U.S. patent application number 14/000573 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for shelter.
The applicant listed for this patent is Michael Jon Albans-Jackson, Michael Jon Rokk, Garry Jan Zielinski. Invention is credited to Michael Jon Albans-Jackson, Michael Jon Rokk, Garry Jan Zielinski.
Application Number | 20140033631 14/000573 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43881402 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140033631 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rokk; Michael Jon ; et
al. |
February 6, 2014 |
SHELTER
Abstract
A panel element (2) for use in constructing a shelter is
disclosed. The panel element comprises a body portion (4), first
locking means (8) mounted to the body portion, and second locking
means (6) mounted to the body portion. The first locking means
comprises an elongate member (10) having a plurality of apertures
(8) therein, and the second locking means comprises a plurality of
locking elements (6) moveable relative to the body portion between
a storage position and a deployed position. In the deployed
position, the locking elements engage respective apertures of a
first locking means of a further panel element to urge the further
panel element towards the first panel element.
Inventors: |
Rokk; Michael Jon;
(Hartlepool, GB) ; Zielinski; Garry Jan;
(Hartlepool, GB) ; Albans-Jackson; Michael Jon;
(Scotton, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Rokk; Michael Jon
Zielinski; Garry Jan
Albans-Jackson; Michael Jon |
Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Scotton |
|
GB
GB
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
43881402 |
Appl. No.: |
14/000573 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
February 10, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2012/050294 |
371 Date: |
October 15, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/582.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 1/34321 20130101;
E04B 1/6183 20130101; E04H 9/00 20130101; E04H 9/10 20130101; F41H
5/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/582.2 |
International
Class: |
F41H 5/24 20060101
F41H005/24; E04H 9/00 20060101 E04H009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 21, 2011 |
GB |
1102944.4 |
Claims
1. A panel element for use in constructing a shelter, the panel
element comprising a body portion, at least one first locking
device mounted to the body portion, and at least one second locking
device mounted to the body portion, wherein at least one said first
locking device comprises respective elongate member having a
respective plurality of apertures therein, and at least one said
second locking device comprises a respective plurality of locking
elements moveable relative to the body portion between a storage
position and a deployed position, in which a plurality of said
locking elements in the deployed position engage respective
apertures of at least one first locking device of a further said
panel element to urge said further panel element towards said panel
element.
2. A panel element according to claim 1, wherein at least one said
locking element is a cam lock having a cam portion rotatably
mounted to the body.
3. A panel element according to claim 1, wherein the panel element
comprises an inner sheet, an outer sheet and thermal insulation
material located between said inner and outer sheets.
4. A panel element according to claim 3, further comprising a sheet
of ballistic material mounted to the inner and/or outer sheets.
5. A foldable support for use in a blast resistant barrier for
protection of a shelter, the support comprising a body including
first and second sheets interconnected by a plurality of flexible
tensile members to define a plurality of chambers for receiving
filler material.
6. A support according to claim 5, wherein said first and second
sheets are flexible.
7. A support according to claim 5, wherein the first and second
sheets are interconnected by a base member for forming a widened
base of the support in use.
8. A shelter comprising an inner compartment formed from a
plurality of panel elements according to claim 1, and at least one
barrier member formed from a foldable support according to claim 5
and spaced from the inner compartment in use.
9. A shelter according to claim 8, wherein the shelter comprises at
least one cover member adapted to cover at least part of an upper
surface of the inner compartment.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to shelters, and relates
particularly, but not exclusively, to shelters for use in hostile
environments such as during military or disaster relief
operations.
[0002] One known shelter for use in protecting occupants during
military operations uses wire mesh material to form hollow chambers
which then accommodate infill materials such as rocks to form the
protective walls of a shelter. However, this arrangement suffers
from the drawback that it is large and expensive to deploy, cannot
easily be dismantled and redeployed, and is open to the atmosphere
in use, and is therefore unsuitable for medical use. Furthermore,
the shelter requires large amounts of time, manpower and infill
material to construct.
[0003] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to
overcome one or more of the above disadvantages of the prior
art.
[0004] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a panel element for use in constructing a shelter, the
panel element comprising a body portion, first locking means
mounted to the body portion, and second locking means mounted to
the body portion, wherein said first locking means comprises an
elongate member having a plurality of apertures therein, and said
second locking means comprises a plurality of locking elements
moveable relative to the body portion between a storage position
and a deployed position, in which a plurality of said locking
elements in the deployed position engage respective apertures of a
first locking means of a further said panel element to urge said
further panel element towards said panel element.
[0005] By providing said second locking means comprising a
plurality of locking elements moveable relative to the body portion
between a storage position and a deployed position, in which a
plurality of said locking elements in the deployed position engage
respective apertures of a first locking means of a further said
panel element to urge said further panel element towards said panel
element, this provides the advantage of enabling secure joints
between adjacent panel elements to be made, while distributing the
engaging forces along the length of the elongate member of the
first locking means, thereby reducing the likelihood of failure of
the joint.
[0006] At least one said locking element may be a cam lock having a
cam portion rotatably mounted to the body.
[0007] This provides the advantage of enabling the locking element
to be pivoted between the storage and deployed positions thereof by
means of a single tool, thereby making a shelter comprising the
panel element easier and less time consuming to construct.
[0008] The panel element may comprise an inner sheet, an outer
sheet and thermal insulation material located between said inner
and outer sheets.
[0009] The panel element may further comprise a sheet of ballistic
material mounted to the inner and/or outer sheets.
[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a foldable support for use in a blast resistant barrier
for protection of a shelter, the support comprising a body
including first and second sheets interconnected by a plurality of
flexible tensile members to define a plurality of chambers for
receiving filler material.
[0011] By providing first and second sheets interconnected by a
plurality of flexible tensile members to define a plurality of
chambers for receiving filler material, this provides the advantage
of enabling the support to be folded, or packed substantially flat
for storage and transport, while enabling a robust blast resistant
structure to be formed when filled with filler material such as
sand or soil.
[0012] Said first and second sheets may be flexible.
[0013] This provides the advantage of enabling further compact
storage of the support.
[0014] The first and second sheets may be interconnected by a base
member for forming a widened base of the support in use.
[0015] According to a further aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a shelter comprising an inner compartment formed
from a plurality of panel elements as defined above, and at least
one barrier member formed from a foldable support as defined above
and spaced from the inner compartment in use.
[0016] This provides the advantage of causing an explosive device
projected towards the shelter to detonate in the space between the
inner compartment and the barrier member, thereby minimising risk
of injury to the occupants of the inner compartment.
[0017] The shelter may comprise at least one cover member adapted
to cover at least part of an upper surface of the inner
compartment.
[0018] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described, by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense,
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0019] FIG. 1a is a side view of a panel element for use in
constructing a shelter, the panel element shown being a first
configuration of a wall panel element;
[0020] FIG. 1b is a side view of a second configuration of a wall
panel element;
[0021] FIG. 1c is a side view of a third configuration of a wall
panel element;
[0022] FIG. 1d is a side view of a fourth configuration of a wall
panel element;
[0023] FIG. 2a is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of
FIG. 1a;
[0024] FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of
FIG. 1b;
[0025] FIG. 2c is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of
FIG. 1c;
[0026] FIG. 2d is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of
FIG. 1d;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of
FIG. 1b;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a close-up detail view of detail A and detail B of
FIG. 3;
[0029] FIG. 5a is a side view of a panel element for use in
constructing a shelter, the panel element being a first
configuration of a roof panel element;
[0030] FIG. 5b is a side view of a second configuration of a roof
panel element;
[0031] FIG. 5c is a side view of a third configuration of a roof
panel element;
[0032] FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of
FIG. 5a;
[0033] FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of
FIG. 5b;
[0034] FIG. 6c is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of
FIG. 5c;
[0035] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of
FIG. 5a;
[0036] FIG. 8 is a close up of details A and B of FIG. 7;
[0037] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the interconnection
between a wall panel element and roof panel element;
[0038] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cam lock;
[0039] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing an operator using a key
to operate a cam lock of FIG. 10;
[0040] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a wall panel element;
[0041] FIG. 13 is a partially exploded schematic view showing a
shelter partially constructed from a plurality of wall and roof
elements;
[0042] FIG. 14 is a cut-away perspective view of the internal
configuration of a panel element;
[0043] FIG. 15a is a front perspective view of a foldable support
according to the present invention shown in the expanded
condition;
[0044] FIG. 15b is a front perspective view of the foldable support
showing webbing used for interconnection;
[0045] FIG. 15c is a rear perspective view of the foldable support
showing webbing used for interconnection;
[0046] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the foldable support of
FIG. 15 in the folded condition;
[0047] FIG. 17 is a side view of the foldable support of FIGS. 15
and 16;
[0048] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a shelter constructed
from a plurality of panel elements partially surrounded by a
foldable support;
[0049] FIG. 19 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the
shelter of FIG. 18 surrounded by a trigger sheet roof; and
[0050] FIG. 20 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the
shelter of FIG. 18 surrounded by a trigger sheet roof.
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 12, a panel element 2 for use in
constructing a shelter comprises a body portion 4, first locking
means 8 mounted to the body portion and second locking means 6
mounted to the body portion, wherein the first locking means 8
comprises an elongate member 10 having a plurality of apertures 8
therein and said second locking means comprises a plurality of
locking elements 6 movable relative to the body portion between a
storage position and a deployed position.
[0052] The locking elements 6 in the deployed position are adapted
to engage respective apertures 8 of the first locking means of a
further panel element 2. This urges the further panel elements 2
towards each other. In this way, a shelter can be rapidly
constructed by interconnection of a plurality of floor, wall and
roof panels.
[0053] FIGS. 1 and 2 show wall panel elements suitable for
constructing the walls of a shelter. Locking element 6 may be a cam
lock as shown in FIG. 10. The locking element 6 is a cam portion
mounted to a rotatable barrel (not shown) that can be rotated by
means of a key 12 (FIG. 11). Key 12 can be used to rotate a
plurality of locking elements 6 by means of a suitable mechanical
interconnection between the respective barrels. As can seen from
FIGS. 2a to 2d, by having different arrangements of cam locking
portions 6 rotatable by means of a key 12 and different
configurations of apertures 8 disposed in elongate members 10, the
panel members can be used to form either straight wall portions or
the corners of a shelter.
[0054] FIGS. 5 to 8 show different configurations of panel elements
that form roof panels. The roof panels operate in the same way, by
using cam locking elements 6 rotatable by means of a key 12 and
apertures 8 disposed in elongate members 10.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 14, panel element 2, which may either be a
wall panel as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a roof panel as shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6 or another type of panel such as a floor panel or
internal divider, is formed in a laminated structure comprising an
inner sheet 20 and outer sheet 22 enclosing a thermal insulation
material 24. Inner and outer sheets 20 and 22 may be formed
oriented strand board. Thermal insulation material 24 comprises a
foam material. A ballistic sheet 26 and 28 may be applied to the
outsides of the inner and outer panels to increase the resistance
of the panel to attack from ballistic projectiles such as bullets
and rocket propelled grenades.
[0056] In order to increase the strength of the panels 2, elongate
member 10 may be formed from a sheet of metal and comprise a
plurality of apertures 8. This means that the cam locks 6 engage
sheet 10 rather than the foam core to interlock adjacent panels.
Consequently, in order to construct a shelter 30 as shown in FIG.
13, a plurality of panels 2 are interconnected by lining up
respective apertures with cam locks 6. Key 12 is then used to
rotate the cam locks 6 and interconnect with the panels.
[0057] Referring to FIGS. 15a to 17, a foldable support shown
generally by 100 for use in a blast resistant barrier for
protection of a shelter comprises a body including first 102 and
second 104 sheets interconnected by a plurality of flexible tensile
members 106 to define a plurality of chambers 108 for receiving
filler material. First and second sheets 102 and 104 are formed
from a strong material such as vinyl or Kevlar. In the expanded
condition as shown in FIG. 15, chambers 108 can be filled with
sand, soli or other readily available material to form a barrier
that can be rapidly assembled and is resistant to blasts from
ballistic projectiles. The first 102 and second 104 sheets are
interconnected by a base member 110 for forming a widened base of
the support. FIGS. 15b and 15c show lengths of webbing 114 and
eyelets 116 that are used to interconnect the foldable supports
100. A metal frame (not shown) can also be used to provide support
to the edges of support 100.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 18 to 20, a shelter comprises a inner
compartment 30 formed from a plurality of panel elements 2 and at
least one barrier member formed from a foldable support 100. A
space 32 is provided between the shelter 30 and foldable support
100. Consequently, if a ballistic projectile, such as a rocket
propelled grenade is fired at the shelter, the filled foldable
support 100 is be impacted by the rocket propelled grenade. This
will trigger the fuse of the rocket propelled grenade such that the
blast will propagate in gap 32 and be directed around inner
compartment 30. Consequently, this will reduce potential damage to
inner compartment 30 and reduce potential risk to personnel inside
inner compartment 30.
[0059] To further increase resistance to attack, referring to FIGS.
19 and 20, a trigger sheet 120 can be mounted around the shelter to
provide a trigger for projective weapons.
[0060] Trigger sheet 120 is supported by a frame assembly 122.
Consequently, the shelter and foldable barrier member described
provides a modular, flat pack and rapidly deployable and
redeployable shelter for use in defensive, peacekeeping and
disaster relief situations. This apparatus is designed to provide
occupant protection from the dynamic effects of a blast following
detonation of an improvised explosive device, thermobaric and
fragmenting mortar bombs and devices such as 120 mm mortar and
rocket propelled grenades. This shelter system also protects
occupants from attack by ballistic devices such as armour piercing
high velocity bullets up to 58 calibre.
[0061] The following advantages are also provided by this
system:
[0062] Assembled with a single tool
[0063] Modular
[0064] Flat packed
[0065] Each panel can be man-handled
[0066] No requirement for mechanical handling equipment
[0067] Very high thermal insulation properties
[0068] Deployable in less than 1 hour
[0069] Re-deployable within 2 hours
[0070] Blast protection from IED, mortar and RPG
[0071] Ballistic protection up to 58 calibre
[0072] Lightweight
[0073] Scalable upwards from circa 6 square metres in a variety of
configurations (long & thin, square, `L` shaped, `H` shaped,
citadel shaped'
[0074] Deployable via road, helicopter, air-drop pallet from cargo
aircraft
[0075] Sandwich plate construction of anti-ballistic material and
structural components
[0076] Provide with or without ballistic protection
[0077] 5 basic components to build a shelter (roof, floor, door and
2.times. types of wall panel)
[0078] Symmetrical pallet loading enables users to select any 2
pallets to construct single shelter
[0079] Withstand environmental extremes (A2 climate)
[0080] Withstand helicopter downwash
[0081] Weather shield also acts as pre-detonation `trigger` screen
for devices with SQ fuses (contact fuses).
[0082] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the above embodiments have been described by way of example only
and not in any limitative sense, and that the various alterations
and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of
the invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *