within the access chamber 42, and most preferably may sit at least in part flushly with an inner perimeter of the access chamber opening. The access chamber engaging element 40 may be fastened to the access chamber 38 by means of a plurality of screw-threaded connectors, bolts, rivets or other fasteners, to fix the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 in place.

The access cover 66 may be received by the first opening 24, to control access to the access chamber 42. For additional security, the access cover 66 may be fastened to the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, preferably via the seat element 64 on the inner perimeter of the first opening 24.

As best shown in Figure 5, the gland tray 56 may be received by the second opening 30. The gland tray 56 may comprise a recessed portion 80 which preferably substantially matches the second opening 30 of the adaptor body 12. A planar or substantially planar perimeter rim 82 may extend outwardly from an upper edge of the recessed portion 80.

The perimeter rim 82 is preferably continuous and may be adapted to sit on the upper seating surface 54 of the second frame member 28. A first set of fastener-receiving apertures 84 may be provided on the perimeter rim 82 to facilitate the installation of the electrical cabinet 38 thereon. A further set of fastener-receiving apertures 86, alignable with the apertures 58 of the upper seating surface 54 of the second frame member, may also pass through the perimeter rim 82. A plurality of cabling apertures 88 may be included in the recessed portion 80 of the gland tray 56. A gland (not shown), preferably stepped, may be captively held in each cabling aperture 88.

The gland tray 56 may be provided with a stay 90 which spans the recessed portion 80. One or more stays 90 may be provided laterally or longitudinally across the recessed portion of the gland tray 56. In the embodiment illustrated, the stay 90 is provided as an open-topped apertured channel, enabling cabling or ducting to be tied off as required.

In use, the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 may be applied to a new access chamber 42 installation, or to an existing access chamber as a retro-fit if the original installation location is acceptable.

At a new installation, once the access chamber 42 has been provided at a suitable depth, the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 may be seated on the top surface 74 of the access chamber 42. The electrical cabinet adaptor 10 may be connected to the access chamber 42 via screw-threaded fasteners extending through the plurality of apertures 48 on the access chamber engaging element 40 and engaging in one or more walls of the access chamber 42.

Alternatively or additionally, the electrical cabinet adaptor may be sealed in place with concrete, or a sealant adhesive may be used to seal any gaps between the electrical cabinet adaptor and the access chamber, improving ingress protection. A suitable sealant may be a structural silane modified polymer, such as silane-modified polyurethane composition.

Glands mounted on the gland tray 56 may then be selected and their tops cut to provide the required diameter to fit the respective cable and/or cable duct which is to be fed therethrough. With the access cover 66 removed from the first opening 24 of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, the cable and/or cable duct may be introduced to the access chamber 42 via the conduit 78. Subsequently the cables may be drawn through the second opening 30 of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, and each cable inserted into its respective gland, thereby providing a water-resistant or substantially water-resistant seal between the electrical cabinet adaptor 10 and the electrical cabinet 38. Once the cable and/or cable duct has been passed through the gland, the cable and/or cable duct may be tied off at the stay 90 to be retained in place. The electrical cabinet 38 may then be fastened to the gland tray 56, via the perimeter rim 82 of the gland tray 56.

To prevent ingress of dust, dirt or moisture into the electrical cabinet 38, through the gland tray 56, the gland tray 56 may be sealed with a layer of sealant gel (not shown) in the recessed portion 80 thereof. The sealant layer is preferably sufficiently deep to cover each gland, preventing ingress of foreign matter through the opening in each gland in which the cable and/or cable duct may pass.

If introduction of a new cable or cable duct is required after the sealing of the gland tray 56, a small portion of the sealant layer may be removed by cutting, allowing access to a new gland. The sealant may be refinished subsequent to the installation of the new cable or cable duct. Preferably, the gland tray 56 is in this way waterproofed in compliance with British Standard IP68.

In the installation of a further cable and/or cable ducting for the electrical cabinet 38, the cable and/or cable ducting may first be fed into the access chamber 42, via the conduits 78 thereof. The access cover 66 may then be removed from the first opening of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, and the door of the electrical cabinet 38 may be opened.

From within the electrical cabinet 38, a new gland may be selected and prepared on the gland tray as hereinbefore described. The new cable and/or cable ducting may then be drawn from the access chamber 42, through the second opening 30 of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, and inserted through the new gland. From within the electrical cabinet 38, the new cable and/or cable ducting, now projecting from the gland tray 56 into the electrical cabinet 38, may be tied off at or to the stay 90 and connected to one or more electrical components within the electrical cabinet 38. If sealant has been removed from the gland tray 56 to allow the installation, the sealant may subsequently be refinished or otherwise repaired.

Beneficially, and in contrast to previous designs known, the door 70 of the electrical cabinet 48 may not obstruct access to the first opening 24 of the electrical cabinet adaptor 10, due to the lateral offset of the first opening 24 from the electrical cabinet 38, facilitating the installation procedure.

In the case of a retro-fit installation at a pre-existing access chamber, material surrounding the upper edge of the existing access chamber may be cleared to allow seating of the lip at the said upper edge, and the electrical cabinet adaptor may be secured in place by means of screw-threaded fasteners, or alternatively by concreting or re-sealing the upper edge of the existing access chamber with the electrical cabinet adaptor in place.

It is therefore possible to provide an electrical cabinet adaptor for the installation of an electrical cabinet at an access chamber, the electrical cabinet adaptor having a first opening to receive an access cover, and a second opening laterally offset from the first opening to receive a gland tray. Such an electrical cabinet adaptor advantageously allows access to cables and/or cable ducting located in the access chamber through the first opening by a maintenance worker, while simultaneously allowing access to the contents of the electrical cabinet, without the electrical cabinet door obstructing the first opening of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

The words ‘comprises/comprising’ and the words ‘having/including’ when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined herein.

Claims

1. An electrical cabinet adaptor comprising: an adaptor body, an electrical cabinet supporting element at an upper end of the adaptor body, an access chamber mating portion at a lower end of the adaptor body, the adaptor body having a first frame member, the first frame member defining a first opening which includes an access cover receiving element, and a second frame member, the second frame member defining a second opening which includes a gland tray receiving element, the first opening being laterally offset from the second opening.

2. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second frame members each comprise a plurality of elongate walls.

3. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first frame member and second frame member share a dividing wall which divides the first opening from the second opening, the dividing wall being at least part of one of the elongate walls defining the first and second frame members.

4. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the access chamber mating portion comprises a lip extending perpendicularly from the walls of the first and/or second frame members.

5. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lip is integrally formed with the first and second frame members.

6. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the access chamber mating portion comprises an access chamber engaging element adapted to be receivable within an access chamber.

7. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the access chamber engaging element is provided as a rectangular or substantially rectangular skirt of the adaptor body.

8. An electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in claim 7, wherein the skirt has a plurality of chamfered comers.

9. An electrical cabinet adaptor, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second frame member at least in part projects relative to an uppermost edge of the first frame member.

10. An electrical cabinet adaptor, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein an upper surface of the second frame member comprises a plurality of apertures.

11. An electrical cabinet adaptor, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the access cover receiving element is provided at least in part as a seat element which extends at least in part around an interior perimeter of the first opening, to support an access cover in use.

12. An electrical cabinet adaptor, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the seat element includes a plurality of fastener-receiving apertures to allow fastening of an access cover thereto.

13. An electrical cabinet adaptor, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the first and second frame members have mutually non-coplanar upper surfaces which define mutually parallel planes.

14. An electrical cabinet installation, comprising an access chamber, an electrical cabinet, and an electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the electrical cabinet being installed at the access chamber by means of the electrical cabinet adaptor.

15. A method of providing an electrical cabinet installation as claimed in claim 14, the method comprising the steps of a) mounting an electrical cabinet adaptor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 at the access chamber; b) feeding cabling and/or cable ducting from the access chamber through the second opening of the adaptor; and c) mounting the electrical cabinet on the second frame member of the adaptor, such that the cabling and/or cable ducting passes through the second opening into the electrical cabinet.