Patent Abstract:
An earthquake shelter comprising a container sized for human occupancy, the container having walls and an access opening and a quickly openable and closable primary door to cover and uncover the opening; the container walls and door consisting of high strength panel material, in excess of 10,000 psi load resistance; the container walls including impact shock resisting material that has extensive outwardly presented surface that is outwardly resilient, the wall or walls being flexible; and shock or impact absorbing cushioning means at the container interior, to cushion sudden movement of an occupant relative to the container as the container is suddenly moved by earthquake transmitted force. Tooling enables occupant displacement, from within the container, of debris outside the containers, while viewing such displacement.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to survival during earthquakes in local, accessible shelters quickly usable at the beginning of earthquakes and during their continuance. 
     There is need for efficient, durable and highly accessible shelters installable in buildings for rapid access and use during earthquakes. 
     In particular, there is need for portable shelters as described herein having the multiple functions and very desirable elements to be described herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a major object of the invention to provide an improved protective shelter, easily installable in a building structure, for rapid access and use during an earthquake. Basically the shelter comprises: 
     a) a container sized for human occupancy, the container having walls and an access opening and a quickly openable and closable primary door to cover and uncover said opening, 
     b) the container walls and door consisting of high strength panel material, in excess of 10,000 psi load resistance, the wall or walls being resiliently flexible, 
     c) the container supported for sliding movement compensating for earthquake induced sideward movement of a supporting surface, 
     d) shock or impact absorbing cushioning means at the container interior, to cushion sudden movement of an occupant relative to the container as the container is suddenly moved by earthquake transmitted force. 
     In this regard, provision may be made to cushion vertical, i.e. up and down earthquake induced movement of the container, operating in conjunction with sideward sliding compensation, and to move the containers relative to debris at the exterior. 
     As will be seen, the door is constructed to easily slide open and closed at a side of the container; and a secondary door may be provided for use and during escape from the container, and is easily openable by an occupant of the container chamber in the event the primary door becomes inoperable as by jamming of building debris against the container. 
     Another object is to provide shelter walls constructed of non-metallic, high strength fireproof material such as
         i) flexible DELRIN,   ii) flexible KEVLAR,   iii) high density polyethylene, preferably injected with structural foam.       

     A further object is to provide a storage sub-container contained within the container, the sub-container having wall structure consisting of high strength panel material and being accessible to an occupant of the container. 
     Yet another object is to provide a durable window or windows provided in container walls enabling occupant viewing of building debris adjacent or spaced from the container to provide an escape path or route. Also, an openable and closable air vent is provided in a container high strength wall or panel. A high strength storage area is provided in the container, as for example a high strength wall, for equipment such as
         i) communication equipment,   ii) a cell phone or phones,   iii) edibles,   iv) illumination equipment,   v) oxygen supply means.
 
Walls of the container are of sufficient thickness and size to withstand shock loads to be encountered during building destruction during an earthquake.
       

     These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as for example are listed in the claims, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       DRAWING DESCRIPTION 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred apparatus; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are fragmentary views of window and air vent components provide in a high strength wall; 
         FIG. 4  is a section in elevation showing features of shelter construction; 
         FIG. 5  is a view like  FIG. 4 , showing further details of shelter construction; 
         FIG. 6  is a section taken in elevation on lines  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a combined vertical cushioning, and lateral sliding compensation, mechanism; 
         FIG. 8  is an elevation view showing a shelter consisting of resilient, impact resistant, high strength material; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of a container wall with an accessible pusher; 
         FIG. 10  is a section taken on lines  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 , showing occupant use of a pusher advancing tool, to affect shelter displacement; 
         FIG. 11  is a section showing an elongated pusher; 
         FIG. 12  is a section showing a container shelter wall-sliding door installation; 
         FIG. 13  is a view like  FIG. 12 , but with addition of a pivoted auxiliary door in case of damage to the sliding door; 
         FIG. 14  shows the auxiliary door in pivoted position; and 
         FIGS. 15-17  show further details of container construction. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the drawings, showing a preferred example, the earthquake shelter  100  is shown to comprise a longitudinally elongated container  10  sized for human occupancy, and including elongated top and bottom walls or panels  11  and  12 , supported by elongated upright laterally spaced front and rear walls  13  and  14 , and end walls or panels  15  and  16 . Such walls may typically be between 1 and 2 inches thick and consist of very high strength material such as KEVLAR, DELRIN or polycarbonate sheet plastic material. Corners may be connected by fasteners as at  20  seen in  FIG. 4 . Alternatively, the panels may be integrally connected at corners, as during molding. A building floor is schematically indicated at  22 , and an overhead building horizontal structure at  23 , these being subject to collapse, or partial collapse during an earthquake, with falling debris striking the shelter  10  constructed to withstand such impact. Low friction slider plates  24  are connected to the bottom panel  12 , at its corners, and serve to allow limited sliding of the shelter, laterally or horizontally, to compensate for earthquake induced lateral motion transmitted as by building floor  22 . 
       FIG. 7  shows provision of a dash-pot type cushioning means  80 , operating to cushion i.e. dampen, vertical motion of the container, in conjunction with slider plate compensation for lateral motion. One such means  80  as shown in  FIG. 7 , includes at one or more corners of the container, a helical spring  81  installed in a recess  83  in the container, and confined between recess interior wall  85  and the top surface  24   a  of plate  24 . The spring frictionally rubs against recess side wall  83   a  as the spring is compressively displaced endwise, due to impact loading on and displacement of the container, clamping container displacement. See also plunger  95  rubbing against bore  96  as the spring compresses, and also acting as a vertical guide. 
     The panel  13  forms or defines a front opening  30  sized to permit rapid human access or entry into the container interior  31 , for shelter during at least part of the earthquake motion, as during at least the debris falling stage, near the end of the earthquake. The container interior contains yieldable cushioning material  33  indicated at one more locations  33   a ,  33   b ,  33   c ,  33   d ,  33   e  and  33   f , adjacent the inward facing surfaces of the container walls. Such material serves to cushion sudden relative movement of an occupant and the container, as the container is suddenly moved in response to earthquake transmitted force, or by impact of falling debris. Material  33  may consist of textile or plastic blanketing, batting or other material, of thickness between 2 and 5 inches, for example. 
     A primary door  36  is manually movable from the container interior to open and close the access opening  30 , for protection. See door edge slider guides at  36   a , and grooves  36   b  in  FIG. 6 . A supply  37  of the cushioning material at the container interior, may be used to lay against the door interior surface, for cushioning protection, against sudden movement, as referred to. An air vent in at least one wall, as at  38  in wall  14 , may be opened or closed from the container interior, as by use of adhesive tape  39  or other means, shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     A small observation window or windows  41  is or are preferably provided in one or more container walls, as shown in one or more upright walls  13 ,  15  and  16 , and also in sliding door  36 . Such windows may consist of high strength transparent plastic, or glass, edge anchored or molded to the panels, as during panel formation. 
     A secondary door is provided, as at  50 , in the container, and allows occupant escape in the event the primary door is not openable due to jamming, or debris collection at the front side of the primary door  36 . Door  50  is shown for example adjacent the end panel  16  in  FIG. 5 , to close secondary opening  51 . It may be carried by a metallic rod  50   a  extending horizontally, inwardly of panel  16 , to allow swinging of the door plate  50   b  inwardly and upwardly, exposing opening  51 . Normally, the door  50  is retained closed, adjacent opening  51 , as by an L-shaped (or other) retainer  62 , which is rotatable or twistable to release door retention for upward swinging. Cushioning material  54  is attached to the inner side of door  50 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show provision of a storage or sub-container  60  integral with wall  13  at the inner side of that wall. The sub-container consists of high strength panel material and is readily accessible to an occupant of the shelter. The sub-container is shown as upwardly open at entrance  63 , for downward reception of useful articles or components  64 , such as
         flashlight   cell phone   radio equipment   edibles and water   first aid supplies   sound emitters such as siren, beepers, etc., for indicating shelter position, for rescue   oxygen supply or compressed air bottle.       

     Additional optional features include: 
     a) container top surface  70  serving as furniture surface; see also top horizontal extension flanges  71 , 
     b) provision of multiple such containers at different floor levels in building, 
     c) bedding and clothing supply in the container, 
     d) human waste disposal means, as in a pouch receivable in the sub-container. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , it shows a box-like container  150  having top and bottom walls  151  and  152 ; end walls  153  and  154 ; and front and back walls  155  and  156  all consisting of plastic such as foam. Convex or rounded wall junctions are shown as at  157 , adding to resilient strength of the walls as during an earthquake. Resilient deflections during heavy impact of the top wall are indicated by broken lines  151   a  and  151   b . Such impact may be produced by falling debris, rolling of the container or pushing of heavy external material or objects against the container. In all cases, the container is not broken, due to its resilience. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9-11 , they show a container wall  155   a  with a pusher  160  carried by the wall and operable by an occupant to create force F usable to displace the container, and possibly free it from jamming in exterior debris, enabling occupant exit via a side door (see  FIGS. 12 and 13 ). The pusher may take the form of a threaded shaft  161 , rotatable by handle  164  located in the shelter interior, there being a tongue and groove connection at  163  between the handle and pusher. A threaded socket  161   c  carried by the wall  155   a  receives the shaft, for rotation. As the shaft advances, it engages a rock or other debris  162  and force is created to further separate the rock and container (see  FIG. 10 ). The wall area  155   b  around the socket may be reinforced to better sustain side loading. A viewing slit  180  enables occupant viewing of such progression separation, there typically being a thick glass window  166  in the slit. The limited flexibility of the wall  155   a  enables angular adjustment of the pusher and socket, for pusher engagement of different portions of the rock, directly benefitting control of freeing of the container. 
       FIGS. 12-14  show a container sliding door  170 , slidable in a wall  171  of the container, to allow occupant entrance and exit. An auxiliary door  173  has pivoted connection at  174  with door  170 , allowing outward opening of door  173 , for occupant exit and entrance, as for example is enabled despite jamming of sliding door  170  in its wall slit, due to heavy and exterior debris damage to door  170 , or its slide slot  177 . See  FIG. 14 , with the door  173  in outward pivoted position. Pivoted connection  174  includes hinge plates  174   a  and  174   b/    
     Referring to  FIGS. 15 and 16 , container  200  has side wall  201 , top and bottom walls  202  and  203 , end walls  204  and  205 , and curved, outwardly convex crush resistant corners, as at  206 - 209 . A “hidden” cylinder  210  contains a sliding door made of flexible KEVLAR material which is 5-7 times stronger and lighter than steel, commonly used for helmet, bullet-proof vests in plastic form. 
       FIG. 16  is like  FIG. 15 , but shows the sliding curved shutter door  212 , deployed into closed or closing position, the resiliently flexible walled container  200  having the following features
         Material: (High Density Polyethylene) injected with structural foam.   Dimension: 56″W 33″H 28″D   Curved Sliding Door: Flexible KEVLAR material.   Weight: 60 lbs, up.       

       FIG. 17  is like  FIGS. 15 and 16 , but shows provision of auxiliary equipment: panel inner wall panels  220 ; bank night deposit fixture  221 ; lazy susan swivel  222 ; lamp  223  and computer  224 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 4