Assembly System For Customizable Containers

Abstract

What is disclosed is an assembly system to create customizable, mobile, lightweight containers and container-like products ranging in size from consumer and commercial storage products to shipping containers and small mobile buildings. The system uses slidable interconnection of various profile shapes of elongated panel modules with same length standardized linear and corner panel connectors, to create container sleeves retained by customizable end framing to become container shells. The container shells are customized to size needed by the number of interconnected panel modules used and the length to which they are cut. Assembly of their few basic parts is simple with a limited range of tools and skills needed. The system further provides for simple, seamless, solid and reversible structural attachment of third party components, without welding or riveting, to achieve specific customization goals as needed. Finally, the system provides for easy and scar free disassembly for shipping, storage reconfiguration, or recycling.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A customizable container shell assembly system comprising:
 a. A four-sided container sleeve having two open ends, said sleeve assembled by slidably interconnecting and laterally interlocking four sleeve walls at right angles, each said wall comprising at least one elongated panel module having a cross sectional profile with longitudinal edges adapted to slidingly interconnect and laterally interlock, at right angles with matching edges of same length corner panel connectors, and at straight angles with matching edges of same length linear panel connectors.   b. Two end frames, each having a front face aligned with the plane of said open ends, with the outer peripheral edges of said face incorporating two parallel flanges perpendicular to said face, said flanges aligned with said sleeve walls and oriented toward the interior of said sleeve and configured to encase and retain both ends of said four sleeve walls of claim  1 a, so that when said end frames are crosswise aligned with and abutted to said open ends, and attached to said four sleeve walls, a six-sided container shell assembly is created.   c. Means to attach said end frames to said container sleeve.   whereby a container shell is defined, that is customizable as to its cross sectional height and width by the number and width of the interconnected elongated panel modules and panel connectors that are included in its sleeve walls, and customizable as to its length by the length to which said panel modules and panel connectors are cut, and said container shell being further customizable by the choice of alternative cross sectional profiles of said panel modules to which interior and exterior attachments can be slidingly attached and by the choice of alternative end frame configurations.   
     
     
         2 . The elongated panel module of claim  1 a, wherein it has a crosswise profile that between its said longitudinal edges additionally incorporates a section or surface that is straight and oriented both towards the interior and the exterior of said container sleeve. 
     
     
         3 . The elongated panel module of claim  1 a, wherein it has a crosswise profile that between its said longitudinal edges additionally incorporates at least one longitudinal channel with a bottom and two T shaped sides that end in opposing, but spaced apart retainer wings at its top, configured to laterally retain elongated objects that are slidingly and longitudinally inserted into said channel while leaving the greater part of one side of said objects visible between said retainer wings and accessible from that side of said panel module that is oriented towards the interior of said container sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The elongated panel module of claim  1 a, wherein it has a crosswise profile that between its said longitudinal edges additionally incorporates at least two adjacent longitudinal channels, each with a bottom and two T shaped sides that end in opposing, but spaced apart retainer wings at their tops, with said wings of one said channel facing in the opposite direction of said wings of the adjacent said channel, said channels configured to laterally retain elongated objects that are slidingly and longitudinally inserted into said channels while leaving in one of said channels the greater part of one side of said objects visible between said retainer wings and accessible from that side of said panel module that is oriented towards the interior of said container sleeve, and while leaving in the adjacent of said channels the greater part of one side of said objects visible between said retainer wings and accessible from that side of said panel module that is oriented towards the exterior of said container sleeve. 
     
     
         5 . The end frames of claim  1 b, further comprising customizable closure parts and customizable closed end walls. 
     
     
         6 . The means of  claim 1 c to attach said end frames of  claim 1 b to said container sleeve of claim  1 a, wherein said means according to one embodiment includes screws disposed perpendicular to said container sleeve in two locations in each of eight corners of said sleeve through apertures in the outer flanges of said end frames aligned with apertures in said sleeve, with said screws received by bars of a high durometer elastomer encased and retained in both ends of longitudinal corner voids of said sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The means of  claim 1 c to attach said end frames of  claim 1 b to said container sleeve of claim  1 a, wherein said means according to an alternate embodiment includes four rods with threaded ends, said rods disposed longitudinally in said longitudinal corner voids of said sleeve and through apertures in the front faces of both the front and rear of said end frames of said container shell and with said frames tightened against both ends of said container sleeve by nuts screwed onto said threaded ends of said rods. 
     
     
         8 . The at least two adjacent longitudinal channels of  claim 4  to laterally retain elongated objects, wherein said channels are shaped and sized to retain a range of standard dimensional lumber cross sections, said range including lumber sizes commonly referred to as 1 by 3, 2 by 3, 2 by 4, 3 by 4, 3 by 6, and 4 by 6. 
     
     
         9 . The longitudinal channels of  claim 8 , wherein the height, width and material thickness or gauge of the crosswise profiles of said channels are stepwise increased as structurally required to support the range of increasing lumber sizes of  claim 8  and wherein their matching corner and linear panel connectors and end frames are correspondingly increased. 
     
     
         10 . The linear panel connectors of claim  1 a, wherein dimensional lumber is longitudinally routed or otherwise modified crosswise to match and slidingly fit into that side of their crosswise profiles that is oriented toward the interior of said container sleeve, for the purpose of bracing said linear panel connectors against the adjacent panel modules that they connect, thereby stiffening and reinforcing the container sleeve and shell walls of which they are part. 
     
     
         10 . The four-sided container sleeve of claim  1 a, wherein interior panel modules are configured to longitudinally subdivide the interior space of said sleeve, the crosswise profiles of said modules with edges similar to the longitudinal edges of the panel module of claim  1 a, that are slidingly connectable to the edges of matching longitudinal interior linear and hub panel connectors of the same length as said interior panel modules, and wherein said interior panel modules have a crosswise profile that between their said longitudinal edges additionally incorporates a section or surface that is straight, and said interior linear panel connectors configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect at straight angles with said interior panel modules and said hub panel connectors configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect with and brace onto themselves a plurality of said interior panel modules. 
     
     
         11 . The four-sided container sleeve of claim  1 a, wherein interior panel modules are configured to longitudinally subdivide the interior space of said sleeve, the crosswise profiles of said modules with edges similar to the longitudinal edges of the panel module of claim  1 a, that are slidingly connectable to the edges of matching longitudinal interior linear and hub panel connectors of the same length as said interior panel modules, and wherein said interior panel modules have a crosswise profile that between their said longitudinal edges additionally incorporates at least one longitudinal channel with a bottom and two T shaped sides that end in opposing, but spaced apart retainer wings at its top, configured to laterally retain elongated objects that are slidingly and longitudinally inserted into said channel while leaving the greater part of one side of said objects visible between said retainer wings and accessible from their visible side of said panel module, and said interior linear panel connectors configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect at straight angles with said interior panel modules and said hub panel connectors configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect with and brace onto themselves a plurality of said interior panel modules. 
     
     
         12 . The four-sided container sleeve of  claim 1 a, wherein an interior linear panel connector Is configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect at straight angles with said interior panel module of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         13 . The four-sided container sleeve of  claim 1 a, wherein an interior hub panel connector Is configured with edges to longitudinally and slidingly interconnect with and brace onto themselves a plurality of said interior panel modules of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         14 . The interior panel modules of  claim 11 , the interior linear panel connector of  claim 12 , and the interior hub panel connector of  claim 13 , wherein they are configured to have a range of sizes and gauges corresponding to those of  claims 8  and  9 . 
     
     
         15 . The elongated objects of  claims 3  and  4 , wherein they are hollow ducts, conduits or dimensional lumber or modifications of same for bracing, structural extensions of container sleeves, sliding attachments to and of other surfaces, shorter and longer blocking for attachments, said attachments including additional lumber assemblies and other parts and components of parts. 
     
     
         16 . The elongated objects of  claims 3  and  4 , wherein they are a combination of three lumber parts the same length as the container sleeve of  claim 1 a, said parts laterally combined to have a cross sectional profile schematically similar to an H-beam, where the exterior two said parts have a cross sectional dimension that allows their sliding longitudinal insertion of either in said outwards facing channels of said elongated panel module of  claim 4 , and where the middle or center of said three parts has a lesser cross sectional dimension, whereby it fits between the two said retainer wings of said channels, so that the resulting lumber combination will simultaneously fit slidingly into a pair of the panel module of  claim 4 , positioned adjacent and parallel to each other, thereby enabling said lumber combination to slidingly interconnect sides of assemblies using the present system, including the interconnection of the container shell of  claim 1 a with other container shells and with horizontal and vertical retention panels or walls comprising a plurality of said panel modules of  claim 4 , interconnected with said linear panel connectors of claim  1 a, said plurality mounted onto a linear surface having a width and length at least equal to the width and length of the adjacently interconnected wall of said container shell. 
     
     
         17 . The elongated objects of  claims 3  and  4 , wherein they are a lateral interconnection of two lumber parts, each generally substantially shorter than the container sleeve of  claim 1 a, where one, or the connector, of said parts has a cross sectional dimension that allows its sliding longitudinal insertion in said inwards facing channels of said elongated panel modules of  claims 3  and  4 , and where the second, or the connected, of said two parts has a predetermined thickness, whereby it can support an attached shaft and bearing combination at the cross sectional shaft distance from said elongated panel modules that is needed for a given mechanical assembly, and where said connected part has a width sufficiently exceeding the width of the gap between said two opposing retainer wings of said channels of  claims 3  and  4 , so when said connected part is sufficiently tightened against said connector part, thus sandwiching said wings between the two, it will cause the longitudinal fixing in place of said lateral interconnection. 
     
     
         18 . The corner panel connectors of claim  1 a, wherein said connectors have a crosswise profile with two outside facing longitudinal sides, one laterally wider than the other, and wherein said connectors can be positioned in a container sleeve assembly, either with their wider side facing horizontally or vertically outwards from their sleeve wall, whereby the alternate choice of said connector position can slightly vary the height versus the width of said container sleeve and shell assembly for the purpose of fitting said assembly into spaces that have tight limits, either vertically or horizontally. 
     
     
         19 . The corner panel connectors of  claim 1 a, wherein said connectors have a crosswise profile with two outside facing longitudinal sides that are raised by a predetermined dimension to be flush with the outside surfaces of rigid flat panels, having the thickness of the same predetermined dimension, said panels positioned laterally onto each of the four sides of said container sleeve of  claim 1 a between said raised corner connectors, with the width of said panels being equal to the width between said raised corner connectors and their length being equal to the length of said sleeve, whereby said panels will be retained by the attachment of two said end frames of  claim 1 b, for the varied purposes of economically customizing exterior container walls with a range of color choices, printed or illustrated messages, or with a surface protecting panel modules for later reuse or against moisture. 
     
     
         20 . The lumber parts of  claims 8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  15 ,  16 , and  17 , wherein they are made with other materials and by other processes including lamination and extrusion.