US 7,510,223 B2
Arc resistant electrical enclosure system and method
Chester Malkowski, Jr., Franklin, Wis. (US); G. Erich Heberlein, Jr., Everett, Wash. (US); James Hunter Meriwether, Muscoda, Wis. (US); and Eric Krieg, Cedarburg, Wis. (US)
Assigned to Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc., Mayfield Heights, Ohio (US)
Filed on Oct. 13, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/249,960.
Prior Publication US 2007/0085347 A1, Apr. 19, 2007
Int. Cl. E05C 19/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 292—304  [292/341.15] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrical enclosure system comprising:
an electrical enclosure configured to receive and house electrical components, the electrical enclosure having an opening for accessing the electrical components;
a door attached to the electrical enclosure for covering the opening and enclosing an interior volume of the electrical enclosure;
a latch plate mounted to the electrical enclosure adjacent to the opening, wherein the latch plate moves in and out of the opening between an extended position in which the latch plate extends over a side of the opening and a retracted position in which the latch plate permits substantially unimpeded access to the components, and wherein the latch plate is configured to move in a first plane parallel to a second plane of the door in a closed position of the door over the opening; and
a latch mounted to the door and cooperative with the latch plate when the latch plate is in the extended position to hold the door closed over the opening, wherein the latch includes a latch pin and a biasing member cooperative with the latch pin to hold the door closed over the opening, wherein the biasing member deforms in response to a pressure differential to permit movement of the door for escape of gases from the interior volume due to an electrical fault within the enclosure.