Claims
- 1. An enclosure comprising a bottom portion having a bottom surface, at least one side wall, and a roof in which the bottom portion, at least one side wall, and roof are constructed of a plurality of adjacent panels under the following conditions:
- a. each panel has two major surface which face inside and outside of the enclosure respectively, edge portions, and grooves in at least one edge portion, said panels being joined by mating members inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels, said mating members each being a single piece that is inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels;
- b. each panel is comprised of a material which in an acoustic barrier;
- c. there are at least two foil layers within and approximately congruent with one major surface of said panels, said fiber layers being separated from each other by part of the thickness dimension of the panel and arranged so that they at least partially cover the grooves of each panel;
- d. they are at least two foil layers at least partially covering the sides of each mating member;
- e. the foils of each panel and the mating members inserted into the grooves thereof are in sliding contact with each other; and
- f. no fastens which penetrate the panels or mating members arc required in the enclosure.
- 2. An enclosure comprising a bottom portion having a bottom surface, at least one side wall, a door frame, a door, and a roof in which the bottom portion, at least one side wall, and roof are constructed of a plurality of adjacent panels under the following conditions:
- a. each panel has two major surfaces which face inside and outside of the enclosure respectively, edge portions, and grooves in at least one edge portion, said panels being joined by mating members inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels;
- b. each panel is comprised of a material which is an acoustic barrier;
- c. there are at least two foil layers, within and approximately congruent with one major surface of said panels, said foil layers being separated from each other by part of the thickness dimension of the panel and arranged so that they at least partially cover the grooves of each panel;
- d. there are at least two foil layers at least partially covering the sides of each mating member;
- e. the foils of each panel and the mating members inserted into the grooves thereof are in sliding contact with each other; and
- f. no fasteners which penetrate the panels or mating members are required in the enclosure,
- the door frame being attached to the enclosure, and the door mating with the door frame to close the enclosure and which being attached to a rigid structural member outside of the enclosure by means of a hinge assembly, said hinge assembly comprising at least one horizontal elongate brace and one horizontal elongate link in the following arrangement: one end of the horizontal brace being rotatably fastened to the rigid structural member, the other end of the horizontal brace being rotatably fastened to a part of the horizontal link located between its two ends, the end of the horizontal link nearest the horizontal brace being rotatably connected to a shaft, and the horizontal brace being fastened to the door by rotatable means, so that the horizontal link can rotate about the shaft and about the end of the horizontal brace.
- 3. An enclosure comprising a bottom portion having a bottom surface, at least one side wall, and a roof in which the bottom portion, at least one side wall, and roof are constructed of a plurality of adjacent panels under the following conditions:
- a. each panel has two major surfaces which face inside and outside of the enclosure respectively, edge portions, and grooves in at least one edge portion, said panels being joined by mating members inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels, said mating members each being a single piece that is inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels;
- b. each panel is comprised of cellular material having a porosity of 20 to 60 percent;
- c. there are at least two foil layers, within and approximately congruent with one major surface of said panels, said foil layers being separated from each other by part of the thickness dimension of the panel and arranged so that they at least partially cover the grooves of each panel;
- d. there are at least two foil layers at least partially covering the sides of each mating member;
- e. the foils of each panel and the mating members inserted into the grooves thereof are in sliding contact with each other; and
- f. no fasteners which penetrate the panels or mating members are required in the enclosure.
- 4. The enclosure of claim 3 in which the cellular material of part b is a syntactic cellular material.
- 5. The enclosure of claim 4 in which the syntactic cellular material of part b, comprises a multiplicity of microbubbles having an average outside diameter less than 200 micrometers bound together at their contact points within a matrix.
- 6. The enclosure of claim 4 in which the syntactic cellular material comprises a multiplicity of microbubbles bound together within a matrix material of less quantity than is needed to completely fill the voids between the microbubbles, and void diameter is in the range of 25-50 micrometers.
- 7. The enclosure of claim 4 in which the bottom portion is supported by support means which elevates the enclosure.
- 8. The enclosure of claim 4 which has a coating of phenolic resin between the foil layers and the cellular material of the panels.
- 9. The enclosure of claim 4 which has a coating of epoxy resin between the foil layers and the cellular material of the panels.
- 10. An enclosure comprising a bottom portion having a bottom surface, at least one side wall, and a roof in which the bottom portion, at least one side wall, and roof are constructed of a plurality of adjacent panels under the following conditions:
- a. each panel has two major surfaces which face inside and outside of the enclosure respectively, edge portions, and grooves in at least one edge portion, said panels being joined by mating members inserted into the grooves of adjacent panels;
- b. each panel is comprised of a material which is an acoustic barrier;
- c. there are at least two foil layers, within and approximately congruent with one major surface of said panels, said foil layers being separated from each other by part of the thickness dimension of the panel and arranged so that they at least partially cover the grooves of each panel;
- d. there are at least two foil layers at least partially covering the sides of each mating member;
- e. the foils of each panel and the mating members inserted into the grooves thereof are in sliding contact with each other; and
- f. no fasteners which penetrate the panels or mating members are required in the enclosure, and
- said enclosure further comprising an assembly of insulation layers located against the inside surface of the side walls and roof comprising a layer of unfaced fiberglass on each side of which is a layer of insulation thinner and of lower density than the fiberglass, and outer layers over both of the thinner layers which comprise fiberglass having a reflective foil facing adhered to one side, the foil facing side being outermost part of the assembly.
Government Interests
This invention was made with Government support. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
US Referenced Citations (23)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
664659 A2 |
Jul 1995 |
EPX |
2 649 356 |
Jan 1991 |
FRX |
WO 9519943 |
Jul 1995 |
WOX |