Convertible protective shelter
OwnerGang Lianginventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A convertible protective shelter for people to shelter and stay in during unsafe situations, such as earthquakes and windstorms. The shelter can protect occupants from falling materials or debris. This shelter is readily convertible into a table for general household use when it is not required, and can be readily deployed when it is required. A plurality of elongate support members which form the arched structure of the shelter may be converted into leg structures for the undeployed shelter (table). The shelter can also be provided with at least one protective door, which optionally can be foldable to facilitate storage of the protective door when the shelter is not in use.
Claims9
A convertible protective shelter, convertible from an undeployed position to a deployed position, the protective shelter in the undeployed position comprising:
- a top surface;
- a lower surface, affixed to the top surface and situated below the top surface, the lower surface having a first edge, and a second edge, the second edge diametrically opposite the first edge;
- a first leg structure comprising a plurality of first support members;
- and
- and a second leg structure comprising a plurality of second support members;
- wherein each of the first and second support members is elongate, is substantially uniform along its length, and has a cross-section that is substantially trapezoid-shaped,
- wherein a first upper support member of the plurality of first support members is pivotably connected to the first edge via an upper first hinged connection, and a second upper support member of the plurality of second support members is pivotably connected to the second edge via an upper second hinged connection,
- wherein each adjacent pair of first support members is pivotably connected via a respective hinged connection, and each adjacent pair of second support members is pivotably connected via a respective hinged connection,
- wherein each adjacent pair of hinged connections of the first leg structure are configured to alternate between being disposed on an inward-facing surface of the first leg structure, and being disposed on an opposite outward-facing surface of the first leg structure, and each adjacent pair of hinged connections in the second leg structure are configured to alternate between being disposed on an inward-facing surface of the second leg structure and being disposed on an opposite outward-facing surface of the second leg structure,
- wherein the protective shelter is configured to convert from the undeployed position to the deployed position via pivotal rotation of the first support members about the first hinged connection and their respective hinged connections, and via pivotal rotation of the second support members about the second hinged connection and their respective hinged connections, thereby forming, together with the lower surface, a substantially arch-shaped arched structure, and
- wherein the arched structure defines a shelter space therebelow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.