Self-supporting structure for underground electrical cabin with trapdoor access

Abstract

The present invention lies in the field of infrastructures of an electrical distribution network and in particular concerns a self-supporting structure that can be installed in an electrical cabin with trapdoor access.

Description

[0001] SELF-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL CABIN WITH

[0002] TRAPDOOR ACCESS

[0003] Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0004] This Patent Application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No . 102024000009454 filed on April 24 , 2024 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference .

[0005] Technical Field

[0006] The present invention lies in the field of technical infrastructures such as supply infrastructures , and in particular concerns a sel f-supporting structure that can be installed in an underground cabin with trapdoor access . The invention has preferred application in the field of underground electrical cabins in an electrical distribution network .

[0007] Background

[0008] As is well known, electrical cabins exist which are not accessible at floor level but are located in a technical room below that level . These technical rooms are accessible by a so- called "trapdoor" access open at f loor level ; through the trapdoor access , using speci fic fixed or mobile equipment , the user can descend into the room below to access the electrical components located inside .

[0009] In most cases the floor level corresponds to ground level , so these cabins are intended as "buried" or "underground" . However, it is possible that the level of the floor level is a surface for pedestrian / vehicle traf fic that is not ground or at ground level .

[0010] Therefore , in practice , the problem of safe access to these cabins arises .

[0011] There are currently several access methods , some of which are described below by way of example , without any presumption of completeness :

[0012] 1 ) Access by means of fixed ladders attached to the side wall of the technical room, e . g . so-called "cat ladders" with or without a cage ; such ladders do not have safety anchorage points and the user climbs them with the aid of a fall-prevention lanyard attached directly to the rungs . These systems therefore have signi ficant safety limitations as the anchor point does not meet satis factory strength requirements and the air draught is excessive , i . e . there is no immediate blockage in the event of the user falling . A further problem is that these types of ladders remain below the trapdoor access , so in order to reach them, the user has to lean into the access chimney to the room below, and this first step is in fact carried out without any protection, with the obvious risk of falling . This mode of access therefore presents a signi ficant safety problem for the operator .

[0013] 2 ) Fixed lean-to ladders : these types of ladders can be equipped with possible anchoring systems , but they essentially present similar problems to those outlined above for fixed wall- mounted ladders . 3 ) Tripods : these are structures installed on the outside of the trapdoor that allow the operator to descend into the room below by rope access from above . They are obviously structures that must be installed when required and then removed, as they cannot remain in place ; however, being heavy and cumbersome , they are not always usable as they sometimes lack the space for proper installation . They also require the use of specially trained personnel .

[0014] 4 ) Fall arrest devices certi fied as PPE in accordance with current regulations that can be installed on wall-mounted metal ladders , such as wire rope devices : this type of solution presents an acceptable level of safety for the operator, however, as PPE they are only available for use by specially trained personnel and are subj ect to periodic maintenance and control obligations ; in order to be installed, the ladder on site must have certain resistance characteristics , so they are not suitable for all existing applications .

[0015] 5 ) Fall arrest devices that can be installed on the floor outside the trapdoor, such as anchor posts for fall arrest lines . Again, the level of safety is satis factory for the user, but the maj or limitation is the fact that the fall arrest device , in whole or in part , remains installed on the floor outside the trapdoor, thus , it may constitute an unwanted obstruction, or be exposed to accidental or vandalistic damage . In general , therefore , access to such premises is entrusted either to structurally simple systems that do not , however, meet suf ficiently adequate security criteria, or to systems that are structurally more complex and secure but are di f ficult to manage , maintain and of high cost .

[0016] A further requirement is that such access systems should not cause obstacles outside the hatch or remain in place when not in use .

[0017] Identi fying speci fic personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for fall protection in order to access the buried room causes additional management di f ficulties , concerning the possible mixed use by personnel not belonging to the same company responsible for managing the PPE .

[0018] It is therefore necessary to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by improving the safe accessibility of these technical rooms below floor level .

[0019] Summary

[0020] The obj ect of the present invention is therefore to provide a sel f-supporting climbable structure that can be installed in a technical room below floor level .

[0021] According to the invention, a sel f-supporting structure , a technical room and a system comprising the self-supporting structure and the technical room, as defined in the appended claims which form an integral part of this description, are thus provided . Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The characteristics and advantages of the sel f-supporting climbable structure according to the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments thereof , provided by way of non- limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein :

[0023] - Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a room located below floor level , in which a sel f-supporting climbable structure , according to an embodiment , is installed;

[0024] - Figure 2 is the room in Figure 1 , shown from another angle ;

[0025] Figure 3 shows in isolation sel f-supporting climbable structure according to a first embodiment , in an extracted configuration;

[0026] - Figure 4 shows in isolation a sel f-supporting climbable structure , according to a second embodiment , in a retracted configuration; and

[0027] - Figure 5 shows in isolation a sel f-supporting climbable structure according to Figure 4 , in an extracted configuration .

[0028] Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0029] With reference to said figures , and in particular Figures 1 and 2 , a floor level S is defined, which can be , for example but not limited to , the ground or in general any surface used for the transit of persons and / or vehicles .

[0030] Below the floor level S is a technical room L, which defines a technical compartment where equipment such as an electrical network electronics are installed, i f the room L is used as an electrical cabin .

[0031] The technical compartment is also surmounted by a chimney LH that constitutes its development in height and is overlooked by an access opening B, open at floor level .

[0032] Therefore , in order to gain access to the technical compartment , an operator must enter the room through the opening B, descend down the chimney, until reaching a ground F of the technical compartment itsel f .

[0033] The ground F is therefore the floor of the technical room, where the operator stops or walks , and is distanced from the floor level by a height h, which is the height of the technical room L .

[0034] A sel f-supporting climbable structure 1 comprising a basement 10 suitable for being firmly (permanently) fixed to the ground F of the room is suitable to be installed in the room .

[0035] The basement 10 is mounted to a lower end I la of an elongated main body 11 of the sel f-supporting climbable structure .

[0036] The elongated main body 11 , by means of the basement 10 , is mounted inside the room L so as to extend from the ground F towards the access opening B inside the room .

[0037] Moreover, on the elongated main body 11 , a plurality of graspable elements 12 are arranged in an orderly manner to define a climbable structure .

[0038] The sel f-supporting climbable structure then installs , on an upper end 11b of the main body 11 opposite the basement 10 , a telescopic attachment device 13 , movable between a retracted position in which it is contained within the technical room L and an extracted position in which it protrudes outside the technical room L, beyond the access opening B .

[0039] The telescopic attachment device 13 comprises coupling means 14 to define a coupling for a load to be li fted and / or lowered .

[0040] The coupling means 14 are therefore also suitable for the connection of a personal fall protection device , so that an operator using the structure to ascend / descend from / into the trapdoor can connect to it in order to safely traverse the climbable structure .

[0041] Going into greater detail , also with reference to the other figures , the elongated main body 11 may comprise a pole or otherwise a pole element , i . e . elongated according to a longitudinal main extension X .

[0042] The pole 11 may have any cross-section ( considered perpendicular to the longitudinal extension) , e . g . circular or another shape , such as rectangular or square .

[0043] It can also be at least partially tubular .

[0044] Moreover, it is preferably made of metal .

[0045] The pole 11 has an overall height according to X that is less than the height h of the technical room L, therefore , in assembly, it remains inside the room L and does not protrude beyond the access opening B . In a preferred solution, the graspable elements 12 are rungs projecting at opposite sides of the pole 11, for its entire longitudinal extension according to X, so as to define a ladder or otherwise a plurality that is climbable for a user.

[0046] The rungs 12 can be arranged in pairs arranged at successive heights along X, with a determined pitch (i.e. the longitudinal distance between one pair and the next) appropriate for a user to climb, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

[0047] Alternatively, as for example shown in Figure 3, the rungs 12 can be arranged alternately on opposite sides of the post at successive heights according to a given pitch, i.e. in a right, left, right, left... etc. sequence up to the top of the post 11 itself .

[0048] Further, lateral reinforcement handrails 120 can connect to the free ends of the rungs on the same side, linking them together to define a grid and reinforce the ladder defined by the superimposed plurality of rungs (Figures 4 and 5) .

[0049] If necessary, the elongated main body 11 thus described can also install a protection cage, i.e. a cage that at least partially envelops the assembly consisting of the pole and plurality of rungs or is arranged facing towards it to provide fall protection for a user ascending or descending the climbable structure . Turning to a further aspect , as mentioned above , the sel f- supporting climbable structure according to the invention comprises a telescopic attachment device 13 .

[0050] In an embodiment , this device in turn comprises a beam 130 which is slidably mounted on the pole 11 at the upper end 11b thereof , close to the opening B . This slidable mounting is achieved by inserting the beam 130 into the pole 11 i f , for example , it is tubular and allows the penetration of the rod, or conversely by inserting the beam coaxially on the outside of the pole .

[0051] Thanks to the slidable mounting on the pole , the beam 130 can protrude a variable amount beyond the top end of the pole , according to a telescopic operating mode .

[0052] At the head of the beam, an arm 131 is connected, which supports the above-mentioned coupling means 14 implemented by a coupling for a load to be li fted and / or lowered along the elongated body, along the longitudinal development X . As already mentioned above , such a load can also be intended as the weight of an operator travelling along the climbable structure . The coupling means 14 are therefore also suitable for the safe coupling of a fall arrest device for the operator .

[0053] In a preferred embodiment , the arm 131 is implemented by an end segment of the beam 130 bent with respect to the main extension; said end segment may be bent by a variable angle extending from it perpendicularly or otherwise in a bent arrangement , so as to define with the beam a substantially L- shape or the like .

[0054] Preferably the arm supports a plate 140 on which holes or hooks are formed to define the aforementioned hooking 14 .

[0055] Further, the coupling device may comprise extraction means that allow telescopic movement from the retracted to the extracted position, such as but not limited to a foot ratchet 16 , shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0056] The coupling device may also comprise means for locking the beam in place , such as , but not limited to , fixing pins or dowels 17 ( Figure 3 ) .

[0057] Handles or grips 18 , as for example shown in Figure 3 , may also be provided for grasping the coupling device 14 and manually moving it - by a force applied by the user - between the extracted and retracted positions and vice versa .

[0058] The sel f-supporting structure may also include reinforcements ( an example is indicated with the numeral 15 in Figure 4 and Figure 5 ) i f it reaches signi ficant heights .

[0059] In addition, the sel f-supporting structure may provide one or more rest surfaces for the user i f it reaches considerable heights .

[0060] The sel f-supporting climbable structure according to the invention may be used by a user when ascending or descending from / into the technical room L . Hooking of the coupling device may be used to anchor a safety rope for the user working in the room L or even a load to be lowered into or li fted from the room itsel f .

[0061] The fact that the attachment device in the extended position is external to the room L is particularly advantageous because it allows the user to access the hooking without having to reach into the opening B .

[0062] In addition, the beam 130 of the attachment device or the arm 131 can be mounted rotatably with respect to the pole 11 , allowing it to be rotated and easily grasped by a user in the extracted position . In fact , once the attachment device is extracted, the user can rotate it to bring the hooking closer to him, without having to move towards it , moving into potentially less safe positions . This rotational movement thus also contributes to increasing the ease with which the user can reach the hooking and thus the overall safety of the structure .

[0063] The invention thus generally represents an improvement over the existing state of the art in that it improves the accessibility of rooms built below floor level .

[0064] The invention extends in general to any technical room with access limited to quali fied technical personnel and pertaining to any type of system, including non-electrical , e . g . water, gas supply, etc .

[0065] In practice , as is clear from the above , the assembly of the elongated body 11 and the attachment device 13 is sel f-supporting; that is , they do not form a lean-to ladder . In detail, the assembly of the elongated body 11 and the attachment device 13 may have only one fixed end (lower end in the described embodiments) and be configured to support, in use, the weight of the self-supporting structure itself and of operators and / or loads carried by the self-supporting structure itself depending on the specific application.

[0066] According to the foregoing, a self-supporting climbable structure may thus be summarised as a self-supporting climbable structure suitable for installation in a technical room (L) located below the level of a floor level and accessible through an opening (B) open at the level of said floor level (S) , in which said self-supporting climbable structure comprises: an elongated main body (11) according to its own longitudinal development direction X; a basement (10) for being firmly fixed to a ground (F) of said room, so that said elongated main body (11) extends from said ground towards said opening (B) inside said room (L) ; and a plurality of graspable elements (12) arranged in an orderly manner on said elongated main body (11) configured to allow a user to climb on said body (11) , wherein the self-supporting climbable structure further comprises, at an upper end (11b) of said elongated main body opposite said basement (10) , an attachment device (13) mounted telescopically on said elongated main body (11) , movable between a retracted and an extracted working position, where in said retracted position said attachment device (13) is located within said room (L) while in said extracted position it protrudes outside said room (L) , beyond said opening (B) , said attachment device (13) comprising a coupling (14) for a load to be lifted and / or lowered along said longitudinal direction X.

[0067] In other words, the attachment device telescopically mounted on the elongated main body is configured such that, when the self- supporting climbable structure is installed in the technical room, in the retracted position the attachment device is located within said room, while in the extracted working position the attachment device protrudes outside said room, beyond said opening .

[0068] The present invention has been described hereto with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is intended that other embodiments may exist which relate to the same inventive core, all falling within the scope of protection of the claims indicated below.

[0069] For example, according to a different embodiment, the attachment device 13 may not be telescopic, but fixed to the main body 11.

[0070] In particular, the attachment device 13 may be fixed to the main body 11 in the extracted position, i.e. in such a way that the attachment device and main body 11 together have a length so as to protrude out of the technical room L when the self- supporting climbable structure according to the present invention is installed in the technical room L.

[0071] In detail, the attachment device 13 may be fixed, e.g. welded or fixed in some other way known in itself, to the upper end 11b of the main body 11 in such a way that it cannot slide along the axis X. Alternatively, the attachment device 13 and the main body 11 may be monolithic to each other, i.e. formed as a single piece.

[0072] The self-supporting structure with attachment device fixed to the main body 11 may be advantageous in case there is no need to close the access opening B of the technical room L.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A self-supporting climbable structure suitable for installation in a technical room (L) located below the level of a floor level and accessible through an opening (B) open at the level of said floor level (S) , in which said self-supporting climbable structure comprises: an elongated main body (11) according to its own longitudinal development direction X; a basement (10) for being firmly fixed to a ground (F) of said room, so that said elongated main body (11) extends from said ground (F) towards said opening (B) inside said room (L) ; a plurality of graspable elements (12) arranged in an orderly manner on said elongated main body (11) configured to allow a user to climb on said body (11) ; said self-supporting climbable structure comprising, at an upper end (11b) of said elongated main body opposite to said basement (10) , an attachment device (13) mounted telescopically on said elongated main body (11) , movable between a retracted and an extracted working position, said attachment device (13) comprising a coupling (14) for a load to be lifted and / or lowered along said longitudinal development direction X.

2. The self-supporting climbable structure according to claim1 wherein said graspable elements of said plurality are rungs(12) arranged in pairs placed at successive elevations according to a determined pitch along the longitudinal development X of said elongated main body.

3. The self-supporting climbable structure according to claim 1 wherein said graspable elements of said plurality are rungs (12) arranged alternately at the sides of said elongated main body at successive elevations according to a step determined along the longitudinal development X of said elongated main body.

4. The self-supporting climbable structure according to any of the preceding claims in which said elongated main body is a pole (11) •5. The self-supporting climbable structure according to claim 4, wherein said coupling device (13) comprises a beam (130) which is slidably mounted on the pole (11) at an upper end thereof.

6. The self-supporting climbable structure according to claim5 wherein an arm (131) is connected to said beam (130) in a bent position with respect to said beam.

7. The self-supporting climbable structure according to claim6 wherein said arm (131) supports said coupling (14) .

8. The self-supporting climbable structure according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein said beam (130) or said arm (131) are pivotable with respect to said elongated main body (11) .

9. The self-supporting climbable structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said attachment device comprises extraction means (16, 18) for moving said device from said retracted position to said extracted position.

10. The self-supporting climbable structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in said retracted position said attachment device (13) is configured to be located within said room (L) while in said extracted working position it is configured to protrude outside said room (L) , beyond said opening (B) .

11. A self-supporting climbable structure suitable for installation in a technical room (L) located below the level of a floor level and accessible through an opening (B) open at the level of said floor level (S) , in which said self-supporting climbable structure comprises: an elongated main body (11) according to its own longitudinal development direction X; a basement (10) for being firmly fixed to a ground (F) of said room, so that said elongated main body (11) extends from said ground (F) towards said opening (B) inside said room (L) ;a plurality of graspable elements (12) arranged in an orderly manner on said elongated main body (11) configured to allow a user to climb on said body (11) ; said self-supporting climbable structure comprising, at an upper end (11b) of said elongated main body opposite said basement(10) , an attachment device (13) fixed to said elongated main body(11) , said attachment device (13) comprising a coupling (14) for a load to be lifted and / or lowered along said longitudinal development direction X.

12. A technical room for a distribution network built below a floor level installing a self-supporting climbable structure (1) according to any of the preceding claims.

13. A system comprising: a technical room for a distribution network built below a floor level; and a self-supporting climbable structure (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, installed in the technical room.

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