Collapsible Enclosure

Abstract

A collapsible enclosure comprising a plurality of support arms, supporting a canopy and movable on a track, from a stored position in which the support arms lie side by side in a substantially horizontal configuration, to an in-use position in which the support arms are erected in spaced apart arrangement in a substantially vertical configuration to define an enclosure, and means to hold the support arms in the spaced apart condition. Preferably the support arms are stored in an underground structure at the location where the enclosure is to be erected.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. national phase of PCT/EP2008/007163, filed Sep. 2, 2008, and asserts priority from UK application 0717432.9, filed Sep. 7, 2007, which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a collapsible enclosure and in particular to an enclosure which is stored in a collapsed condition on a site and which may be readily deployed or erected on the site to form an enclosed space to be used for any desired purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to the disclosure, there is provided a collapsible enclosure comprising a plurality of support arms, supporting a canopy and movable on a track, from a stored position in which the support arms lie side by side in a substantially horizontal configuration to an in-use position in which the support arms are erected in spaced apart arrangement in a substantially vertical configuration to define an enclosure, and means to hold the support arms in the spaced apart condition.

In a preferred form of the invention, the support arms are stored in an underground structure at the location where the enclosure is to be erected.

Preferably each support arm is of arcuate shape and has opposing upright sections, the ends of which are provided with wheeled bogies.

There is preferably provided a track and guide rails on which the wheeled bogies engage to facilitate movement of the support arms from the stored position to the in-use position.

Preferably, there is provided two sets of support arms, each set stored in a respective underground structure. The support arms of each set support a part of a canopy such that at least one support arm of each set is in-use engaged with the corresponding support arm of the other set to define an overall structure of the enclosure.

The means to move the support arms and to hold them in the erect position preferably comprises drum winches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of the collapsible enclosure according to the disclosure when not in use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in a fully deployed condition;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the foundation structure of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a plan view of a foundation structure according to an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 4b is a sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 4a;

FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are sectional views of alternative profiles of apparatus;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a track and wheeled bogie of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a high level winch and support strap according to the disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in an erected condition;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a seating arrangement in the apparatus of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a view of a strap arrangement for reinforcing the apparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts there is shown therein a collapsible enclosure 10 comprising a plurality of support arms 11 supporting a canopy 12 to form a canopy ribbed structure 12′ (FIG. 9). The support arms 11 are movable from a substantially horizontal collapsed or stored position 13 in which the support arms 11 lie side by side to an in-use position 14 in which the support arms 11 are erected in substantially vertical spaced apart arrangement to define an enclosure 15.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in the stored position 12, each set 11′, 11″ of support arms is contained in a respective reinforced concrete, steel or grp (or a combination of any of these) sub-surface structure 16. FIGS. 4a and 4b show a sub-surface structure 16a for containing support arms 11a of an alternative embodiment having a wider span, such as that shown in FIG. 5c. The support arms 11′, 11″ and canopy 12 are to be mechanically retracted into and erected out of this basement or pit-type structure 16,16a. The structure will offer full water tightness to the enclosed space through proprietary tanking systems and will incorporate low level sumps (13, FIGS. 4a and 4b) at specific locations whereby any water ingress can be collected and automatically pumped out to local storm drainage systems.

A barrier wall may be provided on or adjacent an inner wall of the structure 16,16a to be moveable between a lowered, below ground position when the enclosure is not in use, and a raised position to form a peripheral boundary around the perimeter of the interior of the enclosure to prevent persons and/or objects from falling into the structure 16,16a.

Running tracks 17 of reinforced concrete, steel or GRP (or a combination of all three materials) with inset steel guide rails 18 are located along the two sides of the enclosure. The guide rails 18 are bolt fixed to the solid track. Each track 17 and guide rails will travel around a specified radius 19 in the vertical plane below ground level and align with the sub-strata enclosing structure 16 at opposing ends of the structure. This will allow a smooth path for wheeled bogies 20 at the base 21 of each arm 11 of the canopy ribbed structure 12′ to retract into the ground enclosure and be erected from it.

The mild steel guide rails 18 on which the wheels 20 will run will be bolted to the running track. Two rails will be fitted on each side of the enclosure 15 and each of these will consist of top 18′ and bottom 18″ rails to provide positive location of the bogies.

The structural lightweight support aims 11 will be identical for each bespoke enclosure and are shown on sectional drawings as semicircular on vertical posts. However to provide wider spans and lower roof heights the profile may not always be semicircular form and alternatives are indicated although are non-exhaustive profiles in FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5c, each support arm 11a comprises a truss structure. The use of the enclosing space within the enclosure structure will dictate the required profile.

The aims 11 may incorporate services including lighting acoustic speakers that may be permanently fixed within or onto the structure. Power to these services may be actuated when the spans are in the fully deployed position and an electrical connection may be made automatically at the base of each structure within the track.

The support arms 11 will be mounted on the wheeled bogie chassis 20 that will run within the track. Since the arms 11 will be perpendicular to the bogies axis', they will be forced to rotate through 90 degrees from horizontal to vertical with the end aims at varying angles of deployment between 0 and 90 degrees to form the enclosure as the bogies travel around the curved rail 19 and along the horizontal tract and enclosed rails. The enclosing fabric of the canopy 12 is fixed to the structural aims 11 either directly or by secondary means to form the enclosure canopy 12. The material of canopy 12 is a flexible waterproof self-cleaning structural membrane that is automatically folded during retraction and opened automatically during deployment.

The bogie wheel-sets 20 are fixed at each side of the support arms. The wheel-sets 20 will consist of equal sized wheels with concave rim profile located on a fixed wheelbase. These self supporting wheel-sets will run between the top and bottom rails, 18′, 18″.

Electrically operated drum winches 50 will be located in underground concrete steel or grp enclosures at locations along the running track 17 typically adjacent mid-span. The winches and the steel cables therein will be used in the deployment as pulling winches and in retraction as restraints all under full automated control. High tensile steel cables will be wound on the winch drums. The cable will be connected between the winch and bogie units 20 and will bear the load required to pull the spans around the track.

Retractable spring-return cables attached to counter balanced spring-return units will be mounted between the bogies 20 and at locations around the structural spans to assist pulling and retraction control. These spring return cables enable designated cable lengths to be paid out between the spans. The cables will be sized to ensure that the outer skin membrane is not under load when the system is deployed. They will then self retract as the system itself is retracted.

Each set of supports arms 11′, 11″ may be interconnected adjacent the upper position of the abutting support arms 11 (i.e. the innermost support arm of each set) by a winch and cable arrangement allowing the innermost support arms to be pulled towards one another during deployment. A central surface channel may be provided into which the cable may be received when the enclosure is stored within the structures 16 when not in use.

A centrally hydraulically actuated post 51 may be located at the centre of the enclosure, housed underground in a concrete steel or grp enclosure anchored to a concrete foundation. Like the ram in a hydraulic elevator, the post may rise and retract from below ground in this location. This post is an optional item that can be utilized as a larger bespoke enclosure requires for both assisted lifting of the canopy from rest and additional control of deployment and retraction e.g. during turbulent weather conditions. When utilised in the design two steel cables are connected from an automatically remote controlled winch 40 (FIG. 7) at the apex 41 of both first spans when at rest horizontally in the ground through a pulley fixed to the top of the post and into two separate winches fixed to a foundation adjacent to each side of the post. The post is automatically erected to desired height just below the maximum height of the enclosure.

The winches automatically release the cables to a designated length. Both winches automatically begin to then retract simultaneously and in conjunction with pulling forces as the bogies provide an even and assisted lifting force to the apex from an elevated position (on top of the post). As the cables work in opposite directions the post is in equilibrium. The winches continue retracting until the first spans of each side of the canopy are aligned and meet in the centre. Solenoid locking bolts actuate at locations around the junction of the firs arms 11 and hold the structure together. A neoprene skirt on the external side and a neoprene seal on the touching faces provide a watertight seal all around this junction.

The post is then retracted with the high-level mid-span winches paying out cable. When the post is at rest within the sub strata enclosure the cable is manually unclipped and a remote control signal activates the high level winches at the arms midpoint and retracts the cable thereby retaining it at high-level. In reverse the remote control releases the cables they are attached to the post, the post is erected and the process reverses until the canopy is at rest in the sub strata enclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, nylon straps 100 may be connected at various points between the arms and at specific points around the arms to provide additional pulling support at multiple locations around the spans during deployment to prevent excessive stress from being applied to the canopy. Preferably the straps are arranged such that the canopy is not load bearing, the straps supporting the support arms 11 in spaced relationship from one another.

The canopy proprietary membrane 12 is a self cleaning flexible membrane. This membrane can also incorporate coloured panels or portions for aesthetics or translucent portions for assisted solar gain and added natural light to the enclosed space when deployed. The membrane can also incorporate porous material throughout to assist natural ventilation of the enclosed space.

Architecturally aesthetic projecting stainless steel pylons 30 may be provided, projecting on the external side of the membrane incorporate stainless steel cables 31 which are retractable while at rest.

Flexible doors 32 and frames in rubber or plastic are to be incorporated throughout as necessary to facilitate access and egress. These doors are integral to the structure and are hinges off the arms 11. These doors and frame also retract and fold with the cover membrane during deployment and retraction.

The electronic control system will enable automatic deployment and retraction of the various elements of the system.

Operation of the system is as follows:

Deployment Procedure.

Hinges covers 35 are mechanically lifted to expose storage areas and guide tracks. This is done automatically using a combination of electrical actuators and mechanical cam rails. Structural arms are pulled around track by winch units in each track. Each structural arm is fitted with a double wheeled fixed bogie. This arrangement causes the arms to be rotated as it travels around the guide track.

Once the arms have been lifted around the guide track the winches continue to pull the assembly to centre position. Winch units at the base of the track deploy additional cable to allow the units to move forward.

The wheels of the last vertical arm are locked in position by solenoid actuated locks.

This process is carried out on both halves of the assembly at the same time.

The two units meet in the centre and close against a neoprene seal.

The centre arms are locked together with solenoid actuated locks. Internal services are automatically connected as required.

Retraction Procedure.

Internal services are disconnected.

Solenoid locks on centre arms are released.

Solenoid locks on side wheels are released.

Tension on winches is released in a controlled manner to allow assembly to retract. Retraction is achieved by means of spring retractable cable reels between each arm. As the cable tension is released by the winch, these units pull the wheeled ribs back down the track to the storage area.

Winch units at the base of the track provide additional tension to retract the units to their original position. Optionally additional winches may be employed at the base of the structure 16 to assist with retraction.

This process is carried out on both halves of the assembly at the same time.

The hinged covers are returned to the storage position.

An alternative embodiment is shown in FIGS. 12 to 14. As with the first embodiment, the collapsible enclosure 110 comprises a plurality of support arms 111 supporting a canopy (omitted for clarity) to form collapsible enclosure. The support arms 111 are movable from a substantially horizontal collapsed or stored position within a foundation structure 116, in which the support arms 111 lie side by side in a horizontal configuration, to an in-use position in which the support arms 111 are erected in substantially vertical spaced apart arrangement to define an enclosure.

In the second embodiment, the support arms 111 have a greater span than those of the first embodiment, the arms 111 being similar in shape to that shown in FIGS. 5b and 5c. To provide greater support for the wide span of the support arms 111, a centrally hydraulically actuated post 151 is provided at the centre of the enclosure, extendable from an underground housing to support a central region of the enclosure. He post may be hydraulically actuated to rise and retract from the underground housing.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the lower ends 121 of the support arms 111 are provided with wheeled bogies 120, each having a pair of wheel 125 adapted to run within a U-shaped rail 118 mounted within a running track 117 such that each support arm extends perpendicular to the track 117. Elongate ribs 119 are provided on the inner walls of the rails 118 to engage circumferential slots 130 in the wheels 125 to hold the wheels 125 within the rails 118.

The wheels 125 of adjacent pairs of support arms 111 extend in opposite directions such the wheels 125a of a first support arm 111a engage a rail 118a on the opposite side of the track 117 to the wheels 125b of the adjacent support arms 111b to provide sufficient clearance between the wheels 125 to allow the support arms 111 move into abutting relationship when in their stored position.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A collapsible enclosure comprising a plurality of support arms, supporting a canopy and movable on a track, from a stored position in which the support arms lie side by side in a substantially horizontal configuration, to an in-use position in which the support arms are erected in spaced apart arrangement in a substantially vertical configuration to define an enclosure, and means to hold the support arms in the spaced apart condition.

2. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein the support arms are stored in an underground structure at the location where the enclosure is to be erected.

3. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein each support arm is of arcuate or substantially arcuate shape and has opposing upright sections, the ends of which are provided with wheeled bogies.

4. The collapsible enclosure of claim 3, further comprising a track and guide rails on which the wheeled bogies engage to facilitate movement of the support arms from the stored position to the in-use position.

5. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein the canopy comprises a flexible sheet or membrane.

6. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein two or more of said support arms are arranged to lie substantially horizontally in their in-use position to define end regions of the enclosure.

7. The collapsible enclosure of claim 6, wherein the ends of the track extend substantially vertically with said underground structure, the track extending substantially horizontally between said end regions of said track between said vertical regions and said horizontal region following a predetermined radius such that the support arms are guided to move between a substantially horizontal, beneath ground storage position and a substantially vertical above ground erected position.

8. The collapsible structure of claim 1, wherein there is provided two sets of support arms, each set stored in a respective underground structure.

9. The collapsible structure of claim 8, wherein the support aims of each set support a part of the canopy such that at least one support arm of each set is in-use engaged with the corresponding support arm of the other set to define an overall structure of the enclosure.

10. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein one or more flexible elongate tensile members extend between adjacent support arms, said tensile members being arranged to be under tension when the supports arms as in their in-use position.

11. The collapsible enclosure of claim 1, wherein drive means are provided for moving the support arms between their stored and in-use positions.

12. The collapsible enclosure of claim 11, wherein the drive means comprises one or more cables connected to one or more of the support arms and one or more winding mechanisms for pulling the support arms by means of the one or more cables, between their stored and in-use positions.

13. The collapsible enclosure of claim 12, wherein said one or more winding mechanisms comprise one or more electrically operated drum winches.

14. The collapsible enclosure of claim 2, wherein each support arm is of arcuate or substantially arcuate shape and has opposing upright sections, the ends of which are provided with wheeled bogies.

15. The collapsible enclosure of claim 14, further comprising a track and guide rails on which the wheeled bogies engage to facilitate movement of the support arms from the stored position to the in-use position.

16. The collapsible enclosure of claim 14, wherein two or more of said support arms are arranged to lie substantially horizontally in their in-use position to define end regions of the enclosure.

17. The collapsible enclosure of claim 16, wherein the ends of the track extend substantially vertically with said underground structure, the track extending substantially horizontally between said end regions of said track between said vertical regions and said horizontal region following a predetermined radius such that the support arms are guided to move between a substantially horizontal, beneath ground storage position and a substantially vertical above ground erected position.

18. The collapsible enclosure of claim 14, wherein drive means are provided for moving the support arms between their stored and in-use positions.

19. The collapsible enclosure of claim 18, wherein the drive means comprises one or more cables connected to one or more of the support arms and one or more winding mechanisms for pulling the support arms by means of the one or more cables, between their stored and in-use positions.