Storm shelter

Abstract

A storm shelter ( 20 ) is provided which includes a front wall ( 22 ), rear wall ( 24 ), and retractable side wall ( 28, 30 ) and top wall ( 26 ) assemblies, whereby the shelter to be easily deployed and thereafter stowed between a retracted storage condition and an expanded use condition. The front wall ( 22 ) is equipped with a door ( 38 ), which can be selectively locked or unlocked so as to allow opening of the door from the inside or outside of the shelter. The shelter ( 20 ) is particularly useful when installed in a basement, garage, residence, commercial or industrial building, school or other habitable area, and provides excellent safety and security.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A shelter comprising:
 a back wall;   a front wall;   a top wall; and   a pair of laterally spaced apart sidewall assemblies operably interconnecting said back wall and front wall in order to permit selective movement of one of the front and back wall relative to the other, between a retracted storage position wherein the front and back walls are relatively proximal to each other, and an expanded use position wherein the front and back wall are relatively spaced from each other, to define, with said top wall and said sidewall assemblies, an enclosed space.   
     
     
         2 . The shelter of  claim 1 , said front wall including an openable door permitting access to an interior of the shelter when the shelter is in the expanded or retracted position thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The shelter of  claim 1 , including structure operable to secure said shelter to a support surface. 
     
     
         4 . The shelter of  claim 1 , said front wall having a pair of transverse, rearwardly extending side margins each supporting a wheel to facilitate movement of the front wall towards and away from the back wall. 
     
     
         5 . The shelter of  claim 4 , said back wall having a pair of transverse, forwardly extending side margins, said rearwardly extending front wall margins overlying said back wall side margins when said shelter is in said retracted storage position. 
     
     
         6 . The shelter of  claim 1 , each of said sidewall assemblies including a forward panel and a rearward panel, said forward panel being pivotally coupled with said front wall and said rear panel pivotally coupled to said back wall, said front and rear panels being pivotally connected together, said forward and rearward panels being in substantial alignment when said shelter is in said expanded use position, said forward and rearward panels being pivoted towards each other when said shelter is in said retracted storage position. 
     
     
         7 . The shelter of  claim 6 , including cross-brace structure operable to maintain said forward and rearward panels in said substantial alignment when the shelter is in said expanded use position. 
     
     
         8 . The shelter of  claim 7 , said cross-brace structure comprising a generally U-shaped bracket secured to each of the inner faces of said forward and rearward panels, and a rigid cross-bar received within said channels and spanning the pivotal connection between forward and rearward panels. 
     
     
         9 . The shelter of  claim 1 , said top wall assembly comprising a pair of side-by-side front and rear panels, said front panel being pivotally connected to said front wall, said rear panel pivotally connected to said back wall, said front and rear panels being pivotally interconnected for movement between an aligned condition when the shelter is in said expanded use position, and an upwardly extended condition when the shelter is said retracted storage position. 
     
     
         10 . The shelter of  claim 9 , including an oblique pivot rod operatively connected to the pivotal connection between said front and rear panels and said back wall to facilitate movement of said top wall between said expanded use position and said retracted storage position. 
     
     
         11 . The shelter of  claim 1 , said front wall including an openable door permitting access to an interior of the shelter, including a door locking assembly accessible both within said enclosed space and exteriorly of said shelter for selective locking and unlocking of said door. 
     
     
         12 . The shelter of  claim 11 , said locking assembly comprising a slide lock operably supported on the interior face of said door and including a shiftable locking member engageable with a corresponding locking portion of the front wall, said locking member shiftable between an unlocked position out of engagement with said locking portion and an extended position wherein said member is engaged with said locking portion, there being a slot extending through said door, and an operator secured to said locking member extending through said door slot, whereby said locking member may be shifted between said unlocked position and said locked position by manipulation of said operator exteriorly of the shelter. 
     
     
         13 . The shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the front wall includes an upright panel and a bottom rail adjustably mounted to the upright panel.