Patent Application
20230003045
This application relates in general to an article of manufacture for providing an earthquake safety protection device.
People may become trapped within a damaged building following an earthquake. Depending upon the severity of the earthquake, significant damage may occur to a building in the earthquake zone that may result in walls and ceilings collapsing and trapping victims within the building. The damaged walls and ceilings typically fall onto individuals causing injuries. Damage to the walls and ceilings may also prevent inner doors from opening creating further obstacles to a safe escape from a damaged building.
The present invention attempts to address existing building designs according to the principles and example embodiments disclosed herein. The earthquake safety protection device attempts to create survivable space within a building that preserves areas in which people may remain unharmed from falling debris. The present invention also attempts to allow victims of an earthquake to safely exit a building with damage to interior doors that prevents the doors from opening.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by providing an article of manufacture for an earthquake safety protection device (ESPD) according to the present invention. The ESPD consists of a support pole and mating support members to create survivable space around the support pole should an interior area be damaged in an earthquake. The ESPD may also comprise a reinforced frame within an interior door of a building. The reinforced frame resists damage from an earthquake that may prevent the interior door from opening. Opening or removal of the inner door protected by the reinforced frame creates a means of exiting an area in spite of damage to the interior door and its corresponding door trim. The ESPD may also include a mechanism to restrain a hospital bed from moving about a room or overturning during an earthquake.
In one embodiment, the earthquake safety protection device includes one or more top structural support members, a pair of vertical structural support members coupled to one of the one or more top structural support members creating an opening in a wall, two or more vertical structural support members between each of the one or more top structural support members, and an in-ground anchor coupled to a bottom end of each of the pair of vertical structural support members.
In other aspect of the present invention, the the pair of vertical structural support members are coupled to vertical sides of a door frame supporting a door between spaces of a building.
In another aspect of the present invention, the door frame is made of steel and is present on both sides and a top side of the door frame.
In another aspect of the present invention, the one or more top structural support members comprise a top structural support member and a second structural support members.
In another aspect of the present invention, the one or more top structural support members further comprise additional horizontal structural support members perpendicular to the opening between the pair of vertical structural support members.
In another aspect of the present invention, a metal plate is coupled on a top side of the horizontal structural support members over the opening in the wall.
In another aspect of the present invention, components of the earthquake safety protection device are made of steel that are welded together.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
This application relates in general to an article of manufacture for an earthquake safety protection device (ESPD).
Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention.
In describing embodiments of the present invention, the following terminology will be used. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a needle” includes reference to one or more of such needles and “etching” includes one or more of such steps. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
It further will be understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, steps or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, or components. It also should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions and acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality and acts involved.
As used herein, the term “about” means that dimensions, sizes, formulations, parameters, shapes and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact but may be approximated and/or larger or smaller, as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like and other factors known to those of skill. Further, unless otherwise stated, the term “about” shall expressly include “exactly.”
The terms “user” and “victim” refer to an entity, e.g., a human, who is protected by an earthquake safety protection device (ESPD) according to the present invention. In a particular case, the user is one that is located within a building or other built space during an earthquake. For such a user, the terms user and victim may be used herein interchangeably.
The earthquake support pole 102 typically has dimensions that are long enough to run from a ceiling structure 111 to the floor 112. The plurality of support members 101a-d may be coupled to the pole mechanically using fasteners such as nuts and bolts, a weld if the plurality of support members 101a-d and the earthquake support pole 102 are made of weldable metal, and other coupling techniques such as forging the pole and support members into a single structure. The plurality of support members 101a-d and the earthquake support pole 102 may be made of steel or other metals, wood, or other synthetic materials that provide sufficient strength to maintain space around the support pole when an earthquake has caused damage to the building.
Should the space within the building around the door 201 be damaged, the interior egress door may not safely open. If victims are located within living space behind the damaged interior egress door, these victims may be trapped in the building until they can be rescued. When the interior egress door 201 contains an earthquake escape structure 300, individuals may open the inner egress door 210 and pass through the inner reinforced frame 203. The inner egress door 210 may be coupled to the reinforced inner frame 203 using hinges 212a-b and accessed by rotating a locking handle 211 within the inner door 210. In alternate embodiments, the inner door 210 may be secured within coupling tabs in place of hinges that permit the entire inner door 210 to be removed from the reinforced frame 203 once the locking handle 211 is disengaged.
The interior egress door 201 may also be enclosed in a solid steel reinforced frame 210 in order to reinforce the space containing the door 201 as well as the inner door 310 and its inner reinforced frame 203. The inner reinforced frame may be coupled to the reinforced frame 210 when the interior egress door 201 is closed by one or more cross members 221a-b.
The example embodiment of the ESPD device 400, shown in both
The pair of vertical structural support members 402a-b are anchored into the ground surface using a corresponding in-ground anchor 403a-b. These anchors 403a-b secure the vertical structural support members 402a-b in place allowing the one or more top structural support members 101a-n to be coupled in between creating the survival cavity in between. These anchors 403a-b may include any anchoring mechanism as disclosed herein and within the commonly owned and pending patent applications referenced above.
The horizontal structural support member 501 may also include one or more horizontal structural support member being separated by a pair of vertical connecting members creating a stacked structure. In a preferred embodiment, the top structural connecting member and the second horizontal support members are used. Inclusion of additional one or more structural support members 601a-h as disclosed in reference to
Additionally, the particular opening may comprise an entranceway or similar opening in a wall between rooms that does not include a door. In this example embodiment, a wider opening is shown having the pair of vertical structural support members 402a-b and the horizontal structural support member 501 coupled to a pair of vertical connecting members 502a-b coupled to a top side of the top structural support member 401. The opening also may be of varying widths with the survival cavity being formed within the opening in the wall as discussed above with reference to
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain embodiments of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from embodiments of the invention encompassed by the following claims.
In this specification including any claims, the term “each” may be used to refer to one or more specified characteristics of a plurality of previously recited elements or steps. When used with the open-ended term “comprising,” the recitation of the term “each” does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or steps. Thus, it will be understood that an apparatus may have additional, unrecited elements and a method may have additional, unrecited steps, where the additional, unrecited elements or steps do not have the one or more specified characteristics.
This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/529,062, titled “Earthquake Safety Protection Device,” and filed on Nov. 17, 2021, which itself claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/391,590, titled “Earthquake Safety Protection Device,” and filed on Aug. 2, 2021, which itself claims the benefit of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/344,017, titled “Earthquake Safety Protection Device,” and filed on Jun. 10, 2021, which itself claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/040,284, titled “Earthquake Safety Protection Device,” and filed on Jun. 17, 2020. The entire application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63040284 | Jun 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17529062 | Nov 2021 | US |
| Child | 17942363 | US | |
| Parent | 17391590 | Aug 2021 | US |
| Child | 17529062 | US | |
| Parent | 17344017 | Jun 2021 | US |
| Child | 17391590 | US |
