Abstract:
A switching cabinet having a cabinet door pivotably fixed by hinges. The distance between the top side of the switching cabinet and the upper horizontal edge of the cabinet door is fitted with a covering element. The visual aspect of the switching cabinet is improved simply by ensuring that the covering element is secured to a holding device on the cabinet door.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a switchgear cabinet, to which a cabinet door is hinged, wherein a section between the upper side of the switchgear cabinet and the upper horizontal edge of the cabinet door is at least partially covered by a covering element. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A switchgear cabinet of this type is known from European Patent Reference EP 0,551,971 A1. In this case, the cabinet door contains a horizontal angled section on its upper edge. An adhesive strip, such as one of the two strips of a Velcro™ closure, can be attached to the upper surface of this angled section. A decorative strip can then be fixed thereto. 
     The decorative strip is realized in the form of an angular profile with two lengths that extend perpendicular to one another. A second strip, the second Velcro™ strip, is arranged on the underside of the horizontal length. The two strips are connected such that they adhere to one another in order to attach the decorative strip to the angled section. Consequently, the vertical length of the decorative profile partially covers the front side of the cabinet door. The cabinet doors of large switchgear cabinets in particular are relatively heavy, for example, the upper edge of such cabinet door are not horizontally aligned. When closed the cabinet door has an unsightly appearance and the locking device of the cabinet door may not function properly. 
     A segmented cabinet door is known from French Patent Reference FR 2,711,857. In this case, the cabinet door segments are realized in the form of plates that are connected to one another via plug-like type connections. 
     Another switchgear cabinet is known from German Patent Reference DE 8,432,777 U1, for example. Such switchgear cabinets contain a frame that is composed of frame pieces. The upper horizontal frame piece contains an open plug receptacle that faces the cabinet door. A plug-like projection of the covering element can be inserted into this plug receptacle. The covering element has a sealing lip that rests on an inwardly angled edge of the cabinet door to form a seal. 
     A right/left limit stop is frequently provided for the cabinet door. Depending on the intended use, the hinges can be arranged on the cabinet door such that the door can swing open to the left or the right. The lower horizontal edge of the cabinet door must be high enough off the ground so that a swinging motion of the door is not impaired by objects lying on the ground. In addition, it is frequently required that the hinges be arranged symmetrically on the fame. However, since the cabinet door should, if possible, cover an entire front of the switchgear cabinet, the hinges are arranged on the cabinet door asymmetrically relative to the horizontal center line of the cabinet door. This does not present a problem if a basic design of the switchgear cabinet is used, for example, a design in which a left limit stop is provided for the cabinet door. When changing the opening direction of the cabinet door to a right limit stop, an unsightly gap is formed on the top of the switchgear cabinet. The bottom of the cabinet door is located too close to the ground. In order to solve this problem, it was attempted to shorten the cabinet door by a short section at the top and on the bottom. Consequently, unsightly transitions are formed on the upper as well as the lower edge of the cabinet door. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is based on one objective of developing a switchgear cabinet of the initially mentioned type such that the appearance is improved and the cabinet door can always be securely closed. 
     This objective is achieved because the covering element contains a spacer that moves onto a sliding surface of the switchgear cabinet when closing the cabinet door. 
     The covering element may be used to cover the section between the upper side of the switchgear cabinet and the upper horizontal edge of the cabinet door in order to produce an aesthetically appealing appearance. The cabinet door can always be aligned in a predetermined position when it is closed due to the fact that the covering element contains a spacer that moves onto a sliding surface of the switchgear cabinet when the cabinet is closed. In this way, the cabinet door is aligned with the cabinet door locks. In addition, a definite seal of the cabinet door can always be ensured. If sealing elements are arranged on the inner side of the cabinet door, for example, the sealing elements are always moved into the correct position relative to the corresponding contact surfaces of the switchgear cabinet. 
     According to one preferred embodiment of this invention, the upper horizontal edge of the cabinet door has an angled section that forms the holding element for the covering element, wherein the covering element contains a mating slot for the angled section. Thus, the covering element can easily be slipped onto the angled section, thereby significantly simplifying mounting of the covering element. 
     An attachment of the covering element onto the cabinet door without play can thus be realized if the insertion of the angled section into the receptacle of the covering element is limited by a limit stop and if the covering element is positively held on the cabinet door by means of a connecting element and a connecting element receptacle. 
     The alignment of the cabinet door is simplified if the sliding surface makes a transition into an inclined surface on the side which faces the switchgear cabinet, so that the inclined surface moves onto a horizontal edge of a frame piece that forms part of the frame. 
     In order to attain an additional sealing effect, the spacer may adjoin the switchgear cabinet in sealing fashion. 
     In another embodiment of this invention, the covering element contains a lettering strip receptacle, into which a strip-shaped lettering carrier and/or a water-proof film is inserted. 
     In order to divert rainwater that collects on an upper side of the switchgear cabinet and drains between the cabinet door and the switchgear cabinet, this invention provides a covering element with a first feed device that diverts accumulating rain or splashed water into a collection channel of the switchgear cabinet. In this case, the collection channel may be connected to the cover that closes the upper side of the switchgear cabinet or arranged directly on the frame piece. In this case, the covering element preferably contains a downwardly directed second feed device and an upwardly directed endpiece that is connected to the second feed device in angled fashion. Consequently, the endpiece and the feed device form a channel in which the collected water drains, for example, no rainwater can accumulate on the cabinet door. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     This invention is described in greater detail below with reference to embodiments illustrated in the drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a partial section view taken through a corner region of a switchgear cabinet with a covering element attached to the cabinet door; and 
     FIG. 2 is a partial section view of the switchgear cabinet according to FIG. 1, wherein the covering element is attached in alternative fashion. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to FIG. 1, the switchgear cabinet is formed by a frame that comprises frame pieces  10 . Here, twelve identical frame pieces  10  may be used for forming a cuboidal switchgear cabinet interior, wherein it would also be conceivable to utilize different profile cross sections for the horizontal and vertical frame pieces  10 . The frame piece  10  shown in the FIG. 1 is arranged on the front side of the switchgear cabinet. A cover  20  is used for closing the interior of the switchgear cabinet on the top. The cover  20  has a seal  21  that adjoins a sealing edge of the frame piece  10 . The cover  20  is connected to the frame piece  10  by means of screw connections. Toward the front side of the switchgear cabinet, the cover  20  makes a transition into a downwardly angled vertical web that forms a feed device  22 . An endpiece  23  extends at an angle upward from the feed device  22 . The feed device  22  and the endpiece  23  form a collection channel  24 . The front side of the switchgear cabinet can be closed by means of a cabinet door  30 . Adjacent to a door panel, the cabinet door  30  has an angled section that serves as a holding element  32 . A covering element  40  can be slipped onto the holding element  32 . The covering element  40  has a mating slot for this purpose. This receptacle is formed by a foot  45  and a spacer  47 . The insertion of the holding element  32  into the mating slot is limited by a limit stop  46 . A connecting element  33  is fitted onto the cabinet door  30  in order to fix the covering element  40  to the cabinet door  30 . The spacer  47  contains a connecting element receptacle  50 . 
     The mounting is realized by pushing the covering element  40  onto the holding element  32 . Here, an inclined surface  49  which faces the cabinet door  30  is arranged on the spacer  47 . The inclined surface slides onto the edge of the holding element  32  and causes a downward excursion of the spacer  47 . As soon as the holding element  32  makes contact with the limit stop  46 , the connecting element  33  snaps into the connecting element receptacle  50 . However, it is also possible to fix the covering element  40  to the cabinet door  30  in other ways. In this respect, it is important that the covering element  40  be held in such a way that the covering element  40  is not pulled off the holding element  32  when the cabinet door  30  is opened. 
     When the cabinet door  30  is closed, the spacer  47  slides onto a horizontal edge  17  of the frame piece  10  with an inclined surface  48 . A seal  31  is arranged on an inner side of the cabinet door  30  at a defined distance from the spacer  47 . The spacer  47  serves to adjust the vertical distance to the seal  31 . While the cabinet door  30  is closed, the seal  31  always adjoins a sealing edge  12  of the frame piece  10 . An upwardly directed contact web  11  transitions into the angled section  14  and the angled section  15  is arranged adjacent to the sealing edge  12 . The angled section  14  and the angled section  15  form a receptacle  13 , wherein the covering element  40  rests in the receptacle  13 . The covering element  40  now covers the section located between the upper side of the switchgear cabinet and the cabinet door  30  such that the appearance is aesthetically pleasing. The covering element  40  contains a lettering strip receptacle  43  in order to attach a lettering strip or the like. The lettering strip can be laterally inserted into the receptacle  13  so that it is held by holding elements  44 . 
     The lettering strip receptacle  43  transforms into a downwardly directed feed device  41  via a horizontal web. The feed device  41  and the feed device  22  of the cover  20  divert accumulated rainwater into the collection channel  24 . Since the endpiece  23  protrudes into a receptacle space  42 , it is ensured that the feed device  41  of the covering element  40  always diverts rainwater reliably into the collection channel  24 . 
     In the embodiment shown, the covering element  40  covers the entire region between the upper side of the switchgear cabinet and the cabinet door  30 . However, it would also be conceivable that the covering element  40  only covers part of this section. In this respect, it is important to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance: the covering element  40  should cover unsightly transitions within an edge region of the switchgear cabinet. 
     FIG. 2 shows a different variation for attaching the covering element  40  to the cabinet door  30 . Here, the covering element  40  comprises two parts. One part carries the mating slot for the holding element  32  that is in the form of an angled section of the cabinet door  30 . A vertical section  45   a  is arranged adjacent to the foot  45  that limits the holding element  32 . The vertical section  45   a  carries the connecting element receptacle  50  which is open toward the front side of the frame. In this embodiment, the connecting element receptacle  50  is realized in the form of a blind dovetail groove, so that the mating connecting element  33  can be inserted into this dovetail groove. The connecting element  33  is connected to the second part of the covering element. A support section  51  is connected to the second part in order to positively fix the covering element  40  on the cabinet door  30 . The support section  51  adjoins the front side of the cabinet door  30 . The connecting element  33  can be pushed onto the connecting element receptacle  50  perpendicular to a plane of projection in order to connect both parts. A clip-type connection may also be realized if the geometry of the connecting element  33  is correspondingly changed or if a corresponding mating of materials is chosen.