Portable power distribution cabinet and power distribution network with removable intermediate electrical connector

• US 5,070,429 A
• Filed: 03/20/1990
• Issued: 12/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Union Connector Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Union Connector Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Skirpan, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phillips, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US07/496,412
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 361/356, 361/357, 361/358, 361/360, 361/361, 361/362, 361/363, 361/429, 174/59, 220/668, 220/693, 312/265.1, 312/265.2, 312/265.6
• US Class Current: 361/644
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/305 Cable entries
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/52 Mobile units, e.g. for work sites

Abstract

A modular, light-weight, portable electric power distribution cabinet having high structural integrity and being readily adaptable for cost effective use in a wide variety of applications. The cabinet can be arranged to be a main power feed, trunk or branch feed type cabinet and a plurality of cabinets of said type can be selectively coupled to one another to provide a power distribution network of any desired configuration.

Claims

1. A portable electric power distribution cabinet, which comprises:

a cabinet body having an interior and defining at least two enclosure panel receiving openings, each one of said panel receiving openings including panel receiving surfaces formed at the perimeter thereof;

an enclosure panel removably received within each one of said panel receiving openings and removably secured to one respective panel receiving surface;

an electrical connector mounted on each said enclosure panel; and

an intermediate electrical connector mounted within the interior of said cabinet body for removable intercoupling of said electrical connector mounted on one enclosure panel and said electrical connector mounted on the other enclosure panel;

said intermediate electrical connector including a circuit breaker.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said electrical connector mounted on one enclosure panel is of a first type and said electrical connector mounted on the other enclosure panel is of a second type.

3. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each said enclosure panel is recessed from exterior surfaces of said cabinet body.

5. The cabinet of either one of claim 1 or 4 wherein said intermediate electrical connector comprises:

i) a first bus bar feed arrangement; and

ii) a circuit breaker chassis mounting said circuit breaker, and having an electric power feed coupled to said first bus bar feed arrangement;

said first bus bar feed arrangement intercoupling first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors to said electric power feed of said circuit breaker chassis to provide a power input to said cabinet.

6. The cabinet of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of circuit breakers removably mounted to said circuit breaker chassis;

each of said circuit breakers including a first connector and a second connector;

said first connector of each one of said circuit breakers being removably coupled to said electric power feed of said circuit breaker chassis;

said second connector of each one of said circuit breakers being removably coupled to a respective one of second predetermined ones of said electrical connectors, whereby each of said second predetermined ones of said electrical connectors provide a branch feed output.

7. The cabinet of claim 5, further comprising:

a second bus feed arrangement coupled to said electric power feed of said circuit breaker chassis;

said second bus feed arrangement intercoupling second predetermined ones of said electrical connectors to said electric power feed of said circuit breaker chassis to provide a power output from said cabinet.

8. The cabinet of claim 7 wherein said first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors are mounted on one enclosure panel removably mounted on one side of said cabinet and said second predetermined ones of said electrical connectors are mounted on another enclosure panel removably mounted on another side of said cabinet.

9. The cabinet of claim 8 wherein said another side is opposite to said one side of said cabinet.

10. The cabinet of claim 6 wherein:

said electric feed of said circuit breaker chassis includes three phase feed buses, one corresponding to each phase of a three phase system;

said first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors including five electrical connectors; and

said cabinet further comprising;

an electrically insulated neutral bus mounted within the interior of said cabinet, spaced from said power feed buses of said circuit breaker chassis; and

a ground connector mounted within the interior of said cabinet spaced and electrically insulated from said power feed buses of said circuit breaker chassis and said neutral bus;

said first feed bus arrangement including first, second and third connector buses, one coupling a respective one of three of said first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors to a respective one of said phase feed buses;

said first feed bus arrangement including a neutral connector bus coupling a fourth of said first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors to said neutral bus; and

said first feed bus arrangement including a ground connector bus coupling a fifth of said first predetermined ones of said electrical connectors to said ground connector;

said first connectors of said plurality of circuit breakers being alternately coupled, in a sequence, to said phase feed buses.

11. The cabinet of claim 10 further comprising a neutral connector strip mounted on and electrically conductive with said neutral bus and including a plurality of individual neutral bus connectors.

12. The cabinet of claim 11 further comprising a ground connector strip mounted on and electrically conductive with said ground connector and including a plurality of individual ground connectors.

13. The cabinet of claim 12 wherein each of said second predetermined ones of said electrical connectors is coupled to each of a respective one of said second connectors of said plurality of circuit breakers, a respective one of said individual neutral bus connectors and a respective one of said individual ground connectors.

4. A portable electric power distribution cabinet, which comprises:

a cabinet frame including;

i) a pair of opposed end frames; and

ii) four cabinet corner rails, each interlocked with and extending between opposed corners of said end frames;

said end frames and said cabinet corner rails together defining a plurality of enclosure panel receiving openings;

a plurality of enclosure panels, each one of said enclosure panels being removably mounted to a respective one of said plurality of panel receiving openings;

predetermined ones of said plurality of enclosure panels each mounting an electrical connector; and

an intermediate electrical connector mounted within the interior of said cabinet for removable intercoupling of predetermined ones of said electrical connectors mounted on said predetermined ones of said plurality of enclosure panels;

said intermediate electrical connector including a circuit breaker.

14. A portable electric power distribution cabinet, which comprises:

a pair of opposed end frames; and

four cabinet corner rails, each interlocked with and extending between opposed corners of said end frames;

each corner rail comprising;

i) a pair of cabinet corner forming surfaces integrally connected to one another and disposed at right angles to one another;

ii) a pair of enclosure panel receiving surfaces, each extending parallel to and spaced inwardly from a respective corner forming surface; and

iii) a pair of intermediate members, each integral with and extending between a respective enclosure panel receiving surface and its respective cabinet corner forming surface and being disposed at a right angle to each of said respective panel receiving surface and said respective cabinet corner forming surface;

iv) said cabinet corner forming surfaces and said intermediate members defining a volume having a rectangular solid configuration being truncated on each of two sides thereof by said panel receiving surfaces;

each one of said end frames including an interlock member formed at each corner thereof mating with an end of a respective corner rail, each interlock member being disposed on the side of said respective one of said end frames disposed opposite to the other of said end frames;

each interlock member comprising;

a generally truncated rectangular solid raised from said respective end frame and arranged for reception within said volume.

15. The cabinet of claim 14 wherein said interlock member includes a pair of grooves, one arranged on each side of said generally truncated rectangular solid, for reception of said enclosure panel receiving surfaces of a respective one of said corner rails when said generally truncated rectangular solid is received within said volume.

16. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each end frame is formed to include an enclosure panel end receiving surface extending between interlock members of two opposite corners of said end frame and an abutment surface extending at right angles between each groove and one adjacent enclosure panel end receiving surface.

17. A portable electric power distribution cabinet, which comprises:

a cabinet frame including;

i) a pair of opposed end frames; and

ii) four cabinet corner rails, each interlocked with and extending between opposed corners of said end frames;

said end frames and said cabinet corner rails together defining a plurality of enclosure panel receiving openings;

a plurality of enclosure panels, each one of said enclosure panels being removably mounted to a respective one of said plurality of panel receiving openings;

predetermined ones of said plurality of enclosure panels each mounting an electrical connector; and

an intermediate electrical connector mounted within the interior of said cabinet for removable intercoupling of predetermined ones of said electrical connectors mounted on said predetermined ones of said plurality of enclosure panels;

each corner rail comprising;

i) a pair of cabinet corner forming surfaces integrally connected to one another and disposed at right angles to one another;

ii) a pair of enclosure panel receiving surfaces, each extending parallel to and spaced inwardly from a respective corner forming surface; and

iii) a pair of intermediate members, each integral with and extending between a respective enclosure panel receiving surface and its respective cabinet corner forming surface and being disposed at a right angle to each of said respective panel receiving surface and said respective cabinet corner forming surface;

iv) said cabinet corner forming surfaces and said intermediate members defining a volume having a rectangular solid configuration being truncated on each of two sides thereof by said panel receiving surfaces;

each one of said end frames including an interlock member formed at each corner thereof mating with an end of a respective corner rail, each interlock member being disposed on the side of said respective one of said end frames disposed opposite to the other of said end frames;

each interlock member comprising;

a generally truncated rectangular solid raised from said respective end frame and arranged for reception within said volume.