Modular drawer system

Abstract

Cases, enclosures, or “road boxes” are custom designed and built using modular components whose lengths and/or heights are provided in multiples of the industry standard length EIA-U to allow compact housing of standard sized components and drawers within the enclosures. The stock materials used to construct the support frames which mount the components and the drawers designed to hold the accessories needed to operate the components are provided as modular elements having unit length dimensions clearly indicated to simplify building the enclosures at different, custom-designed lengths. The assembly of support frames and drawers is further simplified by interlocking elements by means of tongue-and-groove connections spaced to correspond to the same unit length dimensions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of The Invention

[0002] This invention relates to “road cases”, modular units used to house electronic, sound equipment, and accessories (cables, microphones, etc.) for events such as concerts, stage productions, and trade shows.

[0003] 1. Background of the Invention and Description of Related Art

[0004] Most road cases are custom designed and built to the specifications of the customer. Building custom designed road cases is a labor-intensive process that presents several challenges to the custom-builder. Many prior inventors have attempted to address these challenges, a representative sample of such attempts is summarized below:

[0005] It is known to provide extrusions of stock materials of indeterminate length which are notched and bent to form two or more sides of a drawer; see Nemlich, Hilfinger et al., Schock, Cornell, Lampe et al., Doud et al., and Ferrari et al. A consistent theme in these references is that the drawers are all of one size, so the notches are pre-formed at the factory. The stock materials are then shipped flat to the construction site, where they are bent to form the walls of the drawers. None of them are concerned with the problems and expenses of building custom drawers for custom enclosures.

[0006] It is known to provide interlocking extrusions of different heights to form the sides of drawers, so that when interlocked in a stacked configuration, drawer depths which are multiples of the different heights provided can be attained. See Greer, for instance, who provides drawer side extrusions of two inches and four inches in height. Greer, too, is not concerned with the problems and expenses of building custom drawers for custom enclosures. Instead, Greer is supplying drawer materials to fit within built-in cabinets in hospitals, clinics, office buildings, apartment houses, condominiums, etc., in knock-down condition to save shipping costs. Column 1, lines 4-8.

[0007] It is also known to provide telescoping frame members so that the lengths and/or widths of enclosures can be selectively varied to fit the circumstances. See Scherrer, Peterson, and Vinson et al.. The telescopic elements shown in these patents are infinitely adjustable rather than adjustable in pre-set increments, i.e., they are analog rather than digital. Each of their adjustments must be individually measured and assembled by hand using trial-and-error settings until the desired length is attained.

[0008] Two patents known to the inventor address the problems of connecting multiple electronic components to vertical rails within a cabinet, Boulay et al. and Tang et al.

[0009] Boulay et al. slidably mount computers within a cabinet by means of drawer slides. A bracket is attached to each end of the portion of the drawer slide fixed to a pair of vertical support rails. The distance between front and rear support rails is determined by the locations at which they are fastened to the cabinet interior walls. Because the pre-formed mounting apertures in standard support rails come in one of two spacing standards, English or metric, a problem arises as to the suitability of the brackets to fit the standard encountered within a specific cabinet. Boulay et al. solve the problem by providing flanges on each end of each bracket, one flange being pre-formed with apertures spaced according to one standard and the other having apertures spaced according to the other standard. By designing the bracket to be reversibly mountable on the drawer slide, the appropriate standard will always be available to mount to the vertical support rails. The teachings of Boulay et al. are irrelevant to the herein disclosed and claimed invention.

[0010] Tang et al. are concerned with housing electronic components having heights in multiples of 0.5 EIA-U in an equipment enclosure with as little wasted vertical space as possible. One EIA-U is the unit standard height set by the Electronic Industries Association of 1.75 inches (44.45 millimeters) for electronic components. Vertical support columns with mounting apertures spaced by one EIA-U are adapted to mounting components having half EIA-U dimensions by providing intermediate support rails adapted to be fixedly mounted on the component and fastened onto the columns. Two fastening orientations are included in the fabrication of the rails, one for attaching components having vertical dimensions of whole multiples of EIA-U to the columns and the other for attaching components having vertical dimensions of whole multiples plus one-half EIA-U to the columns. The support rails are unitary structures provided in a single fixed length which is necessarily longer than any component for which it is intended. The distance between front and rear support columns is determined by the locations at which they are fastened to the cabinet interior walls. Tang et al. are not concerned with building custom storage and transport enclosures and do not envision mixing drawers and components in the same enclosure.

[0011] In summary of the prior art known to the inventor, no one has addressed or solved the problems inherent in building custom road boxes.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention recognizes the problems described above inherent in building custom road boxes and has solved them by providing a modular system of designing and custom-building said road boxes.

[0013] The present invention accomplishes the above by providing a support frame comprising a pair of support rails having preformed apertures through spaced according to integer values of the industry standard EIA-U for supporting electronic components having heights in the same EIA-U standards. In addition, modular drawers are designed to have heights in multiple integers of EIA-U, so that drawers and components alike can be mounted on the support frames with little or no wasted vertical space there between. The distance between support rails and the lengths and widths of the drawers are effected by the application of a unit length concept which eliminates the need to measure and cut each of a multitude of repetitive dimensions. The elimination of repetitive analog measurements greatly reduces the time and costs of designing and building custom road boxes.

[0014] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide stock materials having important dimensions in whole multiples of EIA-U and stock materials being dimensioned to construct drawers having height dimensions in whole multiples of EIA-U so that they can easily be assembled into custom designed road boxes.

[0015] It is a further object of the invention to interlock construction elements with tongue-and-groove connections to simplify the building of custom road boxes.

[0016] It is a further object of the invention to reduce the size and cost of a custom road box by reducing the size of the enclosing support frame, and thereby the exterior case, to the actual sizes of the components housed therein.

[0017] It is a further object of the invention to provide custom built road boxes which house both electronic components and drawers dimensioned to hold the accompanying accessories for said components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The foregoing and other objects, aspects, uses, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially in phantom, which illustrates a completed road box according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a finished drawer according to the inventive of FIG. 1;

[0021] FIGS. 3-4 show side views of the preferred extrusions used in the formation of the walls of the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a side view showing the manner of interlocking two of the extrusions of FIGS. 3 and 4;

[0023] FIG. 6 is a top view of a piece of stock material of the extrusion of FIGS. 3-4 showing the preferred manner of effecting the length and width of the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0024] FIGS. 7-8 show an alternate manner of constructing the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0025] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an extrusion for use as the face of the drawer of FIG. 2;

[0026] FIG. 10 is an end view of various heights of the extrusion of FIG. 9;

[0027] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an end cap for closing the exposed ends of the extrusion of FIG. 9;

[0028] FIG. 12 is a side view of corresponding lengths of end caps for use with the various heights of the extrusions shown in FIG. 10;

[0029] FIG. 13 is a perspective view, partially in phantom, of a drawer constructed with the extrusions of FIGS. 3-5 showing the manner of attaching a drawer face plate;

[0030] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a bracket used in attaching the drawer face plate to the drawer of FIG. 13;

[0031] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view illustrating the mounting of the bracket of FIG. 14 to the side wall extrusion of FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an assembled support frame for a plurality of drawers and/or electronic components;

[0033] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a rail used in making the support frame of FIG. 16;

[0034] FIG. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a stretcher used in connecting two of the rails shown in FIG. 17 to form the support frame of FIG. 16; and

[0035] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a spacer for use with the stretcher of FIG. 18 to form a gauge bracket used to accurately space two of the rails of FIG. 17 to form the support frame of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0036] A fundamental principle underlying the disclosed invention is the concept of unit spacing. Electronic rack components, e.g., amplifiers, equalizers, etc., are constructed in an industry standard height set by the Electronic Industries Association of 1.75 inches (44.45 millimeters), which for convenience will be referred to as one EIA-U. As will be seen in the following disclosure, repetitive structural elements used in building road boxes are provided with dimensions in integer increments of standard units, i.e. EIA-U. This applies to elements designed to be interconnected by tongue-and-groove, by being snap-fit, and by the spacing of pre-formed mounting apertures on skeletal frames. The primary advantage to the designer/builder of working with increments of units is that custom road boxes can be designed and built without the necessity of virtually all independent measurements. Elements are simply aligned and interconnected. The savings in time and costs due to utilization of this principle are substantial.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of the interior structure of a representative road box 10 is shown as assembled. The major components shown are an exterior case 12, a pair of support frames 14A and 14B, and a drawer 16 which includes a drawer face plate 18. The invention focuses on the design and construction of support frames 14A and 14B and drawer 16.

[0038] Exterior case 12 is diagrammatically illustrated in phantom. Case 12 can take on many forms (not shown) emphasizing decorative or structural considerations, e.g., a cubically-shaped, open framework of steel angle-irons is relatively light in weight, rugged, and protects the interior of the road box from blows to the corners (where it is most likely to be damaged); a plurality of transparent plastic panels bonded together is also light weight, protects the interior from objects penetrating the box between the corners, protects the interior from dust and dirt, and is dramatic in appearance; and a skin of sheet steel panels absorbs minor bruising and keeps out foreign particles, while providing a smooth surface for logos, advertising, etc.. Combining two or more of these constructions would obviously combine their attributes. Usually case 12 will have a handle on the top and a front cover (not shown). The cover can be a removable side fastened to the case with a pair of opposed industrial latches, or a door hinged to the front with a latch for securing the door closed (not shown). When the cover is opened, access is provided to the electronic components therein and to one or more drawers 16 slidable through the open front. A wide variety of specific cases can be designed for use with the disclosed invention.

[0039] A pair of support frames 14A and 14B are secured to case 12 on opposite sides of drawer 16. Frame 14 supports the electronic rack component(s) and any drawers 16 associated therewith. Any number of drawers 16, only the top drawer being clearly visible in FIG. 1, can be provided, dependent on the component(s) to be housed in case 12.

[0040] A major part of the savings in time and costs resides in the modular construction of drawers 16; their construction is shown in FIGS. 2-15.

[0041] As seen in FIG. 2, a representative drawer 16 is shown comprising a sidewall 20, a rear wall 22, a sidewall 24, a face 18, and a floor 26. Each drawer 16 rides on a pair of conventional drawer slides 28 (shown schematically in FIGS. 2 and 13) which are attached to drawer 16 and to the disclosed pair of support frames 14A and 14B in a conventional manner. As will be explained in greater detail herein, face 18 has a height dimension that is slightly less (e.g., 0.125 inches) than an integer multiple of an EIA-U to allow for clearance between adjacent faces and walls 20-24 have a height that is about 0.5 inches less than an integer multiple of an EIA-U to allow clearance between drawers.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 3-6, walls 20-24 are made from one or more extrusions 30 of stock materials provided in any convenient length, e.g., six to eight feet.

[0043] Extrusion 30 is preferably made from aluminum to take advantage of its combination of strength-to-weight ratio.

[0044] Extrusion 30 has a substantially rectangular cross-section characterized by a smooth outer wall 32 and an inner wall 34 joined by a top wall 36 and a bottom wall 38. (The relative terms “outer,” “inner,” “top,” and “bottom” are all with reference their respective locations in an assembled drawer 16.) Inner wall 34 has two integral ribs 40 extending the full length of extrusion 30. Ribs 40, preferably formed through the extrusion process, have a substantially circular cross-section opening inwardly into drawer 16 through a pair of slots 42. The principal functions of ribs 40 are to enable attachment of optional inner wall linings (not shown) and to facilitate attachment of face plate 18 to walls 20 and 24, as will become clear shortly. The latter function leads them to be spaced apart a standard distance and located at preselected positions on inner wall 34. Ribs 40 also increase the strength of walls 20-24.

[0045] A hook 44 extends from top wall 36 and forms a small groove 46 along the length of extrusion 30. An L-shaped tongue 48 extends from bottom wall 38. Tongue 48 defines a larger groove 50 which is sized to receive floor 26 (FIG. 2) of drawer 16. Floor 26 can be made from any suitable material, such as plywood, particleboard or an aluminum extrusion, for example.

[0046] Extrusion 30 is preferably provided in a variety of heights which correspond to about 0.5 inches less than an integer multiple of an EIA-U. In this embodiment two heights of extrusion 30 are provided, 3.0 inches (30A, FIG. 3), and 4.5 inches (30B, FIG. 4). Extrusion 30A is called a “2U extrusion” because it is used in combination with a face plate 18 that provides a drawer than is slightly less than 2 EIA-U in overall height. Similarly, extrusion 30B is called a “3U extrusion” because it is used in combination with a face plate 18 that provides a drawer than is slightly less than 3 EIA-U in overall height. As shown in FIG. 5, groove 46D snugly receives L-shaped tongue 48C therein to vertically interlock extrusions 30C and 30D (both 2U extrusions). Interlocking of tongue 48 and groove 46 permits the custom builder to construct drawers, each having an overall height ranging from 2 EIA-U to 6 EIA-U (in integer increments) by simple using different combinations of extrusions 30A and 30B. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a drawer having a total height of 4 EIA-U can be constructed by vertically stacking two 2U extrusions 30C and 30D.

[0047] Extrusion 30 also preferably includes a drawer slide position groove 27 (see FIG. 3), located on outer wall 32, which allows the custom builder to locate the proper vertical position of drawer slide 28 (FIG. 1) without measuring. Groove 27 is the preferred means for identifying the proper vertical position of drawer slide 28, however, other means are possible, such as a line drawn in outer wall 32 in permanent ink, for example.

[0048] The length and width of drawer 16 can vary widely, depending upon customer specifications. As a practical matter, however, the length of drawer 16 is usually chosen to correspond to available standard drawer slide lengths, e.g. even integer increments from 10 inches to 28 inches. The manner of effecting the desired length L and width W of drawer 16 is illustrated in a top view of strip 30 in FIG. 6.

[0049] Extrusion 30 is initially linear, as shown in FIG. 6. First, extrusion 30 is cut to a length equal to width W plus 2 times length L. Two v-shaped notches 54 and 56 (each forming a 90 degree angle) are then cut through extrusion 30. The location of notches 54 and 56 is determined by measuring a distance equal to the desired length L of drawer 16 inwardly from end points 52 and 58, respectively. The distance between notches 54 and 56 should equal width W. Finally, extrusion 30 is inwardly bent 90° at notches 54 and 56 as shown by arrows 60 and 62 to the position shown in dotted lines, thus forming side walls 20 and 24 and rear wall 22. Obviously, if a drawer height of over 3 EIA-U is desired, the interlocking of extrusions 30 should be effected prior to the above steps of notching, cutting, and bending. If desired, stacked extrusions 30 can be secured together, e.g., by spot welding, adhesives, screws, etc., to facilitate handling thereof, but it is not strictly necessary.

[0050] Once side walls 20 and 24 and rear wall 22 have been formed, floor 26 is then slid into place along groove 50 of side walls 20 and 24, until being seated into groove 50 of rear wall 22.

[0051] An alternate method of selecting the length and width of drawer 16 is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. This alternative method may be used by custom builders who do not have the equipment necessary to notch and bend extrusion 30, as described above. In this embodiment, two pieces 64 and 66 of the desired length of side walls 20 and 24 are cut from extrusion 30 and mitered at 45° at one end as shown. A third piece 68 of the desired width of rear wall 22 is cut from strip 30 and mitered at 45° at both ends. Piece 68 is attached to pieces 64 and 66 by means of screws 70 threaded through rear wall 22 into plugs (not shown) which are force fit into the circular ends of ribs 40. Alternatively, if screws 70 are of the self-threading type, they can cut their own threads within ribs 40 (FIGS. 3-4). The resulting drawer side walls 20-24 are shown assembled in FIG. 8.

[0052] The construction of drawer face plate 18 is shown in FIGS. 9-12. Face plate 18 comprises an extrusion 72 (FIG. 9) is supplied as a stock material in convenient lengths, e.g., six or eight feet, which is cut into a length appropriate to the width of the drawer being constructed. Extrusion 72 is provided in different heights, as shown in FIG. 10, that are slightly less (e.g., 0.125 inches) than a multiple integer of the same standard height units EIA-U as extrusion 30, 2 EIA-U through 6 EIA-U (ref nos. 72A through 72E, respectively), corresponding to the desired drawer height. Larger heights may be provided, if needed.

[0053] Unlike drawer extrusion 30, face place extrusion 72 is not designed to be stacked, for it has no interlocking tongue-and-groove, as the cross-sections in FIGS. 9 and 10 show. Rather, extrusion 72 is a unitary structure so as to present a smooth front with no seams and to provide rigidity when affixed to extrusion 30. The unitary construction of extrusion 72 in combination with the bending of extrusion i30 (FIG. 6) is sufficient to maintain stacked extrusions (e.g., 30C and 30D) together without addition bonding (such as welding or adhesives).

[0054] A plurality of L-shaped flanges 74, 76, 78, and 80 protrude from the outer face 82 of extrusion 72. In addition to providing additional rigidity to extrusion 72, flanges 74-80 act as built-in finger grips for opening drawer 16 and allow an insert 108 (see FIG. 2) to be secured within extrusion 72. Insert 108 often includes a logo or other identifying indicia (not shown) and/or is color-coordinated with other equipment. Optionally, flanges 76 and 78 may be omitted.

[0055] A plurality of end caps 84 (FIGS. 11-12) are provided which are press fit into the ends of extrusion 72; see FIGS. 1 and 2. End caps 84 each have a flat exterior wall 86 to provide a smooth finish to the ends of drawer face plate 18 and include an assortment of bas relief type flanges 88 extending oppositely to exterior wall 86 (see 84E, FIG. 12) to snugly fit within the spaces delineated by L-shaped flanges 74-80. Notches 90 are friction fit to flanges 74-80. As shown in FIG. 12, end caps 84 also are unitary structures which have been molded to match the height of differently sized face plates 18. Preferably end caps 84 are molded of plastic, but, of course, any finish trim material can be used.

[0056] The desired length of extrusion 72 is usually determined by the width W of the drawer 16 to which it is to be attached, plus an overhang on each end (e.g. 1 inch at each end). Once the desired length is determined, extrusion 72 is cut to length, and end caps 84 are press fit thereon. Face plate 18 is secured to drawer 16 by screws (not shown) which extend through extrusion 72 and into ribs 40 at the open ends of side walls 20 and 24 (FIGS. 3-5).

[0057] FIGS. 13-15 show an alternative means of face plate construction and attachment. In this embodiment a solid face plate 18A (in phantom in FIG. 13) is attached to side walls 20 and 24 via angled brackets 92. Angled brackets 92 are preferably formed of molded of plastic, include orthogonal plates 94 and 96, reinforced by strengthening ribs 98 and 100. Substantially cylindrical ribs 102 which extend outwardly from plate 94 are parallel and spaced apart the same distance as ribs 40 and are dimensioned to press fit snugly within the cylindrical openings formed by ribs 40. Screw receiving holes 104 and 106 are provided in plates 94 and 96, respectively.

[0058] To assemble, cylindrical ribs 102 of a pair of brackets 92 are press fit (FIG. 15) into ribs 40 in side walls 20 and 24, brackets 92 are secured to side walls 20 and 24 by fasteners, e.g., screws or rivets (not shown), through holes 104, and the appropriate face plate 18A is secured with screws (not shown) to brackets 92 through holes 106. The face plate securing screws are hidden by a laminated insert 108 (FIG. 2) adhesively fastened to outer face 82 of face plate 18A between L-shaped flanges 74, 76, 78, and 80. The laminate inserts 108 can be color matched to case 12 or color coded using different laminates to aid in identification of the component(s) stored therein. Custom wood fronts can also be mounted by brackets 92 if desired. Face plate 18A can also be mounted in the manner previously described for mounting rear side 22 (FIGS. 7-8), i.e., by screws and plugs or by self-tapping screws, but the use of brackets 92 is preferred.

[0059] Turning to FIGS. 16-19, support frame 14 (FIG. 16) is shown as comprising a pair of vertical, steel rails 110 (FIG. 17), and a pair a brackets 186A and 186B (referred to collectively as brackets 186), each including a stretcher (112A and 112B, respectively), and a spacer (114A and 114B, respectively).

[0060] A perspective view of the front of rail 110A is shown in FIG. 17; a perspective view of the rear of rail 110B can be seen in FIG. 16. (The relative terms “front” and “rear” indicate the side which faces toward or away from drawers 16, respectively. Rails 110A and 110B are identical and are referred to collectively as Rails 110.) Rails 110 are the backbone of the modular drawer system. They are pre-formed, preferably by an extrusion process, with a plurality of sets of apertures there through, the apertures of each set being precisely spaced apart along selected surfaces for a purpose to be described. Rails 110 are supplied to the custom builder as stock materials which are cut to length to suit the road box being fashioned.

[0061] As can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 17, each rail 110 is an integral structure, serpentine in cross-section, which comprises an outwardly located flange 116 which is joined by a 90° bend with a first inwardly directed (i.e., toward drawer 16) flat bight 118. A second 90° bend joins bight 118 with a first interior wall 120 joined in turn by a 90° bend with an outwardly facing web 122 (i.e., facing case 12). Web 122 is joined by a 90° bend with a second interior wall 124. A second inwardly directed flat bight 126 lying in the same plane as bight 118 is integral via respective 90° bends with interior wall 124 and an interiorly facing flange 128. The outer edges 130 and 132 of flanges 116 and 128 and the flat surface 134 of web 122 lie in a second plane.

[0062] Rail 110 has a plurality of apertures pre-drilled or punched through web 122, bight 126, and flanges 116 and 128 during manufacture. The apertures are precisely located and spaced apart according to the aforementioned unit concept.

[0063] Circular apertures 136 are uniformly spaced through web 122 and are for securing rails 110 to case 12.

[0064] Apertures 138 through bight 126 (FIG. 17) are preferably spaced 1 EIA-U apart. Drawer slides 28 are mounted via apertures 138, thus accurately positioning and spacing drawers 16 without the need for any measurements.

[0065] Paired apertures 140 (FIG. 16) in outer flange 116 are also spaced precisely 1 EIA-U apart. The spacing between each aperture that forms each pair 140 is designed to accommodate the mounting flanges of standard electronic rack components (not shown). correspondingly spaced as paired apertures 140. In addition, the location and spacing of each pair of apertures 140 allows for the installation of rack components and drawers in many combinations without measuring for vertical location. In fact, no measuring or drilling is necessary to accurately position the components, yet when assembled, they are stored as compactly as possible, inasmuch as the electronic components take up only the vertical spacing necessary for their inclusion into road box 10.

[0066] Elongated, rectangular apertures 142 are formed in interiorly facing flange 128. Corresponding points on adjacent apertures 142 are spaced one-half EIA-U apart, so it follows that pairs of apertures 142 span one EIA-U. As will be explained herein, apertures 142 are used to secure stretcher 112 and spacer 114.

[0067] Stretcher 112 (FIG. 18) comprises an elongated, unitary body 144, preferably molded of light weight plastic, which is bordered by structural side flanges 146 and an end flange 148. Flanges 146 and 148 extend outwardly from the peripheral edges of body 144 to define a concavity 150 running the length of stretcher 112. Locator keys 152 are uniformly spaced, as measured from end flange 148, along both of side flanges 146. Body 144 comprises a string of alternating, rectangular cells 154 and 156, each having the same width (in this embodiment 32 millimeters or 1.25 inches), separated by locator keys 152. Cells 154 include an aperture 158 to reduce the weight of stretchers 112. Cells 156 are characterized by a pair of flexible tongues 160 which are centrally located on cell 154 and extend into concavity 150. Extending outwardly from end flange 148 of stretcher 112 is a pair of inverted L-shaped hooks 162. The other end 164 of stretcher 112 is undefined, the repetitive nature of stretcher 112 being merely ended at a length appropriate for supporting the longest readily available standard drawer slide, which is 28 inches in length.

[0068] Spacer 114 (FIG. 19) is an elongated bar comprised of a plurality of cells 166 of the same width as cells 154 and 156 of stretcher 112. Spacer 114 is molded of a plastic material and has a length consisting of an integer number of cells 166. The width of spacer 114 is such that it fits snugly within concavity 150 of stretcher 112. Uniformly spaced along the longitudinal edges 168 of spacer 114 are U-shaped notches 170. Notches 170 are spaced the same distance apart as locator keys 152 of stretcher 112. Each cell 166 has a planar body 172 bordered by a strengthening, perimetric flange 174. Centrally located in each cell 166 is an oval ridge 176 encompassing an oval aperture 178 sized to interlock with said pair of flexible tongues 160 on stretcher 112. A pair of L-shaped hooks 180 extends longitudinally from one end 182 of spacer 114; the other end 184 is preferably flat as shown. It will be noted that hooks 180 are on the opposite end of spacer 114 as hooks 162 are on stretcher 112.

[0069] The assembly of support frame 14 is readily apparent from FIGS. 16-19. Based on the length of the drawer slides (not shown) to be used with drawers 16 and the length of the rack component(s) to be housed in road box 10, the desired spacing between front rail 110A and rear rail 110B is determined. The desired spacing is such that the distance between apertures 136 of rails 110A and 110B is between 7.55 inches (192 mm) to 21.42 inches (544 mm) in increments of 1.26 inches (32 mm). Such spacing is preferred because it corresponds to the spacing between mounting holes on standard drawer slides, such as Accuride® drawer slide Model 3832B.

[0070] A gauge bracket 186 (FIG. 16) of the length desired for separation of rails 110 is assembled by the joining together of a stretcher 112 and a spacer 114. The length is selected in terms of increments of unit lengths equal to the unitary width of cells 154, 156, and 166. Locator keys 154 mate with notches 170 to facilitate accurate relative alignment of stretcher 112 and spacer 114, and spacer 114 is snugly fit within concavity 150 of stretcher 112 at the desired length. If spacer 114 is too long to fit within stretcher 112, end 184 of spacer 114 is cut off, and the excess length discarded. Stretcher 112 and spacer 114 are snap-fit together with flexible tongues 160 interlocking with oval apertures 178 to releasably hold stretcher and spacer together. Preferably, at least three cells 166 should overlap with three cells 154 and 156 for strength. Because of the unitary width of cells 154, 156, and 166 of stretcher 112 and spacer 114, gauge bracket 186 is easy to assemble in easily repeatable lengths. Once again the unit length concept has simplified the construction of road box 10.

[0071] As clearly shown in FIG. 16, a pair of gauge brackets 186A and 186B are attached to a pair of rails 110A and 110B to form support frame 14. L-shaped hooks 180 of spacer 114 are inserted through a pair of rectangular apertures 142 in flange 128 of rail 110A and snapped into locking engagement therewith. Hooks 180 and apertures 142 provide for proper relative vertical alignment of rails 110A and 110B. Hooks 162 on stretcher 112 are then inserted through a pair of rectangular apertures 142 in flange 128 of rail 110B and snap-locked therewith to complete the construction of support frame 14 at the desired spacing of rails 110A and 110B. The assembly of support frame 14 is simple and quickly accomplished.

[0072] Once assembled, a pair of support frames 14 (FIG. 1) are attached to case 12 by appropriate fasteners, e.g., screws or rivets, through circular apertures 136 in web 122 of rails 110A and 110B (FIG. 16). Outer edges 130 and 132 of flanges 116 and 128 and the flat surface 134 of web 122 are mounted tightly against case 12, providing a solid three-point contact therewith which prevents rotation of rail 110 about its longitudinal axis. Drawer slides 28 are attached by fasteners to drawers 16 and to circular apertures 138 in bight 126 of rails 110 (FIG. 17). The pre-selected, unit spacing of apertures 138 assures accurate placement of drawer slides in road box 10. The electronic rack components housed in road box 10 are also accurately mounted on rails 110 due to the unit spacing of the pre-formed pairs of apertures 140.

[0073] It can be seen from the above disclosure that construction of a custom-built road box is easily and quickly accomplished, due to the unit spacing concept designed into the modular drawer components and the modular support frame components.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0075] Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured solely by the claims, nor is intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

[0076] It can be seen from the above that an invention has been disclosed which fulfills all the objects of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosure is by way of illustration only and that the scope of the invention is to be limited solely by the following claims:

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first bracket having a length, a first end and a second end;

first and second rails, each of said rails having a first drawer slide aperture formed thereon;

means for attaching said first end of said first bracket to said first rail and said second end of said first bracket to said second rail; and

means for adjusting said length of said first bracket by fixed incremental amounts, so that when said first bracket is positioned between said first and second rails, said first end is attached to said first rail, and said second end is attached to said second rail, and the distance between said first drawer slide aperture of said first rail and said first drawer slide aperture of said second rail is equal to the distance between the mounting holes of a standard drawer slide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said distance between the mounting holes of a standard drawer slide is taken from the group of: 8.82 inches (224 millimeters), 12.60 inches (320 millimeters), 13.86 inches (352 millimeters), 17.64 inches (448 millimeters), 18.90 inches (480 millimeters), and 21.42 inches (544 millimeters)

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first bracket includes a spacer and a stretcher.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting said length of said first bracket by fixed incremental amounts comprises a plurality of spacer cells formed in said spacer and a plurality of stretcher cells formed in said stretcher, each of said plurality of spacer cells being smaller than and complimentary in shape to each of said plurality of stretcher cells so that said spacer and said stretcher can be interlocked in a plurality of positions, wherein each of said plurality of positions are characterized by a different number of said plurality of cells of said spacer being interlocked within said plurality of cells of said stretcher.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of said spacer cells and said stretcher cells are 1.25 inches (32 millimeters) in width.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said spacer and said stretcher each comprises a body, upper and lower side flanges, and an end flange, said upper and lower side flanges and said end flange extending outwardly from the perimeter of said body and being oriented perpendicular to said body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for attaching said first end to said first rail and said second end to said second rail comprises a first L-shaped flange extending outwardly from said first end of said first bracket and a second aperture formed in said first rail.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second bracket, said second bracket being structurally identical to said first bracket.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second rails each having a second drawer slide aperture formed thereon, the distance between said first drawer slide aperture and said second drawer slide aperture being an integer multiple of one EIA-U.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distance between said first drawer slide aperture and said second drawer slide aperture equals one EIA-U.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second rails includes:

an outer flange; and

a plurality of pairs of rack component apertures located along the length of said outer flange at increments of one EIA-U.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said of said first and second rails further includes:

a bight; and

a plurality of drawer slide apertures located along the length of said bight at increments of one EIA-U.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of drawer slide apertures are perpendicular to said plurality of pairs of rack component apertures.

14. An extrusion, comprising:

first and second ends;

top and bottom walls;

an inner wall connecting said top and bottom walls; and

a first rib located on said inner wall extending from said first end to said second end, said first rib being circular in cross-section and defining a slot in said inner wall.

15. The extrusion of claim 14, wherein said inner wall is substantially planar.

16. The extrusion of claim 14, wherein said first rib extends from said first end to said second end.

17. The extrusion of claim 14, further comprising a hook extending upwardly from said top wall, said hook defining a first groove.

18. The extrusion of claim 17, further comprising a tongue extending downwardly from bottom wall 38, said tongue defining a second groove for receiving a drawer bottom.

19. The extrusion of claim 18, wherein said tongue is L-shaped.

20. The extrusion of claim 14, wherein said extrusion further comprises an outer wall connecting said top and bottom walls, said outer wall having a third groove formed thereon for identifying the mounting location of a standard drawer slide, said third groove extending from said first end to said second end.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a first extrusion and a second extrusion, each of said extrusions having first and second ends defining a length, top and bottom walls defining a height, and an inner wall, a first rib located on said inner wall, said first rib defining a slot in said inner wall; and

said first extrusion having means for interlocking said first extrusion and said second extrusion when said first extrusion and second extrusions are vertically stacked.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said height of said first extrusion and said height of said second extrusion each equal about 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) less than a integer multiple of an EIA-U.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said height of said first extrusion is equal to either two or three EIA-U.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said height of said second extrusion is equal to either two or three EIA-U.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said means for interlocking said first extrusion and said second extrusion when said first extrusion and second extrusions are vertically stacked comprises a first tongue located on said bottom wall of said second extrusion and a first hook located on said top wall of said first extrusion, said first hook forming a first groove that is complimentary in shape to said first tongue.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said second extrusion further includes a first rectangular groove located between said bottom wall of said second extrusion and said first tongue.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said means for interlocking said first extrusion and said second extrusion when said first extrusion and second extrusions are vertically stacked further comprises a second tongue located on said bottom wall of said first extrusion and a second hook located on said top wall of said second extrusion, said second hook forming a second groove that is complimentary in shape to said second tongue.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said first extrusion further includes a second rectangular groove located between said bottom wall of said first extrusion and said second tongue.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first and second extrusions each further comprise an inner wall.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each of said inner walls comprises a first rib having a slot formed thereon.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each of said first ribs is circular in cross-section.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each of said inner walls further comprises a second rib, said second rib being substantially identical in structure to said first rib.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein each of said second ribs is circular in cross-section.

34. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first and second extrusions each further comprises:

an outer wall; and

a groove located on said outer wall for locating the proper vertical position of a standard drawer slide.