Earthquake shelter

Abstract

An earthquake shelter comprising a container sized for human occupancy, the container having walls and an access opening and a quickly openable and closable primary door to cover and uncover the opening, the container walls and door consisting of high strength panel material, in excess of 10,000 psi load resistance; the container supported for sliding movement compensating for earthquake induced movement of a supporting surface, with shock or impact absorbing cushioning means at the container interior, to cushion sudden movement of an occupant relative to the container as the container is suddenly moved by earthquake transmitted force.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to survival during earthquakes in local, accessible shelters quickly usable at the beginning of earthquakes and during their continuance.

There is need for efficient, durable and highly accessible shelters installable in buildings for rapid access and use during earthquakes.

In particular, there is need for portable shelters as described herein having the multiple functions and very desirable elements to be described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major object of the invention to provide an improved protective shelter, easily installable in a building structure, for rapid access and use during an earthquake. Basically the shelter comprises:

a) a container sized for human occupancy, the container having walls and an access opening and a quickly openable and closable primary door to cover and uncover said opening,

b) the container walls and door consisting of high strength panel material, in excess of 10,000 psi load resistance,

c) the container supported for sliding movement compensating for earthquake induced sideward movement of a supporting surface,

d) shock or impact absorbing cushioning means at the container interior, to cushion sudden movement of an occupant relative to the container as the container is suddenly moved by earthquake transmitted force.

In this regard, provision may be made to cushion vertical, i.e. up and down earthquake induced movement of the container, operating in conjunction with sideward sliding compensation.

As will be seen, the door is constructed to easily slide open and closed at a side of the container; and a secondary door may be provided for use and during escape from the container, and is easily openable by an occupant of the container chamber in the event the primary door becomes inoperable as by jamming of building debris against the container.

Another object is to provide shelter walls constructed of non-metallic, high strength material such as

• • i) DELRIN,
  • ii) KEVLAR,
  • iii) polycarbonate.

A further object is to provide a storage sub-container contained within the container, the sub-container having wall structure consisting of high strength panel material and being accessible to an occupant of the container.

Yet another object is to provide a durable window or windows provided in container walls enabling occupant viewing of building debris adjacent or spaced from the container to provide an escape path or route. Also, an openable and closable air vent is provided in a container high strength wall or panel. A high strength storage area is provided in the container, as for example a high strength wall, for equipment such as

• • i) communication equipment,
  • ii) a cell phone or phones,
  • iii) edibles,
  • iv) illumination equipment,
  • v) oxygen supply means.
    Wall of the container are of sufficient thickness and size to withstand shock loads to be encountered during building destruction during an earthquake.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred apparatus;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are fragmentary views of window and air vent components provide in a high strength wall;

FIG. 4 is a section in elevation showing features of shelter construction;

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 4, showing further details of shelter construction;

FIG. 6 is a section taken in elevation on lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows a combined vertical cushioning, and lateral sliding compensation, mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, showing a preferred example, the earthquake shelter 100 is shown to comprise a longitudinally elongated container 10 sized for human occupancy, and including elongated top and bottom walls or panels 11 and 12, supported by elongated upright laterally spaced front and rear walls 13 and 14, and end walls or panels 15 and 16. Such walls may typically be between 1 and 2 inches thick and consist of very high strength material such as KEVLAR, DELRIN or polycarbonate sheet plastic material. Corners may be connected by fasteners as at 20 seen in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the panels may be integrally connected at corners, as during molding. A building floor is schematically indicated at 22, and an overhead building horizontal structure at 23, these being subject to collapse, or partial collapse during an earthquake, with falling debris striking the shelter 10 constructed to withstand such impact. Low friction slider plates 24 are connected to the bottom panel 12, at its corners, and serve to allow limited sliding of the shelter, laterally or horizontally, to compensate for earthquake induced lateral motion transmitted as by building floor 22.

FIG. 7 shows provision of a dash-pot type cushioning means 80, operating to cushion i.e. dampen, vertical motion of the container, in conjunction with slider plate compensation for lateral motion. One such means 80 as shown in FIG. 7, includes at one or more corners of the container, a helical spring 81 installed in a recess 83 in the container, and confined between recess interior wall 85 and the top surface 24a of plate 24. The spring frictionally rubs against recess side wall 83a as the spring is compressively displaced endwise, due to impact loading on and displacement of the container, clamping container displacement. See also plunger 95 rubbing against bore 96 as the spring compresses, and also acting as a vertical guide.

The panel 13 forms or defines a front opening 30 sized to permit rapid human access or entry into the container interior 31, for shelter during at least part of the earthquake motion, as during at least the debris falling stage, near the end of the earthquake. The container interior contains yieldable cushioning material 33 indicated at one more locations 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, 33e and 33f, adjacent the inward facing surfaces of the container walls. Such material serves to cushion sudden relative movement of an occupant and the container, as the container is suddenly moved in response to earthquake transmitted force, or by impact of falling debris. Material 33 may consist of textile or plastic blanketing, batting or other material, of thickness between 2 and 5 inches, for example.

A primary door 36 is manually movable from the container interior to open and close the access opening 30, for protection. See door edge slider guides at 36a, and grooves 36b in FIG. 6. A supply 37 of the cushioning material at the container interior, may be used to lay against the door interior surface, for cushioning protection, against sudden movement, as referred to. An air vent in at least one wall, as at 38 in wall 14, may be opened or closed from the container interior, as by use of adhesive tape 39 or other means, shown in FIG. 3.

A small observation window or windows 41 is or are preferably provided in one or more container walls, as shown in one or more upright walls 13, 15 and 16, and also in sliding door 36. Such windows may consist of high strength transparent plastic, or glass, edge anchored or molded to the panels, as during panel formation.

A secondary door is provided, as at 50, in the container, and allows occupant escape in the event the primary door is not openable due to jamming, or debris collection at the front side of the primary door 36. Door 50 is shown for example adjacent the end panel 16 in FIG. 5, to close secondary opening 51. It may be carried by a metallic rod 50a extending horizontally, inwardly of panel 16, to allow swinging of the door plate 50b inwardly and upwardly, exposing opening 51. Normally, the door 50 is retained closed, adjacent opening 51, as by an L-shaped (or other) retainer 62, which is rotatable or twistable to release door retention for upward swinging. Cushioning material 54 is attached to the inner side of door 50.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show provision of a storage or sub-container 60 integral with wall 13 at the inner side of that wall. The sub-container consists of high strength panel material and is readily accessible to an occupant of the shelter. The sub-container is shown as upwardly open at entrance 63, for downward reception of useful articles or components 64, such as

• • flashlight
  • cell phone
  • radio equipment
  • edibles and water
  • first aid supplies
  • sound emitters such as siren, beepers, etc., for indicating shelter position, for rescue
  • oxygen supply or compressed air bottle.

Additional optional features include:

• • a) container top surface 70 serving as furniture surface; see also top horizontal extension flanges 71,
  • b) provision of multiple such containers at different floor levels in building,
  • c) bedding and clothing supply in the container,
  • d) human waste disposal means, as in a pouch receivable in the sub-container.

Claims

1. An earthquake shelter comprising:

a) a container sized for human occupancy, the container having walls and an access opening and a quickly openable and closable primary door to cover and uncover said opening,

b) the container walls and door consisting of high strength panel material, in excess of 10,000 psi load resistance,

c) the container supported for sliding movement compensating for earthquake induced movement of a supporting surface,

d) shock or impact absorbing cushioning means at the container interior, to cushion sudden movement of an occupant relative to the container as the container is suddenly moved by earthquake transmitted force.

2. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said door is carried to manually slide open and closed at a side of the container.

3. The shelter of claim 2 including an air vent at one of the walls.

4. The shelter of claim 1 wherein panel material is selected from the group consisting of:

i) DELRIN,

ii) KEVLAR,

iii) polycarbonate.

5. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said cushioning means comprises layers of insulative cushioning material applied to inner sides of said walls.

6. The shelter of claim 1 including a storage sub-container contained within the container, the sub-container having wall structure consisting of high strength panel material and being accessible to an occupant of the container.

7. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said support for sliding movement comprises low friction slider pads attached to the underside of the container.

8. The shelter of claim 1 wherein the shelter has elongated box configuration.

9. The combination comprising upright building structures having rooms, the shelter located in one of said rooms to be quickly available to room occupants in the event of an earthquake.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the shelter has an outer upper surface serving as a furniture surface.

11. The combination of claim 9 including multiple of said shelters respectively located in multiple of said rooms.

12. The combination of claim 1 including a small window or windows provided in container walls enabling occupant viewing of building debris locations adjacent or spaced from the container, to provide for viewing of an escape path or route.

13. The combination of claim 1 including an openable and closable air vent in a container wall.

14. The combination of claim 1 including a secondary door provided in a wall opening defined by the container, and openable from the container interior, without diminishing container impact strength.

15. The shelter of claim 1 including one or more of the following stored in the container:

i) communication equipment,

ii) a cell phone or phones,

iii) edibles,

iv) illumination equipment,

v) oxygen supply means.

16. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said walls are of sufficient thickness and size to withstand shock loads to be encountered during an earthquake.

17. The shelter of claim 9 wherein said walls are of sufficient thickness and size to withstand shock loads to be encountered during building destruction during an earthquake.

18. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said door is a first door at one wall of the container, there being a second door at a second access opening at another wall of the container.

19. The shelter of claim 7 including a container vertical movement damping means at one or more locations in the container.

20. The shelter of claim 19 wherein said dampening means includes a spring and functional damper