Technical Field
[0001] The present invention concerns a movable unit which can be closed or opened like
a bellows, and which may be used in first relief operations preferably by the rescue
services, the army, the Red Cross, the United Nations, etc., to serve as a dormitory,
an office, a refectory, a storehouse, an hospital, etc., in case of natural disasters,
when first aid is needed, etc, but also in different sizes; thus, it may serve as
a dormitory or a canteen in a yard, or as a bungalow in holiday sites, etc.
Background Art.
[0002] Structures used presently during first relief operations by the rescue services and
other national and international organisations are formed by a prefabricated base
and a roof, whereas the side walls can be removably mounted and are formed by layered
panels of sheet metal and polyurethane, with the electric equipment to be installed
in situ and to be disassembled at the end of the service. These structures, for their
assembling, require the use of electric tools such as drills, screwers, etc., and
the intervention of at least two expert operators who need no less than 2 to 3 hours
only for the assembling of a single structure. An usual tractor can transport a maximum
of four such structures of standard size, piled on top of each other. Their average
weight is about 1400 kg.
[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide users with a structure which in
comparison with structures of the same usable size and volume, has the following advantages:
a) extreme easiness of assembling the same without requiring electric tools or specialised
manpower;
negligible periods of time needed for the assembling operation, e.g. a maximum of
5 to 6 minutes for each structure;
c) a mass-produced, already integrated, ready-for-use electric equipment (electric
installation), which does not require an assembling or disassembling operation to
be carried out in situ at the end of its use;
d) a maximum compactness and minimum space required; a standard tractor is capable
of transporting up to 6 or 7 structures;
e) an average weight of approximately I 100 Kg.
Disclosure of Invention
[0004] These and further objects are attained by the device according to the present invention,
which is characterised in that it comprises:
a structure formed by two side walls, each of which is formed by at least two panels
that are horizontally hinged to one another, said panels being hinged in turn to the
structure base in case of the lowermost panel and to the roof in case of the uppermost
panel, wherein, when the roof is lifted or lowered, the said two side walls are apt
to be folded up or respectively to extend or unfold, so as to become two vertical
side walls and to give rise to a structure which in combination with closure head
walls realises a bellows-like movable unit; said two head walls being easy to insert
into, and to separate from the ends of said structure; four supports being also provided,
each having the function of a lifting hook used to load onto, or to unload from the
transport vehicles, a plurality of said structures in the closed condition, and support
feet being also included for stacking one structure on top of the other during transportation
and storing; the unit comprising also a lateral member and a gutter, appropriate sealing
means or gaskets located at the connection points between the walls in order to insure
a water seal and a seal against the wind, adjustable feet which act as supports on
the floor and as levelling means, brackets for the support and anchoring of the head
walls when the structure is disassembled, a complete electric equipment and lighting
system, fittings used to facilitate the opening or closing of the structure and the
loading/unloading on/from the transport vehicles, and for enabling the transportation
itself.
Brief Descrption of Drawings
[0005] Further features and advantages of the present invention will result more clearly
from the description of an embodiment of the device, which is actually considered
preferred but not binding, and which for illustrative and non limitative purposes
is shown in the annexed drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a plan view, only of the frame that forms the base or floor of the structure;
Figs. 2 and 3 are two orthogonal views, that is, a side view and front view respectively,
which are both half-sectioned and schematically illustrate the movable unit according
to the invention;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details shown according to three orthogonal views, of one of
the supports integral with the base of the structure and having several functions
to be explained below; Figs. 4 and 5 also show one of the adjustable support feet
of the structure;
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate the details concerning the structural form of the base
and the hinged-type connection of the side walls relative to the base;
Fig. 10 schematically shows the form of the hinged connection between panels that
form a side wall;
Fig. 11 schematically shows where and how the head walls (front walls) are maintained
united with the remaining part of the structure;
Fig. 12, 13 and 14 show the details concerning the structural form of the roof and
the hinged connection between the side walls and the roof;
Fig. 15 schematically shows, in plan view, one of several possible embodiments of
the movable unit in accordance with the present invention; in this version there is
provided a main entrance door on one front wall (head wall) and a window on the opposite
front wall (head wall);
Fig. 16 shows, in plan view, the configuration of the folded (collapsed) movable unit
- ready for its transportation- , with the two head walls laid thereon,
Fig. 17 is a side view of the configuration of a load (freight) carried by a transportation
means, this load being formed by 5 movable units according to the present invention,
stacked on top of each other, and on a container used for the furnishings that may
be provided together with the movable units;
Fig. 18 is analogous to Fig. 17, the difference being that the containers of the furnishings
have a greater height and the number of movable units is four rather than five;
Fig. 19 is an orthogonal view with respect to Fig. 17;
Figs. 20, 21 show - by means of two orthogonal views - a partially opened movable
unit;
Figs. 22, 23, 24 schematically show three steps of the "opening process" applied to
a movable unit according to the present invention; more specifically, Fig. 22 shows
the closed unit, Fig. 23 shows the half-open unit; Fig. 24 the open unit ready for
the assembling of the head walls.
Best Mode of Carrying out the Invention
[0006] The details and the particular features that are shown in the figures 4 to 14 are
located at the points bounded by circles and identified by the respective figure number
in the general views (Figs. 1 to 3) of the movable unit according to the invention.
[0007] Moreover, in the various figures, the same alphanumeric reference numbers always
denote the same parts or components.
[0008] Referring to the drawings, I indicates (see Fig. 1) the supporting structure, which
may be constructed using metal tubes, and which forms the base or floor of the movable
unit. At least four special supports 2 are integrally attached thereto using any known
technique (see Figs. 1 to 6), wherein these supports:
a) are characterised in that (see Figs. 4 and 5):
- their support structure 2/a is maintained slightly spaced apart from the frame 1,
by the interposition of a spacer 3;
- they include pins 4 to be hooked by the crane that lifts each movable unit, in its
closed condition, at the time the units are loaded and stacked on top of each other
on a transport means, and when they are unloaded;
- they have a top end 2/b on which the following movable unit is laid;
- they have a bottom end 2/c designed to rest on the top end 2/b of the underlying movable
unit;
- they have fins or projections 2/d facilitating the alignment (centring) of the movable
units when they are laid on the underlying movable units, during loading on a transportation
means (vehicle) or storing in a warehouse.
[0009] Near each support 2, there is provided an upright 5 made integral with the structure
1 according to known configurations, the upright having a threaded hole in the axial
direction, into which a known adjustable foot 6 is introduced (see Figs. 4 to 6).
[0010] These adjustable feet form the support points of the movable unit on the ground or
on the floor 7 of a room, and support plates 8 are interposed between them and the
ground/floor. The size and positions of the supports 2, of the uprights 5, and the
feet 6, are such that on the ground or on a floor the movable unit is supported by
means of feet 6 that lie on the plates 8, while when the movable units are closed
and stacked on top of each other, it is the base 2/c of the support 2 that contacts
the upper end 2/b of the support 2 of the underlying movable unit.
[0011] The base, besides the frame I , includes a plane 9 which is preferably realised by
means of multilayered phenolic wood panels (stratified panels), but the base may also
be realised in any known manner and with adequate materials suited for the intended
purpose and the place of use.
[0012] The roof (see Figs. 13, 14) is made by a suitable metallic frame 10 and by a covering
or roofing 11 which is preferably formed by sandwich-like (that is, stratified) panels.
By means of appropriate section bars it is possible to realise the side member 12
and the gutters 13 that are located on the head (front) part.
[0013] In an appropriate position, on the frame 10 (of the roof) there are welded four screws
14 (see Fig. 12) to which eyebolts 15 are screwed, used to lift the roof and thereby
open the structure (see Figs. 22, 23, 24).
[0014] The panels 16 and 17 (see Fig. 10) which form the side walls are connected to each
other by means of hinges 18; the number 19 indicates the inside space of the movable
unit and by means of 20 one denotes the outside space.
[0015] The lower panel 16 is hinged to the frame 1 of the base by means of hinges 21 (Fig.
8) and the upper panel 17 is hinged to the frame 10 of the roof by means of hinges
22 (Figs. 13 and 14).
[0016] The two head walls 23, 24 (Figs. 2, 3), which are interchangeable, are formed by
sandwich-like panels (stratified panels) and may include a door or a window.
[0017] These are monolithic structures, and are delimited at the edges by a U-shaped channel
25 (Fig. 8), and on the lower part also by a L-shaped section bar 26; they are provided
with handles which permit to lift them, to insert them in the end space of the structure,
and to lock them by means of wing nuts 27 (Fig. 11) - which are also called "thumb
nuts"- to be screwed on screws that are already present on the edge of the structure.
[0018] The electric equipment, not shown , is already installed and ready to be used after
the structure has been "opened".
[0019] Among many possible variants to the embodiment that has been described above and
illustrated in the annexed drawings, one may imagine the following ones:
- the head walls may be mounted with any kind of joint, or they may be hooked, screwed,
or connected by any known means;
- by using appropriate connection kits, the structures may be connected to each other
by joining their short sides or their flanks (side walls); in the latter case the
side walls or flanks may be provided with apertures in communication with each other,
so as to realise a kind of intercommunication passageway, such as used, for instance,
in a covered hospital area;
- the side walls and the head walls (front walls) can be realised with different materials
like wood, resin, aluminium, etc.;
- if the containers for the furnishings (Figs. 17, 18, 19) are provided with supports
2, of adequate height, aligned to the same supports 2 of the structures, they may
act as suitable means to facilitate the loading on the transport means (vehicle) (as
shown in the figures), and at the same time, said containers become an "integral part"
of the present invention;
- the wing nuts 27 (Fig. 11) may be replaced by other known coupling means, that may
be rapidly locked;
- it is possible to provide tubes for the draining of the meteoric water to the ground;
- on the roof, on the side of the inside space, it is possible to mount a toolbox apt
to contain small fittings making part of the equipment of the movable unit;
- the equipment/fittings is/are provided in accordance with the intended use, or may
be personalised for each user. It/they include(s) doors, windows, the particular kind
of floor, the particular kind of electric equipment (lighting system, etc.), fittings,
etc, such as curtains used to darken a room, small heaters, air-conditioners, etc.;
- it is possible to externally paint the structures in accordance with the intended
purpose, e.g. military use, use by rescue teams, by the United Nations, the Red Cross,
civil use, camouflage, etc.
[0020] The use of the device according to the present invention is as follows.
- Once the vehicle (transportation means) is arrived at the utilisation place, a first
structure is unloaded; however, before the latter is put down on the ground, the plates
8 (which are included in the fittings and are deposited on the roof) are laid on the
ground in coincidence with the positions of the adjustable feet;
- the crane is lowered and when a first adjustable foot contacts one of the plates,
the remaining feet are manually adjusted until they rest on the respective plates;
- the structure is definitively laid on the ground and at this time the same should
be already levelled;
- the head panels are detached from the roof by removing first the four wing nuts used
to lock them, and then they are put down on the ground;
- then, by engaging the lifting hooks of the crane with the eyebolts on the roof, the
structure is gradually opened until the side walls are almost perpendicular to the
base (see Fig. 22, 23, 24);
- then, two operators grasp the respective handles and lift one of the head walls (head
panels); thereafter, they insert the lateral section bar of the same into the upper
part of the side walls and guide this section bar downwards;
- the head wall is locked to the side walls and to the base, simply by locking manually
the wing nuts;
- the same operation is effected with the other head wall and the structure is ready
for use.
[0021] Provided electric current is available, the unit can be supplied with it, by realising
a connection to the electric outlet present on the roof, which conforms to European
standards (CE).
[0022] The total time required for the operation does not exceed 7 or 8 minutes. After its
use, the structure is disassembled by following an inverted order of steps.
[0023] The invention may be modified in different ways and is susceptible of variants, all
included in the same inventive concept; moreover, many details can be replaced by
technically equivalent ones.
1. A movable unit, characterised in that it includes a structure formed by two side walls, each of which is formed by at least
two panels (16, 17) that are horizontally hinged to one another, said panels being
hinged in turn to the structure base (1) in case of the lowermost panel (16) of the
structure and to the roof (11) in case of the uppermost panel, wherein, when the roof
(11) is lowered or lifted, the said two side walls are apt to be folded up or respectively
to extend or unfold, so as to become two vertical side walls and to give rise to a
structure which in combination with closure head walls (23, 24) realises a bellows-like
movable unit; said two head walls (23, 24) being easily inserted into, and separated
from, the ends of said structure; four supports (2) being also provided, each having
the function of a lifting hook used to load onto, or to unload from, the transport
vehicles a plurality of said structures, and support feet being also included for
stacking one structure on top of the other during transportation and storing; the
unit comprising also a side member and a gutter, appropriate sealing means or gaskets
located at the connection points between the walls in order to insure a water seal
and a seal against the wind, adjustable feet which act as supports on the floor and
as levelling means, brackets for the support and anchoring of the head walls when
the structure is disassembled, a complete electric equipment and lighting system,
fittings used to facilitate the opening or closing of the structure and the loading/unloading
on/from the transport vehicles, and for enabling the transportation itself.
2. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least two panels (16, 17) that
form a side wall may be realised according to any known configuration and they may
be monolithic or realised in two parts in the longitudinal direction, which parts
are separated from each other so that when several units are placed side by side,
a passageway is obtained which interconnects the inner space of said units.
3. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein the base is formed in any known configuration,
preferably of a metallic support frame covered by a trampling floor having anti-slip
surface finishing or analogous customised finish.
4. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein the roof may be realised in any known
configuration and preferably by a frame similar to that of the base, the frame being
covered by panels suited for the intended final use.
5. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein said two head walls (23, 24) which may
be realised in any known form, are:
- monolithic;
- interchangeable one with the other;
- realised and sized so as to be easily inserted between the side walls, the base,
and the roof,
- they may be provided with windows and/or doors in accordance with the requirements;
- each of them may have two or more handles in order to facilitate its manipulation;
- at least on the edges corresponding to two sides of these head walls there are provided
slots which are aligned with stud bolts, which stud bolts are in turn integral both
with the panels forming the side walls and with the base, and if necessary, also with
the roof, on which stud bolts it is possible to screw wing nuts (27) in order to integrally
assemble said head walls with the remaining parts of the structure.
6. A movable unit according to claim 5, wherein said two head walls (23, 24) may be inserted
at the structure ends by means of joints or couplings, or in any other way, or may
be permanently connected to the structure by mechanical means such as fasteners which
enable a quick hooking connection, or by means of usual screws.
7. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein said four supports (2) which are appropriately
positioned and sized and are integrally connected with the base structure (1), are
configured and dimensioned in such a way as to carry out the following functions and
are
characterised in the following manner:
- their support portion, or support structure (2/a), is maintained at a slight distance
from the frame (1) forming the base of the structure;
- they have respective pins (4) which will be hooked by the crane used to lift each
movable unit in its closed condition, when said movable units need to be loaded and
stacked on top of each other, on a transportation vehicle, or simply piled on each
other in a warehouse;
- said pins (4) are also used to hook a band/strip or a rope in order to maintain
the movable units in their closed condition, preventing the head walls (23, 24), which
are laid on the roof, from moving, during loading, unloading, or transportation;
- the supports (2) have an upper end (2/b) which will contact the following movable
unit;
- the supports (2) have a base (2/c) to be laid on the upper end (2/b) of an underlying
movable unit;
- the supports (2) have fins or projections (2/d) used to facilitate the centring/alignment
of a movable unit on an underlying movable unit during the loading on a transport
vehicle or in a warehouse.
8. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein said side member and gutter are realised
according to known configurations and in such a way as to prevent that the hinged
connection between the roof and side walls be subject to infiltration of water, for
instance during thunderstorms, and so as to guide the rainwater to predetermined points
where downpipes, if required, may be mounted to collect this rainwater.
9. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means or gaskets, which
are of a known kind, are provided in those places where water infiltration and draughts
may occur, in order to prevent the aforementioned drawbacks.
10. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of said adjustable feet (6)
suited to support and carry out the levelling of the structure may vary according
to specific requirements and these adjustable feet are applied on the structure base
(1) according to known techniques.
11. A movable unit according to claim 1, wherein the electric equipment and lighting system
is inserted inside the roof of the structure, and in order to render this equipment
ready for operation it is sufficient to supply electric energy to a specific electric
outlet.
12. A movable unit according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the dimensions
of the movable unit may vary according to the intended use, the transportation requirements
and a possible packaging formed with them.
13. A movable unit according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein containers (28)
of the furnishings may be provided as supplementary fittings or for completing the
unit, and these may be realised in any known form and are provided with supports (2)
identical to those already present on the movable units, for allowing a superposition
of these units on the containers and for preventing the units from resting with their
weight on the cover of the containers and at the same time for allowing the stacking
on the transport vehicles.
14. A movable unit according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein at appropriate
points on the roof there are applied four eyebolts (15) used for opening or closing
the structure in a bellows-like fashion at the place where the movable unit is supposed
to be used.
15. A movable unit according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein in order to render
the transportation safe and to reduce the space required by the movable units in their
closed condition, the following is provided:
- brackets on the roof, suited to anchor the head walls (16, 17) in precise positions;
- a "pack" is prepared with the structure itself and with the head walls laid on the
roof, this being achieved using two bands/strips or two ropes that may be hooked to
the pins (4) of said supports (2).