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US 5,184,436 AGranted
Portable utility structure
OwnerTed Sadlerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable structure is disclosed that may be easily assembled and disassembled. The structure has particular value in supplying emergency shelter in a disaster. The structure is formed from two boards which are stored in a folded condition, and which may be expanded to define an enclosure. The two boards are interconnected by tabs, such that the structure is easily assembled and disassembled.
Claims17
A portable utility structure comprising:
- at least two sidewall panels and at least one roof panel defining an enclosed space, wherein said panels include interlocking means for detachably securing said panels with adjacent panels to selectively maintain said portable utility structure in an erect state;
- and
- one or more of said sidewall panels include an opening, said opening is a door, which may be selectively opened or closed relative to said one sidewall panel, one edge of said door being integrally hinged with respect to said sidewall panel, and another edge has a clasp designed to selectively engage said sidewall panel, said clasp consisting of two parallel generally planar surfaces connected by at least two members extending perpendicularly to said surfaces, said clasp being movable within a channel formed in said door, said channel having an inner and outer edge such that when one of said members of said clasp contacts said outer edge of said channel, said clasp engages said sidewall panel, while said clasp does not engage said sidewall panel when one of said members contacts said inner edges of said channel.
A portable utility structure comprising:
- two sidewall panels, wherein each said sidewall panel is five-sided, a first side being of a first dimension extending between two ends, a second side being of a second dimension extending between two ends with one of said ends corresponding to one of said ends of said first side, a third side being of a third dimension extending between two ends with one of said ends corresponding to the other of said ends of said second side, a fourth side being of a dimension approximately equal to said third dimension extending between two ends with one of said ends corresponding to the other of said ends of said third side, and a fifth side being of a dimension approximately equal to said second dimension extending between two ends with one of said ends corresponding to the other of said ends of said fourth side and the other of said ends of said fifth side corresponding to the other of said ends of said first side;
- two upper roof panels having an inner and outer face, two longitudinally extending edges of a fourth dimension, with one edge being a lower longitudinal edge and the other an upper longitudinal edge, and two laterally entending edges of a dimension approximately equal to said third dimension, two lower roof panels with each lower roof panel comprising an inner and outer face, two longitudinally extending edges being of a dimension approximately equal to said fourth dimension, with one edge being a lower longitudinal edge and the other an upper longitudinal edge, and two laterally extending edges being of a dimension approximately equal to said second dimension;
- a first flap, consisting of an inner and outer face with a first and second side having two longitudinally extending edges with one edge being a lower longitudinal edge and the other an upper longitudinal edge, and two laterally extending edges;
- a first said lower roof panel, said lower longitudinal edge of said first lower roof panel being integrally hinged with said upper longitudinal edge of said first flap;
- a first said upper roof panel, said lower longitudinal edge of said first upper roof panel being integrally hinged with said upper longitudinal edge of said first lower roof panel;
- a second said upper roof panel, said upper longitudinal edge of said first upper roof panel being integrally hinged with said upper longitudinal edge of said second upper roof panel;
- a second said lower roof panel, said upper longitudinal edge of said second lower roof panel being integrally hinged with said lower longitudinal edge of said second upper roof panel;
- a second flap, consisting of an inner and outer face, two longitudinally extending edges with one edge being a lower longitudinal edge and the other an upper longitudinal edge, said upper longitudinal edge of said second flap being integrally hinged with said lower longitudinal edge of said second roof panel, such that when said portable utility structure is in assembled, said inner faces of said flaps are in contact with the ground and a downward force may be applied to said upper face of said first and second flaps;
- and
- interlocking means for detachably securing certain of said panels with adjacent panels to selectively maintain said portable utility structure in said erect state, said interlocking means including tabs associated with certain sides of a panel and adapted to pass through aligned apertures in said adjacent panels, said tabs being found at laterally outer edges of said panels, said laterally outer edges have tabs, and non-tab portions, said tabs extending though said openings, and said non-tab portions remaining outside said openings.
7 more elements
A portable utility structure comprising:
- at least two sidewall panels and at least one roof panel defining an enclosed space, wherein said panels include interlocking means for detachably securing said panels with adjacent panels to selectively maintain said portable utility structure in an erect state, said interlocking means including tabs associated with certain sides of said panel and adapted to pass through openings in said adjacent panels, said tabs being formed at laterally outer edges of said panels, said laterally outer edges having tabs, and non-tab portions, said tabs extending through said openings and said non-tab portions remaining outside said openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.