Abstract:
Systems and methods for weatherproof cabinets with variably cooled compartments are provided. One such embodiment includes a housing having a door attached thereto, and in which a cooling compartment and a battery compartment are disposed. An electronics compartment is disposed within the cooling compartment, and an external fan is also disposed within the housing. Methods are also provided for transferring heat from inside the electronics compartment to the cooling compartment, from the cooling compartment to the outside of the housing, and from the battery compartment to the outside of the housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally related to telecommunications enclosures and, more particularly, is related to systems and methods for weatherproof cabinets with variably cooled compartments. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The growing demand for telecommunications services has caused a corresponding increased demand for weatherproof cabinets that are capable of accommodating telecommunications equipment installed outdoors or in other weather exposed environments. Such cabinets are typically used to enclose electronic equipment along with batteries that provide backup power to the electronic equipment in the event that the normal power source (e.g., from a commercial utility) is interrupted. Modern telecommunications equipment, particularly newer generation electronic equipment and batteries, often require different ambient environments to function optimally. Thus, different ambient environments may need to be provided for such equipment within the same cabinet. 
     Existing cabinets have typically displayed shortcomings in the capability to provide different ambient environments needed to facilitate the optimal operation of modem telecommunications equipment. For example, some existing cabinets enclose electronic equipment and batteries in the same compartment and, thus, do not provide different ambient environments for this equipment. Other existing cabinets enclose equipment, such as the electronic equipment and the batteries, in different compartments, but fail to provide sufficient cooling of this equipment—thus, such cabinets also fail to provide the required ambient environments. Further, some existing cabinets also fail to prevent the undesirable accumulation of excessive particles and debris on enclosed equipment, such as the batteries, which may make maintenance and repairs difficult and may also contribute to decreased operating performance and life-span. 
     Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that there is a need for improved systems and methods which address the above-mentioned, as well as other, shortcomings of existing systems and methods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides systems and methods for weatherproof cabinets with variably cooled compartments. 
     Briefly described, one embodiment of the system, among others, includes a housing. A door is attached to the housing. Disposed within the housing is a cooling compartment and a battery compartment. An electronics compartment is disposed within the cooling compartment. Additionally, an external fan is disposed within the housing. 
     The present invention can also be viewed as providing methods for weatherproof cabinets with variably cooled compartments. In this regard, one embodiment of such a method, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following: providing a weatherproof cabinet with multiple compartments, transferring heat from an electronics compartment to the exterior of the compartment, transferring heat from the exterior of the electronics compartment to outside of the cabinet, and transferring heat from a battery compartment to outside of the cabinet. 
     Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2A  is a cutaway front view of an embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in FIG.  1 . 
         FIG. 2B  is a cutaway top view of an embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 2A  that has a double-walled door. 
         FIG. 2C  is a cutaway top view of an alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 2A  that has a single-walled door. 
         FIG. 3  is a cutaway front view of a first alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has an internal duct. 
         FIG. 4  is a cutaway front view of a second alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a compartment cooled by natural convection. 
         FIG. 5  is a cutaway front view of a third alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a compartment cooled by conduction. 
         FIG. 6  is a cutaway front view of a fourth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has heat exchanging elements. 
         FIG. 7  is a cutaway front view of a fifth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has common motor fans. 
         FIG. 8  is a cutaway front view of a sixth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a separate walled battery compartment. 
         FIG. 9  is a cutaway front view of a seventh alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has pulled air cooling of the battery compartment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention now will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are intended to convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, all “examples” given herein are intended to be non-limiting. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a weatherproof cabinet  100  with variably cooled compartments is shown. The cabinet  100  includes a housing  102  and a door or cover  104 . Although not depicted, in some embodiments, the cabinet  100  may include more than one door—for example, the cabinet  100  may include one or more doors on opposite sides of the cabinet  100  or adjacent to each other on the same side of the cabinet  100 . The housing  102  typically has several walls of various shapes and sizes as depicted, for example, in FIG.  1 . The door  104  is typically attached to one or more walls of the housing  102  by some means for attachment, such as hinges, screw fasteners, or other elements, which may be known in the art. The door  104  may include one or more walls of various sizes and shapes. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the door  104  may have a double-walled construction that includes an outer wall  106  and an inner wall  108 . Further, the inner wall  108  may be spaced from the outer wall  106  by some means for spacing, such as “I”-shaped spacers, “Z”-shaped spacers, spacer-bolt assemblies, spacer columns, or other elements, which may be known in the art. In this regard, the inner wall  108  and outer wall  106  may be at least substantially thermally independent such that there is a substantial absence of thermal transfer between the surfaces of the walls  106 ,  108 . For example, solar heating of the cabinet  100  will typically not result in substantial heat transfer from the outer door wall  106  to the inner door wall  108 . In some embodiments, the outer wall  106  and inner wall  108  may be separate assemblies. 
     The walls of the housing  102  may include one or more vents  110 . For example, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the side walls of the housing  102  may have a plurality of vents  110  (the vents  110  on the right-side wall are not depicted in FIG.  1 ). The vents  110  may alternately be included on one or more other walls of the housing  102 , instead of the side walls, or additional vents (not depicted) may be included on other walls of the housing  102  as well. The vents  110  may be provided in various sizes, shapes, and configurations. Typically, the vents  110  provide one or more openings in the side walls that allow the through-flow of air. Moreover, the vents  110  may be shaped or otherwise configured to minimize the ingress of moisture and debris into the cabinet  100 , for example, in the form of wind-swept rain, dust, or other particles. The vents  110  may also be at least partially covered by some means for filtering (not depicted), such as filter media, screening, or other elements, which may be known in the art, to minimize the ingress of moisture and debris into the cabinet  100 . 
     In order to facilitate the weatherproof characteristics of the cabinet  100 , the housing  102  and door  104  may include other features that promote such characteristics. For example, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the top wall  109  of the housing  102  may extend over the door  104  when it is in a closed position in order to minimize the accumulation and possible ingress of moisture, for example from rain or snow, at the top section where the closed door  104  and housing  102  meet. As another example, the door  104  and/or the surface of the housing  102  that contacts the door  104  when it is closed may include some means for sealing (not depicted) the cabinet  102 , such as one or more gaskets, seals, or other elements, which may be known in the art. Other elements that facilitate the weatherproof characteristics of the cabinet  102 , and which may be known in the art, may be included as part of the cabinet  102  within the scope of the invention. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the interior of the cabinet  100  may include several compartments. The cabinet  100  typically includes a main compartment  112  that usually serves to enclose electronic equipment that is installed in the cabinet  100 . This main compartment  112  is typically formed of one or more separate walls from the walls that form the housing  102 , and the main compartment  112  may be spaced from other walls and/or compartments within the housing  102  by some means for spacing, such as those discussed above with respect to the walls of the door  104 . As a result, the main compartment  112  may be substantially thermally independent from other compartments and/or walls of the cabinet  102 . For example, solar heating of the cabinet  100  will typically not result in substantial heat transfer from the walls of housing  102  to the walls of the main compartment  112 , which might interfere with the cooling of enclosed electronic equipment. The main compartment  112  typically provides full enclosure, which may include a water-tight and/or air-tight environment, of equipment installed within it when the main compartment  112  is closed. In this regard, a wall of the main compartment  112 , such as the front wall, may be provided by the inner wall  108  of the door  104 . In this manner, the interior space of the main compartment  112  can be accessed, for example to access equipment installed within the main compartment  112 , when the door  104  of the cabinet  100  is open. Alternately, for example, a wall of the main compartment  112 , such as the front wall, may be provided by a separate wall panel (not depicted) that is attached to the main compartment  112  by some means for attachment, such as those discussed above with respect to the door  104 . 
     Although not depicted in  FIG. 1 , in some embodiments of the cabinet  100 , one or more walls of the main compartment  112  may be provided by a single walled door (not depicted) which also provides a wall to other compartments of the housing. Additionally, the walls of the main compartment  112  may include one or more openings that are fitted with some means for connecting (not depicted), such as a cable connector, a strain relief cable connector, or other components, which may be known in the art. Such means for connecting may facilitate the passage of cables into the main compartment  112  and, in that regard, may also provide a seal or barrier between the main compartment  112  and other compartments of the cabinet  100 . 
     The cabinet  100  typically also includes an auxiliary compartment  114  that usually encloses batteries and related equipment. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , one or more walls of the auxiliary compartment  114  may be formed from the walls of the housing  102 . Moreover, the outer wall  106  of the door  104  typically serves as a wall, such as the front wall, of the auxiliary compartment  114 , although in some embodiments, a separate wall may be provided and attached to the compartment  114 , for example, by some means for attachment as discussed above. 
     An entrance compartment  116  is also typically included in the cabinet  100 . The entrance compartment  116  typically provides a location on the cabinet  100  where one or more power cables, telecommunications cables, and/or other components can be routed into the cabinet  100 , for example, from one or more conduits or a trench. In that regard, the bottom wall of the entrance compartment  116  typically has one or more openings (not depicted) for cables and/or other components to be passed through and into the cabinet  100 . Furthermore, other walls of the entrance compartment  116  may also have openings (not depicted) so that cables or other components can be routed to other compartments within the cabinet  100 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , one or more walls of the entrance compartment  116  may be formed from the walls of the housing  102 . Further, the outer wall  106  of the door  104  typically serves as a wall, such as the front wall, of the entrance compartment  116 , although in some embodiments, a separate wall may be provided and attached to the compartment  116 , for example, by some means for attachment as discussed above. 
     A cooling compartment  120  is also a typical feature of the cabinet  100 . As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the cooling compartment  120  typically surrounds the main compartment  112 . In that regard, the cooling compartment  120  typically serves to circulate air around the walls of the main compartment  112  to facilitate thermal transfer, such as cooling, from the main compartment  112 . Typically, the outer wall  106  of the door  104  serves as a wall, such as the front wall, of the cooling compartment  120 , and one or more walls of the housing  102  may form the other walls of the cooling compartment  120 , as shown. 
     In some embodiments, the cabinet  100  may also include a vent compartment  118 , as depicted for example in FIG.  1 . The vent compartment  118  typically includes at least one wall of the housing  102  that has vents  110 . In that regard, the vent compartment  118  may serve as an air plenum when air enters or exits the vent compartment  118  through the vents  110 . As will be discussed further below with respect to other figures, the walls of the vent compartment  118  typically have additional openings, besides the vents  110 , to facilitate the movement of air through the cabinet  100 . It is noted that some embodiments (not shown) of the cabinet  100  may not include a vent compartment  118 —in such embodiments, the vents  110  may provide several openings directly into the cooling compartment  120  to facilitate the flow of air through the cabinet  100 . 
     The cabinet  100  may also include other compartments that serve various purposes within the scope of the invention. The various elements of the cabinet  100 , such as the walls of the housing  102  and the door  104 , may be constructed of various materials, such as metal, plastic, or other materials, which may be known in the art. Factors such as thermal characteristics, strength, and durability, for example, may affect the type of materials that the various elements of the cabinet  100  are constructed from. 
       FIG. 2A  shows a cutaway front view of a weatherproof cabinet  200  with variably cooled compartments that has many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinet  100  discussed with respect to FIG.  1 . The cabinet  200  has a housing  202  which typically surrounds various compartments within the cabinet  200 . The housing  202  has substantially similar characteristics to the housing  102  described above with respect to FIG.  1 . In that regard, each side wall of the housing  202  typically includes one or more left-side vents  210  and right-side vents  211 , as depicted in  FIG. 2 , which are substantially similar to the vents  110  described above. 
     The cabinet  200  includes an electronics compartment  212  which typically holds electronic equipment  213 , such as telecommunications equipment. The electronics compartment  212  typically has substantially similar characteristics to the main compartment  112  discussed above with respect to FIG.  1 . For example, the electronics compartment  212  is typically formed of separate walls from those that form the other compartments of the cabinet  200 . Further, the electronics compartment  212  typically provides full enclosure of the electronic equipment  213  when the electronics compartment  212  is closed. 
     The cabinet  200  also typically includes a battery compartment  214  which typically holds one or more batteries and related equipment. The battery compartment  214  is typically substantially similar in characteristics to the auxiliary compartment  114  discussed above with respect to FIG.  1 . As depicted in  FIG. 2 , one or more walls of the battery compartments may have openings in them to allow air or other gaseous flow through the battery compartment  214 , for example hydrogen produced by batteries—this feature will be discussed further below. 
     A cable entrance compartment  216  is also typically included in the cabinet  200 . 
     The cable entrance compartment  216  has substantially similar characteristics to the entrance compartment  116  discussed above for FIG.  1 . For example, the cable entrance compartment  216  typically provides a location where one or more power cables, telecommunications cables, and/or other components can be routed into the cabinet  200 . The cable entrance compartment  216  may also include one or more openings in the walls of the compartment  216  to facilitate the flow of air through the cabinet  200 . 
     The cabinet  200  also typically includes a vent compartment  218  which has substantially similar characteristics to the vent compartment  118  discussed with regard to FIG.  1 . In that regard, the vent compartment  218  may serve as an air plenum when air enters or exits the vent compartment  218  through the left-side vents  210 . The cabinet  200  also typically includes a cooling compartment  220  that is substantially similar to the cooling compartment  120  discussed above in FIG.  1 . Thus, the cooling compartment  220  typically surrounds the electronics compartment  212 , as depicted, and serves to circulate air around the walls of the electronics compartment  212  to facilitate thermal transfer, such as for cooling, from the electronics compartment  212 . 
     In addition to the various elements discussed above, the cabinet  200  also typically includes one or more external fans  222 . The external fans  222  may be provided by various types and configurations of fans which may be known in the art. Typically, the external fans  222  have at least a motor and one or more fan blades. Further, the external fans  222  are typically mounted at or near an opening in the wall between the vent compartment  218  and the cooling compartment  220  by some means for mounting (not depicted), such as bolts, studs, or other elements which may be known in the art. The external fans  222  may be powered by electrical power provided to the cabinet  200  by various means. For example, power may be provided by one or more power cables that pass into the cabinet  200  at the cable entrance compartment  216  or by one or more batteries which are installed in the battery compartment  214 . Although the external fans  222  may operate to either push air into or pull air out of the cooling compartment  220 , in this embodiment of the cabinet  200 , the external fans  222  typically operate to push air into the cooling compartment  220 . 
     As depicted by the solid flow lines in  FIG. 2A , the external fans  222  typically cause air to flow through the left-side vents  210  into the vent compartment  218  and subsequently into the cooling compartment  220 . Further, as depicted by the solid flow lines, the external fans  222  typically cause air to move through the cooling compartment  220 , passing around the walls of the electronics compartment  212 . The external fans  222  also typically cause air to flow into and through the battery compartment  214 . The external fans  222  may also cause air to flow through the cable entrance compartment  216 . As depicted by the solid flow lines in  FIG. 2A , the external fans  222  typically cause air that flows through the cooling compartment  220  and/or the battery compartment  214  to exit the cabinet  200  through the right-side vents  211 . 
     The air flow through the battery compartment  214 , and possibly through the cable entrance compartment  216 , passes through one or more openings in the walls of the compartments. For example, as depicted in  FIG. 2A , air may enter the battery compartment  214  through one or more openings in the wall between the cooling compartment  220  and the battery compartment  214 , and air may exit the battery compartment  214  through one or more openings in the wall between the battery compartment  214  and the cable entrance compartment  216 . Further, the air flow through the battery compartment  214  and the cable entrance  216  may then enter back into the cooling compartment  220  through one or more openings in the wall between the cable entrance compartment  216  and the cooling compartment  220 . As depicted by the solid flow lines in  FIG. 2A , the flow of external air through the cabinet  200  is generally through the left-side vents  210 , into the vent compartment  218 , into the cooling compartment  220 , into the battery compartment  214  and the cable entrance compartment  216 , and finally, out of the cooling compartment  220  through the right-side vents  211 . 
     Although not depicted in  FIG. 2A , variations of the flow of external air from that in the foregoing description may occur. For example, external air may flow in and out of the battery compartment  214  through one or more openings in the wall between the battery compartment  214  and the cooling compartment  220  without flowing through the cable entrance compartment  216 . Typically, the main flow of external air through the cabinet  200  flows through the cooling compartment  200 , while a lesser flow of external air flows through the battery compartment  214  and possibly through the cable entrance compartment  216 . The volume and pressure of the external air that flows through the battery compartment may be varied by varying the size and/or shape of the openings that lead in and/or out of the battery compartment  214 . In that regard, the flow of external air through the battery compartment  214  may be varied to reduce or prevent the undesirable accumulation of excessive particles and debris on equipment enclosed in the battery compartment  214  and to control the amount of cooling supplied to the battery compartment  214 . Thus, the amount of cooling supplied to the battery compartment  214  may be varied from the amount of cooling supplied to other compartments of the cabinet  200 , such as the electronics compartment  212 . 
     The flow of external air through the cooling compartment  220 , as depicted by the solid flow lines in  FIG. 2A , typically facilitates the cooling of the electronic equipment  213  enclosed within the electronics compartment  212 . In that regard, the cabinet  200  typically also includes one or more internal fans  224 . Similar to the external fans  222  described above, the internal fans  224  may be provided by various types and configurations of fans which may be known in the art. Furthermore, the internal fans  224  also have at least a motor and one or more fan blades. The internal fans  224  are typically mounted in the electronics compartment  212  by some means for mounting (not depicted), such as bolts, studs, or other elements which may be known in the art. Moreover, similar to the external fans  222 , the internal fans  224  may be powered by electrical power provided to the cabinet  200  by various means, such as by one or more power cables that pass into the cabinet  200  at the cable entrance compartment  216  or by one or more batteries which are installed in the battery compartment  214 . 
     As depicted by the dashed flow lines in  FIG. 2A , the internal fans  224  typically circulate air within the electronics compartment  212 . In that regard, the internal fans  224  typically cause internal air to circulate around the electronic equipment  213  enclosed within the electronics compartment  212 . This circulation of internal air typically causes the transfer of heat generated by the electronics equipment  213  to the walls of the electronics compartment  212 . Thus, the circulation of air around the electronics equipment  213  by the internal fans  224  provides cooling to the electronics equipment  213 . The heat that is transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  212  is typically transferred out of the cabinet  200  by the external air flow that circulates across the walls of the electronics compartment  212  in the cooling compartment  220 , as depicted by the solid flow lines. Thus, further cooling is provided to the electronics equipment  213  by the flow of external air through the cooling compartment  220 . 
     The cooling provided to the electronics compartment  212  and to other compartments of the cabinet  200 , such as the battery compartment  214 , may also be varied by varying the rotation speed of the external fans  222  and/or the internal fans  224 . Moreover, cooling to the various compartments of the cabinet  200  may also be varied by cycling the operation of the external fans  222  and/or internal fans  224  on and off for various time durations. In that regard, the operation of the external fans  222  and/or internal fans  224  may, for example, be activated dependent on the temperature in one or more compartments of the cabinet  200 . When the external fans  222  and/or the internal fans  222  are off, the compartments may still be provided with some cooling. For example, heat from the compartments may be transferred out of the cabinet  200  through the vents  210 ,  211 . Furthermore, gases and/or other byproducts generated by equipment held in one or more of the compartments of the cabinet  200 , for example hydrogen from the batteries held in the battery compartment  214 , may be vented through one or more openings in the walls of compartments and subsequently out of the cabinet  200  through the vents  210 ,  211 . 
       FIGS. 2B and 2C  show cutaway top views of embodiments of the weatherproof cabinet  200  described above with respect to FIG.  2 A.  FIG. 2B  shows an embodiment of the cabinet  200  that includes a double-walled door  204 . The double-walled door  204  is substantially similar in characteristics to the door  104  described above with respect to FIG.  1 . In that regard, the double-walled door  204  includes an outer wall  206  and an inner wall  208 . As depicted, the inner wall  208  may serve as the front wall of the electronics compartment  212 . Further, the outer wall  206  typically serves as the front wall of the cabinet  200 .  FIG. 2C  shows an alternate embodiment of the cabinet  200  that includes a single-walled door  205 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 2C , the door  205  typically serves as the front wall of the cabinet  200  and may also serve as the front wall of the electronics compartment  212 , as depicted. In that regard, the door  205  has substantially similar characteristics to the outer wall  106  of the door  104  discussed above for FIG.  1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a cutaway front view of a first alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  300  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has an internal duct. In that regard, the cabinet  300  has many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinets  100  and  200  discussed above with respect to FIGS.  1  and  2 A- 2 C respectively. The cabinet  300  includes a housing  302  with left-side vents  310  and right-side vents  311 . The cabinet also includes an electronics compartment  312  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  313 . Further, the cabinet includes a battery compartment  314 , a cable entrance compartment  316 , a vent compartment  318 , and a cooling compartment  320 . The foregoing compartments are at least substantially similar in characteristics to their named counterparts discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A- 2 C. Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 3 , the cabinet  300  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door that is similar to the doors discussed above for  FIGS. 1 ,  2 B- 2 C 
     One or more external fans  322  and internal fans  324  are also included in the cabinet  300 . These fans  322 ,  324  have at least substantially similar characteristics to the external and internal fans  222 ,  224  discussed above for FIG.  2 . Moreover, the external and internal fans  322 ,  324  of the cabinet  300  cause substantially similar external and internal air flows to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines and dashed flow lines respectively, as discussed above with respect to FIG.  2 . Thus, the external and internal fans  322 ,  324  facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  300 , such as the electronics compartment  312  and the battery compartment  314 , by the flow of external and internal air through the cabinet  300 . 
     However, in this embodiment of the cabinet  300 , there is also an internal duct  315  within the electronics compartment  312 . As depicted by the dashed flow lines in  FIG. 3 , the internal duct  315  directs air that is circulated by the internal fans  324 . The internal duct  315  typically directs air across the surfaces of the electronic equipment  313  and then across the inner surfaces of the electronics compartment  312  in a continuous circulation cycle. In that regard, the internal duct typically enhances and/or increases the cooling provided to the electronics equipment  313 . The internal duct  315  also improves the operating efficiency of the internal fans  324 , since air circulated by the fans is more effectively directed across the electronics equipment  313  and the walls of the electronics compartment to further facilitate the transfer of heat out of the electronics compartment  312 . 
     Similar to the construction of other walls of the cabinet  300 , the walls that form the internal duct  315  may be made of various materials, such as metal, plastic, or others materials, which may be known in the art. Further, similar to the spacing of the walls of the electronics compartment  312  within the cooling compartment  320 , the walls of the internal duct  315  may be spaced from the walls of the electronics compartment  312  by some means for spacing, such as the elements discussed above with respect to the main compartment  112  of FIG.  1 . This spacing typically facilitates the formation of the internal duct  315  in the form of, for example, a channel. The internal duct  315  may be shaped in various configurations, such as the substantially “U” shaped configuration depicted in  FIG. 3 , for example. Further, as depicted for example in  FIG. 3 , the internal duct  315  typically includes one or more openings at or near which the internal fans  324  are mounted in order to allow the circulation of air through the internal duct  315  by the internal fans  324 . 
       FIG. 4  is a cutaway front view of a second alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  400  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a compartment cooled by natural convection. In that regard, the cabinet  400  also has many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinets  100  and  200  discussed above with respect to FIGS.  1  and  2 A- 2 C respectively. The cabinet  400  includes a housing  402  with left-side vents  410  and right-side vents  411 . The cabinet includes an electronics compartment  412  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  413 . The cabinet also include a battery compartment  414 , a cable entrance compartment  416 , a vent compartment  418 , and a cooling compartment  420 . All of the foregoing compartments are at least substantially similar in characteristics to their named counterparts discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A- 2 C. Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 4 , the cabinet  400  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door that is similar to the doors discussed above for  FIGS. 1 ,  2 B- 2 C 
     One or more external fans  422  are also included in the cabinet  400 . These external fans  422  have at least substantially similar characteristics to the external fans  222  discussed above for FIG.  2 . Moreover, the external fans  422  in the cabinet  400  cause substantially similar external air flow to occur through the cabinet  400 , depicted for example by the solid flow lines, as discussed above with respect to FIG.  2 . Thus, the external fans  422  facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  400 , such as the electronics compartment  412  and the battery compartment  414 , by the flow of external air through the cabinet  400 . 
     In variation from the cabinet  200  of  FIG. 2 , however, the cabinet  400  does not include internal fans which circulate air within the electronics compartment  412 . Instead, in this embodiment of the cabinet  400 , heat from the electronics equipment  413  is transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  412  by natural convection of air, as depicted by the dashed flow lines in FIG.  4 . The heat transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  412  is typically transferred out of the cabinet  400  by the flow of external air through the cooling compartment  420  across the walls of the electronics compartment  412 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cutaway front view of a third alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  500  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a compartment cooled by conduction. This embodiment of the cabinet  500  includes many substantially similar characteristics to the foregoing cabinet  400  discussed above with respect to  FIG. 4  (and thus, also with respect to the cabinets  100  and  200  of FIGS.  1  and  2 A- 2 C respectively). In that regard, the cabinet  500  includes a housing  502  with left-side vents  510  and right-side vents  511 , an electronics compartment  512  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  513 , a battery compartment  514 , a cable entrance compartment  516 , a vent compartment  518 , and a cooling compartment  520 . Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 5 , the cabinet  500  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door. The cabinet  500  also includes one or more external fans  522  that cause external air flow to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines, to facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  500 , such as the electronics compartment  512  and the battery compartment  514 . 
     In the cabinet embodiment  500  of  FIG. 5 , heat is transferred from the electronic equipment  513  to the walls of the electronics compartment  513  by direct conduction, as depicted by the dashed flow lines in FIG.  5 . In this regard, the electronics equipment  513  is typically attached to or in contact with some means for heat transfer, such as heat sink devices or other elements which may be know in the art, which are also attached to or in contact with one or more walls of the electronics compartment  512 . Similar to other embodiments of the cabinet  500 , the heat transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  512  is typically transferred out of the cabinet  500  by the flow of external air through the cooling compartment  520  across the walls of the electronics compartment  512 . 
       FIG. 6  is a cutaway front view of a fourth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  600  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has heat exchanging elements. This embodiment of the cabinet  600  includes many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinet  200  discussed above with respect to FIG.  2 . In that regard, the cabinet  600  includes a housing  602  with left-side vents  610  and right-side vents  611 , an electronics compartment  612  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  613 , a battery compartment  614 , a cable entrance compartment  616 , a vent compartment  618 , and a cooling compartment  620 . Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 6 , the cabinet  600  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door. The cabinet  600  also includes one or more external fans  622  and internal fans  624  that cause external and internal air flows to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines and dashed flow lines respectively, to facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  600 , such as the electronics compartment  612  and the battery compartment  614 . 
     In the cabinet  600 , the transfer of heat from the electronics compartment  612  to the cooling compartment  620  is further facilitated by one or more heat exchanging elements  621 . The heat exchanging elements  621  may include one or more extended or convoluted surfaces (such as fins), heat pipes, thermoelectric devices (for example that operate by Peltier effect), or other elements which may be known in the art. As depicted in  FIG. 6 , the heat exchanging elements  621  may extend between the electronics compartment  612  and the cooling compartment  620  to facilitate external and internal air flow across the elements  621 . Typically, heat is transferred from the electronics equipment  613  to the heat exchanging elements  621  by the internal air flow (depicted by the dashed flow lines) that is circulated, for example, by the internal fans  624 . The heat is then transferred out of the cabinet  600  by external air flow across the heat exchanging elements  621  that is circulated, for example, by the external fans  622 . Additionally, heat transfer from the electronics compartment  612  may occur through the walls of the compartment  612 . 
       FIG. 7  is a cutaway front view of a fifth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  700  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has common motor fans. This embodiment of the cabinet  700  includes many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinet  200  discussed above with respect to FIG.  2 . In that regard, the cabinet  700  includes a housing  702  with left-side vents  710  and right-side vents  711 , an electronics compartment  712  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  713 , a battery compartment  714 , a cable entrance compartment  716 , a vent compartment  718 , and a cooling compartment  720 . Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 7 , the cabinet  700  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door. The cabinet  700  also includes one or more external fans  722  and internal fans  724  that cause external and internal air flows to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines and dashed flow lines respectively, to facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  700 , such as the electronics compartment  712  and the battery compartment  714 . 
     In variation from the cabinet  200  of  FIG. 2 , the external fans  722  and internal fans  724  of the cabinet  700  typically share one or more common motors  723 . For example, the blades of an external fan  722  and an internal fan  724  may be rotated by the same motor  723 . As depicted, the common motor  723  may rotate a common shaft that rotates the external and internal fans  722 ,  724 , but other variations, which may be known in the art, are included within the scope of the invention. The use of the common motors  723  to operate the external and internal fans  722 ,  724  may facilitate lower energy consumption for the operation of the fans  722 ,  724 , lower heat production as a result of the operation of fewer fan motors, and lower costs of the fans  722 ,  724 . The common fan motors  723  may be selectively mounted completely within the cooling compartment  720  or the electronics compartment  712  or partially between the compartments to facilitate the foregoing benefits, among others, in the operation of the common fan motors  723 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cutaway front view of a sixth alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  800  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has a separate walled battery compartment. This embodiment of the cabinet  800  includes many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinet  400  discussed above with respect to FIG.  4 . In that regard, the cabinet  800  includes a housing  802  with left-side vents  810  and right-side vents  811 , an electronics compartment  812  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  813 , a vent compartment  818 , and a cooling compartment  820 . Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 8 , the cabinet  800  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door, and the cabinet  800  may further include a cable entrance compartment similar to that described with respect to FIG.  4 . 
     The cabinet  800  also includes one or more external fans  822  that cause external air flow to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines, to facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  800 , such as the electronics compartment  812  and the battery compartment  814 . Furthermore, heat from the electronics equipment  813  is transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  812  by natural convection of air, as depicted by the dashed flow lines in FIG.  8 —thereafter, the heat is typically transferred out of the cabinet  800  by the flow of external air through the cooling compartment  820  across the walls of the electronics compartment  812 . 
     The cabinet embodiment  800  of  FIG. 8  also includes a battery compartment  814 , as do other embodiments. However, as depicted, the battery compartment  814  is typically spaced away from other walls of the compartments within the cabinet  800  by some means for spacing (not depicted) such as the elements discussed above with respect to the main compartment  112  of FIG.  1 . In that regard, the battery compartment  814  is typically substantially thermally independent from other compartments and/or walls of the cabinet  800 , similar to the electronics compartment  812 . 
     As depicted by the solid flow lines on  FIG. 8 , cooling of the battery compartment  814  is facilitated by the flow of external air through the battery compartment  814  and across the walls of the battery compartment  814  within the cooling compartment  820 . Typically, heat is transferred from batteries and other equipment enclosed within the battery compartment  814  to the walls of the compartment  814  by natural convection, although heat transfer may occur in other manners, such as those discussed above with respect to the electronics compartments of various embodiments or other manners which may be known in the art. The openings in the battery compartment  814  may also serve to vent gases, such as hydrogen, and/or other byproducts produced by the batteries and/or related equipment held within the battery compartment  814 . 
       FIG. 9  is a cutaway front view of a seventh alternate embodiment of a weatherproof cabinet  900  with variably cooled compartments such as that depicted in  FIG. 1  that has pulled air cooling of the battery compartment. This embodiment of the cabinet  900  includes many substantially similar characteristics to the cabinet  400  discussed above with respect to FIG.  4 . In that regard, the cabinet  900  includes a housing  902  with left-side vents  910  and right-side vents  911 , an electronics compartment  912  which provides full enclosure to electronic equipment  913 , a battery compartment  914 , a cable entrance compartment  916 , a vent compartment  918 , and a cooling compartment  920 . Additionally, although not shown in  FIG. 9 , the cabinet  900  typically also includes at least either a single-walled or double-walled door. 
     The cabinet  900  also includes one or more external fans  922  that cause external air flow to occur, as depicted by the solid flow lines, to facilitate the variable cooling of various compartments of the cabinet  900 , such as the electronics compartment  912  and the battery compartment  914 . Furthermore, heat from the electronics equipment  913  is transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  912  by natural convection of air, as depicted by the dashed flow lines in FIG.  9 . The heat transferred to the walls of the electronics compartment  912  is typically transferred out of the cabinet  900  by the flow of external air through the cooling compartment  920  across the walls of the electronics compartment  912 . 
     In contrast to the pushed air flow through the battery compartment  414  of the cabinet  400 , in the cabinet embodiment  900  of  FIG. 9 , air is pulled through the battery compartment  914  by the external fans  922 . In that regard, the cabinet  900  also includes one or more secondary vents  917 . The secondary vents  917  have substantially similar characteristics to the right-side and left-side vents  910 ,  911 . For example, the secondary vents  917  may be provided in various sizes, shapes, and configurations as one or more openings in the walls of the cabinet  900 . Additionally, the secondary vents  917  may be shaped or otherwise configured to minimize the ingress of moisture and debris into the cabinet  900 , and the secondary vents  917  may also be at least partially covered by some means for filtering (not depicted), such as those discussed above with respect to the vents  110  of FIG.  1 . 
     The cabinet  900  also facilitates the pulled air flow through the battery compartment  914  by one or more openings in the wall between the battery compartment  914  and the cable entrance compartment  916  as well as one or more openings in the wall between the battery compartment  914  and the vent compartment  918 . In that regard, the operation of the external fans  922  typically causes air to be pulled into the cabinet  900  through the secondary vents  917 , through the battery compartment  914  (and possibly through the cable entrance compartment  916 , as depicted), and into the vent compartment  918  where the air may be released out of the left-side vents  910  and/or circulated through the cooling compartment  920  and out of the right-side events  911 . The foregoing openings in the walls of the battery compartment  914  may also serve to vent gases, such as hydrogen, and/or other byproducts produced by the batteries and/or related equipment held within the battery compartment  914 . The pulled air flow through the battery compartment  914 , in contrast to the pushed air flow in the other cabinet embodiments, provides another manner to vary the cooling provided to the various compartments of the cabinet  900 , such as the battery compartment  914  and the electronics compartment  912 . 
     It is emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. For example, the above-described embodiments of the cabinets  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400 ,  500 ,  600 ,  700 ,  800  and  900  may include one or more doors in various locations and configurations, one or more vents in various locations and arrangements, and additional compartments in various locations and configurations. Further, the compartments of the foregoing cabinets, for example the electronics compartment  112 ,  212 ,  312 ,  412 ,  512 ,  612 ,  712 ,  812  and  912 , may be cooled by various combinations of the above described features, such as natural convection, conduction, heat exchanging elements, and/or forced air (e.g., caused by internal and/or external fans). All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the invention, and protected by the following claims.