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
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.
대표청구항▼
1. 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-
1. 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, anda 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, andwhen the first ring retainer is deflected inwardly to a deflected position, the upper ring is upwardly removable from the upper ring mount, andwherein 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; andan 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. 2. The enclosure of claim 1, 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 first ring retainer and the stationary flange is coupled to 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, wherein the ring-separation blocker is 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. 3. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the elastic deflectable retainer tab includes a root end and an opposite free end spaced apart from the root end and the root end is coupled to the post-support platform to allow the opposite free end to move inwardly toward the vertical pivot axis in response to movement of the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several units downwardly toward the post-support platform and past the ring-separation blocker. 4. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein the elastic deflectable retainer tab includes an inner surface arranged to face toward the vertical pivot axis and an opposite outer surface arranged to face away from the vertical pivot axis and the tab-bender ramp is appended to the outer surface. 5. The enclosure of claim 4, wherein the tab-bender ramp and a portion of the elastic deflectable tab arranged to lie above the tab-bender ramp and in spaced-apart relation to the post-support platform cooperate to define an obtuse included angle therebetween. 6. The enclosure of claim 3, wherein the ring-separation blocker is arranged to lie between the tab-bender ramp and the root end of the elastic deflectable retainer tab. 7. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the elastic deflectable retainer tab includes an inner surface arranged to face toward the vertical pivot axis and an opposite outer surface arranged to face away from the vertical pivot axis and the tab-bender ramp is appended to the outer surface and the movable first ring retainer further includes a ring-rotation blocker that is appended to the outer surface of the elastic deflectable retainer tab and is configured to provide means for extending into a pocket formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units to block movement of the upper ring relative to the upper pivot post of the first of the several wall units when the locking cap is in the locked position. 8. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein the ring-rotation blocker is configured to provide means for providing an audible sound and resistance to repositioning of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the several wall units when the locking cap is moved to assume the unlocked position. 9. The enclosure of claim 6, wherein the upper ring of the second of the several wall units is formed to include a series of interdental pockets arranged to open into the post-receiving channel and to receive and mate with the ring-rotation blocker. 10. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the tab-bender ramp is arranged to slope downwardly away from the elastic deflectable retainer tab to interconnect the elastic deflectable retainer tab and the ring-separation blocker. 11. The enclosure of claim 10, wherein the elastic deflectable retainer tab includes an inner surface arranged to face toward the vertical pivot axis and an opposite outer surface arranged to face away from the vertical pivot axis and the tab-bender ramp is appended to the outer surface and the movable first ring retainer further includes a ring-rotation blocker that is appended to the outer surface of the elastic deflectable retainer tab and is configured to provide means for extending into a pocket formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units to block movement of the upper ring relative to the upper pivot post of the first of the several wall units when the locking cap is in the locked position. 12. The enclosure of claim 2, wherein the movable first ring retainer further includes a ring rotation blocker that is configured to provide means for extending into a pocket formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units to block movement of the upper ring relative to the upper pivot post of the first of the several wall units when the locking cap is in the locked position. 13. The enclosure of claim 12, wherein the ring-rotation blocker is configured to provide means for providing an audible sound and resistance to repositioning of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the several wall units when the locking cap is moved to assume the unlocked position. 14. 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, andwherein 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, andwherein 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. 15. The enclosure of claim 14, wherein the rotatable shell includes a shell wall arranged to surround the upper pivot post and a hand grip coupled to the shell wall to overlie the upper pivot post and to cooperate therewith to define a post-receiving space receiving a portion of the upper pivot post therein and the first tab stop is coupled to the hand grip and positioned to lie in spaced-apart relation to the shell wall to define a first ring-retainer space therebetween that is configured to receive a portion of the elastic deflectable retainer tab therein only when the locking cap arrives at the locked position. 16. The enclosure of claim 14, wherein the locking cap further includes a first anti-drift lug arranged to extend into a lug-receiving slot formed in the stationary flange of the upper pivot post upon arrival of the locking cap at the locked position to provide means for minimizing rotational drift movement of the locking cap about the vertical pivot axis while the locking cap is in the locked position. 17. The enclosure of claim 16, wherein the rotatable shell includes a shell wall arranged to surround the upper pivot post and a hand grip coupled to the shell wall to overlie the upper pivot post and to cooperate therewith to define a post-receiving space receiving a portion of the upper pivot post therein, the first tab stop is coupled to the hand grip and positioned to lie in spaced-apart relation to the shell wall to define a first ring-retainer space therebetween that is configured to receive a portion of the elastic deflectable retainer tab therein only when the locking cap arrives at the locked position, and the first anti-drift lug is coupled to the shell wall to rotate therewith about the vertical pivot axis. 18. The enclosure of claim 14, wherein the rotatable shell is formed to include a ring-separation blocker slot arranged to open into the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring to allow the ring-separation blocker to extend from the elastic deflectable retainer tab through the ring-separation blocker slot to engage and retain the upper ring. 19. The enclosure of claim 14, wherein the rotatable shell is formed to include a status-indicator aperture arranged to open into the post-receiving channel so that a first indicator marking applied to the elastic deflectable retainer tab is visible through the status-indicator window to a nearby caregiver when the locking cap is in the locked position and a different second indicator marking applied to the stationary flange is visible through the status-indicator window to a nearby observer when the locking cap is in the unlocked position. 20. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the upper ring in the female-edge connector of the second of the several wall units includes a circular inner wall and a series of inwardly projecting ratchet teeth coupled to the circular inner wall and arranged to cooperate with one another to form the post-receiving channel and to extend radially inwardly toward the upper pivot post and wherein a pocket formed between each pair of neighboring ratchet teeth is arranged to open radially inwardly toward the vertical pivot axis so as to receive a radially outwardly projecting ring-rotation blocker included in the pivot post to retain the first and the second of the several wall units in stationary positions relative to one another to establish a fixed included angle therebetween. 21. The enclosure of claim 1, wherein the movable first ring retainer of the upper pivot post includes an elastic deflectable retainer tab arranged to bend toward and away from the vertical pivot axis during movement of the upper pivot post into and out of the post-receiving channel, a ring-separation blocker coupled to the elastic deflectable retainer tab and arranged to extend away from the vertical pivot axis to lie between the upper ring and the exposed free tip of the upper pivot post when the locking cap is in the locked position, and a tab-bender ramp coupled to the elastic deflectable retainer tab and arranged to lie between the ring-separation blocker and the exposed free tip of the upper pivot post and to engage a lower edge of the upper ring during upward movement of the upper pivot post into the post-receiving channel to cause the elastic deflectable retainer tab to bend temporarily inwardly toward the vertical axis of rotation to allow the upper ring to lie under the ring-separation blocker without limiting rotation of the upper ring on the upper pivot post so that the first and second of the several wall units are free to pivot relative to one another about the vertical pivot axis at the option of the caregiver. 22. The enclosure of claim 21, wherein the upper ring in the female-edge connector of the second of the several wall units includes a circular inner wall and a series of inwardly projecting ratchet teeth coupled to the circular inner wall and arranged to cooperate with one another to form the post-receiving channel and to extend radially inwardly toward the upper pivot post and wherein a pocket formed between each pair of neighboring ratchet teeth is arranged to open radially inwardly toward the vertical pivot axis to cause the ring-rotation blocker coupled to the elastic deflectable retainer tab to snap radially outwardly into one of the pockets so that the included angle between the first and second of the several wall units is established and to allow the included angle to be varied by pivoting the second of the selected wall units relative to the first of the selected wall units while the locking cap is in the unlocked position to cause thering-rotation blocker of the upper pivot post to ride in ratcheting relation on the ratchet teeth of the upper ring as the elastic deflectable retainer tab is moved relative to the vertical pivot axis during ratcheting movement of the ring-rotation blocker on the ratchet teeth until the ring-rotation blocker extends into a selected different pocket. 23. The enclosure of claim 21, 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 in a ring-receiving space provided between the post-support platform and the ring-separation blocker when the pivot joint is established. 24. 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, andwherein 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. 25. The enclosure of claim 24, wherein the upper ring in the female-edge connector of the second of the several wall units includes a circular inner wall and a series of inwardly projecting ratchet teeth coupled to the circular inner wall and arranged to cooperate with one another to form the post-receiving channel and to extend radially inwardly toward the upper pivot post, a pocket formed between each pair of neighboring ratchet teeth is arranged to open radially inwardly toward the vertical pivot axis so as to receive a radially outwardly projecting ring-rotation blocker included in the upper pivot post to retain the first and the second of the several wall units in stationary positions relative to one another to establish a fixed included angle therebetween, and in the locked position of the cap, the tab stop is arranged to block inward bending movement of the free end of the elastic deflectable retainer tab toward the vertical pivot axis so that the ring-rotation blocker is constrained to remain in a selected pocket and the upper ring is constrained to remaining a ring-retaining space provided under a ring-separation blocker coupled to the elastic deflectable retainer tab and arranged to extend away from the vertical pivot axis, and in the unlocked position of the cap and the tab stop is located to lie in spaced-apart relation to 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 to move the ring-separation blocker radially inwardly away from the upper ring and toward the vertical pivot axis so that ratcheting movement of the ring-rotation blocker on the upper pivot post on the ratchet teeth of the upper ring is allowed to facilitate pivotable movement of the second of the several wall units about the vertical pivot axis relative to the first of the several wall units so that the upper ring can be removed from the ring-retaining space to facilitate separation of the upper ring from the upper pivot post leading to separation of the first and second of the several wall units from one another.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (33)
Rattray Thomas (Cincinnati OH) Osher John D. (Cincinnati OH), Adjustable enclosure.
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