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EP-4090802-B1 - FLARED HINGED-FOLDING UTILITY VAULT DEVICE

EP4090802B1EP 4090802 B1EP4090802 B1EP 4090802B1EP-4090802-B1

Inventors

  • BRAMBLETT, Andru
  • CROSBY, Erick
  • NOLEN, Dustin
  • THOMPSON, RAYMOND G.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210114

Claims (15)

  1. A base box (105) comprising, a front panel (106) having side knuckles (116), a back panel (107) having side knuckles (116), a pair of side panels (108, 109) having side knuckles (116), wherein said side knuckles (116) of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109) interlock, wherein a hinge mechanism inserted into an aperture (117) of said side knuckles (116) rotatably attaches said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109), wherein said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109) create an interior space when said side knuckles (116) are rotatably attached, characterized in that an exterior surface and an interior surface of at least one of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109) flairs outward a bottom end (125) of said base box (105), and in that a flanged area (137) at a top end (128) of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109) is configured such that an inner ridge (126) of the top end (128) is configured to accept a bottom end t of an extension box (110) to sit within the base box (105).
  2. The base box (105) of Claim 1, wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109) comprise a plurality of compartments (119).
  3. The base box (105) of Claim 1, further comprising an opening (130) in at least one of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109), wherein said opening (130) is configured to provide utility lines additional access points and exit points to and from said interior space of said base box (105).
  4. The base box of Claim 1, wherein said interior surface of at least one of said back panel, front panel, and pair of side panels further comprises a plurality of hooks.
  5. The base box of Claim 1, wherein said interior surface of at least one of said back panel, front panel, and pair of side panels further comprises a plurality of grooves configured to direct liquid that condenses on said interior surface to an exit hole.
  6. The base box (105) of Claim 1, further comprising a lid (135) configured to be secured within said flanged area (137) at said top end (128) of said front panel (106), back panel (107), and pair of side panels (108, 109).
  7. An extension box (110) configured to be attached to the base box (105) of Claim 1, the extension box (110) comprising, a front extension panel (111) having side knuckles (116), a back extension panel (112) having side knuckles (116), a pair of side extension panels (113, 114) having side knuckles (116), wherein said side knuckles (116) of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) interlock, wherein a hinge mechanism inserted into an aperture (117) of said side knuckles (116) rotatably attaches said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114), wherein said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) create an interior space when said side knuckles (116) are rotatably attached, wherein a flanged area at a top end (122) of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) is configured for the attachment of an additional extension box, wherein a bottom end of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) is configured to securely attach to said flanged area (137) of said base box (105).
  8. The extension box (110) of Claim 7, wherein said exterior surface of at least one of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) comprise a plurality of compartments (119).
  9. The extension box (110) of Claim 7, wherein said exterior surface and said interior surface of at least one of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and side extension panels (113, 114) flairs outward at said bottom end.
  10. The extension box of Claim 7, wherein said interior surface of at least one of said front extension panel, back extension panel, and side extension panels further comprises a plurality of hooks.
  11. The extension box of Claim 7, wherein said interior surface of at least one of said front extension panel, back extension panel, and side extension panels further comprises a plurality of grooves configured to direct liquid that condenses on said interior surface to an exit hole.
  12. The extension box (110) of Claim 7, further comprising an opening (130) in at least one of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114), wherein said opening (130) is configured to provide utility lines additional access points and exit points to and from said interior space of said extension box (110).
  13. The extension box (110) of Claim 7, further comprising a lid (135) configured to be secured within said flanged area at said top end of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114).
  14. A utility vault comprising: a base box (105) according to Claim 1, and an extension box (110) according to Claim 7, wherein said bottom end of said extension box (110) is securely attached to said top end of said base box (105).
  15. A utility vault according to claim 14, further comprising an additional extension box (110) according to Claim 7, wherein the bottom end of said front extension panel (111), back extension panel (112), and pair of side extension panels (113, 114) of said additional extension box (110) is further configured to securely attach to said flanged area of said extension box (110), and wherein said bottom end of said additional extension box (110) is securely attached to said top end of said extension box (110).

Description

CROSS REFERENCES This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/960,779, filed on January 14, 2020. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The subject matter of the present disclosure refers generally to a folding, flared, hinged utility vault or enclosure device that may be modular. BACKGROUND In order to protect utility equipment, including, but not limited to, valves for water or natural gas, or switchgear for electrical or telecommunications equipment, a utility vault or enclosure is often used. Over time it is common for additional equipment to be added to utility enclosures, resulting in the utility enclosures having limited space therein for future equipment. The most common forms of utility vaults are concrete utility vaults. These concrete vaults possess several disadvantages. First, concrete utility vaults are heavy and take up a significant amount of space during transportation, which greatly increases the cost of the product. The weight and bulk of concrete utility vaults makes them cumbersome and difficult to install once the public utilities have been put into place. Second, concrete is prone to cracking over time. This factor is especially relevant in environments that are prone to frequent freezing, which leads to water within the concrete to expand and ultimately break down the concrete vaults over time. Third, current concrete utility vault manufacturing processes utilize generally straight and rigid side walls. The rigid configurations make packaging a plurality of vaults together difficult, and the straight walls limit the amount of future equipment that may be enclosed within each vault. For these reasons, plastic or composite utility vaults have gained popularity in recent years. Compared with concrete, the plastic enclosures are significantly lower in weight and more economical to transport. The plastic or composite utility vaults additionally provide enhanced weather resistance compared with concrete vaults. However, current plastic utility vaults lack certain benefits compared with concrete counterparts. For instance, the weight of concrete utility vaults assists with stability and stacking of the utility vaults. The stacking is especially important for applications in which larger utility vaults may be needed or when additional equipment must be placed in the vault. Additionally, larger sized concrete utility vaults are more readily accessible when compared with plastic or composite utility vaults. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a folding, flared utility vault having optional extension sections that may be used for utility installation Relevant examples of the prior art can be found in EP3035462A1, US6749080B1 and FR2941716A1. DESCRIPTON OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 is a front view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 3 is a back view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 4 is a first side view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 5 is a second side view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 6 is a top view of a of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 8 is an environmental view of a device having features consistent with the invention of the present disclosure.FIG. 9 a flow chart illustrating certain method steps of a method embodying features consistent with the principles of the present disclosure, not covered by claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In this Detailed Description, and the Claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features, including process steps, of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with/or in the context of other particular aspects of the embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. Where reference is made herein to a process comprising two or more defined steps, the defined steps can be carried out in any order or simultaneously (except where the context excludes that possibility),