Abstract:
Apparatus and methods for providing an electrical distribution panel enclosure including a front door and an access door. The enclosure has a rear wall having side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall extending from the rear wall to define a front opening to an interior of the enclosure. The enclosure houses a plurality of electrical devices. The front door is coupled to the enclosure to cover the front opening. The front door also includes an access opening that provides access to less than all of the plurality of the electrical devices when the front door is closed. The access door is coupled to the front door and covers the access opening. The access door moves with respect to the front door to provide access to less than all of the plurality of electrical devices.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Electrical distribution panel enclosures or load centers are used widely in residential and commercial applications. Electrical distribution panel enclosures typically comprise a box made of folded sheet metal and a separate cover or door fastened to the front of the box. The electrical distribution panel enclosure houses electrical devices, such as circuit breakers and electrical receptacles. Electrical distribution enclosure panels are used in public environments (e.g. trade shows) to provide power to individuals in the public environment. The individuals may require power (e.g. for a trade show booth), but the individuals may not require access to other devices in the electrical distribution panel enclosure. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    An electrical distribution panel enclosure is provided that includes a rear wall having side walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall that extend outward from the rear wall. The side walls, the top wall, and the bottom wall define a front opening to an interior of the electrical distribution panel enclosure. The electrical distribution panel enclosure houses a plurality of electrical devices. The plurality of electrical devices may include at least one type of the electrical device, the types including electrical receptacles, circuit breakers, Category-5 jacks, cable jacks, phone jacks, and electrical switches. 
         [0003]    The electrical distribution panel enclosure includes a front door. The front door includes an interior face located opposite the rear wall and an exterior face located on the exterior of the electrical distribution panel enclosure. The front door includes an access opening that provides access to less than all of the plurality of the electrical devices when the front door is closed. The front door may be attached at a side wall of the electrical distribution panel enclosure. The front door may be attached to the electrical distribution panel enclosure with at least one hinge. 
         [0004]    An access door is coupled to the front door to cover the access opening. The access door is moveable with respect to the front door to provide access to less than all of the plurality of the electrical devices. The access door may be attached to the front door at a top of the access opening with at least one hinge. In one embodiment, the access door is securable from the interior of the electrical distribution panel enclosure. The access door is independently operable with respect to the front door. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and other example embodiments of various aspects of the invention. It will be appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some examples one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a front view of an example embodiment of an electrical distribution panel enclosure with an access door. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2A  is a front cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 2B  is a close up front cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3A  is a side cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3B  is a side cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3C  is a front cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front cutaway view of another example embodiment of an electrical distribution panel enclosure with an access door. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a side cutaway view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Typical electrical distribution panel enclosures comprise a single cover or door, the cover or door must remain open to provide individuals access, exposing all of the power devices even if access to only a subset of the electrical devices is required. In some circumstances it is undesirable to leave the cover or door of an electrical distribution panel enclosure open merely to provide individuals access to a subset of the electrical devices that the electrical distribution panel enclosure houses. For example, leaving the cover or door open may be necessary to allow an individual access to a subset of electrical devices (e.g., power receptacles) that the individual is authorized to use. However, leaving the cover or door open would also allow the individual access to other electrical devices (e.g., circuit breakers) that the individual is not authorized to use. Leaving the cover or door open may also expose all of the electrical devices in the electrical distribution panel enclosure to the elements (e.g., high winds, rain, and electrical storms). 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example embodiment of an electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  that includes an access door  40  is illustrated. The electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  includes a front door  15  attached to the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the front door  15  is attached to the enclosure  10  with front door hinges  20  and  25 . 
         [0016]    The front door  15  may be secured to the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  in a closed fashion with a fastening mechanism  30  (e.g., latch). Additionally, the front door  15  can be further secured. Fastening mechanism  30  may be locked with additional implementations (e.g., padlocked, dial lock). This provides the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  with an added level of security. 
         [0017]    The access door  40  is attached to the front door  15  with an access door hinge  45 . The access door hinge  45  attaches the access door  40  to the front door  15  at the top of the access door  40 . Alternatively, the access door  40  can be attached to the front door  15  at the side of the access door  40 . The access door  40  can be secured to the front door  15  from within the interior of the electrical distribution panel  10  with latching mechanisms  50  and  55 . Therefore, when the access door  40  is closed and secured to the front door  15 , the access door  40  cannot be opened until the front door  15  is opened so that the latching mechanisms  50  and  55  can be unfastened from the interior of the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2A , the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  of  FIG. 1  is shown with the front door  15  in phantom to show the interior of the enclosure  10 . The enclosure  10  houses a plurality of electrical devices. In the embodiment illustrated, the plurality of electrical devices includes circuit breakers  110  and electrical receptacles  120   a  and  120   b.    
         [0019]    In the example embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the circuit breakers  110  and electrical receptacles  120   a  are placed in the enclosure  10  in a high position relative to the access door  40 . The electrical receptacles  120   b  are placed on the same level as the access door  40 . When the front door  15  is in the closed position and the access door  40  is open, access is provided to selected electrical receptacles  120   b.  However, the circuit breakers  110  and electrical receptacles  120   a  are not accessible when the access door  40  is open and the front door  15  is closed. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2B  illustrates a subset of the plurality of electrical devices is accessible by way of the access door  40 . The subset of electrical devices to which access is provided may be the electrical devices to which access may be desirable. Meanwhile, access to the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  as a whole remains restricted. Electrical devices that should be handled by a professional, may cause disruption in power, or are deemed not for public use are secured by the front door  15 . Therefore, the ability to secure the front door  15  (in phantom) while providing access to a selected subset of electrical devices allows tiered usage of the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2B  shows the latching mechanisms  50  and  55  in an unlatched position. In the unlatched position, the access door  40  may be opened. Latching mechanisms  50  and  55  are interior to the enclosure  10 . Therefore, to operate the latching mechanisms  50  and  55 , an individual must have access to the enclosure  10  through the front door  15 . If latching mechanisms  50  and  55  are engaged and the access door  40  is secured, and the access door  40  cannot be opened from the exterior of the enclosure  10 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3A  is a side view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  of  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 3A , the access door  40  is in the closed position. The access door  40  is attached to the front door  15  by access door hinge  45 . The access door  40  can be secured to the front door  15  with latching mechanism  55 . The front door  15  can be secured to the enclosure  10  with fastening mechanism  30 . Electrical devices  110 ,  120   a,  and  120   b  are housed by the enclosure  10 . 
         [0023]    If it is determined that access to all of the devices in the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  should be prevented, the front door  15  and the access door  40  may be secured. This would completely prevent access to the interior of electrical distribution panel enclosure  10 . If access to a subset of a plurality of electrical devices is deemed appropriate, the front door  15  may be secured and the access door  40  may be unsecured. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  of  FIG. 1  showing the access door  40  in use. The front door  15  is shown in the closed position. The access door  40  is shown in the open position. The access door  40  provides access to selected electrical receptacles  120   b.  Electrical plugs  310  and  320  can be plugged in to electrical receptacles  120   b.  An access door hinge  45  allows the access door  40  to open. The access door hinge  45  may be a piano hinge. 
         [0025]    The access door  40  allows the cable end of the electrical plugs  310  and  320  to exit the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10 . In one embodiment, the access door  40  may rest on the electrical plugs  310  or  320 . Alternatively, the access door hinge  45  may support the access door  40  at a position perpendicular to the front door  15 . The access door  40  may be positioned at a desired angle with respect to the front door  15  with the application of downward pressure. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3C  is a front view of the electrical distribution panel enclosure  10  of  FIG. 1  showing the access door  40  in use. The electrical plugs  310  and  320  are shown plugged into two of the selected electrical receptacles  120   b.  Access can be provided to any portion of the electrical devices. Access is determined by the size and location of the access opening. As shown, access is provided to a selected subset of electrical receptacles  120   b.    
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an electrical distribution panel enclosure  400  including an access door  440  covering a larger access opening than the access opening shown in  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment access to all receptacles  120   b ′ is provided. The access door  440  has a hood  410  that extends from the front door  15  at an angle. The hood  410  may be molded as a portion of the front door  15 . Alternatively, the hood  410  may be secured to the front door  15  with fasteners (e.g., adhesive, screws, pins). 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates the electrical distribution panel enclosure  400  shown with the access door  440  and a hood  410 . The hood  410  is positioned over the access door  440  to protect the plurality of electrical devices housed in the electrical distribution panel enclosure  400 . The access door  440  may remain open to allow access to the subset of electrical devices while the hood  410  protects the electrical devices within the enclosure  400 . 
         [0029]    To the extent that the term “includes” or “including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. 
         [0030]    While example systems, methods, and so on have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on described herein. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.