GB2460851A

GB2460851A - Portable triangular temporary housing module

Info

Publication number: GB2460851A
Application number: GB0810696A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kevin Coates
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-06-12
Filing date: 2008-06-12
Publication date: 2009-12-16
Also published as: GB0810696D0

Abstract

A triangular housing module 10 includes a hygiene area (80, fig 2), including any of a shower, toilet, or basin. It also has a food preparation area (60, fig 2) comprising a water outlet, preferably a sink. It may include cooking facilities. The module also has a relaxation area (40, fig 2), a sliding door 12 and legs 130 to support the module. The module preferably has a water-resistant internal floor. It may also have an alternative energy unit such as a solar panel or wind turbine. The module may include a hook 132 which can be used for lifting the unit. In a second aspect, multiple units are clustered. In this aspect, the triangular shape is advantageous as the entrances are distributed apart to ease congestion. The modules may be used as emergency shelters.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to temporary housing system, primarily used in providing emergency or temporary shelter to people, during events like but not limited to catastrophic events, floods, cyclones, earthquake, hurricanes, forest fires, military operations and camping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Substantial increase in the frequency of natural calamities and catastrophic events has posed higher risk of disruption in modern life than ever before. Genuine concerns exist regarding the threat of floods, cyclones, earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires and so forth; which always leave millions of people to look for emergency housing products.

Temporary housing units provide some protection against elements of nature as well as provide shelter to the survivors of catastrophic events. These units are used for mitigating the inadaptable elements of nature during the challenging conditions associated with various outdoor activities The traditional available options are tents, trailers and caravans, which provide sufficient shelter though, none of them provides a balanced solution in terms of cost involved, facilities available and accessibility. Needless to say that the option of tent is cheaper but it doesn't provide any facilities and privacy to the shelter user. On the other hand, trailers and caravans do provide all sorts of facilities but are expensive.

Along with this, many people legitimately expect that their government will provide necessary shelter for them in the event of such an event, However, it is not possible for the government to support and protect every part of civil fabric during such events.

Accordingly, there arises a need for an improved emergency shelter that is easily accessible, transportable, economically & commercially viable, incorporating necessary facilities with enhanced privacy.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a modular housing unit comprising of a triangular structure, having defined areas for people to sleep, rest, shower and cook. The housing unit is preferably pre-fabricated from modulated plastic/steel or wood and is light weight and low cost.

The housing unit is watertight and also includes at least one sliding lock doors which are operable from inside as well outside the unit. The sliding lock doors will maximize space and provide security & privacy to the unit user and their possession.

The unit is supported by three legs placed at each of the angles of the triangle. The legs comprise of a vertical member, a hook and a feet which contact with the base surface.

The foot attached on the leg provides better stability to the unit.

The entire body of the unit is made up of steel tube with either composite wood or finished plastic to keep the unit low weight and inexpensive.

The unit provides a well defined storage area, hygiene area, food preparation area, food storage area, and relaxation area.

In a more preferred embodiment, the floor on the unit is covered with nylon felt, or some other water-resistant covering.

The invention has further object of using power from alternative energies such as solar panel or wind turbine that can be easily located on the roof of the unit.

The invention has further object of providing adequate ventilation and natural light through a window in front and skylight in the roof.

The invention has further object of providing communications available in the unit by means of TV/Radio, Internet or Telephone.

The invention has further object of providing an attachable conditioning unit which can provide heating/cooling effect as desired by the user, In yet another preferred embodiment, the units can be grouped together for better space management or stacked for storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of a grouping of the housing units of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an exemplary plan of a single housing unit of a preferred embodiment; Fig. 3 is a front view of the housing unit of a preferred embodiment with a door partially in place; Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the housing unit of a preferred embodiment; and Fig. 5 is a preferred arrangement of the housing units of a preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

The present invention can be used in several modes and is susceptible to use in numerous ways. Therefore, the detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the construction and/or use of the invention in any other mode. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the periphery of the scope of the invention, In Fig. 1, shown is an overall perspective view of a group of temporary housing units 10 arranged together to form a cluster. As desired, said housing units can be arranged in any other fashion by adding additional units 10. The triangular structure of the housing unit distributes the front entrance 12 of the housing unit members 10 of the cluster in a circular motion which makes it less congested. Skylight opening 26 in the roof of the shelter unit provides ventilation and natural light to the unit. Each shelter unit is supported by a plurality of legs 130 each further comprising a foot 141 and a hook 132; which has been explained in further drawings In Fig. 2, shown is the plan of a housing unit 10. For illustration purposes, the roof of the shelter unit is not shown. In a preferred embodiment, a fold out sofa/bed 20 is placed at an opposite end of the wall 111 which has sliding door 113 at one end. The sliding door 113 is operable from inside as well as outside and is particularly, advantageous for the disabled or partially disabled users. The sofa 20 can be used to sleep as well as relax. The clip 21 can be attached with the sofa 20 to make it safe for the children to sleep on. At another end of the sofa 20 is the sliding door 12, which is operable from inside as well outside. A storage area 30 comprising of cupboard space for storing personal items is made at one of the angles of the shelter unit 10. The storage space 30 opens in the free area 40. The free area 40 has been left free to make the whole unit spacious and can be used in conjunction with other areas. The area 50 is attached with another wall of the housing unit which comprises a wall mounted TV and a Table/Desk, The area 50 also includes a tall cupboard next to the wall mounted TV. Optionally, the housing unit 10 also comprises any other communication devices like Radio, Internet, Telephone, and so forth, Adjacent to free area 40, is a food preparation area 60 which includes a microwave oven, a cooker, a kettle, and/or a sink. A food storage area 61 including a fridge, and/or a hob is adjoined to the food preparation area 60. Advantageously, the free area 40 can also be used by the housing unit user while preparing food which makes the user more comfortable. The hygiene area 80 is located at one of the angles of the housing unit 10 and preferably at the apex opposite to the front wall 111. This helps in efficient utilization of the available space and also separates the hygiene area 80 from the main areas through separation wall 85. The separation wall 85 also provides space for the food storage area 61. The hygiene area 80 includes a wash basin, a shower unit, and a toilet; which can cater to the needs of a housing unit user who spend less than 20 minutes per day in there.

The housing unit 10 can easily take service form existing utilities such as electricity, water, gas by means of a service panel located on the side or underneath the unit (not shown in the fig.). The frame 65 is made up of steel tube with composite wood or finished plastic which provides fire resistance to the housing unit and yet strong for transportability and durability. The material used in the frame and body of the housing unit 10 also has a sound-dampening effect. Optimally, the housing unit 10 can also use power from alternative energy sources like solar panel or wind turbines located in the roof of the unit (not shown in the fig.). The housing unit 10 can also be provided with a conditioning unit to maintain a desired temperature inside the unit In Fig. 3, shown is the front view of the housing unit 10 with sliding door 12 partially in place. In the front wall, window opening 15 serves as a means of natural light and ventilation. The sliding door 12 helps in maximizing the space internally and externally.

The housing unit 10 is supported by a plurality of legs 130 placed at each of the angles of the unit. The leg 130 includes a foot 141 which contacts with a surface contacted by the base portion, a vertical menTher 133 and a hook 132 which can be used for lifting the unit. The legs 130 act as braces or stabilizers for the housing unit 10. The extended surface area of the foot 141 provides better stability and a hook 132 at the top of the leg can be used for lifting and transporting the housing unit 10 to a preferred site, In Fig. 4, shown is the bottom view of the housing unit 10, including three identical feet 141 of each leg 130 and a flat posterior side of the floor 106. The floor of the housing unit is covered with nylon felt or some other material, which is preferably water-resistant to keep the housing unit 10 watertight. The housing unit 10 is fully insulated to protect the user from any kind of challenging environmental conditions. Further shown are the two walls 101, 121 which are preferably made up of moulded steel tubes to prevent sharp edges and corners and avoid injury to the users.

In Fig 5, shown is another preferred arrangement of the housing units 10 in a cluster.

Advantageously, the housing units 10 are normally arranged so that entrances to the housing units 10 on each side of the cluster are less congested since half of the entrances are on the opposite side. The grouping of individual housing units 10 as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 saves space and also tends to prevent them from falling over in challenging environmental conditions.

Having described the detailed structure of the preferred and particular embodiments of the present invention, it is to be recognized that additional variations of the present invention can be devised without departing from the invention concept underlying the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is: 1. A portable triangular housing module comprising: a hygiene area located at a corner of said triangular housing module, said hygiene area comprising a shower unit, a toilet unit, a skylight opening, and a wash basin; a food preparation area comprising a water outlet; a food storage area adjoining said food preparation area; a storage area at another corner of said triangular housing module, said storage area comprising plurality of cupboard space to store personal item; at least one sliding door adapted to slide internally and externally; a relaxation area adjoining said sliding door; and plurality of legs placed at each of the angles of said triangular housing module.
2. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, further comprising a communications unit.
3. The portable triangular housing module of claim 2, wherein said communication unit comprises of a TV, a radio, an internet and a telephone.
4. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, wherein a frame of said triangular housing module comprises a fire resistant material.
5. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, further comprising an attachable conditioning unit which can provide desired heating/cooling effect to the housing module.
6. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, further comprising a floor comprising a nylon felt covering.
7. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, wherein said food preparation area comprises of a cooker, a kettle, a microwave and a sink.
8. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, wherein said food storage area comprises of a fridge and a hob and cupboard space.
9. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, wherein said relaxation area comprises of either a sofa or a bed.
10. The portable triangular housing module of claim 1, wherein said legs each comprises a foot for contacting base surface and a hook at the top.
11. A triangular housing module comprising: an internal floor, said floor covered with a water resistant covering; a food preparation area comprising a microwave oven, a cooker, a kettle, and a sink; a food storage area adjoining said food preparation area; a hygiene area comprising a wash basin, a shower unit and a toilet; a natural ventilation mechanism; a storage area comprising plurality of cupboard spaces; an alternative energy -located at a roof of said triangular housing module; plurality of legs extending vertically along the height of the housing module; at least one sliding door; and a relaxation area adjoining said sliding door, said relaxation area comprisingeitherasofaorabed.
12. The triangular housing module of claim 11, further comprising a communication unit.
13. The triangular housing module of claim 12, wherein said communication unit comprises of a TV, a radio, an internet connection and a telephone.
14. The triangular housing module of claim 11, further comprising an attachable conditioning unit which can provide desired heating/cooling effect to the housing module.
15. The triangular housing module of claim 11, wherein a frame of said triangular housing module comprises a fire resistant material.
16. The triangular housing module of claim 11, wherein said water resistant covering is a nylon felt covering.
17. The triangular housing module of claim 11, wherein said food storage area comprises of a refrigerator and a hob.
18. The triangular housing module of claim 11, wherein said natural ventilation mechanism comprises a window.
19. The triangular housing module of claim 11, wherein said legs each comprises a foot for contacting base surface and a hook at the top.
20. A polygonal emergency shelter structure comprising: a plurality of portable triangular housing modules arranged adjacent to each other, each said portable triangular housing module having three smooth corners wherein said portable triangular housing module comprising: an internal floor covered with a water resistant covering; an alternative energy unit at a roof of said portable triangular housing module; a communications unit powered by said alternative energy unit; a food area comprising a microwave oven, a cooker, a kettle, and a sink; a relaxation area comprising a sofa or a bed; a hygiene area comprising any of a wash basin, a shower unit, and a toilet; a space adapted for ventilation and natural lighting; plurality of legs placed at each of the angles of said portable triangular housing module; wherein said legs each comprises a foot for contacting base surface and a hook at the top.at least one door, wherein said door is slidable.
21. The polygonal emergency shelter structure of claim 20, wherein said communications comprises a TV, a radio, an internet connection and a telephone.
22. The polygonal emergency shelter structure of claim 20, wherein said plurality of portable triangular housing modules are composed of fire resistant materials.
23. The polygonal emergency shelter structure of claim 20, wherein said water resistant covering is a nylon felt covering.