U.S. patent application number 10/707631 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-04 for apparatus for tornado shelter in automobile maintenance pit.
This patent application is currently assigned to Feng, Shiang Yueng. Invention is credited to Feng, Shiang Yueng.
Application Number | 20050166476 10/707631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34807350 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050166476 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Feng, Shiang Yueng |
August 4, 2005 |
Apparatus for Tornado Shelter in Automobile Maintenance Pit
Abstract
An apparatus having at least two doors near its top level is
installed in an automobile maintenance pit. When the doors are in
the close position, the covered space in the pit becomes a tornado
shelter. Each of the doors can be opened in two opposite
directions. Multiple doors and dual opening directions minimize the
chances that all doors are jammed in all directions at the same
time. Each of the doors can be opened and closed even when an
automobile is parked directly above the pit. When all the doors are
in at least one of the open positions, maintenance tasks can be by
a person in the pit, beneath the automobile.
Inventors: |
Feng, Shiang Yueng;
(Colleyville, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHIANG Y. FENG
3402 FOX MEADOWS DRIVE
COLLEYVILLE
TX
76034
US
|
Assignee: |
Feng, Shiang Yueng
3402 Fox Meadows Drive
Colleyville
TX
|
Family ID: |
34807350 |
Appl. No.: |
10/707631 |
Filed: |
December 25, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/79.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 5/06 20130101; Y02A
50/14 20180101; E04H 9/14 20130101; Y02A 50/00 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/079.1 |
International
Class: |
E04H 001/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for tornado shelter in automobile maintenance pit
comprising: a frame; at least two doors, covering near the full
length of the top opening of said automobile maintenance pit, each
door can be opened in two opposite directions, when all doors are
open no obstacle exists near the full length of the top opening of
said automobile maintenance pit to facilitate automobile
maintenance tasks.
2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said door can be
opened in only one direction.
3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said frame is
integrated into the concrete wall of the said automobile
maintenance pit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to tornado shelters, and in
particular, to adding the functionality of a tornado shelter to a
residential automobile maintenance pit which is a cavity in the
ground of a residential garage or a carport.
[0002] In-ground tornado shelters are available in the market
place. Designs like U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,345 mainly consist of an
enclosure with one door for accessing the enclosed area. Their
single purpose is to provide a shelter when tornado hits. In case
the tornado hit, debris might fall on to the top of the door, and
possibly jam the door. These designs lack the redundancy provided
by multiple doors where all doors are less likely to be jammed at
the same time. Though U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,345 can be installed in a
residential automobile garage, its use as a maintenance pit is not
intended and not suitable.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,217 adds a safety cover or door to an
automotive service pit. It is designed for commercial automobile
service facilities to prevent people from falling into the pit, not
for a residential tornado shelter.
[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to allow a
residential automobile maintenance pit function as a tornado
shelter by adding at least two doors near the top level over the
full length of the pit. This added functionality is an incentive
for customers who want to have more practical use of their
investment.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0005] An apparatus having at least two doors near its top level is
installed in an automobile maintenance pit. Each of the doors can
be opened and closed even when an automobile is parked directly
above the pit. Each of the doors can be opened in two opposite
directions. When all the doors are in at least one of the open
positions, maintenance tasks can be performed by a person in the
pit, beneath the automobile. When the doors are in the close
position, the covered space in the pit becomes a tornado
shelter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a hidden line removed isometric view of the
present invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a hidden line removed isometric view of the
rolling door assembly with the door in close position.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of the rolling door assembly with the
door in close position.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a section view taken along section line 4-4 of
FIG. 3.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a section view taken along section line 5-5 of
FIG. 3.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a hidden line removed isometric view, with doors
21, 22 and 23 in the right open position and with rear top door
guides 35 and front top door guides 36 removed.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a front end cut-away, hidden line removed
isometric view of the present invention with all doors in close
position, in an existing automotive maintenance pit.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a front end cut-away, hidden line removed
isometric view of the present invention with all doors in the right
open position and all top door guides removed, in an existing
automotive maintenance pit.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a top view of the present invention integrated
with the automotive maintenance pit.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a section view taken along section line 10-10 of
FIG. 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] To avoid cluttering the drawings, individual slats 41 of
rolling doors 21, 22, and 23 are not shown in all isometric
views.
[0017] Refer to FIG. 1. The apparatus of the present invention
consists of a frame and three modules of rolling door assemblies.
The said frame consists of lower left brace 11, lower front brace
12, lower right brace 13, lower rear brace 14, upper left brace 15,
upper front brace 16, upper right brace 17, upper rear brace 18 and
ladder 19. Each rolling door of the said rolling door assemblies
can be rolled to the close position as illustrated by the rear
rolling door 21, the left open position as illustrated by the
middle rolling door 22 and the right open position as illustrated
by the front rolling door 23. The said rolling door assemblies are
held in place by the said frame.
[0018] Refer to FIG. 2. The rolling door assembly consists of
rolling door 21 in this case in the close position, rear left door
guide 31, rear top door guide 35, rear right door guide 32, front
left door guide 33, front top door guide 36, and front right door
guide 34. Rear left door guide 31 and front right door guide 34 are
identical. Rear right door guide 32 and front left door guide 33
are identical. Rear top door guide 35 and front top door guide 36
are identical. Other components of the rolling door assembly not
identified in this drawing are rollers 41, slats 42 and eyebolts
43.
[0019] FIG. 3 is the top view of the rolling door assembly showing
a plurality of slats 42 of the rolling door 21 in close position.
Section view along section line 4-4 is shown in FIG. 4. Section
view along section line 5-5 is shown in FIG. 5.
[0020] Refer to FIG. 4, the section view along section line 4-4 of
FIG. 3, and FIG. 5, the section view along section line 5-5 of FIG.
3. The rolling door 21 consists of a plurality of rollers 41 and
slats 42. Each slat 42 interlocks with neighboring slats 42 and is
supported by one each roller 41 at each of its two ends. Door
guides 31, 32, 34, 35, 36 and 33 in FIG. 3 have roller guide of the
same C-shaped cross section. Rollers 41 can travel in the C-shaped
roller guide of said door guides 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36. Top
door guides 35 and 36 have curved portion near both ends to allow
the movement of rolling door 21 change direction, from horizontal
to vertical and vice versa. Top door guides 35 and 36 have enlarged
ends to accept slip-in connection of left door guides 3land 33 and
right door guides 32 and 34. Rear top door guide 35 is secured in
the left end by one first eyebolt 43 to rear left door guide 31 and
in the right end by one second eyebolt 43 to rear right door guide
32. Front top door guide 36 is secured in the left end by one first
eyebolt 43 to front left door guide 33 and in the right end by one
second eyebolt 43 to front right door guide 34. Eyebolts 43 can be
screwed through the wall of the C-shaped roller guide and function
as locks to restrict travel of rolling door 21.
[0021] Refer to FIG. 6. Rear rolling door 21, middle rolling door
22 and front rolling door 23 are rolled to the right open position.
By first removing all eyebolts 43, rear top door guides 35 and
front top door guides 36 of each rear rolling door assembly, middle
rolling door assembly and front rolling door assembly can be
removed to allow unrestricted movement of a person working in the
automobile maintenance pit along the full length of the automobile
maintenance pit.
[0022] Refer to FIG. 7. The apparatus of the present invention is
installed in an existing rectangular shaped cavity of automobile
maintenance pit surrounded by wall 51. All doors of the apparatus
are in close position near the top level 52.
[0023] Refer to FIG. 8. Same as in FIG. 7 except that all rolling
doors are in the right open position and that all rear top door
guides 35 and front top door guides 36 of rear, middle and front
rolling door assemblies are removed.
[0024] Refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. The apparatus of the present
invention can be integrated into the walls of the automobile
maintenance pit that uses concrete as the wall material. The top
view FIG. 9 shows upper braces 15, 16, 17 and 18 are visible. FIG.
10 is taken from section line 10-10 of FIG. 9. The apparatus is
positioned in the cavity prior to pouring of concrete with proper
form board arrangement to let concrete fill in the region between
upper right brace 17 and lower right brace 13 as well as upper left
brace 15 and lower left brace 11. After concrete solidifies, the
apparatus is firmly anchored in the automobile maintenance pit.
* * * * *