Rack for electrical equipment

• US 5,819,956 A
• Filed: 02/25/1997
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Sigma-Aldrich Company (Sigma-Aldrich Corporation)
• Inventors: Rinderer, Eric R.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US08/806,055
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 211/182, 211/189, 312/265.1, 312/265.4, 361/829, 361/825, 361/819, 361/796, 108/108, 108/109
• US Class Current: 211/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/04 Frames or mounting racks for selector switches; Accessories therefor, e.g. frame cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/112 mechanical protection, e.g. resistance to earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/116 lightning or EMI protection, e.g. shielding or grounding
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2201/02 Details of frames
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/183 support rails therefor

Abstract

A rack for electrical equipment is constructed for resistance to failure in earthquake conditions. The rack has a base and two legs extending upwardly from the base. A cross member spans between and interconnects the legs near their tops. A reinforcing strut on either the front or back flange of each leg forms, in combination with the flange a box beam element which greatly strengthens the flange of the leg. A brace attached to the underside of the cross member passes through an opening in the web of the leg and is rigidly attached to the reinforcing strut. The arrangement of the brace facilitates the mounting of EMI shielding on the rack. The rack also has a one-piece cover for closing the base of the rack.

Claims

1. A rack for electrical equipment comprising:

a base having a front, a back and opposite sides;

a pair of legs extending up from the base at opposite sides of the base, each leg being generally channel-shaped and having a web, a front flange projecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web;

a cross member extending between the webs of the legs generally at the upper ends of the legs, the cross member being rigidly connected to each leg thereby to interconnect the legs for strengthening the rack;

a reinforcing strut rigidly mounted on each leg, each reinforcing strut having a web in spaced apart opposed relation with an interior face of one of the front and back flanges of the leg, said one flange and the reinforcing strut defining a box beam element strengthening said one flange;

tie means for rigidly interconnecting the cross member to the box beam element.

2. A rack as set forth in claim 1 wherein the reinforcing strut further comprises a pair of opposed flanges extending from the web of the strut toward the interior face of said one flange of the leg.

3. A rack as set forth in claim 2 wherein the opposed flanges of the reinforcing strut engage the interior face of said one flange of the leg along longitudinal edges of the opposed flanges opposite the web of the reinforcing strut.

4. A rack as set forth in claim 3 wherein said one flange of the leg to which the reinforcing strut is rigidly mounted is the front flange.

5. A rack as set forth in claim 4 wherein the reinforcing strut is attached by welding to the leg.

6. A rack as set forth in claim 5 wherein the reinforcing strut extends less than the full length of said one flange.

7. A rack as set forth in claim 6 wherein the reinforcing strut is attached to the leg by continuous weld lines extending substantially the entire length of the reinforcing strut.

8. A rack as set forth in claim 7 wherein the leg further comprises a return flap extending from an edge of said one flange of the leg opposite the web, and wherein a first of the continuous weld lines joins the strut to the web of the leg, and a second of the weld lines joins the strut to the return flap of said one flange.

9. A rack as set forth in claim 5 wherein the reinforcing strut extends substantially the full length of said one flange of the leg.

10. A rack as set forth in claim 9 wherein the reinforcing strut is attached to the leg by spot welds.

11. A rack as set forth in claim 10 wherein the leg further comprises a return flap extending from an edge of said one flange of the leg opposite the web, and wherein the reinforcing strut is joined by spot welds spaced along its length to the web of the leg and to the return flap.

12. A rack as set forth in claim 5 wherein said tie means comprises a brace for each leg, each brace being rigidly connected to the cross member and to the box beam element of its corresponding leg.

13. A rack as set forth in claim 12 wherein the web of each leg has an opening therein, the brace extending through the opening generally transversely across the web of the reinforcing strut and being rigidly connected to the web of the reinforcing strut.

14. A rack as set forth in claim 13 wherein the cross member comprises a web, a front flange projecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web, and wherein the brace is generally L-shaped and has two thin edges and opposed broad sides, one of the thin edges engaging the web of the cross member and one of the broad sides engaging the web of the reinforcing strut.

15. A rack as set forth in claim 14 wherein each brace includes a first portion in generally closely spaced, parallel relation to one of the front and back flanges of the cross member and a second portion in generally perpendicular arrangement to said one flange of the cross member, the brace being butt welded to the web of the cross member along the side of the first portion facing away from said one flange of the cross member and along the second portion.

16. A rack as set forth in claim 13 wherein the brace includes upper and lower edge segments generally in registration with the web of the reinforcing strut, the upper and lower edge segments being welded to the web of the reinforcing strut.

17. A rack as set forth in claim 16 wherein the brace is attached to the web of the leg by a weld extending transversely across the brace.

18. A rack as set forth in claim 17 wherein the brace is attached by welding to the return flap of said one flange.

19. A rack as set forth in claim 13 wherein the base comprises a bottom wall, and a back wall extending up from the bottom wall at the back of the rack, and wherein the rack further comprises a one-piece cover adapted to be removably fastened to the base of the rack in a position where the cover extends forward from the back wall of the base between the legs of the rack and is spaced above the bottom wall of the base to form, in combination with the back and bottom walls of the base, an enclosure, and fasteners for removably fastening the cover in fixed position on the base, said fasteners being adapted to be unfastened for removing the cover from the base thereby to provide ready access to an interior of the base.

20. A rack as set forth in claim 19 wherein the base further comprises a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the front of the base, the front wall having openings therein, the sole fasteners connecting the cover to the base being receivable through the cover and the openings in the front wall.

21. A rack as set forth in claim 13 wherein the front and back flanges of each leg lie generally in respective planes, no portion of the cross member extending forwardly from the plane of the front flange or rearwardly from the plane of the back flange.

22. A rack as set forth in claim 21 wherein the front flanges of each leg and the front flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar, and the back flanges of each leg and the back flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar.

23. A rack for electrical equipment comprising:

a base having a front, a back and opposite sides;

a pair of legs extending up from the base at opposite sides of the base, each leg being generally channel-shaped and having a web, a front flange projecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web;

a cross member extending between the webs of the legs generally at the upper ends of the legs, the cross member being generally channel-shaped and having a web, a front flange protecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web, the cross member being rigidly connected to each leg thereby to interconnect the legs for strengthening the rack;

a brace for each leg rigidly interconnecting the cross member to each leg, the brace having two thin edges and opposed broad sides, one of the thin edges engaging the web of the cross member, the web of each leg having an opening therein, the brace extending through the opening generally transversely over one of the front and back flanges of the leg and being rigidly connected to the leg, the brace including a first portion in generally closely spaced, parallel relation to one of the front and back flanges of the cross member and a second portion in generally non-parallel arrangement to said one flange of the cross member, the brace being butt welded to the web of the cross member along a side of the first portion facing away from said one flange of the cross member and along the second portion.

24. A rack as set forth in claim 23 wherein the brace is attached by welding to the leg.

25. A rack as set forth in claim 24 wherein the brace is generally L-shaped.

26. A rack as set forth in claim 25 further comprising a reinforcing strut rigidly mounted on each leg, each reinforcing strut having a web in spaced apart opposed relation with an interior face of one of the front and back flanges of the leg, said one flange and the reinforcing strut defining a box beam element strengthening said one flange.

27. A rack as set forth in claim 26 wherein the brace includes upper and lower edge segments generally in registration with the web of the reinforcing strut, the upper and lower edge segments being welded to the web of the reinforcing strut.

28. A rack as set forth in claim 27 wherein the brace is attached to the web of the leg by a weld extending transversely across the brace.

29. A rack as set forth in claim 28 wherein each leg comprises a return flap extending inwardly from an edge of said one flange of the leg opposite the web, the brace being attached by welding to the return flap of said one flange.

30. A rack as set forth in claim 23 wherein the base comprises a bottom wall, and a back wall extending up from the bottom wall at the back of the rack, and wherein the rack further comprises a one-piece cover adapted to be removably fastened to the base of the rack in a position where the cover extends forward from the back wall of the base between the legs of the rack and is spaced above the bottom wall of the base to form, in combination with the back and bottom walls of the base, an enclosure, and fasteners for removably fastening the cover in fixed position on the base, said fasteners being adapted to be unfastened for removing the cover from the base thereby to provide ready access to an interior of the base.

31. A rack as set forth in claim 30 wherein the base further comprises a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the front of the base, the front wall having openings therein, the sole fasteners connecting the cover to the base being receivable through the cover and the openings in the front wall.

32. A rack as set forth in claim 23 wherein the front and back flanges of each leg lie generally in respective planes, no portion of the cross member extending forwardly from the plane of the front flange or rearwardly from the plane of the back flange.

33. A rack as set forth in claim 32 wherein the front flange of each leg and the front flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar, and the back flange of each leg and the back flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar.

34. A rack for electrical equipment comprising:

a base having a front, a back and opposite sides, the base further including a bottom wall, and a back wall extending up from the bottom wall at the back of the rack;

a pair of legs extending up from the base at opposite sides of the base, each leg being generally channel-shaped and having a web, a front flange projecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web;

a cross member extending between the webs of the legs generally at the upper ends of the legs, the cross member being generally channel-shaped and having a web, a front flange projecting from a front edge of the web and a back flange projecting from a back edge of the web, the cross member being rigidly connected to each leg thereby to interconnect the legs for strengthening the rack;

tie means for rigidly interconnecting the cross member to the legs;

a one-piece cover adapted to be removably fastened to the base of the rack in a position where the cover extends forward from the back wall of the base between the legs of the rack and is spaced above the bottom wall of the base to form, in combination with the back and bottom walls of the base, an enclosure;

fasteners for removably fastening the cover in fixed position on the base, said fasteners being adapted to be unfastened for removing the cover from the base thereby to provide ready access to an interior of the base.

35. A rack as set forth in claim 34 wherein the base further comprises a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the front of the base, the front wall having openings therein, the fasteners connecting the cover to the base being receivable through the cover and the openings in the front wall, and being the sole fasteners connecting the cover to the rack.

36. A rack as set forth in claim 34 further comprising a reinforcing strut rigidly mounted on each leg, each reinforcing strut having a web in spaced apart opposed relation with an interior face of one of the front and back flanges, and a pair of opposed flanges extending from the web of the strut toward the interior face of said one flange, said one flange and the reinforcing strut defining a box beam element strengthening said one flange.

37. A rack as set forth in claim 36 wherein said tie means comprises a brace for each leg rigidly interconnecting the cross member to each leg, the brace having two thin edges and opposed broad sides, one of the thin edges engaging the web of the cross member, the web of each leg having an opening therein, the brace extending through the opening generally transversely across the web of the reinforcing strut and being rigidly connected to the reinforcing strut, the brace including a first portion in generally closely spaced, parallel relation to one of the front and back flanges of the cross member and a second portion in generally non-parallel arrangement to said one flange of the cross member, the brace being butt welded to the web of the cross member along a side of the first portion facing away from said one flange of the cross member, and along the second portion.

38. A rack as set forth in claim 34 wherein the front and back flanges of each leg lie generally respective planes, no portion of the cross member extending forwardly from the plane of the front flange or rearwardly from the plane of the back flange.

39. A rack as set forth in claim 38 wherein the front flange of each leg and the front flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar, and the back flange of each leg and the back flange of the cross member are substantially co-planar.