US20090013621A1 - Tornado resistant house - Google Patents
Tornado resistant house Download PDFInfo
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- US20090013621A1 US20090013621A1 US12/172,923 US17292308A US2009013621A1 US 20090013621 A1 US20090013621 A1 US 20090013621A1 US 17292308 A US17292308 A US 17292308A US 2009013621 A1 US2009013621 A1 US 2009013621A1
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- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 3
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000011449 brick Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009435 building construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009429 electrical wiring Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
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- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
- E04H9/00—Buildings, groups of buildings or shelters adapted to withstand or provide protection against abnormal external influences, e.g. war-like action, earthquake or extreme climate
- E04H9/14—Buildings, groups of buildings or shelters adapted to withstand or provide protection against abnormal external influences, e.g. war-like action, earthquake or extreme climate against other dangerous influences, e.g. tornadoes, floods
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A50/00—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to buildings and, more particularly, to buildings designed to be resistant to tornadoes.
- tornado-prone areas occur at middle latitudes where cold, dry air at a high altitude in the atmosphere meets warm, moist tropical air closer to the surface of the earth.
- the central United States is prone to tornadoes because cold, dry air from the Rocky Mountains often meets moist, warm air from the southeastern United States.
- the damage to buildings from tornadoes is costly and it is inconvenient and time consuming to rebuild. Additionally, people are often injured from total or partial collapse of a building and from flying debris if they are not able to find shelter.
- the present invention provides a tornado resistant structure which includes a base and a building structure positioned on the base,
- the building structure includes a plurality of deflection walls and reinforced corners and a plurality of skylights carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall.
- the building structure includes an entrance and a drain positioned proximate to the entrance.
- the present invention provides a tornado resistant structure, which includes a base and a building structure positioned on the base.
- the building structure includes a plurality of angled deflection walls, a reinforced corner positioned between each adjacent deflection wall, a front entrance extending through one of the deflection walls, a first drain positioned to receive water flowing through the front entrance and a skylight carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall.
- FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a top rear perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention.
- FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are sectional views of a tornado-resistant structure taken along line 10 - 10 of FIG. 1 , in accordance with the invention.
- FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are partial top rear perspective view and top front perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure with its roof removed, in accordance with the invention.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are a top front perspective view and a top rear perspective view, respectively, of a tornado resistant structure 100 , in accordance with the invention.
- Tornado resistant structure 100 includes a building structure 101 positioned on a base 102 .
- Base 102 is positioned on a ground 103 .
- Building structure 101 can be constructed in many configurations and shapes, such as a dome.
- building structure 101 is a rectangular shape that includes a front deflection wall 104 a, a rear deflection wall 104 c, a side deflection walls 104 b and 104 d, a reinforced corners 105 a, 105 b, 105 c, and 105 d, and a rooftop 106 .
- An interior 107 (not shown) is bounded by rooftop 106 , deflection walls 104 a - d, corners 105 a - d, and base 102 .
- Interior 107 can include many different rooms and arrangements. In this embodiment, interior 107 consists of nine rooms, including a rear room 130 a and frontroom 130 b ( FIG. 5 ).
- deflection walls 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, and 104 d, reinforced corners 105 a, 105 b, 105 c, and 105 d, and rooftop 106 can be of many types, but the materials used should be able to withstand the strong winds of a tornado, such as bricks or steel-reinforced concrete. Further, deflection walls 104 a, 104 b, 104 c, and 104 d, reinforced corners 105 a, 105 b, 105 c, and 105 d, and rooftop 106 can have many shapes and arrangements, such as curved or dome surfaces, although here they are flat.
- Front deflection wall 104 a and rear deflection wall 104 c are positioned spaced apart from and opposing each other on base 102 , with side deflection walls 104 b and 104 d positioned therebetween. Front deflection wall 104 a and rear deflection wall 104 c are each positioned roughly perpendicular to side deflection walls 104 b and 104 d, with reinforced corners 105 a - d positioned at their ends.
- front wall 104 a is perpendicular to side wall 104 b, with reinforced corner 105 a extending between one end of front wall 104 a and one end of side wall 104 b.
- Reinforced corners 105 a - d are provided to strengthen the connections between walls 104 a - d and thus strengthen building structure 101 . If building structure 101 is stronger, it is less likely to be damaged by strong winds during a tornado, and is thus safer for people within building interior 107 . Exterior deflection walls 104 a - d and reinforced corners 105 a - d are also sloped to deflect the strong winds from a tornado and to prevent wind damage during a tornado, as will be discussed presently.
- Exterior deflection walls 104 a - d and corners 105 a - d extend upwardly and inwardly from base 102 and ground 103 to rooftop 106 . In this manner, walls 104 a - d and corners 105 a - d are at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees relative to base 102 and ground 103 . In this manner, walls 104 a - d and corners 105 a - d are sloped, an example of which is shown in FIG. 3 .
- FIG. 3 a shows a sectional view of structure 100 taken along line 110 of FIG. 1 .
- Interior angle ⁇ is formed between wall 104 b and plate 102 as shown.
- angle ⁇ is greater than zero and less than 90 degrees.
- walls 104 a, 104 c, 104 d, and corners 105 a - d are sloped to deflect the strong winds from a tornado away from structure 100 . Deflecting the strong winds from a tornado away from structure 100 will prevent damage to building structure 101 and will prevent injury to people in building interior 107 . It should be noted that FIG.
- deflection wall 104 b positioned against an interior wall 107 b, bounding a volume 107 c.
- deflection wall 104 b, interior wall 107 b, and volume 107 c can be combined to be an integrated deflection wall 104 e, as shown by substitution arrow 115 .
- Rooftop 106 extends above walls 104 a - d, and thus bounds and covers interior 107 in accordance with the invention. Rooftop 106 can be of many types. In this embodiment, rooftop 106 is a substantially flat, rectangular surface. Rooftop 106 is a flat surface so it more accessible to people and so that rooftop 106 and structure 101 will have a low profile. By being a low profile, structure 101 and rooftop 106 are less likely to be damaged by the strong winds of a tornado. By being more accessible to people, rooftop 106 can be used for other purposes than a roof, such as to grow a garden or for a deck. In this embodiment, rooftop 106 includes a posts 120 , a cables 121 , and a skylights 122 , as will be discussed presently.
- Posts 120 are positioned around the perimeter of and extend upwardly and away from the top surface of rooftop 106 .
- Posts 120 can be of many types, such as round pipes, but here they are square with a pyramid-shaped top.
- Cables 121 are connected to and extend between posts 120 . Many numbers of rows of cables can be connected to and extend between posts 120 , but here there are two. Posts 120 and cables 121 prevent people from falling off rooftop 106 and allows rooftop 106 to be safely used for purposes other than a roof, as discussed above.
- Skylights 122 are positioned on rooftop 106 and extend therethrough.
- Skylights 122 each include a window 123 and a frame 124 .
- Window 123 allows light to pass through each of skylights 122 , through rooftop 106 , and into building interior 107 . In this manner, skylights 122 can illuminate building interior 107 .
- Skylights 122 can be positioned on rooftop 106 to be aligned and illuminate specific rooms within building interior 107 .
- Windows 123 can be of many materials, such as shatter-resistant glass, but here they are a transparent plastic.
- the exterior walls 124 a - d of frame 124 are sloped to deflect the strong winds of a tornado away from frame 124 in the same manner as the sloped deflection walls 104 a - d of building structure 101 discussed above.
- the exterior walls 124 a - d of frame 124 deflect the strong winds of a tornado away from skylight 122 . Deflecting the strong winds of a tornado away from skylight 122 will prevent window 123 from breaking, which will prevent the strong winds and flying debris of a tornado from entering building interior 107 . This will prevent injury to people residing within building interior 107 .
- building interior 107 can be illuminated by interior lighting, as will discussed presently.
- FIG. 3 b shows an embodiment of a sectional view of structure 100 taken along line 110 of FIG. 1 .
- structure 100 includes a height H room extending between the bottom surface of roof 106 and the top surface of plate 102 and a height H structure extending from the bottom surface of plate 102 a to the top surface of roof 106 .
- Structure 100 includes a facilities channel 109 and a light emitting element 108 .
- Facilities channel 109 can provide many facilities to structure 100 , such as ductwork for HVAC and electrical wiring.
- Light emitting element 108 is provided to illuminate interior 107 .
- Light emitting element 108 can illuminate interior 107 in many ways, such as through a wall fixture mounted flush with wall 107 b.
- light emitting element 108 illuminates interior 107 through a window 111 positioned in wall 107 b.
- interior 107 is illuminated by light emitting element 108 shining through window 111 similarly to a home that does not have an exterior deflection wall 104 b.
- the available living space within volume 107 c is increased.
- H structure can be decreased and H room can be increased.
- structure 100 is less susceptible to damage and provides better protection to occupants of structure 100 during a tornado.
- H room the comfort of the occupants residing within interior 107 is increased.
- structure 101 can be recessed, as will be discussed presently.
- plate 102 of structure 100 includes a ground level portion 102 a and a recessed portion 102 b connected by portion 102 c as shown in FIG. 3 b.
- a ground level 103 a is the level of the ground surrounding structure 100 .
- Portion 102 a is positioned above ground level 103 a
- portion 102 b is positioned below ground level 103 a.
- a height H exposed extends from level 103 a to the top surface of roof 106 on structure 100 . In this manner, plate 102 a and a portion of interior 107 and structure 100 are positioned above ground level 103 a.
- a height H recessed extends from level 103 a and the bottom of plate 102 a to the bottom of plate 102 b.
- H recessed decreases the height H exposed and/or increases height H room for a structure 100 .
- the amount of structure 100 exposed to the strong winds of a tornado will be decreased.
- the comfort of interior 107 will be increased as discussed above.
- H recessed increases the protection and safety of structure 100 during a tornado and/or increases the comfort of structure 100 .
- Rooftop 106 and the building interior 107 of structure 101 can be accessed in many ways. In this embodiment, they are accessed using a door and a combination door, as will be discussed presently.
- FIG. 4 a is a partial top rear perspective view of structure 101 , in accordance with the invention.
- Structure 101 includes a rear entrance 135 that extends through rear deflection wall 104 c into backroom 130 a of interior 107 .
- rear entrance 135 provides access to backroom 130 a and to interior 107 of structure 101 .
- Rear entrance 135 can be positioned in many ways, but here it is positioned with a bottom edge flush with base 102 to allow the low profile of structure 101 as discussed above.
- Backroom 130 a can be of many types, but here it is a garage to contain a vehicle 131 .
- Structure 101 includes a door 136 that is sized to cover rear entrance 135 .
- Door 136 is repeatably movable between a closed position that covers rear entrance 135 , preventing access to backroom 130 a, and an open position that does not cover rear entrance 135 , allowing access to backroom 130 a. In this manner, door 136 closes and opens to prevent and allow access to backroom 130 a and interior 107 of structure 101 . It should be noted that door 136 can be positioned and shaped in many ways. In this embodiment, door 136 is roughly square and is positioned to be flush with wall 104 c. Door 136 is flush with wall 104 c so it will be sloped, and will thus deflect strong winds from a tornado in the same manner as the slope in deflection wall 104 c discussed above.
- FIG. 4 b is a partial top rear perspective view of structure 101 , in accordance with the invention.
- Structure 101 includes a front entrance 137 that extends through front deflection wall 104 a into frontroom 130 b of interior 107 .
- front entrance 137 provides access to frontroom 130 b and to interior 107 of structure 101 .
- Front entrance 137 can be positioned in many ways, but here it is positioned with a bottom edge flush with base 102 to allow the low profile of structure 101 as discussed above.
- Structure 101 also includes a combination door 139 that is sized to cover front entrance 137 .
- Combination door 139 is provided to allow and prevent access to front entrance 137 and roof 106 .
- combination door 139 can provide access to roof 106 in many ways, such as through an external ramped surface.
- combination door 139 includes external stairs 139 a to provide access to roof 106 .
- a closed position combination door 139 covers front entrance 137 to prevent access to frontroom 130 b and allow access to roof 106 .
- combination door 139 In an open position, combination door 139 does not cover front entrance 137 and allows access to frontroom 130 b and prevents access to rooftop 106 .
- combination door 139 is repeatably movable between the open position and the closed position. In this manner, combination door 139 opens and closes to allow and prevent access to frontroom 130 b and interior 107 , and rooftop 106 , respectively, of structure 101 .
- the stairs on combination door 139 provide a surface that will deflect strong winds from a tornado in the same manner as the slope in deflection wall 104 a discussed above.
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of tornado-resistant structure 101 with its roof removed, in accordance with the invention.
- FIG. 5 shows interior 107 with rooms 130 a and 130 b as discussed above.
- Rooms 130 a and 130 b each include a drain 132 .
- Drains 132 can be positioned in many ways, but here they are positioned on and extending through plate 102 , away from openings 135 and 137 in rooms 130 a and 130 b, respectively. Drains 132 are needed to remove excess water in the event of flooding that may occur in rooms 130 a and 130 b. Flooding in rooms 130 a and 130 b may occur due to the low profile of openings 135 and 137 discussed above.
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Abstract
A tornado resistant structure which includes a base and a building structure positioned on the base, The building structure includes a plurality of deflection walls and reinforced corners and a plurality of skylights carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall. The building structure includes an entrance and a drain positioned proximate to the entrance.
Description
- This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/949,639 filed on Jul. 13, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- This invention relates generally to buildings and, more particularly, to buildings designed to be resistant to tornadoes.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Particular geographical areas are known to suffer from tornadoes. Generally, tornado-prone areas occur at middle latitudes where cold, dry air at a high altitude in the atmosphere meets warm, moist tropical air closer to the surface of the earth. For example, the central United States is prone to tornadoes because cold, dry air from the Rocky Mountains often meets moist, warm air from the southeastern United States. The damage to buildings from tornadoes is costly and it is inconvenient and time consuming to rebuild. Additionally, people are often injured from total or partial collapse of a building and from flying debris if they are not able to find shelter.
- To reduce tornado injuries, people often find shelter in the basement of their homes. For people who live in a structure without a basement, such as a mobile home, there are many different types of tornado-resistant shelters and construction techniques. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,166 discloses an underground shelter to protect people from tornadoes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,972 discloses a tornado protection room integrated within a building construction. However, these forms of tornado protection are limited because they require time for people to obtain shelter therewithin after they realize a tornado is approaching. This is difficult because of the unpredictable nature of tornadoes and the speed with which they form and travel. Thus, there is a need for a tornado-resistant building design that encompasses an entire building structure and provides a comfortable residence.
- The present invention provides a tornado resistant structure which includes a base and a building structure positioned on the base, The building structure includes a plurality of deflection walls and reinforced corners and a plurality of skylights carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall. The building structure includes an entrance and a drain positioned proximate to the entrance.
- The present invention provides a tornado resistant structure, which includes a base and a building structure positioned on the base. The building structure includes a plurality of angled deflection walls, a reinforced corner positioned between each adjacent deflection wall, a front entrance extending through one of the deflection walls, a first drain positioned to receive water flowing through the front entrance and a skylight carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall.
- Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings.
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FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 2 is a top rear perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention. -
FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are sectional views of a tornado-resistant structure taken along line 10-10 ofFIG. 1 , in accordance with the invention. -
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are partial top rear perspective view and top front perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure, in accordance with the invention. -
FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a tornado-resistant structure with its roof removed, in accordance with the invention. -
FIGS. 1 and 2 are a top front perspective view and a top rear perspective view, respectively, of a tornadoresistant structure 100, in accordance with the invention. Tornadoresistant structure 100 includes abuilding structure 101 positioned on abase 102.Base 102 is positioned on aground 103.Building structure 101 can be constructed in many configurations and shapes, such as a dome. Here,building structure 101 is a rectangular shape that includes afront deflection wall 104 a, arear deflection wall 104 c, aside deflection walls corners rooftop 106. An interior 107 (not shown) is bounded byrooftop 106, deflection walls 104 a-d, corners 105 a-d, andbase 102.Interior 107 can include many different rooms and arrangements. In this embodiment,interior 107 consists of nine rooms, including arear room 130 a andfrontroom 130 b (FIG. 5 ). - The materials used to make
deflection walls corners rooftop 106 can be of many types, but the materials used should be able to withstand the strong winds of a tornado, such as bricks or steel-reinforced concrete. Further,deflection walls corners rooftop 106 can have many shapes and arrangements, such as curved or dome surfaces, although here they are flat. -
Front deflection wall 104 a andrear deflection wall 104 c are positioned spaced apart from and opposing each other onbase 102, withside deflection walls Front deflection wall 104 a andrear deflection wall 104 c are each positioned roughly perpendicular toside deflection walls front wall 104 a is perpendicular toside wall 104 b, with reinforcedcorner 105 a extending between one end offront wall 104 a and one end ofside wall 104 b. Reinforced corners 105 a-d are provided to strengthen the connections between walls 104 a-d and thus strengthenbuilding structure 101. Ifbuilding structure 101 is stronger, it is less likely to be damaged by strong winds during a tornado, and is thus safer for people withinbuilding interior 107. Exterior deflection walls 104 a-d and reinforced corners 105 a-d are also sloped to deflect the strong winds from a tornado and to prevent wind damage during a tornado, as will be discussed presently. - Exterior deflection walls 104 a-d and corners 105 a-d extend upwardly and inwardly from
base 102 andground 103 torooftop 106. In this manner, walls 104 a-d and corners 105 a-d are at an angle greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees relative tobase 102 andground 103. In this manner, walls 104 a-d and corners 105 a-d are sloped, an example of which is shown inFIG. 3 . -
FIG. 3 a shows a sectional view ofstructure 100 taken along line 110 ofFIG. 1 . Interior angle θ is formed betweenwall 104 b andplate 102 as shown. In this embodiment, angle θ is greater than zero and less than 90 degrees. By positioningside deflection wall 104 b so that interior angle θ is greater than zero and less than 90 degrees,wall 104 b will deflect the strong winds from a tornado away fromwall 104 b. Similarly, by positioningwalls walls structure 100. Deflecting the strong winds from a tornado away fromstructure 100 will prevent damage to buildingstructure 101 and will prevent injury to people inbuilding interior 107. It should be noted thatFIG. 3 a shows an embodiment withdeflection wall 104 b positioned against aninterior wall 107 b, bounding avolume 107 c. In other embodiments,deflection wall 104 b,interior wall 107 b, andvolume 107 c can be combined to be an integrateddeflection wall 104 e, as shown bysubstitution arrow 115. -
Rooftop 106 extends above walls 104 a-d, and thus bounds and coversinterior 107 in accordance with the invention. Rooftop 106 can be of many types. In this embodiment,rooftop 106 is a substantially flat, rectangular surface.Rooftop 106 is a flat surface so it more accessible to people and so thatrooftop 106 andstructure 101 will have a low profile. By being a low profile,structure 101 androoftop 106 are less likely to be damaged by the strong winds of a tornado. By being more accessible to people,rooftop 106 can be used for other purposes than a roof, such as to grow a garden or for a deck. In this embodiment,rooftop 106 includes aposts 120, acables 121, and askylights 122, as will be discussed presently. -
Posts 120 are positioned around the perimeter of and extend upwardly and away from the top surface ofrooftop 106.Posts 120 can be of many types, such as round pipes, but here they are square with a pyramid-shaped top.Cables 121 are connected to and extend betweenposts 120. Many numbers of rows of cables can be connected to and extend betweenposts 120, but here there are two.Posts 120 andcables 121 prevent people from falling offrooftop 106 and allowsrooftop 106 to be safely used for purposes other than a roof, as discussed above. -
Skylights 122 are positioned onrooftop 106 and extend therethrough.Skylights 122 each include awindow 123 and aframe 124.Window 123 allows light to pass through each ofskylights 122, throughrooftop 106, and into building interior 107. In this manner,skylights 122 can illuminatebuilding interior 107.Skylights 122 can be positioned onrooftop 106 to be aligned and illuminate specific rooms within buildinginterior 107.Windows 123 can be of many materials, such as shatter-resistant glass, but here they are a transparent plastic. Theexterior walls 124 a-d offrame 124 are sloped to deflect the strong winds of a tornado away fromframe 124 in the same manner as the sloped deflection walls 104 a-d of buildingstructure 101 discussed above. Thus, theexterior walls 124 a-d offrame 124 deflect the strong winds of a tornado away fromskylight 122. Deflecting the strong winds of a tornado away fromskylight 122 will preventwindow 123 from breaking, which will prevent the strong winds and flying debris of a tornado from enteringbuilding interior 107. This will prevent injury to people residing within buildinginterior 107. In addition toskylights 122, building interior 107 can be illuminated by interior lighting, as will discussed presently. -
FIG. 3 b shows an embodiment of a sectional view ofstructure 100 taken along line 110 ofFIG. 1 . In this embodiment,structure 100 includes a height Hroom extending between the bottom surface ofroof 106 and the top surface ofplate 102 and a height Hstructure extending from the bottom surface ofplate 102 a to the top surface ofroof 106.Structure 100 includes afacilities channel 109 and alight emitting element 108. Facilities channel 109 can provide many facilities to structure 100, such as ductwork for HVAC and electrical wiring.Light emitting element 108 is provided to illuminate interior 107.Light emitting element 108 can illuminate interior 107 in many ways, such as through a wall fixture mounted flush withwall 107 b. Here, light emittingelement 108 illuminates interior 107 through awindow 111 positioned inwall 107 b. In this manner, interior 107 is illuminated by light emittingelement 108 shining throughwindow 111 similarly to a home that does not have anexterior deflection wall 104 b. Further, by positioning light emittingelement 108 and facilities channel 109 withinvolume 107 c instead of withininterior 107, the available living space withinvolume 107 c is increased. By increasing the available living space withininterior 107, Hstructure can be decreased and Hroom can be increased. By decreasing Hstructure,structure 100 is less susceptible to damage and provides better protection to occupants ofstructure 100 during a tornado. By increasing Hroom, the comfort of the occupants residing withininterior 107 is increased. In this manner, the position of light emittingelement 108 and facilities channel 109 withinvolume 107 c increases the protection and safety ofstructure 100 during a tornado and increases the comfort ofstructure 100. To further increase the protection and safety ofstructure 100 during a tornado and increase the comfort ofstructure 100,structure 101 can be recessed, as will be discussed presently. - In this embodiment,
plate 102 ofstructure 100 includes aground level portion 102 a and a recessedportion 102 b connected byportion 102 c as shown inFIG. 3 b. Aground level 103 a is the level of theground surrounding structure 100.Portion 102 a is positioned aboveground level 103 a, andportion 102 b is positioned belowground level 103 a. A height Hexposed extends fromlevel 103 a to the top surface ofroof 106 onstructure 100. In this manner,plate 102 a and a portion ofinterior 107 andstructure 100 are positioned aboveground level 103 a. A height Hrecessed extends fromlevel 103 a and the bottom ofplate 102 a to the bottom ofplate 102 b. In this manner,plate 102 b and a portion ofinterior 107 andstructure 100 are positioned belowground level 103 a. By positioning a portion ofinterior 107 andstructure 100 below ground level, Hrecessed decreases the height Hexposed and/or increases height Hroom for astructure 100. By decreasing height Hexposed, the amount ofstructure 100 exposed to the strong winds of a tornado will be decreased. By increasing height Hroom, the comfort ofinterior 107 will be increased as discussed above. In this manner, Hrecessed increases the protection and safety ofstructure 100 during a tornado and/or increases the comfort ofstructure 100. It should be noted that by positioning a portion ofinterior 107 andstructure 100 above and belowground level 103 a, interior 107 androoftop 106 ofstructure 100 can both be easily accessed.Rooftop 106 and thebuilding interior 107 ofstructure 101 can be accessed in many ways. In this embodiment, they are accessed using a door and a combination door, as will be discussed presently. -
FIG. 4 a is a partial top rear perspective view ofstructure 101, in accordance with the invention.Structure 101 includes arear entrance 135 that extends throughrear deflection wall 104 c intobackroom 130 a ofinterior 107. In this manner,rear entrance 135 provides access tobackroom 130 a and tointerior 107 ofstructure 101.Rear entrance 135 can be positioned in many ways, but here it is positioned with a bottom edge flush withbase 102 to allow the low profile ofstructure 101 as discussed above.Backroom 130 a can be of many types, but here it is a garage to contain avehicle 131.Structure 101 includes adoor 136 that is sized to coverrear entrance 135.Door 136 is repeatably movable between a closed position that coversrear entrance 135, preventing access tobackroom 130 a, and an open position that does not coverrear entrance 135, allowing access tobackroom 130 a. In this manner,door 136 closes and opens to prevent and allow access tobackroom 130 a andinterior 107 ofstructure 101. It should be noted thatdoor 136 can be positioned and shaped in many ways. In this embodiment,door 136 is roughly square and is positioned to be flush withwall 104 c.Door 136 is flush withwall 104 c so it will be sloped, and will thus deflect strong winds from a tornado in the same manner as the slope indeflection wall 104 c discussed above. -
FIG. 4 b is a partial top rear perspective view ofstructure 101, in accordance with the invention.Structure 101 includes afront entrance 137 that extends throughfront deflection wall 104 a intofrontroom 130 b ofinterior 107. In this manner,front entrance 137 provides access to frontroom 130 b and tointerior 107 ofstructure 101.Front entrance 137 can be positioned in many ways, but here it is positioned with a bottom edge flush withbase 102 to allow the low profile ofstructure 101 as discussed above.Structure 101 also includes acombination door 139 that is sized to coverfront entrance 137.Combination door 139 is provided to allow and prevent access tofront entrance 137 androof 106. It should be noted thatcombination door 139 can provide access toroof 106 in many ways, such as through an external ramped surface. In this embodiment,combination door 139 includesexternal stairs 139 a to provide access toroof 106. In a closed position,combination door 139 coversfront entrance 137 to prevent access to frontroom 130 b and allow access toroof 106. In an open position,combination door 139 does not coverfront entrance 137 and allows access to frontroom 130 b and prevents access torooftop 106. It should be noted thatcombination door 139 is repeatably movable between the open position and the closed position. In this manner,combination door 139 opens and closes to allow and prevent access to frontroom 130 b and interior 107, androoftop 106, respectively, ofstructure 101. It should be noted that in addition to providing access toroof 106, the stairs oncombination door 139 provide a surface that will deflect strong winds from a tornado in the same manner as the slope indeflection wall 104 a discussed above. -
FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of tornado-resistant structure 101 with its roof removed, in accordance with the invention.FIG. 5 shows interior 107 withrooms Rooms drain 132.Drains 132 can be positioned in many ways, but here they are positioned on and extending throughplate 102, away fromopenings rooms Drains 132 are needed to remove excess water in the event of flooding that may occur inrooms rooms openings - The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order to best explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for the purposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teachings above without departing from the spirit and scope of the forthcoming claims.
Claims (14)
1. A tornado resistant structure, comprising:
a base;
a building structure positioned on the base, wherein the building structure includes a plurality of deflection walls and reinforced corners; and
a plurality of skylights carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the building structure includes an entrance and a drain positioned proximate to the entrance.
3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the building structure is below ground.
4. The structure of claim 1 , further including a plurality of posts positioned proximate to the outer perimeter of a roof of the building structure.
5. The structure of claim 1 , further including a light emitting element positioned within the deflection wall.
6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the deflection wall includes a channel positioned to receive light from the light emitting element.
7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the building structure includes a plurality of rooms, wherein each room is in optical communication with a skylight.
8. A tornado resistant structure, comprising:
a base;
a building structure positioned on the base, wherein the building structure includes
a plurality of angled deflection walls;
a reinforced corner positioned between each adjacent deflection wall;
a front entrance extending through one of the deflection walls;
a first drain positioned to receive water flowing through the front entrance; and
a skylight carried on a roof of the building structure, wherein each skylight includes a tapered sidewall.
9. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the deflection walls each include an interior wall and an angled outer wall.
10. The structure of claim 9 , further including a light emitting element positioned between the interior wall and angled outer wall.
11. The structure of claim 10 , wherein the interior wall includes a channel for receiving light from the light emitting element.
12. The structure of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the interior wall is positioned below ground.
13. The structure of claim 12 , wherein the angled outer wall is not positioned below ground.
14. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the building structure includes a back entrance and a second drain to receive water flowing through the back entrance.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/172,923 US20090013621A1 (en) | 2007-07-13 | 2008-07-14 | Tornado resistant house |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US94963907P | 2007-07-13 | 2007-07-13 | |
US12/172,923 US20090013621A1 (en) | 2007-07-13 | 2008-07-14 | Tornado resistant house |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20090013621A1 true US20090013621A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 |
Family
ID=40251970
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/172,923 Abandoned US20090013621A1 (en) | 2007-07-13 | 2008-07-14 | Tornado resistant house |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20090013621A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10487527B2 (en) | 2017-08-24 | 2019-11-26 | Grizzly Homes, Inc. | Tornado proof housing |
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