Portable Foldable Shelter

Abstract

A portable shelter having a storage container and a roof and wall section that folds in 180.degree. folded configuration for storage in the storage container, leaving a large storage space in the lower portion of the container. Foldable roof support beams are stored below the roof and wall section in the container. End walls are hinged to floor sections which fold out from opposite sides of the storage container. Flysheets are secured to the roof and wall sections and have locking seals which attach to flanges on the central container endwalls and floor to provide seals. Leveling jacks are attached to the floor sections to level the floor of the shelter.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has been the common practice when providing troop shelters to build shelters that are somewhat permanent in nature, though they may be called portable shelters. However, the need for relocation and mobility in limited warfare situations requires lightweight, highly mobile shelters. Experience has proven that troops living in an austere situation will continue to elevate their standard of living utilizing any free time available. A design which would avoid this environmental deficiency would make more man-hours available to be devoted to the assigned tasks.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to this invention a lightweight 100 percent recoverable portable shelter which may be stored in storage container 3.times. 8.times.13.times.feet expands into a shelter 8.times.13.times.33 feet. A novel folding pattern for the wall and roof of an accordion-type structure permits the walls and roof to fold in a 180.degree. configuration for storage to leave about 160 cubic feet of storage area for personal gear such as cots, pillows and other gear. Folding end walls and floor members unfold from the sides of the storage container. Foldable roof support beams are secured to the center structure and end walls. The accordion wall and roof structure is secured to the center structure, floor and end walls with special type seals.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully erected shelter of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially cutaway view of the shelter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the shelter of FIG. 1 in its stored condition.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one wall and roof section for the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows the scoring system for the device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows one of the fold lines of the device of FIG. 4 in its fully folded condition.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 1 with one of the floor and end wall sections in its partially extended position.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 7 in a further extended position.

FIG. 9 shows floor leveling jacks attached to the floor section.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged illustration showing a partially cut away view of a leveling jack attached to the floor section.

FIG. 11 shows one of the foldable support beams for the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 shows the locking mechanism for the device of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows the attachment for the support beam of FIG. 11 and an end wall of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 shows the support and temporary support for the support beam within the central storage section.

FIG. 15 shows the central storage section end of the support beam of FIG. 11 with a roof retainer.

FIG. 16 shows the connection between opposing beams within the central storage section.

FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration showing the support beams and roof and wall section stored within the central storage section.

FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the supports for the support beams in the central storage section.

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the device of FIG. 1 with one of the roof and wall sections partially extended.

FIG. 20 shows the attachment of the roof section to the central storage section.

FIG. 21 shows the attachment used for attaching roof and wall section to the end wall and the wall section to the central storage section.

FIG. 22 shows the attachment used to attach the wall section to the floor section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing which shows a shelter 10 having a central storage section 12, a pair of end wall sections 14, a pair of expansible roof members 15 and wall sections 16, roof support beams 18 and a pair of floor sections 20. When the shelter is packed for movement, the roof and wall sections 15 and 16, support beams 18, floor sections 20 and end walls 14 are stored in the central storage section 12, as shown in FIG. 3.

The roof and wall members 15 and 16 are made by scoring a plastic-coated polyurethane foam board in the pattern shown in FIG. 4 in the manner shown in FIG. 5, wherein die blocks 22 provide a double indentation to form a folded configuration as shown in FIG. 6. The positive folds are shown as broken lines 23 and the negative folds are shown as dotted lines 24. The juncture of the roof and wall sections shown generally at 25, in FIG. 1, has positive folds 23' forming inverted approximately 90.degree. angles and the portion 24" between the vertices having an opposite fold to the fold 23 outside the vertices. Also portion 23" has the opposite fold to the fold portion 24 outside the juncture section. This fold configuration permits a 180.degree. fold of the wall sections 16.

Bottom flaps 27 and 28 are taped together to form a substantially straight line edge for attachment to the floor member, as will be explained later.

Hinges 26 connect the floor sections to the central section and end wall and the two parts of the floor section together so that the floor and end walls fold out from the center storage section 12, in the manner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Jacks 30 are attached to floor studs 29, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The jacks 30 are used to level the floor. A latch mechanism for securing the floor members 20 in storage section 12 is shown at 19.

Foldable beams 18, shown in greater detail in FIGS. 11 and 12, are hinged at 31 with the ends brought together and secured by turnable hooks 32 which engage pins 33. The ends 34 of beam 18 are secured to end wall 14 in the manner shown in FIG. 13. At the storage section end, flange 36, as shown in FIG. 14, fits into the end 35 of beam 18, shown in FIG. 15. The beams from one side of the shelter are placed in hangers 38 until the other side of the shelter is erected. The ends 35 are placed on flanges 36, when both sides of the shelter have been erected, and the ends are secured by latches 39, as shown in FIG. 16.

The roof 15 and walls 16 are stored in the position shown in FIG. 17. Straps 42 and 43 pass through loops 45 attached to the central storage container 12 and support the folded roof and wall sections 15 and 16. Folded beams 18 are supported on flanges 47 within the container 12. Items shown schematically at 49, such as tool kits may be stored on the beams 18. Also the jacks may be stored on beams 18 and may be taken out through access door 21. The compartment 51 below the beam may be used for personal items such as beds. Other items, such as exhaust fan 53, may also be located in the storage compartment 51.

After the support beams are in place, the roof and wall section is extended as shown in FIG. 19. The roof is secured to the center section, as at 55, in FIG. 20. A flysheet 57 is secured to flange 58 by a fastener 60 to form a weather seal between the roof and the container. Similar weather seals are provided by means of flysheets 62, flanges 63 and fasteners 64 between the roof and wall and the end wall as shown in FIG. 21. Also, a similar seal is provided between the wall 16 and the center container. The wall 16 is secured to the floor by means of flysheets 66, flanges 67 and fasteners 68 as shown in FIG. 22. The roof 15 is then secured to beams 18 by means of straps 37, shown in FIG. 15.

The wall of the central section, floor, and end wall are made of conventional honeycomb material to reduce the weight; however, other lightweight material could be used.

Though the end walls have been described as hinged to the floor members, in some applications the end walls can be separate from the floor members.

Means other than jacks can be used for leveling, for example, adjustable floor pads.

There is thus provided a lightweight, easily constructed, 100 percent recoverable shelter that can be erected in about 4 man-hours and which stores in a compact storage container.

Claims

We claim:

1. A portable shelter, comprising: a storage container adapted to form the central portion of said shelter; a first floor member being hinged to one side of said container and a second floor member being hinged to the other side of said container; each floor member comprising a pair of hinged floor sections; an end wall member hinged to the outer end of each outermost floor section of said floor members; said end wall members being foldable with said floor members into opposite sides of said storage container with one of the hinged portions of each of the floor sections forming the sides of said storage container; a pair of accordion-type roof and wall sections connected to said storage container and extensible from opposite sides of the storage container toward said end wall members; said roof and wall sections being formed from flat sheets of foamboard with the roof and walls being formed in accordion-type pleats; the direction of the fold at the joints between the roof and walls being in the opposite direction to the fold of each of the folds in the remainder of the roof and wall members; the fold in one direction at the joint of the roof and wall sections being longer than the folds in the other direction; said folds in the joint being interconnected by folds in the same direction as the shorter of the folds of the roof and wall joint with said interconnecting folds being on lines forming approximately 90.degree. angles in the unfolded state with the apices of the angles being located at the junction of the folds of the roof and wall joints and the opposite folds of the roof and wall sections whereby said walls extend substantially parallel to said roofs in said storage container; a plurality of roof support beams; means for supporting one end of said beams in said storage container; means for supporting the other end of said beams on said end walls; means for sealing the roof and wall sections to said storage container said end wall and said floor members and means for supporting said roof and wall sections and said support beams within said storage container.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein said support beams are hinged a predetermined distance from one end whereby said beam can be folded for storage in said container; means positioned adjacent the hinge joint for locking said beam in its extended position.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 wherein the means for sealing the roof and wall sections to the end walls, floors and central container include flanges on said end walls, floors and central container and resilient means connected to said roof and wall sections for engaging said flanges.