Modular wall-mounted equipment enclosure

Claim 1

A wall-mounted enclosure for mounting electrical and electronic equipment comprising: a mounting assembly including a plurality of mounting modules, each said module including a backbone element, having a horizontally extending backplane bordered by two upstanding side portions and two abutment edges, and further having interassembly connecting means for joining one said backbone element to an adjacent said backbone element, wherein a first said side portion includes hinge accepting means; a second said portion includes cover latch means; each said side portion includes cap receiver means; said backplane includes a generally flat mounting surface, having a plurality of preformed pilot holes arranged in a selected pattern thereon; at least one wiring channel recessed from said mounting surface; and a plurality of clamp apertures formed adjacent said abutment edges; and said backbone element interassembly connecting means includes interlock means for mutually engaging an adjacent backbone element, located on the abutment edges, and at least one joining assembly, having an anchor plate extending from one said abutment edge, and a cover plate extending from the second abutment edge, said interlock means and said joining assembly being located such that coplanar abutment of two said backbone elements brings the respective interlock means and joining assemblies into registration; a cover element, including a horizontally extending cover plate bordered by two upstanding coverwalls and cover plate edges, and cover assembly connecting means for joining one said cover element to another said cover element, wherein a first said coverwall includes a hinge attachment means, adapted for mating with said backbone element hinge accepting means, such that said cover element is rotatably carried on said backbone element; a second said coverwall includes latch engagement means, adapted for latching engagement with said backbone element cover latch means; said cover assembly connecting means includes a front mating tab and a front mating slot, carried on opposite said cover plate edges, adapted for mutual locking engagement, and cover locking assemblies, having a screw tab extending from one said cover plate edge and a screw anchor point disposed on the opposite cover plate edge, arranged such that coplanar abutment of one said cover element with a second said cover element brings a said screw tab into registration with said screw anchor point; wherein said cover element is removably mounted on said backbone element to rotate between an open position providing access to said backbone element, and a closed position in which said latch engagement means engages said cover latch means and said backbone and cover elements define an interior enclosure space; and wherein said modules are assembled into said mounting assembly by coplanar abutment of said modules with mutual engagement of said backbone element interassembly connecting means and said cover assembly connecting means; and two identical endcap elements, joined to the outermost modules of said mounting assembly to enclose said interior enclosure space, each said endcap element having clamp tabs engaged with said backbone element clamp apertures and mounting arms adapted for engagement with said cap receiver means.