GB2517464A

GB2517464A - A temporary road side shelter

Info

Publication number: GB2517464A
Application number: GB1314957.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Franklin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-08-21
Filing date: 2013-08-21
Publication date: 2015-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2033-08-21
Also published as: GB201314957D0; GB2517464B

Abstract

A temporary roadside shelter 1 comprising an inverted dish-shaped upper housing 2, a plurality of inflatable pillars 3 connected to the housing, a series of flexible wall panels 4 attached to the inflatable pillars and an inflation device for inflating the pillars, in which when not inflated the pillars and the wall panels are stored within the housing and when inflated the pillars are arranged to extend downwards and outwards to form a standing frame that supports the upper housing and the wall panels are arranged to extend between the pillars. Preferably, there are strips connecting the bases or feet of opposed pillars and connected to a central point or ring to prevent these from splaying apart. There may also be a lower housing connected to the underside of the upper housing. The shelter is used to protect potentially vulnerable occupants of a broken-down vehicle from bad weather a safe distance away from the road.

Description

A temDorarv roadside shelter

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a temporary roadside shelter. More particularly but not exclusively, the invention relates to a temporary roadside shelter for the occupants of a broken-down vehicle such as for protection of vulnerable persons such as young children or disabled persons traveling in said broken-down vehicle.

Even more particularly, the invention relates to a temporary, inflatable roadside shelter for the occupants of a broken-down vehicle.

Background

The standard advice for occupants of a vehicle which is forced to stop on a stretch of fast road when a breakdown, puncture, or other similar event occurs is for the occupants to leave their vehicle at the side of the road, exit the vehicle and move and wait a safe distance away until assistance arrives. This helps to ensure the physical safety of the occupants, as they are no longer as vulnerable to other vehicles that might collide with their stationary vehicle. However, this can leave occupants * exposed to the elements, which is particularly problematic for the infirm or elderly, or infants and small children. Furthermore, some stretches of road may not offer an *.....

* accessible location to which occupants can easily move that is remote from the roadside. When it is dark or when visibility is bad due to bad weather, this can leave occupants vulnerable, and this can be of particular concern for occupants who are inherently vulnerable and particularly ill-equipped for such situations where inclement environmental concerns and lack of freedom may be issues.

Prior Art

Accordingly a number of patent applications have been filed in an attempt to resolve the problem or similar, including the following: U820110253184 describes and shows a lightweight, portable tent having low volume, high pressure inflatable support air passages formed from the overlap and sealing of the wall panels of the tent.

GB2447857 describes and shows an inflatable tent comprising two arc shaped supporting inflatable tubes which are joined at the top in the centre to form one rigid structure. The tent may be erected by a hand pump or a C02 cylinder to form a solid structure, and may also have an inbuilt mattress.

US20020083653 describes and shows a rapidly deployable protective enclosure constructed from a flexible membrane surrounding a framework of inflatable support

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members each individually coupled to a central fluid distribution system. Each inflatable support member is individually repairable or replaceable from within the enclosure without effecting the structural integrity of the remaining framework. A system is provided to make the enclosure air tight, and air tight passage between modularly connected enclosures is also provided.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a temporary roadside shelter which goes some way to overcoming the abovementioned disadvantages or which at least provides the public or industry with a useful choice.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect the present invention provides a temporary roadside shelter comprising an inverted dish-shaped upper housing, a plurality of inflatable pillars connected to the housing, a series of flexible wall panels attached to the inflatable pillars; and an inflation device for inflating the pillars, in which when not inflated the pillars and the wall panels are stored within the housing when not inflated, and when inflated the pillars are arranged to extend downwards and outwards from the housing to form a standing frame that supports the upper housing, and the wall panels arranged to extend between the pillars when inflated. * .. * . . * *.

The inflatable pillars and wall panels allow the shelter to be stored in a compact * fashion when not in use so that it can be located and transported in a vehicle boot, and to form a standing shelter for the occupant or occupants of a vehicle when deployed, the upper housing containing and protecting the pillars and walls when the shelter is stored.

Preferably the inflation device is at least one gas canister located within the housing and initiable by a user from outside the housing to inflate the pillars. Use of a gas canister as the inflation device allows the shelter to be rapidly inflated in a situation where rapid deployment may be highly advantageous.

Preferably the gas canister or canisters contain Co2. 002 is inert, readily available and inexpensive.

Preferably at least one of the walls has a clear plastic window. These allow light to enter and exit the shelter, and provide a way for occupants to see out and rescuers to see in easily, which provides comfort to the users, provides additional light for visibility and allows users to see potential hazards in good time such as oncoming traffic.

Preferably at least one of the walls is at least partly formed from high-visibility and/or reflective material. This provides increased visibility for the shelter and therefore an increased degree of safety.

Preferably one of the wall sections between two adjacent pillars is adapted to form a door to allow occupants of the shelter ingress and egress. This allows easy entry and exit from the shelter, while still providing all-round protection from the elements.

Preferably the door is formed from two flaps, each connected to the upper housing at their top edges and by one edge to adjacent pillars, the flaps sized to overlap one another in the space between the two pillars, This allows the door to be manufactured, and used, easily and rapidly while still providing full protection in use.

Preferably the free edge of the inner flap and the adjacent pillar can be secured to one another by velcro strips attached to the flap and the pillar. This allows the doors to be shut tight for shelter purposes, and helps to prevent the door flapping in the wind.

Preferably the outer flap has a weighted lower hem. This helps to keep the door in position and helps to prevent the door flapping in the wind.

Preferably the shelter further has at least one fixing tie or fixing strap on the exterior of the shelter when inflated, the tie or strap adapted for attaching the shelter to an * adjacent fixed feature. This allows the shelter to be connected to an adjacent fixed ". : feature such as an Armco barrier or similar so that it will be fixed in location and not

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tend to blow away or topple over in use.

Preferably the upper housing has an external beacon light, the upper housing having a battery to power to beacon light. This provides a greater degree of visibility for the shelter and thus increases the safety of the occupants Preferably the shelter further has floor strips that connect between the bases or feet of opposed pillars to prevent these from splaying apart a distance greater than the length of the floor strip. This helps the shelter maintain its shape and remain upright without the legs splaying outwards so that the shelter falls over or collapses.

Preferably the shelter further has floor strips that connect to a central point or ring to prevent the pillars from splaying apart a distance greater than the length of the floor strip. The use of a ring allows the use of an odd number of pillars, and also can provide a central aperture or space at the centre of the ring which can be advantageous for configuring the shelter for storage or when the shelter is packed away.

Preferably the shelter further has at least one external handle positioned at mid-height on the shelter. This allows a user to grip the shelter when it is being deployed so it will not blow away or topple over, and allows a user to position the shelter where required easily.

Preferably the shelter further has at least one interior handle positioned at mid-height on the shelter. Use of an internal handle provides a grip for user and can help them remain standing for as long as is required.

Preferably the housing further has a GPS tracker. This allows rescue services such as police, ambulance or breakdown services to locate the shelter and the vehicle easily.

Preferably the upper housing has an interior light adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter, and a battery to power the interior light. This provides illumination and comfort to users of the shelter.

Preferably the shelter further has a lower housing that detachably connects to the underside of the upper housing. This provides protection for the shelter when it is * 0 stored, and can also provide out-of-the-way storage for other items when the shelter is in use.

*; Preferably the lower housing incorporates a light adapted to illuminate the interior of *. * the shelter. * . * "I

Preferably the pillars are fluidically connected via a ring around or close to the perimeter of the upper housing.

Preferably there are at least two two-way valves on two separate pillars, the valves adapted to allow the pillars to be deflated, and for the pillars to be manually inflated.

Preferably the shelter has two canisters containing sufficient gas to allow full inflation of the shelter more than once without recharging the canisters.

Preferably the shelter has six pillars, arranged around the perimeter of the upper housing so that the shelter has a hexagonally profiled plan.

Preferably the shelter is between 1.5 and 2.5 metres high when deployed.

Preferably the width of the shelter between the base or foot of two opposed pillars is between 1.5 and 2.5 meters.

Preferably the shelter is sized to fit up to five adults standing.

Preferably at least one of the walls has at least one interior pocket.

Preferably the shelter further has at least one tool housing cavity in the upper housing.

Preferably the lower housing further has at least one tool housing cavity.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realised that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

: : * Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows a side view of the preferred embodiment of the temporary roadside shelter of the present invention deployed and ready for use, showing the wall panels, the housing, and the inflatable pillars which support these.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the temporary roadside shelter of figure 1.

Figure 3 shows another alternative side view of the temporary roadside shelters of figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a view from underneath of the temporary roadside shelter of figures 1 to 3 deployed and ready for use.

Figure 5 shows the temporary roadside shelter of figures 1 to 4 in the stored configuration, the walls and pillars stored within the upper housing.

Detailed Description

The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures.

A preferred embodiment of temporary roadside shelter 1 is shown deployed or inflated in figure 1. The shelter us formed from three main parts: an inverted dish-shaped upper housing 2, a plurality of inflatable pillars 3, and wall panels 4 formed from a flexible material such as plastic sheeting. The preferred form of upper housing is circular, and has the form of an inverted dish. The pillars 3 are connected around the perimeter or rim of the dish at equally-spaced intervals and extend downwards and outwards from the housing 2 when inflated, to form a standing frame that supports the upper housing 2 and the wall panels 4. The wall panels 4 are attached to the inflatable pillars and are arranged to extend between the pillars 3 when the pillars 3 are inflated. The housing 2 is sized relative to the pillars 3 and wall sections 4 so that these can be stored or substantially stored within the housing when the shelter is not inflated, or is undeployed. The material of the pillars and wall panels should be tough, to withstand abrasion from road surfaces and contact with broken glass or similar that might be lying on a road surface. The pillars 3 will also need to be airtight. Ripstop or a similar material could be used for the wall panels 4, * :" and heavy-duty reinforced rubber or similar could be used for the pillars 3.

* The shelter I also has an inflation device for inflating the pillars. It is most preferred *".. 20 that this is at least one gas canister 5 located within the housing and initiable by a user from outside the housing 2 to inflate the pillars 3. Use of a gas canister as the inflation device allows the shelter to be rapidly inflated in a situation where rapid :." deployment may be highly advantageous, for example when a user is broken down at night in bad weather. A user places the housing on the ground and initiates deployment by pressing a button, pulling a tag or using a similar initiator (not shown), preferably located on the housing. It is most preferred that the canister or canisters contain CO2. CO2 is inert, readily available and inexpensive.

Once deployed, the shelter I stands above the average person's head height, and preferably has an internal headroom of around two metres and an overall external height of around 225cm.

At least one and preferably all of the walls 4 have a clear plastic window 6 formed at around head height. These preferably extend from around waist height to the top of the wall panel 4, and all the way or substantially all the way across the width of the panel 4. These allow light to enter and exit the shelter, and provide a way for occupants to see out and rescuers to see in easily, which provides comfort to the users, provides additional light for visibility and allows users to see potential hazards in good time, such as oncoming traffic. The walls of the preferred embodiment also include high-visibility and/or reflective material so that the drivers of oncoming traffic can clearly see the shelter from a distance, especially in bad or low visibility conditions. The increased visibility provides an increased degree of safety.

The shelter 1 has a door 7. In the preferred form this is an open section between two adjacent pillars. The door 7 is formed from two flaps, each connected to the upper housing 2 at their top edges and by one edge to the adjacent pillars, the flaps sized to overlap one another in the space between the two pillars. This allows the door to be manufactured, and used, easily and rapidly while still providing full protection in use. It is most preferred that the free edge of the inner one of the flaps, and it's respective adjacent pillar, can be secured to one another by velcro strips attached along at least part of the length of the flap and the pillar. This allows the doors to be shut tight for shelter purposes, and helps to prevent the door flapping in the wind.

The outer flap has a weighted lower edge or hem. This helps to keep the door in position and helps to prevent the outer flap of the door flapping in the wind.

The shelter I further has at least one fixing tie or fixing strap 8 on the exterior of the * shelter when inflated, preferably attached at around waist height, with straps on at least one and preferably two or more adjacent pillars. These straps can be nylon tie- 20 down style straps or similar, the tie or straP(TJaPted for connecting or attaching to an adjacent fixed feature such as an ArmcoAbarrier or similar so that the shelter will be fixed in location and not tend to blow away or topple over in use. The strap 8 could be an loop opened and closed by a buckle or similar.

*..: An external beacon light 9 is located on the top of the housing 2. This is battery-powered by a battery inside the housing 2. The light illuminates automatically when the shelter 1 is deployed, and can be coloured and flash for increased visibility.

The shelter I further has a number of floor strips or floor straps 10 that connect between the bases or feet of opposed pillars 3 to prevent these from splaying apart a distance greater than the length of the floor strip 10. This helps the shelter maintain its shape and remain upright without the pillars 3 splaying outwards so that the shelter falls over or collapses. It is most preferred that the floor strips 10 connect to a central point or ring 11. The use of a ring Ii allows the use of an odd number of pillars (e.g. the shelter could have five pillars and have a pentagon-shaped floor in plan view. The use of a ring such as ring 11 can also provide a central aperture or space at the centre of the connected straps, which can be advantageous for configuring the shelter for storage or when the shelter is packed away. Alternatively, or as well as this, the shelter I can have inflated portions which run between the bases or feet of the pillars 3, and which are fluidically connected to them to form part of the framework of the shelter 1.

The shelter I further has at least one external handle 12 positioned at mid-height on the shelter 1, most preferably on one of the pillars 3. This allows a user to grip the shelter 1 when it is being deployed so it will not blow away or topple over, and allows a user to position the shelter where required easily by dragging or lifting.

In the preferred embodiment, the shelter I further has at least one interior handle (not shown) positioned at mid-height on the inside of the shelter. Use of an internal handle provides a grip for user and can help them remain standing for as long as is required.

It is most preferred that the housing further has a GPS tracker (not shown). This allows rescue services such as police, ambulance or breakdown services to locate the shelter and the vehicle easily.

The shelter 1 has an interior light 14 adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter, and a battery to power the interior light. This provides illumination and comfort to o users of the shelter, and can assist with providing visibility for drivers and others *:::* outside the shelter as a secondary effect.

It is most preferred that the shelter further has a lower housing 15 that detachably connects to the underside of the upper housing. This provides protection for the *. shelter when it is stored, and can also provide out-of-the-way storage for other items *: when the shelter is in use or deployed. The upper and lower housings 2 and 15 can clip, snap or screw together through the centre of the ring 11 when the shelter is stored or undeployed. The internal light could alternatively be mounted on the lower housing 15, the lower housing 15 removed from the upper housing 2 before deployment, and replaced in position on the upper housing 2 after the shelter I is deployed. The internal light 14 could be mounted on the lower housing 15 as an alternative.

In the most preferred embodiment, the pillars 3 are fluidically connected so that all of these can be inflated at once and will always maintain generally equal pressure. This is achieved by connecting the equally-spaced pillars by an inflatable ring 16 of the same material, or a similar device, around or close to the rim or perimeter of the upper housing 2. It is most preferred that there are at least two two-way valves on

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two separate pillars, the valves adapted to allow the pillars to be deflated, and for the pillars to be manually inflated.

It is preferred that there are two gas canisters 5, and that these contain sufficient gas to allow full inflation of the shelter twice or more without recharging. It is most preferred that the canisters include a visual indicator of the charge left in the canisters.

The preferred number of pillars is six pillars, arranged around the perimeter of the upper housing so that the shelter has a hexagonally-shaped floor plan. As noted above, the pillars extend outwards from the rim of the housing 2 so that the width of the shelter between the base or foot of two opposed pillars is between 1.5 and 2.5 meters, and most preferably 225cm. This allows up to five adults standing to be filled into the shelter.

Preferably at least one of the walls has at least one interior pocket. These can be used to store space blankets or other useful supplies. Other supplies could also be stored in cavities or pockets in the upper housing, or the lower housing, or both.

Integral tools could include a seat belt cutter, a hammer for breaking auto window glass, or similar.

As described above and shown in the figures, the preferred form of shelter has a *:: :* teepee-like overall shape. However, the shelter could have a more conventionally tent-shaped form, or be a dome shape or similar, or have a shape when deployed like a workman's tunnel or similar. 0 0 * 00 * *0 0 0 * 0 * 00

Claims

Claims 1 A temporary roadside shelter comprising: an inverted dish-shaped upper housing; a plurality of jnflatable pillars connected to the housing, a series of flexible wall panels attached to the inflatable pillars; and an inflation device for inflating the pillars, in which when not inflated the pillars and the wall panels are stored within the housing when not inflated, and when inflated the pillars are arranged to extend downwards and outwards from the housing to form a standing frame that supports the upper housing, and the wall panels arranged to extend between the pillars when inflated.
2. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inflation device is at least one gas canister located within the housing and initiable by a user from outside the housing to inflate the pillars.
3. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 2 wherein the gas canister or canisters contain 002.
4. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims I to 3 wherein at least one of the walls has a clear plastic window.
5. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims I to 4 wherein at least one of the walls is at least partly formed from high-visibility and/or reflective material.
6. A tempora t roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein one of the wall sections between two adjacent pillars is adapted to form a door to allows occupants of the shelter ingress and egress. *
7. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 6 wherein the door is formed * * * * 25 from two flaps, each connected to the upper housing at their top edges and by one edge to adjacent pillars, the flaps sized to overlap one another in the space between the two pillars. : ...
6. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 7 wherein the free edge of the * * inner flap and the adjacent pillar can be secured to one another by velcro strips attached to the! flap and the pillar.
9. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the outer flap has a weighted lower hem.
10. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 further having at least one fixing tie or fixing strap on the exterior of the shelter when inflated, the tie or strap adapted for attaching the shelter to an adjacent fixed feature.
11. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 10 wherein the upper housing has an external beacon light, the upper housing having a battery to power to beacon light.
12. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 11 wherein the shelter further has floor strips that conned between the bases or feet of opposed pillars to prevent these from splaying apart a distance greater than the length of the floor strip.
13. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the shelter further has floor strips that connect to a central point or ring to prevent the pillars from splaying apart a distance greater than the length of the floor strip.
14. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 13 wherein the shelter further has at least one external handle positioned at mid-height on the shelter. *4 * * *
15. Atemporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 14 wherein the shelter further has at least one interior handle positioned at mid-height on the shelter. S *$
16. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 15 wherein the housing further has a OPS tracker.
17. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims ito 16 wherein the upper housing has an interior light adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter, and a battery to power the interior light.
18. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 16 wherein the shelter further has a lower housing that detachably connects to the underside of the upper housing.
19. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lower housing incorporates a light adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter.
20. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 19 wherein the pillars are fluidically connected via a ring around or close to the perimeter of the upper housing.
21. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 20 wherein there are at least two two-way valves on two separate pillars, the valves adapted to allow the pillars to be deflated, and for the pillars to be manually inflated.
22. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 21 wherein the shelter has two canisters containing sufficient gas to allow full inflation of the shelter more than once without recharging the canisters.
23. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims I to 22 wherein the shelter has six pillars, arranged around the perimeter of the upper housing so that the shelter has a hexagonally profiled plan.
24. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims ito 23 wherein the shelter is between 1.5 and 2.5 metres high when deployed.
25. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein the width of the shelter between the base or foot of two opposed pillars is between 1.5 and 2.5 meters.
26. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein the shelter is sized to fit up to five adults standing.
27. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims ito 26 wherein at * least one of the walls has at least one interior pocket.
28. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims Ito 27 wherein the shelter further has at least one tool housing cavity in the upper housing.C'.:
29. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 27 wherein ** the lower housing further has at least one tool housing cavity.Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A temporary roadside shelter comprising: an upper housing and a lower housing capable of detachably connecting to the underside of the upper housing so as to protect the shelter when stored and to detach from the upper housing in use; a plurality of inflatable pillars connected to the upper housing, a series of flexible wall panels attached to the inflatable pillars; and an inflation device for inflating the pillars, wherein when not inflated the pillars and the wall panels are stored in a space defined by the upper housing, and when inflated the pillars are arranged to extend downwards and outwards from the upper housing to form a standing frame that supports the upper housing and the wall panels so as to provide an enclosed shelter.2. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inflation device is at least one gas canister located within the upper housing and is initiated by a user from outside the housing to inflate the pillars.3. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 2 wherein the at least one gas canister contains CO2.LI") 4. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least one of the walls has a clear plastic window. ro 5. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein at least one of the walls is at least partly formed from high-visibility and/or reflective material.r" 20 6. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein one of the wall sections, between two adjacent pillars, is adapted to form a door to allow entrance to the shelter..7. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 6 wherein the door is formed from two flaps, each connected to the upper housing at their top edges and by one edge to adjacent pillars, the flaps are sized to overlap one another in the space between the two pillars.8. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 7 wherein a free edge of an inner flap and an adjacent pillar can be secured one to another by hook and loops strips attached to the inner flap and pillar.9. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein at least an outer flap has a weighted lower hem.10. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim further having at least one fixing tie or fixing strap on an exterior of the shelter when inflated, the tie or strap being adapted for attachment of the shelter to a fixed feature.11. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the upper housing has an external beacon, connection to a battery to power the beacon.12. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter further has floor strips that connect between the bases or feet of opposed pillars to prevent the pillars from splaying apart. 13.A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter further has floor strips that connect to a central point or ring to prevent the pillars from splaying apart.13. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter includes at least one external handle.14. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter includes at least one interior handle.15. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim includes a GPS tracker.16. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the 0 upper housing has an interior light adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter, (\J and a battery to power the interior light.* 20 17. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the lower housing incorporates a light adapted to illuminate the interior of the shelter.18. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the pillars are fluidically connected via a ring around or close to the perimeter of the upper housing.19. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in claim 20 wherein there are at least two two-way valves on two separate pillars, the valves are adapted to allow the pillars to be deflated and for the pillars to be inflated manually.20. A temporary roadside shelter as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 21 wherein the shelter has two gas canisters containing sufficient gas to allow full inflation of the shelter more than once without recharging the canisters.21. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter has six pillars, arranged around the perimeter of the upper housing so that the shelter has a hexagonal shape.22. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter is between 1.5 and 2.5 metres high when deployed.23. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the width of the shelter, between the base or foot of two opposed pillars, is between 1.5 and 2.5 metres.24. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein at least one of the walls has at least one interior pocket.25. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the shelter includes at least one tool housing cavity in the upper housing.26. A temporary roadside shelter according to any preceding claim wherein the lower housing includes at least one tool housing cavity.27. A temporary roadside shelter as substantially herein described with reference to the figures. IC) r (Si r