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Title: Electric furnace with interlocking disconnect panel for electric box
Claims: I claim: 1. In combination with an electric heating appliance having enclosing side walls, means housing electric heater coils, and blower means receiving room air for forcing the same over said coils, the improvement comprising: means integral with said appliance forming an electric box therein having a top wall, bottom wall, rear wall and first and second side walls, and defining an access aperture; a main disconnect switch including a base portion secured within said electric box and having at least one pair of spaced apart electrical contacts, and a plug removably assembled to said base and including a body portion and connecting means coupling said pair of contacts together when said plug is assembled to said base, said body portion including an inner section of reduced cross sectional area carrying said connecting means and an outer section of larger cross sectional area to define shoulder means spaced from said base in said assembled relation, said body portion further providing grip means on said outer section to facilitate removal of said plug; fuse holder means mounted on said base member of said disconnect assembly; and a removable cover panel covering said access aperture to close said electric box and defining an aperture slidably receiving said inner section of said plug and preventing insertion of said outer section, whereby said cover panel extends between said shoulder means of said removable plug and said base member when in assembled relation and said cover panel cannot be removed without first removing said plug and thereby disconnecting said switch. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fuse holder means comprises a plurality of fuse holder mounted on said base member of said disconnect assembly, each fuse holder including a pair of clips, one of said clips being adapted to be connected to output wires and the other of said clips being electrically connected to one of said pair of contacts in said base; and input terminal means electrically connected to the other of said pair of contacts in said base. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pair of contacts in said base comprise female contacts electrically isolated when said plug is not assembled thereto, and said connecting means in said plug comprises a pair of male contacts spaced to connect said female contacts together in electrical relation when assembled thereto. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising means pivotally mounting said cover panel to a side wall of said appliance. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said appliance comprises a furnace and said means forming said recess includes a separating wall separating the interior of said furnace to an upper portion housing and blower means and a lower portion housing said coils, sheet metal members forming said rear wall and said bottom wall, the sides of said furnace forming the side walls of said electric box. 6. In combination with an electric heating appliance having enclosing side walls, means housing electric heater coils, and blower means receiving room air for forcing the same over said coils, the improvement comprising: means integral with said appliance forming an electric box therein having a top wall, bottom wall, rear wall and first and second side walls, and defining an access aperture; a main disconnect switch including a base portion secured within said electric box and having at least one pair of spaced apart electrical contacts, and a plug removably assembled to said base and including connecting means coupling said pair of contacts together when said plug is assembled to said base and defining shoulder means spaced from said base in said assembled relation; and a removable cover panel covering said access aperture to close said electric box and defining means receiving and interlocking with said removable plug, said receiving means comprising vertical retainer strips fixed to the inner surface of said cover panel and defining side channels slidably receiving and holding said shoulders of said plug when said plug is assembled to said base while permitting removal of said plug longitudinally of said channels; whereby said cover panel cannot be removed without first removing said plug. Other info: Inventors: Farley, Ray Scott (Wichita, KS, US) Application Number: 513953 Filing Date: 1974-10-11 Publication_date: 1976-05-11 Assignee: The Coleman Company, Inc. (Wichita, KS) Primary Class(es): 361/642 126/110R, 200/50.31, 200/51.09, 361/724, 392/360 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Tolin, Gerald P. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Dawson, Tilton, Fallon & Lungmus |
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