PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BUILDINGS

Abstract

A system for a movable protective cover for buildings during severe weather. The system includes a base disposed beneath the surface of the ground; at least one structural support member movably coupled to the base and concealable within the base; a cover coupled to the at least one structural support member; and the at least one structural support member and the cover being moveable from a first position beneath the surface of the ground to a second position above the ground.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/293,752, filed Jan. 11, 2010, entitled PROTECTIVE COVER FOR BUILDINGS, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

n/a

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protective cover for buildings and other structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Severe weather, such as hurricanes, blizzards, floods, and tornados have caused and continue to cause catastrophic damage to infrastructure and dwellings, and have also resulted in many injuries and deaths. For example, it is estimated that the 2005 hurricane season caused 2,280 deaths and record damages of over $128 billion. This has necessitated and spurred the growth of contingency and emergency plans that include deployment of severe weather protection devices to mitigate the damage caused by severe weather to buildings and homes by severe weather. Also, looting and vandalism have also been problematic after severe weather events. In particular after hurricanes, where houses and buildings may be without power, security systems, or even a secure and stable structure, and as a result are vulnerable to intruders and vandals.

Presently, hurricane shutters are the most common system used to mitigate wind damage caused by severe weather such as tornados and hurricanes. Hurricane shutters help prevent windows from being broken by flying objects that may operate as projectiles during a storm. Shutters are frequently constructed from steel, aluminum, or plywood and are often affixed to the outside of a building with screws, hurricane clips, or a track system. Other shutters may be motorized, and may fold away when not in use. However, shutters fail to provide any protection for the roof, walls, as well as other structures and ornamentation and fail to provide little protection against looting and vandalism. And, the pressure caused by high velocity wind flowing over the roof can cause roof tiles to be dislodged or even collapse the entire roof.

As a result, what is needed is a stable, secure, and quickly deployable structure that shields the entire house, including the roof, from wind, fire, and projectile damage, and that may also provide power to the house.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention advantageously provides a system for a movable protective cover for buildings during severe weather. The system includes a base disposed beneath the surface of the ground; at least one structural support member movably coupled to the base and concealable within the base; a cover coupled to the at least one structural support member; and the at least one structural support member and the cover being moveable from a first position beneath the surface of the ground to a second position above the ground.

In another configuration, the system includes at least one moveable spar; a cover affixed to the at least one spar, the cover sized to span a roof of the house; a solar panel affixed to the surface of the cover, the solar panel being in electrical communication with the house.

In another configuration, the system includes a base disposed beneath the ground; a plurality of beams movably coupled to the base; a cover defining a mesh coupled to each of beam of the plurality of beams, the cover defining at least one door; the plurality of beams and the cover being movable from a first position beneath the surface of the ground to a second position above the ground; and a solar collection element affixed to the cover

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the severe weather protection system;

FIG. 2 is another front view of the severe weather protection system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing a base for the system disposed beneath the ground;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the severe protection system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the base for the system partially surrounding a house;

FIG. 5 is front view of another configuration of the severe weather protection system showing the base affixed to an eave of a house; and

FIG. 6 is a front view of the system of FIG. 1 showing a solar panel affixed to the cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now referring to figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 an exemplary severe weather protection system in accordance with the principles of the present invention generally referred to as “10.” The system 10 is configured to withstand and abate hurricane and tornado force winds of up to approximately 150 mph. The system 10 may include a cover 12 sized to enclose the entire area of a house or building or partially cover the same. The surface area of the cover 12 may be variable in size to accommodate differently sized houses or other structures. For example, the cover 12 may be sized to cover a home, an office building, a car, a plane, sensitive military equipment, or any other movable or fixed structure exposed to severe weather. The cover 12 may be flexible and be comprised of materials such as metals, fibers, fabrics, and plastics to withstand high force winds, as well as high velocity impact of wind propelled objects. The cover 12 may also be comprised of water resistant materials, may be opaque to provide privacy, may resist tearing such that it is difficult for intruders or vandals to penetrate after a storm, and may also be coated with a material having a low coefficient of friction such that debris, water, and snow do not accumulate on the surface of the cover 12.

The cover 12 may be fabricated to be entirely impermeable to air and/or water, or alternatively, define a myriad of shaped apertures that define a flexible and resilient mesh 14 or netting along the cover's surface. The mesh 14 may lend flexibility to the cover 12 and allow a portion of an incoming airflow to flow through the cover 12. The apertures may further reduce the force exerted by the incoming airflow on the house or roof, while simultaneously reducing the lift exerted on the cover 12. For example, if the incoming airflow has a velocity of 150 mph, the mesh 14 may operate to reduce the velocity of the incoming airflow to, for example, 30 mph, or any velocity, such that the lift force exerted on the house or roof is fractionally less when compared to the lift force that would be exerted on the roof by the ambient airflow velocity. Because the incoming airflow velocity may be reduced when it impacts the roof or house, the lift exerted on the cover may also be lessened, reducing the chance that the cover 12 may become dislodged. Alternatively, the cover 12 may be substantially transparent or translucent to allow light and heat to penetrate the cover 12. For example, the cover 12 may function as a movable greenhouse roof or an awning to block the sun. Optionally, the cover 12 may be painted or dyed any color.

The cover 12 may further form a domed structure about the house, building, car, plane or other structure. Other shaped structures, for example, ovoid, elliptical, rectangular, trapezoidal, pyramidal, or other non-symmetrical shapes are also contemplated by the present invention depending on the desired specifications and the particulars of the building or house to be enclosed. Alternatively, the cover 12 may form-fit to the surface of the house. In such an configuration, the cover 12 may be fitted or stretched about the surface of the house and lend direct support to the roof, for example, by applying pressure to the roof tiles. In such a configuration, the mesh 14 may be manually or automatically stretched about the house or building to be taught against the roof. The cover 12 may further define a first door or flap 16 defined by the cover 12 and positioned along the perimeter of the cover 12 to allow ingress and egress of people in an out of the cover 12 when deployed. The first door 16 may be zippered or Velcroed into the cover 12, or fabricated by other attachment mechanisms. A second door 18 may also be fabricated a top portion of the cover 12 when deployed. For example, in a configuration where the cover 12 forms a domed structure, the second door 18 may be fabricated at the highest point of the dome. The second door may 18 allow fluid flow of air or other gaseous particles into and out of the system 10 as well as allow access for cable, electrical, or other wires.

Continuing to refer to FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 10 may further include one or more structural support members 20 coupled to, tied to, or otherwise engaged with to the cover 12 and may operate as both structural support for the system and as a moveable arm for deployment of the cover 12. The structural support members 20 may positioned at various locations along the interior or exterior surface of the cover 12 to lend structure support to the system 10. The structural support members 20 may be elongate beams or spars, for example, I-beams, that may be coated or painted with water and fire resistant material. The structural support members 20 may further be elastic and flexible and may be any shape or size. Each structural support member 20 may be differently sized than an adjacent structural support member 16 or the same size to accommodate differently sized buildings or houses. One or more apertures (not shown) may be defined by the structural support members 20 such that the cover 12, or other materials such as rope, may be threaded through the apertures to aid in flexing and bending the structural support members 20 as desired. For example, a structural support member 16 may be substantially cylindrical and define apertures spaced approximately four to eight feet apart. In an exemplary configuration, eight steel structural support members 20 are symmetrically positioned about cover 12 such that movement of the structural support members 20 causes movement of the cover 12.

Optionally, one or more holes, for example, grommet holes may be defined around the edges of the cover 12 to mate with one or more hooks that may be coupled to the house or the structural support members 20. For example, the cover 12 may surround and contour a house and engage with the one more hooks to lock it in place when full deployed. This may be accomplished by movement of the structural support member 20 around the house while it places the cover 12 on the surface of the house.

Referring back now to FIG. 2, the space between each structural support member 20 spanned by the cover 12 may form a panel 22 that may be variable in size and dimension depending on the desired specifications. For example, the angular change from panel 22 to panel 22 may be established to inhibit lifting forces being generated by wind passage over the cover 12. Additionally, panels 22 and structural support members 20 may be modular, and added or removed from the system 10 to accommodate additions or subtractions to the building or house. The panel 22 configuration may further be established to prevent excess turbulence that could create additional structural stress. Additionally, the panel 22 configuration may be designed to minimize the Venturi effect such that neighboring houses or ornamentation is not adversely affected by the system 10. In another configuration, one structural support member 20 may used to deploy the cover 12 such that the single structural support member 20 operates as a movable arm to extend and retract the cover 12 about the house to form a dome. Optionally, the cover 12, and its particular configuration, may be tailored to the individual needs of the particular home. For example, the cover 12 may be used as a wall or fence around a home to provide privacy. In particular, the cover 12 may be deployed to a desired height above the ground and surround a portion of the home.

Now referring to FIG. 3, the system 10 may be secured or otherwise anchored and retractable within a base or foundation 24, such as concrete, metal, or other similar materials, that surrounds or borders a least a portion of the house or building. The base 24 may serve as both an anchor for the proximal end of the structural support members 20 and a locking base for the distal portions of the end structural support members 20 that approach the ground and/or to secure the base of the cover 12. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the base 24 is shown surrounding a portion of a home. The base 24 may positionable within an excavated recessed portion of the ground or a trench that is sized and dimensioned to retain and conceal the one or more structural support members 20 and the cover 12. For example, if a substantially elliptical cover 12 is used to cover the house or building, the recess may be elliptical in shape and 1-6 feet deep to accommodate the cover 12 and similarly shaped structural support members 20. In an exemplary configuration, the base 24 consists of concrete poured into the recess and has portions on opposite sides of the building being protected. If site conditions permit, the base 24 can completely surround the building. In another configuration, the base 24 may be approximately four feet to five feet away from the building or house and positioned on the full length of the building's largest dimension and half of the length of the shortest dimension on both sides. In this configuration, the base 24 may define a substantially U-shaped structure. The structural support members 20 may further be bolted or otherwise affixed to the base 24. The anchored portions of the structural support members 20 can be shock mounted so that they can minimally flex to compensate for turbulence induced vibration. For example, shocks or struts may separate one structural support member 20 from another to reduce the longitudinal compression on one structural support member 20 from another allow and to allow for flexing and bending of the structural support members 20 during a high wind event.

The system 10 may further have a slidable hatch 26, which may be a door and/or a flap that is mechanically, pneumatically, or electrically, or by other methods known in the art, actuated to open and close to allow the cover 12 and structural support members 20 to extend and move from beneath the recess and surround the house or building. The hatch 26 may be leveled with the ground so as to not cause any protrusion or raised surface that may be a hazard or an eyesore and may further operate to conceal the system 10. The hatch 26 may further operate to protect the cover 12 and structural support members 20 pre-deployment from outside elements such as wind, and water, and fire. The hatch 26 may be connected to a battery or power source independent of the power source for the corresponding structure to covered, for example, the house.

Now referring to FIG. 5, in another configuration the base 24 may be coupled to and span a portion of the roof of a building. For example, the base 24 may be anchored subjacent to the eave or the overhang of a gabled or hipped roof such that it remains at least partially concealed. In such a configuration, the base 24 may be sized to conceal the cover 12 and sized to cover the roof. The cover 12 may be folded within the base 24 and unfold and expand to cover the roof of the house when the system 10 is actuated. The base 24 may further include the hatch 26 that opens and closes to facilitate the unfolding of the cover 12. In such a configuration, a hook or latch may be included on the opposite eave of the house or building from the base for the cover 12 to couple with when fully deployed. For example, a hook may be affixed to the eave or any portion of the roof such that when the cover is fully extended it maintains its position. Posts or other guides (not shown) may be installed to provide a path for the cover 12 as it is deployed.

Now referring to FIG. 6, in another configuration, one or more solar energy collectors or photovoltaic panels 28 may be coupled to the exterior surface of the cover 12. The solar energy collectors 28 may be in electrical communication with the house or other structure and may be an alternate power source if power is cut-off during a severe weather event. For example, during a blizzard, snow and other debris may accumulate on the surface of the cover 12 and may further sever the power lines connected to the house. The solar energy collectors 28 operate to power the house when utility power is unavailable or to supplement utility power. Further, in the event of a blizzard snow may accumulate on the cover 12 and or roof in such amounts that the pressure applied by the snow may be sufficient to collapse the roof. To ameliorate such an event, the solar energy collectors 28 may alternatively be in communication with a separate power source and operate as a heating element to melt the accumulated snow on the cover 12.

In an exemplary operation, the system 10 may be actuated remotely via a controller or automatically by, for example, a wind, fire, or snow detection system that may be manually programmed to activate the system 10 at pre-designated detected wind velocities or fire. Upon detection of the pre-designated wind velocity, or by manual operation, a warning system may be activated, which may include flashing lights or sirens that alert people in proximity of the system 10 that it is about deploy. Such warning systems may operate from anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the desired lead time. Upon completion of the designated warnings, the system may then be deployed with electric, gas, hydraulic or pneumatic power actuation which deploys the system 10 at pre-designated speeds. If a motor in communication with a gear system is used to deploy the system 10, it may be disposed within a portion of the recess or otherwise shielded from the outside elements such as water. Should electrical power be unavailable, a hand crank may also be provided to manual activate the system 10. Also, the deployment mechanism may either be in electrical communication with the home or building's power supply or may alternatively have its own power supply such as a gas powered generator.

Safety systems such as lights and audible warning tones may also be provided during deployment or retraction of the system 10, as well as optical or contact sensors to interrupt deployment or retraction if an obstacle is sensed. For example, if a person, tree, power line, or cable line is in the path of the system 10 as it deploys, the system 10 may automatically sense these objects and interrupt deployment. Additionally, sensors, such as motion sensors may also be disposed on or around the cover 12 to prevent access by intruders. Optionally, a sprinkler system 30 may be included with the system 10 and coupled to the cover 12 and/or the support members 20. For example, one or more sprinkler heads 32 may be coupled to the support members 20, the sprinkler heads 32 being in fluid communication with a water source, for example, the water source connected to the house, through one or more pipes either disposed within or affixed to the structural support members 20. The sprinkler heads 32 may be telescoping such that they are substantially coplanar with the surface of the structural support members 20 or cover 12 when in an undeployed state. The sprinkler system 30 may further be in communication with the fire detection system, such that when a fire is detected the sprinkler heads 36 deploy and spray water onto the house.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A weather protection system, comprising:

a base disposed beneath the surface of the ground;

at least one beam movably coupled to and concealable within the base;

a cover coupled to the at least one beam; and

the at least one beam and the cover being moveable from a first position beneath the surface of the ground to a second position above the ground.

2. The weather protection system of claim 1, wherein the cover is sized to at least partially surround a house.

3. The weather protection system of claim 1, wherein the cover defines a mesh.

4. The weather protection system of claim 1, further comprising at least one solar energy collection element disposed on the surface of the cover.

5. The weather protection system of claim 1, wherein the cover is composed of fire resistant material.

6. The weather protection system of claim 1, wherein the beam and the cover are moveably actuated by a remote control.

7. The weather protection system of claim 1, wherein the cover defines at least one door.

8. The weather protection of system claim 1, further comprising at least one sprinkler head in fluid communication with a water source, the at least one sprinkler head coupled to the at least beam.

9. The weather protection system of claim 1, further comprising a heating element affixed to the cover.

10. The weather protection system of claim 1, further comprising a moveable hatch covering the base, the hatch being substantially coplanar with the ground.

11. A self powered severe weather protection system for a house, comprising:

at least one moveable spar;

a cover affixed to the at least one spar, the cover sized to span a roof of the house;

a solar panel affixed to the surface of the cover, the solar panel being in electrical communication with the house.

12. The weather protection system of claim 11, further comprising a foundation element anchored beneath the ground and sized to house and conceal the cover and the at least one spar.

13. The weather protection system of claim 11, further comprising a foundation element anchored subject to the roof and sized to house and conceal the cover and the at least one spar.

14. The weather protection system of claim 12, further comprising a slideable hatch concealing the foundation element and substantially coplanar with the ground.

15. The weather protection system of claim 11, further comprising a remote control operable to initiate movement of the at least on structural support element.

16. The weather protection system of claim 11, wherein the cover is fire resistant.

17. The weather protection system of claim 11, wherein the cover defines a mesh.

18. The weather protection system of claim 11, wherein the cover contours the roof.

19. The weather protection system of claim 11, wherein the cover is impermeable to water.

20. A weather protection system, comprising:

a base disposed beneath the ground;

a plurality of beams movably coupled to the base;

a cover defining a mesh coupled to each of beam of the plurality of beams, the cover defining at least one door;

the plurality of beams and the cover being movable from a first position beneath the surface of the ground to a second position above the ground; and

a solar collection element affixed to the cover.