Gasketless rainproof ganging of enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11901716-B2
Application number	US-202117559793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 22, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A gasketless ganging system includes an enclosure, including a first side, a second side; a first opening, and a second opening; a first ganging member disposed on the first side, including a third opening, a first channel, and a pair of first protrusions; and a second ganging member disposed on the second side, including a fourth opening, a second channel, and a pair of second protrusions. In some embodiments, the enclosure is a first enclosure and a second enclosure, wherein the first side of the first or second enclosure abuts the second side of the other of the first or second enclosure, to adjoin enclosures, wherein the pair of first protrusions abuts the pair of second protrusions to position the second channel within the first channel without contacting the first channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
an enclosure,
wherein the enclosure includes:
a first side,
a second side,
a first opening,
wherein the first opening is disposed on the first side, and

a second opening,
wherein the second opening is disposed on the second side;

a first ganging member,
wherein the first ganging member includes:
a third opening,
a first channel, and
a pair of first protrusions,

wherein the first ganging member is disposed on the first side of the enclosure; and

a second ganging member,
wherein the second ganging member includes:
a fourth opening,
a second channel, and
a pair of second protrusions,

wherein the second ganging member is disposed on the second side of the enclosure;

wherein the first channel is disposed along a portion of a circumference of the third opening, and the second channel is disposed along a portion of a circumference of the fourth opening;
wherein the third opening and the fourth opening further includes:
a first vertical edge,
a second vertical edge,
a first lateral edge, and
a second lateral edge,
wherein the first vertical edge, the first lateral edge, and the second vertical edge of the third opening are flanged to contiguously form the first channel,
wherein the first vertical edge, the first lateral edge, and the second vertical edge of the fourth opening are flanged to contiguously form the second channel.

2. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lateral edge of the third opening and the first lateral edge of the fourth opening are inclined such that a first end of the lateral edge is higher than a second end of the lateral edge.

3. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lateral edge of the third and fourth openings is rounded.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pair of first protrusions is a first pair of first protrusions and a second pair of first protrusions, the first pair of first protrusions and the second pair of first protrusions disposed at opposite ends of the third opening, and the pair of second protrusions is a first pair of second protrusions and a second pair of second protrusions, the first pair of second protrusions and the second pair of second protrusions disposed at opposite ends of the fourth opening.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the pair of first protrusions extend from the first ganging member at a first width, and the pair of second protrusions extend from the second ganging member at a second width.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the enclosure comprises:
a first enclosure, and
a second enclosure,
wherein the first or second ganging member of the first enclosure is configured to abut an other of the first or second ganging member of the second enclosure.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the pair of first protrusions or the pair of second protrusions of the first enclosure abuts the other of the pair of first protrusions or the pair of second protrusions of the second enclosure to align the first enclosure to the second enclosure, wherein the first channel or the second channel of the first enclosure overlaps the other of the first channel or the second channel of the second enclosure such that the second channel sits in the first opening without contacting the first channel.

8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the enclosure further includes:
a pair of first receptacles,
wherein the pair of first receptacles is disposed at opposite ends of the first opening, and

a pair of second receptacles,
wherein the pair of second receptacles is disposed at opposite ends of the second opening,

wherein the pair of first receptacles and the pair of second receptacles are configured to receive a connector to gang the first enclosure to the second enclosure.

9. An apparatus comprising:
an enclosure,
wherein the enclosure includes:
a first side,
wherein the first side includes:
 a first opening,
 wherein the first opening is disposed on the first side to expose an interior of the enclosure,
 a first channel,
 wherein the first channel is disposed along a circumference of the first opening, and
 at least two first protrusions,
 wherein the at least two first protrusions are disposed at opposite sides of the first opening; and

a second side,
wherein the second side includes:
 a second opening,
 wherein the second opening is disposed on the second side to expose an interior of the enclosure,
 a second channel,
 wherein the second channel is disposed along a circumference of the second opening, and
 at least two second protrusions,
 wherein the at least two second protrusions are disposed at opposite sides of the second opening;

wherein the first opening and the second opening further includes:
a lateral edge,
wherein the lateral edge of the first opening and a lateral edge of the second opening are inclined such that a first end of the lateral edge of the first and second openings is higher than a second end of the lateral edge of the first and second openings.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the lateral edge of the first and second openings is rounded.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first channel is disposed along a portion of the first opening, and the second channel is disposed along a portion the second opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first opening and the second opening further includes:
a first vertical edge,
a second vertical edge,
a first lateral edge, and
a second lateral edge,
wherein the first vertical edge, the first lateral edge, and the second vertical edge of the first opening are flanged to contiguously form the first channel,
wherein the first vertical edge, the first lateral edge, and the second vertical edge of the second opening are flanged to contiguously form the second channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least two first protrusions is a first pair of first protrusions and a second pair of first protrusions, the first pair of first protrusions and the second pair of first protrusions disposed at opposite ends of the first opening, and the at least two second protrusions is a first pair of second protrusions and a second pair of second protrusions, the first pair of second protrusions and the second pair of second protrusions disposed at opposite ends of the second opening.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least two first protrusions extend from the first side at a first width, and the pair of second protrusions extend from the second side at a second width.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the enclosure comprises:
a first enclosure, and
a second enclosure,
wherein the first or second side of the first enclosure is configured to abut an other of the first or second side of the second enclosure.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least two first protrusions or the at least two second protrusions of the first enclosure abuts the other of the at least two first protrusions or the at least two second protrusions of the second enclosure to align the first enclosure to the second enclosure, wherein the first channel or the second channel of the first enclosure overlaps the other of the first channel or the second channel of the second enclosure such that the second channel sits in the first opening without contacting the first channel.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the enclosure further includes:
a pair of first receptacles,
wherein the pair of first receptacles is disposed at opposite ends of the first opening, and

a pair of second rece

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Lefort Maxime
• Meyngne-Ngoule Yannick

Classifications

• H02G3/088 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets · CPC title

• H02B1/28

  dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof or flameproof · CPC title

• H02B1/308 Primary

  Mounting of cabinets together · CPC title

• H02G3/10

  for surface mounting on a wall · CPC title