Modular enclosure and an assembly for constructing a modular enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019104620-A1
Application number	US-201715722545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2017
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

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

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 including an elongated body extending between two joint ends, the elongated body having 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 extending through each of the joint ends, 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 the joint end of the first joint section and the second side face opposes and abuts the joint end of the second joint section, the slot of the corner section being aligned with the open-sided channels of the first and second joint sections such that the channel opening of the first joint section is positioned adjacent to the first slot opening of the first side face and the channel opening of the second joint section is positioned adjacent to 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.

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 . 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;
first and second joint sections, each of the first and second joint sections including an elongated body extending between two joint ends, the elongated body having 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 extending through each of the joint ends; and
wherein 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; wherein the elongated body of 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 a longitudinal axis of the elongated body 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 the elongated body is a unitary body formed from material having a uniform composition.

8 . The modular enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the elongated body is rigid and extends linearly between the joint ends.

9 . 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:
an elongated body extending between joint ends; and
open-sided channels extending along a length of the elongated body and opening to an exterior of the elongated body, the open-sided channels extending through each of the joint ends;
wherein the slot of at least one of the corner sections is configured to align with the open-sided channel of the first joint section and the open-sided channel of the second joint section, the slot of the at least one corner section and the open-sided channel of the first joint section being sized and shaped and being positionable to receive a single wall section, the slot of the at least one corner section and the open-sided channel of the second joint section being sized and shaped and being positionable to receive the single wall section, wherein the open-sided channels of the first and second joint sections do not coincide with the slot of the at least one corner section.

10 . The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of wall sections including the single wall section.

11 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the elongated body extends along a longitudinal axis, the elongated body 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 of the elongated body.

12 . The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a hinge, the hinge having an open-sided channel that is configured to receive the single wall section.

13 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the corner sections includes three slots that are mutually perpendicular.

14 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the elongated body is a unitary body formed from material having a uniform composition and wherein the elongated body is rigid and extends linearly between the joint ends.

15 . The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the assembly is a packaged assembly that includes a container, the container having the corner and joint sections disposed therein.

16 . A method comprising:
(a) receiving a corner section and first and second joint sections, the corner section having first and second slots, each of the first and second joint sections including an elongated body extending between two joint ends, the elongated body having 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 extending through each of the joint ends; (b) inserting a wall section into the first slot of the corner section; (c) inserting the wall section into the open-sided channel of the first joint section; (d) inserting the wall section into the open-sided channel of the second joint section; wherein the open-sided channel of the first joint section and the first slot of the corner section are aligned and the open-sided channel of the second joint sectio

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A47B47/047

  Modular arrangements of similar assemblies of elements · CPC title

• F16B12/22

  using keyhole-shaped slots and pins · CPC title

• G06F1/181

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

• A47B47/0066

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

• A47B47/0033

  Corners · CPC title