Emergency shelter for at least one person, method for converting this from a folded position to a deployed position, and module of such shelters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11193299-B2
Application number	US-201716480740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Provided is an emergency shelter that is able to occupy a first, folded position for storage and transport and a second deployed position that is suitable for sheltering at least one person, a method for reversibly converting the shelter from this first position to this second position, and a module of contiguous shelters of this kind. The emergency shelter includes an inflatable tent and a retention device in the form of a column that is preassembled with the inflated tent in said second position. The column is suitable for inflating the tent and holding it deployed around the former in said second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An emergency shelter that is able to occupy a first, folded position for storage and transport and a second, deployed position for sheltering at least one person, the emergency shelter including an inflatable tent and a retaining device for retaining the inflatable tent in an inflated state thereof in said second position, wherein the retaining device includes a pre-assembled column having a definitive geometry common to said first position and said second position and to which the inflatable tent in an uninflated state thereof is fixed in said first position, the column being capable alone to inflate the inflatable tent and to retain the inflatable tent in the inflated state where the inflatable tent is deployed around the column in said second position.

2. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the column includes in said first position and said second position a peripheral column wall of globally polygonal or curved cross section, the inflatable tent being folded in said first position onto and around the peripheral column wall.

3. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 2 , in which the column contains an inflation unit for inflating the inflatable tent, the inflatable tent comprising inflatable ribs, wherein said inflation unit includes a compressor or a pyrotechnic generator of gas under pressure or at least one reservoir intended to contain a compressed gas and adapted to be connected to at least one of said inflatable ribs to be inflated.

4. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 3 , in which the column has a base that supports said peripheral column wall and is provided with means facilitating guiding movement of the emergency shelter in said first position, said base containing an electrical power supply unit of the column connected to said inflation unit.

5. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 4 , in which said base further contains said inflation unit that opens from said base via an inflation orifice adapted to be connected in an airtight manner to at least one tube for inflating the inflatable tent with which the column is provided, said base having a façade provided with a means for commanding and stopping the inflation.

6. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 4 , in which the means facilitating guiding movement of the emergency shelter in said first position are wheels.

7. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 5 , in which said peripheral column wall further contains a unit for supplying drinking water and washing water for said at least one sheltered person.

8. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 7 , in which said unit for supplying drinking water and washing water includes at least one drinking water reservoir and a receptacle of cups, both accessible from a top of the column, and a washbasin in said peripheral column wall communicating with said at least one drinking water reservoir via a tap.

9. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 7 , in which said base further contains a unit for recovering waste water, said base and/or an adjacent lower part of said peripheral column wall including removable or pivoting external panels enabling access to said recovery unit.

10. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the retaining device further includes connecting means for connecting the inflatable tent to the column that surmount the column and are deployable to be brought from said first position to said second position in which the column, provided with said connecting means, ballasts the inflatable tent.

11. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 3 , in which the connecting means for connecting the inflatable tent to the column are cables or a tubular membrane.

12. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the column further includes a storage battery, at least one secure rack for storing personal effects of said at least one person, at least one coat hook, and at least one small folding table.

13. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 12 , in which the at least one small folding table is suitable for consulting and/or charging laptop computers or smartphones by means of said storage battery.

14. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the column further includes self-contained lighting means able to light in an adjustable manner by means of at least one lighting cone, from an upper end of the column, the interior of the inflatable tent deployed in said second position and optionally also one or more particular locations on the column.

15. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the emergency shelter further includes a lockable casing which, in said first position, envelops the inflatable tent folded around a peripheral wall of said column of globally polygonal or curved cross section, said lockable casing being adapted to be separated from the inflatable tent and from said peripheral column wall to allow inflation of the inflatable tent.

16. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 15 , in which said lockable casing includes at least two casing modules that can be folded after unlocking by pivoting about a vertical axis of symmetry of the column.

17. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 16 , in which said at least two casing modules are mounted to pivot independently of one another on a base of the column before inflating the inflatable tent, each of said at least two casing modules being optionally separatable from the column and adapted to be disposed on ground receiving the emergency shelter to form there an item of furniture or a ground covering element.

18. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 17 , in which at least one of said at least two casing modules is provided with articulated legs which are retractable and optionally telescopic, and is adapted to form said item of furniture that is optionally inflatable by said column and is selected from tables and seats.

19. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 17 , in which each of said at least two casing modules is adapted to form there the ground covering element which is a floor panel.

20. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 16 , in which at least one of said at least two casing modules has an external face provided with means for holding and/or guiding the emergency shelter in said first position, in order to move the emergency shelter and to transport the emergency shelter in a vehicle.

21. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 20 , in which the means for holding and/or guiding the emergency shelter in said first position are handles, ramps, or rails.

22. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 16 , in which the emergency shelter further includes a cap removably surmounting said peripheral column wall and in said first position locking said at least two casing modules around the inflatable tent, said cap optionally enclosing a tube for inflating the inflatable tent adapted to be connected to an inflation unit contained in the column.

23. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 16 , in which said at least two casing modules, before being folded, have when assembled together a globally cylindrical or prismatic geometry around said vertical axis, like said peripheral column wall.

24. The emergency shelter as claimed in claim 1 , in which the inflatable tent includes inflatable ribs and a flexible canvas that interconnects said inflatable ribs, the flexible canvas incorporating photovoltaic modules and/or resistive heating elemen

Assignees

• Hutchinson

Inventors

• Andre Sébastien
• Girault Céline
• Nadjar Raphaël
• Godeau Denis
• Avril Katarzyna

Classifications

• E04H15/36

  arch-shaped type (E04H15/42 takes precedence {; arches connected with lazy-tongues E04H15/505}) · CPC title

• E04H15/20 Primary

  inflatable, e.g. shaped, strengthened or supported by fluid pressure · CPC title

• E04H15/10

  Heating, lighting or ventilating · CPC title

• E04H15/12

  Heating · CPC title

• E04H2015/201

  with inflatable tubular framework, with or without tent cover · CPC title