Electrical/electronics distribution equipment cabinet with multiple isolated cable/conduit routing compartments

An equipment cabinet comprising:

• first and second outer vertical wall panels (26 and 28) spaced apart from one another;
• a top wall (36) spanning between upper ends of the first and second outer vertical walls, the top wall including first and second spaced apart openings;
• a pair of removable top wall panels (38 and 40) removably secured to the top wall in the first and second spaced apart openings in the top wall;
• a bottom wall (42) spanning between lower ends of the first and second outer vertical walls, the bottom wall including first and second spaced apart openings;
• a pair of removable bottom wall panels (44 and 46) removably secured to the bottom wall (42) in the first and second spaced apart openings in the bottom wall;
• an internal plate (24) extending laterally from at least one of the first and second outer vertical wall panels, and creating a horizontal partition to help form a top panelboard circuit breaker area (16) and a bottom panelboard circuit breaker area (22);
• at least one of:
• both of the removable top wall panels (38 or 40), or
• both of the removable bottom wall panels (44 and 46),
• configured to enable a plurality of independent electrical cables to be routed therethrough to an interior area of the equipment cabinet, and further such that at least a first one of the plurality of independent electrical cables is routed into the top panelboard circuit breaker area, and at least a second one of the plurality of independent electrical cables is routed into the bottom panelboard circuit breaker area;
• both of the removable top wall panels being interchangeably positionable with both of the removable bottom wall panels, such that the equipment cabinet is able to be configured to enable the plurality of independent electrical cables to enter the cabinet through either the top wall or the bottom wall;
• and
• an internal wall structure (34,48,32,30) including a movable internal panel (48), the internal wall structure being disposed adjacent to, but spaced apart from, one of the first or second outer vertical walls, and being of a dimension to help form an independent compartment within a selected one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas to isolate the first and second ones of the plurality of electrical cables from one another within the selected one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas, while permitting one of the first or second ones of the plurality of electrical cables to extend into the other one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas.

A method for forming an equipment cabinet, the method comprising:

• placing first and second outer vertical wall panels (26 and 28) in a spaced apart orientation from one another;
• arranging a top wall (36) to span between upper ends of the first and second outer vertical walls, the top wall including first and second spaced apart openings;
• securing first and second removable top wall panels (38 and 40) to the top wall in first and second openings in the top wall;
• arranging a bottom wall (42) to span between lower ends of the first and second outer vertical walls, the bottom wall including first and second spaced apart openings;
• securing first and second removable bottom wall panels (44 and 46) in first and second openings in the bottom wall (42);
• using an internal plate (24) arranged to extend laterally from at least one of the first and second outer vertical wall panels, to create a laterally extending partition to help form a top panelboard circuit breaker area (16) and a bottom panelboard circuit breaker area (22);
• further configuring the removable top wall panels (38 and 40) or the removable bottom wall panels (44 and 46) to enable a plurality of independent electrical cables to be routed therethrough to an interior area of the equipment cabinet, and further such that at least a first one of the plurality of independent electrical cables is routed into the top panelboard circuit breaker area, and at least a second one of the plurality of independent electrical cables is routed into the bottom panelboard circuit breaker area;
• and
• disposing an internal wall structure (34,48,32,30) having a movable internal panel (48), such that the internal wall structure is disposed adjacent one of the first or second outer vertical walls and of a dimension to help form an independent compartment within a selected one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas, depending on a placement of the movable internal panel, to isolate the first and second ones of the plurality of electrical cables from one another within the selected one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas (16 or 22), while permitting one of the first or second ones of the plurality of electrical cables to extend into the other one of the top or bottom panelboard circuit breaker areas (16 or 22).