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[0001] This application claims priority from provisional application No. 60/094,631, “Prefabricated Storm Shelter and Associated Methods,” filed Jul. 30, 1998.
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to storm shelters, and, more particularly, to storm shelters directly accessible from a building.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Storm shelters are desirable in areas subject to violent weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes. In particular, tornadoes can strike with little warning, leaving building occupants no time to evacuate.
[0006] In some localities where basements are not typically part of a building, it is desirable to provide a shelter for building occupants that is immediately accessible from the building. Such a construction has been disclosed by Silen; however, this assembly must be constructed on site, and is indeed affixed to other walls of the building.
[0007] Other shelter constructions have been disclosed by Rice (U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,780), Thornton (U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,158), Hsu (U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,985), and Riley (U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,923).
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a storm shelter that is readily accessible from a building.
[0009] It is another object to provide such a shelter that is structurally independent of the building structure.
[0010] It is a further object to provide such a shelter that is constructed separately from the building site.
[0011] It is also an object to provide such a shelter that can be prefabricated and delivered to the building site prior to the building's construction.
[0012] It is yet another object to provide a method of providing shelter to building occupants.
[0013] It is yet a further object to provide a method of constructing a storm shelter.
[0014] It is yet an additional object to provide a method of incorporating a storm shelter into a building under construction.
[0015] Another object is to provide such a method that does not substantially interfere with the building's construction schedule.
[0016] These and other objects are provided by the present invention, a storm shelter and associated methods. The storm shelter is preferably prefabricatable at a remote site, and deliverable to the building construction site following floor slab pouring and prior to wall construction.
[0017] The shelter comprises a unitary solid enclosure having side walls, a door opening in a side wall, a top, and an open bottom. The enclosure comprises a material having sufficient strength to withstand tornado- and hurricane-force weather. Such a material may comprise, for example, poured concrete, although this is not intended as a limitation.
[0018] The shelter further comprises means for affixing the enclosure to the building slab, such means also having sufficient strength to withstand tornado- and hurricane-force weather.
[0019] The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration and description and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. These and other objects attained, and advantages offered, by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
[0020]
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
[0024] A description of the preferred embodiments of the present
[0025] A first embodiment of the storm shelter
[0026] The shelter
[0027] Protruding from the bottom of the walls
[0028] In a second embodiment (
[0029] Particular dimensions and building material may comprise: a footer
[0030] Preferably the shelter
[0031] During an emergency the building occupants can immediately enter the shelter
[0032] It may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that additional embodiments may be contemplated, including enclosures and affixing means of alternate materials.
[0033] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity, and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for description purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the embodiments of the apparatus illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.
[0034] Having now described the invention, the construction, the operation and use of preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby, the new and useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.