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US 8,944,415 B2Granted
Security enclosure
AssigneeDorel Juvenile Group, Inc.
InventorsJustin Sirotin, Ryan Coyle, Raul G. Pereira, Gaetano D. Desimone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-sided security enclosure includes several wall units. The wall units are connected to one another in series to form a closed space bounded by the interconnected wall units. Each wall unit includes connectors and a pivot joint between wall units so that they may rotate about a vertical pivot axis to vary the included angle therebetween.
Claims25
A multi-sided security enclosure comprising:
- several wall units adapted to be connected to one another in series to form a closed space, each wall unit including:
- a female-edge connector including spaced-apart upper and lower rings, each of the upper and lower rings being formed to include a post-receiving channel,
- a male-edge connector arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the female-edge connector and including spaced-apart upper and lower ring mounts, each upper ring mount being associated with the upper ring in the female-edge connector of a neighboring wall unit, each lower ring mount being associated with the lower ring in the female-edge connector of the neighboring wall unit, and
- a panel arranged to extend between companion male- and female-edge connectors in a single wall unit and adapted to contact ground underlying the panel when a multi-sided security enclosure comprising the several wall units is erected,
- wherein each upper ring mount includes an upper pivot post formed on a top side of a post-support platform extending from a side of the male-edge connector, where the upper pivot post is arranged to extend into a post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of a neighboring second of the several wall units to establish a pivot joint between the first and second of the several wall units so that the second of the several wall units is free to rotate about a vertical pivot axis relative to the first of the several wall units to vary the included angle therebetween at the option of a caregiver during assembly of the multi-sided security enclosure,
- wherein the upper pivot post includes a radially deflectable first ring retainer extending upwardly through the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units, the first ring retainer including a ring-separation blocker extending outwardly therefrom at a point above the upper ring such that:
- when the first ring retainer is in a deflected, upright position, the ring-separation blocker prevents upward movement of the upper ring relative to the upper ring mount, and
- when the first ring retainer is deflected inwardly to a deflected position, the upper ring is upwardly removable from the upper ring mount, and
- wherein the first of the wall units further includes a locking cap configured for rotating on an exposed free tip of the upper pivot post about the vertical pivot axis, the locking cap comprising a shell surrounding the upper pivot post, and having a first tab stop coupled to an inner surface thereof and extending into the post receiving channel of the upper ring, wherein the locking cap is rotatable between:
- a locked position wherein the first tab stop is positioned to block radially inward movement of the first ring retainer from the upright position to the deflected position;
- and
- an unlocked position wherein the first tab stop is rotated about the vertical pivot axis away from the first ring retainer, thereby freeing the first ring retainer to move from the upright position toward the vertical pivot axis to the deflected position during separating movement of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the wall units to facilitate separation of the upper ring mount from the upper pivot post leading to separation of the first of the several wall units from the second of the several wall units.
9 more elements
A multi-sided security enclosure comprising:
- several wall units adapted to be connected to one another in series to form a closed space, each wall unit including a female-edge connector including spaced-apart upper and lower rings, each of the upper and lower rings being formed to include a post-receiving channel, a male-edge connector arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the female-edge connector and including spaced-apart upper and lower ring mounts, each upper ring mount being associated with the upper ring in the female-edge connector of a neighboring wall unit, each lower ring mount being associated with the lower ring in the female-edge connector of the neighboring wall unit, and a panel arranged to extend between companion male- and female-edge connectors in a single wall unit and adapted to contact ground underlying the panel when a multi-sided security enclosure comprising the several wall units is erected,
- wherein an upper pivot post included in the upper ring mount of a first of the several wall units is arranged to extend into a post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of a neighboring second of the several wall units to establish a pivot joint between the first and second of the several wall units so that the second of the several wall units is free to rotate about a vertical pivot axis relative to the first of the several wall units to vary the included angle therebetween at the option of a caregiver during assembly of the multi-sided security enclosure,
- wherein the upper pivot post included in the upper ring mount of the first of the several wall units includes a movable first ring retainer extending upwardly through the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units to a point above the upper ring surrounding the upper pivot post, and
- wherein the first of the wall units further includes a locking cap configured to provide means for rotating on an exposed free tip of the upper pivot post arranged to lie above the upper ring surrounding the upper pivot post at the option of an operator in one of a first ring-locking direction to assume a locked position arranged to block inward movement of the movable first ring retainer from an upright position blocking withdrawal of the upper pivot post from the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring toward the vertical pivot axis to a deformed position allowing withdrawal of the upper pivot post from the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring to facilitate separation of the first and second of the several wall units during disassembly of the multi-sided security enclosure and an opposite second ring-unlocking direction to assume an unlocked position freeing the movable first ring retainer to move from the upright position toward the vertical pivot axis to the deformed position during separating movement of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the wall units to facilitate separation of the upper ring mount from the upper pivot post leading to separation of the first of the several wall units from the second of the several wall units,
- wherein the upper ring mount included in the male-edge connector of the first of the several wall units further includes a post-support platform arranged to extend away from a post side of the panel that is coupled to the male-edge connector of the first of the several wall units, the upper pivot post is coupled to the post-support platform and arranged to extend upwardly along the vertical pivot axis away from the ground underlying the panel of the first of the several wall units and lie in spaced-apart relation to the post side of the panel of the first of the several wall units, and the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units is arranged to lie between the post-support platform and the exposed free tip of the upper pivot post,
- wherein the upper pivot post included in the upper ring mount of the first of the several wall units further includes a stationary flange, each of the movable first ring retainer and the stationary flange is coupled a top side of the post-support platform and arranged to extend upwardly through the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units, and the movable first ring retainer includes an elastic deflectable retainer tab coupled to the top side of the post-support platform and arranged to extend upwardly along and in spaced-apart relation to each of the stationary flange and the vertical pivot axis, a ring-separation blocker appended to the elastic deflectable retainer tab and arranged to extend outwardly away from the elastic deflectable retainer tab and the vertical pivot axis to lie in spaced-apart relation to the top side of the post-support platform to define a ring-retaining space therebetween receiving the upper ring therein when the locking cap is in the locked position, and a tab-bender ramp appended to the elastic deflectable retainer tab to locate the ring-separation blocker between the post-support platform and the tab-bender ramp and configured to provide means for moving a free end of the elastic deflectable retainer tab inwardly toward the vertical pivot axis in response to movement of the upper ring downwardly toward the post-support platform and past the ring-separation blocker to reach the ring-receiving space and to establish the pivot joint between the first of the several wall units and the neighboring second of the several wall units, and
- wherein the locking cap includes a rotatable shell mounted for rotation about the vertical pivot axis and a first tab stop coupled to the rotatable shell to rotate therewith about the vertical pivot axis, the first tab stop is arranged to extend into the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the second of the several wall units, and the first tab stop is arranged to engage the elastic deflectable retainer tab to block inward movement of the elastic deflectable retainer tab toward the vertical pivot axis upon arrival of the locking cap at the locked position and thereby block relative separation and rotation of the first and second of the several wall units.
4 more elements
A multi-sided security enclosure comprising:
- several wall units adapted to be connected to one another in series to form a closed space, each wall unit including a female-edge connector including spaced-apart upper and lower rings, each of the upper and lower rings being formed to include a post-receiving channel, a male-edge connector arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to the female-edge connector and including spaced-apart upper and lower ring mounts, each upper ring mount being associated with the upper ring in the female-edge connector of a neighboring wall unit, each lower ring mount being associated with the lower ring in the female-edge connector of the neighboring wall unit, and a panel arranged to extend between companion male- and female-edge connectors in a single wall unit and adapted to contact ground underlying the panel when a multi-sided security enclosure comprising the several wall units is erected,
- wherein an upper pivot post included in the upper ring mount of a first of the several wall units is arranged to extend into a post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of a neighboring second of the several wall units to establish a pivot joint between the first and second of the several wall units so that the second of the several wall units is free to rotate about a vertical pivot axis relative to the first of the several wall units to vary the included angle therebetween at the option of a caregiver during assembly of the multi-sided security enclosure,
- wherein the upper pivot post included in the upper ring mount of the first of the several wall units includes a movable first ring retainer extending upwardly through the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units to a point above the upper ring surrounding the upper pivot post, and
- wherein the first of the wall units further includes a locking cap configured to provide means for rotating on an exposed free tip of the upper pivot post arranged to lie above the upper ring surrounding the upper pivot post at the option of an operator in one of a first ring-locking direction to assume a locked position arranged to block inward movement of the movable first ring retainer from an upright position blocking withdrawal of the upper pivot post from the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring toward the vertical pivot axis to a deformed position allowing withdrawal of the upper pivot post from the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring to facilitate separation of the first and second of the several wall units during disassembly of the multi-sided security enclosure and an opposite second ring-unlocking direction to assume an unlocked position freeing the movable first ring retainer to move from the upright position toward the vertical pivot axis to the deformed position during separating movement of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the wall units to facilitate separation of the upper ring mount from the upper pivot post leading to separation of the first of the several wall units from the second of the several wall units,
- wherein the locking cap includes a shell mounted for rotation about the vertical pivot axis and a tab stop that is coupled to the shell to rotate therewith, in the locked position of the locking cap the tab stop is arranged to lie between an elastic deflectable retainer tab and the vertical pivot axis in confronting relation to an inner surface of the elastic deflectable retainer tab to block inward bending movement of a free end of the elastic deflectable retainer tab toward the vertical pivot axis, and in the unlocked position of the cap, the tab stop is moved away from the inner surface of the elastic deflectable retainer tab to allow inward bending movement of the free end of the elastic deflectable retainer tab toward the vertical pivot axis.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.