Abstract:
Starting from flat partly assembled components, this shelter, when erected, includes tubular roof-reinforcing and attachment beams disposed against roof segments and sidewalls.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a temporary or semi-permanent shelter erectable from folded flat components. It also relates to a roof and wall reinforcing beams for such a shelter, also erectable from flat components. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Recent disasters—earthquakes and floods—and political mobilizations and assemblies have demonstrated the need for temporary or semi-permanent shelters. Especially needed have been shelters whose components are easily stored and readily transported and are easily erected near the site of the disaster or wherever needed. Typically, such shelters have been in the form of fabric tents. 
     The present invention provides a temporary or semi-permanent shelter of more substantial nature, illustratively with rugged multi-ply, laminated corrugated board walls and roof. Prior to erection, the components are flat packages. The components together take on a three-dimensional shape in assembly and afford a substantial, durable, water-proof shelter which can be readily returned to flat condition when no longer needed. The word “Temporary” is used herein to indicate what is generally thought of as not being permanent. The durability of the present shelter may belie the name. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a shelter erectable on site comprising a wall assembly including hinged-together panels folded into a flat stack adapted in assembly to form a polygonal continuous side wall structure having a plurality of side walls. It also comprises a roof assembly including a plurality of flat generally triangular roof segments adapted to be arranged and connected with a vertex of each triangle directed to the same point, the base of each triangular segment being outward from the vertex, the total of the vertices adjacent the point being less than 360° so that, when assembled, the roof comes to a peak. The roof assembly is adapted to superpose the wall assembly with the bases of the triangular roof segments resting on the upper ends of the side walls respectively. 
     Further, the roof assembly includes a plurality of roof and wall attachment and reinforcement beams comprising flat sheets having generally trapezoidal shapes with long sides equal to the interior width of the respective walls, each sheet presenting three spaced fold lines parallel to the long side and marked or scored at different distances from the long side to define four connected side bands. These are a first, second and third side bands and an overlapping end band: Each sheet is adapted to be folded on the marked or pre-scored lines to form a triangular tubular beam with the overlapping band adhesively secured to the inside of the first band. In a preferred form of the invention, the second band is adhesively secured to the contiguous roof segment in the pre-erected condition. The tubular beams of the roof segments together form a downward curb secured to the roof and which fits snugly inside the polygon comprising the walls attach the roof and walls together and additionally there are mechanical means to further secure the roof and walls together if desired or necessary. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further objects and features of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art from a review of the following specification and drawings, all of which present a non-limiting form of the invention. In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected shelter embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a roof with unfolded roof beam blanks still attached and with all but one connection between segments in place; 
     FIG. 5 is a greatly enlarged exploded fragmentary view of portions of two roof segments with their extruded edge connectors and a connecting runner prior to being connected; 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded plan view of a roof segment and a roof beam blank in flat unerected condition; 
     FIGS. 7 a, b  and  c  are enlarged sectional views taken on line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6 showing progressively the steps in erecting roof beam from a blank; 
     FIG. 8 is a reduced sectional view taken on the line  8 — 8  of FIG. 7 c;    
     FIG. 9 is an elevational view of an erected front wall; 
     FIG. 10 is an elevational view of an erected side wall; 
     FIG. 11 is an elevational view of an erected rear wall; 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged end view, foreshortened to conserve drawing space, of the wall assembly before being erected showing the folding pattern of the wall assembly; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a joint between walls before the wall assembly is erected; 
     FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 after the wall assembly is erected. 
     FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 2 also showing the support platforms; and 
     FIG. 15A is a fragmentary view showing an alternate support structure. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An erected temporary shelter embodying the invention is generally designated  10  in FIG.  1 . It comprises a plurality of vertical walls  12  and a pyramidal roof  14 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the plurality of walls  12  comprise a connected front wall  16 , side walls  18  and rear wall  20 . As shown, the front wall may be provided with a hinged door  22  the rear wall  20  may be provided with spaced windows  24  secured in openings in respective panels thereof. Elevational views of the front wall  16 , the side walls  18  and the rear wall  20  are shown in FIGS. 9 through 11. 
     Before erection of the shelter the plurality of walls  12  are disposed in flat condition as shown in FIG.  12 . Each wall is comprised in turn of a plurality of panels. Specifically, the front wall  16  comprises three panels  16   a , a center section including the door  22 , and side sections  16   b  and  16   c , respectively. Between the panels the side wall is scored or otherwise provided with fold lines  25 . 
     Side walls  18  comprise a plurality of more or less equal panels  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  and  18   d . Preferably, between the panels the sheet is scored or otherwise provided with fold lines  25 . The rear wall  20  (FIG. 11) is formed of a central panel  20   a  and side panels  20   b  and  20   c , each provided with a opening closed window  24 . 
     FIG. 13 discloses the corner structure  26  in folded condition. The vertical ends of each of the walls is provide with a U-shaped plastic extruded runner  26   a  and  26   b  serving to waterproof the ends against invasion by water. The runners and  26   b  are connected by a hinge  26   c  which preferably comprises three “living hinges”  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  connecting the runner  26   a  and  26   b  along the length thereof. Aligning nibs  30   a  and  30   b  are provided on the bight sections of the U-shaped runners. 
     In assembly (FIG.  14 ), adjacent walls, illustratively the side wall  18  and the rear wall  16 , are disposed at right angles with the nibs  29   a  and  29   b  engaging each other and the hinge elements  26   c  disposed straight across the opposite edges of the respective U-shaped elements  26   a  and  26   b . Dimensions are such that the hinge elements  26  extend in a straight line, and the nibs  20   a  and  20   b  hold the U-shaped runners  26   a  and  26   b  in the shape of proper corners disposed at right angles with projections of the inside surfaces of the walls  16 ,  18  meeting at a point just beyond the ends of the respective walls. The hinge elements  26  thus form an effective waterproof barrier and provide a smooth chamfered outer surface of the corner structure. 
     Referring to FIG. 12, before erection the continuous wall structure  12  of the temporary shelter is folded flat with the various panels disposed accordion fashion. More specifically the front wall  16  may have its center panel  16   a  disposed horizontally on the upside of the package. The side panels  16   b  and  16   c  are folded inward under the central panel as shown. Under the side panels  16   b  is disposed a side wall  18  with the individual component panels  18   a ,  18   b ,  18   c  and  18   d  disposed accord fashion therebelow. The other side wall  18  is disposed in similar fashion under the side panel  16   c  of the front  16 . 
     The rear wall  20  is disposed under the respective side panels  18   d  with the side panel  20   b  under panel  18   d  on the right hand side of FIG.  2  and the side panel  20   c  under the left hand side panel  18   d  of the offset side wall  18 . Corner structures  2  as shown in FIG. 13 connect the folded front wall with the side  18  and the rear wall  20  with the side walls as shown. 
     When erected, the package shown in FIG. 12 provides connected side walls of generally square shape have hinged structures at each corner. The hinge portions  26  show as smooth beveled edges of the structure. 
     Referring now to the roof structure  14 , it is shown in partly assembled condition in FIG.  4 . It comprises a plurality of generally triangular segments  14   a ,  14   b ,  14   c  and  14   d , each which (FIG. 6) comprise a two-component structure including the triangular roof segment  30  and a roof beam blank  32  pre-erected and flat against the roof segment  30 . 
     The beam blank  32  (FIG. 6) is formed with a plurality of score lines  34   a ,  34   b ,  34   c . These divide the beam blank into four separate bands including a first band  36 , a second band  38 , a third band  40  and an overlapping end band  42 . The first band  36  carries a peel strip  44  overlying an adhesive coating. Alternatively the attachment may be mechanically interfitting fastener parts such as snap-together extrusions, one on each of the opposing surfaces. The roof segment  30  and the second band  38  of the beam bank  32  are secured together by adhesive layer  46  holding the two components flat against each other. 
     For storage and shipment, the roof segments  30  with their respective attached beam blanks  32  are flat as shown in FIG. 7 a . These assemblies are, in the progress of the erection of the shelter, individually assembled by folding the beam blank on the fold or score lines  34   a ,  34   b  and  34   c . In the process (FIG. 6) the first band  36  is folded up from the second band along the line  34   a , and the third band  40  is folded up along the line  3   b . The overlapping band  42  is similarly folded at line  34   c  with respect to the third band  40 . The peel strip  44  is removed from the first band  36  and the overlapping band  42  is pressed against the first band  36  to complete the assemble of the individual roof beam  50 . 
     By design, the angle between the roof segment  30  (FIG. 7 c ) and the first band  36  is identical to the angle of the roof to the vertical walls  12  in the assembled structure, for each of the walls, respectively. 
     With their beams assembled and lying against their respective roof segments, neighboring adjacent roof segments  30  are attached together. Specifically, each of the side edges of the triangular roof segment is already provided with a U-shaped runner  60  (FIG. 5) which straddles along the edge of the roof segment. Integrally formed with the U-shaped runner is a T-shaped extension  62 , the crosspiece of the T being angled as shown to accommodate the final angled disposition of the roof segments. An extruded “I”-shaped connector piece  64  is formed with a pair of outward C-shaped openings  66 . These openings slidingly receive thee crosspieces of the respective extensions  62 . In this manner the roof segments  30  are attached one to the other in waterproof fashion along the length thereof as shown FIG. 4, (the final piece  64  being not yet installed in FIG.  4 ). The installation of the final connector piece  64  will cause the roof to have its pyramidal shape as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 shows, for illustrative purposes, the beam blanks still attached to the roof segments. In the usual erection of the roof, the individual beam blanks will have been pre-assembled as described in connection with FIGS. 7 a ,  7   b  and  7   c . The insertion of the connector pieces  64  will bring together the respective roof beams  50 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the vertices of the respective roof segments  30  aim at a central point but are truncated as shown in FIG. 4 at  30   a  to provide a square opening with a simple plastic frame  68  inserted. It slidingly receives a polygonal vent  70  which may be provided with a roof  72  of the same shape as the main roof, with overhang on all sides. The vent is open-bottomed and formed with a screened opening  74  on each face. The vent  70  may be slid up or down in the frame  68  to open or close the vent. A hand opening  76  may be provided for manipulating the vent. 
     In full assembly, the beams  50  form a continuous downward curb which slips down inside the polygonal wall assembly at the upper ends of the walls. If desired or necessary, a plastic snap catch or other mechanical connector may be used to secure the beams  50  to the respective walls. Such a catch is diagramatically shown at  80  in FIG.  2 . It may also take the form of a sheet metal connector, or even a threaded fastener penetrating the layers and perpendicular thereto. 
     A foot  82  may be provided folded in from the walls to give the walls added stability. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the outer surface of the walls  12  may be provided with an outward fabric  82  to secure the structure to the ground using tent pegs or rocks R. The fabric such as is sold under the trademark “TYVEK” may also keep rain water and vermin out of the shelter. 
     Support structure for the shelter is shown in FIGS. 15 and 15A. It comprises in FIG. 15 a platform including a sheet or sheets  90  of plywood or the like, typically 8′×8′ which sits on a plurality of spaced parallel elongated blocks  92  of light weight material such as foamed polystyrene. Preferably the material accommodates small unevenness in the ground. The  10  blocks  92  may have upward curbs  92   a  at the outside of the structure to help keep the shelter in place on the sheet  90 . The fabric  82  may overlie the curb to keep water from getting between the curb  92  and the shelter. 
     A variation is shown in FIG. 15A wherein the sheet  90 ′ downturned margins  94 ′ which lap over the outward blocks  92 ′. A retaining band  96  may encircle the structure to hold it aligned with the sheet. 
     Variations in the invention are possible. Thus, while t invention has been shown in only one embodiment, it is not so limited but is of a scope defined by the following claim language which may be broadened by an extension of the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention as is appropriate under the doctrine of equivalents.