Frames for supporting service cells

Abstract

A frame for supporting one or more cells that provide one or more services to a site. The frame includes a plurality of footings disposed on the site and a frame assembly disposed on the footings. The frame assembly includes a plurality of support rails, a plurality of connecting rails extending between and joined to the support rails, and a plurality of locking mechanisms disposed on the frame assembly. Each of the locking mechanisms selectively retains a portion of at least one of the cells to the frame assembly. The footings and the frame assembly contribute to define a service area between a lower surface of the cells and grade of the site. In one embodiment, one or more of the support rails includes one or more through-holes. The through-holes are configured to receive conduits for providing one or more services to and between the one or more cells.

1 . A frame for supporting one or more cells, the frame comprising:
 a plurality of footings disposed on a site; and   a frame assembly disposed on the footings, the frame assembly including:
 a plurality of support rails; 
 a plurality of connecting rails extending between and joined to the support rails; and 
 a plurality of locking mechanisms disposed about the frame assembly, each of the locking mechanisms selectively retaining a portion of at least one of one or more cells to the frame assembly. 
   
     
     
         2 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support rails includes at least one support rail having one or more through-holes, the through-holes being configured to receive conduits for providing one or more services to and between the one or more cells. 
     
     
         3 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support rails includes a support rail having an I-beam configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cells include an ISO standard shipping container. 
     
     
         5 . The frame of  claim 4 , wherein the shipping container further includes a plurality of corner fittings, each corner fitting of the plurality of corner fittings to receive one of the plurality of locking mechanisms. 
     
     
         6 . The frame of  claim 5 , wherein each corner fitting comprises an ISO 1161 corner fittings and each of the plurality of locking mechanisms comprises a twistlock mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of footings and the frame assembly define a service area between a lower surface of the cells and at least one of grade and a floor of the site. 
     
     
         8 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the frame assembly is removably coupled to the plurality of footings. 
     
     
         9 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cells are disposed on the frame assembly in at least one of a side-by-side configuration, an end-to-end configuration, a stacked multi-level configuration or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the site is comprised of an existing building site and wherein the plurality of footings is installed within grade of the building site. 
     
     
         11 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the site is comprised of an existing building site and wherein the plurality of footings rest on a floor of an existing building structure. 
     
     
         12 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the frame assembly is associated with a first number of the plurality of footings and a second portion of the frame assembly is associated with a second number of the plurality of footings, and wherein the first number of the plurality of footings is greater than the second number of the plurality of footings. 
     
     
         13 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of footings comprise springs. 
     
     
         14 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of footings comprises hydraulic shock absorbers. 
     
     
         15 . The frame of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of footings comprises an elastic or plastically deformable material to absorb seismic shocks. 
     
     
         16 . A frame for supporting one or more cells, the frame comprising:
 a plurality of footings disposed on a site;   a plurality of rails coupled to the plurality of footings via a plurality of rail clamps; and   a plurality of twistlock modules coupled to the plurality of rails based on a position of one or more cells relative to the plurality of rails.   
     
     
         17 . The frame of  claim 16 , wherein each cell of the one or more cells comprises a plurality of corner fittings, each of the plurality of corner fittings to be coupled to a respective one of the plurality of twistlock modules. 
     
     
         18 . The frame of  claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of corner fittings comprises an ISO 1161 corner fitting. 
     
     
         19 . The frame of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of footings is disposed based on a position of each of the one or more cells. 
     
     
         20 . The frame of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of footings and plurality of rails define a service area between a lower surface of the cells and the site.