Electronic cabinet, and air inlet therefore

Abstract

The electronic cabinet for enclosing electronic components generally has a housing having a base and a cover being connected to one another a plurality of lateral walls, one of the plurality of lateral walls having a first opening; a lateral perforated plate being mounted to the housing and extending over the first opening, the lateral perforated plate having a plurality of perforations; and a protector plate being mounted to the housing and extending over the lateral perforated plate to cover the plurality of perforations of the lateral perforated plate, the protector plate defining at least one air inlet between the protector plate and the lateral perforated plate.

1 . An outdoor weather-resistent electronic cabinet for enclosing electronic components, the electronic cabinet comprising:
 a housing having a base and a cover being connected to one another via a plurality of lateral walls, one of the plurality of lateral walls having a first opening;   a lateral perforated plate being mounted to the housing and extending over the first opening, the lateral perforated plate having a plurality of perforations; and   a filter element, including chicane members, mounted inside the housing and extending over the first opening.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The outdoor weather-resistent electronic cabinet of  claim 1  further comprising a frame received in the first opening and mounted to the housing, the lateral perforated plate being mounted to the housing via the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The outdoor weather-resistant electronic cabinet of  claim 3  wherein the filter element has a base which is removably received onto a base of the frame. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The outdoor weather-resistent electronic cabinet of  claim 4  wherein the chicane members of the filter element includes a back wall connected to the base of the filter element and extending upwardly therefrom, a first wall connected to the back wall and extending forwardly and downwardly from a top edge of the back wall, a second wall connected the first wall and extending downwardly and inwardly from a forward edge of the first wall, a third wall connected to the second wall and extending upwardly and inwardly from an inward edge of the second wall, at least the first and third walls each having a plurality of perforations. 
     
     
         7 . The outdoor weather-resistent electronic cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the filter element is slidably engaged with the interior of the housing via a plurality of filter element guides. 
     
     
         8 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An air outlet module for outdoor weather-resistent electronic cabinet having a housing, the air outlet module comprising:
 an enclosure being mountable to the housing and comprising a bottom perforated plate characterized by a plurality of perforations at a first end and a bottom air inlet at a second end opposite the first end; and   a filter element, including chicane members, being mountable inside the enclosure.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The air outlet module of  claim 1  further wherein the a enclosure is receivable in a air outlet module opening, the perforated plate being mountable to the housing via the enclosure. 
     
     
         14 . The air outlet module of  claim 13  wherein the filter element has a base which is removably receivable onto a base of the enclosure. 
     
     
         15 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An outdoor electronics cabinet comprising a weather-resistant housing enclosing electronic components, the weather-resistant housing having a lower inlet portion and an upper outlet portion allowing external air to flow into the housing from the inlet portion, ventilate the enclosed electronic components, and exit the housing from the upper outlet portion, the weather-resistant housing being characterized in that at least one of the lower inlet portion and the upper outlet portion has a plurality of apertures defined in an inlet aperture region of the housing and a filter element, including chicane members, mounted internally and adjacent to the inlet aperture region in a manner that the external air flows into the housing via the openings, via the plurality of apertures, and across the filter element prior to ventilating the enclosed electronic components. 
     
     
         22 . The air outlet module of  claim 11 , wherein the filter element extends within the enclosure between the perforations at the first end and the bottom air inlet at the second end of the bottom perforated plate.