Abstract:
An erectable shelter for indoor use, providing protection against threats associated with missiles. The shelter includes: one metal frame attached to at least one of the internal walls of an apartment; six protective walls attached to the frame for forming a shelter, wherein one wall covers the opening of the frame, four other walls are hinged on the frame, and another wall is hinged on a free edge of one side wall; and at least one strut connecting at least a ceiling wall with the frame.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of civilian security, aiming to provide protection against threats of war. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The fact that most of the population in small and especially in large cities live in apartments and are confined to indoor living quarters, impart some limitations as regards the issue of war time protection. A missile or a projectile or a fragment of a projectile or fragments of torn masonry elements may be the cause of direct physical damage to humans or to property. Additional mechanical threat can be created as explosive charges are activated, causing blasts and fear. The aim of the present invention is to address such issues by providing protection to some degree to apartment dwellers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an erectable shelter for indoor use, providing protection against threats associated with missiles. The shelter includes: one metal frame attached to at least one of the internal walls of an apartment; six protective walls attached to the frame for forming a shelter, wherein one wall covers the opening of the frame, four other walls are hinged on the frame, and another wall is hinged on a free edge of one side wall; and at least one strut connecting at least a ceiling wall with the frame. 
     Other features and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. lA is a schematic top view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a wall section and a shelter frame. 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic top view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing the roof wall deployed. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic sectional side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a frame of the invention located between the ceiling and the floor of the apartment. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic sectional side view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing a side wall vertically deployed. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional top view of an erectable shelter of the invention showing two supporting walls arrangement. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of order of wall shelter unfolding in the course of shelter deployment with a notation, per each swiveling action where the hinged locus is, of which is the hinging orientation. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic isometric view of a frame of the invention with floor in the state of deployment and a strut supporting the floor. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of a shelter in accordance with the invention showing a side wall and frame to which it connects via hinges. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic side view of a shelter as in  FIG. 6 , with internal wall skeleton exposed. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic perspective view of the shelter in a nearly completely erected state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, an unfoldable shelter is made available for inhabitants of houses or flats (apartments) inside multi-storied building or any other multi apartment living house. The basic embodiment of the invention is a packaged metal cube, or a prism having all adjacent faces at right angles to each other. The shelter can be unfolded or deployed within a room inside an apartment or a building, to form a secluded space surrounded on all the shelter&#39;s six faces by a mechanically fortified wall. In another embodiment, the foldable construction is also equipped internally, with a gas and aerosol proof enclosure. 
     In  FIG. 1A , a schematic presentation of a non-deployed shelter is shown. In other words the shelter is folded, showing frame  22  attached to support wall  24 . Looking from above, in  FIG. 1B , one of the walls is unfolded, forming a roof  26 . In  FIGS. 2A and 2B  a side view of a shelter of the invention is shown. In  FIG. 2A , frame  22  is backed by support wall  24 , bottom floor  32  and ceiling  34  are each a part of the building. In  FIG. 2B  a side wall  38  of the shelter has been pulled out (typically pivotally unfolded). 
     The Frame and its Anchorage 
     The frame  22  can be supported by the wall  38  with which an opening  48  ( FIG. 8 ) aligns (such as support wall  24  in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Alternatively, the frame  24  can be attached to two vertical walls such as walls  42  and  44  in  FIG. 3  Both supports are applicable separately or together. 
     Inside—Out Deployment 
     Generally, the walls of the shelter, including the roof  26  and the floor  82 , are pivotally pulled out of the frame  22 , except for the one wall (i.e. rear wall), which remains covering the frame, or which could be a portion of (i.e. integrated in) the frame. Five walls are therefore swiveled out. The shelter side walls  38  are swiveled from the frame  22  each to each own side until they face each other, parallel. Then the roof  26  is swiveled upwards and the floor  82  is swiveled downwards. This order is exemplary and is summarized in the flow chart of  FIG. 4 . Erection typically starts by exposing the folded shelter as it is typically concealed behind a curtain or a wall carpet. In step  62 , the roof  26  is pivotally lifted, usually by a handle that helps swivel the roof upwards. The roof  26  is hinged horizontally at the connection to the frame  22 . In step  64  the floor  82  is deflected, swiveling at the horizontal swivel. At step  66  a first vertical wall  38  (right or left) is swiveled open sideways, hinged at one side of the frame  22 . At step  68  the second vertical wall  38  is swiveled open in the other direction, being hinged at the opposite side of the frame  22 , as compared to the first vertical wall. At step  70 , the closing vertical wall  46  is swiveled open, being hinged at the free edge of one of the side walls  38 . 
     Top and Bottom Faces of the Shelter 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 5 , showing a floor  82  of the shelter of the invention partially deflected. Floor  82  is deflected, shown in the image departed from frame  22  swiveled at a hinge  84  (only rough zone shown). Frame  22  is supported by support wall  24  as discussed above. Double headed arrow  86  shows the swiveling direction for opening or closing. A note is made that the drawing does not fully describe a realistic view in the sense that only one wall (the floor  82 ) is shown, whilst the others are not shown. 
     To ease the unfolding of the top and bottom walls (i.e. ceiling  34  and floor  82 , respectively), struts, such as struts  88  may be inserted at one or both flanks of the wall. As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , strut  88  connects the frame  22  with the floor  82 . The struts  88  are typically gas or vacuum struts that helps lifting the roof  26  and prevents unintentional dropping. Struts  88  can be applied at both sides or only at one side (as shown in the figure) of ceiling  34  and floor  82 . Typically, there are four struts  88 , two for the floor  82  and two for the ceiling  34 . 
     Windows and Openings 
     In the side walls  38 , and in the closing vertical wall  46  ( FIG. 8 ), hatches or larger windows may be provided, typically with shielding shutter that can be closed or opened at will typically from the inside and possibly strengthened by latches or bolts or catches that must be openable. A door is typically provided in the closing vertical wall or/and in any of the vertical walls  42  and/or  44  and is also equipped with one or more latches to secure it to the wall and/or floor  82  and/or ceiling  34 . 
     The Walls 
     The walls are connected via hinges  102  to the frame  22 . As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , frame  22  is connected by hinges  102  to a wall  104 . A connecting leg  108  connects the frame  22  to a side support wall, not shown. The walls are typically made forming an internal skeleton made of metal such as hard steel, and covered by metal plates, typically inside and outside. The metal plates are typically made of steel or aluminum. This can be seen in  FIG. 7 , in which one of the covering plates is removed, exposing metal skeleton  112 . 
     The side walls  38  are preferably equipped with one or more latches (not shown) to secure to the floor  32  and/or ceiling  34 . Fastening the latches may also provide a way by which the walls may be drawn closer and make contact with the ceiling/floor to decrease or prevent gap formation therebetween. 
       FIG. 8  shows the shelter nearly erected. The ceiling  34  has been pivoted upward to a raised position, pivoting at its hinges  102   a , and into place, typically with the help of the struts  88  (not visible). The floor  32  has been pivoted down, about its hinges  102   b  to a position generally parallel to the floor of the apartment. The side walls  38  have been pivoted outward, about their hinges  102   c , so that their top edges rest under the side edges of the ceiling  34  and their bottom edges rest just above the side edges of the floor  32 . The sidewalls  38  are typically then latched to the ceiling  34  and floor  32 . At this point, only a front opening  48  of the shelter remains to be enclosed. Closing the front opening  48 , to thus form a complete shelter, is accomplished by swinging the closing vertical wall or covering wall  46  outward in a pivoting manner at its hinges  102   d . 
     Protection Provided 
     The shelter of the invention is to provide protection against indirect missile hits. It is to protect against the pressure shock or blast, shrapnel, projectiles such as masonry debris, falling objects and to some extent bullet and hard sharp projectiles in general. 
     Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (Nbc) Threat Shelter 
     As additional embodiment, a shelter for protecting against biological and chemical and even nuclear hazard or biological hazards (weapon or non weapon) is provided, to be installed with the shelter of the invention. This shelter of this embodiment is in the form of an erectable air tight tent, with provisions for filtering air. The tent is connected mechanically to the shelter (from the inside) using hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO straps. Beth El Industries of 1 Avshalom Road Zikhron Yaakov, Israel provides filtration systems, such as purified air blower type LB 36 for providing purified air to such NBC shelters.