Joints and connections – Three or more members connected at single locus
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-22
2001-08-07
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Three or more members connected at single locus
C403S174000, C403S219000, C403S231000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270283
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bearing structure for cabinets preferably containing electric and/or electronic apparatuses comprising a predetermined number of metal section members defining upright elements and crosspiece elements and connectors between the section members disposed at each cabinet vertex where three of the section members converge. The connectors comprises first junction elements between said crosspiece elements, adapted to form at least one first and one second surrounding frames therewith, which frames are intended to be the engagement support of a first metal panel or slab defining the cabinet roof or top and a second panel defining the cabinet base or floor.
It is known that cabinets or containers for electric and/or electronic apparatuses of several different kinds may comprise a bearing structure or support framework formed of metal section members both for the vertical or upright elements and the horizontal or crosspiece elements.
Section members are joined to each other by connectors adapted to engage the ends of the three section members converging at each vertex, into the vertex itself.
In order that expenses for transportation and storage of the above-cabinets should be contained within reasonable limits, the bearing structure, closing panels or slabs and doors intended to be engaged with said structure are generally at least partly mounted and assembled at the place of use, i.e. in situ.
Practically, the connectors between the section members generally comprises first junction elements between the crosspiece elements, adapted to enable formation of stiff surrounding frames therewith, which frames will form the support for engagement of the panels or slabs defining the cabinet top and base.
In order to reduce the number of assembling operations to be carried out in situ without, on the other hand, substantially varying bulkiness of the individual disassembled components of a cabinet, it would be desirable that mounting of some of said components should take place already at the factory.
In particular, bulkiness for transportation and storage of the panels forming the cabinet top and base should not be substantially modified if mounting of said surrounding frames and assembling of said panels therewith should be done in advance.
However, in the known art the above mentioned advantageous operations cannot be done because the connectors between section members generally comprises removable jointing members, screws for example, between said first junction elements supporting the crosspiece elements, and second junction elements in engagement with the section members defining the upright elements, located to such positions that the necessary intervention thereon is allowed only if assembling between the panel constituting the cabinet top or base or close thereto and the respective surrounding frame has been not yet carried out.
Practically, still unresolved is the technical problem of how to arrange the top and base panels of each cabinet which have been already connected to the crosspiece section members preliminarily mounted in order to form the respective surrounding frames, without creating obstacles to the subsequent mounting steps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under this situation, the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a bearing structure capable of overcoming the accepted limits of the known art and therefore eliminating in situ not only mounting of the crosspiece section members in order to form the surrounding frames for the cabinet top and base, but also the operating steps for applying respective closure panels thereto.
The technical task mentioned is substantially achieved by a bearing structure for cabinets containing electric and/or electronic apparatuses wherein the connectors further comprises connecting members between said first junction elements and the section members defining the upright elements adapted to be disposed at an operatively functional position for joining said surrounding frames to the upright elements themselves independently of the engagement of said panels defining the cabinet top and base with the respective surrounding frames.
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Bochna David E.
Browne Lynne H.
Conte Robert F. I.
E.T.A. S.p.A.
Lee Mann Smith McWilliams Sweeney & Ohlson
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