Re-deployable mobile above ground shelter

Abstract

A protective shelter including an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a door, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall. The protective shelter further includes one or more members coupled to the enclosure that support the protective shelter on a substrate and a resilient grouser attached to at least one of the one or more members and in contact with the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective shelter, comprising:
 an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a doorway, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the enclosure includes an aperture located proximate a point of low static air pressure during a high-velocity wind event;   one or more members that elevate the floor above a substrate, wherein when the protective shelter is deployed on the substrate a substantially enclosed sub-floor region is formed that is bounded by the protective shelter and the substrate; and   an air duct providing airflow communication between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure via the aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises metal plate. 
     
     
         3 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the roof has at least one edge region having a decreasing height at points further from a central axis of the enclosure. 
     
     
         4 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , and further comprising a structure that is coupled to the protective shelter adjacent the aperture and that is configured to increase wind velocity adjacent the aperture. 
     
     
         5 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the enclosure has an interior volume; and   the air duct extends through the interior volume of the enclosure.   
     
     
         6 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more members include multiple rails. 
     
     
         7 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , and further comprising a subfloor below and spaced from the floor of the enclosure, wherein the subfloor bounds a portion of the substantially enclosed subfloor region. 
     
     
         8 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , and ballast disposed beneath the floor. 
     
     
         9 . The protective shelter of  claim 8 , wherein the ballast comprises concrete. 
     
     
         10 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a subfloor below and spaced from the floor of the enclosure; and   a ballast disposed between the subfloor and floor.   
     
     
         11 . The protective shelter of  claim 10 , wherein the subfloor bounds a portion of the substantially enclosed subfloor region. 
     
     
         12 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , and further comprising at least one resilient grouser engaging one or more of the one or more members. 
     
     
         13 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the protective shelter has a first axis and an orthogonal second axis both parallel to a plane including the floor of the enclosure; and   the protective shelter further includes a first deck section extending from a first end of the enclosure along the first axis.   
     
     
         14 . The protective shelter of  claim 13 , and further including a second deck section extending from a second end of the enclosure along the first axis. 
     
     
         15 . The protective shelter of  claim 14 , wherein the first and second deck sections extend substantially symmetrically from the enclosure. 
     
     
         16 . The protective shelter of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the doorway is disposed at the first end of the enclosure.   
     
     
         17 . The protective shelter of  claim 13 , wherein a first dimension of the protective shelter along the first axis is greater than a second dimension of the protective shelter along the second axis. 
     
     
         18 . The protective shelter of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more members include multiple rails extending along the first axis. 
     
     
         19 . The protective shelter of  claim 17 , wherein a dimension of the enclosure along the first axis is greater than a dimension of the enclosure along the second axis. 
     
     
         20 . The protective shelter of  claim 13 , and further comprising ballast in the first deck section. 
     
     
         21 . The protective shelter of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sidewall is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         22 . An assembly, comprising:
 a protective shelter in accordance with  claim 1 ; and   a transport bearing the protective shelter.   
     
     
         23 . A method of deploying a protective shelter, said method comprising:
 transporting, to an installation site having a substrate, a protective shelter including:
 an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a doorway, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the enclosure includes an aperture located proximate a point of low static air pressure during a high-velocity wind event; 
 one or more members configured to elevate the floor above the substrate; 
 an air duct; and 
   placing the protective shelter on the substrate to form a substantially enclosed sub-floor region bounded by the protective shelter and the substrate, wherein the protective shelter provides airflow communication via the air duct between the substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure via the aperture.   
     
     
         24 . A protective shelter, comprising:
 an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a doorway, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the protective shelter has a first axis and an orthogonal second axis both parallel to a plane including the floor of the enclosure, and wherein the protective shelter has a greater first dimension along the first axis and a lesser second dimension along the second axis;   multiple elongate members that are coupled to the enclosure and that extend along the first axis;   first and second deck sections coupled to the elongate members, wherein the first and second deck sections extend substantially symmetrically from the enclosure along the first axis; and   a ballast disposed in one or more locations in the protective shelter, including at least one location in a set of locations including beneath the floor, in the first deck section, and in the second deck section.   
     
     
         25 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the first and second deck sections are disposed at first and second ends of the enclosure; and   the doorway is disposed at the first end of the enclosure.   
     
     
         26 . The protective shelter of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the doorway is a first doorway; and   the protective shelter has a second doorway disposed at the second end of the enclosure.   
     
     
         27 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the enclosure comprises metal plate. 
     
     
         28 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the roof has at least one edge region having a decreasing height at points further from a central axis of the enclosure. 
     
     
         29 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the enclosure includes an aperture located proximate a point of low static air pressure during a high-velocity wind event; and   the protective shelter further includes an air duct providing airflow communication between a substantially enclosed sub-floor region and an exterior region of the enclosure via the aperture.   
     
     
         30 . The protective shelter of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the enclosure has an interior volume; and   the air duct extends through the interior volume of the enclosure.   
     
     
         31 . The protective shelter of  claim 29 , and further comprising a subfloor that is spaced from the floor and that bounds a portion of the substantially enclosed subfloor region. 
     
     
         32 . The protective shelter of  claim 29 , and further comprising a structure that is coupled to the protective shelter adjacent the aperture and that is configured to increase wind velocity adjacent the aperture. 
     
     
         33 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , and further comprising a subfloor below and spaced from the floor, wherein the ballast is disposed at least between the subfloor and floor. 
     
     
         34 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the ballast comprises concrete. 
     
     
         35 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the ballast is disposed in both the first deck section and the second deck section. 
     
     
         36 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , and further comprising at least one resilient grouser engaging one or more of the one or more elongate members. 
     
     
         37 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the elongate members comprise one or more rails. 
     
     
         38 . The protective shelter of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one sidewall is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         39 . An assembly, comprising:
 a protective shelter in accordance with  claim 24 ; and   a transport bearing the protective shelter.   
     
     
         40 . A method, comprising:
 transporting, to an installation site having a substrate, a protective shelter including:
 an enclosure having at least a floor, at least one sidewall coupled to the floor, a doorway, and a roof coupled to the at least one sidewall, wherein the protective shelter has a first axis and an orthogonal second axis both parallel to a plane including the floor of the enclosure, and wherein the protective shelter has a greater first dimension along the first axis and a lesser second dimension along the second axis; 
 multiple elongate members that are coupled to the enclosure and that extend along the first axis; 
 first and second deck sections coupled to the elongate members, wherein the first and second deck sections extend substantially symmetrically from the enclosure along the first axis; and 
 a ballast disposed in one or more locations in the protective shelter, including at least one location in a set of locations including beneath the floor, in the first deck section, and in the second deck section; 
   placing the protective shelter on the substrate.