Modular enclosure and an assembly for constructing a modular enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10548232-B2
Application number	US-201715722545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Modular enclosure includes a plurality of structural elements coupled to one another to at least partially define a cavity. The structural elements form a plurality of sub-assemblies in which each sub-assembly includes a corner section having a slot and first and second joint sections. Each of the first and second joint sections include an elongated body extending between two joint ends. The elongated body has an open-sided channel that extends along a length of the elongated body and opens to an exterior of the elongated body. The open-sided channel extends through each of the joint ends. The slot of the corner section is aligned with the open-sided channels of the first and second joint sections and a wall section is received by the slot and each of the open-sided channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular enclosure comprising:
a plurality of structural elements coupled to one another to at least partially define a cavity, the structural elements forming a plurality of sub-assemblies in which each sub-assembly includes:
a corner section having a slot, wherein the corner section includes a first side face and a second side face that face in different directions, the slot extending through each of the first and second side faces such that a first slot opening to the slot is located on the first side face and a second slot opening to the slot is located on the second side face;
first and second joint sections, each of the first and second joint sections having a length extending between two joint ends, each of the first and second joint sections having an open-sided channel that extends along the length, each of the first and second joint sections having a channel opening to the open-sided channel at one of the joint ends; and
wherein the first side face opposes and abuts one of the joint ends of the first joint section and the second side face opposes and abuts one of the joint ends of the second joint section, the channel opening of the first joint section being aligned with the first slot opening of the first side face and the channel opening of the second joint section being aligned with the second slot opening of the second side face, wherein a wall section is received by the slot and each of the open-sided channels;
wherein the wall section engages the corner section, the first joint section, and the second joint section through respective interference fits in the slot and the open-sided channels, and wherein the modular enclosure is devoid of connecting structure extending between the corner section and either of the first and second joint sections, such that only the wall section connects the corner section to the first and second joint sections by extending between the corner section and the first and second joint sections.

2. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-assemblies includes two of the sub-assemblies that share the corner section and the first joint section or the second joint section.

3. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-assemblies includes first, second, and third sub-assemblies, the first, second, and third sub-assemblies sharing the corner section, the first and second sub-assemblies sharing the first joint section, the first and third sub-assemblies sharing the second joint section.

4. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the modular enclosure is box-shaped having at least four sides that join each other along enclosure edges and enclosure corners, the enclosure corners being formed by the corner sections, the enclosure edges being formed by the first and second joint sections and additional joint sections.

5. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first or second joint sections has uniform cross-sectional dimensions such that any cross-section of the at least one first or second joint section taken perpendicular to the length essentially has an identical cross-sectional size and shape as a size and shape of the joint end of the at least one first or second joint section.

6. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the slot is a first slot and the corner section includes second and third slots, the first, second, and third slots receiving respective wall sections.

7. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second joint sections is a unitary body formed from material having a uniform composition.

8. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second joint sections is rigid and extends linearly between the joint ends.

9. The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the joint end of the first joint section that opposes and abuts the first side face includes a planar surface.

10. An assembly for constructing one or more modular frames, the assembly comprising:
a plurality of corner sections, each of the corner sections having a plurality of slots that are sized and shaped to receive corners of respective wall sections; and
a plurality of joint sections that are configured to be positioned with respect to the corner sections, the plurality of joint sections including first and second joint sections, each of the first and second joint sections comprising:
a length extending between two joint ends; and
open-sided channels extending along the length and opening to an exterior, the open-sided channels extending through each of the joint ends;

wherein one of the slots of at least one of the corner sections is configured to align with one of the open-sided channels of the first joint section and one of the open-sided channels of the second joint section, the one of the slots of the at least one corner section and the one of the open-sided channels of the first joint section being sized and shaped and being positionable to receive one of said respective wall sections, the one of the slots of the at least one corner section and the one of the open-sided channels of the second joint section being sized and shaped and being positionable to receive the one of said respective wall sections, wherein the one of the slots of the at least one corner section does not receive the first joint section or the second joint section in a pluggable engagement;
wherein the one of said respective wall sections engages the at least one corner section, the first joint section, and the second joint section through respective interference fits in the one of the slots and the open-sided channels, and wherein the assembly is devoid of connecting structure extending between the at least one of the corner sections and either of the first and second joint sections, such that only the one of said respective wall sections connects the at least one of the corner sections to the first and second joint sections by extending between the corner section and the first and second joint sections.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of wall sections including the one of said respective wall sections.

12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second joint sections extends along a longitudinal axis, each of the first and second joint sections having a uniform cross-sectional shape along the length such that a cross-section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is essentially the same along the length.

13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the one of said respective wall sections is a first wall section, the assembly further comprising a second wall section and a hinge device having a first hinge element and a second hinge element that are rotatably coupled, the first hinge element having an open-sided channel that is configured to receive the first wall section, the second hinge element having an open-sided channel configured to receive the second wall section.

14. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the corner sections includes three slots that are mutually perpendicular.

15. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second joint sections is a unitary body formed from material having a uniform composition and wherein each of the first and second joint sections is rigid and extends linearly between the joint ends.

16. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the assembly is a packaged assembly that includes a container, the container having the corner and joint sections disposed therein.

17. The modular enclosure of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first or second joint sect

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Ratzlaff Thomas D
• Tally Paul Craig
• Nepomuceno Del Rosario Roenna
• Yim Setha

Classifications

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• A47B47/0033

  Corners · CPC title

• B65D21/0204

  and joined together by interconnecting formations forming part of the container, e.g. dove-tail, snap connections, hook elements · CPC title

• A47B47/0066

  Formed panels connected without frames (for panels mainly made of wood or plastic A47B47/042) · CPC title

• A47B47/047

  Modular arrangements of similar assemblies of elements · CPC title