A. Lee Graham
Reporter
AZZ Inc. of Fort Worth has received a patent for its front-door latching mechanism, part of the company’s line of arc-resistant voltage switchgear.
The electrical parts maker and service provider received US patent number 8,733,853 B2 for the device, designed to avoid catastrophic damage to personnel and nearby equipment in an arc fault event.
An arc fault is a malfunction within electrical switchgear.
“This newly patented front door latching mechanism represents an innovative step forward in switchgear design,” said CEO Tom Ferguson in a news release.
The product allows visual confirmation that the switchgear enclosure door is properly latched and that effects of an arc fault would remain contained within the switchgear, Ferguson said.
“Our door contains the only latch in the industry allowing for complete visual confirmation of closure, as all other brands of switchgear doors use either bolts and-or latches that are concealed to secure the doors in the closed position,” Ferguson said.
AZZ Inc. provides specialty electrical equipment and engineered services to power generation, transmission, distributions and industrial markets. It also provides hot dip galvanizing services to the North American steel fabrication market.
More information is available at www.azz.com.