None.
a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of shelters. More particularly, the present invention relates to in-ground shelters which either can be installed in new construction or can be retrofit, for example, in a garage in an existing residence. The present invention includes an improved sliding access door which allows for easier entrance and exit from the shelter than the prior art because the present invention has a larger opening and is unobtrusive because of its profile, substantially flush with the surrounding ground/floor level.
b. Description of the Prior Art
The idea of a shelter from dangerous forces such as tornadoes, hurricanes or bombs has been around for decades. See, for example, Pierson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,153 for a Combination Shelter and Swimming Pool. While less than optimally functional (what, for example, does one do about the water in the pool if one needs to use the shelter?), Pierson illustrates that the idea of an in-ground shelter is not new. Presumably, Pierson was focusing his efforts as a shelter that might protect a user from the threat of Soviet nuclear attack. Before Pierson, many people installed simple cellars primarily for food storage, but also for protection from storms. Entrance to these early shelters was usually accomplished by a hinged door.
More relevant to the present invention are Hope et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,345, and Poole, U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,866. Hope et al., claimed a “tornado shelter,” and Poole claimed a “storm shelter.” Both are for a shelter which is designed to be installed below ground, and which has a sliding substantially flat access door near ground level to allow ingress and egress. The door in Poole, which is the patent closest to the present invention, appears to covers approximately one-third of the top of the shelter. The door sits on rollers, and rolls downwardly and inwardly to open. That is, it rolls down underneath of the rest of the shelter's top. This method of operation means that by rolling downwardly, it takes room out of an already cramped shelter, and by rolling under the lid, the size of the access door is limited because it must be smaller than the remaining portion of the top of the shelter under which it rolls. The opening in Hope's shelter cannot be larger than approximately one-half of the surface area of the top of the shelter. While an opening of this size may be sufficient for some purposes, for the disabled or for very large persons, it may be difficult to enter a shelter with such a limited opening size. Further, those who are claustrophobic would find such a shelter even more constricting knowing that the opening through which they have to pass out of the shelter is so small. Also, to the extent objects are to be taken into or stored in the shelter, the smaller opening makes putting them in or taking them out more difficult.
Poole claims a similar device, but the description in Poole and the drawings are much more limited. The opening covers about half of the top of the shelter area or less. There is no description in Poole about how the lid, as shown open in FIG. 6, is prevented from tipping over as it is opened. The force of gravity would, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of Poole, force the leading edge of the lid to tip under its own weight. There is no structure shown or described in Poole which would prevent this from happening. Further, the Poole lid is well above ground level, which may prevent a vehicle from parking above the shelter if installed in a garage and which would also present a tripping hazard.
Ueno et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,512 shows a manhole opening structure. While it is not directly related to the present art, it does allow access to an under-ground cavity, and it does have a substantially flat lid which opens to allow access. The problem with Ueno is that the lid slides on the ground. As the lid slides, it may slide over an uneven ground surface surrounding it, and the sliding would be less than uniform, especially given the debris that might gather around the shelter as a result of the storm. It would be very difficult to open a device such as one described by Ueno in a storm shelter context. Therefore, while Ueno is instructive, it does not show or describe the features of the claimed invention.
An improved in-ground shelter of the type having a front wall, a back wall, two opposing side walls, a bottom and a top. These walls, the bottom and the top define a substantially rectangular box with an opening defined in the top thereof, a flat lid adapted to cover the opening, and a roller means for alternately rolling the lid to expose or close the open top. The improvement of the present invention comprises, inter alia: (a) substantially the entire top of the box defining an exposable opening, i.e, an opening that can be uncovered in common usage; (b) the lid adapted to be substantially flush with the surrounding ground level in a closed position; and (c) a roller means for allowing the lid to slide above the ground level, exposing more than half of the open top.
Securing means for maintaining the lid in place in a closed position are provided. Securing means may include at least one set of cooperating L-brackets, which, when the lid is in a closed position, serve to resist the lifting forces that might be exerted on the lid by a tornado, hurricane, or the like, so as to maintain the lid in a closed position. Securing means may also include at least one chain cooperating with a chain receiver bracket, again serving the function of maintaining the lid in a closed position.
The roller means may comprise a track affixed to each of the side walls near the open top and parallel thereto, and at least one upper track roller disposed between the lid and each track for rollingly supporting the lid on the track. Further, the roller means may comprise a support means for supporting a leading edge of the lid as it slides above the surrounding ground level. The support means may comprise a rail roller adjacent to the back wall and disposed between the lid and the track and a lower track roller attached to the lid near the trailing edge, the lower track roller engaging a lower track surface, whereby the lid is supported above the ground by cooperative action between the lower track roller and the rail roller. The support means may further comprise a rail affixed to the underside of the lid between the rail roller and the lid, the rail having a sloped section near the leading edge, whereby when the leading edge moves away from the back wall, the lid is displaced upwardly by the sloped section operating against the rail roller, the upward displacement providing additional clearance for the lid as it passes over the ground surface. The side walls may have an inwardly tapered section near the open top, whereby the size and weight of the lid are reduced and cars with smaller wheel bases are able to park above the lid without having to drive thereon. A lock means may be provided for externally securing the lid in place to prevent accidental or unauthorized entry by children, or other persons to whom access to the shelter is not desirable.
The shelter may include at least one stair rotatably affixed to the front wall; a stair support means may be included for releaseably supporting the stair in a deployed position to be used for a stepping entrance into the shelter. Where the stair is provided, it may also be desirable to provide a handrail which can be releaseably attached to the stair for convenience of those entering or exiting the shelter or, alternatively stored within the shelter.
Since the invention will often be installed in a garage, with vehicles above it, there is the possibility that during a storm event, a vehicle may be damaged releasing fuel onto or near the shelter. Therefore, a fire prevention or suppression means may be provided within the shelter. The fire prevention or suppression means may comprise a foam-type fire extinguisher for preventing the ignition of fuels that may be present or for fighting fires that may occur.
There have thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, wherein:
The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
The side walls 106 are shown with an inwardly tapered section 312 near the open top, whereby the size and weight of the lid are reduced and cars with smaller wheel bases are able to park above the lid without having to drive thereon. If the side walls did not have the tapered section 312, the lid would be wider, thus increasing its weight and, more importantly, its width which might require cars with narrower wheelbases to park thereon, which, though allowable, is undesirable.
In
Stairs 800 are shown affixed to or at least located adjacent to the frontwall 102. Instead of stairs, a ladder could be provided. Shelters can be provided with any number of entrance means, such as the ladder shown in Hope, fixed stairs as shown in Poole, or deployable stairs, shown in the figures and described below. A step-stool 812 for use in cooperation with the stairs 800 is also shown. See discussion of
The open top 200 can be seen in
As seen in
In case the lid 112 becomes obstructed during a storm event, a back wall emergency hook 128, shown in
Alternatively, or in addition to stairs, a step-stool 812 may also be provided. The step-stool 812 preferably has at least one top step 814, and may also have a second step 816. The step-stool 812 may be stored under a bench 818 along the side wall 102. A bench 818 is supported by a bench brace 820. Preferably, the top step 814 is at a height such that it is just below the bottom of the lower stair 826, such that by cooperative action, the stairs 800 and the step-stool 812 provide a continuous set of steps.
At least one handrail receiver 828 may also be disposed on the stairs 800 for receiving baluster 904 to support a handrail 906. The baluster 904 and handrail 906 are shown in
While the invention has been shown, illustrated, described and disclosed in terms of embodiments or modifications which it is assumed, the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodiment or modification therein shown, illustrated, described or disclosed. Such other embodiments or modifications are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the claims herein appended.
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