Modular enclosure assembly for terminals wiring and distribution

• US 8,680,407 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primex Manufacturing Ltd.
• Original Assignee: VPL Enterprises Ltd. (Primex Manufacturing Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chan, James Chun-Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoa C
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, AMOL H
• Application Number:
  US13/573,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20140097019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/53, 174/559, 174/560, 174/561, 174/563
• US Class Current: 174/560
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0004 comprising several parts forming a closed casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03

Abstract

A modular enclosure assembly comprising: an upper and lower enclosure subassemblies, interconnected by a partial interpenetration, and a pair of hinged panel subassemblies for opening/closing the inner space of the enclosure subassemblies. Each of the enclosure subassemblies incorporates a back base plate having a first interpenetrating zone, located at an end of a lower left side of the back base plate, and a second interpenetrating zone, located at an end of a lower right side of the back base plate and juxtaposed with the first interpenetrating zone. The second interpenetrating zone incorporates a slat partially superposed on a rear surface of the back base plate where and with which this second interpenetrating zone forms a monoblock structure and from which the slat extends downwardly, beyond the rear surface of the back base plate.

Claims

1. A modular enclosure assembly for terminals wiring and distribution incorporating, in combination,

an upper and lower enclosure subassemblies, vertically disposed, both of plastic, and built to be removably and vertically connected by a partial interpenetration;

a hinged panel subassembly used, for each one of said upper and lower enclosure subassemblies, to open/expose their inner space and to prevent access to the latter;

said upper enclosure subassembly constituting a unitary structure that incorporates a back base plate of rectangular shape, defined by an upper margin, a pair of lateral margins and a lower margin; and

an inverted U-shape frame extending from said upper margin and from said pair of lateral margins of said back base plate, said inverted U-shape frame and said back base plate forming a mono-bloc structure;

said back base plate comprising;

a plurality of open circular apertures, sized and spaced for attaching by snapping a variety of modules;

a series of blind circular apertures, extending into vertical and horizontal intersecting rows, for attaching different electronic devices;

a first interpenetrating zone at an end of its lower left side, delimited at its bottom by a first horizontal segment continued by an outwardly inclined ascending segment, both said segments being parts of said lower margin;

said first interpenetrating zone being provided with back projecting pins;

a second interpenetrating zone at an end of its lower right side, juxtaposed with said first interpenetrating zone and delimited by said outwardly inclined ascending segment, which is commonly shared with said first interpenetrating zone, and by a second horizontal segment that extends laterally rightwards from an upper end of said outwardly inclined ascending segment;

said second interpenetrating zone incorporating a slat partially superposed on a rear surface of said back base plate where and with which it forms a mono-block structure and from which said slat extends downwardly, beyond said rear surface of said back base plate, a lowest end of said slat terminating above a lowest end of said first interpenetrating zone;

said slat, beyond the rear surface of said back base plate, being provided with centering orifices commensurate diametrically with said back projecting pins;

said inverted U-shape frame incorporating outwardly, along its outside periphery,—

a front facing channel adaptable to receive a gasket and a feature of said hinged panel subassembly;

at the top—

a horizontal elongated flat segment provided with several exit distribution ports formed as feed-through circular knockouts;

projecting forward from said back base plate—

one vertical elongated flat segment, located at the left and another vertical elongated flat segment—

at the right, each of those being provided with a) at least one auxiliary cut-out;

said vertical elongated flat segment located at the left comprising, proximate its lower end and facing an interior of said upper enclosure subassembly, a horizontal, rectangular elongate depression;

said lower enclosure subassembly, constituting also a unitary structure as said upper enclosure subassembly, comprises said back base plate that is structurally identical with that included in said upper enclosure subassembly, except a positional difference which resides in the fact that said back base plate of said lower enclosure subassembly is rotated at 180 degrees with respect to said back base plate of said upper enclosure subassembly;

said lower enclosure subassembly further comprising a U-shape frame extending out, frontwards from said back base plate;

the differences between said inverted U-shape frame and said U-shape shape frame reside in the fact that at the bottom, said U-shape frame comprises a horizontal elongated flat segment provided with several entry ports formed as knockouts ports, that laterally, said vertical elongated flat segment located at the left and said vertical elongated flat segment located at the right, both of said inverted U-shape frame, are positionally interchanged, i.e. said vertical elongated flat segment located at the left is replaced by said vertical elongated flat segment located at the right and vice versa;

said hinged panel subassembly incorporating;

a inverted U-shape structure for encompassing said upper enclosure subassembly and having an upper horizontal section that extends downwards into left and right vertical sections, both provided with perforations for flush attaching to a wall;

a profile including an edge projecting inwards and shaped and sized to fit into said front facing channel;

said left vertical section near its end being provided with an indented area, parallel retracted with respect to a corresponding upper surface of said profile;

further said indented area is provided horizontally, starting from its top, with a perforated cylinder having stepwise discontinuities in diameter and extending backwards beneath said indented area;

said right vertical section terminates at its lower end, with respect to said lower end of said vertical elongated-flat segment, located at the right, with an extended portion of said profile having a length equal with a length of said indented area;

said extended portion being internally, opposed said indented area, somewhat depressed, so that when said extended portion and said indented area are superposed, said extended portion has its upper profile coextensive with said profile;

a pin extends inward from said extended portion and is provided with a recess hole, said pin being so chosen that it easy fits into said perforated cylinder belonging to a following U-shape structure and is so adapted that a screw is able to connect said pin and said perforated cylinder;

a U-shape structure for encompassing said lower enclosure subassembly, which is a mirror image of said inverted U-shape structure that encompasses said upper enclosure subassembly; and

a pair of pivoting panels of identical design and conventional type is used;

each of said pair of pivoting panels being provided with usual features for opening/closing, said usual features interacting with corresponding ones of said inverted U-shape structure and of said U-shape structure.

2. The modular assembly, as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

beyond the lowest part of said vertical elongated flat segment, situated at the left, outside front facing channel, a first annular-eyelet unitary with said vertical elongated flat segment, situated at the left, extending from the latter and having an exterior surface flush with an exterior surface of said front facing channel;

into said vertical elongated flat segment, situated at the right of said back base plate, at an upper end of said second interpenetrating zone and coplanar with said second horizontal segment—

a second annular-eyelet provided beneath it with a horizontal, circular open aperture;

said second annular-eyelet being vertically so retracted with respect to said first annular-eyelet that it can be inserted under the latter of said lower enclosure subassembly and adapted to be joined by a tightening fixture;

a catch is located at an end of a tongue with which forms a unitary part projecting outwards and downward from the lowest internal surface of said vertical elongated flat, situated at the right; and

when said upper and lower enclosure subassemblies are joined together, said catch snaps into said horizontal, rectangular elongate depression of said lower enclosure.

3. The modular assembly, as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein:

an extended modular enclosure assembly derived from said enclosure assembly comprises said upper and lower enclosure subassemblies, said hinged panel subassembly for said upper enclosure subassembly, said hinged panel subassembly for said lower enclosure subassembly and one or more intermediary enclosure subassemblies can be intercalated between said upper and lower enclosure subassemblies;

an intermediary enclosure subassembly incorporating a rear base plate, similar to said back base plate used in said upper and lower enclosure subassemblies, said rear base plate, at the top, includes said first interpenetrating zone and said second interpenetrating zone, positionally interchanged with respect to said first interpenetrating zone and said second interpenetrating zone, both situated at a lower end of said back base plate of said upper enclosure subassembly;

thus, a complementarity between opposite zones can be achieved;

at the bottom, said rear base plate includes said first interpenetrating zone and said second interpenetrating zone, positionally interchanged with respect to first interpenetrating zone and second interpenetrating zone, both situated at an upper end of said back base plate of said lower enclosure subassembly;

thus, a interpenetration compatibility between opposite zones can be achieved;

said intermediary enclosure subassembly further including said lateral vertical elongated flat segment situated at the left and said lateral vertical elongated flat segment situated at the right, said horizontal elongated flat segment as in said inverted U-shape frame and of said horizontal elongated flat segment as in said U-shape frame being eliminated.