Handrail mountable wireless components installation apparatus and method

Abstract

A handrail mountable wireless components installation apparatus and related method of installation are disclosed. The apparatus/method includes a shell having two parts, a wireless components housing and a lid; and a chassis for the fixedly but detachable mounting within the shell of the wireless electronic components necessary to provide a WiFi signal, as for example a router and an antenna, the chassis equipped with two sets of brackets. One set of brackets provides the anchoring means for the fastening of the lid onto the housing. The second set of brackets allows the enclosure to be mounted on the handrail. Optionally, the chassis is provided with a mounting plate for the mounting of a router and an opening capable of accommodating an antenna without impeding the flow of the antenna signal. Optionally, the weather resistant handrail mountable wireless components installation apparatus also comprises a gasket.

1 . An electronics enclosure assembly, comprising:
 a shell portion;   a lid portion that is coupleable to the shell portion to form an electronics enclosure, a cavity being formed between the shell portion and the lid portion when the shell portion and the lid portion are coupled together;   a vertical bore formed in a first side wall of the electronics enclosure, said vertical bore extending from a first bore opening formed in a top wall of the electronics enclosure to a second bore opening formed in a bottom wall of the electronics enclosure, wherein the vertical bore is configured to substantially surround a vertical member of a handrail;   a third bore opening formed in a second side wall of the electronics enclosure configured to substantially surround a horizontal member of the handrail; and   a chassis mounted to the lid portion or the shell portion of the electronics enclosure so that the chassis is enclosed in the cavity when the lid portion and the shell portion are coupled, the chassis being configured to mount a wireless network access point and a wireless antenna.   
     
     
         2 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the wireless network access point is physically connected to an external power source and an external data source. 
     
     
         3 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the chassis is coupled to the first member of the handrail. 
     
     
         4 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the chassis includes a first chassis portion and a second chassis portion, the first chassis portion configured to retain the wireless antenna above the horizontal member of the handrail when the electronics enclosure is mounted on the handrail. 
     
     
         5 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the second chassis portion is configured to retain the wireless network access point below the horizontal member of the handrail when the electronics enclosure is mounted on the handrail. 
     
     
         6 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the chassis is configured to retain multiple wireless antennas and multiple wireless network access points such that when the electronics enclosure is mounted on the handrail, the wireless antennas are positioned above the horizontal member of the handrail, and the wireless network access points are positioned below the horizontal member of the handrail. 
     
     
         7 . The electronics enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth bore opening in the first side wall of the electronics enclosure, wherein the fourth bore opening substantially encloses the substantially horizontal member of a handrail when the electronics enclosure is mounted on the handrail. 
     
     
         8 . An enclosure assembly for housing electronic components, comprising:
 a housing having a cavity formed therein;   a side bore opening formed in a first side of the housing, the side bore opening configured to enable the housing to substantially surround a substantially horizontal member of a handrail;   a vertical bore formed in a second side of the housing and extending from a top bore opening formed in a top of the housing to a bottom bore opening formed in a bottom of the housing, the vertical bore configured to enable the housing to substantially surround a vertical member of a handrail; and   a chassis mounted in the housing cavity and configured to receive a wireless antenna such that the wireless antenna is disposed above the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail.   
     
     
         9 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 8 , wherein:
 the side bore opening is a first side bore opening; and   the housing further comprises a second side bore opening formed in the second side of the housing, the second side bore opening configured to enable the housing to substantially surround the substantially horizontal member of the handrail.   
     
     
         10 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 8 , wherein:
 the chassis further comprises a first portion to receive the wireless antenna, and a second portion configured to receive a wireless network access point; and   the second portion of the chassis is configured to receive the wireless network access point such that the wireless network access point is disposed below the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail.   
     
     
         11 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the wireless network access point is physically connected to a power source and a data source. 
     
     
         12 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the chassis and the second portion of the chassis are separate units. 
     
     
         13 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the chassis is further configured to receive multiple wireless antennas such that the multiple wireless antennas are disposed above the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail. 
     
     
         14 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the chassis is further configured to receive multiple wireless network access points such that the multiple wireless network access points are disposed below the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail. 
     
     
         15 . A handrail-mountable enclosure assembly for housing electronic components, comprising:
 a housing having a cavity formed therein;   a side bore opening formed in a first side of the housing, the side bore opening configured to enable the housing to substantially surround a substantially horizontal member of a handrail;   a vertical bore formed in a second side of the housing and extending from a top bore opening formed in a top of the housing to a bottom bore opening formed in a bottom of the housing, the vertical bore configured to enable the housing to substantially surround a vertical member of a handrail;   a chassis mounted in the housing cavity and configured to receive a wireless antenna such that the wireless antenna is disposed above the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail;   a stairway step; and   wherein the vertical member of the handrail extends from the bottom bore opening to the stairway step.   
     
     
         16 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 15 , wherein:
 the side bore opening is a first side bore opening; and   the housing further comprises a second side bore opening formed in the second side of the housing, the second side bore opening configured to enable the housing to substantially surround the substantially horizontal member of the handrail.   
     
     
         17 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 15 , wherein:
 the chassis further comprises a first portion to receive the wireless antenna, and a second portion configured to receive a wireless network access point; and   the second portion of the chassis is configured to receive the wireless network access point such that the wireless network access point is disposed below the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail.   
     
     
         18 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the wireless network access point is physically connected to a power source and a data source. 
     
     
         19 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the first portion of the chassis and the second portion of the chassis are separate units. 
     
     
         20 . The enclosure assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the chassis is further configured to receive multiple wireless antennas such that the multiple wireless antennas are disposed above the substantially horizontal member of the handrail when the enclosure assembly is mounted on the handrail.