U.S. patent application number 12/017668 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-24 for subterranean emergency shelter.
This patent application is currently assigned to THE GRANGER PLASTICS COMPANY. Invention is credited to James Cravens.
Application Number | 20080172954 12/017668 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39639897 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080172954 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cravens; James |
July 24, 2008 |
SUBTERRANEAN EMERGENCY SHELTER
Abstract
In one embodiment, a shelter includes a base with an interior
chamber defined by a bottom wall, a sidewall, and an open upper
end. A closure is joined to the base to enclose the chamber. A
passageway through the closure facilitates entry into the chamber
and exit from the chamber. Rungs disposed in the chamber extend
through the passageway to define a stairway. The shelter may also
include a door coupled to the passageway. The door can be moved
from a closed position covering the passageway to an open position
away from the passageway.
Inventors: |
Cravens; James; (Hamilton,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, LLP
2700 CAREW TOWER, 441 VINE STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Assignee: |
THE GRANGER PLASTICS
COMPANY
Middletown
OH
|
Family ID: |
39639897 |
Appl. No.: |
12/017668 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60886206 |
Jan 23, 2007 |
|
|
|
12017668 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/169.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 9/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/169.6 |
International
Class: |
E04H 9/12 20060101
E04H009/12 |
Claims
1. A subterranean shelter, comprising: a base including a chamber
defined by a bottom wall, at least one chamber sidewall extending
upwardly from said bottom wall, and an open upper end; a closure
joined to said open upper end of said base to thereby enclose said
chamber; a passageway through said closure adapted to facilitate
entry into said chamber or exit from said chamber; pairs of
oppositely disposed notches in said chamber and said passageway
through said closure, said pairs of notches spaced in a vertical
direction and extending through said passageway; and rungs
supported by said respective pairs of notches to define a stairway
extending from said chamber through said passage.
2. The shelter of claim 1, further comprising a door coupled to
said passageway, said door having a closed position covering said
passageway, and an open position to permit entry into said chamber
or exit from said chamber through said passageway.
3. The shelter of claim 2, further comprising: at least one rung on
said door and cooperating with said rungs supported by said notches
in said chamber and said passageway such that said stairway is
extended outwardly of said passageway when said door is in said
open position.
4. The shelter of claim 1, wherein said base has an exterior
surface comprising a first portion with a generally frustoconical
shape that widens in a direction from said open upper end of said
base toward a lower end of said base proximate said bottom wall,
and a second portion extending radially outwardly from said first
portion, said second portion having the shape of an oblique
rectangular prism extending from said lower end of said base to
said closure.
5. The shelter of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of ribs
formed on said exterior surface.
6. The shelter of claim 1, wherein said passageway is defined by
upper sidewalls extending vertically upwardly from said
closure.
7. The shelter of claim 1, wherein said base is rotationally molded
from polymeric material.
8. The shelter of claim 7, wherein said closure is rotationally
molded from polymeric material.
9. The shelter of claim 8, wherein said notches are integrally
molded into said base and said closure
10. The shelter of claim 1, further comprising a seat in said
chamber and integrally formed with said chamber sidewall.
11. The shelter of claim 1, further comprising at least one vent
through said closure and communicating with said chamber.
12. The shelter of claim 11, further comprising a fan associated
with said at least one vent.
13. A subterranean shelter, comprising: a base including a chamber
defined by a bottom wall, at least one sidewall extending upwardly
from said bottom wall, and an open upper end; a closure joined to
said open upper end of said base to thereby enclose said chamber; a
passageway through said closure adapted to facilitate entry into
said chamber or exit from said chamber; said base having a
double-wall construction comprising an outer wall and an inner wall
separated by an interior cavity; and fluid ballast material
disposed in said interior cavity.
14. The shelter of claim 13, wherein said fluid ballast material is
water.
15. A subterranean shelter, comprising: a base including a chamber
defined by a bottom wall, at least one sidewall extending upwardly
from said bottom wall, and an open upper end; a closure joined to
said open upper end of said base to thereby enclose said chamber; a
passageway through said closure adapted to facilitate entry into
said chamber or exit from said chamber; said base having a
double-wall construction comprising an outer wall and an inner wall
separated by an interior cavity; and a faucet within said chamber
and communicating with said interior cavity, said faucet operative
to facilitate the withdrawal of fluid material stored in said
interior cavity.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/886,206, filed Jan. 23, 2007, which is
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to protective
shelter structures, and more particularly to a subterranean tornado
shelter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary
embodiments of the invention and, together with a general
description of the invention given above, and the detailed
description given below, serve to explain the invention in
sufficient detail to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to
which the invention pertains to make and use the invention.
[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary shelter in
accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.
[0005] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shelter of
FIG. 1.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shelter of FIG. 1,
installed beneath the ground.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the shelter of FIG. 3,
taken along line 4-4.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the shelter of FIG. 3,
taken along line 5-5.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a detailed cross-section of the encircled area of
FIG. 5, illustrating an alternative embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] FIGS. 1 through 5 depict an exemplary subterranean emergency
shelter 10. The shelter 10 comprises a base 12 having an interior
chamber 14 defined by a bottom wall 16, at least one chamber
sidewall 18 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 16, and an open
upper first end 20. In the embodiment shown, the base 12 is
rotationally molded from polymeric material and has a double wall
construction, wherein the inner wall surfaces 22 define the chamber
14 of the base 12 and the outer wall surfaces 24 define the
exterior of the base 12, as depicted in FIGS. 4-5. Between the
inner and outer walls 22, 24 is a void or cavity 26 which may be
filled with air or, alternatively, an insulative or ballast
material 28. In one embodiment, a ballast material 28 in the cavity
26 may be water.
[0011] The shelter 10 may be moved to an installation site without
ballast material 28 in the cavity 26, and may be placed in a
desired location that has been excavated to accommodate the shelter
10. Thereafter, the cavity 26 may be filled with an insulative or
ballast material 28. Accordingly, the unfilled cavity 26 minimizes
the weight of the shelter 10 and facilitates transportation and
handling of the shelter 10 prior to installation.
[0012] In the embodiment shown, the exterior surface of the base 12
comprises a first portion 30 having a generally frustoconical shape
that gradually becomes wider in a direction from the open upper end
20 of the base 12 toward the lower end 32 of the base 12. A second
portion 34 of the exterior surface extends radially, outwardly from
the first frustoconical portion 30 and has the general shape of an
oblique rectangular prism which extends from the lower end 32 of
the base 12 to the open upper end 20. The exterior surface of the
base 12 includes a plurality of ribs 36 extending generally from
the lower end 32 of the base 12 toward the open upper end 20. The
ribs 36 are spaced apart circumferentially around the perimeter of
the base 12 and define pockets 38 therebetween. The arrangement of
ribs 36 and pockets 38 helps to strengthen the structure of the
base 12, and the sloped exterior walls help to anchor the base 12
below the ground surface 40 (FIG. 3).
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 4-5, the inner wall surfaces 22 of the
base 12 define the chamber 14. In the embodiment shown, the chamber
14 includes a seat structure 42 that is integrally formed with the
chamber sidewalls 18. In this embodiment, the seat structure 42
extends along the circumference of the chamber sidewall 18 and has
a generally annular configuration. The chamber 14 further includes
a recess 44 extending radially outwardly in the region of the
second portion 34 of the base 12 and having the general form of a
rectangular prism. A stairway 46 for entering and exiting the
chamber 14 is located at the recess 44, as will be described in
more detail below.
[0014] The shelter 10 further includes a closure 50 joined to the
open upper end 20 of the base 12 to thereby enclose the chamber 14.
In the embodiment shown, the closure 50 is rotationally molded from
polymeric material and has a double wall construction, similar to
that described below for the base 12. To provide strength and
rigidity to the structures of the rotationally molded base 12 and
closure 50, various portions of the base 12 and closure 50 may be
strengthened with "kiss-offs" 52, 54 disposed between oppositely
facing walls of the base 12 and/or closure 50, as depicted in FIG.
4. A kiss-off is a term of art that refers to a molded structure
formed by bringing spaced, opposing wall surfaces together in a
desired area such that the material of the opposed walls is joined
or fused together in that area to define a common interface.
[0015] The peripheral shape of the closure 50 comprises a generally
circular portion 56 and a generally rectangular portion 58
extending generally radially therefrom, to correspond to the open
upper end 20 of the base 12. The closure 50 may include ribs 55 or
other structure to provide strength and resist deformation under
load. The closure 50 may be joined to the open upper end 20 of the
base 12, for example, by extrusion welding, joining with adhesive
or fasteners, or by any other method suitable for coupling the
closure 50 to the open upper end 20 of the base 12.
[0016] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, a passageway 60 extends through the
closure 50 adjacent the generally rectangular portion 58 and is
sized to facilitate entry into and exit from the chamber 14. In the
embodiment shown, the passageway 60 comprises upper walls 62a, 62b,
62c, 62d extending generally upwardly from the top surface 64 of
the closure 50. In this configuration, the entire shelter 10,
including the base 12 and top surface 64 of the closure 50 may be
buried below grade, with only the upper portion of the passageway
60 extending above the ground surface 40, as depicted in FIG.
3.
[0017] The shelter 10 further includes a door assembly 70 coupled
to the passageway 60, generally at the upper edge 72 of the upper
walls 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d. The door assembly 70 comprises a
generally rectangular doorframe 74 which may be secured to the
upper edge 72 of the passageway 60. A door 76 is hingedly coupled
to the doorframe 74 and can be moved between a closed position
(FIG. 1) wherein the door 76 covers the entire passageway 60, and
an open position away from the passageway 60 (FIGS. 2-5) to permit
entry into or exit from the chamber 14 through the passageway 60.
In the embodiment shown, the door assembly 70 includes one or more
cylinders 78, with extensible rods 78a, to control movement of the
door 76 between the open and closed positions. As seen in FIG. 4,
each cylinder 78 is coupled at a first end 80 to the doorframe 74,
and at a second end 82 to the door 76. In the embodiment shown, the
door 76 includes oppositely disposed flange plates 84a, 84b on the
side of the door 76 that faces the chamber 14 in the closed
position. The second ends 82 of the cylinders 78 are coupled to the
flange plates 84a, 84b. The cylinders 78 may be configured to lock
the door 76 in at least one of the open position or closed position
of the door 76.
[0018] With reference to FIG. 5, the closure 50 further includes at
least one vent 90a, 90b through the closure 50 and communicating
with chamber 14. Vents 90a, 90b provide a flow of fresh air into
the chamber 14 and help to circulate air from the chamber 14. When
the shelter 10 is installed below grade, vent pipes 92 may be
coupled to the vents 90a, 90b to extend above the ground level 40.
In one embodiment, the shelter 10 may include a circulating air fan
94 disposed in one of the vents 90a, 90b, or otherwise cooperating
with one of the vents 90a, 90b, to draw fresh air in from outside
the chamber 14 and to force air in the chamber 14 out through an
oppositely positioned vent. The fan 94 may be powered by a battery,
solar power, or various other power sources or combinations thereof
(not shown).
[0019] The shelter 10 further includes a stairway 46 extending from
the chamber 14 and through the passageway 60 to facilitate entering
the chamber 14 and exiting the chamber 14 through the passageway
60. In the embodiment shown, the stairway 46 comprises ladder-type
structure including a plurality of rungs 100 spaced apart in a
vertical direction and extending from the chamber 14 upwardly
through the passageway 60. The rungs 100 are supported in the
chamber 14 by generally vertically extending chamber stringers
110a, 110b that are integrally formed with the chamber sidewalls
18. As seen in FIGS. 4-5, the chamber stringers 110a, 110b are
located on oppositely disposed chamber sidewalls 18 within the
protruding second portion 34 of the base 12 and the stringers 110a,
110b include notches 112 spaced in a vertical direction. The rungs
100 are received in respectively associated pairs of the notches
112 and may be secured therein, for example, by fasteners or other
suitable structure.
[0020] The passageway 60 also includes passageway stringers 114a,
114b disposed on oppositely facing portions of the upper walls 62a,
62c generally above the chamber stringers 110a, 110b such that the
stairway 46 extends upwardly from the chamber 14 and through the
passageway 60. The passageway stringers 114a, 114b have pairs of
notches 116 for supporting rungs 100 in a generally vertically
spaced direction to provide a continuation of rungs 100 from
chamber 14.
[0021] The door assembly 70 may also include one or more rungs 100
provided on the door 76 such that the stairway 46 extends outwardly
from the passageway 60 when the door 76 is in the open position. In
this embodiment, the rungs 100 are secured to the door flanges 84a,
84b and are spaced apart in a generally vertical direction to
provide a continuation of the rungs 100 from the passageway 60.
Accordingly, the door 76 may be moved to the open position and
locked in place with the cylinders 78, for example, whereby persons
may enter or exit the chamber 14 using the rungs 100 provided in
the chamber 14 and passageway 60, and on the door 76.
[0022] Behind the rungs 100 of stairway 46 and within the recess 44
defined by the protruding rectangular prism portion 34 of the base
12 is a space 120. This space 120 may be used as a storage area for
tools, equipment, or provisions for persons using the shelter 10
during an emergency, such as during a tornado.
[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the shelter may further
include a faucet 126 within the chamber 14 and extending through a
chamber sidewall 18. Faucet 126 provides fluid communication
between the chamber 14 and the cavity 26 that is located between
the inner and outer walls 22, 24 of the base 12. In the embodiment
shown, the faucet 126 includes a spigot 128 communicating with the
cavity 26 and a manually adjustable knob 130 for controlling the
flow through the spigot 128, whereby liquid ballast material 28
stored in the cavity 26 may be withdrawn through the spigot 128.
When the ballast material 28 is water, the faucet 126 may be used
to draw water from the cavity 26 for use by occupants of the
shelter 10.
[0024] While the present invention has been illustrated by the
description of an embodiment thereof, and while the embodiment has
been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to
restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to
such detail. The various features shown and described herein may be
used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and
modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The
invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the
specific details, representative apparatus and method and
illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures
may be made from such details without departing from the scope or
spirit of the general inventive concept.
* * * * *