Waterproof, gasketless enclosure

• US 5,310,075 A
• Filed: 11/27/1992
• Issued: 05/10/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aclara Software, Inc. (ESCO Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aclara Software, Inc. (ESCO Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wyler, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US07/982,633
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 220/306, 220/327, 220/354, 220/355, 220/731, 361/356, 361/246, 174/50
• US Class Current: 220/4.02
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/00 Gas-tight or water-tight arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/113 Boxes split longitudinally in main cable direction
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets

Abstract

A gasketless enclosure (10) for housing outdoor electrical equipment. The enclosure includes a box (12) having a base (14) and upwardly extending, sidewalls (16A-16D). The walls define an open, upper face, over which fits a cover (18). A closure mechanism (28) includes an upwardly projecting lip (30) formed at the upper end of the sidewalls and extending around the circumference of the box, and a channel (32) formed in the abutting face (34) of the cover and sized to receive the lip. To help prevent moisture from seeping into the interior of the box and harming the equipment housed therein, gutters (42, 44) are formed in the abutting surfaces of the box and the cover. The gutter (44) formed in the box is formed outwardly of the lip, and the gutter (46) formed in the cover is formed outwardly of the channel. The gutter in the cover sits over the gutter in the box when the cover is in place. The gutter formed along the top and sides of the box is open at the bottom of the enclosure, providing a drain (45) for directing moisture collecting in the gutters to the outside of the box.

Claims

1. A waterproof, gasketless enclosure for housing electrical equipment which is used out of doors and is therefore subject to a variety of atmospheric conditions, comprising:

a box having a base, sidewalls extending upwardly from the base, and an open, upper face defined by the sidewalls, the box being sized to receive an item of equipment to be housed therein;

a cover fitting over the open face of the box to enclose the item in the box;

closure means formed on the box and the cover and cooperating with each other to close the cover over the box and hold the cover in place; and

,

gutter means formed on the box and cover for preventing moisture from seeping into the interior of the box and harming the equipment, wherein the closure means includes a lip and a channel for receiving the lip respectively formed on abutting surfaces of the box and the cover when the cover is placed over the box, and the gutter means includes respective gutters formed in the respective abutting surfaces.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 wherein the closure means includes an upwardly projecting lip formed at the upper end of the sidewalls and extending around the circumference of the box.

3. The enclosure of claim 2 wherein the closure means further includes a channel formed in the face of the cover fitting over the upper end of the sidewalls to close the box, the channel extending around the circumference of the face, and the channel being so located on the face of the cover, and so sized that the lip is received in the channel when the cover is fitted over the box.

4. The enclosure of claim 3 wherein the gutter in the box is formed outwardly of the lip and the gutter in the cover is formed outwardly of the channel, and the cover gutter sits over the box gutter when the cover is in place.

5. The enclosure of claim 4 wherein the box gutter has a drain opening to the outside of the bottom of the enclosure for moisture entering the gutter to drain to the outside of the enclosure.

6. The enclosure of claim 4 wherein each gutter has an inner wall and an outer wall, the outer wall of the box gutter extending higher than the inner wall thereof, and the outer wall of the cover gutter being shorter than the inner wall thereof.

7. The enclosure of claim 6 wherein the abutting surface of the box has an inner flat portion formed inside the lip, and intermediate flat portion formed between the outside of the lip and the inner wall of the box gutter, and an outer flat surface formed outside the outer wall of the box gutter.

8. The enclosure of claim 7 wherein the abutting surface of the cover has corresponding inner, intermediate, and outer flat portions formed thereon.

9. The enclosure of claim 8 wherein the inner flat and intermediate flat portions of the abutting surface of the box are level with each other, and the outer flat portion is raised with respect thereto.

10. The enclosure of claim 9 wherein the inner flat and intermediate flat portions of the abutting surface of the cover are level with each other, and the outer flat portion is lowered with respect thereto, the outer flat portion being lowered by the same amount the outer flat portion of the abutting surface of the box is raised.

11. The enclosure of claim 1 further including guard means formed on the cover and extending outwardly of the cover over the sidewalls of the box, when the cover is in place for further preventing moisture from getting into the box.

12. A waterproof, gasketless enclosure for housing outdoor electrical equipment comprising:

a box having a base, sidewalls extending upwardly from the base, and an open, upper face defined by the sidewalls, the box being sized to receive an item of equipment to be housed therein;

a cover fitting over the open face of the box to enclose the item in the box, the sides of the cover and the sidewalls of the box both having outwardly radiused sections adjacent their abutting surfaces for directing moisture away from their juncture, and the edges of the abutting surfaces further having lips to further direct moisture away from the juncture;

gutter means formed on the box and cover for preventing moisture from seeping into the interior of the box and harming the equipment, said gutter means comprising respective gutters formed in the abutting surfaces of the box and the cover, and including a drain opening at the bottom of each side to the outside of the enclosure for moisture entering the gutter to drain to the outside of the enclosure;

an upwardly projecting lip formed at the upper end of the sidewalls and extending around the circumference of the box; and

,

a channel formed in the face of the cover fitting over the box and extending around the circumference of the face, the channel being sized to receive the lip when the cover is installed, the lip and channel effecting both a closure between the box and the cover and a barrier to moisture trying to flow into the interior of the enclosure.

13. The enclosure of claim 12 wherein the gutter formed in the box is formed outwardly of the lip and the gutter formed in the cover is formed outwardly of the channel, with the gutter in the cover sitting over the gutter in the box when the cover is in place.

14. The enclosure of claim 13 wherein each gutter has an inner wall and an outer wall, the outer wall of the gutter in the box extending higher than the inner wall thereof, and the outer wall of the gutter in the cover being lower than the inner wall thereof, and the gutter in the box being shorter than the gutter in the cover.

15. The enclosure of claim 14 wherein the abutting surfaces of both the box and the cover have inner flat portions respectively formed inside the lip and the channel, intermediate flat portions respectively formed to the outside of the lip and the channel, said intermediate flat portions both being to the inside of the respective gutters, and an outer flat portion respectively formed outside respective gutters, the inner flat portion and intermediate flat portion of the abutting surface of the box and the inner flat portion and intermediate flat portions of the abutting surface of the cover being respectively level with each other, and with the outer flat portion of the abutting surface of the box being raised with respect to the other flat portions thereof, and the outer flat portion of the abutting surface of the box being raised with respect to the other flat portions thereof, and the outer flat portion of the abutting surface of the cover being correspondingly lowered.

16. The enclosure of claim 12 further including guard means formed on the cover and extending outwardly of the cover over the sidewalls of the box, when the cover is in place for further preventing moisture from getting into the box.

17. In a gasketless enclosure for housing outdoor electrical equipment, the enclosure including a box having a base and upwardly extending, sidewalls which define an open, upper face, a cover fitting over the open face of the box to enclose an item housed therein, and closure means including an upwardly projecting lip formed at the upper end of the sidewalls and extending around the circumference of the box, and a channel sized to receive the lip formed on the box and cover for preventing moisture from seeping into the interior of the box and including respective gutters formed in the abutting surfaces of the box and the cover with the gutter formed in the box being formed outwardly of the lip and the gutter formed in the cover being formed outwardly of the channel, the gutter in the cover sitting over the gutter in the box when the cover is in place, and the gutter in the box having a drain opening at the bottom of either side to the outside of the enclosure for moisture entering the gutters to drain to the outside of the enclosure.

18. The improvement of claim 17, further including guard means formed on the cover and extending outwardly of the cover over the sidewalls of the box, when the cover is in place to further prevent moisture from getting into the box.

19. The improvement of claim 18 wherein the cover is hingedly attached to the base.