Interlocking valve box and lid

• US 7,243,810 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: O'Brien, Kevin G., Peterson, Gerald E., Ensworth, Mark M., Booth, Barbara E., John, Beatrice, Coates, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELOSHWAY, NIKI MARINA
• Application Number:
  US10/715,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20050103782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 220/484, 220/3.94, 220/3.5, 220/4.24, 220/661, 220/3.92, 220/266, 220/4.02, 206/507
• US Class Current: 220/484
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/095 Component holders or housings, e.g. boundary boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/14 Casings, e.g. of special material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters

Abstract

An improved underground box and lid for use in irrigation systems and other underground systems is provided. A single box can be inverted, combined and interlocked with a second box to form a single enclosed structure that is twice as high. This can be used for those installations where underground system components are buried in the ground at a greater depth than can be accommodated by a single box.

Claims

1. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity;

a first knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a first opening into the interior cavity when the first knockout is removed;

a first wall coupler disposed on the at least one wall; and

a first knockout coupler disposed on the first knockout and adapted to connect the first knockout to the first wall coupler so that the first knockout at least partially covers the first opening;

wherein the first wall coupler is comprised of a pair of wall ribs disposed adjacent to the first opening that is formed when the first knockout is removed from the at least one wall and wherein the first knockout coupler is comprised of a knockout rib adapted to mate with the pair of wall ribs.

2. The housing of claim 1 wherein each one of the pair of wall ribs has a vertical orientation and is disposed above the first opening.

3. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity;

a first knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a first opening into the interior cavity when the first knockout is removed;

a first wall coupler disposed on the at least one wall; and

a first knockout coupler disposed on the first knockout and adapted to connect the first knockout to the first wall coupler so that the first knockout at least partially covers the first opening;

wherein the first wall coupler is comprised of a wall rib disposed adjacent to the first opening that is formed when the first knockout is removed from the at least one wall and wherein the first knockout coupler is comprised of a pair of knockout ribs adapted to mate with the wall rib.

4. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity;

a first knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a first opening into the interior cavity when the first knockout is removed;

a first wall coupler disposed on the at least one wall;

a first knockout coupler disposed on the first knockout and adapted to connect the first knockout to the first wall coupler so that the first knockout at least partially covers the first opening;

a second knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a second opening into the interior cavity when the second knockout is removed;

a third knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a third opening into the interior cavity when the third knockout is removed;

a second wall coupler and a third wall coupler wherein each of said second and third wall couplers is disposed on the at least one wall;

a second knockout coupler disposed on the second knockout and adapted to connect the second knockout to the second wall coupler so that the second knockout at least partially covers the second opening; and

a third knockout coupler disposed on the third knockout and adapted to connect the third knockout to the third wall coupler so that the third knockout at least partially covers the third opening;

wherein the first, second and third wall couplers are each comprised of a pair of wall ribs disposed adjacent to the first, second and third opening, respectively, that is formed when the first, second and third knockout, respectively, is removed from the at least one wall, and wherein the first, second and third knockout couplers are each comprised of a knockout rib adapted to mate with the pair of wall ribs adjacent to the first, second and third opening, respectively.

5. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity;

a first knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a first opening into the interior cavity when the first knockout is removed;

a first wall coupler disposed on the at least one wall;

a first knockout coupler disposed on the first knockout and adapted to connect the first knockout to the first wall coupler so that the first knockout at least partially covers the first opening;

a second knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a second opening into the interior cavity when the second knockout is removed;

a third knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a third opening into the interior cavity when the third knockout is removed;

a second wall coupler and a third wall coupler wherein each of said second and third wall couplers is disposed on the at least one wall;

a second knockout coupler disposed on the second knockout arid adapted to connect the second knockout to the second wall coupler so that the second knockout at least partially covers the second opening; and

a third knockout coupler disposed on the third knockout and adapted to connect the third knockout to the third wall coupler so that the third knockout at least partially covers the third opening;

wherein the first, second and third wall couplers are each comprised of a wall rib disposed adjacent to the first, second and third opening, respectively, that is formed when the first, second and third knockout, respectively, is removed from the at least one wall, and wherein the first, second and third knockout couplers are each comprised of a pair of knockout ribs adapted to mate with the wall rib adjacent to the first, second and third opening, respectively.

6. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity and having an inner surface and an outer surface wherein at least a portion of the outer surface defines an imaginary plane that slants inward toward the direction of interior cavity;

a knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming an opening into the interior cavity when the knockout is removed;

a plurality of vertically oriented wall ribs disposed on the portion of the outer surface of the at least one wall; and

at least one knockout rib disposed on the knockout and adapted to connect the knockout to the plurality of wall ribs so that the knockout at least partially covers the opening.

7. A housing for installation in the ground comprising:

at least one wall forming an interior cavity and forming an upper opening into the interior cavity and a lower opening into the interior cavity, said upper opening having an upper opening perimeter and said lower opening having a lower opening perimeter;

wherein the at least one wall is slanted so that the upper opening perimeter is smaller than the lower opening perimeter;

a knockout formed in the at least one wall and adapted for removal from the at least one wall thereby forming a knockout opening into the interior cavity when the knockout is removed;

a plurality of vertically oriented wall ribs disposed on the outer surface of the at least one wall; and

at least one knockout rib disposed on the knockout and adapted to connect the knockout to the plurality of wall ribs so that the knockout at least partially covers the knockout opening.