EP3469162B1 - Collapsible pop-up structure for the rapid erection of shelters - Google Patents

Description

The present invention finds application in the field of modular buildings with rapid deployment comprising in particular a structure coated with a flexible waterproof material and / or elements made of rigid materials, the uses of which are currently constantly increasing in particular due to the more and more frequent worldwide use of temporary sites made up of this type of building.

The current phenomenon of migrants requires, for example, the deployment of camps, which are in principle temporary, created on the edge of the territories that they seek to reach. Conflict areas around the world can also lead to the establishment of accommodation sites as a result of displacement. The management of people who find themselves homeless can also result from natural disasters (earthquakes, eruptions, etc.), sometimes requiring massive displacement of populations.

In all these circumstances, as well as in theaters of humanitarian or military operations, in addition to accommodation, there is a need for temporary functional equipment. Shelters or corresponding structures (field hospitals, military installations, etc.) are in principle not intended to last, and respond to urgent but occasional situations. In addition to the above examples, these may be linked buildings or not, accommodating refectories, kitchens, sanitary spaces etc.

In all cases, rapid assembly / disassembly is required, which is precisely the prerogative of the invention, which is devoted to the erection in the shortest possible time of functional shelters, that is to say say in particular adaptable to all the constraints that may be found in the installation sites, for example particular climatic conditions.

The folding and unfolding structure for the rapid erection of buildings of the invention according to claim 1 comprises for this purpose and in a conventional manner two porticos constituting two first facades of parallel appearance of the shelter, the other two facades each comprising means of vertical articulation with respect to on the one hand to the uprights of the gantries that they connect and on the other hand to an axis placed centrally between the gantries. It will be understood that said joints serve to fold the structure back on itself, in particular for its transport or storage, and to unfold it in a few minutes on the site. It is then coated with rigid materials and / or flexible materials attached to at least one frame of the structure belonging to each of the different front, rear and side facades, to the ground and to the roof of the deployed shelter.

Such a structure is for example shown in the patent document FR 2 850 408 , in a configuration intended in particular to house horses during the duration of horse shows.

According to the invention, the gantries are independent and the uprights of a gantry each comprise a sliding inner profile making it possible to increase their height in order to give the roof an inclination, said inner profiles being connected by an upper spar and forming a gantry. upper secondary sliding in the gantry, the sliding control means being provided in at least one of the uprights.

In addition to the enlargement of the useful volume of the shelter going hand in hand with an optimization of the interior space, the configuration of the invention proves to be particularly suited to cold and rainy climates, since the possibility of deploying a sloping roof makes it possible to '' ensure the evacuation of precipitation water in good conditions. This characteristic has a technical consequence on the watertightness of the structure, and therefore on its immediate functional effectiveness, which is much better guaranteed than with structures with a flat roof. The roof, which runs the entire length of the structure, is also resistant to snow, and its sloping nature allows it to slide, which, another substantial technical advantage of the invention, does not allow it to be taken into account. in calculations.

A sloping roof of immutable predetermined slope, that is to say not adjustable unlike the invention, is for example shown in the document US 2014/0311053 which discloses a collapsible shelter which does not however have the structural characteristics of the invention: no gantry cranes, and in particular no central telescopic gantry crane. In the invention, the roof can be set flat, or be raised. This flexibility is an additional advantage of the system.

The shelter of the invention according to claim 2 comprises three gantries of parallel appearance, a central gantry provided with a sliding secondary gantry and two gantries delimiting parallel facades of the shelter in the deployed position. This symmetrical structure offers a maximum useful surface for a very short deployment time.

Also preferably, each gantry can include a spar connecting the lower ends of the uprights, transforming it in a way into a frame which increases the rigidity of the assembly and can facilitate the deployment / folding maneuvers. These side members also support the floor in rigid panels which insulate the occupants from the floor. They also make it possible to avoid any need for additional wedging from below the floor elements.

More specifically, depending on the number of gantries, at least one floor can be articulated relative to the lower spar of one of two gantries that said floor connects on the one hand, and on the other hand to a horizontal axis placed centrally between the gantries when the floor is deployed.

According to one possible configuration, the internal profile of the upright of the gantry provided with control means comprises a rack able to cooperate with a toothed wheel. So that the implementation of the control by the user can be carried out easily, the shaft of the toothed wheel can be accessible from outside said upright, directly or via the output of an angle transmission device . The latter constitutes the solution preferably chosen within the framework of the invention. In addition, the gear wheel control is accessible from outside or inside the building.

More precisely, one end of said shaft or the output of the return device can be configured to be hollow, the shape of the recess then being provided to house the end of a tool. manual or automated rotary. It may for example be a manual crank, or a rotary tool of the large caliber drill type, provided in both cases with a tip fitting into the recess.

According to one possibility, one of the walls of the section sliding in the upright may be provided with aligned orifices constituting the notches of the rack. Other conventional variants of racks are of course possible, the option chosen not being restrictive of the invention. Alternatively, the control can of course be motorized.

Mention has been made of the possible use of flexible and rigid coverings to equip the unfolding and folding structure: according to a preferential possibility, the facades and, therefore, the ground are equipped with solid panels, while the roof can be made of a material. flexible, for example a canvas tarpaulin. The material in question can be laid even before the secondary gantry is deployed, its flexible texture allowing it to adapt to said deployment. According to one possibility, the canvas sheet is advantageously waterproof.

Facade coverings, especially exterior but also interior, for example to divide the shelter into two spaces, include at least one skin, ideally up to three skins, which gives them insulation properties much superior to those of a flexible material of the canvas type. The fact of having several layers or skins makes it possible to establish air spaces between them, which increase and significantly improve the thermal insulation of the building. In this case, the term “skin” is understood to mean a flexible or rigid material which is fixed to the structure and which offers, on the one hand, protection in the form of a coating, and on the other hand a seal, so that the goods and the people inside the building are properly protected, for example against bad weather.

More preferably, the structure of the invention is made of aluminum beams. The facades on the side of the porticoes can, in the structure of the invention, be completely open, that is to say devoid of reinforcement in the form of of posts, said gantries providing sufficient stability to the structure. The great lightness provided by this material also provides a considerable advantage during the deployment / folding of the shelter, simple manual operations by a single individual becoming sufficient in this regard, while in the document FR 2 850 408 previously mentioned, this is not the case. A lifting beam connected by several cables to the structure was in fact used and almost necessary to carry out these operations. According to an additional characteristic, the beams comprise at least one longitudinal groove, often several, which allow a simple and tight fixing of certain coverings, for example flexible coverings.

To make the structure of the invention easily transportable, it is furthermore advantageously provided that the length of the gantries assembled in the folded position is less than the standard length of containers, in particular maritime containers of 6.10 m (20 feet). Other lengths are of course possible, depending on the type of packaging.

It is then possible to place a few structures in the folded state in a single container, the standardized width of which is much greater than that of said folded structure.

• la figure 1 représente en vue perspective d'une structure selon l'invention en position dépliée avec le portique secondaire faîtier déployé ;
• La figure 2 montre, en vue perspective, ladite structure en cours de dépliage (ou de repliage), le portique secondaire faîtier étant replié ;
• La figure 3 représente la structure complètement repliée ;
• la figure 4 visualise un abri partiellement revêtu de panneaux / toile de toiture ;
• - la figure 5 montre en vue perspective une partie d'un montant équipé d'une crémaillère de déploiement du portique secondaire faîtier ;
• - la figure 6 représente une portion de la crémaillère extraite du montant ; et
• - les figures 7 et 8 représentent schématiquement le fonctionnement du plancher de l'invention, dépliable/repliable en même temps que le reste de la structure

The invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended figures, for which:

• the figure 1 shows a perspective view of a structure according to the invention in the unfolded position with the secondary ridge frame deployed;
• The figure 2 shows, in perspective view, said structure being unfolded (or folding), the secondary ridge gantry being folded;
• The figure 3 represents the completely folded structure;
• the figure 4 visualize a shelter partially covered with panels / roofing fabric;
• - the figure 5 shows in perspective view part of an upright equipped with a rack for deploying the secondary ridge gantry;
• - the figure 6 represents a portion of the rack extracted from the upright; and
• - the figures 7 and 8 schematically represent the operation of the floor of the invention, unfolding / folding at the same time as the rest of the structure

With reference to figures 1 and 2 , the structure 1 of the building comprises two porticos / frames 2, 2 'located on either side of a portico / central frame 3. Said porticoes 2, 2' each comprise uprights 4, 4 'and an upper beam 5 , as well as a lower spar 6 which transforms them into a rectangular looking frame. The central gantry likewise comprises uprights 7, 7 'and an upper beam 8, a lower spar 9 stiffening it into a frame of substantially the same shape and surface as the frames of the gantries 2, 2'.

The side half facades 10, 10 ', 11, 11', symmetrical with respect to the central gantry 3, are foldable with respect to said gantry 3, to one of the gantries 2, 2 'and finally to an articulation axis A which is to them central. These half facades 10, 10 'are in practice each made up of two frames 12, 13 (referenced on one side but existing on both sides in a completely symmetrical manner) pivotable relative to each other according to the vertical axis A, articulated with respect to gantry 2 along a vertical axis B and with respect to gantry 2 'along an axis C.

A secondary gantry 15, visible because deployed in figure 1 , is slidable relative to the central gantry 3. It is folded, so hardly visible, in figure 2 . It includes side uprights 16, 16 'of which at least one is actually a section (see in figures 5 and 6 ) configured to slide and be driven via a conventional rack system, and an upper spar 25.

The figure 3 shows the structure 1 of the two preceding figures completely folded up, practically flattened. It is in this configuration that it is transported for example to the means of standard containers. Its unfolding and folding, an intermediate phase of which appears in figure 2 , are easy because the structure is light, due to the use of aluminum, or alternatively of a composite material, and can easily be handled by a single individual.

The figure 4 shows a structure such as in figures 1 to 3 partially covered with rigid panels or more generally with a rigid material and / or flexible canvas. In this case, the facade 2 is covered with rigid panels which leave room for openings for two windows and the door. The roof is covered using a flexible canvas which can adapt to the particular shape resulting from the elevation of the secondary gantry 15, the upper spar 25 of which acts as a ridge for the building. Alternatively, the canvas can adapt to a flat roof configuration, when the secondary gantry 15 is not deployed. The facade 2 'corresponding to the portico is also covered with panels. The side facades 10, 10 'are shown uncoated with any panel, in particular to facilitate the description, to better show the layout of those which cover the other walls.

The figures 5 and 6 represent a non-limiting rack solution, according to which the profile 16 sliding in the upright 7 of the central gantry 3 comprises notches in the form of openings of a rack 17 regularly made in one of its walls. It will be noted that the transverse dimensions of said section 16 allow it to move inside the upright 7, the remaining space being used for the system for controlling its movement (see below). figure 7 ). The cylindrical longitudinal guides or grooves 18 at the corner of the upright 7 serve to fix the panels, for example canvas. An angle transmission 19 is provided to cooperate with the section 16 and control its movement.

Thus, as is apparent in figure 6 , the square openings constituting a rack 17 of the section 16 cooperate with a toothed wheel 20, the peripheral teeth of which are shaped to adapt to said openings of the rack 17. A lug 21 is also provided to help guide in translation of the profile 16 relative to the angle transmission 19 fixed inside the upright 7. When the wheel 20 is driven in a rotational movement, the meshing of the periphery of the wheel in the openings of the rack 17 causes the displacement of said section 16 in a direction parallel to the axis of the upright 7.

The prismatic recess 22 of the angle transmission 19 is also accessible from the outside of the upright 7, and makes it possible to control the rotation of the wheel 20, in turn driving the section 16 and the secondary gantry 15 as indicated. above.

The figures 7 and 8 show the floor 30 in a partially unfolded / folded position ( figure 7 ) and in its fully folded position ( figure 8 ). The purpose of the figures is to better illustrate the operation of this floor 30, and this is the reason why they do not show it in the rest of the structure 1 of the invention, but in a structure 1 'which shows it diagrammatically without Superfluous weighting likely to hide certain elements and alter the understanding of the operation of the unfolding / folding of the floor. This floor 30 comprises a central articulation 31, actually cooperating with the lower spar 9 of the central gantry 3, and articulations 34, 35 placed centrally on the half-floors 32, 33 of the structure with 3 gantries as illustrated in the figures. . Said half-floors 32, 33 are folded against a gantry before folding the rest of the structure 1, 1 'of the invention, and unfolded after deployment of the latter, resting on the lower side members 6 of the gantries 2 , 2 '. All the joints are horizontal.

The rapid deployment and folding of the structure, including its floor and roof, result in particular from the overall design explained above. This original design adapts in any case to any application requiring the deployment of a temporary structure, not only in the area of urgency mentioned above, but also for example in the world of entertainment (marquees, etc.).

The invention is of course not limited to the examples described and explained with reference to the figures, but it encompasses the variants and versions in particular of shape and material, as for the notches of the rack or for the drive wheel, which enter within the scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

1. A foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings, said structure comprising two portal frames (2, 3) constituting two generally parallel first sidewalls of the building or shelter, each one of two other sidewalls having means for vertical hinging, firstly, relative to uprights (4, 4', 7, 7') of the portal frames that they connect and, secondly, about an axis (A) located centrally between the portal frames (2, 3), said structure (1, 1') being covered with rigid and/or flexible covering materials secured to at least one frame of said structure (1, 1'), said materials being associated with each one of front, rear and lateral sidewalls, a floor and a roof of the erected shelter, characterized in that
   the uprights (7, 7') of one of said portal frames (3) each have an inner telescopically sliding profiled member (16, 16') for extending a height thereof for the purpose of giving an inclination to a roof, said inner telescopically sliding profiled members (16, 16') being connected by an upper spar member (25) thereby forming an upper secondary portal frame (15) which is slidable within a said portal frame (3), means for controlling sliding thereof being provided in at least one of said uprights (7, 7').
2. A foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings, said structure including three generally parallel portal frames (2, 2', 3), a central portal frame (3) being provided with a secondary portal frame (15) and two portal frames (2, 2') defining parallel sidewalls of the building in the deployed position, each one of two other sidewalls having means for vertical hinging, firstly, relative to uprights (4, 4', 7, 7') of the portal frames that they connect and, secondly, about an axis (A) located centrally between the portal frames (2, 3),
   said structure (1, 1') being covered with rigid and/or flexible covering materials secured to at least one frame of said structure (1, 1'), said materials being associated with each one of front, rear and lateral sidewalls, a floor and a roof of the erected shelter, and the portal frames (2, 2', 3) being independent, the uprights (7, 7') of said central portal frame (3) each having an inner telescopically sliding profiled member (16, 16') for extending a height thereof for the purpose of giving an inclination to a roof, said inner telescopically sliding profiled members (16, 16') being connected by an upper spar member (25) thereby forming an upper secondary portal frame (15) which is slidable within a said portal frame (3), means for controlling sliding thereof being provided in at least one of said uprights (7, 7').
3. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each portal frame (2, 2', 3) includes a longitudinal member (6, 9) connecting lower ends of the uprights (4, 4', 7, 7').
4. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it includes at least one floor (30) which is hinged relative, firstly, to a lower longitudinal member (6, 9) of one of two portal frames (2, 2', 3) which are connected by said floor (30) and, secondly, a horizontal axis located centrally between portal frames (2, 2', 3) when the floor (30) is deployed.
5. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner telescopically slidable profiled member (16, 16') of an upright (7, 7') is provided with control means includes a rack (17) adapted to cooperate with a pinion (20).
6. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a shaft of said pinion (20) is accessible from outside of a said upright (7, 7'), directly or via a bevel gear device (19).
7. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that one end of said shaft or a driven end of said bevel gear device (19) is hollow, the shape of the hollow (22) being adapted for accommodating one end of a rotatable manual or automated tool.
8. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that one of the profiled member walls (16, 16') is provided with aligned apertures forming steps of the rack gear (17).
9. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sidewalls and floor are fitted with solid panels, and the roof with a canvas cover.
10. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the sidewall panels are rigid and comprise at least one skin.
11. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural elements of the structure are of aluminum.
12. The foldable and unfoldable structure (1, 1') for the rapid erection of buildings according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structure (1, 1') is constituted of structural members having at least one longitudinal slot (18) for securing said covering materials.

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