Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Specified terranean relationship – Subterranean enclosure with portal opening; e.g. – storm or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2002-05-14
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Specified terranean relationship
Subterranean enclosure with portal opening; e.g., storm or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06385920
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an underground storm shelter. More particularly it relates to modular storm cellar providing sanctuary to occupants during the deadly high winds encountered during tornados and hurricanes. The disclosed device is especially useful in providing emergency refuge to occupants of mobile homes or trailers which are especially susceptible to the high winds and high speed projectiles encountered during tornados. Dual access ports on preferred embodiments provide additional utility by providing both instant access during the short warning period prior to a tornado, as well as an emergency exit should the mobile home collapse on its piers and block the communicating trap door access once the storm has cleared.
2. Prior Art
Damage and loss of life in the United States from tornados and the winds associated with hurricanes is staggering. As an example, in 1987 there were 656 tornados in the United States resulting in the death of 59 citizens. In 1982, one of the worst years on record, there were 1046 tornados, causing an aggregate 64 deaths amongst the population of the United States living in constant fear of the deadly storms which occur in the Mid-West portion of the country. In an average year, no less than 850 tornados strike the Midwest. A major portion of theses deadly and damaging storms strike a stretch of the Midwest known as “Tornado Alley” which, due to geographic factors of the Rocky Mountains and atmospheric interaction of weather over the great plains, stretches from Texas to Wisconsin.
During a tornado and a “super cell” thunderstorm surrounding the tornado for miles around, the winds and hail, and rain, become extremely dangerous to any human or animal life form unfortunate enough to be caught in the path of the storm. Tornados themselves can range from small weak storms with 40 mile an hour winds, to large frustro conic shaped whirlwinds contacting land in a ½ mile wide swatch. Winds at the contact point of a tornado with the ground can easily reach 300 miles per hour, and can last from a few seconds, to several hours, as the storm creates a path of destruction over an entire state.
When such a disaster approaches any populated area, people are typically instructed to seek safe haven from the approaching high winds, and the wind driven projectiles. Such winds and projectiles as large as automobiles or mobile homes can destroy a home and kill any person unlucky enough to encounter the path of destruction and terror that is a tornado. Equally devastating, but with more warning attached, are hurricanes that come into contact with coastal areas of the United States and can generate sustained high winds over 150 miles per hour for hours at a time.
Safe haven in such a terrifying event as a tornado or hurricane is generally a safe zone inside a permanent substantially reinforced structure, or optimally, a basement encased below the structure and below ground level. In the event that a basement is not available, a center section of the structure surrounded by as many walls, and as much of the structure itself is preferable to help stop the wind and more importantly the wind driven projectiles from injuring or killing the structure occupants. Projectiles can have the effect of a small ballistic missile when accelerated by high velocity storm winds.
In many historically tornado prone areas in the Midwest, storm cellars under the home or below ground adjacent to the home have been a common inclusion into housing for decades. In recent years, manufacture housing, which is factory built and moved to a pre-poured slab foundation, has caused a large portion of new permanent housing to be built without any underground shelters for the occupants. Also in recent years, the popularity of mobile homes and trailers have evolved to become a huge provider of housing to citizens of the Midwest. Such homes come in styles that appear as trailers to homes which look essentially like frame and brick structures.
The vast majority of mobile homes and trailers are typically parked on a small cement slab and secured on piers to maintain the mobile home in a level platform for long term use. Unfortunately, such a minimal securement to the ground, and the thin walls of mobile housing, combine to yield an extremely dangerous combination during tornados and hurricanes. Projectiles driven by high wind velocity can easily pierce one or even multiple walls of mobile housing becoming deadly to any occupants still inside.
Since most such mobile housing essentially rests on top of ground supported piers by the simple force of gravity, there is a propensity of mobile housing to be highly prone to roll over in high winds. It is not uncommon for mobile homes to be picked up by a tornado and deposited yards or miles away in a heap. Further wind driven trees, branches, boards, glass, and other projectiles piercing the walls of such housing render them virtually useless for protection against a tornado and in many cases the lower speed winds of a hurricane.
But because of the very nature of mobile housing being mobile, and having a floor and floor mounted interior structure that is supposed to be mobile, secure mounting, basements, and attached storm cellars, are almost always precluded from attachment to the mobile home or trailer. Consequently, a tornado approaching with normal little or no warning, can easily catch the occupants of the mobile home by surprise resulting in death or injury when the occupants have no storm shelter within easy access. There thus exists a need for an easily manufactured and installed shelter from the high winds and projectiles generated by tornados and hurricanes.
In recent years some prefabricated units have been designed and sold, but these are generally designed to be buried adjacent to, or under, a permanent structure style home. Usually such units provide a single access door which communicates between ground level and the cavity inside the unit. They require a significant investment in excavation and are prone to trapping occupants should the overhead structure collapse on the shelter.
The device as herein disclosed is a significant improvement in the provision of storm cellars in that it can be installed after the main structure has been built. It is modular in nature and can thus be initially constructed as a small shelter and later added onto to increase the size if needed. Further, the disclosed device provides a significant increase in the safety of occupants of mobile housing such as mobile homes and trailers because it can be installed adjacent to the poured concrete slab conventionally used for mounting of mobile housing. This is accomplished by providing an emergency trap door shoot for occupants of mobile housing to quickly enter the emergency shelter, as well as a second access port to provide outside access as well as an exit in the event that the trailer is turned over or collapses on the emergency entrance. A break away extension tube from the first access port provides communication to the interior of the shelter while affording protection to the occupants of the shelter in the event that the mobile home is sheared from its piers from the high winds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,166 (Qualline) addresses the issue of an underground shelter that can be built and then buried. However, Qualline addresses, primarily, the issue of water proofing, lacks an emergency chute, and requires extensive excavation to mount.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,144 (Gustafsson) teaches an underground bomb shelter and storage unit, however, it provides no easy access to users and only one entry and exit port.
U.S. Pat. 5,749,181 (Bauman) teaches a trench mounted tubular emergency shelter, however, Bauman fails to offer an emergency access port required when users have only a moments notice of impending disaster and fails to teach dual access ports to allow occupants to exit from a second port in the event of a collapse on top of the single access.
As such, there exists a need for an easily and inexpensively manuf
Glessner Brian E.
Harms Donn K.
Stephan Beth A.
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