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US 12,228,169 B2Granted
System and method for mounting a panel to an electrical cabinet
AssigneeHoffman Enclosures, Inc.
InventorDavid Ramos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for mounting a panel to a wiring cabinet are provided. The wiring cabinet can include a frame profile with a frame profile opening and the panel can have a panel opening. A fastening element used to mount the panel to the wiring cabinet can include an expanding rivet with an opening and at least two rivet legs. The expanding rivet can be received through the panel opening and the frame profile opening when aligned. The fastener can also include an expanding body that can be inserted into the opening of the expanding rivet so that the rivet legs are forced apart to cause the rivet legs to engage the frame profile.
Claims12
A fastening element for mounting a panel to a wiring cabinet, the wiring cabinet including at least one frame profile having a frame profile opening and the panel having a panel opening, the fastening element comprising:
- an expanding rivet configured to be received through the panel opening and the frame profile opening, the expanding rivet including:
- an opening disposed through a longitudinal axis of the expanding rivet;
- at least two rivet legs extending from a first end of the expanding rivet;
- a collar radially protruding from a second end of the expanding rivet and having an outer circumference greater than an outer circumference of the rivet legs, the collar being configured to contact an outer surface of the panel when the expanding rivet is inserted through the panel opening, to be seated on an indentation of the panel at the panel opening;
- at least two first protrusions extending radially outward from the collar of the expanding rivet opposite the first end, the first protrusions being configured to engage a respective recess of at least two recesses included in the panel opening, with the expanding rivet in a first rotational orientation, to retain the expanding rivet in a non-rotatable manner relative to the panel;
- and
- at least two second protrusions extending radially outward from the expanding rivet, the second protrusion being axially and circumferentially offset from the first protrusion to be received through the recesses in the panel opening with the expanding rivet in a second rotational orientation different from the first rotational orientation, and to engage an inner side of the panel, after being received through the recesses and upon rotation of the expanding rivet to the first rotational orientation, to axially retain the expanding rivet within the panel opening with the expanding rivet in the first rotational orientation;
- and
- an expanding body configured to be inserted into the opening of the expanding rivet to force apart the rivet legs so that the rivet legs engage the frame profile.
6 more elements
A wiring cabinet system comprising:
- a frame with one or more frame profiles having a frame profile opening;
- a panel with an inner surface, an outer surface, and a panel opening;
- and
- a fastening element including an expanding rivet and an expanding body, the expanding rivet including:
- an opening disposed through a longitudinal axis of the expanding rivet;
- at least two rivet legs extending from a first end of the expanding rivet;
- a collar radially protruding from a second end of the expanding rivet opposite the first end, the collar contacting an outer surface of the panel when the expanding rivet is inserted into the panel opening;
- at least two first protrusions extending radially outward from the collar, the at least two first protrusions engaging a respective recess of at least two recesses on the panel opening, with the expanding rivet in a first rotational orientation, to retain the expanding rivet in a non-rotatable manner relative to the panel;
- and
- at least two second protrusions extending radially outward from the collar, the at least two second protrusions being axially and circumferentially offset from the at least two first protrusions and being receivable through the recesses in the panel opening with the expanding rivet in a second rotational orientation different from the first rotational orientation and, with the expanding rivet in the first rotational orientation, the at least two second protrusions engaging an inner side of the panel to axially retain the expanding rivet within the panel opening;
- and
- wherein the panel is mounted to the frame by the fastening element with the inner surface of the panel in contact with the frame profile, and with the expanding rivet inserted from the outer surface of the panel through the panel opening and the frame profile opening and the expanding body inserted into the opening of the expanding rivet to force the rivet legs into engagement with the frame profile.
9 more elements
A method for mounting a panel to a wiring cabinet, the method comprising:
- aligning a panel with a wiring cabinet, with a rear surface of the panel adjacent a frame profile of the wiring cabinet;
- and
- fastening the panel to the wiring cabinet by:
- with an expending rivet in a first rotational orientation, inserting the expanding rivet in an insertion direction through an opening in the panel and an opening in the frame profile, so that first protrusions of the expanding rivet are received through recesses of the panel opening to be disposed on an interior side of the panel;
- rotating the expanding rivet from the first rotational orientation to a second rotational orientation to move the first protrusions out of alignment with the recesses and move second protrusions to be received in the recesses, so that the first protrusions engage an inner side of the panel to axially secure the expanding rivet within the panel opening and the second protrusions engage the recesses to secure the expanding rivet against rotation within the opening;
- and
- inserting an expanding body into the expanding rivet to force apart rivet legs of the expanding rivet, to secure the expanding rivet to the frame profile at the frame profile opening.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.