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US 8,136,303 B2Granted
Re-deployable above ground shelter
AssigneeOscar T. Scott, IV
InventorOscar T. Scott, IV
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Work crews temporarily operating in remote areas can be subject to dangers such as tornadoes, hurricanes and explosive blast waves. A re-deployable aboveground protective shelter suitable for use in such environments utilizes retractable stabilizing arms and/or passive valved ductwork to resist uplift, overturning and sliding. Because the protective shelter does not rely upon excessive weight to counter wind forces, the protective shelter can be quickly, easily and inexpensively redeployed to new sites.
Claims30
A protective shelter, comprising:
- an enclosure having an opening for ingress and egress, a sidewall, a roof, a floor coupled to the sidewall, and at least one support that elevates the floor from a substrate;
- a peripheral skirt extending toward the substrate to form a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the peripheral skirt and the floor;
- a plurality of air ducts communicating between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of air ducts houses a valve that permits airflow from the substantially enclosed sub-floor region to the exterior region and resists airflow from the exterior region to the substantially enclosed sub-floor region;
- and
- a stabilizer coupled to the enclosure, wherein the stabilizer is horizontally extendable from the sidewall of the enclosure to brace the enclosure against the substrate about the protective shelter in an extended position and is further retractable from the extended position.
2 more elements
A protective shelter, comprising:
- an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall;
- at least one support to elevate the floor from a substrate;
- a peripheral skirt extending toward the substrate to form a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the peripheral skirt, the substrate and the floor;
- and
- one or more air ducts communicating between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of air ducts houses a valve that permits airflow from the substantially enclosed sub-floor region to the exterior region and resists airflow from the exterior region to the substantially enclosed sub-floor region.
2 more elements
A protective shelter, comprising:
- an enclosure formed of welded metal plate, the enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall;
- at least one support to elevate the floor from a substrate;
- a peripheral skirt extending toward the substrate to form a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the peripheral skirt, the substrate and the floor;
- a plurality of air ducts communicating between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure, wherein each of the plurality of air ducts houses a valve that permits airflow from the substantially enclosed sub-floor region to the exterior region and resists airflow from the exterior region to the substantially enclosed sub-floor region;
- and
- at least one stabilizer, coupled to the enclosure, wherein the at least one stabilizer is horizontally extendable from the enclosure to contact a substrate in an extended position and retractable from the extended position.
3 more elements
A method of deploying a protective shelter, said method comprising:
- transporting, to an installation site having a substrate, a protective shelter including:
- an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall;
- at least support to elevate the floor from the substrate;
- one or more valved air ducts communicating between a region below the floor and an exterior region of the enclosure, and
- a peripheral skirt extending below the floor;
- and
- placing the protective shelter on the substrate such that the peripheral skirt forms a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the peripheral skirt, the substrate and the floor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.