Patent ID: 8944415
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: E04H

Abstract:
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, and a panel arranged to extend between companion male- and female-edge connectors in a single wall unit and adapted to contact ground underlying the panel when a multi-sided security enclosure comprising the several wall units is erected, wherein each upper ring mount includes an upper pivot post formed on a top side of a post-support platform extending from a side of the male-edge connector, where the upper pivot post is arranged to extend into a post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of a neighboring second of the several wall units to establish a pivot joint between the first and second of the several wall units so that the second of the several wall units is free to rotate about a vertical pivot axis relative to the first of the several wall units to vary the included angle therebetween at the option of a caregiver during assembly of the multi-sided security enclosure, wherein the upper pivot post includes a radially deflectable first ring retainer extending upwardly through the post-receiving channel formed in the upper ring of the neighboring second of the several wall units, the first ring retainer including a ring-separation blocker extending outwardly therefrom at a point above the upper ring such that: when the first ring retainer is in a deflected, upright position, the ring-separation blocker prevents upward movement of the upper ring relative to the upper ring mount, and when the first ring retainer is deflected inwardly to a deflected position, the upper ring is upwardly removable from the upper ring mount, and wherein the first of the wall units further includes a locking cap configured for rotating on an exposed free tip of the upper pivot post about the vertical pivot axis, the locking cap comprising a shell surrounding the upper pivot post, and having a first tab stop coupled to an inner surface thereof and extending into the post receiving channel of the upper ring, wherein the locking cap is rotatable between: a locked position wherein the first tab stop is positioned to block radially inward movement of the first ring retainer from the upright position to the deflected position; and an unlocked position wherein the first tab stop is rotated about the vertical pivot axis away from the first ring retainer, thereby freeing the first ring retainer to move from the upright position toward the vertical pivot axis to the deflected position during separating movement of the first of the several wall units relative to the second of the wall units to facilitate separation of the upper ring mount from the upper pivot post leading to separation of the first of the several wall units from the second of the several wall units.