Portable enclosure in particular for sanitary purposes

Abstract

A portable enclosure for sanitary purposes includes upper and lower retaining members and a plurality of support posts extending therebetween. A plurality of wall panels also extend between the respective retaining members. The side edges of the wall panels are received in grooves of the support posts and upper and lower edges of the wall panels are received in retaining means provided in the upper and/or lower retaining members. The retaining means are non-linear—preferably curved—ands preferably take the form of grooves in the surface of the retaining members. The wall panels thereby adopt a curved configuration which provides increased compressive strength.

1 . A portable enclosure for sanitary purposes comprising: 
 i) an upper retaining member and a lower retaining member;    ii) a plurality of support posts extending between the upper and lower retaining members and adapted to cooperate with said retaining members to maintain the retaining members in spaced apart relation; and    iii) a plurality of wall panels each comprising a web of plastic material,    wherein:    the upper and lower retaining members comprise post retaining formations which cooperate with respective upper and lower ends of the support posts to maintain the support posts in fixed relation to the retaining members; and    at least one of the upper and lower retaining members comprises wall panel retaining formations by means of which respective upper and/or lower edges of the wall panels are retained in fixed relation to the respective retaining member.    
   
   
       2 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the wall panel retaining formations comprise non-linear concave formations in which respective upper and/or lower edges of the wall panels are received.  
   
   
       3 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said wall panel retaining formations extend between the post retaining formations.  
   
   
       4 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  wherein both the upper and lower retaining members comprise said wall panel retaining formations.  
   
   
       5 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 2  wherein both the upper and lower retaining members comprise said wall panel retaining formations.  
   
   
       6 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the support posts comprise wall panel retaining formations adapted to retain side edges of the wall panels.  
   
   
       7 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the wall panel retaining formations of the support posts comprise longitudinally extending grooves into which side edges of the wall panels are received.  
   
   
       8 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the wall panel retaining formations comprise grooves formed in the surface of the respective upper and or lower retaining members.  
   
   
       9 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising fastening means for said retaining members, wherein said support posts comprise internal bores and said fastening means cooperate with said internal bores to attach the support posts to said fastening members.  
   
   
       10 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the internal bores are blind bores formed at the respective ends of the support posts.  
   
   
       11 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said support posts comprise through bores and the enclosure further comprises fastening means including a through bolt passing through each respective bore by means of which fastening means the support posts and the upper and lower retaining members are attached.  
   
   
       12 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the fastening means, when fastened, place the wall panels in compression.  
   
   
       13 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising at least one roof panel attached to an upper surface of the upper retaining member.  
   
   
       14 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 9  further comprising at least one roof panel wherein said roof panel is attached to an upper surface of the retaining member by said fastening means.  
   
   
       15 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 11  further comprising at least one roof panel wherein said roof panel is attached to an upper surface of the retaining member by said fastening means.  
   
   
       16 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 13  further comprising an inner roof panel and an outer roof panel.  
   
   
       17 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said at least one roof panel includes ventilation means.  
   
   
       18 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said at least one roof panel includes ventilation means.  
   
   
       19 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said inner and outer roof panels are maintained in spaced apart relation and ventilation means includes one or more apertures formed in said inner roof panel.  
   
   
       20 . A portable enclosure as claimed  claim 1  wherein the wall panels are operatively deformed from a substantially plane configuration for retaining the upper and/or lower edges thereof in said wall panel retaining formations.  
   
   
       21 . A portable enclosure as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising hinge units and a door hingedly mounted on said hinge units, said hinge units being mounted in said respective upper and lower retaining members.  
   
   
       22 . A kit of parts for assembling a portable enclosure for sanitary purposes comprising: 
 i) upper and lower retaining members;    ii) a plurality of support posts for extending in use between the retaining members and adapted, on assembly of the enclosure, to cooperate with the retaining members to maintain the retaining members in spaced apart relation; and;    iii) a plurality of substantially planar wall panels each comprising a web of plastic material,    wherein:    the upper and lower retaining means comprise post receiving formations which, on assembly of the enclosure cooperate with respective upper and lower ends of the support posts to maintain the support posts in fixed relation to the retaining members; and    at least one of the upper and lower retaining members comprises wall panel retaining formations by means of which respective upper and/or lower edges of the wall panels are in use retained in fixed relation to the respective retaining member.