DE20305083U1 - Telecommunications equipment cabinet, has EMC shield for screening cabinet interior from electromagnetic radiation - Google Patents

Abstract

A cabinet for electrical and electronic devices and assemblies, has sidewalls (2), a rear wall (9), a door (8), a floor (3) and a cover (4), in which an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) shield for screening the interior of the cabinet from electromagnetic waves. The sidewalls (2) form with the floor (3) and the cover (4) a self-supporting unit (10).

Description

The present invention relates to a cabinet for accommodating electrical and electronic devices and components, in particular a telecommunications cabinet, according to the preamble of claim 1.

A generic cabinet is described in DE 202 04 910.8 Ul
and has side walls, a rear wall, a door, a floor and a cover, whereby for shielding the
EMC shielding against electromagnetic waves is provided inside the cabinet.

Such cabinets are available in a variety of variants as switchboards
and equipment cabinets and are often also suitable for the construction of cabinet and housing systems, especially in
19" technology.

Known cabinets of the type mentioned above are constructed from a frame to which side panels, back panel, door as well as base and lid parts are attached as cladding parts.
This manufacturing method enables stable structures, which
can also be designed very flexibly. Because of the
Due to the large number of parts required and the mechanical and, in order to achieve the necessary electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electrical connections to be manufactured, the design effort and correspondingly the manufacturing costs for this type of equipment cabinet are very high.

The object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the type described above which can be manufactured particularly easily and cost-effectively.

This object is achieved by a cabinet having the features of claim 1.

Advantageous further developments of the cabinet according to the invention are the subject of the dependent claims, the following description and the figures.

A cabinet of the type specified above is further developed according to the invention in that the side walls form a self-supporting unit with the base and the cover.

A key idea of the invention can be seen as no longer building the cabinet in a frame construction with cladding elements attached to it, but rather building a self-supporting unit from just a few parts of the cabinet that simultaneously perform a significant part of the enclosing function, namely walls, floor and ceiling parts. The cabinet according to the invention requires significantly fewer parts than the prior art, so that the number of mechanical connections to be made can also be significantly reduced. In particular, the cabinet according to the invention can dispense with a complex and expensive frame construction, for example an aluminum profile construction. Nevertheless, since the required rigidity is integrated into the components previously referred to as cladding parts, excellent results are achieved in terms of mechanical stability, albeit with significantly reduced resources.

Furthermore, due to the reduced number of parts, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) can be provided with considerably less effort.

The main advantages of the invention are therefore the reduced material and manufacturing expenditure and thus the lower production costs.

The cabinet according to the invention is preferably designed as a metal cabinet, wherein at least the side walls, base, cover, door and rear wall are made of metal.

In a particularly preferred development of the cabinet, the side walls are connected to the floor and the cover in connection areas by means of compression-press connections to form the self-supporting structure, which can also be referred to as the base frame or body. This type of connection does not cause damage to the surface, as is the case with welding, particularly spot welding. One variant of this connection technique is, for example, clinching, which is also referred to as "toxification" or "clinching". With these joining techniques, a positive connection is achieved without damaging the surface, for example the zinc surface of the sheets. Corrosion, i.e. oxidation or rusting, as a result of damage to the surfaces can also be largely avoided with this connection technique.

It is advisable for the parts to be connected to be bare metal in the connection areas, i.e. not painted, so that the compression-press connection also provides a more secure electrical contact between the parts to be connected. This is intended and desired with regard to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

For EMC shielding, the side walls and/or the base and/or the cover can also have contact studs, which can be arranged in particular in the connection areas. Such contact studs can be incorporated into the corresponding parts in a known manner using conventional embossing tools.

Overall, the invention is based on a holistic EMC concept of the self-supporting structure or body, whereby the electromagnetic compatibility of this self-supporting structure is provided in principle without EMC springs, but solely by contact studs and by the positive connections created during clinching, in particular during toxing or clinching.

Improved vertical stability and height reinforcement of the structure is achieved when the side walls are provided with vertical legs. These can be L-shaped in particular and each have a front or rear leg with an outward-facing sealing leg. Since these legs can be incorporated by simply bending the sheet metal, highly stable components can be created without any effort.

Even greater stability in the vertical or X-axis direction can be achieved if the side walls are additionally provided with vertical stiffening profiles, for example in the middle between the vertical legs incorporated into the lateral edges of the side walls. Vertical beams designed to accommodate 19" components can also be fixed to these vertical stiffening profiles, which can be connected to the side walls by means of toxing or using known connection techniques, such as riveting.

In a further practical embodiment of the cabinet according to the invention, the side walls have upper and lower legs as well as the base and the cover have lateral folds that form the connecting areas of the self-supporting unit. These connecting areas can in turn be produced by simple bending, i.e. in a way that is not complicated in terms of production technology. The lateral folds also serve to provide horizontal or depth reinforcement.

The connection area is protected from mechanical impact if the upper and lower legs of the side walls are L-shaped and extend over the lateral edges of the base or cover. In this context, stability can also be further improved by the lateral edges of the base or cover engaging in a form-fitting manner with the L-shaped upper and lower legs of the side walls.

Another measure to improve stability, which can be achieved in manufacturing terms by simply bending, is that the base and the cover have side bends that protrude upwards or downwards and form a right-angled triangle in cross-section, for example. These bends are expediently designed in such a way that a vertical leg of the triangle rests against the L-shaped leg of the walls and forms the connection area with this, in which a plurality of connections, for example Tox and/or clinch connections, are provided.

To attach these compression-press connections, especially Tox connections, the lateral edges of the base and/or the cover can be expediently provided with a plurality of recesses. This makes attaching the corresponding connections much easier and can be carried out using conventional tools.

To protect the barrier from impact from above, a cover hood can be provided, whereby recesses, in particular slots or elongated holes, can be incorporated into the upper legs of the side walls to accommodate it.

An even greater torsional stability of the mechanical structure is achieved in a further development in which the side walls on the front and rear legs have leg areas that are above or below the bent sealing

legs overlap the vertical bends in the floor and cover on the front and back. This creates a second contact area in a direction perpendicular to the connection areas, which effectively increases stability.

To ensure electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), the cover and/or the base is expediently provided with an EMC cable entry, in particular made of conductive elastomer, at least on the front. Such an EMC cable entry enables electrical cables to be fed in, while at the same time largely filling the openings in the housing so that electromagnetic radiation can neither escape nor enter. On the other hand, the EMC seal can be used to create electrical contact between different components of the cabinet, in particular between the base part or cover and the door. In this context, it is particularly expedient for the door to have an unpainted area in the area of the EMC seal of the base and/or the cover for an electrically conductive contact.

In order to lay electrical cables in a mechanically solid manner, the cover and/or the base can have an angle with recesses that protrudes horizontally and interacts with a second angle and an EMC seal for an EMC cable entry.

To protect the cabinet from corrosion, at least the visible outer surfaces of the side walls, the base and the cover are preferably painted. With regard to sealing the connection area between the door or the rear wall and the side walls against electromagnetic radiation, EMC springs are preferably provided for electrical contact between the door or the rear wall and the side walls.

For stable positioning or for transport purposes, the base can be fitted with adjustable feet and the cover with transport fastening devices, such as hooks

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For this purpose, appropriate threaded sleeves can be provided in the base and/or cover.

The rear wall can be connected to the other parts of the cabinet, in particular the side walls, using known connection techniques, for example by screwing. All components can be perforated for ventilation purposes, whereby the hole size must be observed in the usual way with regard to electromagnetic compatibility.

In order to reliably ensure that the cabinet is closed even in the event of any vibrations, for example in the extreme case of an earthquake, the door and the side walls can be provided with locking elements. These can in particular be operable locking elements, for example locking rods with associated operating devices such as latches, handles and/or levers. Lockable locks can also be provided in the usual way. Hooks, for example double hooks, can also be provided as locking elements on the housing body and/or on the door. A corresponding counterpart that can be brought into engagement with the hooks is then expediently provided on the opposite part.

Stabilization against displacement of the door relative to the body, in particular in the vertical direction, can be achieved by providing recesses in the door and/or in the body, for example in the area of a vertical edge bevel, which can also be referred to as notches, in which the locking elements, which are arranged on the side walls but possibly also on the ceiling and/or floor part, can be accommodated at least partially in a form-fitting manner. In particular, these recesses can have edges on which the corresponding locking elements can be supported in the event of vertical and/or horizontal displacement.

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The great advantage of a form-fitting support of the front door against the locking elements is that the door is supported on the locking elements, for example during an earthquake test, and thus contributes significantly to the stiffening of the cabinet. The vertical bevel on the locking side of the door, which is also known as the box bow, has a corresponding recess or notch for this purpose. This means that the otherwise usual complex and expensive stiffening elements, such as additional gusset plates for support, can be omitted.

Further advantages and characteristics of the invention are described below with reference to the figures.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the cabinet according to the invention without door and rear wall;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the cabinet from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the cabinet from Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the cabinet according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the side view shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view of the inside of a door.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the cabinet according to the invention. For better clarity, the door and rear wall have been omitted. According to the invention, two side walls 2 together with a base 3 and a cover 4 form a self-supporting unit 10. The side walls 2 are attached to the base 3

or the cover 4 in connection areas 5 using a plurality of Tox connections as compression-press connections 15. In addition to a mechanical connection, these Tox connections 15 also provide an electrically conductive contact, which is desired and intended with regard to electromagnetic shielding. In this context, a plurality of contact studs 16 are also provided in the connection areas 5 of the side walls 2, the base 3 and the cover 4. These contact studs 16 can, for example, be circular disk-like impressions, with the sheet metal in this area being left metallically bare to enable electrical contact.

In the embodiment shown, electrical contact between the side parts 2 and the base 3 or cover 4 is therefore made both via the Tox connections 15 and via the contact studs 16.

To achieve improved torsional rigidity, the side parts 2 are each provided with L-shaped vertical legs 22 on both vertically extending edges, which have a front or rear leg 23 with an outwardly directed sealing leg 24. The sealing legs 24 perform a function in the electromagnetic shielding of the cabinet, as described below in connection with Fig. 4.

Furthermore, vertical stiffening profiles 6 are attached inside the cabinet to stabilize the side walls 2. These stiffening profiles 6 run approximately centrally between the two vertical edges of the side walls 2 and extend over the entire height of the side walls 2.

In order to achieve a higher stiffening of the base 3 and the cover 4, these components are provided with vertical bends 17 corresponding to the vertical legs 22 of the side walls 2. On the front side of the cover 4,

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a horizontally extending angle region 21 adjoins the vertical bend 17 formed there, in which recesses or bulges 26 are incorporated, for example punched, for receiving electrical supply lines. An EMC cable entry, in particular made of a conductive elastomer, is expediently arranged on this angle 21. For example, the EMC cable entry can be glued on or fixed to the angle 21 with the aid of another component, for example a sheet metal strip. The EMC cable entry can be of the type described in DE 202 04 910.8 Ul, for example. In contrast to the structure described in this utility model, the EMC cable entry to be used in the present invention no longer consists of three individual parts, but only of a sheet steel angle and an EMC seal. The second sheet steel angle is integrated into the cover construction in the present invention. In principle, the cabinet according to the invention can additionally or alternatively be provided with an EMC cable entry of the type shown in Fig. 12 of DE 202 04 910.8 Ul.

Fig. 2 and 3 show a front view and a side view of the self-supporting unit 10 shown in Fig. 1, wherein corresponding components are provided with the same reference numerals. Fig. 2 and 3 illustrate the spatial course of the front and rear legs transverse to the surface of the side walls 2 and the adjoining sealing legs 24 in the direction of the side walls 2. Furthermore, Fig. 3 illustrates the course of the vertical stiffening profile 6.

To provide the connecting areas 5, the side walls 2 are provided with L-shaped upper and lower legs 12 and the base 3 and cover 4 are provided with lateral folds 13.

Details of this area are shown in Fig. 5. The side edge 13 of the cover 4 has the shape of a triangle 18, where

a vertically extending leg 14 rests against the upper leg 12 of the side wall 2 and forms the connecting area 5 with it. The L-shaped upper leg 12 of the side wall 2 also has an upper partial leg 19 which extends partially over the lateral bevel 13 of the cover 4. Recesses, in particular slots or elongated holes, can be incorporated, for example punched, into this upper partial leg 19, which can serve to accommodate and fix a cover.

The front leg 23 of the side wall 2 also has a leg region 25 which covers the vertical bend 17 of the cover 4 and essentially rests against it. In this way, a further increase in the torsional rigidity is achieved. Fig. 5 also shows the course of the angle 21 and the sealing leg 24 transversely to the vertical bend 17 or to the front leg 23.

The spatial arrangement of the various folds and legs can also be seen from Fig. 4, which shows a horizontal section through the self-supporting structure 10, wherein again the same reference numerals as in the other figures have been used for corresponding components.

As shown in Fig. 4, vertical beams 7 are also arranged on the vertical stiffening profiles 6, which can be fastened to the side walls 2 with rivets 2 9, for example, and can be used in particular to accommodate 19" components in the cabinet. The vertical beams 7 are designed as a simple angle profile and the vertical stiffening profiles as a U-profile with contact legs, whereby excellent strength properties of the structure are achieved.

Fig. 4 shows the cabinet according to the invention in the closed state, i.e. with the rear wall 9 screwed on and the door 8 closed. To provide electromagnetic shielding in this closed state, the door 8 is provided with an inner profile 31 which is attached to the front panel in a known manner.

EMC springs are attached to the outer legs of this inner profile 31, which in the embodiment shown is designed as a double U-profile or groove profile, which come into electrical contact with the sealing legs 24 of the vertical legs 22 of the side walls 2 when the door 8 is closed and thus seal this connection point electromagnetically. The door 8 and the screwed rear wall 9 also increase the torsional rigidity of the overall structure even further.

In the area of the rear wall 9, the electromagnetic shielding is designed slightly differently. The sealing legs 24 extend further into legs 32, which run approximately parallel to the rear wall 9 and on each of which EMC springs are arranged. When the rear wall 9 is attached to the self-supporting structure 10, these EMC springs 27 come into electrical contact with the rear wall 9, which is expediently left bare metal in the corresponding places.

The electromagnetic shielding between the rear wall 9 and the cabinet body or between the door and the door cabinet body has been described here for illustration purposes using the example of an EMC spring. However, any other type of EMC seal can also be used in the appropriate places, such as a conductive silicone cord, a conductive elastomer and/or a textile seal.

When manufacturing the embodiment of a cabinet according to the invention shown in the figures, welded joints can be completely dispensed with, which allows considerable cost savings. Furthermore, since only seven main groups are used in total, there are advantages in terms of production time.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, only the visible outer parts are painted in order to save costs for painting and complex masking.

The cover 4, the base 3 and the 19" vertical profiles 7 are left bare. For example, these components can be made from 1.5 mm thick hot-dip galvanized sheet steel. Further cost savings are possible if the side walls 2, rear wall 9 and door 8 are only powder-coated on one side.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective partial view of the lower outer area of the inside of a door 8. The door 8 essentially consists of a sheet metal with vertical and horizontal folds 41, 43 attached to the edge areas. The inner profile 31 shown in the sectional drawing in Fig. 4 can also be partially seen.

A recess 35 is incorporated into the vertical bevel 41, into which a locking element 33 can be partially received in a form-fitting manner. To illustrate this, Fig. 6 also shows the corresponding locking element 33, which is attached to the body, i.e. to one of the side parts 2, when the cabinet is in use. The recess 35 has an upper edge 3 7 and a lower edge 3 9, on which the locking element 33 attached to the body, which is essentially a rectangular metal or plastic plate, can be supported in the event of vertical displacement.

The present invention provides a novel cabinet for accommodating electrical and electronic devices and assemblies, which can be manufactured much more cost-effectively due to the significantly reduced number of components and the resulting significantly lower manufacturing effort, while nevertheless achieving excellent stability properties.

Claims (19)

1. Cabinet for accommodating electrical and electronic equipment and components, in particular telecommunications cabinet,
with side walls ( 2 ), a rear wall ( 9 ), a door ( 8 ), a floor ( 3 ) and a cover ( 4 ), wherein an EMC shield is provided to shield the interior of the cabinet against electromagnetic waves,
characterized ,
that the side walls ( 2 ) with the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) form a self-supporting unit ( 10 ). 2. Cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) are connected to the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) in connecting regions ( 5 ) by compression-press connections ( 15 ). 3. Cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) and/or the base ( 3 ) and/or the cover ( 4 ), in particular in the connecting areas ( 5 ), have contact studs ( 16 ) for EMC shielding. 4. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) have vertical legs ( 22 ) which are L-shaped and each have a front and rear leg ( 23 ) with an outwardly directed sealing leg ( 24 ). 5. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that side walls ( 2 ), floor ( 3 ), cover ( 4 ), door ( 8 ) and rear wall ( 9 ) are made of metal. 6. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) have upper and lower legs ( 12 ) and the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) have lateral folds ( 13 ) which form the connecting regions ( 5 ) of the self-supporting unit ( 10 ). 7. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) have upper and lower legs ( 12 ) which are L-shaped and extend over the lateral folds ( 13 ) of the base ( 3 ) or the cover ( 4 ). 8. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) have lateral folds ( 13 ) which protrude upwards or downwards and form a triangle, in particular a right-angled triangle, in cross-section, wherein a vertical leg ( 14 ) of the triangle rests against the L-shaped leg ( 12 ) of the walls ( 2 ) and is connected to it by toxing or clinching. 9. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the side walls ( 2 ) have leg regions ( 25 ) on the front and rear legs ( 23 ) which overlap above or below the bent sealing legs ( 24 ) onto vertical bends ( 17 ) of the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) formed on the front and rear. 10. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover ( 4 ) and/or the base ( 3 ) is provided at least on the front side with an EMC cable entry ( 20 ), in particular made of conductive elastomer. 11. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover ( 4 ) and/or the base ( 3 ) has an angle ( 21 ) with recesses ( 26 ) which projects horizontally and cooperates with a second angle and an EMC seal for an EMC cable entry ( 20 ). 12. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door ( 8 ) has an unpainted area in the region of an EMC seal of the base ( 3 ) and/or the cover ( 4 ) for an electrically conductive contact. 13. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in
that at least the visible outer surfaces of the side walls (2) as well as the base ( 3 ) and the cover ( 4 ) are painted and
that EMC springs ( 27 ) are provided for electrical contact between the door ( 8 ) or the rear wall ( 9 ) and the side walls (2). 14. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rear wall ( 9 ) is connected to the side walls ( 2 ) by screw connections. 15. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lateral folds ( 13 ) of the base ( 3 ) and/or the cover ( 4 ) have a plurality of recesses ( 11 ) for attaching compression-press connections, in particular Tox connections, to the side walls ( 2 ). 16. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper legs ( 12 ) of the side walls ( 2 ) have recesses, in particular slots, for receiving a cover. 17. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in
that the side walls ( 2 ) are provided with vertical stiffening profiles ( 6 ) and
that vertical bars ( 7 ), which are designed to accommodate 19" components, can be fixed to the stiffening profiles ( 6 ). 18. Cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door ( 8 ) and the side walls ( 2 ) are provided with locking elements ( 33 ). 19. Cabinet according to claim 18, characterized in that for stabilization against displacements in the vertical direction in the door ( 8 ) at least one recess ( 35 ) is provided, in particular in the region of an edge-side vertical bevel ( 41 ) of the door ( 8 ), in which a closure element arranged on the side walls ( 2 ) can be received at least partially in a form-fitting manner.