Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BASE ASSEMBLIES, METHODS OF PRODUCTION
AND USES THEREOF
This application claims priority to United States Provisional Application
Number 60/400935
filed on August 1, 2002, and is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE SUBJECT MATTER
The field of the subject matter is base assemblies and base structures for use
as a support and
1o transport mechanism in industrial and commercial applications.
BACKGROUND
The telecommunications and data industries have grown exponentially in the
last 5 to
8 years partly because both industries have been able to expand their customer
base from
customers that are close to the center of operations/transmissions to
customers who are
located a significant distance from the center of operations/transmissions.
Expansion of data
transmissions to customers located at significant distances from the center of
operations is
facilitated by remote sites that are portable and smaller than the center of
operations site. The
telecommunications and data communications industries include those utilities
and industries
2o that provide one-way and two-way data transmission and transportation. The
telecommunications industry also includes wireless communications, wire-based
communications and combinations thereof. Wireless communications includes
infrared,
satellite, antennae, etc. Wire-based communications includes fiber optic
cable, conventional
cable, coax cable, shielded and unshielded twisted pair cable, etc.
Remote sites usually contain electrical and telecommunications wiring and
components, such as batteries, antennae, circuit boards, l~eypads and, other
related
components that in many cases can be fragile, relatively inaccessible and
certainly sensitive
to the elements and other environmental conditions. Therefore, these remote
sites should be
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enclosed or otherwise contained in a protective enclosure system and should be
relatively
easy to assemble, move and relocate, if necessary, without damage to the
internal components
and wiring
Remote sites and enclosure systems should be monitored to determine if a need
exists
for enviromnental control and to what degree environmental control should be
implemented,
if needed. The enclosure systems may also need to be relocated in order to
implement any
new environmental controls or to remove any environmental hazards from the
remote
enclosure or site.
Also, the enclosure system, remote enclosure system and/or remote site should
be
l0 easy to access and easy to initially assemble and relocate. Often times, in
conventional
remote enclosure systems, some components will be easy to access, swap out and
repair; but
other components will be difficult, if not impossible, to access without
moving other
components around or removing them altogether. The remote enclosure system may
also
need to be moved or otherwise relocated to repair or to upgrade/swap-out the
components.
The process of repairing, replacing or accessing difficult to access
components can be made
more difficult depending on the site location of the remote enclosure system
and the
environmental conditions surrounding the remote enclosure system, which is why
some
enclosure systems must be moved or otherwise relocated in order to repair,
replace or access
some components.
With remote enclosure systems, one conventional method of lifting and moving
the
system is to attach a rigging apparatus to the top of the enclosure system by
eye bolts and lift
it with a crane, boom truck or other large moving device or apparatus. Another
conunonly
used method of lifting and moving the system is to use a forl~lift device with
the cabinet or
enclosure system sitting on a wooden pallet. Pallets normally used are
unstable for long-term
use and storage of the remote enclosure system and can be altogether
inappropriate for some
enclosure systems, such as those that are oversized, unusually heavy or
otherwise difficult to
control when moving using conventional moving systems.
Another issue that is common with remote enclosure systems and cabinet systems
is
that because of design constraints or modifications, the systems need to be
assembled at or
close to the remote site in order to accommodate the design constraints or
modifications or in
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order to accommodate other issues with the cabinet and/or system. These issues
can be
difficult when factoring in environmental conditions or other conditions, such
as the
condition of the site or the remote location.
Other industries, such as the wine, liquor, beer and food processing
industries, the
chemical manufacturing industry and the pharmaceuticals industries, have
issues with
relocating, adjusting and/or otherwise moving vats, processing containers,
starting materials
and other equipment. Generally, equipment and materials are located on top of
a pallet or the
equipment is physically bolted in place to the floor. As mentioned, pallets
are unstable for
long-term use and storage of the equipment and can be altogether inappropriate
for some
to equipment and/or materials, such as those that are oversized, unusually
heavy or otherwise
difficult to control when moving using conventional moving systems and/or that
equipment
that must be consistently relocated to be cleaned, repaired or used elsewhere
in the process.
The equipment that is directly bolted to the floor is generally more stable
than that equipment
located on a pallet, but equipment bolted directly to the floor can be
difficult to transport once
the bolts are removed, because the equipment may be oversized or otherwise
difficult to
move because of the shape of the equipment.
Therefore, there is still a need in industry for a base assembly that a) can
be directly
coupled and/or fixed to the equipment and/or materials being supported by the
base
assembly; b) can remain stable despite the weight and/or size limitations of
the equipment
and/or materials; c) can be easily used with conventional moving equipment,
such as
forklifts; d) can provide consistent aeration and reasonably dry conditions
under the load
component; and e) can be readily expanded, as needed, to accommodate
additional equipment
and/or materials.
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SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER
The subject matter described herein is directed to a base assembly that
includes: a) a
frame system; b) a plurality of receiving members coupled to the frame system;
and c) at least
one coupling apparatus, whereby the coupling apparatus is designed to couple
or facilitate the
coupling of the base assembly to a load component.
The subject matter described herein also is directed to a load assembly that
includes:
a) a base assembly described herein; and b) a load component.
Methods of producing a load assembly include a) providing a base assembly; b)
providing a load component; and c) coupling the base assembly and the load
component.
1o Methods of using a load assembly include a) using a base assembly; b) using
a load
component; and c) coupling the base assembly and the load component.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 shows a contemplated base assembly system.
Fig. 1 A shows a contemplated coupling member and/or apparatus.
Fig. 2 shows another contemplated embodiment of a base assembly system.
Fig. 3 shows a contemplated frame system.
Fig. 4 shows another contemplated frame system.
Fig. 5 shows contemplated components of a frame system.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In order to facilitate assembling and relocating load components, such as
remote
access enclosure systems, remote enclosure systems, radio-equipment cabinets
and
enclosures and other types of similar systems and enclosures, and equipment
and materials
used in the wine, beer, liquor or food processing industries, chemical
industry and/or
pharmaceutical industry, a base assembly system has been developed that allows
for easy
assembling, lifting, moving, relocating and placement of the systems,
equipment, materials
and cabinets previously mentioned. Contemplated base assemblies a) can be
directly
coupled to the equipment and/or materials being supported by the base
assembly; b) can
1 o remain stable despite the weight and/or size limitations of the equipment
and/or materials; c)
can be easily used with conventional moving equipment, such as forklifts; d)
can provide
consistent aeration and. reasonably dry conditions under the load component;
and e) can be
readily expanded as needed, and in come cases expanded ih situ to accommodate
additional
equipment and/or materials.
The base assembly system contemplated herein comprises a frame system and a
plurality of receiving members, such as reinforced tubes, that accommodate the
forks of a
fork lift or other similar apparatus or device so that the cabinet or
enclosure system can be
easily lifted and placed at any suitable site or location. The base assembly
system also
comprises at least one coupling apparatus that is designed to couple the base
assembly system
to the load component. Load components, such as remote enclosure systems,
enclosure
systems and cabinet systems, that are easily coupled to the base assemblies
contemplated
herein are those found in US Provisional Application Serial No.: 60/379480,
those
manufactured by Purcell Systems, Inc. and similar manufacturers, and those
used by Nolcia
and similar telecommunications companies.
Figure 1 shows a contemplated base assembly system 10 coupled to a load
component 50. As shown, the contemplated, base assembly system 10 comprises a
frame
system 20 and two receiving members 30. The base assembly system 10 further
comprises a
plurality of coupling members or apparatus 40 that, in this embodiment, are
nut and hex bolt
assemblies, wherein the nut 42, bolt 44 and washer 46 are shown blown up
Figure lA. The
3o coupling apparatus 40, in this embodiment, fit through holes 48 and 52 that
are drilled into
the frame system 20 and/or the receiving members 30 (holes 48) and the load
component 50
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(holes 52). In this embodiment, the load component 50 comprises a remote
enclosure system
or cabinet. In additional embodiments, the frame system 20 may be anchored to
the floor, a
concrete slab or underlying surface 60 by using any suitable anchoring device,
such as anchor
bolts, weights, adhesives, magnets, screws or any combination thereof (not
shown). Holes 62
are shown in Figure 1 that are designed to be used to anchor the base assembly
10 to the
floor 60, if necessary. Figure 2 shows another contemplated embodiment of the
subject
matter disclosed herein. In this Figure, a contemplated load component 150,
which can be
described as a vat or drum, is shown with a modified base assembly system 110
comprising a
frame system 120, receiving members 130 and coupling apparatus 140. It should
be
1o understood that, especially in Figure 1, the receiving members, along with
the frame system,
provide some of the support for the load component. In other words, in most of
the
contemplated embodiments, some of the downward force of the load component,
when
stationary or when being transported, is distributed along the frame system
and the receiving
members.
Both Figures 1 and 2 show several contemplated frame systems; however, the
frame
system may generally comprise any suitable design, as long as the design goals
of the frame
system are met. Those design goals are: a) support or lock into place the
receiving members;
b) support the load component during movement; c) support the load component
when
stationary; and d) allow for expandability when additional load components or
different load
components are utilized. For example, the frame system may comprise a
rectangular, square,
triangular, diamond, pentagon, hexagon or other suitable shape and may further
comprise at
least one crossbeam, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows a frame system 220
that
comprises four beams 222 coupled to form a rectangular frame system, as
opposed to the
parallel beam frame system shown in Figure 1. Crossbeam 224 is added to the
frame system
220 to provide additional support for a load component (not shown). Figure 4
shows a frame
system 320 that comprises six beams 322 coupled to form a hexagonal frame
system.
Crossbeams 224 are added to the frame system 320 to provide additional support
for a load
component (not shown).
It should be appreciated that all of the beams may be coupled to one another
by any
3o suitable manner, including soldering, bolts, adhesives, molding, grips or a
combination
thereof. It should be fiu they appreciated that although several contemplated
embodiments
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list, for example, four (4) beams 222 and 322, that they may be coupled
together before
assembly of the frame system to form one (1) square or rectangular frame. As
used herein,
the term "mold" or "molding" is used to describe the process whereby a
material is either
physically shaped or poured into a mold to form a particular and/or
contemplated shape,
structure or component. It should also be appreciated that what appears in the
frame system
as four (4) beams 222 or 322 may be four (4) beams 422, two (2) sets of beams
at 90° angles
to one another coupled together 432 or one (1) square or rectangular beam
assembly 434.
(see Figure 5) As used herein, the term "coupled" can be defined as fastening
or otherwise
joining two or more components together. It is intended that the action of
"coupling" the
to base assembly system to another component can take place by using any
suitable coupling
device, composition, compound or apparatus, such as bolts, adhesives, Velcro,
clamps, grips,
screws, nails, magnets, suction cups, and any and all related components, such
as washers
and nuts.
Contemplated base assemblies and base assembly systems comprise a plurality of
receiving members, such as reinforced tubes or channels, that effectively and
efficiently
allow a transfer device, such as a fork lift or other lifting device, to
couple with the base
assembly system such that the base assembly system and load component can be
simultaneously lifted, moved and or otherwise relocated. Receiving members are
designed as
a "female mate to a "male" portion of a.transfer/lifting device or apparatus,
in that the male
portion couples inside of the female receiving member. Receiving members are
coupled to
the frame system by any suitable device or apparatus, such as those coupling
devices
previously mentioned. Furthermore, the plurality of receiving members may be
placed at any
suitable location on the frame system, as long as the receiving members are
positioned to
receive at least part of the lifting mechanism of the fork lift or other
lifting device, equipment
or machinery. Another contemplated frame system is similar to that shown in
Figure 3
except that there are two additional parallel receiving members that are
perpendicularly
situated to receiving members 230. This configuration allows for easy
placement of the base
assembly-load component couple without worrying about lceeping the receiving
members
open to be utilized. If another load component is placed on the side with one
set of receiving
3o members, the other set of receiving members can be utilized to lift and
transport the base
assembly-load component couple. This configuration works well with frame
systems having
more than four sides, such as the square, rectangular or hexagonal frame
systems. It should
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be understood that there may be sets of two parallel receiving members where
each set is
situated at about a 30 degree angle, about a 45 degree angle or about a 60
degree angle from
another set of parallel receiving members. These examples show the flexibility
at which the
sets of parallel receiving members can be situated on or in a frame system.
Reinforcements or reinforcing devices or apparatus to the receiving members
comprise interloclcing support structures, bolted or otherwise coupled beams
or support bars
and/or any other suitable structural arrangement that allows for the receiving
members to be
a) effectively coupled to the load component and b) sufficient support - when
coupled with
the reinforcing apparatus or scheme - for the load component at a specific
indoor and/or
to outdoor site or location.
Contemplated base assemblies also comprise at least one coupling apparatus
which is
designed to couple the base assembly to a load component. As already
mentioned, holes can
be drilled or otherwise formed in the frame system and the load component and
nut/bolt/washer assemblies can be used as the coupling apparatus to couple the
base assembly
to the load component. In a more specific example, holes and corresponding
match holes are
punched, drilled or otherwise formed in the beams of the frame assembly and a
portion of the
load component. A sheer, such as a '/4" sheer, with a bolt is placed in each
hole. The bolt
mates up with a PEM~ nut that is placed at the corresponding match hole. The
'/4" sheer
controls the compression of the gasket. As used herein, a PEM~ nut or PEM~
fastener are
2o specific fasteners that can also be described as a self clinching fastener,
a captive fastener or
a threaded insert. This method of mating and attaching components ensures that
there will be
little to no damage to the gasket in the field and also ensures that the
compression can be
controlled within a desired specification. Insulating tape or another method
of insulation can
also be coupled to the frame system at the coupling interface, if needed.
These coupling
apparatus are similar to and include those described in PCT Application Serial
No.:
PCT/LTS02/34800 filed on October 30, 2002, which is commonly owned and
incorporated
herein in its entirety.
In some other embodiments, it is contemplated that the "coupling apparatus"
could be
the weight of the load component. For example, the load component may rest on
the base
3o assembly, and by virtue of its weight and shape, the load component may be
very stable and
may not need additional coupling apparatus to keep it coupled to the base
assembly. It is also
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contemplated that the "at least one coupling apparatus" may comprise any
combination of the
coupling methods and apparatus described herein.
A load component may comprise any suitable piece of equipment or collection of
materials that a) needs to be or should be stored off of the ground or
underlying surface; b) is
at least once or occasionally moved/relocated; c) cannot be easily moved or
relocated
without an underlying support system, such as a pallet. Contemplated load
components
comprise remote access enclosure systems, remote enclosure systems, radio-
equipment
cabinets and enclosures and other types of similar systems and enclosures, and
equipment and
materials used in the wine, beer, liquor or food processing industries,
chemical industry
to and/or pharmaceutical industry.
Any of these load components may comprise any number of electronic and/or
semiconductor components. As used herein, the term "electronic component" also
means
any device or part that can be used in a circuit to obtain some desired
electrical action.
Electronic components contemplated herein may be classified in many different
ways,
including classification into active components and passive components. Active
components
are electronic components capable of some dynamic function, such as
amplification,
oscillation, or signal control, which usually requires a power source for its
operation.
Examples are bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors, and integrated
circuits. Passive
components are electronic components that are static in operation, i.e., are
ordinarily
2o incapable of amplification or oscillation, and usually require no power for
their characteristic
operation. Examples are conventional resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes,
rectifiers and
fuses.
Electronic components contemplated herein may also be classified as
conductors,
semiconductors, or insulators. Here, conductors are components that allow
charge carriers
(such as electrons) to move with ease among atoms as in an electric current.
Examples of
conductor components are circuit traces and vias comprising metals. Insulators
are
components where the function is substantially related to the ability of a
material to be
extremely resistant to conduction of current, such as a material employed to
electrically
separate other components, while semiconductors axe components having a
function that is
3o substantially related to the ability of a material to conduct current with
a natural resistivity
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between conductors and insulators. Examples of semiconductor components are
transistors,
diodes, some lasers, rectifiers, thyristors and photosensors.
Electronic components contemplated herein may also be classified as power
sources
or power consumers. Power source components are typically used to power other
components, and include batteries, capacitors, coils, and fuel cells. Power
consuming
components include resistors, transistors, ICs, sensors, and the lilce.
Still further, electronic components contemplated herein may also be
classified as
discreet or integrated. Discreet components are devices that offer one
particular electrical
property concentrated at one place in a circuit. Examples are resistors,
capacitors, diodes, and
to transistors. Integrated components are combinations of components that that
can provide
multiple electrical properties at one place in a circuit. Examples are ICs,
i.e., integrated
circuits in which multiple components and connecting traces are combined to
perform
multiple or complex functions such as logic.
Telecommunications components include fiber optic cable and other optical
materials,
such as waveguides, data transmission wires and lines, copper wire, coax
cable, lceyboards
and monitors and the like.
As mentioned, the load component may also comprise equipment and/or materials
that may be used in the wine, beer, liquor or food processing industries, such
as vats, barrels,
drums, starting materials, refrigerators, ice, etc. The load component may
also comprise
2o equipment and/or materials that may be used in the chemical and/or
pharmaceutical
industries, such as vats, mixing drums, refrigerators, starting materials,
finished product, etc.
The base assembly system may comprise any suitable material based on the
requirements of the base assembly with respect to a) the load component to be
coupled, b) the
cost and availability of materials, c) the environment into which the base
assembly and load
component will be placed and/or stored, d) the requirements of the
manufacturer, and e) any
other suitable requirements, such as local, state and/or federal regulations,
heat dissipation
needs, and insulation needs.
Some contemplated embodiments are formulated out of non-corrosive steel,
however,
any suitable metal, alloy, composite material, polymer or plastic material,
fiberglass or
appropriate or suitable material or combination of materials may be used, as
long as the
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material or materials islare capable of successfully and efficiently meeting
the needs of the
base assembly system with respect to the load components, such as the
enclosure system or
cabinet system, as described above. As used herein, the term "metal" means
those elements
that are in the d-block and f block of the Periodic Chart of the Elements,
along with those
elements that have metal-lilee properties, such as silicon and germanium. As
used herein, the
phrase "d-block" means those elements that have electrons filling the 3d, 4d,
Sd, and 6d
orbitals surrounding the nucleus of the element. As used herein, the phrase "f
block" means
those elements that have electrons filling the 4f and Sf orbitals surrounding
the nucleus of the
element, including the lanthanides and the actinides. Preferred metals include
titanium,
to silicon, cobalt, copper, niclcel, zinc, vanadium, aluminum, chromium,
platinum, gold, silver,
tungsten, molybdenum, cerium, promethium, and thorium. More preferred metals
include
titanium, silicon, copper, nickel, platinum, gold, silver and tungsten. Most
preferred metals
include titanium, silicon, copper and nickel. The term "metal" also includes
alloys,
metal/metal composites, metal ceramic composites, metal polymer composites, as
well as
other metal composites.
A load assembly that comprises a base assembly and a load component may be
produced by a) providing a base assembly, such as those described herein; b)
providing a load
component; and c) coupling the base assembly and the load component. A "load
assembly"
as used, herein means an assembly that comprises a base assembly and a load
component,
2o such as those described herein. The steps of providing a base assembly
and/or a load
component may comprise a) ordering the base assembly and/or load component
from an
outside source; b) producing the base assembly and/or load component in house;
or c) a
combination thereof.
A load assembly that comprises a base assembly and a load component may be
used
by a) using a base assembly, such as those described herein; b) using a load
component; and
c) coupling the base assembly and the load component.
Base assembly systems contemplated herein also offer at least one of the
following
benefits/advantages (which are not necessarily intended to be objects of the
invention):
a. Load components can be assembled at any location and easily transported to
the remote site or alternative location.
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b. The overall field installation process can be expedited with the major work
steps being completed before the field installation process begins.
c. Environmentally controlled worlc spaces can be effectively utilized before
the
load component is moved to another site that may not be environmentally
controlled.
d. Costs of remote assembly and field installation can be minimized.
e. Load components are provided with a stable base that can support the system
and can also provide for easy lifting and relocation.
In some cases, the base assembly systems contemplated herein will comprise two
or
to more of the benefits and advantages listed above, but it should be
appreciated that base
assembly systems contemplated herein may only comprise one of the
benefits/advantages
shown above, and that in no way limits the inherent usefulness of the base
assembly system.
Thus, specific embodiments and applications of compositions and methods to
construct and produce base assembly systems have been disclosed. It should be
apparent,
however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides
those already
described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein.
The inventive
subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the
appended claims.
Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms
should be
interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In
particular, the
2o terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to
elements,
components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced
elements,
components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other
elements, com-
ponents, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
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