Variable floorplan shelters for previously unbuildable types of land

Abstract

An innovative variable floorplan shelter for previously unbuildable types of land that allows the freedom to change the sizes and/or the shapes and/or the number of rooms within the shelter utilizing movable walls that offer choice of transparent, translucent or opaque walls for a variety of privacy levels. The innovative new shelter has an enhanced speed of construction based upon mass produced, modular components with over 80% of the components being relatively lightweight allowing the carrying and assembly of components by hand by unskilled labor in a reduced period of time. The new shelter offers the innovative function of being able to add or subtract floor space and/or change the overall shape of that floor space at any time. The new shelter has an option of including a floor/ceiling/utility modular system of pie shaped hollow boxes that connect to the central pole and join with other floor/ceiling/utility modules to form a radial horizontal planes supported at the outer perimeter by the radialy spaced support cables or tension members. Each floor/ceiling/utility module contains a wide range of built in utilities such as water plumbing pipes with water supply valves with fire suppression pipes with fire suppression nozzles, supply ventilation ducts with supply ventilation vents, return ventilation ducts with return ventilation vents, data wiring conduit and data connectors, electrical power conduit with electrical power outlets, flush mounted lighting, female edge connectors and male edge connectors. The variable floorplan shelter for previously unbuildable types of land provides an inexpensive alternative to conventional shelters by creating a system of construction that requires little or no grading, sight leveling, retaining walls or concrete ground pad for reduced cost of building. The first installed major component of the new shelter serves multifunctions as a crane, the main structural element, a multiple component connector, a conduit, a drain, an elevator, a ladder and as a tent post for attachment of a lot sized protective fabric tent for indoor construction. Because the floors and ceilings are flat parallel planes with the main structural supports near the center of each floor, 360 degree view houses are now possible with the option for full privacy on demand. The new shelter has the option for an innovative partial vacuum insulation technology that allows low transfer of heat, cold and sound inside the shelter between rooms and outside the shelter providing weather insulation. The new shelter also makes an efficient, passive heating and cooling system available to reduce heating and cooling utility costs. The new shelter utilizes an infinitely variable wall positioning system that allows the outside walls of the shelter to be moved inward from the edges of the floors and ceilings to create outdoor balconies of any size and/or shape, as well as the ability to reposition interior walls for changing interior space needs.

1 . A shelter comprised of a single or a plurality of stiff substantially vertical compression columns rigidly cemented into holes drilled into the bedrock underlying the soil with a plurality of radial cables connected to the top of the stiff vertical compression column/s with the other ends of the cables connected to the outer end of radial compression and bending resistant members of equal or varying length to form a substantially conical radial pattern of cables supporting the ends of the radial compression and bending resistant members perpendicular to the stiff vertical compression column/s and level in relationship to gravity to form a flat radial floor/ceiling plane with additional substantially equal length cables hanging from the outer end of each radial compression and bending resistant member to form a circular array of hanging cables connected to the ends of a second array of radial compression and bending resistant members emanating from a point equidistant down the stiff vertical compression column/s from the first flat radial floor/ceiling plane by the substantially same distance as length of the hanging cables to form a second, of multiple, flat radial floor/ceiling plane/s which results in a set of at least two floor/ceiling planes which are parallel and self supporting to form a framework for the attachment of substantially flat, horizontal, stiff material to the radial compression and bending resistant members to define floor and ceiling surfaces between which a plurality of demountable vertical wall panels may be moved, positioned and removably attached to the floor, ceiling and to other movable vertical panels to form an infinitely variable floor plan shelter. 
   
   
       2 . A shelter comprised of a single or a plurality of stiff substantially vertical compression column/s rigidly cemented into holes drilled into the bedrock underlying the soil with a plurality of radial cables connected to the top of the stiff vertical compression column/s with the other ends of the cables connected to the outer ends of modular, interconnected, pie shaped, floor/ceiling units comprised of hollow, tapered, boxes of stiff material containing plumbing, electrical, communications, ventilation and sensor utilities forming a radial array of horizontal modules defining the top horizontal plane with additional substantially equal length cables hanging from the outer end of each radial joist to form a circular array of hanging cables connected to the ends of a second array of said modular, pie shaped, floor/ceiling units connected radially from a point equidistant down the stiff vertical compression column/s from the first flat radial floor/ceiling plane by the substantially same distance as length of the said hanging cables to form, a second of multiple, flat radial floor/ceiling plane/s which results in a set of at least two floor/ceiling planes which are parallel and self supporting to define floor and ceiling surfaces between which a plurality of demountable vertical wall panels may be moved, positioned and removably attached to the floor, ceiling and to other movable vertical panels to form an infinitely variable floor plan shelter. 
   
   
       3 . A shelter comprised of demountable, vertical wall panels perpendicular to substantially flat horizontal floor and ceiling planes which are both covered with a hook and loop carpet material into which rows of hooks on the intersecting surfaces of the said vertical wall panels and said hook and loop carpet material on the floor and ceiling planes removably engage to provide a demountable, infinitely variable movement and reattachment of vertical wall panels anywhere between the floor and the ceiling. 
   
   
       4 . A shelter comprised of substantially flat floor and ceiling planes with a plurality of vertical wall panels with tooth and hook and loop attachment means that removably attach to provide a demountable infinitely variable movement and reattachment of vertical wall panels anywhere between the said floor and the ceiling. 
   
   
       5 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of movable vertical panels are comprised of transparent, translucent or opaque wall panels for a variety of privacy levels. 
   
   
       6 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein enhanced speed of construction is gained by utilizing mass produced, modular components with a majority of components being relatively lightweight allowing the carrying and assembly of components by hand by unskilled labor in a reduced period of time. 
   
   
       7 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein there is provision for an inexpensive alternative to conventional shelters by creating a system of construction that requires little or no grading, sight leveling, retaining walls or concrete ground pad for reduced cost of building. 
   
   
       8 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein a single component may serve as a crane, the main structural element of the shelter, a multiple component connector, a conduit, a drain, an elevator, a ladder and as a tent post for attachment of a lot sized protective fabric tent for indoor construction. 
   
   
       9 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein a 360 degree view from inside the shelter looking out is facilitated by the use of flat horizontal ceiling and floor surfaces extending from the main structural supports near the center of each floor with thin cables widely spaced apart around the perimeter of each floor resulting in a virtually unobstructed view. 
   
   
       10 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein the said moveable vertical panels removably attached to the floor and ceiling includes a plurality of glass panels sealed spaced apart within a frame that has an area of lowered atmospheric pressure between the glass panels which reduces the number of air molecules to transfer heat or cold or sound across the partial vacuum which allows low transfer of heat, cold and sound inside the shelter between rooms and between the inside and outside the shelter providing weather and sound insulation. 
   
   
       11 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein an efficient, passive heating and cooling system comprising an attic greenhouse for gathering solar energy and storing such energy in ceramic collectors can be vented throughout the shelter providing heating and an underground conduit having heat sink walls can cool an incoming suction of air into the shelter caused by venting the hot air in the greenhouse out of a roof mounted vent causing a chimney suction convection to reduce heating and cooling utility costs. 
   
   
       12 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein an infinitely variable wall positioning system that allows the outside walls of the shelter to be moved inward from the edges of the floors and ceilings to create outdoor balconies of any size and/or shape, as well as the ability to reposition interior walls for changing interior space needs exists. 
   
   
       13 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein an infinitely variable floor and ceiling expansion and reduction system that allows the shape and size of the floor and ceiling area planes to be altered to reflect changing floor and ceiling space needs exists. From inside the shelter is now possible with the option for full privacy on demand because the floors and ceilings are flat parallel planes with the main structural supports near the center of each floor. 
   
   
       14 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein partial vacuum insulation allows low transfer of heat, cold and sound inside the shelter between rooms and outside the shelter providing weather insulation. 
   
   
       15 . The variable floorplan shelter of  claim 1  wherein a solar passive heating and underground heat sink cooling system reduce heating and cooling utility costs.