Patent ID: 6101769
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: A47C,E04H

Abstract:
Earthquake resistant structure for containing within said structure a bed and for protection of a person in said bed against injury from earthquake damage to a building containing said structure and said bed, which injury may be caused by debris falling from said building during said earthquake, said structure having an outer wall with an exterior surface, said structure comprising:(a) structural integrity preservation means, for tending to preserve structural integrity of said structure, comprising means to enhance the structural strength of said structure and means to allow said structure to respond to severe mechanical shocks and loading resulting from impacts of said debris, while maintaining structural integrity of said structure, said structural integrity preservation means having a plurality of structural modules, a plurality of which are adjacent to one another;(b) anti-ballistic penetration means, comprising at least a major portion of said outer wall of said structure, to resist ballistic penetration of said structure by said debris fragments being thrust against said structure, said anti-ballistic penetration means having a plurality of structural modules, a plurality of which are adjacent to one another;(c) interfacing and joining means, for interfacing and joining said structural modules of said structural integrity preservation means and said structural modules of said anti-ballistic penetration means, to form said structure;(d) ingress and egress means, located in said wall of said structure, for allowing said person to enter and exit said structure, while also minimizing opportunity for said debris to enter said structure;wherein said structural integrity preservation means comprises a geometric form for said structure of the form of a modified tetragonal anti-prism, comprising a square upper roof panel at the top of said structure, said roof panel having four corners and four sides; a flat square base panel at the bottom of said structure, having four corners and having an orientation rotated at least substantially 90 degrees with respect to the orientation of said roof panel; four vertical corner support structural members, each extending upward from one of said corners of said base panel, to a height which is appreciably less than the full height of said structure; and eight slanting structural members, two connecting each one of said corners of said roof panel to the tops of the two of said vertical corner support structural members closest to said corner of said roof panel.