US 4,709,120 AGranted

Underground utility equipment vault

OwnerDean C. Pearsoninventor

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Abstract

An improved underground utility equipment vault is comprised of at least two concentrically disposed chambers. The inner chamber is a non-electrically conductive material such as wood and is disposed in spaced concentric relationship within the outer chamber which is metallic, preferably steel. The exterior surface of the outer chamber is provided with a protective dielectric coating and cathodic protection in the form of sacrificial anodes. The inner chamber is provided with heat vents adjacent its uppermost surface area and cold air returns adjacent its lowermost surface area. The heat vents may be provided with exhaust fans. The inner chamber is provided with above ground air communication and an entryway. The interior of the inner chamber and electric gear therein contained is electrically isolated from the outer chamber and the vault exterior.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An improved underground utility equipment vault comprising:

(a) an inner chamber constructed from a non-electrically conductive material of a selected geometric configuration;
(b) an outer chamber constructed from electrically conductive heat exchange material in a selected geometric figuration larger in overall dimension than said inner chamber;
(c) supporting means for supporting said inner chamber within said outer chamber in spaced relationship to said outer chamber;
(d) heat vent and cold air return means provided in said inner chamber for passive convection cooling communication between the interior of said inner chamber and the space the exterior of the inner chamber and the interior of the outer chamber;
(e) the exterior of said outer chamber coated with a protective dielectric coating and being further provided with cathodic protection in the form of a plurality of sacrificial anodes;
(f) said inner chamber containing electrical equipment electrically coupled to cables extending through the inner and outer chambers in electrically isolated relationship relative to said outer chamber.

3 more elements

An improved underground utility equipment vault comprising:

p1 (a) an inner chamber constructed from wood and having a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls, a top and a bottom wall joined to a form a hollow chamber generally rectangular in vertical cross-section therethrough, said bottom wall provided with supporting means;
(b) an outer chamber constructed from steel and having a second pair of side walls, end walls, a top and bottom wall all of greater dimensions than the side walls, end walls, top and bottom walls of said inner chamber, said supporting means of said bottom wall of said inner chamber for supporting said inner chamber in concentric spaced relationship within said outer chamber;
(c) heat vent and cold air return means provided in said inner chamber for passive convection cooling communication between the interior of said inner chamber and the space between the exterior of the inner chamber and the interior of the outer chamber;
(d) the exterior of said outer chamber coated with a protective dielectric coating and being further provided with cathodic protection in the form of a plurality of sacrificial anodes;
(e) said inner chamber containing electrical equipment electrically coupled to cables extending through the inner and outer chambers in electrically isolated relationship relative to said outer chamber.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.