Switchgear cabinet with a central control device for monitoring and controlling built-in and/or attached units

• US 6,222,448 B1
• Filed: 03/10/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rittal-Werk Rudolf Loh Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Rittal-Werk Rudolf Loh Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Kreiling, Jörg, Hain, Markus, Beck, Wilfried
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/037,651
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 340/506, 340/511, 340/517, 340/825.06
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house

Abstract

A switchgear cabinet with a central control device for monitoring and controlling built-in units and/or attached units of the switchgear cabinet in a predetermined manner. A simple adaptation to various requirements is offered here, because central control device has components of a personal computer, through which it is programmable and by means of which monitoring, control and/or regulation takes place in accordance with predetermined programs.

Claims

1. A switchgear cabinet comprising:

a switchgear cabinet with panels for forming an enclosed cabinet;

a central control device (6) for monitoring and controlling at least one of a plurality of built-in or attached units, or both, (2.1 to 2.6, 5.1 to 5.3) that control operational conditions of the switchgear cabinet in a predeterminable manner, the central control device (6) having a plurality of components (6.1 to 6.5) of a programmable personal computer, the components having a plurality of predeterminable programs for at least one of monitoring, controlling and regulating the central control device (6);

the components (6.1 to 6.5) comprising a microprocessor (6.1), a personal computer operating system and a command processor (6.2) compatible with the microprocessor (6.1) and a plurality of driver units (6.3, 6.4, 6.5);

the central control device (6) having an application program element (6.6) for the monitoring, controlling and regulating of data for control of the operational conditions of the switchgear cabinet;

the components (6.1 to 6.5) having a connection for an independent personal computer; and

the driver units (6.3, 6.4, 6.5) having an input/output driver (6.3), through which a plurality of sensors (1.1 to 1.9) are interrogated for obtaining the operational conditions of the switchgear cabinet, a driver for a serial interface (6.4) through which a plurality of peripheral devices are connected, and a network driver (6.5) through which the control device (6) is connected to a data bus.

2. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the components comprise a microprocessor (6.1), a personal computer operating system and a command processor (6.2) compatible with the microprocessor (6.1) and a plurality of driver units (6.3, 6.4, 6.5).

3. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 2, wherein the central control device (6) has an application program element (6.6) for the monitoring, controlling and regulating of data.

4. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 3, wherein the components (6.1 to 6.5) have a connection for an independent personal computer.

5. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 4, wherein the driver units (6.3, 6.4, 6.5) have an input/output driver (6.3), through which a plurality of sensors (1.1 to 1.9) are interrogated, a driver for a serial interface (6.4) through which a plurality of peripheral devices are connected, and a network driver (6.5) through which the control device (6) is connected to a data bus.

6. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor device (1) attached to the input/output driver (6.3) and having at least one of a humidity sensor (1.1), a door limit switch (1.2), a temperature sensor (1.3), a vibration sensor (1.4), a smoke detector (1.5), a current transducer (1.6), a voltage transducer (1.7), a secondary temperature sensor, a code lock (1.8) and a card reader (1.9).

7. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 6, wherein the sensor device (1) is in bidirectional contact with the central control device (6) via an input interface (1.10).

8. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 7, further comprising:

a function monitor (5) with a first voltage supply (5.2) and an operating value monitor (5.3), wherein in an event of an outage of the first voltage supply (5.2) there is a connection to a second voltage supply (5.1) to maintain programmed emergency functions, and the central control device (6) is separately buffered.

9. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a regulating and control interface (2.6) in bidirectional contact with the central control device (6) on one side and with an air-conditioning installation (2) on another side,

the air-conditioning installation (2) having at least one of a heat exchanger (2.1), a fan (2.2), a cooling device (2.3), a heater (2.4), a door magnet (2.5) and a ventilator, and

the air-conditioning installation (2) being triggered according to signals from the central control device (6).

10. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

an output interface (4.10), which on one side is in bidirectional contact with the central control device (6) and on another side with an output device (4),

the output device (4) having at least one of a parallel output (4.1), a relay, an optical coupler (4.2), a bus system output (4.3), a telemetry output (4.4), a network output (4.5), a PC interface output (4.6), a display device (4.7), an LED display (4.8) and a symbol display with symbol display elements (4.9), and

signals from the central control unit (6) being converted for contacting the output device (4).

11. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 10, further comprising:

at least one of a plurality of operating keys (3.1), a programming, setting and testing device (3.2) and a control position each bidirectionally connected with the central control device (6), and

the programming, setting and testing device (3.2) permanently storing test procedures.

12. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 11, wherein the central control device (6) is installed on a main board, and all inputs and outputs are linked with each other.

13. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central control device (6) has an application program element (6.6) for the monitoring, controlling and regulating of data.

14. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the components (6.1 to 6.5) have a connection for an independent personal computer.

15. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of monitoring assemblies have a function monitor (5) with a first voltage supply (5.2) and an operating value monitor (5.3), in an event of an outage of the first voltage supply (5.2) there is a connection to a second voltage supply (5.1) to maintain programmed emergency functions, and the central control device (6) is separately buffered.

16. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a regulating and control interface (2.6) in bidirectional contact with the central control device (6) on one side and with an air-conditioning installation (2) on another side,

the air-conditioning installation (2) having at least one of a heat exchanger (2.1), a fan (2.2), a cooling device (2.3), a heater (2.4), a door magnet (2.5) and a ventilator, and

the air-conditioning device (2) triggered according to signals from the central control device (6).

17. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an output interface (4.10), which on one side is in bidirectional contact with the central control device (6) and on another side with an output device (4),

the output device (4) having at least one of a parallel output (4.1), a relay, an optical coupler (4.2), a bus system output (4.3), a telemetry output (4.4), a network output (4.5), a PC interface output (4.6), a display device (4.7), an LED display (4.8) and a symbol display with symbol display elements (4.9), and

signals from the central control unit (6) being converted for contacting the output device (4).

18. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of a plurality of operating keys (3.1), a programming, setting and testing device (3.2) and a control position each bidirectionally connected with the central control device (6), and

the programming, setting and testing device (3.2) permanently storing test procedures.

19. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central control device (6) is installed on a main board, and all inputs and outputs are linked with each other.

20. The switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of driver units (6.3, 6.4, 6.5) have an input/output driver (6.3), through which a plurality of sensors (1.1 to 1.9) are interrogated, a driver for a serial interface (6.4) through which a plurality of peripheral devices are connected, and a network driver (6.5) through which the control device (6) is connected to a data bus.