Modular housing system for emergency vehicle accessory controls

Claim 1

A modular housing assembly for mounting accessory control units in a police or other emergency vehicle, said assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of modular housing members identical to one another in size and shape, said modular housing members being generally rectangular in configuration with generally flat outer walls and being selectively arranged in abutting relation in a group or cluster, said outer walls comprising a pair of opposed end walls and a pair of opposed longitudinal walls, each of said housing members having an open front to permit insertion of an accessory control unit within said housing and removal of said unit when desired, said housing members being arranged in said group with their open fronts facing in the same direction and each said housing member also having a large rear opening to permit electrical connection to an accessory control unit mounted therein, a plurality of accessory control units each mounted within a corresponding one of said housings, each of said accessory control units including a front plate attached to said control unit and corresponding in size to the open front of a modular housing member, each said accessory control unit being positioned within a corresponding housing member with its front plate located in the open front of said housing member so as to function as a cover plate closing the latter, a plurality of bracket means for interconnecting said modular housing members at the rear thereof, each of said bracket means being arranged in overlapping relation to exterior rear walls of at least two adjacent housing members and being releasably secured to said rear walls, releasable fastening means securing each of said front plates to its corresponding housing member, and means for mounting said modular housing assembly in an emergency vehicle for operation of said accessory control units by a driver of the vehicle.