Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-30
2001-04-17
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S727000, C312S223200, C400S713000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219249
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an electrical cabinet and more particularly to a battery pack used to supply power to electrical components stored within such cabinet.
As is known in the art, batteries are typically used to store energy for electrical components housed within electrical cabinets. These batteries may be used to provide power for the electrical components at all times of their operation or may simply serve as a backup power supply to the components should a main power supply to the cabinet fail. Batteries may also be rechargeable, or replaceable, depending on their desired application.
Unfortunately, batteries are awkward to store in electrical cabinets as they are often bulky and quite heavy as compared to the electrical components that they power. Often these batteries require maintenance or must be replaced to ensure proper operation. Further, because of their size and weight such tasks of maintenance and replacement are difficult to perform.
Typically batteries are mounted within cabinets using screws and shelving. Such a structure has proven difficult for providing access to the batteries, even causing damage to the cabinets or surrounding components. Thus, a structure is needed to provide better access to batteries housed within electrical cabinets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a cabinet is provided having compartments disposed in an interior of the cabinet for housing electrical components. In one of the compartments a battery pack is disposed. The battery pack has a housing which contains a plurality of batteries disposed side-by-side. The batteries are for storing power to be supplied to electrical components also housed within the cabinet. The housing is covered by a removable cover which can be removed to provide access to the batteries for maintenance or replacement thereof. The battery pack is positioned on a rail within the compartment. The rail provides a low friction surface for receiving and removing the battery pack, into, and out from, respectively, the compartment.
With such an arrangement, the electrical cabinet can effectively store the heavy and awkward sized batteries needed to supply power to the housed electrical components. The arrangement also allows the batteries to be removed easily for maintenance.
In accordance with other features of the invention, the battery pack is located in a compartment at the base of the cabinet. Such a position lowers the center of gravity of the cabinet, thus increasing its stability and its safety. The cabinet may also employ a stop to engage the battery pack preventing it from being removed from the cabinet in a single sliding motion. Such a stop also serves to increase the safety of the cabinet, preventing an accidental or uncontrollable removal of the battery pack from the cabinet.
In accordance with yet other features of the invention, the battery pack may have a pull handle and a lift handle to increase the ease of manually handling it as it is received into, or removed out from the cabinet. The pack may also have slots to accept the stops of the cabinet, a finger screw to secure the pack within the cabinet, a switch to control the functions of the batteries, a removable member to hold the batteries securely in place, and air vents to allow air to circulate within the battery pack cooling the batteries stored therein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5248193 (1993-09-01), Schlemmer
patent: 5612854 (1997-03-01), Wiscombe et al.
patent: 6038126 (2000-03-01), Weng
patent: 6088224 (2000-07-01), Gallagher et al.
Stotz, Jr. William H.
Tuccio William R.
Daly, Crowley & Mofford
Duong Hung Van
EMC Corporation
Picard Leo P.
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