IL112980A

IL112980A - Electric box lock

Info

Publication number: IL112980A
Application number: IL112980A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Mul T Lock Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-13
Filing date: 1995-03-13
Publication date: 1998-04-05
Also published as: IL112980A0

Description

ELECTRIC BOX LOCK 7ηκπ na'n7 Tiyjn MUL-T-LOCK TECHNOLOGIES LTD. n"ya ni'Ai7UDLJ nn. n C:21488 21488mul.ele HB-9503 13/3/95 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to locking devices generally and more particularly to locking devices for electrical equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electrical mains switches are conventionally enclosed within a covered enclosure which is intended to be accessible only to authorized utility personnel and not to consumers. The conventional covered enclosures are not fitted with a lock, but rather with four screws at the corners thereof. In practice, consumers and other unauthorized persons open the enclosures and thus expose themselves to serious danger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide a lockable enclosure for electrical apparatus.

There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a lockable enclosure for electrical apparatus including an enclosure body, a first cover arranged to be removably attached to the enclosure body by a plurality of screws and an additional cover lockably attached to the first cover and being operative, when locked in place, to prevent access to the screws, thereby preventing removal of the first cover in an ordinary manner.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a retrofittable lockable assembly for preventing unauthorized access to existing enclosures for electrical apparatus. Preferably, the retrofittable lockable assembly comprises an additional cover having a key-operated lock fitted therein and being operative to engage an existing enclosure cover and prevent access to fasteners which join the existing enclosure cover to the enclosure.

Preferably, the key-operated lock comprises an eccentrically positionable locking element driven by a lock cylinder and the eccentrically positionable locking element engages a hole formed in the existing enclosure cover. The hole may easily be retroformed in a conventional unapertured existing enclosure cover.

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a lockable electrical equipment enclosure assembly constructed and operative in accordance; Fig. 2 is an exploded view illustration of the apparatus, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3A illustrates a lock used in the lockable assembly of Fig. 1 in an open position; Fig. 3B is an illustration of the lockable assembly of Figs. 1 and 2 with the lock in its open position as seen in Fig. 3A; Fig. 4A illustrates a lock used in the lockable assembly of Fig. 1 in a closed position; and Fig. 4B is an illustration of the lockable assembly of Figs. 1 and 2 with the lock in its closed position as seen in Fig. 4A. 112980/2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to Figs. 1 - 4B, which illustrate a lockable enclosure assembly for electrical apparatus constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The lockable enclosure assembly preferably comprises a conventional enclosure box 10 which is often used to house mains electrical switches at the premises., of the consumer. Enclosure box 10 is conventionally formed with threaded sockets 12 at its four corners, as illustrated.

Associated with conventional enclosure box 10 is a generally conventional enclosure box cover assembly 14, preferably formed of a high strength, transparent plastic and which includes screws 16 arranged in a non-removable arrangement at the four corners therefore for engagement with sockets 12. The engagement between the conventional enclosure box cover assembly 14 and the conventional box 10 is preferably a water and moisture impermeable sealing engagement. Cover assembly 14 has one important difference from conventional assemblies of this type, in that it is formed with an aperture 18 on its face 20. It is appreciated that aperture 18 may be readily formed in existing conventional cover assemblies 1, as by drilling.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided an additional cover assembly 22 which fully covers the face 20 of cover assembly 14 and screws 16. The additional cover assembly 22 includes a cover member 24 which includes a front face 26 including a generally rectangular portion and four "ears" 28 at the corners, as well as a peripheral wall portion 30 extending in a plane perpendicular to front face 26 all along the periphery of the face 26. It is appreciated when additional cover assembly 22 is located over cover member 24 and screws 16, all access to screws 16 is prevented and thus the1 cover assembly 14 cannot be removed from enclosure box 10.

A lock 32 is mounted on front face 26 of cover member 24 at a location corresponding to that of aperture 18. Preferably, a sealing gasket (not shown) is provided to provide a water-impermeable seal between the lock and the cover member 24. Lock 32 preferably comprises a lock cylinder 34 and an eccentrically positionable locking element 36 positioned by the cylinder 34. Depending on the "open" or "locked" status of lock 32, the locking element 36 may be in an "open" orientation, as seen in Fig. 3A in which locking element 36 lies generally coextensive with cylinder 34 or in a "locked" orientation, as seen in Fig. 4A, in which locking element 36 lies in a position other than coextensive with cylinder 34.

It may be appreciated from a consideration of Figs. 3B and 4B that when lock 32 is in an open orientation, as shown in Fig. 3A, the additional cover assembly 22 may be lifted off of cover assembly 14, thus permitting access to screws 16 and allowing cover assembly 14 to be removed from box 10. When lock 32 is in a locked orientation, as shown in Fig. 4A, the additional cover assembly 22 cannot be lifted off of cover assembly 14, thus preventing access to screws 16 and thus preventing cover assembly 14 from being removed from box 10.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the present invention is defined only by the claims which follow:

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A lockable enclosure for electrical apparatus including an enclosure body, a first cover arranged to be removably attached to the enclosure body by a plurality of screws and an additional cover lockably attached to the first cover and being operative, when locked in place, to prevent access to the screws, thereby preventing removal of the first cover in an ordinary manner .

2. A lockable enclosure according to claim 1 and wherein said additional cover also comprises a key-operated lock.

3. A retrofittable locking assembly for existing enclosures for preventing unauthorized access to enclosures for electrical apparatus, comprising an additional cover having a key-operated lock fitted therein and being operative to engage an existing enclosure cover and prevent access to fasteners which join the existing enclosure cover to the enclosure.

4. A lockable enclosure according to Claim 2 and wherein the key-operated lock comprises an eccentrically positionable locking element driven by a lock cylinder and the eccentrically positionable locking element engages a hole formed in the existing enclosure cover.

5. A retrofittable locking assembly according to Claim 3 and wherein the key-operated lock comprises an eccentrically positionable locking element driven by a lock cylinder and the eccentrically positionable locking element engages a hole formed 112980/2 in the existing enclosure cover.

6. A lockable enclosure according to any of claims 1/2,4 substantially as shown and described hereinabove.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1/2,4 substantially as shown in any of the drawings.

8. _A retrofittable locking assembly according to either of claims 3 and 5, substantially as shown and described hereinabove.

9. A retrofittable locking assembly according to either of claims 3 and 5, substantially as shown in any of the drawings. For the Applicant, Sanford T. Colb & Co. Advocates & Patent Attorneys C: 21488 HB-9503