Patent Number: 
Section: description

The shielding system of the present invention is comprised of one or more modular wall components that can be interconnected to form a shielding wall of varying shape and size. The preferred modular wall component 300 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein FIG. 3 shows the exterior of a modular wall component 300 and FIG. 4 shows the interior construction of a modular wall component 300. The modular wall component 300 is the principal modular wall component of the present invention and has a main container 302 being generally rectangular in shape having a first end 304, a second end 328, and a width, or thickness, 330. The rectangular shape of the main container 302 is for convenience, and it would be readily apparent to use another shape according to the target area sought to be protected, e.g., U-shaped. The main container 302 is hollow such that it has an internal cavity 344 adapted to store a filler material. Possible filler material includes, but is not limited to, water, sand, concrete, composite material, or any radiation attenuating liquid. As a means for supporting the main container 302, one or more internal cross supports 314 and/or one or more cross panels 326 may be used to secure a front face 332 to a back face 334 of the main container 302. The preferred cross supports 314 are elongated bars or rods whereas the preferred cross panels 326 are rectangular panels. Both the cross supports 314 and the cross panels 326 secure the front face 332 to the back face 334 via conventional means (e.g., welding, adhesive, fasteners, clips, etc.), thereby making the main container 302 stronger during use and transport. The number and location of cross supports 314 and cross panels 326 is determined by the size of the modular wall component 300 being designed and built. Therefore, once the modular wall component 300 is filled with filler material, the main container 302 retains its intended shape. A connector container 306 is an elongated cylinder, such as a tube, having a cross section that is generally circular in shape with a diameter 336 and radius 338, thereby making it a xe2x80x9clocking endxe2x80x9d of the main container 102. Preferably, the diameter 336 of the connector container 306 is greater than the width 330 of the main container 302. In addition, in the preferred embodiment, the ratio of the width 330 of the main container 302 to the diameter 336 of the connector container 306 is 1:1.42. This ratio is for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill of the relevant art to use any diameter 336 of the connector container 306 as long as the diameter 336 is greater than the width 330 of the main container 302. The connector container 306 is integrally connected to the second end 328 of the main container 302 such that an internal cavity 344 of the main container 302 is in communication with the internal cavity 346 of the connector container 306. Therefore, the connector container 306 also is adapted to store the filler material. As seen on FIGS. 3 and 4, the connector container 306 is attached to, or made an integral part of, the main container 302 such that the front face 332 and the back face 334 of the main container 302 each are in contact with the external surface of the connector container 306. In addition, the connector container 306 is connected to the main container 302 such that the entire length of the second end 328 of the main container 302 is positioned within the connector container 306, thereby ensuring that the entire width of the main container 302 is in contact with the connector container 306. Thus, in this embodiment, the modular wall component 300 is made of the main container 302 and the connector container 306. On the top surface 354 of the modular wall component 300 at the connector container 306, a locking pin 310 is centrally located. The locking pin 310 is a circular protrusion that is used as a means for interconnecting two adjacent modular wall components 300. The locking pin 310 is centrally located on the connector container 306 for convenience purpose only. It can easily be positioned at any location on the top surface 354. In addition, the locking pin 310 may be fixed to the top surface 354 permanently, or may be removable. The use of the locking pin 310 is described in greater detail below. The first end 304 of the main container 302 is preferably concave in shape with a diameter 340 and a radius 342, and adapted to correspond to the generally circular shape of the cross section of the connector container 306, such that the radius 338 of the connector container 306 is about equal to the radius 342 of the first end 304 of the main container 302. Therefore, the first end 304 becomes a xe2x80x9creceiving endxe2x80x9d for a connector container 306 of a second modular wall component 300. The modular wall component 300 is preferably made from {fraction (3/16)} of an inch thick airplane grade aluminum but this is for convenience purpose only. It is possible to make this modular wall component 300 using plastic, a composite material, steel, rubber, and any comparable material. In addition, the cross supports 314 and cross panels 326 are made of the same material as the main container 102 and the connector container 106. Also, the preferred dimensions of the modular wall component 300 are about 7 feet in height, about 77 inches in length, and about 12 inches in width (its thickness). These materials and dimensions are described for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts to design, manufacture and use a modular wall component 300 of the present invention using comparable materials and different dimensions. The modular wall component 300 also has a means for lifting the modular wall component 300 for transport. A first way of lifting the modular wall component 300 is a lifting assembly 308 secured to the top surface 354 of the modular wall component 300. In the preferred embodiment, the lifting assembly 308 is a flat base 348 having on its top surface a vertical support structure 350 with one or more holes 352. Thus, in transport, a hook can be removably attached to the hole(s) 352 such that a crane can lift the modular wall component 300 and move it. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the lifting assembly 308 is made of metal and is bolted to the top surface 354 of the modular wall component 300. The use of metal and bolts for the lifting assembly 308 is for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to use a comparable material and means for securing the base 348 to the modular wall component 300. A second way of lifting a modular wall component 300 of the present invention is to engage the one or more lifting points 316 on the bottom of the modular wall component 300. The lifting points 316 are recessed areas sized and adapted such that the prongs of a conventional fork lift can be inserted into the lifting points 316. Thus, in transport, the fork lift inserts its prongs into the lifting points 316, then raises the prongs with the modular wall component 300 on top thereof, and moves the modular wall component 300 to a new location. The modular wall component 300 also has a means for supporting the modular wall component 300 while it is free standing on a base surface, e.g., the ground. One such means is one or more removable base leg supports 318 that can be placed on one or both sides of the modular wall component 300 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the base leg supports 318 are removable from the modular wall component 300 such that they can be removed during transport. In an alternative embodiment, the base leg supports 318 may be secured to the modular wall component 300 by conventional means, e.g., welding, fasteners, clips, and the like. The modular wall component 300 also includes a means for filling and draining the modular wall component 300 with filler material. In the preferred embodiment, this means for filling and draining comprises a fill and drain valve 312, a sight tube 320 for looking into the internal cavity 344 of the main container 302 of the modular wall component 300, and a pressure release valve 322 for use during filling and draining of the modular wall component 300. In operation, a user would open the pressure release valve 322 and fill the internal cavity 344 of the main container 302 and the internal cavity 346 of the connector container 306 with filler material by conventional means through the fill and drain valve 312. While checking the level of filler material in the internal cavity 344 visually through the sight tube 320, the user stops the flow of filler material when the desired level of filler material is reached. Once the modular wall component 300 is filled, the user closes the pressure release valve 322 and the fill and drain valve 312. To drain the filler material from the modular wall component 300, the user opens the pressure release valve 322 then opens the fill and drain valve 312. The location of the fill and drain valve 312 dictates how the actual draining takes place. For example, as shown on FIGS. 3 and 4, the fill and drain valve 312 is located on the top surface 354 of the modular wall component 300, therefore, a conventional pump assembly is needed to pump the filler material out of the modular wall component 300. However, as shown on FIG. 5, one or more fill and drain valves 502 may be located on the front face 332 of the main container 302. For example, a fill and drain valve 502 may be positioned near the bottom of the main container 302. Therefore, upon opening the bottom fill and drain valve 502 and a pressure release valve 322, gravity will drain the filler material from the modular wall component 500. FIGS. 5-7 show different configurations for different components of the modular wall system of the present invention. The above description of modular wall component 300 and its features are equally applicable to each of these other components described below. In addition, these components are those of the preferred embodiment. It would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to use comparable components to design and build a portable shielding system of the present invention. In FIGS. 5(A)-(C) a second modular wall component 500 has a connector container 306 at both the first end 304 and the second end 328 of the main container 302. In FIGS. 6(A)-(C), a third modular wall component 600 has a main container 602 wherein both its first end 604 and its second end 606 are receiving ends adapted for receiving a connector container 306 of another modular wall component, such as the principal modular wall component 300, as well as, the second modular wall component 500. In FIGS. 7(A)-(C), the fourth modular wall component 700 has a main container 702 rein a first end 704 is a receiving end adapted for receiving a connector container 306 of another modular wall component 300, and the second end 706 is a straight edge. This configuration of a second end 766 allows the fourth modular wall component 700 to be placed against a wall or other flat surface. FIGS. 8 and 9 show a portable shielding system of the present invention in which different modular wall components are joined together to form a shielding wall barrier 800. FIG. 8 is a perspective view, and FIG. 9 is a top view, of the shielding wall barrier 800. For example, as shown in these two figures, the shielding wall barrier 800 is composed of joining together, in the following order, a fourth modular wall component 700, a second modular wall component 500, a third modular wall component 600, a second modular wall component 500, and a fourth modular wall component 700. An alternative shielding wall barrier 1000 is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, wherein a second fourth modular wall component 700 is added to a connector container 306 at joint 1002. Thus, it is readily apparent that the modularity of the wall components of the present invention provide the means for a user to build a custom designed wall according to his/her specific shielding needs. Two adjacent modular wall components are secured together with a means for locking, which is best shown and described in FIGS. 6-11. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, in the preferred embodiment, a modular wall component, such as fourth modular wall component 700, has a means for locking, e.g., a locking pin assembly, pivotally attached to its top surface 708. As shown, the means for locking is a locking arm 608 pivotally connected to the top surface 708 of the fourth modular wall component 700 in proximity to the first end 704 of the fourth modular wall component 708 adapted to be a receiving end for receiving a connector container 306. The locking arm 608 has a hole 610 at its distal end. The connector container 306 of the adjacent second modular wall component 500 has a locking arm pin 310 located at about the center point of the top surface of the generally circular connector container 306 of one end of the second modular wall component 500. Therefore, in operation, the connector container 306 of the second modular wall component 500 is placed within the first end 704 of the fourth modular wall component 700. Once in position, the locking arm 608 of the fourth modular wall component 700 is swung over the connector container 306 of the fourth modular wall component 700 and the hole 610 of the locking arm 608 is placed over the locking arm pin 310, thereby securing the fourth modular wall component 700 with the second modular wall component 500. The locking arm 608 has a preferred length that is slightly larger than the radius of a connector container 306 in order to prevent the connector container 306 of the second modular wall component 500 from rotating too freely within the first end 704, or receiving end, of the fourth modular wall component 700. The principal advantage of the present invention is that when a shielding system 800 is assembled, the joints of the shielding system 800, which is the location where each connector container 306 is fit within a receiving end of another modular wall component, has the same thickness or depth of protection as the main containers 302. This xe2x80x9cball and socketxe2x80x9d design also allows a shielding system 800 to be quickly and easily deployed in almost any pattern or configuration while maintaining maximum protection at the joints. The xe2x80x9cball and socketxe2x80x9d joints allow two adjacent modular components to rotate as much as 90 degrees to each otherxe2x80x94enabling virtually any angle between the two components. This is an advantage when using the shielding system 800 as a radiation shield to protect workers from unwanted nuclear radiation. Although described in terms of radiation protection, the shielding system of the present invention can also be used as a highway water barrier, construction, or in any other area requiring a portable wall. FIGS. 10 and 11 are a perspective and planer top view diagrams of an alternative shielding system 1000 showing two first ends 704, or receiving ends, of two different fourth modular wall components 700 connected with the same connector container 306 of a second modular wall component 500, thereby creating a xe2x80x9cY-shapedxe2x80x9d joint 1002. In this embodiment, both locking arms 608 (the locking arm 608 of the first fourth modular wall component 700 and the locking arm 608 of the second fourth modular wall component 700) are secured to the locking pin 310 of the connector container 306 of the second modular wall component 500. This feature of being able to construct Y-shaped joints, e.g., joint 1002, allows a user to design and build a shielding system 1000 of almost any imaginable pattern. In an alternative shielding system of the present invention, each of the modular wall components, such as components 300, 500, 600, and 700, is not adapted to receive a filler material, but rather, each wall component is made of a solid material, e.g., concrete, a stone composition, or a composite material, having radiation attenuating properties. This alternative embodiment of wall components eliminates the need for containers (or any outer shell), internal supports, such as cross supports 314 and the cross panels 326, and external supports, such as leg supports 318, because the components are free-standing, solid forms. However, this embodiment preferably has one or more internal supports for the internal structure of the components, e.g., one or more re-bar supports as used in conventional concrete construction. FIG. 12 is a perspective diagram showing a second alternative shielding wall 1200 wherein a first principal modular wall component 1202 is stacked on top of a second principal modular wall component 1204. In this embodiment, the lifting assembly 308 described above is not attached to the top surface 354 of the second principal modular wall component 1204, thereby allowing the first principal modular wall component 1202 to be placed on top. Also, in this embodiment, the first and second principal modular wall components 1202, 1204 have a top fill and drain valve 1206 and a bottom fill and drain valve 1208, both of which are positioned on the front faces 1212, 1214 of the principal modular wall components 1202, 1204. In operation, the bottom fill and drain valve 1208 of the first principal modular wall component 1202 is connected to the top fill and drain valve 1206 of the second principal modular wall component 1204 via a conventional hose. A user then attaches a conventional hose to the bottom fill and drain valve 1208 of the second principal modular wall component 1204 to fill both principal modular wall components 1202, 1204 with water. To disassemble the shielding wall 1200, the user opens the bottom fill and drain valve 1208 of the second principal modular wall component 1204 to drain both principal modular wall components 1202, 1204. In addition, the means for lifting a principal modular wall component 1202, 1204 in this shielding system 1200 is one or more attachment flanges 1210 secured to the front face 1212 of the first principal modular wall component 1202 and the front face 1214 of the second principal modular wall component 1204. Using a hook and line, a crane attaches to the hole 1218 in one or more of the attachment flanges 1210 in order to lift and transport the principal modular wall component 1202, 1204. Also shown in FIG. 12 is an alternative means for supporting a principal modular wall component 1204 while it is free standing on a base surface, e.g., the ground. This means is one or more removable leg support bars 1216 that can be placed on one or both sides of the principal modular wall component 1204. In this embodiment, the top end of each leg support bar 1216 is connected to the attachment flanges 1210 on the front face 1214 of the principal modular wall component 1204 via a mechanical fastener, e.g., a bolt or pin. The bottom end of each leg support bar 1216 is connected to the distal end of a leg support base 1212 also by a mechanical fastener, e.g., a bolt or pin. The leg support base 1212 is secured to a leg support plate 1214 which is welded or otherwise secured to the front face 1214 of the principal modular wall component 1204. These leg support bars 1216 and leg support bases 1212 are removable from the principal modular wall component 1204, such as for transport, by simply removing the fasteners. FIG. 13 is a planar side view of an alternative locking pin assembly of the present invention for locking together two adjacent modular wall components, such as two modular wall components 300, with a locking pin 1302 having a first end 1324 and a second end 1326. In this embodiment, the top surface 354 of a modular wall component 300 is shown. On one end, such as on the first end 304, or receiving end, of the modular wall component 300, a lock fastener 1312 is bolted to the top surface 354 by one or more bolts 1314. A lock fastener support 1316 is secured to the underside of the top surface 354 under the lock fastener 1312 in order to provide additional strength and support to the lock fastener 1312. The second end 1326 of a locking arm 1302 is secured to the lock fastener 1312 by a bolt, pin or other mechanical fastener. An engaging member 1304 with a hole 1306 is located on the first end 1324 of the locking pin 1302. The locking pin 1302 is an elongated bar 1310 having a locking member 1308 centrally disposed on the elongated bar 1310. The engaging member 1304 is used to interconnect and secure one modular wall component, such as modular wall component 300, to an adjacent one. Also on the top surface 354 of the modular wall component 300 is a removable locking pin 1318. The removable locking pin 1318 is threaded on its bottom so that it can be removably secured within a locking pin hole 1322 in a locking pin hole base 1320 secured underneath the top surface 354 of the modular wall component. The locking pin 1318 is used to interconnect and secure the one modular wall component, such as modular wall component 300, to a second adjacent one. The lock fastener 1312 and removable locking pin 1318 are removable from the top surface 354 so that the modular wall components 300 can be vertically stacked. In operation, a connector container 306 of a first modular wall component 300 is positioned within the receiving end 304 of a second modular wall component 300. After the second end 1326 of a locking arm 1302 is secured to the lock fastener 1312 of the second modular wall component 300, the engaging member 1304 of the locking arm 1302 is slipped over the removable locking pin 1318 of the first modular wall component 300. The diameter of the hole 1306 in the engaging member 1304 is slightly larger than the diameter of the locking pin 1318. Once the locking arm 1302 is in place, the locking member 1308 is tightened by turning it, thereby securing the first modular wall component 300 to the second modular wall component 300. The present invention is described in these terms for convenience purpose only. It would be readily apparent for one of ordinary skill in the art to design and manufacture a comparable shielding system. Also, enough detail is provided herein to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present invention. While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by the way of example only, and not limitation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.