Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – With traffic-guiding feature – Multilevel building with ramp
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-04-03
Kent, Christopher T. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
With traffic-guiding feature
Multilevel building with ramp
C052S174000, C052S033000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209270
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to static structures, and, more particularly, to multilevel buildings with ramps.
2. Description of Related Art
The demand for affordable, high-density housing and commercial office space in urban areas must often be delicately balanced against the availability of parking facilities nearby. In fact, real estate developers are often required to provide adequate parking facilities as part of any new development. Storage space for, and easy access to, vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, golf carts, bicycles, trucks, vans, buses and/or other personal transportation can often consume large amounts of valuable open space in close proximity to high-rise building. Consequently, many inner-city buildings are provided with garage facilities directly above or below the floors or levels which are occupied by the residences or businesses. Since these owners often prefer to be as far as possible from the noise and congestion at street level, garage facilities inside these buildings are typically provided on the lower levels, and often underground.
In this regard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,290,837 and 3,824,752 to Weston disclose multi-story buildings having parking facilities on the lower levels. However, such parking facilities generally have limited capacity due to the large, open central well. They can also are expensive to build and safely operate. Furthermore, users of the building are often inconvenienced by having to use multiple sets of stairs and/or elevators in order to move between the parking level and the level on which their home or office is located. Moreover, for building complexes with very large underground parking areas, it can often be difficult to find a parking space near the most convenient stairway or elevator. Consequently, a tenant may also have a long, and potentially dangerous, walk across the underground garage. However, drivers must often park several levels from their habitable space and must cross a central helical carriageway in order to reach the stairs or elevator in the parking area.
Numerous ideas have been proposed for allowing a building tenant to park closer to their residence or business in such buildings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,186 to Kaufman et al. discloses a multi-story building complex with access between each garage parking deck and its corresponding floor of the building at the same elevation. However, this design requires separate parcels of land for the garage and building. Furthermore, some tenants may still have a long walk across the garage deck, the interconnecting platforms, and the breeze-ways in front of their units.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,936,083 to Dahlman and 4,971,505 to Sawyer disclose buildings in which building users may be able to park a bit closer to their destination inside a building. However, these designs require large and expensive vehicle elevator systems which must be waited on to provide drivers with access to the street and/or their parking spaces. “Progressive Architecture,” Issue No. 6, June 1959, discloses a another proposed design for a hotel where seven of the fifteen guest/room floors have parking areas on the same level as the rooms. Guests arriving by car drive up ramps in the core of the structure in order to arrive at the floors on which their rooms are located. No other details about the internal structure of the building are provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,432,132 to Sturges, on the other hand, discloses a building with a rectangular driveway around all for sides of the building with two inclined sections and two horizontal sections on each level. A court in the center of the driveway is subdivided into offices or stores having entrances on the driveway. However, the driveway blocks at least some of the natural light that might otherwise reach these units and some units have floors that are inclined relative to the driveway and are therefore very difficult to climb onto. Furthermore, parking for these offices and stores is arranged on the outside edge of the building across the driveway further blocking what limited naturally light might reach the offices and stores and requiring pedestrians to cross two lanes of traffic in the building before reaching their destination.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other disadvantages of prior technology are addressed by providing a multilevel building including a personal occupancy space on one level of the building which is above ground level, a vehicular parking space on the one level adjoining the personal occupancy space, and a first ramp arranged on an external face of the building for providing vehicular access to the parking space from the ground level outside the building. The first ramp may be a helical ramp. In addition, the building may include a moveable barrier, such as a gate, fence, or door, for controlling access to the one level from the first ramp and/or another moveable barrier for controlling access to the parking space from other areas on the one level of the building.
The building may also include a second helical ramp for providing vehicular access from the parking space to the ground level outside the building from the parking space. The second helical ramp may be arranged on an external face of the building which is on the same, or opposite, opposite face of the building from the first ramp. The building may further include an elevated street extending between said first and second helical ramps on the one level of the building. A second personal occupancy space may be provided on the one level of the building and this second personal occupancy space may adjoin the vehicular parking space on the one level of the building. Alternatively, the first and second personal occupancy spaces may be arranged on opposite sides of the elevated street on the one level of the building.
In another embodiment, the multilevel building includes a first row of personal occupancy spaces arranged along one side of one level of the building which is above ground level, a second row of personal occupancy spaces arranged along an opposite side of the one level of the building, an elevated street arranged on the one level of the building between the first and second rows of personal occupancy spaces, and means for carrying a vehicle between the ground level outside the building and the elevated street inside the building. For example, the vehicle carrying means may include an elevator or a ramp, and preferably at least one helical ramp arranged on an external face of the building. The vehicle carrying means may also include a second helical ramp arranged which is arranged on the same, or opposite, side of the building as the first helical ramp. The elevated street may be also be provided with amenities such as landscaping; lighting; ventilation; climate control; smoke, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, heat, and/or fire detection; emergency alarms, fire suppression; recreational equipment, and video and/or audio security systems.
In addition, the building may further include a first vehicular parking space arranged on the one level of the building adjoining the elevated street and also adjoining at least one of the personal occupancy spaces in the first row of personal occupancy spaces. A second vehicular parking space can also be similarly provided on the one level of the building adjoining said elevated street and also adjoining at least one of the personal occupancy spaces in the second row of personal occupancy spaces. At least one of these first and second vehicular parking spaces is preferably arranged between two personal occupancy spaces in one of the rows of personal occupancy spaces. A garage door may be provided for controlling vehicular access to this one parking space from the elevated street and another door may be provided between the one vehicular parking space behind the garage door and one of the two personal occupancy spaces on either side of this one vehicular parking space. Any of these doors may have locks and/or other security systems operated by keys, k
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Kent Christopher T.
Thissell Jennifer I.
LandOfFree
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