US 6,629,388 B2Granted

Portable garage with ballast-containing walls

AssigneeHandi-hut shelters, L.L.C.

InventorMelvin Cohen

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The disclosure describes a portable garage with a ballast-containing base. The garage is assembled at a site without physical attachment thereto and disassembled for erection at another site. Each elongated base segment extending along the sidewall of the garage has a cavity therein for receiving ballast which stabilizes the structure. The bases have extensions which interlock and overlie connector portions. Apertures through the connectors have a metal sleeve housing support columns and, upon the sidewall being assembled, these columns are vertically disposed. Between support members a prefabricated roof is attached. The ballast-container is a lightweight, molded plastic construct of high-impact, UV resistant material. The base is equipped with suitable inlet and outlet ports for the addition and removal of ballast.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A portable garage mountable on the surface of a site, said portable garage for protecting an automobile parked therein comprising:

two or more wall bases having a lower face adapted for emplacement on said surface, each of said wall bases being hollow and adapted to receive ballast therewithin, and having an upper portion with an extending longitudinal part extending beyond said lower face thereof;
a plurality of base connectors, each adjacent to one of said wall bases and extending below said extending longitudinal part of said one of said wall bases, each of said base connectors disposed, upon ballast being added to said adjacent one of said wall bases, to be held down thereby;
a plurality of open-ended metal sleeve members, each of said sleeve members in one of said base connectors, each said one of said sleeve members, upon erection of said portable garage, extending substantially vertically through the respective one of said base connectors;
a plurality of support members each disposed in one of said open-ended sleeve members, said support members for supporting walls and a roof structure;
a roof extending between said support members adapted to protect said automobile parked thereunder;
and
whereby, upon filling one or more of said first base portions with ballast, the structure becomes stabilized without an excavated foundation.

4 more elements

A portable shelter mountable on the surface of a site, said portable shelter assembled from interlocking components for assemblage on said site and for disassemblage and re-assemblage on another site, said portable shelter for protecting an automobile comprising:

a wall base with a lower face adapted for emplacement on said surface of said site, said wall base being an elongated body molded from a thermoplastic material and having a cavity therewithin adapted to receive ballast, said wall base, in turn, comprising:
an upper wall base portion having extensions extending longitudinally beyond said lower face;
a keyway in said extension of said upper wall base portion adapted to interlock with a spline-containing component;
a base connector having a stepped configuration molded from a thermoplastic material and, when placed in an abutting relation with said wall base, said upper wall base portion is adapted to overhang a step of said base connector, said base connector, in turn, further comprising:
an upper base connector portion having a spline molded thereinto, said spline adapted to interlock with said keyway of said wall base;
an open-ended sleeve member molded into and substantially vertically disposed within said base connector;
and,
a support member disposed in said sleeve member and adapted to support wall and roof components;
whereby, upon filling said wall base with ballast the structure becomes stabilized without an excavated foundation.

6 more elements

A shopping cart corral mountable on the surface of a site, said shopping cart corral assembled from interlocking components for assemblage on said site and for disassemblage and re-assemblage on another site, said shopping cart corral for gathering shopping carts therewithin comprising:

a wall base with a lower face adapted for emplacement on said surface of said site, said wall base being an elongated body molded from a thermoplastic material and having a cavity therewithin adapted to receive ballast, said wall base, in turn, comprising:
an upper wall base portion having extensions extending longitudinally beyond said lower surface;
a keyway in said extension of said upper wall base portion adapted to interlock with a spline-containing component;
a base connector having a stepped configuration molded from a thermoplastic material and, when placed in an abutting relation with said wall base, said upper wall base portion is adapted to overhang a step of said base connector, said base connector, in turn, further comprising:
an upper base connector portion having a spline molded thereinto, said spline adapted to interlock with said keyway of said wall base;
an open-ended sleeve member molded into and substantially vertically disposed within said base connector;
and,
a support member disposed in said sleeve member and adapted to support wall and roof components;
whereby, upon filling said wall base with ballast the structure becomes stabilized without an excavated foundation.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/256,369Filed 27 Sep 2002 · continuation in part
Priority: 21 Dec 2000
Published: US 2003/0024173 A16 Feb 2003
Granted: 7 Oct 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

E04H 6/04
Small garages, e.g. for one or two cars: wheeled, hinged, foldable, telescopic, swinging or otherwise movable
Y10S 248/91
Supports: weighted base
E04H
Buildings or like structures for particular purposes
Y10S
Technical subjects covered by former uspc cross-reference art collections [xracs] and digests

Family

Application09/745,128Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 21 Dec 2000
US 2003/0024173 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Feb 2003
US 6,493,997 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2002/0144468 A1Published application
US 6,629,388 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.