DE9315131U1 - Equipment cabinet - Google Patents

Description

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S 4178/93-Gbm
October 4, 1993

Description

The invention relates to an equipment cabinet for installing module carriers as well as housings for electronic and optoelectronic components and their accessories, with a support frame, with side panels, floor panels, ceiling panels, a rear wall and a door, which are arranged on the support frame and with a cabinet base.

The invention is particularly used in the field of setting up and operating local networks, where high cabling densities are required.

Equipment cabinets for industrial electronics, in which module carriers with electronic and conventional electrical components together with their wiring fields, the peripheral wire connection field, ventilation and other accessories, protected against dust, water and accidental contact with live parts, are well known. Their typical structure consists of a frame with a rectangular floor plan with four posts and a ceiling and a floor section in the form of a frame or four pillars each. The module carriers are attached to the frame. The closed cabinet is created by covering all sides with side and rear walls, with a door and with ceiling and floor panels (Dr. Dirk Hesse, Handbook of the 19" assembly system, 1986, Markt & Technik Verlag, pages 119 to 121). The above-mentioned covering parts are usually attached directly to the frame. Since the external cabling of the built-in electronic devices is minimal, there is no problem threading the few relatively thin cable strands and leading them out through small openings, flaps or special ducts.

The well-known equipment cabinets with their characteristic design under

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The use of a covered frame consisting of posts and beams is unsuitable for laying and distributing large quantities of cables, as well as cables with large diameters and therefore low flexibility. The task in connection with local networks (LAN) requires free access for large quantities of cables to the installation area of the electronic devices and the distribution panels (patch panels). Relatively stiff cables can no longer be threaded inside the barrier - in order to guide them anyway, it is necessary to remove or dismantle parts of the cabinet before laying, if such a procedure is even possible. The problems, time-consuming circumstances and disadvantages resulting from damage that arise in this case require no further explanation.

The invention has the task of designing an equipment cabinet for the installation of module carriers as well as housings and frames of electronic and electrical components that require a high cabling density, which takes into account all requirements for free access of the cables and cable harnesses to the installation area of the devices.

To solve the task, an equipment cabinet of the typical design described above for the installation of module carriers and housings for electronic and optoelectronic components and their accessories, with a support frame, with side panels, floor panels, ceiling panels, a rear wall and a door, which are arranged on the support frame, and with a cabinet base, is assumed.

The problem is solved in that a rectangular frame serves as the support frame, which has two vertical frame legs as well as a horizontal upper connector and a horizontal lower connector, that two upper front support arms and two lower front support arms protrude from the front of the frame, that two upper rear support arms and two lower rear support arms protrude from the back of the frame, that all support arms are each attached in the area of the corners of the frame, that all support arms are arranged parallel to one another and perpendicular to the plane of the frame, and that the side panels, the floor panels, the ceiling panels, the rear wall and the door are arranged on the support arms.

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The core of the invention can be seen in the rectangular, wide frame, which functions as a device carrier cell. The module carriers and the housings etc. are inserted and secured in the frame, and then these are wired from the front and back. The cable harnesses can be brought in from below, from above and from both sides. Finally, the device cell equipped in this way becomes a closed cabinet or a row of cabinets by subsequently attaching the panels. The support arms of suitable length protruding from the front and back of the support frame are used to attach the panel elements (the side, floor and ceiling paneling, the rear wall and the door). These allow the panels to be arranged and secured at a sufficient distance from the devices installed in the frame, taking into account their extensive, space-consuming cabling.

Mobile assembly frames for the universally accessible construction of test arrangements are known, which are available on the market under the name "laboratory frame" (Schroff GmbH catalog, "We give electronics shape", D 9/92, pages 16.13, 16.14, 16.15 and 16.16). However, subsequent cladding of these laboratory frames is not planned; it is also not possible due to the lack of fastening options for the cladding parts.

To ensure the frame is very strong, its two frame legs and the two connectors have a U-profile with a wide U-back and low U-legs.

For manufacturing reasons, it is advantageous if the frame legs and the connectors have the same width.

It is advantageous for the U-shaped legs of the frame legs and the connectors to point towards the inside of the frame. This measure increases the torsional rigidity of the frame.

To gain additional space for laying cables or cable harnesses on the sides of the frame, the U-legs of the frame legs can point outwards and the U-legs of the connectors can point towards the inside of the frame.

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The U-legs of the frame legs conveniently have rows of mounting holes. These mounting holes serve as an aid for attaching the subracks, the housings and also the support floors.

According to another important feature of the invention, the frame legs can be detachably attached to the connectors. This makes it possible to change the clear width of the frame for installing the subracks at any time in order to be able to adapt the interior of the equipment cabinet to the width of the subracks or the devices.

For practical purposes, separate fastening elements are provided for attaching the frame legs to the connectors. Screw holes arranged on both sides can also be used as fastening elements.

For the purpose of efficient production of the equipment cabinet, all support arms can be equal-length supports made from standard rectangular tubes.

However, the support arms can also be made of U-profile bars that are attached to the connectors with their backs.

The height of the equipment cabinet can be reduced if the lower support arms form the cabinet base and support height-adjustable screw feet.

The support arms attached to the frame will conveniently have fastening means for the side panels, the floor panels and the ceiling panels.

According to another feature of the invention, the free ends of the upper and lower support arms protruding from the front of the frame and the free ends of the upper and lower support arms protruding from the rear of the frame are each connected to one another by upper and lower fastening strips. These fastening strips help to increase the stability of the frame and they effectively prevent the bending of the support arms if they are particularly long.

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It is advantageous if the door is hinged at the top and bottom using the two fastening strips provided on the front of the frame. The door can also be attached directly to an upper and lower support arm.

The back panel can be attached at the top and bottom to the two fastening strips provided on the back of the frame.

It is practical to install a side wall panel, which essentially has a U-shaped cross-section, parallel to the two frame legs and between an upper support arm and a lower support arm.

It is advantageous to have a ceiling panel with a U-shaped cross-section on both sides of the horizontal upper connector and in its plane between two upper support arms.

A floor panel with a U-shaped cross-section can be installed on both sides of the horizontal lower connector and in its plane between two lower support arms.

In one design of the equipment cabinet, the two horizontal connectors extend beyond the vertical frame legs in their longitudinal direction. This measure increases the distance between the two frame legs on the one hand and the side wall panels on the other hand in order to accommodate cable harnesses.

In order to enable cables to be fed in from above or below, even next to the frame legs, the two horizontal connectors have recesses on their narrow sides.

In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, an outward-facing fastening tab is attached to each of the eight support arms. Depending on their dimensions, these fastening tabs allow the side wall panels to be attached at a selectable distance from the outside of the frame in order to gain extra space for laying even very thick cable harnesses.

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The proposed horizontally arranged fastening tabs can have suitable fastening means for two side wall panels arranged next to each other or for a single-piece side wall panel.

The invention is explained in more detail below using two exemplary embodiments with reference to the two attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows an equipment cabinet in a perspective, exploded

Depiction;

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of an equipment cabinet, also

presented in perspective and explosively.

The equipment cabinet shown in Figure 1, which is intended for the installation of module carriers and/or housings of electronic and optoelectronic devices as well as their accessories such as power supplies, etc., essentially consists of a support frame in the form of a frame 1 and a number of cladding elements, namely side cladding 2, floor cladding 3, ceiling cladding 4, a rear wall 5 and a door 6, and it has a cabinet base 7.

The rectangular, wide frame 1 is made up of two vertical frame legs 8 and 9 as well as a horizontal, upper connector 10 and a lower connector 11, which is also horizontal. The two frame legs 8 and 9 and the two connectors 10 and 11 are firmly connected to one another and are made of sheet steel. They all have the same U-profile with a very wide U-back 12 and two low, right-angled U-legs 13. Frame legs 8, 9 and connectors 10, 11 have the same width b. All U-legs 13 of the frame legs 8, 9 and the connectors 10, 11 point towards the inside of the frame. The U-legs 13 of the vertical frame legs 8, 9 have rows of fastening holes c arranged in a standardized grid dimension, which are intended for fastening the module carriers and the devices or sliding rails or device carriers.

In Figure 1, a simplified representation of a subrack a is shown, which in the

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Frame 1 is arranged between the two vertical frame legs 8, 9. Its front panel, which protrudes on both sides, is screwed on using the rectangular fastening holes c provided on the U-legs 13.

Two upper, front support arms 15 and 16 and two lower, front support arms 17 and 18 protrude from the front side 14 of the frame 1, and two upper, rear support arms 20 and 21 and two lower, rear support arms 22, 23 protrude from the back side 19. All of these eight support arms 15 to 18 and 20 to 23 are attached to the corners 24 of the frame 1, they are parallel to one another and are arranged perpendicular to the plane of the frame 1. The lower support arms 17, 18 and 22, 23 form (together with the lower connector 11) the cabinet base 7 and they carry height-adjustable screw feet 25. It is within the scope of the invention if each connector 11 or 12 together with its respective front and rear support arms 15 to 18 or 20 to 23 is manufactured in one piece as a cast part with an H-shape in plan, with the lower cast part forming the cabinet base 7.

All eight support arms 15 to 18 and 20 to 23 are equally long supports made of rectangular tubes, and they have fastening means 26 in the form of screw holes for the four side panels 2, the two floor panels 3 and the two ceiling panels 4.

The free ends of the upper support arms 15 and 16 arranged on the front side 14 of the frame are connected to one another by an upper, front fastening strip 27 and the free ends of the lower support arms 17 and 18 are connected to one another by a lower, front fastening strip 28. To create the connection, the two fastening strips 27 and 28 have slightly conical plugs 29 near their ends on the side, which are pressed into the rectangular tubes forming the support arms 15 to 18 and 20 to 23. The door 6 in the form of a pivoting door with a door handle is hinged to these two fastening strips 27 and 28 at the top and bottom, which is indicated by the dash-dotted pivot axes 30.

The free ends of the upper support arms 19 and 20 provided on the rear side 19 of the frame 1 are connected by an upper, rear fastening strip 31 and the

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The ends of the lower, rear support arms 22 and 23 are connected by means of a lower, rear fastening strip 32, which also has a connector 29. The rear wall 5 is screwed onto these two rear fastening strips 31 and 32.

The four side wall panels 2 of equal width and length are made of steel sheet and have a low, U-shaped cross-section, with the inward-facing legs 33 of the U carrying edge strips 34 bent at right angles and facing each other. The lower edge strips 34 of the two rear side wall panels 2 are provided with stop strips 35 bent at right angles in opposite directions for the rear wall 5. Each side wall panel 2 is inserted parallel to a frame leg 8 or 9 and between an upper support arm 15 or 16 and a lower support arm 17 or 18 and screwed there.

The two equally sized ceiling panels 4 made of sheet steel have - like the side wall panels 2 - a low U-shaped cross-section and are inserted on both sides of the horizontal, upper connector 10 and in its plane between two upper, front and rear support arms 15, 16 and 20, 21 respectively and are screwed there using aligned holes 36.

The two floor panels 3, whose dimensions and design correspond to those of the ceiling panels 4, are inserted and fastened on both sides of the lower connector 11 between two lower support arms 17, 18 and 22, 23.

The equipment cabinet shown in Figure 2 corresponds in principle to that in Figure 1, but the two frame legs 8', 9' are detachably attached to the connectors 10, 11', the clear width of the frame 1 is thus adjustable. Cube-shaped, screwed fastening elements 37 made of bent sheet steel are used to connect the frame legs 8', 9' to the connectors 10', 11'. The U-legs 13' of the two frame legs 8', 9' point outwards, and those of the two connectors 10', 11' point inwards towards each other.

In this embodiment of the equipment cabinet (according to Figure 2), the frame 1' is mounted so that the two horizontal connectors 10', 11' are in their longitudinal direction

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tion protrude slightly beyond the vertical frame legs 8', 9'. The two connectors 10', 11' have rectangular recesses 39 on their narrow sides 38 in plan.

The support arms 15' to 18' and 20' to 23', which protrude from the front 14' and the back 19' of the frame 1', are formed in this embodiment of the equipment cabinet from U-profile bars of the same dimensions, which are fastened with their backs 40 to the U-backs 12' of the horizontal connectors 10', 11'.

An outward-facing fastening tab 41 is attached to each of the eight support arms 15' to 18' and 20' to 23'. These fastening tabs 41 are intended for fastening one-piece side panels 2' and for this purpose are provided with holding means 42 in the form of holes and studs, which interact with corresponding counter-elements 43 provided in the edge strips 44 of the side panel 2'. The fastening tabs 41 can also be attached after the cable has been installed.

The two floor panels 3' and the two ceiling panels 4' are, as in the equipment cabinet according to Figure 1, each inserted between two support arms 17' and 18', 22' and 23' or 15' and 16', 20' and 21', for which purpose they are bent twice at right angles in opposite directions on their front edges.

The rear wall 5' and the door 6' are each fastened or hinged to two fastening strips 31', 32' and 27', 28', respectively, which are fastened to the free ends of the support arms 15' to 18' and 20' to 23' by means of longitudinal edge strips 45.

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S 4178/93-Gbm
October 4, 1993

List of reference symbols

1.1' frame

2.2' side panels

3.3' Floor Panels

4.4' Ceiling Panels

5.5' rear wall

6.6' door

7 Cabinet base

8, 8' frame leg, vertical

9, 9' frame leg, vertical 10,10' connector, upper

11,11' connector, lower

12.12' U-back

13.13' U-leg

b Width

a subrack

14.14' Front (of 1)

15.15' support arm, upper, front

16, 16' support arm, upper, front

17.17' Support arm, lower, front

18.18' Support arm, lower, front

19.19' Back (of 1)

20, 20' support arm, upper, rear

21, 21' support arm, upper, rear

22, 22' support arm, lower, rear

23, 23' Support arm, lower, rear c Mounting holes (in 13)

24 corners (from 1)

25 screw feet

26 Fasteners

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27, 27' Mounting bar, upper, front

28, 28' mounting strip, lower, front

29 plugs

30 swivel axes

31, 31' Mounting bar, upper, rear

32, 32' mounting strip, lower, rear

33 leg 34 Edge strips 35 Stop strips 36 Holes 37 Fasteners 38 Narrow sides (from 10', 11') 39 Recesses 40 Back (from 15' to 18', 20' to 23') 41 Mounting tabs 42 Holding devices 43 Counterorgans 44 Edge strips 45 Edge strip

Claims (22)

PATENT ATTORNEYS DURM & DURM EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS FELIX-MOTTL-STRASSE 1A D-76185 KARLSRUHE TELEPHONE (0721) 85 33 55 S4178/93-Gbm 4 October 1993 Schroff GmbH Equipment cabinet Protection claims 1. Equipment cabinet for installing module carriers and housings for electronic and optoelectronic components and their accessories - with a support frame, - with side panels, floor panels, ceiling panels, a rear wall and a door arranged on the supporting frame, and - with a cabinet base,
characterized in that - a rectangular frame (1;&Ggr;) serves as the support frame, which has two vertical frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') as well as a horizontal, upper connector (10; 10') and a horizontal, lower connector (11; 11'), - two upper, front support arms (15,16; 15', 16') and two lower, front support arms (17,18; 17, 18') protrude from the front (14; 14') of the frame (1; 1'), - two upper, rear support arms (20, 21; 20', 21') and two lower, rear support arms (22, 23; 22', 23') protrude from the rear side (19; 19') of the frame (1; 1'), - all support arms (15 to 18, 20 to 23; 15' to 18', 20' to 23') are each attached in the area of the corners (24) of the frame (1; &Ggr;), -2- - all support arms (15 to 18, 20 - 23; 15' to 18', 20' to 23') are arranged parallel to each other and vertically on the plane of the frame (1; 1'), and - the side panels (2; 2'), the floor panels (3; 3'), the ceiling panels (4; 4'), the rear wall (5; 5') and the door (6; 6') are arranged on the support arms (15 to 18, 20 to 23; 15' to 18', 20' to 23'). 2. Equipment cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that the two frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') and the two connectors (10, 11; 10', 11') have a U-profile with a wide U-back (12; 12') and low U-legs (13). 3. Equipment cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that the frame legs (8, 9; 8' 9') and the connectors (10, 11; 10', 11') have the same width (b). 4. Equipment cabinet according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the U-legs (13) of the frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') and the connectors (10, 11; 10', 11') point towards the interior of the frame. 5. Equipment cabinet according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the U-legs (13; 13') of the frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') point outwards and the U-legs (13) of the connectors (10, 11; 10', 11') point towards the inside of the frame. 6. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the U-legs (13; 13') of the frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') carry rows of fastening holes (c). 7. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') are detachably attached to the connectors (10, 11; 10', 11'). 8. Equipment cabinet according to claim 7, characterized in that fastening elements (37) are provided for fastening the frame legs (8, 9; 8', 9') to the connectors (10, 11; 10', 11'). 9. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that -3- characterized in that all support arms (15 to 19, 20 to 23) are equally long sockets made of rectangular tubes. 10. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the support arms (15' to 19", 20' to 23') are formed from U-profile bars, which are fastened with their backs to the connectors (10', 11'). 11. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the lower support arms (17, 18 and 22, 23; 17', 18' and 22', 23') form the cabinet base (7) and carry height-adjustable screw feet (25). 12. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the support arms (15 to 19, 20 to 23; 15' to 19', 20' to 23') have fastening means (26) for the side panels (2; 2'), the floor panels (3; 3') and the ceiling panels (4; 4'). 13. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the free ends of the upper and lower support arms (15 to 19; 15' to 19') projecting from the front side (14) of the frame (1; 1') and the free ends of the upper and lower support arms (20 to 23; 20' to 23') projecting from the rear side (19) of the frame (1; 1') are each connected to one another by upper and lower fastening strips (27, 28 and 31, 32; 27', 28' and 31', 32'). 14. Equipment cabinet according to claim 13, characterized in that the door (6; 6') is hinged at the top and bottom to the two fastening strips (27, 28; 27' 28') provided on the front side (14) of the frame (1; 1'). 15. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that the rear wall (5; 5') is fastened at the top and bottom to the two fastening strips (31, 32; 31' 32') provided on the rear side (19) of the frame 1; 1'). 16. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 9 and 11 to 15, characterized in that parallel to the two frame legs (8, 9) and in each case between an upper support arm (15, 16 or 20, 21) and a lower -4- A side wall panel (2) is inserted into each support arm (17, 18 or 22, 23) which essentially has a U-shaped cross-section. 17. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 9 and 11 to 16, characterized in that a ceiling panel (4; 4') having a U-shaped cross-section is inserted on both sides of the horizontal, upper connector (10; 10') and in its plane between two upper support arms (15, 16 or 20, 21; 15', 16' or 20' 21'). 18. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 9 and 11 to 17, characterized in that a floor panel (3; 3') having a U-shaped cross-section is inserted on both sides of the horizontal, lower connector (11; 11') and in its plane between two lower support arms (17, 18 or 22, 23; 17', 18' or 22', 23'). 19. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the two horizontal connectors (10', 11') project laterally in their longitudinal direction beyond the vertical frame legs ( ⁸¹ , 9'). 20. Equipment cabinet according to claim 19, characterized in that the two horizontal connectors (10', 11') have recesses (39) on their narrow sides (38). 21. Equipment cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that an outwardly pointing fastening tab (41) is attached to each of the eight support arms (15 to 18 or 20 to 23; 15' to 18' or 20' to 23'). 22. Equipment cabinet according to claim 21, characterized in that the fastening tabs (41) have holding means (42) for one-piece side panels (2').