Patent Grant
8938917
Natural disasters, such as storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes cause damage to multiple structures, such as homes, business premises, schools, hospitals, and other buildings and structures. Sometimes, significant structural damage may occur, including partial or complete collapse, falling walls, roofs, or entire floors and buildings, or complete destruction of structures causing injuries and even death to humans occupying such structures.
For example, earthquakes frequently result in human injuries and fatalities due to partial or complete structural collapses, where occupants of the structure are injured or trapped by falling debris, including floor, wall, or roof fragments, falling furniture, or other debris or objects. Further, tornadoes, or hurricane-type storms cause structural damage via rotating or straight-line winds, which frequently partially or completely destroy structures, often leaving behind only the structures foundations.
Because natural disasters come with varying warning times, ranging from days in the case of hurricanes, hours in the case of severe storms, minutes in the case of tornadoes, and no warning at all in the case of earthquakes, the potential for human injuries or fatalities is compounded where relatively large groups or people gather in structures such as in hospitals, schools, day-care centers, universities, office buildings, nursing homes, or other similar locations. Unfortunately, such structures often lack adequate natural disaster shelters, or in some cases have large centrally-located shelters where a large number of people have to be quickly moved or evacuated to in the event of a natural disaster.
Some people have mobility difficulties or require a longer time to evacuate to a centrally-located shelter, such as nursing home residents, hospital patients, or school-age or kindergarten-age children, for example. As such, large centrally-located shelters are not always practical, and their usefulness decreases with decreased warning times for some natural disasters. Further, because some centrally-located shelters are below-ground, such below-ground shelters introduce their own set of drawbacks, including difficult access for limited-mobility persons (e.g., the elderly, wheel chair of hospital bed bound persons), danger of flooding and/or gas leaks, and the potential for people to become trapped inside the below-ground shelter by debris blocking the exits
To that end, it would be advantageous to provide an above-around stowable shelter system configured to be securely anchored to a support when in use and conveniently stowed when not in use so as to be rapidly and easily deployed when needed such that people can be sheltered in place without requiring movement of people to a central location. It is to such stowable shelter systems and to methods for using thereof that exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein are directed.
Like reference numerals in the figures represent and refer to the same or similar element or function. Implementations of the disclosure may be better understood when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed pictorial illustrations, schematics, graphs, drawings, and appendices. In the drawings:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting the inventive concepts claimed herein in any way.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the inventive concepts within the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed.
As used herein the notation “a-n” appended to a reference numeral is intended as merely convenient shorthand to reference one, or more than one, and up to infinity, of the element or feature identified by the respective reference numeral (e.g., 134a-n). Similarly, a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 148, 148a, 148b, etc.). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of clarity and convenience only, and should not be construed to limit the instant inventive concept(s) in any way, unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
The inventive concepts disclosed herein are generally directed to shelter assemblies and systems configured to be securely attached to a support at two or more anchor or attachment points, and to be conveniently stowed when not in use and quickly and easily deployed by users. In some embodiments, a stowable shelter assembly may be substantially triangular in shape, and in some embodiments a stowable shelter may be substantially rectangular or square in shape. Stowable shelter systems according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein are configured to be installed above-ground level or above a support, indoors or outdoors and are configured to be anchored to a support at two or more or multiple anchor or attachment points.
Referring now to
The support 102 may be any desired manmade structure or natural body or object, such as a building, school, hospital, house, or public building. For example, the horizontal portion 104 may be a basement, a floor, a roof, a patio, a foundation, a concrete slab, a parking structure deck or level, or a stairwell level or platform. Similarly, the vertical portion 106 may be an interior wall, an exterior wall, a retaining wall, a stairwell, a basement wall, a support column, an elevator shaft, a classroom wall, or any other manmade vertical structure or natural object or body. In some embodiments the horizontal portion 104 may include a substantially flat surface having any desired shape, and in some embodiments the vertical portion 106 may be omitted, or multiple vertical portions 106 may be implemented.
The stowable shelter assembly 108 includes a first member 112, a second member 114, a side member 116, and a side member 118.
The first member 112 includes a bottom end 120, a top end 122, and a pair of sides 124a and 124b which cooperate to define a plane 126. The first member 112 may be implemented as a generally planar body and may be constructed of any desired material, including but not limited to, metals, alloys, non-metals, steel, titanium, carbon fiber, polymers, resins, ceramics, concrete, reinforced concrete, bullet resistant material, composite materials, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the first member 112 may be generally rectangular in shape, while in some embodiments the first member 112 may be substantially square or may have any other desired shape, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. Further, embodiments of the first member 112 may include reinforcing or bracing structures, such as struts, ribs, braces, rods, or any other suitable reinforcing structure, or combinations thereof.
The first member 112 is attached to the horizontal portion 104 of the support 102 via a flange 128 which has one or more openings 130 formed therein. One or more anchor bolts 133 (
It is to be understood that in some embodiments, the top end 122 may be provided with a flange, which may be implemented similarly to the flange 128 and may function to provide additional space for occupants of the storm shelter assembly as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. In some embodiments where the top end 122 is provided with a flange, the second member 114 may be pivotally coupled with an end or any other desired portion of the flange, for example.
The second member 114 may by implemented similarly to the first member 112 and has a first end 132 pivotably or rotatably coupled with the top end 122 of the first member 112, a second end 134, a third side 136a and a fourth side 136b extending between the first end 132 and the second end 134, and at least one anchoring member 138. In some embodiments, the second member 114 may be generally rectangular in shape, while in some embodiments the second member 114 may be substantially square or may have any other desired shape, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
The first end 132 is pivotably, movably, or rotatably coupled with the top end 122 of the first member 112 such that the second member 114 is movable relative to the first member 112 between a first position where the first member 112 and the second member 114 are substantially coplanar with one another, and a second position where the second member 114 is angled relative to the first member 112 at an angle of about 45°, or an angle varying between about 15° and about 90°, between about 30° and about 60°, or between about 45° and about 60°, for example. In some embodiments, the first end 132 is pivotably coupled with the top end 122 via a hinge 140, which may be implemented as a single hinge 140 substantially spanning the first end 132, or as two or more separate hinges 140 operably coupled with the first end 132 and the top end 122. In some embodiments, the hinge 140 may include a spring or other biasing or damping mechanism operably coupled therewith, while in some embodiments the hinge 140 may include one or more pneumatic, hydraulic, elastomeric, mechanical, or any other desired biasing or damping mechanism so as to allow a user to effortlessly and safely deploy and stow the stowable shelter assembly 108, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. Further, in some embodiments, the hinge 140 may be implemented as a locking hinge 140 configured to lock the first member 112 and the second member 114 relative to one another at any desired angle, or may be configured to limit the movement of the second member 114 relative to the first member 112 to a predetermined angle as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. Some embodiments of the second member 114 may include one or more reinforcing or bracing members, such as ribs, thickened areas, rods, braces, cross-members, trusses, struts, or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the second member 114 may include a surface 142 (
The anchoring member 138 may be implemented as an elongated member (e.g., a beam, truss, leg, or rod) and includes an anchoring end 144 extending at least partially past the second end 134 of the second member 114, the anchoring end 144 being configured to anchor the side member 118 to the support 102 via the support anchor 110 as described below. The anchoring member 138 may be constructed of any desired material such as metals, alloys, non-metals, or combinations thereof, and may be attached to the second member 114 in any desired manner such as welds, joints, seems, adhesives, fasteners, clamps, brackets, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the anchoring member 138 and the second member 114 may be formed as a unitary body, such as via casting, machining, molding, or any other desired method or technique.
In some embodiments, the anchoring member 138 spans the distance between the first end 132 and the second end 134 of the second member 114, while in some embodiments, the anchoring member 138 may extend partially between the first end 132 and the second end 134. Further, while anchoring member 138 is shown as oriented substantially perpendicularly relative to the second end 134 and substantially parallel relative to the third side 136a and the fourth side 136b, the anchoring member 138 may be angled at any desired angle relative to the second end 134 and/or the sides 136a and 136b. In some embodiments, the anchoring member 138 may be pivotably coupled with the first member 112 such as via the hinge 140 as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. Further, in some embodiments, the anchoring member 138 may be movable (e.g., pivotably) relative to the second member 114.
While two anchoring members 138 are shown in
The anchoring end 144 includes an anchor-engaging portion 146 and a locking lever 148 movably coupled with the anchoring end 144 such that the locking lever 148 is movable relative to the anchor-engaging portion 146 and locking lever 148 may be omitted, and the anchoring end 144 may be implemented with any desired mechanism configured to selectively engage and disengage the anchoring end 144 to the support anchor 110, such as for example a latching or locking mechanism built into the support anchor 110 and/or the second member 114.
The side member 116 includes a side 150 and an end 152. The end 152 is pivotably or rotatably coupled with the side 124a of the first member 112 via a hinge 154 (
Further, as shown in
The side member 118 is implemented similarly to the side member 116 (e.g., a mirror-image of the side member 116) and has a side 164 and an end 166, the end 166 pivotably coupled with the side 124b of the first member 112 via a hinge 154a so that the side member 118 is movable between a first position where the side member 118 is substantially parallel to the plane 126 defined by the first member 112, and a second position where the side member 118 is angled relative to the first member 112 (e.g., at about 90°) and the side 164 is releasably coupled or engaged with the anchoring member 138 via a latching mechanism 156, such that the shelter space 162 is further defined by the side member 118.
Referring now to
Referring now to
A support anchor cover 172 is configured to be matingly received in the support anchor 110 when the stowable shelter assembly 108 is in the stowed position such that the support anchor cover 172 is substantially level with the horizontal portion 104 of the support 102 so as to cover the support anchor 110 and to prevent users from tripping or falling into the support anchor 110 as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure. The support anchor cover 172 may be constructed of any desired material, such as metals, alloys, non-metals, polymers, elastomeric materials and may include a gripping portion 173 to enable users to remove the support anchor cover 172 from the support anchor 110 in some embodiments.
Referring back to
In some embodiments, a locking mechanism 180 may be implemented to securely lock the stowable shelter assembly 108 in the stowed position. For example, the locking mechanism 180 may be supported by the vertical portion 106 of the support 102 and may be configured to engage the second member 114 when the stowable shelter assembly 108 is in the stowed position. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 180 may include a key or keypad requiring a code, such that misuse or tampering with the stowable shelter assembly 108 may be prevented by unauthorized users. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 180 may be implemented as a deadbolt latch, a hook latch, a crossbar, a cabin hook latch, a cam lock latch, or combinations thereof, while in some embodiments, the locking mechanism 180 maybe omitted.
It is to be appreciated that the stowable shelter system 100 may be installed in any desired building or structure during construction, or may be easily retrofitted to existing buildings or structures. Further, the stowable shelter system 100 may be shipped with the stowable shelter assembly 108 fully or partially assembled, or with the stowable shelter assembly 108 fully or partially disassembled in the form of a kit, as will be readily appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
A user, such as a teacher in a classroom with one or more students, for example, may use the stowable shelter system 100 as follows. Under ordinary circumstances, the stowable shelter system 100 is maintained with the stowable shelter assembly 108 secured in the stowed position and with support anchor covers 172 covering the support anchors 110. In some instances, the surface 142 may be utilized as a writing board or a projection surface in a classroom. If a tornado or other alarm or evacuation signal is sounded the teacher may unlock the locking mechanism 180 as appropriate and remove the support anchor covers 172 from the support anchors 110. The teacher may unfold the side member 116 and side member 118. The teacher may then operate the actuating mechanism 174 to move the stowable shelter assembly 108 to the deployed position and to lock the anchoring end 144 of the anchoring member 138 in the support anchors 110 such as by engaging the anchor-engaging portions 146 into place with the locking levers 148. The teacher may engage the side member 116 with the anchoring member 138 via the latching mechanism 156. The students and the teacher may then enter the shelter space 162 (e.g., via the open side member 118) and may pivot the side member 118 and engage the side member 118 with the anchoring member 138 to substantially completely enclose the shelter space 162 and protect the occupants of the shelter space 162. Once inside the shelter space 162 the teacher and students may remain comfortably seated until the threat has passed and/or the evacuation has ended. Then, the teacher may disengage one or both of the side members 116 and 118 and exit the shelter space 162.
To stow the stowable shelter assembly 108, a user simply reverses the above steps to move and lock the stowable shelter assembly 108 in the stowed position and to insert the support anchor covers 172 in the support anchors 110.
As will appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more air vents, one or more light sources, emergency supplies, or any other desired accessories may be provided in any of the first member 112, second member 114 and side members 116 and 118, so as to ventilate or illuminate the interior of the shelter space 162. Further, the stowable shelter system 100 may be implemented in homes, garages, hospitals, colleges, offices, public transportation station, restaurants, stores, or at any other desired location. Stowable shelter systems according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein are securely attached to the support 102 at two or more anchor points or attachment locations, and may be sized and dimensioned to protect any desired number of humans and/or pets, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
Referring now to
The stowable shelter assembly 108a includes a back member 190, a top member 192, a front member 194, and a side members 196 and 198.
The back member 190 may be implemented similarly to the first member 112 and includes a bottom end 200, a top end 202, and sides 204 and 206 extending between the top end 202 and the bottom end 200 and defining a plane 208. The bottom end 200 is attachable to the support 102 such that the top end 202 extends a first distance above the support 102, for example, via a flange 203 and fasteners 205.
The top member 192 may be implemented similarly to the second member 114 and has a back end 210 pivotably coupled with the top end 202 of the back member 190 via a hinge 140a, a front end 212 separated a distance from the back end 210, and sides 214 and 216 extending between the back end 210 and the front end 212.
The front member 194 may be implemented similarly to the second member 114 and has a first end pivotably coupled with the front end 212 of the top member 192 via a hinge 140b, a second end 220, sides 222 and 224 extending between the first end 218 and the second end 220, and anchoring members 138a extending at least partially past the second end 220 for anchoring the front member 194 to the support 102. In some embodiments, the front member 194 may include a surface 142a (
The stowable shelter assembly 108a is movable between a stowed position where the top member 192 and the back member 190 are coplanar with one another and the front member 194 is substantially parallel to the top member 192 such that the second end 220 of the front member 194 is positioned at a distance above the bottom end 200 of the back member 190, and a deployed position where the top member 192 and the back member 190 are angled at an angle of about 90° relative to one another, and the anchoring member 138a is positioned at least partially below the bottom end 200 of the back member 190 and spaced a distance from the bottom end 200 such that the back member 190, the top member 192, and the front member 194 cooperate with one another to define a shelter space 162a.
The side member 196 may be implemented similarly to the side member 116, and includes a side 226 and end 228, the end 228 pivotably coupled with the side 204 of the back member 190 via a hinge 154b so that the side member 196 is movable between a first position where the side member 196 is substantially parallel to the plane 208 defined by the back member 190 when the stowable shelter assembly 108a is in the stowed position, and a second position where the side member 196 is angled relative to the back member 190 and the side 226 is releasably engageable with the anchoring member 138a when the stowable shelter assembly 108s is in the deployed position such that the shelter space 162a is further defined by the side member 196. The side member 196 may be substantially rectangular or substantially square in shape in some embodiments.
The side member 196 may include a latching mechanism 156b which may be implemented and may function similarly to the latching mechanism 156 described above.
The side member 198 may be implemented similarly to the side member 196 and includes a side 230 and an end 232, the end 232 pivotably coupled with the side 206 of the back member 190 via a hinge 154c so that the side member 198 is movable between a first position where the side member 198 is substantially parallel to the plane 208 defined by the back member 190 when the stowable shelter assembly 108a is in the stowed position, and a second position where the side member 198 is angled relative to the back member 190 and the side 230 is releasably engageable with the anchoring member 138a when the stowable shelter assembly 108a is in the deployed position such that the shelter space 162a is further defined by the side member 198.
The side member 198 may include a latching mechanism 156c which may be implemented and may function similarly to the latching mechanism 156 described above.
Referring back to
In some embodiments, a locking mechanism 180a may be implemented to securely lock the stowable shelter assembly 108a in the stowed position. For example, the locking mechanism 180a may be implemented similarly to the locking mechanism 180 and may be supported by the vertical portion 106 of the support 102. The locking mechanism 180a may be configured to engage the top member 192 when the stowable shelter assembly 108a is in the stowed position and/or the top member 192 is positioned so as to be substantially coplanar with the back member 190 as described above. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism 180a maybe omitted, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure.
The support anchor 110a may be implemented and function similarly to the support anchor 110 described above, and may include a support anchor cover 172 in some embodiments.
A user may use the stowable shelter system 100a similarly to the stowable shelter system 100 as described above.
From the above description, it is clear that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the inventive concepts disclosed herein. While exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and defined by the appended claims.
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