ELECTRICAL SWITCHGEAR CABINET

Abstract

An electrical switchgear cabinet is provided for building and/or industrial installations, for example. The switchgear cabinet includes installed parts which are arranged therein and which have standardized dimensions. The installation area which is provided in the switchgear cabinet for the installed parts is larger than the required dimensions of the installed parts, as a result of which a gap in each case results between the switchgear cabinet and the respective installed part. A cover is provided for each gap. The cover fills the relevant gap and provides direct-contact protection.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to German Patent Application No. 10 2010 044 760.9 filed in Germany on Sep. 8, 2010, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an electrical switchgear cabinet having an installation area for installation of a plurality of parts, and a cover provided for direct-contact protection of the installed parts and for filling gaps in the installation area.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

It is generally known that the external dimensions of switchgear cabinets are governed by standardization. The widths and heights of the installed parts, that is to say the so-called standard panels which are installed in the switchgear cabinet, are likewise defined by appropriate standards. Accordingly, the dimensions of the installed parts are standardized.

In order to allow the standard panels to be installed easily in the cabinet, the internal size of the cabinet is normally chosen to be a few millimeters larger than the actual size of the standard panels to be installed. For this reason, a gap is created between the covers of the standard panels and the direct-contact protection, and the gap is often greater than that allowed in accordance with the specified degree of ingress protection for the cabinets.

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electrical switchgear cabinet which includes an installation area into which a plurality of parts are installable. The parts each have standardized dimensions. Portions of the installation area each respectively provided for a corresponding one of the parts are larger than required according to the respective dimensions of the corresponding one of the parts, such that a corresponding gap is provided between the switchgear cabinet and each of the corresponding one of the parts, respectively. The exemplary switchgear assembly also includes a cover respectively arranged for at least one of the gaps such that each gap is provided with a cover. The cover fills the corresponding at least one of the gaps and is configured to provide direct-contact protection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional refinements, advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in an oblique view from above, an illustration of an electrical switchgear cabinet with an installed part and a cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows, in an oblique view from above, a cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows, in an oblique view from above, a cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows, in an oblique view, an illustration of an electrical switchgear cabinet with covers which are provided as direct-contact protection and which are fitted on the installed parts according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical switchgear assembly for building and/or industrial installations, for example. The electrical switchgear assembly has installed parts (e.g., standard panels) which are arranged therein and whose dimensions are standardized. To simply installation, the installation area which is provided in the switchgear cabinet for the installed parts is chosen to be larger (e.g., a few millimeters larger) than the dimensions of the installed parts require. As a result, a gap in each case results between the switchgear cabinet and the installed parts. Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cover for the gaps between the inner wall of the electrical switchgear cabinet, which has installed parts arranged therein. The arrangement and provision of the cover prevents the creation of a gap between the installed parts and the inner wall of the switchgear cabinets.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover is provided for each gap. The cover fills the relevant gap and provides direct-contact protection.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, in each case completely fills the relevant gap. The gap size between the covers of the standard panels and the switchgear cabinet housing is therefore virtually completely reduced by the particular configuration of the direct-contact protection according to the present disclosure.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, can be formed from plastic, for example. The cover which is provided as direct-contact protection can be formed from various plastics which are connected to one another in places.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, can be in the form of a plastic profile, for example.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plastic profile has at least one holding lip composed of hard-tough plastic as a gap cover, as well as at least one bead, which is arranged parallel to the holding lip, is composed of soft plastic and is configured to provide direct-contact protection.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one holding lip is configured to engage in the relevant gap between the switchgear cabinet and the installed part, and rests flush on the wall of the switchgear cabinet.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one holding lip can be in the form of a hollow chamber profile composed of a hard-tough plastic, such as ABS, PP or PS, for example.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one bead can be formed in a sprung manner as a contact-pressure lip composed of elastically flexible plastic, and is connected to the profile which forms the holding lip. In this case, for example, TPE/TPS (thermoplastic elastomers) can be used as a elastically flexible plastic, such as for the contact-pressure lip, for example.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one contact-pressure lip, which is arranged parallel to the holding lip, forms a profile which is provided with a hollow chamber, which is used for connection and support, for example.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover, which is formed from the at least one holding lip, is held in the gap such that it interacts with the at least one contact-pressure lip, which is used as direct-contact protection and acts in a sprung manner. In this case, on the one hand, the wall of the electrical switchgear cabinet and on the other hand the relevant installed part are used as opposing bearings, on which the cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, is supported.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, two or more contact-pressure lips can be provided, which prevent access to and manual intervention in the relevant gap between the switchgear cabinet and the installed part.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, has dimensions such that the cover is always connected directly to that circumference of the relevant installed part which is close to the wall of the switchgear cabinet.

This arrangement also achieves the desired protection effect using simple means, as a result of which the plastic profile, which is provided as direct-contact protection, ensures a cover, which is closed all the way round, for the gaps between the electrical switchgear cabinet and the installed part.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover is configured to cover gaps having a relatively large gap width, for example of several millimeters up to a centimeter, is provided as direct-contact protection, and is in the form of a plastic hollow profile with holding and contact-pressure lips. This exemplary arrangement offers the advantage of adequate stiffness on the one hand because of the correct arrangement of the respective hollow chambers, with expedient shaping of the permanently elastic contact-pressure lips at the same time, on the other hand.

The direct-contact protection profile is physically designed to include the combination of hard and permanently elastic, easily bendable and flexible plastic.

In this case, the soft component is designed such that the unobstructed internal size of the relevant electrical switchgear cabinet is undershot in a defined manner in comparison to the external size of the installed parts (e.g., standard panels) so as not to unnecessarily exacerbate the installation of the installed parts. The soft component of the direct-contact protection, that is to say of the contact-pressure lip, in this case compensates for the difference in the dimensions of the standard panels, thus creating an edge, which is closed all round, between the direct-contact protection and the front standard panel cover.

Additional refinements and improvements of the present disclosure are set forth below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows, in the form of an oblique view from above, an illustration of an electrical switchgear cabinet 10 with an installed part 12 and a cover 14 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The cover 14 is provided as direct-contact protection.

The exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 shows the configuration of cover 14 providing direct-contact protection. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the cover 14 can be in the form of a plastic profile, for example. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cover 14, which is provided as direct-contact protection, is formed by a longitudinal profile having holding lips 16, which are formed and held by hollow chambers 18, and having at least one contact-pressure lip 20 (three contact-pressure lips 20 are provided in FIG. 1), which is adjacent to a hollow chamber 22 and at the same time acts as a connection to the holding lip 16, which forms the cover, and as a sprung-flexible support for the permanently elastic contact-pressure lip, which rests on the front face of the installed parts 12, in a contact area 24 which is formed on the cover of the installed parts 12.

FIG. 2 shows, in the form of an oblique view from above, a cover 14, which is provided as direct-contact protection, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the two holding lips 16, which have hollow chambers 18 that are used for support, can clearly be seen.

Furthermore, the contact-pressure lips 20 can be seen, which are arranged opposite the two holding lips 16 and are adjacent to hollow chambers 22 which relate thereto and are themselves connected to a partition wall 19 which closes the hollow chambers 18.

FIG. 3 shows, in the form of an oblique view from above, a cover, which is provided as direct-contact protection, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The exemplary cover illustrated in FIG. 3 includes sealing beads 26 instead of the contact-pressure lips 20 provided according to the above-described exemplary embodiment. The sealing beads 26 differ from the contact-pressure lips 20 described above. The sealing beads 26 connect the contact-pressure lips 20 to hollow chambers 28 in the same manner, which are at the same time used for support and, to a certain extent, elastically assist the sealing function of the sealing beads.

FIG. 4 shows an illustration, in the form of an oblique view, of an electrical switchgear cabinet 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The electrical switchgear cabinet 10 includes front faces 13 of the installed parts 12 fitted, and covers 14, which are provided as direct-contact protection according to the disclosure. The gaps which are located between the inner wall of the electrical switchgear cabinet 10 and the installed parts 12 are covered completely by the covers 14 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The covers 14, which are provided as direct-contact protection, thus prevent access through the gap to any electrically conductive components, that is to say live components, of the switchgear cabinet 10.

The present disclosure is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments as described above and shown in the associated drawings. The scope of the claims covers other forms.

For example, the present disclosure also covers any desired combinations of exemplary embodiments as well as individual refinement features or developments, provided that these are not mutually exclusive.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

• 10 Side wall of the electrical switchgear cabinet
• 12 Installed part
• 13 Front face of the installed part
• 14 Cover provided as direct-contact protection
• 16 Holding lip
• 18 Hollow chamber
• 19 Partition wall
• 20 Contact-pressure lip
• 22 Hollow chamber
• 24 Contact edge on the installed part cover
• 26 Sealing bead
• 28 Hollow chamber

Claims

1. An electrical switchgear cabinet comprising:

an installation area into which a plurality of parts are installable, the parts each having standardized dimensions, and portions of the installation area each respectively provided for a corresponding one of the parts are larger than required according to the respective dimensions of the corresponding one of the parts, such that a corresponding gap is provided between the switchgear cabinet and each of the corresponding one of the parts, respectively; and

a cover respectively arranged for at least one of the gaps such that each gap is provided with a cover, the cover filling the corresponding at least one of the gaps and being configured to provide direct-contact protection.

2. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cover completely fills the at least one of the gaps, respectively.

3. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from plastic.

4. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from at least two different types of plastics.

5. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 4, wherein the cover is in the form of a plastic profile.

6. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 5, wherein the plastic profile includes:

at least one holding lip composed of hard-tough plastic as a gap cover; and

at least one bead which is arranged parallel to the holding lip, is composed of soft plastic and is configured to provide direct-contact protection.

7. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 6, wherein the at least one holding lip is configured to engage in the at least one of the gaps between the switchgear cabinet and the corresponding one of the parts, respectively, and is configured to rest flush on an inner wall of the switchgear cabinet.

8. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 6, wherein the at least one holding lip is in the form of a hollow-chamber profile composed of a hard-tough plastic with hollow chambers.

9. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 6, wherein the at least one bead is formed in a sprung manner as a contact-pressure lip composed of an elastically flexible plastic, and is integrally connected to the profile which forms the holding lip.

10. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 9, wherein the at least one contact-pressure lip which is arranged parallel to the holding lip forms a profile which is provided with a hollow chamber.

11. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 6, wherein the cover, which is formed from the at least one holding lip, is held in the at least one of the gaps such that the cover interacts with the at least one contact-pressure lip, which is used as direct-contact protection and acts in a sprung manner.

12. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, comprising:

at least two contact-pressure lips, which are configured to prevent access to and manual intervention in the at least one of the gaps between the switchgear cabinet and the installed part.

13. The electrical switchgear cabinet according claim 1, wherein the cover has dimensions such that the cover is always connected directly to a circumference of a corresponding one of the installed parts which is close to an inner wall of the switchgear cabinet.

14. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 5, wherein the plastic profile ensures that the cover, which is closed all the way round, for the at least one of the gaps between the electrical switchgear cabinet and the corresponding one of the installed parts.

15. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the cover is in the form of a plastic hollow profile having holding and contact-pressure lips.

16. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the electrical switchgear cabinet is configured for at least one of a building installation and an industrial installation.

17. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the installed parts are panels each having standardized dimensions.

18. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the cover is formed from plastic.

19. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the cover is formed from at least two different types of plastics.

20. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 19, wherein the at least two different types of plastics include at least two different types of hard plastics.

21. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 4, wherein the at least two different types of plastics include at least two different types of hard plastics.

22. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 19, wherein the cover is in the form of a plastic profile.

23. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 22, wherein the plastic profile includes:

at least one holding lip composed of hard-tough plastic as a gap cover; and

at least one bead which is arranged parallel to the holding lip, is composed of soft plastic and is configured to provide direct-contact protection.

24. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 23, wherein the at least one holding lip is configured to engage in the at least one of the gaps between the switchgear cabinet and the corresponding one of the parts, respectively, and is configured to rest flush on an inner wall of the switchgear cabinet.

25. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 23, wherein the at least one holding lip is in the form of a hollow-chamber profile composed of a hard-tough plastic with hollow chambers.

26. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 23, wherein the at least one bead is formed in a sprung manner as a contact-pressure lip composed of an elastically flexible plastic, and is integrally connected to the profile which forms the holding lip.

27. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 26, wherein the at least one contact-pressure lip which is arranged parallel to the holding lip forms a profile which is provided with a hollow chamber.

28. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 23, wherein the cover, which is formed from the at least one holding lip, is held in the at least one of the gaps such that the cover interacts with the at least one contact-pressure lip, which is used as direct-contact protection and acts in a sprung manner.

29. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of sealing beds, which are configured to prevent access to and manual intervention in the at least one of the gaps between the switchgear cabinet and the installed part.

30. The electrical switchgear cabinet according claim 2, wherein the cover has dimensions such that the cover is always connected directly to a circumference of a corresponding one of the installed parts which is close to an inner wall of the switchgear cabinet.

31. The electrical switchgear cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the cover is in the form of a plastic hollow profile having holding and contact-pressure lips.