IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,590,671
Granted Patent B1
US 10,590,671 · App. 15/715,218 · Granted Mar 17, 2020

Configurable modular shelter system

Inventors: Melvin W. Jee (Whitinsville, MA); Conor R. Hennessy (Brighton, MA)
Assignee: U.S. Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army
E04H9/04E04B1/34321E04H1/1205E04B2001/34389
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,590,671
App. No.
15/715,218
Granted
Mar 17, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

A modular shelter system includes a floor panel having a first curved surface along a lateral edge on a top side of the floor panel and a first inside surface located inside of the first curved surface. The modular shelter system additionally includes a wall panel having a second curved surface along a bottom end of the wall panel, wherein the second curved surface is configured to rotate relative to the first curved surface, and wherein the second curved surface is configured to mate with the first curved surface. The wall panel further has a second inside surface located inside of the second curved surface, wherein the second inside surface is configured to mate with the first inside surface when the wall panel is erected over the floor panel.

Claims (45)

1. A modular shelter system having interconnecting components comprising:

a first floor panel comprising:

a first curved surface along a lateral edge on a top side of the first floor panel; and

a first inside surface located inside of the first curved surface; and

a first wall panel comprising:

a second curved surface along a bottom end of the first wall panel, wherein the second curved surface is configured to rotate relative to the first curved surface, and wherein the second curved surface is configured to mate with the first curved surface; and

a second inside surface located inside of the second curved surface, wherein the second inside surface is configured to mate with the first inside surface;

wherein the first floor panel is multisided with a plurality of lateral edges on the top side of the first floor panel, wherein along each lateral edge of the plurality of lateral edges of the first floor panel is another first curved surface and another inside surface located inside of each respective first curved surface;

further comprising a plurality of wall panels, wherein:

each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels comprises:

another second curved surface along the bottom end of the wall panel; and

another second inside surface located inside of the second curved surface; and

wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels is interchangeable in that the second curved surface along the bottom end of any wall panel of the plurality of wall panels can mate with the first curved surface along any lateral edge of the plurality of lateral edges of the first floor panel;

further comprising a first ceiling panel wherein the first ceiling panel and the first floor panel are interchangeable, whereby the first ceiling panel is multisided with a plurality of lateral edges on a bottom side of the first ceiling panel, wherein along each lateral edge of the plurality of lateral edges of the first ceiling panel is another first curved surface and another first inside surface located inside of each respective first curved surface;

wherein each wall panel of the plurality of wall panels further comprises:

another second curved surface located along a top end of the wall panel, wherein each respective second curved surface along the top end of the wall panel is configured to mate with a respective first curved surface along any edge on the bottom side of the first ceiling panel; and

another second inside surface located inside of each respective second curved surface at the top end of the wall panel, wherein each respective second inside surface at the top end of the wall panel is configured to mate with each respective first inside surface along any edge on the bottom side of the first ceiling panel;

wherein the first floor panel, a set of wall panels of the plurality of wall panels, and the first ceiling panel interconnect to form a single shelter unit;

wherein the first floor panel further comprises a plurality of support blocks on a bottom side of the first floor panel, wherein each support block of the plurality of support blocks on the bottom side of the first floor panel accommodates a jack for raising and lowering the support block to level the first floor panel;

wherein the first ceiling panel further comprises a plurality of support blocks on a top side of the first ceiling panel, wherein each support block of the plurality of support blocks on the top side of the first ceiling panel mates with a support block of a plurality of support blocks on a bottom side of a second floor panel when stacking single shelter units into a stacked double shelter unit with the second floor panel over the first ceiling panel.

2. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein:

each first outside surface is lower than each first inside surface when the first floor panel is level and facing upward; and

each second outside surface is lower than each second inside surface along each bottom end of each wall panel when each wall panel is erected in a vertical position.

3. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein:

each first curved surface is concave and each second curved surface is convex; or

each first curved surface is convex and each second curved surface is concave.

4. The modular shelter system of claim 1 further comprising at least one deformable seal, wherein the at least one deformable seal is attached to one or both of the first curved surface and the second curved surface.

5. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein one or more wall panels of the set of wall panels comprise integrated electrical wiring.

6. The modular shelter system of claim 5 , wherein the integrated electrical wiring transmits electric current from a power module that conditions power from and that is attached to one wall panel of the set of wall panels to an electrical outlet attached to another wall panel of the set of wall panels.

7. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein the first floor panel, the set of wall panels, and the first ceiling panel forming the single shelter unit are secured in place using a first set of latches to secure the wall panels of the set of wall panels to the first floor panel, a second set of latches to secure the wall panels of the set of wall panels to one another, and a third set of latches to secure the wall panels of the set of wall panels to the first ceiling panel.

8. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein at least one support block of the plurality of support blocks on the bottom side of the first floor panel comprises one or more level indicators to indicate levelness in one or more directions.

9. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein the first ceiling panel and the second floor panel each comprise a hatchway, wherein the hatchway of the first ceiling panel aligns with the hatchway of the second floor panel in the stacked double shelter unit.

10. The modular shelter system of claim 9 further comprising an interconnection sleeve, wherein the interconnection sleeve extends from the hatchway of the first ceiling panel to the hatchway of the second floor panel.

11. The modular shelter system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of wall interconnection panels configured to laterally interconnect between two wall panels or between one wall panel and another wall interconnection panel; and

one or more floor interconnection panels configured to laterally interconnect between two floor panels and to vertically connect to the bottom ends of two or more wall interconnection panels, wherein each floor interconnection panel can be flipped over and used as a ceiling interconnection panel configured to laterally interconnect between two ceiling panels and to vertically connect to the top ends of two or more wall interconnection panels.

12. The modular shelter system of claim 11 , wherein one floor interconnection panel, one ceiling interconnection panel, and two wall interconnection panels can replace one wall panel on each of two single shelter units to interconnect the two single shelter units into a laterally interconnected double shelter unit.

13. The modular shelter system of claim 12 , wherein floor interconnection panels, ceiling interconnection panels, and wall interconnection panels can laterally interconnect single shelter units into a chain of three or more shelter units extending in one or more lateral directions.

14. The modular shelter system of claim 1 , wherein the first wall panel comprises multiple layers of different materials.

15. The modular shelter system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the multiple layers comprises a thermally insulating material or a ballistic-resistant material.

16. The modular shelter system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first wall panel comprises a window opening;

the first floor panel is separable into a first section and a second section; and

the first section of the first floor panel connects with the first wall panel to form a two-panel configuration.

17. The modular shelter system of claim 16 , wherein the two-panel configuration comprises at least one support brace connected to the first section of the first floor panel on a first end of the support brace and to the first wall panel on a second end of the support brace.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 26, 2017
From: JEE, MELVIN W; HENNESSSY, CONOR R
To: U.S. GOVERNMENT AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY
Reel/Frame 043688/0877 →
Cited By (5)
US 12,203,281 US 12,209,426 US 12,378,761 US 12,571,199 US 12,631,014