Storage unit module

A storage unit module in which a plurality of selectively dimensioned panels are assembled with a plurality of correspondingly dimensioned edge extrusions and with connectors having corner tie downs for assembling space enclosures amendable to size and space adjustment using the standard selected elements and permitting a wide range of panel materials gasketed for weatherproofing. Ingress and egress means are integrated into the structure as desired.

The present invention is directed to a storage unit module in which a 
variety of dimensioned panels may be assembled with a plurality of edge 
extrusions and connectors with corner tie downs to provide space 
enclosures of selected volume which possess good qualities of rigidity and 
which enclosures are flexible as to size by the addition or subtraction of 
panels. The storage units are simple to assemble. They are weatherproofed 
by easily installed perimeter seals or gaskets, they admit of a wide range 
of uses from shipping structures, to rooms, tool sheds and security 
storage structures. The storage unit modules are assembled from elongate 
extruded elements which frame the panel elements, from connectors which 
terminally connect the ends of the extrusions at the intersections 
thereof; and from tie down plates and fasteners which draw the entire 
bundle of elements together at the connectors. The panels need only have a 
uniform thickness at their connection to the extrusions and to the 
connectors. They may be wood, plywood, metal, sheathed plastic or glass so 
long as they otherwise meet the end use requirements of the structure. The 
units are easily weatherproofed by utilizing simple extruded seals which 
close the perimeter of the panels and form weathertight sealing between 
the extrusions and connectors and the panels. The connectors are of three 
types and together with the margin extrusions they form sockets that are 
rigidified by the tie down plates which stress the panels, the extrusions 
and the connectors. There are corner connectors and in a rectangular unit 
there are four of these. There are outside edge connectors. Working 
together, these allow the assembly to be increased in size by units in 
height, width and depth. They also allow an election of particular 
openings as, for example, where a panel is hinged to swing out from a 
selected extrusion concealing the hinge and to which the hinge is secured. 
Alternate ingress and egress to and from the modular units may be by 
window and, in particular instances, by disassembly through the corner 
connectors as by the extension of the tie down fasteners through the 
connectors to allow external access to the fasteners. 
Variances in the angles accommodated by the connectors adapt the modules to 
architectural or building adaptations for atriums, bays and the like with 
selected panelling such as glass. 
The closest prior art known to the inventor is represented by the U.S. Pat. 
Nos. 2,729,355 to Donald H. Gaston for Tensionable Connection for 
Knockdown Articles and 2,956,705 to Paul E. Clingman for Cabinet 
Framework. While these two devices are at structural variance with the 
device herein described, they do show a corner block construction with 
framing strips closing on panels. 
The Modular Storage Units for Bicycles or the Like of Richard A. Wolverton 
and Gordon J. Cooper in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,425 and the Storage Enclosure 
for Bicycles, Motorcycles, or the Like of Richard W. Hartger and John M. 
Perry in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,528 show temporary end usage such as would be 
served by the presently described structures. As the description proceeds, 
the substantial departures from the prior art will be apparent in the 
herein described modules. 
Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a 
simple, easily put together modular unit storage or space enclosure 
structure. 
Another object is to provide such a structure using compression plates for 
locking socket connector elements, framing struts, and panels together in 
a rigid construction. 
Still another object is to teach a storage module with attention to 
security while accommodating weatherproofing, expansion in all directions 
of width, height and depth. 
Other objects including economy, saving of materials, and maximum 
utilization of available space will be better appreciated with employment 
of a wide variety of panel materials. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
In general, the invention is a storage unit module or space enclosure in 
which a plurality of wall panels have, in common, a uniform wall thickness 
and which are sized in height and width to provide a space enclosure. The 
wall panels may be wood, plywood, plastic, ceramic, metal, veneer, glass 
or the like. The panels are framed by a plurality of uniform cross section 
extrusions, the cross section of the extrusions provide elongate parallel 
slots sized to receive the edges of panels, selectively, at gapped regular 
selected angles to each other and in gapped parallel relation and the 
extrusions include a wraparound flange defining an elongate tubular 
enclosure on one side of the extrusions and a flat flange on another side 
of the extrusions in a forty-five degree planar relation to the wraparound 
flange. Connector elements which have extensions that mate with the 
tubular enclosures in the extrusion are provided and the connectors are 
recessed in plural angle directions and the recesses have a width to 
receive the panels and conceal the corners of the panels. Also included 
are corner tie plates which are fasteners that extend into the connectors 
and impinge against all adjacent of the panels so that upon tensioning the 
fasteners, the storage unit of panels, extrusions, connectors and plates 
are drawn into a rigid construction. 
The connectors are of three basic types, corner connectors, outside edge 
connectors and inside intersection connectors allowing selected panels to 
extend the walls of the modular enclosure as desired. A generally U-shaped 
gasket having one leg longer than the other is placed on each edge of the 
panels and is seated in the slots of the extrusions and the web portion of 
the gasket is between the legs forming a double gapped cushion as a 
weather seal and thermal break. 
At least one panel or wall of the module construction includes an opening 
or means of ingress and egress to the enclosure of the storage unit. Where 
desired, the storage units may thus be integrated with adjacent structure 
in whole or in part.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
Referring to the drawings and with first specificity to the FIG. 1, the 
basic corner construction is shown with the plural panels 12, the edge 
extrusions or panel framing edge struts 13, and the corner connector 14 
along with the compression plate 15 with fastener 16 to clearly express 
the knock-down and assembly simplicity of the storage unit module of the 
present invention. Each corner includes the construction expressed in FIG. 
1 and a gasket 17 which, as will be seen, is mitred at the ends is 
available for provision of a weather seal or thermal break. Rigidification 
of the structure occurs upon tightening the compression plates 15 at the 
corner connectors or corner blocks 14. As will be appreciated, the 
thickness dimensions of the panels 12 establish the panel dimension of the 
panel pockets 18 in the corner connector 14 where it receives the corners 
of the intersection planes of the panels 12. The corner connector 14 also 
includes three protrusions or extensions 19 which, as will be seen, are 
configured for mating insertion in the elongate tubular enclosures 20 in 
the extrusions 13 to establish, upon assembly with the extrusions 13, an 
aligned and rigidly oriented relationship between adjacent panels 12 and 
the extrusions 13 framing the edges of the panels 12. The extrusions 13 
include an arcuate wraparound edge or flange 21 and an integral planar 
beveled plate-like surface 22 and integral webbing to form a pair of panel 
receiving elongate slots 23 running the length of the extrusions 13. The 
inner edges of the slots 23, as viewed in FIG. 1, are formed by the 
elongate edges 24 of the planar bevel surface 22. As viewed in FIG. 1, the 
arcuate flange 21 is an outer flange and the bevel plate 22 is an inner 
facing flange. As will be seen, the flange 21 and plate 22 are reversed in 
some installations where the extrusions 13 do not abut an outer edge. The 
panels 12 extend slightly beyond the ends of the edge extrusions or struts 
13 to rest in pockets at the connectors and in the extruded edge struts 13 
of adjacent structure. 
As will be appreciated, the panels 12 may be made of wood, plastic, metal, 
glass, insulating or ceramic materials and varying laminations thereof and 
these are susceptible of decorative ornamentation and variation from panel 
to panel. Variants may include differences in opacity, translucity, and 
transparency, as well as in color and texture. The material of the panels 
12 may have sun screening capability and possess various degrees of 
thermal reflecting absorption and adsorption depending largely upon the 
intended use and contents of the enclosure formed by use of the modular 
unit storage, as described. 
While the FIG. 1 proposes a single module size related to panels 12 having 
common size, the FIG. 2 indicates the expansion of the module in a most 
simplistic way to expand storage space as desired in all directions in 
multiples with common panel sizing, the repeated use of corner connectors 
14 and edge extrusions 13 and with edge connectors 25 and intermediate 
connectors 26, as shown, in combination with the corner connectors 14 and 
their respective compression plates 15. The end edges of the panels 12 and 
gaskets 17 extend beyond the ends of the edge extrusions or struts 13 but 
are cut away to reveal the various panel possibilities. The panel 12a is 
seen as a wood framed composite with a cellular core material 27 with shin 
28 in metal or plastic. The panel 12b is a wood veneer with glued 
laminations 29. 
FIG. 3 indicates the inclusion of a door or window panel 30 hinged to an 
edge extrusion or strut 13. The hinge elements 31 and 32 on pintle 33 
provide a sturdy hinge support for the door 30 and with the hinge element 
31 being pressed into the panel slot 23 of the extrusion 13. The other 
three edges of the door 30 close against the gasket edges of beveled 
support surface 22 of the extrusion 13. The compression plate 15 can be 
seen and bearing against the beveled plane surface 22. Fastening hardware 
as hasps, locks and weatherproofing are not shown. 
FIG. 4 shows the corner connector or block 14 with the extensions 19, the 
panel pockets 18 into which the corners of panels 12 extend and rest and 
in which the curvature of the extensions 19 are appreciated as providing a 
slip fit for insertion in the elongate openings 20 in the extrusions 13. 
The truncated inner face 34 of the corner connector or block 14 is seen to 
include a threaded opening transversely into the connector 14. Where it is 
desired that the structures be disassembled from the inside, the threaded 
opening 35 is a blind hole with access for the fastener 16. Where 
disassembly is sought externally, then the fastener 16 enters a 
through-opening 35 allowing the fastener 16 to be manipulated as by an 
Allen type head provided in the threaded portion of the fastener 16. The 
rounded extension corner contour of the corner connector 14 is best seen 
in FIG. 2 but the rounded external portion fairs into planal surfaces 36 
which match with the planal transition surfaces of the extrusions 13 and 
close against supported panels 12 and gasketing 17. The corner connectors 
or blocks 14 are molded in integral form, as shown, from plastic or metal 
such as brass, aluminum, bronze, iron, steel or the like. 
FIG. 5 shows an outside edge connector 25 and having four panel pockets 18 
and having extensions or protuberances 19 as in the corner connectors 14 
(one furthest from view is not visible but extends from the opposite side 
from the visible extension 19). In this edge connector 25, the extensions 
37 will be appreciated as reversed in orientation from the extrusions 19 
so as to permit the reversal of the extrusions 13 so that the planar bevel 
surfaces 22 match the flat surfaces 38 of the edge connector 25 and the 
curved flange 21 then faces inwardly as in FIG. 2. In this connector 25 
the truncated faces 34 are two in number, as seen, and threaded fastener 
openings 35 are transversely passed through the two faces 34 as in the 
construction in FIG. 4 and for the same reasons to accommodate the 
compression plates 15 and fasteners 16. The threaded opening 35 may be, 
selectively, blind or through. The edge connector 25 is integrally formed 
by materials and methods of manufacture referred to in respect to the 
connector 14 are applicable. It will be understood that in all of the 
connectors 14, 25 and 26 that composite constructions of each may be 
utilized and then the composite parts are combined to appear as in FIGS. 
4, 5 and 6. 
In FIG. 6 the intermediate inside connector 26 is best shown. Connector 26 
includes four corner panel pockets 18 and the outer surface 39 which is 
planar or flat while the converging inner surfaces are curvalinear with 
the extension 37 projecting radially therefrom in common planal relation 
whereby the extrusions 13 receive the projecting extensions 37 and abut 
the surfaces 40. 
By reference to the FIGS. 7a and 7b the compression plates 15 are 
preferably metal as, for example, in a spring steel and formed from a 
single equilateral triangular flat piece of stock as in FIG. 7b and 
centrally penetrated by an opening 41. Then, registering on the opening 41 
the blank is held at 42 (equilateral triangle at the phantom lines 
indicated) and the radiating points of the blank 43, 43a and 43b are 
lifted or depressed in equal planar portions 44. Then, as will be 
appreciated, the compression plates 15 are placed on the truncated 
surfaces 34 of FIGS. 4 and 5 as indicated in FIG. 1 and are fastened to 
the respective connectors 14 and 25 by the fasteners 16. The tips 43, 43a 
and 43b of the plate 15 press together the panels 12, connectors 14, 25 
and 26 and extruded struts or edges 13 to provide a rigid construction. 
The compression plates 15 are like crowns resting in an inverted position 
against surfaces 22 of extrusion 13 and, upon tightening, draw all 
contacted parts into a firm, whole assembly. 
In the FIG. 8 the edge extrusions 13 can best be understood and the regular 
cross section extrusion configuration is best shown. The extrusions are of 
length to suit the edges of the panels 12 stopping somewhat short of the 
ends of the panel edges (FIG. 1). The extrusions 13 have curvalinear 
regular elongate nosing on one side regarded as an external curvalinear 
flange 21 and faired into planar wing portions 45 of the flange 21. 
Opposite the rounded flange 21 is the elongate beveled plate-like surface 
22 and transverse to the plane of symmetry through the surface 22. The 
surfaces 21 and 22 are integrally connected by the integral web 46. The 
web 46 is bifurcated and the bifurcations 47 form, with the rounded flange 
21, an elongate tubular opening 20 which selectively accepts the 
extensions 19 and 37 of the connectors 14, 25 and 26 so that the 
extrusions 13 accommodate panels 12 in selected of two planes on each 
side, as indicated in phantom line in FIG. 8. The bifurcations 48 in the 
web 46 support the planar surface 22 and the shoulders at 49 and 50 
provide pocketing for the edges of the panels in the indicated positions 
of the panels 12. As will be appreciated, the elongate slots 23 are thus 
defined by the edges 24 of the surface 22 and the wings 45 in two 
positions depending upon usage of the extrusions 12 where the curved 
nosing 21 forms an outer edge or the planar surface 22 forms an outer 
surface with the nosing 21 inverted. 
In FIG. 9 the elongate gasket 17 is shown which is positioned to frame the 
edges of the panels 12 and ready to be press fitted into the elongate 
slots 23 as between the wings 45 and edges 24 of planar surface 22. These 
gaskets 17 are integrally formed of a generally U-shaped configuration in 
cross section with one of the arms 51 thereof being longer than the arm 
52, both arms terminate at the top in elongate ridges 53 having a uniform 
cross section. A web 54 of gasket material is transverse to the legs 51 
and 52 and forms a floor-like portion. Beneath that floor of web 54 is an 
arcuate web portion 55 which integrally connects to the legs 51 and 52 and 
to the web 54. The gasket 17 is formed of resilient and weather-resistant 
material such as rubber, vinyl or Neoprene-like material. As will be seen, 
the gaskets 17 extend the length of the panel edges and encase those edges 
in a weathertight installation when properly assembled and suitably 
mitred. 
In the FIG. 10 a typical assembled relation of the gasket 17 is shown in 
one of the slots 23 in the edge extrusion 13. The long leg 51 of the 
gasket 17 bears against beveled plate-like surface 22 with an overlap 
formed by the elongate ridge 53. The wing portions 45 similarly close on 
the short leg 52 of the gasket 17. The floor web 54 and the outer arcuate 
web portion 55 of the gasket 17 bottom against the integral web 46 and 47 
of the extrusion 13 between surface 22 and arcuate nose or flanging 21, as 
shown. In this view, no effort is made to indicate that the panels 12 are 
extended beyond the ends of the extrusions 13 and that the ends of the 
gaskets 17 are then mitred back from the corners of the panels 12 at 45 
degrees, as will be seen. The extent of the panel overhang, as shown, is 
an amount corresponding to the depth of the panel receiving pockets 18. In 
the FIG. 10 the weathertight seal is best appreciated. 
The FIG. 11 schematically indicates the extension of the modules or units 
11 and the extreme flexibility to enlarge or diminish the total enclosed 
space. While shown to be units 11 generally square, and hence producing 
cubic enclosures, the invention contemplates rectangular panel 
configurations where each module 11 may include, say, varying ratios of 
panel height to width. This will be understood especially as accommodating 
closures for ingress and egress, as in FIG. 3, which may not embrace the 
entire wall surface of a panel 12. In raising or adding the phantom units 
11, the edge connector 25 may require substitution of connector 26 where a 
coplanar relation is sought. 
FIG. 12 is an exploded partial perspective view of a typical corner and 
indicating the connector 14 for receiving the panel 12 with the mitred 
gaskets 17 in the pocket 18 and the gaskets 17 position in the elongate 
slots 23 of the edge extrusion 13 to form the corner which is ultimately 
held together by the compression plates 15 (FIG. 1) and the mitres 57 of 
the gaskets 17 close against each other at the ends and are concealed 
beneath the shroud formed by the walls of the pockets 18 upon assembly. 
The extensions or protuberances 19 from the corner connectors 14 enter the 
elongate tubular openings 20 in extrusions 13 and the openings 20 match 
the profile of the protuberances 19. The ends of the extrusions 13 abut 
the connectors 15, as can be seen. This assembly is repeated in connecting 
plural panels 12 to the edge connectors 25 and inside connectors 26. 
In manufacture of the components making possible the storage unit modules 
11, the connectors are easily precision cast on a highly economical basis. 
The gaskets are formed from easily extruded, low cost vinyl in selected 
colors and ornamentation. The edge extrusions 13 are extrusions of 
relatively rigid material in plastic, metal or ceramic and the panels are 
structurally available pre-form materials as elsewhere indicated and 
generally available in the marketplace as plywood, glass, plastic or 
laminates including ceramics or the like and with or without insulating 
cores. The panels are dimensional in multiples of height and width as well 
as the extruded edges. These elements ship nicely in a condensed knockdown 
fashion and may be kit retailed in modules or bulk sold at installation 
outlets and centers for assembly on the job. Where variances in right 
angle relationships or parallel relationships in panels is sought, this 
can be accommodated by facile and obvious changes in the connectors and 
compression elements as in accommodation to 30 degree, 45 degree, and 60 
degree relationships to provide peak roofs and the like. 
The units 11 have proved valuable in storage of goods and merchandise as in 
temporary or adjunct living or working space. Excellent tool cribs and 
office shelters are quickly assembled. 
Having thus described my invention and especially the preferred embodiment 
thereof, those skilled in the art will quickly grasp improvements, changes 
and modifications thereof and such improvements, changes and modifications 
are intended to be included herein, limited only by the spirit of the 
invention as expressed in the allowed claims of my application.