STORM SHELTER

A storm shelter (20) is provided which includes a front wall (22), rear wall (24), and retractable side wall (28, 30) and top wall (26) assemblies, whereby the shelter to be easily deployed and thereafter stowed between a retracted storage condition and an expanded use condition. The front wall (22) is equipped with a door (38), which can be selectively locked or unlocked so as to allow opening of the door from the inside or outside of the shelter. The shelter (20) is particularly useful when installed in a basement, garage, residence, commercial or industrial building, school or other habitable area, and provides excellent safety and security.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings, a storm shelter20is illustrated inFIGS. 1-3in its fully expanded, use position. Generally speaking, the shelter20includes a front wall22, an opposed rear wall24, a top wall assembly26, and a pair of laterally spaced apart sidewall assemblies28and30. As illustrated, in the expanded or use position, the shelter20provides an internal space or region32of sufficient size to hold and protect several individuals.

In more detail, the front wall22includes a segmented outer panel34having a central doorway36with a swingable door38mounted therein on an upright, heavy duty piano hinge40. As shown inFIG. 5, for example, the outer panel34may include outboard outer panel sections34aand an intermediate outer panel section34blocated above doorway36. As best illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4, the panel34is supported on an internal frame including a bottom rail42and a pair of upright, bolted together, vertical reinforcements44and46respectively located on opposite sides of doorway36, and a segmented top panel48having the segments thereof interconnected by means of inner and outer connector plates50, and with the outboard segments equipped with slots51. The bottom rail42may be mounted by bolts41extending through upright slots43through the outer panel34and plates45secured to the bottom rail42and held by nuts47whereby the bottom rail42may be adjusted relative to the outer panel34to accommodate a slope or uneven surface in a supporting surface. The front wall22also has, adjacent each lateral end thereof, an inner, rearwardly and transversely extending box beams52, and an outer, rearwardly and transversely extending side marginal plate54; a wheel56is mounted to each marginal plate54for purposes to be described. The forward edge of top panel48is equipped with an elongated, upstanding abutment plate58, whereas the rearward edge thereof has a laterally extending tension bar59which provides reinforcement and aids the connector plates50in retaining the segments of the top panel48in a connected, side-by-side position.

The rear wall24is in opposition to front wall24and includes an imperforate, segmented rear panel60interconnected by means of an internal, interconnected grid of vertically and horizontally extending reinforcements62and64. The panel60also has a pair of forwardly extending side marginal plates66, and a forwardly extending top panel68. An abutment plate70is secured to the upper margin of panel60, as shown. The bottom edges of the panel60and marginal plates66have interconnected, inwardly extending floor connection flanges72, which receive connectors74. As explained below, the flanges72effectively form the connection base for the shelter20.

Top wall assembly26is made up of a pair of laterally extending, front and rear top panels76and78interconnected by means of an elongated piano hinge80. A pair of identical, elongated links82are respectively pivoted to each of the side marginal plates66and the adjacent end of piano hinge80. The forward end of panel76has an elongated, outwardly extending, generally L-shaped leg84, and similarly the rearward edge of panel78is equipped with an elongated, rearwardly extending, L-shaped leg86. As explained in more detail below, when the shelter20is expanded from its retracted to its expanded, use position, the top wall assembly28extends outwardly by virtue of the pivoting of the links82and the action of piano hinge80, in order to cover the internal space or region32.

The sidewall assemblies28and30are mirror images of each other, and thus only a single such assembly need be described. In particular, the sidewall assembly28includes upright front and rear panels88and90interconnected by means of a vertically extending central piano hinge92. The forward edge of panel88is pivotally connected to the adjacent box beam52by means of upright piano hinge94; likewise, the rear edge of panel90is pivotally connected to the endmost vertical reinforcement62via hinge96. In order to maintain the sidewalls in the extended use position thereof, the interior surface of the panels88,90are equipped with generally U-shaped clips97, which receive cross-braces97a, which extends substantially the full distance between the front and rear walls22,24(FIG. 2).

The door38is provided with a locking arrangement, which allows the door to be opened from either the inside or the outside of the shelter. Specifically, the door38has a handle98and three vertically spaced apart substantially L-shaped slots100. The interior of the door has three identical locking assemblies102. Each such assembly includes an elongated, tubular guide104, a spaced abutment plate106, and an L-shaped locking member108equipped with an outwardly extending operator rod110. Additionally, a vertical locking plate112is provided adjacent doorway36and has three vertically spaced apart, strategically located locking apertures114therethrough. In order to lock38when the shelter is in its expanded use configuration, each of the locking members108are manipulated individually, to first align the operator rod110thereof with a corresponding slot100, followed by rotation of the member108to align the end thereof with the adjacent guide104. Thereupon, the member108is rotated with the operator rod110within the slot100, and the member108is then axially slid along the length of the slot to cause the member108to pass through guide104and into the adjacent locking aperture114. In the final step, the member108is rotated downwardly to come into close adjacency with the abutment plate106. In this condition, the door38is firmly locked and inadvertent movement of the member108is prevented by means of the plate106. As can be appreciated, the door38may be opened by reversing this procedure from inside the shelter20. However, the door may also be opened by manipulation of the operator rods110from the exterior of the shelter. In the event that the shelter20is to be used as a safe room, the locking members108may be manipulated in the same fashion to lock door38, except that the rods110remain inside the enclosure so that an intruder does not have the ability to open door38.

In the use of storm shelter20, the unit is first securely attached to a concrete or similar floor, such as the floor116illustrated inFIG. 1, through use of the connectors74passed through the connection base afforded by the flanges72. The shelter may be retracted or expanded, as desired by the user. In the expanded condition (FIGS. 1-3and5-6), the front wall22is fully separated from the rear wall24; the sidewall assemblies28and30are likewise fully extended; and the top wall assembly is fully extended. In more detail, as the front wall22is shifted forwardly, it rolls on the wheels56over the floor surface, and the panels88and90of the sidewall assemblies move from a retracted position to a fully extended position by appropriate pivoting of the hinges92-96. Furthermore, during this sequence, the links82pivot the top wall panels76and78through the medium of the central hinge80until the respective legs84and86come into contact respectively with the top panels48and68. In this manner, interior space or region32of the shelter is formed and is completely surrounded by the structure of the shelter. The occupants can then enter the shelter through doorway36and close and lock the door38, as previously described using the locking assemblies102. In order to ensure that the shelter is maintained in its expanded position, cross-braces97aare placed within the sidewall clips97.

When the occupants desire to leave the shelter20, the locking assemblies102are released and the door38is opened. Thereupon, to store the storm shelter20in a minimized volume condition, the front wall22can be pushed toward rear wall24. As this occurs, the sidewall assemblies28and30fold together and top wall assembly26simultaneously retracts. Specifically, the front and rear top panels76and78pivot together through the medium of central hinge80and links82. The latter being accommodated by the slots51. Simultaneously, the sidewall assembly panels88and90retract by folding inwardly around the hinges92-96. In the fully retracted condition of the shelter20(FIGS. 10-13), the side marginal plates54of the front wall22form the outer margin of the shelter, with the rear wall marginal plates66inboard thereof. The L-shaped legs84,86of the front and rear top panels76,78also come into engagement with the abutment plates58and70(FIG. 13).

It will also be appreciated that an additional supporting connection can be afforded the shelter20by connecting rear panel60to an upright wall. This additional connection does not detract from the operability of the shelter20and is sometimes recommended in order to provide a maximum strength and security.

Additionally, it will be understood that the components of the shelter20are preferably formed of high-strength metal, particularly if it is anticipated that the shelter will be used as a safe room. If further protection and security is desired, additional armor plates can be connected to the structure or ballistic fabric such as Kevlar blankets could be installed by the occupants on the interior of the front wall, sidewalls and top wall assembly. Even with heavy duty armor materials, the shelter can be readily expanded or retracted without difficulty.