Claims
- 1. An expandable utility shelter comprising:
- a supporting framework comprising:
- a plurality of parallel U-shaped structural rib members aligned in a longitudinal interconnected column, each said rib member comprising a curved, elongated ridge member for defining the top of each said rib member and for determining the slope of the roof, said ridge member having a high center and two ends pointing downward at an acute angle with the horizontal; two arms, each said arm extending downward, each said arm having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of each of said arms being attached to one of said ends of said ridge member; and two legs, each leg being attached to said lower end of one of said arms;
- a plurality of hinges for connecting said ridge members to said arm members and the opposite ends of said arm members to said leg members;
- a plurality of X-shaped braces, said braces connecting each adjacent pair of said rib members on each side of said shelter, said braces comprising two elongated members pivotally connected together at their midpoints, each said elongated member having its lower end pivotally connected to one of said adjacent pair of rib members and having its upper end movably connected to the other one of said adjacent pair of rib members, said plurality of X-shaped braces being operative to push said rib members together in abutting relationship when said shelter is closed or to pull them apart in spaced relationship when said shelter is opened and to stabilize and maintain a parallel physical relationship between said rib members;
- a flexible cover removably secured to each said rib member on the surface thereof facing inward toward the interior of said shelter and arranged to pleat inwardly between each pair of adjacent ribs, said cover comprising a plurality of separate panels, each said separate panel having elongated beads attached to its vertical sides;
- wherein said rib members have a hollow, generally rectangular, closed cross section and a plurality of exterior surfaces, one said surface facing inward toward the interior of said shelter, said inward-facing surface having two adjacent channels recessed in it for receiving said beads attached to two adjacent panels of said cover, said two adjacent channels being located off center in said inward-facing surface of each of said rib members, the first one of said channels being located near the edge of said inward-facing surface and the second one of said channels being located near the center of said inward-facing surface; and
- an insulating and light reflecting liner system comprising:
- a plurality of hook and pile fastener strips attached to the inside of said plurality of separate cover panels, one of said fastener strips being attached to the inside of each vertical edge of each said separate cover panel; and
- a plurality of separate liner panels, each said liner panel being the same height as said cover panels and configured in width to exactly cover a multiple of said separate cover panels, each said liner panel having a plurality of vertical hook and pile fastener strips, each said fastener strip attached to said liner panels being wide enough and spaced properly so as to cover and mate with the corresponding fastener strips on the inside of said cover panels, whereby said liner panels may be attached to the inside of said cover panels; and
- whereby said cover is within and substantially protected by said rib members when in their closed, abutting relationship.
- 2. The expandable utility shelter of claim 1 wherein the two vertical hook and pile fastener strips on the ends of the said liner panels are both the same width as the corresponding vertical fastener strips on the said cover panels and wherein all said vertical fastener strips on said liner panels intermediate to said two end vertical fastener strips are double width so as to cover the joints between adjacent cover panels and also cover and mate with both of the corresponding pair of vertical fastener strips attached to the ends of said adjacent cover panels.
- 3. An expandable utility shelter comprising:
- a supporting framework comprising:
- a plurality of parallel U-shaped structural rib members aligned in a longitudinal interconnected column, each said rib member comprising a curved, elongated ridge member for defining the top of each said rib member and for determining the slope of the roof, said ridge member having a high center and two ends pointing downward at an acute angle with the horizontal; two arms, each said arm extending downward, each said arm having an upper end and a lower end, said upper end of each of said arms being attached to one of said ends of said ridge member; and two legs, each leg being attached to said lower end of one of said arms;
- a plurality of hinges for connecting said ridge members to said arm members and the opposite ends of said arm members to said leg members;
- a plurality of X-shaped braces, said braces connecting each adjacent pair of said rib members on each side of said shelter, said braces comprising two elongated members pivotally connected together at their midpoints, each said elongated member having its lower end pivotally connected to one of said adjacent pair of rib members and having its upper end movably connected to the other one of said adjacent pair of rib members, said plurality of X-shaped braces being operative to push said rib members together in abutting relationship when said shelter is closed or to pull them apart in spaced relationship when said shelter is opened and to stabilize and maintain a parallel physical relationship between said rib members;
- a flexible cover removably secured to each said rib member on the surface thereof facing inward toward the interior of said shelter and arranged to pleat inwardly between each pair of adjacent ribs, said cover comprising a plurality of separate panels, each said separate panel having elongated beads attached to its vertical sides;
- wherein said rib members have a hollow, generally rectangular, closed cross section and a plurality of exterior surfaces, one said surface facing inward toward the interior of said shelter, said inward-facing surface having two adjacent channels recessed in it for receiving said beads attached to two adjacent panels of said cover, said two adjacent channels being located off center in said inward-facing surface of each of said rib members, the first one of said channels being located near the edge of said inward-facing surface and the second one of said channels being located near the center of said inward-facing surface; and
- an insulating and light reflecting liner system comprising:
- a plurality of separate liner panels corresponding in size and number to said plurality of separate cover panels, each said liner panel having a vertical hook and pile fastener strip attached along the outside of each of its vertical edges; and
- a plurality of hook and pile fastener strips attached to the inside of said plurality of separate cover panels, one of said fastener strips being attached to the inside of each vertical edge of each said separate cover panel, whereby said fastener strips on said liner panels and said cover panels mate with each other so that one said liner panel may be attached to the inside of each said cover panel; and
- whereby said cover is within and substantially protected by said rib members when in their closed abutting relationship.
- 4. The expandable utility shelter of claim 3 wherein said insulating and light reflecting system comprises:
- a ridge duct attached to the upper part of said separate liner panels for carrying heated or cooled air along the ridge of said shelter, said ridge duct having a plurality of vents spaced along its long axis; and
- a feeder duct having one end connected to said ridge duct and its other end connected to a heater or cooler for carrying heated or cooled air from said heater or cooler to said vents, said feeder duct running vertically up the side of and one of said separate liner panels being attached to said separate liner panel.
- 5. The expandable utility shelter of claim 4 wherein said ridge duct extends substantially the full length of the ridge of said shelter.
- 6. The expandable utility shelter of claim 4 wherein said shelter comprises two half shelters butted together and attached end-to-end and each said half shelter comprises one said ridge duct with one said feeder duct connected to it, said ridge ducts in said two half shelters being butted together and attached end-to-end, whereby said shelter may have heater-coolers attached to either one or both of said feeder ducts in said two attached half-shelters.
- 7. The expandable utility shelter of claim 4 comprising a plurality of vent covers attached to said duct, said vent covers being spaced along the long axis of said duct and arranged as to be capable of covering each said vent in said duct.
- 8. The expandable utility shelter of claim 7 wherein said vent covers are attached to the lower part of said duct and are arranged to hang down when not covering said vents.
- 9. The expandable utility shelter of claim 8 wherein said vent covers have pile fastener tape attached to said vent covers and corresponding hook fastener tape attached to the outside of said duct, whereby said vent covers may be positioned to cover said vents by swinging said vent covers up and pushing said hook fasteners against the corresponding said pile fasteners.
- 10. The expandable utility shelter of claim 3 wherein said separate cover panels each have a lower extension which is folded inward at ground level.
- 11. The expandable utility shelter of claim 10 comprising floor panels which are attached to said lower extension of said separate cover panels by the use of hook and pile fasteners.
- 12. The expandable utility shelter of claim 11 wherein said floor panels comprise two longitudinal panels which are attached together with hook and pile fasteners along a floor seam which runs down the middle of said shelter and along the long axis of said shelter.
- 13. The expandable utility shelter of claim 12 wherein said hook and pile fasteners used to attach said floor panels to said lower extensions of said cover panels are wide enough to allow several inches of fit adjustment at the junction of said floor panels and said cover panels.
- 14. The expandable utility shelter of claim 13 wherein said hook and pile faseteners used to attach said longitudinal floor panels together are wide enough to allow several inches of fit adjustment along said floor seam.
- 15. The expandable utility shelter of claim 14 wherein the inside of said liner panels are equipped with hook and pile fasteners at an appropriate height so that said longitudinal floor panels may be unhooked along said floor seam and said panels may be lifted and attached to the inside of said liner panels, whereby said expandable shelter may be struck and folded with the floor panels still installed.
- 16. The expandable utility shelter of claim 15 wherein said shelter comprises two half shelters butted together and attached end-to-end and the said floor panels for said two half shelters are configured so as to overlap along a lateral seam at the junction of said two half shelters, said floor panels being attached together with hook and pile fasteners.
- 17. The expandable utility shelter of claim 16 wherein said hook and pile fasteners along said lateral seam are wide enough to provide several inches of fit adjustment.
- 18. The expandable utility shelter of claim 12 wherein said floor panels comprise a layer of fabric covering a layer of insulation.
- 19. The expandable utility shelter of claim 18 wherein said floor panels comprise a layer of polypropylene insulation covered by vinyl coated nylon.
- 20. An expandable utility shelter comprising:
- a supporting framework comprising:
- a plurality of parallel U-shaped structural rib members aligned in a longitudinal interconnected column, each said rib member comprising a ridge member; two arms, each arm having an upper end and a lower end, the first of said arms being attached at its upper end to one end of said ridge member and the second arm being attached at its upper end to the opposite end of said ridge member; and two legs, each leg being attached to said lower end of one of said arms;
- a plurality of hinges for connecting said ridge members to said arm members and the opposite ends of said arm members to said leg members;
- a plurality of X-shaped braces, said braces connecting each adjacent pair of said rib members on each side of said shelter, said braces comprising two elongated members pivotally connected together at their midpoints, each elongated member having an upper end and a lower end, each said elongated member having its said lower end pivotally connected to one of said adjacent pair of rib members and having its said upper end movably connected to the other one of said adjacent pair of rib members, said plurality of X-shaped braces being operative to push said rib members together in abutting relationship when said shelter is closed or to pull them apart in spaced relationship when said shelter is opened and to stabilize and maintain a parallel physical relationship between said rib members;
- a flexible cover removably secured to each said rib member on the side thereof facing the interior of said shelter and arranged to pleat inwardly between each pair of adjacent ribs;
- wherein each said hinge comprises two identical hinge leaves and a hinge pin, each said hinge leaf having a first end which is rectangular in cross section and which is configured to mate with an open end of a part of one said rib member, so said first portion may be inserted into and fit snugly in said open end of said part of said rib member, and each said hinge leaf having a second end with two parallel sides, a first face, a second face parallel to said first face, a third face at an obtuse angle from said first face, a fourth face perpendicular to said second face, and a plurality of substantially circular, spaced projections attached to said second portion of said leaf, between said third and fourth faces, whereby the fourth faces on said two identical hinge leaves abut each other and thus provide a stop when said hinges are in the fully open position;
- whereby said cover is within and substantially protected by said rib members when in their closed, abutting relationship.
- 21. The expandable utility shelter of claim 20 wherein each said projection has a circular opening at its center sized to receive said hinge pin.
- 22. The expandable utility shelter of claim 21 wherein said projections on each of said two leaves are arranged to mesh so as to provide a plurality of aligned circular openings to receive said hinge pin.
- 23. The expandable utility shelter of claim 22 wherein said second end portion of each said hinge leaf has a plurality of parallel grooves cut between said two parallel sides.
- 24. The expandable utility shelter of claim 23 wherein each one of said plurality of parallel grooves is cut into said first face and said third face and the bottom of each of said grooves runs parallel to said first and third faces, whereby said grooves provide space for folds of said flexible cover when said hinges are closed.
- 25. The expandable utility shelter of claim 24 wherein each said first end of each said hinge leaf has two sides parallel to said two parallel sides of said second end, each of said parallel sides of said first end has at least one staking groove cut into it, whereby each said first end of each said leaf hinge may be permanently attached to one said open end of said rib member.
- 26. The expandable utility shelter of claim 24 wherein said second end of said hinge leaves are configured so that said third face of each hinge leaf makes an interior angle of 120 degrees with the said first face of the same hinge leave whereby said third faces of said two identical hinge leaves on each said hinge abut each other and thus provide a stop when said hinge is fully closed, thus allowing said two identical hinge leaves to rotate 120 degrees with respect to each other in moving from the fully open to the fully closed position.
- 27. The expandable utility shelter of claim 26 wherein said second end of each said hinge leaf has two said circular spaced projections.
- 28. The expandable utility shelter of claim 27 wherein said second end of each said hinge leaf has three said grooves.
- 29. An expandable utility shelter comprising:
- a supporting framework comprising:
- a plurality of parallel U-shaped structural rib members aligned in a longitudinal interconnected column, each said rib member comprising a ridge member; two arms, each arm having an upper end and a lower end, the first of said arms being attached at its upper end to one end of said ridge member and the second arm being attached at its upper end to the opposite end of said ridge member; and two legs, each leg being attached to said lower end of one of said arms;
- a plurality of hinges for connecting said ridge member to said arm members and the opposite ends of said arm members to said leg members;
- a plurality of X-shaped braces, said braces connecting each adjacent pair of said rib members on each side of said shelter, said braces comprising two elongated members pivotally connected together at their midpoints, each elongated member having an upper end and a lower end, each said elongated member having its said lower end pivotally connected to one of said adjacent pair of rib members and having its said upper end movably connected to the other one of said adjacent pair of rib members, said plurality of X-shaped braces being operative to push said rib members together in abutting relationship when said shelter is closed or to pull them apart in spaced relationship when said shelter is opened and to stabilize and maintain a parallel physical relationship between said rib members;
- a flexible cover removably secured to each said rib member on the side thereof facing the interior of said shelter and arranged to pleat inwardly between each pair of adjacent ribs;
- a plurality of thermal barrier stand-offs attached to each said rib member, each said stand-off comprising:
- an elongated piece of flat spring metal;
- a pivot base attached to said rib member; and
- a latch base attached to said rib member at a distance from said pivot base less than the length of said piece of flat spring metal; and
- whereby:
- said cover is within and substantially protected by said rib members when in their closed, abutting relationship;
- said thermal barrier is supported above said utility shelter so as to provide protection for said shelter against sun and rain and to provide a dead-air space between said thermal barrier and said shelter for thermal insulation; and
- a first end of said piece of spring metal may be pivotally attached to said pivot base and the second end of said piece of spring metal may be latched to said latch base.
- 30. The expandable utility shelter of claim 29 wherein each said stand-off comprises two latch bases spaced apart, whereby the second end of each said piece of spring metal may be attached to a near latch base when said stand-off is in the erected position and to a far latch base when said stand-off is in the folded position.
- 31. The expandable utiity shelter of claim 30 wherein each said latch base is configured as a bracket and said second end of each said piece of spring metal is equipped with an end fitting which fits into said latch base.
- 32. The expandable utility shelter of claim 31 wherein said near latch base is a bracket with its open end facing towards said pivot base and said far latch base is a bracket with its open end facing away from said pivot base, whereby said piece of spring metal is under slight compression when it is attached to said near latch base and it is deformed and under great pressure when it is attached to said far latch base.
- 33. The expandable utility shelter of claim 32 wherein each said rib member has one of said stand-off attached to its ridge member and one said stand-off attached to each of its arms.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application of Keith A. Tury and Ronald D. Evans, Ser. No. 525,001, now allowed "Expandable Soft Side Shelter," filed Aug. 19, 1983, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 410,521, now abandoned filed Aug. 23, 1982.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
91494 |
Oct 1983 |
EPX |
470241 |
Aug 1937 |
GBX |
732753 |
Jun 1955 |
GBX |
2121850 |
Jan 1984 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
525001 |
Aug 1983 |
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Parent |
410521 |
Aug 1982 |
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