Abstract:
An extension device for an electrical cabinet is disclosed including a plurality of panel members, an access port in a first panel member of the plurality of panel members, a top engaging the plurality of panel members, and wherein the plurality of panel members is connected and defines a functional area. Additionally, a method of extending an electrical cabinet is disclosed, the method including the steps of forming an opening in the electrical cabinet to provide access to an internal area, positioning an extension device having an access port adjacent to the electrical cabinet, and aligning the access port and the opening in a spatial arrangement, and securing the extension device to the electrical cabinet.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/344,517, filed on Dec. 28, 2001, entitled EXTENSION CABINET FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND METHOD. 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to equipment cabinets. In particular, the present invention relates to an electrical cabinet used as an extension for pre-existing cabinets for electrical systems.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    As is known in the art, electrical cabinets are used to house an array of electrical components, such as telecommunications equipment and related components. An electrical cabinet permits components housed within the cabinet to be interconnected and also allows components within the cabinet to be connected to components outside the cabinet. The components housed within the cabinet often maintain or control telecommunications systems.  
           [0004]    Typically, these types of cabinets are utilized in electrical technology. Generally, the frame of such a cabinet supports wires, cables, modules, as well as various other types of built-in and inserted components and forms the supporting structure for the cabinet. Typically, the housing of the cabinet is completed through the introduction of wall elements and a door. The housing visually contains the contents of the cabinet, effects mechanical protection and, if necessary, electromagnetic shielding.  
           [0005]    Typically, administrators and technicians of a telecommunications systems contained within an electrical cabinet require regular access to components housed within the cabinet. The administrators desire such access to increase their ability to monitor a system&#39;s functions and/or to exert control over the housed system, while technicians desire such access to conduct repairs to the housed system.  
           [0006]    When an electrical cabinet is assembled, components may be installed to provide administrators and technicians with access to monitor a system&#39;s functions and/or to exert control or repairs over the systems housed in such cabinet. However, current installation techniques are labor intensive, often including the attachment or machining of several parts. Therefore, to reduce costs, the cabinets are typically constructed as compactly as possible.  
           [0007]    Moreover, due to the compact size of the cabinets for telecommunications systems, the access provided to components within electrical cabinets is inconvenient for the type of access desired. Current cabinets fail to provide quick and convenient regular access to stored components within electrical cabinets for telecommunications equipment and systems, since the compact size of current electrical cabinets tightly packs such equipment and systems.  
           [0008]    An electrical cabinet of the type mentioned above is generally located outdoors, and typically provides some degree of protection for the telecommunications equipment and systems housed in the cabinet against inclement weather and outside interventions. Their use is increasingly frequent, and it is therefore necessary to reduce their implementation cost while preserving their protective and tamper-proof qualities.  
           [0009]    Equipment cabinets for accommodating electronic components must meet a number of requirements as well. For example, these cabinets must have a high degree of mechanical strength, particularly with respect to stresses and during inclement weather, such as occurs during hurricanes, seismic disturbances, and the like. Furthermore, the required degree of accessibility for the housed components requires casing components that not only provide protection against dust and water but also against electromagnetic radiation.  
           [0010]    In operation, electronic systems generate electrical signals in the form of radio frequency waves or electromagnetic radiation or both. If not properly shielded, these signals can interfere with the operation of unrelated equipment. Radio frequency interference (“RFI”) is interference from sources of energy outside of an electrical system. Electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) is interference, generally at radio frequencies, generated within the electrical system itself. To prevent EMI/RFI interference, governmental regulations and industry standards require that the sources of radio frequency or electromagnetic radiation within a system be shielded.  
           [0011]    Additionally, sensitive electronic components must also be protected from more tangible forms of disruption. Other sources of disruption to the operation of electronics systems are moisture and foreign particles, such as dust. The presence of a substantial amount of either of these can corrode or otherwise impede electrical contacts.  
           [0012]    In view of the high cost of initial acquisition and installation, there is a need to provide an extension cabinet for existing electrical cabinets for telecommunications equipment and systems that permits existing electrical cabinets to be modified and/or converted at minimum expense and effort, and that further includes the properties of existing electrical cabinets.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned needs for an extension cabinet for existing electrical cabinets for telecommunications equipment and systems by providing an extension cabinet and a method of extending an electrical cabinet.  
           [0014]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of extending an electrical cabinet including the steps of creating an opening in the electrical cabinet to provide access to an internal area, positioning an extension device having an access port adjacent to the electrical cabinet, aligning the access port and the opening in a spatial arrangement, and securing the extension device to the electrical cabinet.  
           [0015]    The present invention is further directed to an extension device for an electrical cabinet comprising a plurality of panel members, an access port in a first panel member of the plurality of panel members, a top engaging the plurality of panel members, and wherein the plurality of panel members are connected and define a functional area.  
           [0016]    The present invention is additionally directed to an extension device for an electrical cabinet comprising a back member having an access port for accessing the electrical cabinet, at least one side member connected to the back member, a top member engaging the back member and the side member, and wherein the back member and the side member define a functional area.  
           [0017]    The present invention is still further directed to an extension device for an electrical cabinet comprising a back member having an access port for accessing the electrical cabinet, a first side member connected to the back member, a second side member connected to the back member, a top engaging the back member, first side member, and second side member, and wherein the back member, first side member, and second side member define a functional area. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a three-quarters view illustration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a three-quarters view illustration with additional components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a three-quarters view illustration with further additional components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 2.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 is a three-quarters view illustration with additional components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 3.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a three-quarters view illustration of the preferred embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 4 in use with a typical electrical cabinet.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 6 is a three-quarters view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as electrical cabinet extension  10 . Electrical cabinet extension  10  includes a plurality of panel members  11  that further includes a first panel member  12 , an access port  30  in first panel member  12 , and a top  20  engaging plurality of panel members  11 .  
         [0025]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, plurality of panel members  11  is connected and defines a functional area  100 . After an opening in the existing electrical cabinet is created, first panel member  12  is positioned adjacent to the opening. Access port  30  in first panel member  12  is aligned, as shown in FIG. 5, with an opening in electrical cabinet  90 . After access port  30  is aligned with the opening created in electrical cabinet  90 , electrical cabinet extension  10  is secured to electrical cabinet  90 .  
         [0026]    Electrical cabinet extension  10  is secured to electrical cabinet  90  at mounting holes  13  and fastener holes  14 . Mounting holes  13  allow fastening means (not shown), such as screws, bolts, and the like, to affix electrical cabinet extension  10  to electrical cabinet  90 . The fastening means allow for a more permanent securement to electrical cabinet  90 . Upon aligning access port  30  with the opening in electrical cabinet  90 , electrical cabinet extension  10  is affixed to electrical cabinet  90 . Placing fastening means through fastener holes  14  and into electrical cabinet  90  stabilizes the alignment of access port  30  with the opening in electrical cabinet  90 . The stabilized alignment between access port  30  and the opening in electrical cabinet  90  permits a portion of the contents of electrical cabinet  90  to drawn into electrical cabinet extension  10  through access port  30  of first panel member  12  of plurality of panel members  11 .  
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, plurality of panel members  11  may be formed from a single piece of material or may be formed from several pieces of material that are joined. Panel members  11  include lips  11   a . Lips  11   a  provide attachment points for shelf support  40  and additionally offer a degree of stability for the electrical cabinet extension  10  as well as further securement positions for top  20 .  
         [0028]    Top  20  may be formed from a portion of the material that forms plurality of panel members  11 . Top  20  may also be formed from material separate from the material that forms plurality of panel members  11 . Top  20  includes top member  21 , top side members  22 , and top front member  23 . Top member  21  functions as a covering for electrical cabinet extension  10 , thereby affording protection to components placed within functional area  100 . Top member  21 , top side members  22 , and top front member  23  may be formed from a single piece of material without interruptions or breaks at their intersecting edges  24 . Alternatively, top member  21 , top side members  22 , and top front member  23  may be formed from a single piece of material with interruptions or breaks at their intersecting edges  24 . In this situation, intersecting edges  24  are joined through a process such as welding or other similar joining process.  
         [0029]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes shelf  50 , retaining member  55 , and crossmembers  60 . Shelf  50  is supported by shelf support  40 , and may be attached to shelf support  40  by processes such as welding or other similar attachment processes. Shelf  50  additionally incorporates large shelf support holes  51  and small shelf support holes  52 . Large shelf support hole  51  provides an opening through which electrical cabinet extension support structure  53  extends. Electrical cabinet extension support structure  53  engages the substrate on which electrical cabinet extension  10  resides and functions as a mount for electrical cabinet extension  10  to the substrate. Electrical cabinet extension support structure  53  may be hollow, solid, or filled with a material, such as concrete. Small shelf support hole  52  provides an opening through which electrical cabinet extension small structure  54  extends. Electrical cabinet extension small structure  54  may function as a drainage structure for ensuring excess moisture does not collect in electrical cabinet extension  10 .  
         [0030]    Both electrical cabinet extension support structure  53  and electrical cabinet extension small structure  54  are provided with supplementary support through the addition of support material (not shown). This support material may include rocks, gravel, foam, or other material that has sufficiently cleaned so as to diminish particulate matter that may harm the components in the functional area. The support material additionally functions as drainage and filtering means.  
         [0031]    The support material is contained by plurality of panel members  11  and by retaining member  55 . Retaining member  55  engages lips  11   a,  where it is secured into position. Retaining member  55  prevents the support material from excessively moving.  
         [0032]    Further support for electrical cabinet extension  10  is provided by crossmembers  60 . Crossmembers  60  extend transversely across functional area  100 , each end of crossmembers  60  engaging a side member  11 . In doing so, crossmembers  60  provide stability and torsional support to electrical cabinet extension  10 .  
         [0033]    As shown in FIG. 3, electrical cabinet extension  10  may additionally include access panel  70 . Access panel  70  protects the components that are brought into functional area  100 . Moreover, access panel  70  may act as a barrier to the components in functional area  100 , thus preventing a user from unintentional contact with the components.  
         [0034]    Access panel  70  includes spaces  71 , hinging means  72 , and securing means  73 . Spaces  71  allow for heat to dissipate, reducing the potential for a heat-damaging incident. Moreover, spaces  71  permit the user to visually confirm the position of the components in functional area  100  prior to engaging access panel  70 . Access panel  70  is positioned by hinging means  72 . Hinging means  72  is mounted to access panel  70 , and is any one of a number of hinges known in the art. Hinging means  72  engages panel members  11 , so as to provide rotation points that allow a user to pivot or swing access panel  70  to a position that permits access to functional area  100 .  
         [0035]    Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, access panel  70  is secured in position by securing means  73 . Securing means  73  may include sliding pins, spring-loaded mechanisms, locks, or the like. The user engages securing means  73  to either release access panel  70  from its resting position, or to secure access panel  70  into its resting position.  
         [0036]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes at least one door  80 . Door  80  provides security from the elements, as well as from undesired users, and includes handle  81  and lock supporting member  82 . Handle  81  assists the user in opening door  80  and subsequently accessing functional area  100 . Lock supporting member  82  allows the user to further secure electrical cabinet extension  10  any one of a vast array of known locks. Door  80  is operatively engaged to electrical cabinet extension  10  in a conventional manner as is well known in the art.  
         [0037]    An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows an electrical cabinet extension  110  having sides  11   b  and  11   c,  but functioning in a similar fashion to the preferred embodiment.  
         [0038]    In practicing the method of the preferred embodiment, an opening is created in electrical cabinet  90  (shown in FIG.  5 ). This opening provides access to an internal area of electrical cabinet  90 . Electrical cabinet extension  10  is positioned adjacent to electrical cabinet  90 , in a manner that results in the alignment of the opening with access port  30  in a spatial arrangement. The spatial arrangement is such that access port  30  and the opening in electrical cabinet  90  can be readily fastened together. Electrical cabinet extension  10  and electrical cabinet  90  are thus secured to one another, as is shown in FIG. 5. Components from electrical cabinet  90 , such as wires, are drawn into functional area  100  of electrical cabinet extension  10 . By relocating components into functional area  100  from electrical cabinet  90 , a user can more easily work with such components. Moreover, the additional space permits heat generated by the components to dissipate more readily.  
         [0039]    Although only a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications are to the exemplary embodiments are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.