Hinged Dead Front Bracket for Panelboard Mounting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dead front mounting arrangements for electrical panelboards require complete removal for maintenance, leading to alignment issues, loose nuts, and excessive cut-outs exposing live parts, making assembly and access cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A hinged dead front mounting system with bracket assemblies and latch mechanisms that allow for easy alignment and secure attachment without loose nuts, enabling the dead front to be opened and closed without complete removal, facilitating maintenance and reducing cut-outs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the dead front is mounted on four standoffs fixed on the mounting panel, then the dead front can be securely installed, but alignment during reinstallation becomes difficult and loose nuts may fall out

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure installationVSAvoidalignment during reinstallation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bracket assemblies are pre-fixed to the mounting panel at predetermined locations before the dead front is installed. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the dead front is reinstalled, the components are already in their correct positions, eliminating alignment difficulties and preventing loose nuts from falling out during the process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the dead front is secured with loose nuts, then the dead front can be removed for maintenance, but tools are required and nuts may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremovability for maintenanceVSAvoidrequirement of tools and risk of loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the loose nuts from the fastening system. Instead of using separate nuts that require tools and can be lost, the bracket assemblies are designed with integrated fastening features that secure the dead front without requiring removable nuts, thereby simplifying the system while maintaining ease of maintenance access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If larger cut-outs are provided to access toggles, then access to switches is improved, but live terminals are exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to switchesVSAvoidexposure to live parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dead front is designed with selective transparency - it is opaque overall to block exposure to live parts, but includes specific transparent or open windows at precise locations where toggle switches are accessible. This localized quality allows operators to access switches through designated areas while the rest of the dead front continues to provide protection against exposed live terminals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11563312B2Base bracket and an arrangement for mounting a dead front for an electrical panelboard

Publication Date: 2023.01.24 APPLETON GROUP LLC

AI summary

A hinged dead front for an enclosure of an electrical panelboard, said enclosure defined by a rear panel, an operative left side panel, an operative right side panel and a door, wherein the rear panel of said enclosure is provided with hinged mounting bracket assemblies on which said dead front is hingeably mounted; and latch stopping bracket assemblies configured to engage with locking elements fitted on said dead front.