Patent ID: 7178370

Claim:
In combination with a building structure including a floor, a wall having an exterior outer surface, and a ceiling, the wall including and at least one structural support member, the improvements for safely providing protection for an individual residing in the building structure, said improvements including (a) a safe mounted in the wall, said safe including (i) a housing inset in the wall and connected to the structural support member, said housing including a front portion, (ii) an interior, (iii) a door slidably mounted on said housing and having a selected weight and movable between at least two operative positions, a latched first closed position to prevent access to said interior, and an unlatched second open position to permit access to said interior, said door slidably moving from said first position to said second position under gravity, and said housing inset in the wall such that said front portion extends outwardly away from said wall and from the exterior outer surface a distance sufficient to permit said door to be generally parallel to and adjacent and extend over a portion of the exterior outer surface when said door moves from said first position to said second position, (iv) a coil spring attached to said door to generate a force acting upwardly on said door to offset at least a portion of said selected weight of said door, said force generally remaining constant when said door moves from said first to said second position and extends said spring; and, (b) a loaded ready-to-use firearm in said interior of said safe.