ELECTRICAL ENCLOSURE OPERATING MECHANISM HOUSING AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA

• US 20160135313A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 05/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: FREEMAN, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,554,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 41/00 Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked indicator lights E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/02 Operating parts, i.e. for operating driving mechanism by a mechanical force external to the switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/521 Details concerning the lever handle
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/02 Bases, casings, or covers accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/168 making use of an electromagnetic wave communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/22 for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/281 making use of a padlock H01H9/287 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1039 Swinging and camming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1076 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1077 Cam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20 Control lever and linkage systems

Abstract

An operating mechanism is provided for an electrical enclosure. The operating mechanism includes a switch operator, and a housing to house the switch operator. The switch operator includes a portion which extends through one of one or more holes in the electrical enclosure, and can be manipulated by an external handle to operate an electrical switching device, such as a circuit breaker, that is housed in the electrical enclosure. The housing includes a cavity to house and protect an external antenna or other electrical device, which is connectable to an electrical cable that extends from the cavity into an interior of the electrical enclosure via the hole(s). The electrical cable can be connected to a monitoring system inside of the electrical enclosure. The housing is mountable onto an exterior surface of a wall of the electrical enclosure to cover the hole(s).

Claims

1. An operating mechanism for an electrical enclosure comprising:

an electrical device comprising an antenna;

a switch operator to operate an electrical switching device housed in the electrical enclosure via a hole from one or more holes in the electrical enclosure; and

a housing to house the switch operator, the housing further housing the electrical device connectable to an electrical cable extendable from inside of the housing into an interior of the electrical enclosure via one of the one or more holes, the housing mountable onto an exterior surface of a wall of the electrical enclosure to cover the one or more holes.

2. The operating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first cover and a second cover, the first cover being connectable over the second cover and including a cavity for housing the antenna, the second cover housing the switch operator, the second cover and the switch operator forming a base that is mountable onto the exterior surface of the wall over the one or more holes.

3. The operating mechanism of claim 2, wherein the base further includes a cable opening through which to extend the electrical cable from the cavity of the first cover through the one or more holes of the electrical enclosure.

4. The operating mechanism of claim 3, further comprising a sealing element arranged in the cable opening, the sealing element comprising a cable gasket or a cable gland.

5. The operating mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first cover includes a second cavity to receive and house the second cover.

6. The operating mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first cover includes one or more snap-fit joints to snap onto the second cover.

7. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising an external handle connected to operate the switch operator.

8. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

an interlock to prevent opening of a door of the electrical enclosure when the electrical switching device is in an ON position.

9. The operating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the switch operator comprises:

a movable cam; and

a coupling link connected to the cam and extending through one of the one or more holes of the electrical enclosure to operate an electrical switching device.

10. The operating mechanism of claim 9, further comprising an external handle connected to operate the switch operator, wherein the housing includes a cam opening through which to connect the external handle to the cam.

11. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a mounting fastener to fasten the housing onto the exterior surface of the wall of the electrical enclosure over the one or more holes.

12. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the electrical enclosure having the one or more holes, wherein the exterior surface of the wall of the electrical enclosure is part of a flange portion of the electrical enclosure that is adjacent to a door of the electrical enclosure.

13. The operating mechanism of claim 12, further comprising the electrical cable to extend from inside the housing into the interior of the electrical enclosure via one of the one or more holes.

14. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a status indicator mounted in the housing and electrically connected to the electrical device via a second electrical cable which is housed in the housing.