Modular instrument housing

Claim 2

A modular instrument housing, comprising: a. four elongated universal corner edge members, each of said corner members including i. a pair of panel-receiving slots along the length of each of said corner members; each of said slots being located substantially 90* relative to one another, ii. a combining-memBer receiving slot located along the length of each of said corner members and having a cross-section wherein at least a part of a portion of said combining-member slot is narrower in width than at least a portion of an inner part of said slot, and iii. integral additional means for mounting instruments thereto; and b. four removable panels, opposite edges of which are adaptable for inserting within said panel receiving slots of said corner members to form the surfaces of said modular instrument housing.

Claim 3

A modular instrument housing as in claim 1 wherein said corner members additionally include means for mounting end panels thereto.

Claim 4

A modular instrument housing as in claim 2 wherein said end panel mounting means includes a bore located along at least a portion of each of said elongated corner members.

Claim 5

A modular instrument housing as in claim 1 wherein said instrument mounting means comprises a mounting flange along the length of each of said corner members.

Claim 6

A modular instrument housing as in claim 4 wherein said flange is adaptable as a runner for slidably receiving an instrument chassis.

Claim 7

A modular instrument housing as in claim 4 including four elongated rubber corner extrusions each having a cross-section corresponding to those of said combining member receiving slots and each slidably secured therein.

Claim 8

Modular instrument housing as in claim 1 including a rack mount member, said rack mount member including a ridge portion having a cross-section corresponding to that of said combining-member receiving slot and including a mounting flange member.

Claim 9

A modular instrument housing as in claim 1 wherein said universal corner edge members are formed by an extrusion process.

Claim 10

A composite instrument housing, formed from a plurality of smaller individual modules comprising: a. a plurality of elongated universal corner edge members each of said corner members including i. a pair of panel-receiving slots along the length of each of said corner members, ii. a combining-member receiving slot located along the length of each of said corner members and having a cross-section wherein at least a part of an outer portion of said combining-member slot is narrower in width than at least a portion of an inner part of said slot, and iii. integral additional means for mounting instruments thereto; and b. a plurality of removable elongated combining members adaptable with said combining-member receiving slots for combining from two to four of said corner members into the desired modular configuration; and c. a plurality of removable panels, opposite edges of which are adaptable for inserting within said panel receiving slots of said corner members to form the exterior surfaces and interior partitions of said composite modular instrument housing.

Claim 11

A composite instrument housing, formed from a plurality of smaller individual modules comprising: a. a plurality of elongated universal corner edge members each of said corner members including i. a pair of panel-receiving slots along the length of each of said corner members, ii. a combining-member receiving slot located along the length of each of said corner members and having a cross-section wherein at least a part of an outer portion of said combining-member slot is narrower in width than at least a portion of an inner part of said slot, and iii. integral additional means for mounting instruments thereto; and b. a plurality of removable elongated combining members adaptable with said combining-member receiving slots for combining from two to four of said corner members into the desired modular configuration; and c. a plurality of removable panels, opposite edges of which are adaptable for inserting within said panel receiving slots of said corner members to form the exterior surfaces and interior partitions of said composite modular instrument housing.

Claim 12

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 wherein said corner members additionally include means for mounting end panels thereto.

Claim 13

A composite instrument housing as in claim 10 wherein said end panel mounting means includes a threaded bore located along at least a portion of each of said elongated corner members.

Claim 14

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 wherein said instrument mounting means comprises a mounting flange along the length of each of said corner members.

Claim 15

A composite instrument housing as in claim 12 wherein said flange is adaptable as a runner for slidably receiving an instrument chassis.

Claim 16

A composite instrument housing as in claim 12 including elongated rubber corner extrusions each having cross-sections corresponding to those of said combining-member receiving slots and slidably secured therein in the absence of one of said combining members in an exterior corner of said composite housing.

Claim 17

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 wherein said combining members comprise two-ridge members for combining two corner members and four-ridged members for combining three or four corner members; each of said ridgEs having a cross-section corresponding to that of said combining-member receiving slot.

Claim 18

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 including a rack mount member, said rack mount member including a ridge portion having a cross-section corresponding to that of said combining-member receiving slot and including a mounting flange member.

Claim 19

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 wherein said universal corner edge members are formed by an extrusion process.

Claim 20

A composite instrument housing as in claim 9 wherein said combining members are made from an extrusion process.