Distribution cabinet with a plurality of inner bodies

• US 8,076,574 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Berthold Sichert Gmbh (Belden Inc.), CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.), ADC GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Berthold Sichert Gmbh (Belden Inc.), ADC GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Irmer, Günter, Perschon, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Estrada, Angel R
• Application Number:
  US12/047,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20080224578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/57, 174/58, 174/521, 174/17.R, 220 32- 39, 220/4.02, 361/600, 361/601, 361/608, 361/641, 361/605, 361/831, 361/614, 361/616, 361/679.01, 361/724, 361/730, 361/726, 361/752, 361/796, 312/107, 312/198, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/265.3, 312/265.4, 312/108, 312/352, 312/326, 312/351.1, 248/678
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/308 Mounting of cabinets together
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/50 Pedestal- or pad-mounted casings; Parts thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

The invention relates to a distribution cabinet (1) having a body (3), comprising an inner body (21) in the form of a body frame (16) made from metal and possibly paneling with shielding plates (13), and an outer body (22), in particular in the form of spaced paneling of the inner body (21), which is preferably made from plastic, and a mounting rack (6) for fixing the internals, which mounting rack is fixed on the inner body (21), the body (3) comprises a plurality of inner bodies (21) next to one another, and at least one attachment element (12) is fixed thereto which allows the use of parts of the outer body (22) of an individual distribution cabinet (1), and to a construction kit and a method for extending a distribution cabinet.

Claims

1. An extended distribution cabinet formed from a distribution cabinet, the distribution cabinet having a first inner body, the extended distribution cabinet comprising:

a second inner body coupled to the first inner body to form a body frame;

at least one attachment element coupled to the body frame;

an outer body including spaced paneling installed on the body frame, the spaced paneling including a plurality of panels and at least one door, at least a portion of the outer body being coupled to and supported by the attachment element; and

a mounting rack for fixing internal components to the body frame, the mounting rack being fixed on the body frame.

2. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each attachment element includes a plurality of attachment members configured to receive and support the portion of the outer body.

3. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second inner body is coupled to the first inner body without the second inner body being supported by a further attached base.

4. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment element extends over an entire height of the first inner body.

5. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the first inner body is spaced from the second inner body and the attachment element is positioned between front vertical struts of the first and second inner bodies, the attachment members of the attachment element defining hinge parts configured to support doors of the outer body, and

wherein a second attachment element is positioned between rear vertical struts of the first and second inner bodies, the attachment members of the second attachment element being configured to support rear walls of the outer body.

6. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 5, wherein free space between the first and second inner bodies is covered via shielding plates, wherein the shielding plates include at least one shielding plate on an upper side of the free space.

7. The distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 5, wherein the attachment members of the second attachment element define hinge parts.

8. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body frame includes a plurality of outer holders that are configured to support the spaced paneling of the outer body, and wherein the attachment elements are each fixed to at least one of the outer holders.

9. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second inner bodies are fixed directly to one another and wherein the attachment element is fixed to at least one of the inner bodies.

10. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 9, wherein attachment members of the attachment element are positioned laterally offset with respect to a contact plane extending between the first and second inner bodies.

11. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attachment element is mounted so that the attachment members are positioned in a region of the second inner body.

12. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 9, wherein the width of the second inner body is extended compared to the first inner body, the extension corresponding to a distance between two distribution cabinets which have been individually equipped with an outer body and have been positioned so as to be in touching contact next to one another.

13. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 9, wherein the attachment element is in the form of an L with a short limb, which extends across two adjacent vertical profile struts of the first and second inner bodies and is screwed thereto.

14. The distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 9, wherein the attachment element is fixed to both of the inner bodies.

15. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second inner body is supported by an additional base.

16. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein side faces of the first and second inner bodies which point towards one another are not paneled with shielding plates, so that a continuous interior of the extended distribution cabinet is provided in a transverse direction of the extended distribution cabinet.

17. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein each inner body includes a lower body frame and an upper body frame, and wherein the attachment element extends over an entire height of the upper body frame.

18. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a modular roof including at least one of the following group of modular parts:

longitudinal modules, connecting modules, and end modules.

19. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 18, wherein the roof includes a roof basic body with a peripheral, vertical edge and a cover emplaced thereon, the cover being assembled in modular fashion from a plurality of longitudinal modules, at least one connecting module, and a plurality of end modules.

20. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 19, wherein the roof basic body is designed to be continuous beyond any joints in the outer body.

21. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 19, wherein the connecting module is positioned between two longitudinal modules and a portion of the connecting module overlaps portions of the longitudinal modules, and wherein the connecting module includes a portion that engages or latches behind the two longitudinal modules in an interlocking manner to inhibit removal of the connecting module from the longitudinal modules.

22. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 19, wherein the end modules of the roof are connected to the body frame from an interior of the body frame, and wherein removal of the end modules from the body frame without releasing the end modules from the interior of the body frame is inhibited.

23. The extended distribution cabinet as claimed in claim 19, wherein widths of the longitudinal modules are matched to a width of the door of the outer body.

24. A construction kit for distribution cabinets, comprising:

a plurality of horizontal struts having various lengths, the length of at least a first of the horizontal struts corresponding to one of a plurality of standard widths of inner bodies and the length of at least a second of the horizontal struts corresponding to one of a plurality of standard widths of enhanced inner bodies,

a plurality of doors having various widths matching the standard widths of the inner bodies and the standard widths of the enhanced inner bodies,

a plurality of modular roof components including a plurality of longitudinal modules, end modules, and connecting modules, the longitudinal modules having various lengths,

a plurality of rear walls having various widths corresponding to standard widths of separate distribution cabinets.

25. The construction kit as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a plurality of attachment elements, each attachment element including a plurality of attachment members.

26. The construction kit as claimed in claim 24, wherein the longitudinal modules are matched to the widths of the doors, the widths of the inner bodies, or the widths of the enhanced inner bodies.

27. The construction kit as claimed in claim 24, wherein the construction kit further comprises roof basic bodies of various lengths.

28. A method for extending a distribution cabinet, comprising:

providing a first inner body of the distribution cabinet with a first outer body mounted in spaced relation to the first inner body, the components of the first outer body being configured to attach to each other;

removing components of the first outer body from the first inner body, the components of the first outer body including lateral paneling, a rear wall, and a door, the first inner body including a first mounting rack equipped with internal components;

fixing a second inner body directly or indirectly to the first inner body to form a body frame;

fixing a second mounting rack to the second inner body and equipping the second mounting rack with additional internal components;

electrically connecting the additional internal components of the second inner body to the internal components of the first inner body and activating the additional internal components; and

replacing the components of the first outer body on the body frame and adding additional outer body components to the body frame to form an extended outer body that is mounted in spaced relation to the body frame.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising fixing at least one attachment element to at least one of the first inner body and the second inner body, wherein at least one component of the second outer body attaches to the attachment element.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein fixing the second inner body to the first inner body comprises fixing the second inner body directly to the first inner body;

and wherein fixing the attachment element comprises fixing the attachment element to both of the inner bodies.

31. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising positioning a further base alongside an existing base prior to fixing the second inner body to the first inner body.

32. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein fixing the second inner body to the first inner body comprises fixing the second inner body indirectly to the first inner body so that a gap extends between the first and second inner bodies, and wherein fixing the attachment element comprises positioning the attachment element in the gap between the inner bodies and connecting the attachment element to holders located on the inner bodies.

33. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising extending an existing roof of the distribution cabinet by adding additional modular components to existing modular components, the additional and existing modular components cooperating to form a new cover, wherein the modular components include longitudinal modules and at least one intermediate module and two end modules.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the existing roof is extended by:

removing an end module of the existing roof from a first longitudinal module of the existing roof,

positioning a further longitudinal module adjacent the first longitudinal module,

connecting the further longitudinal module to the first longitudinal module of the existing roof with a connecting module,

emplacing the end module to the further longitudinal module opposite from the first longitudinal module to form a new cover, and

fixing the new cover to the distribution cabinet.

35. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein fixing the new cover to the distribution cabinet includes screwing the new cover to the distribution cabinet from an interior of the distribution cabinet.