Containerized habitable structures

• US 6,983,567 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Theodore T. Ciotti
• Original Assignee: Theodore T. Ciotti
• Inventors: Ciotti, Theodore T.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN, JEANETTE E
• Application Number:
  US10/284,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 52/64, 52/65, 52/66, 52/68, 52/69, 52/71, 52/791, 52/795, 52/799, 52/70, 52/72
• US Class Current: 52/79.5
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3442 folding out from a core cell

Abstract

An engineered purpose-built portable habitable structure formed of a transformable rectangular enclosure that includes a base shell having hingedly attached exterior and interior walls that fold out to form a habitable structure. The walls of the structure are pre-wired and pre-plumbed and are adapted to connect to appropriate supply sources exterior to the structure.

Claims

1. A portable habitable structure formed of a engineered, purpose-built transformable rectangular enclosure, said enclosure being dimensioned a standard size of containers used for sending freight by plane or ship, said enclosures comprising:

a base; and

a transformable rectangular container portion integral with said base, said transformable rectangular container portion comprising;

a first container wall, a second container wall, and a top wall portion, said container walls being hingedly attached to opposing elongated edges of said base such that the container walls are movable between a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the base;

a first and a second end portions, said end portions being fixedly and perpendicularly attached to opposite ends of the top wall portion and the base;

a first roof expander and a second roof expander, both being hingedly attached to said top wall portion along its opposing elongated edges such that said roof expanders are movable to a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the top wall portion;

a first exterior wall and a second exterior wall, at least one of said exterior walls having at least one window and at least one door, said first exterior wall being hingedly attached to said first roof expander such that the first exterior wall can be placed in a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the top wall portion when the first roof expander portion is horizontal to the top wall portion, said second exterior wall being hingedly attached to said second roof expander such that the second exterior wall can be placed in a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the top wall portion when the second roof expander portion is horizontal to the top wall portion, said first and second exterior walls being adapted to detachedly fasten to a position perpendicular to the first and second roof expanders respectively;

a plurality of exterior sidewalls hingedly attached to said first and second end portions such that said exterior sidewalls are pivotable to fill gaps between the first and second exterior walls and the first and second end portions; and

a plurality of interior walls hingedly attached to a frame of the containerized enclosure such that said interior walls can be positioned as desired to compartmentalize the interior of the habitable structure whereby at least one interior wall having at least one door.

2. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the first and second container walls are multi-piece container walls.

3. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the base and the container walls function as a floor for the containerized structure.

4. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the top wall portion and the roof expanders function as a roof for the containerized structure.

5. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the exterior walls are detachedly fastened perpendicularly to the roof expanders.

6. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the exterior walls are hingedly attached and fastened in place.

7. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the roof expanders are hingedly attached and fastened in place.

8. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the interior walls are hingedly attached and fastened in place.

9. The habitable structure of claim 1 wherein the walls are pre-wired and pre-plumbed.

10. A portable multi-level habitable structured formed of a plurality of engineered purpose-built transformable rectangular containerized enclosures, said enclosures being dimensioned a standard size of containers used for sending freight by plane or ship, said enclosures comprising:

at least two containerized enclosures selectively transformed into a habitable structure and arranged in a stacked configuration, each containerized enclosure comprising;

a top wall portion; and

a transformable rectangular container portion integral with said top wall portion, said transformable rectangular container portion comprising;

a first container wall, a second container wall, and a base, said container walls being hingedly attached to opposing elongated edges of said top wall portion such that the container walls are movable to a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the top wall portion;

a first and a second end portions, said first and second end portions being fixedly and perpendicularly attached to opposite ends of the top wall portion and said base;

a first and a second base expander portions, said first and second base expander portions being hingedly attached to opposing elongated edges of the base such that the base expander portions are movable between a horizontal or a perpendicular position relative to said base;

a first exterior wall and a second exterior wall wherein at least one of said exterior walls has at least one window and at least one door, said first exterior wall being hingedly attached to said the first base expander portion such that the first exterior wall can be placed in a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the base when the first base expander portion is horizontal to the base, said second exterior wall being hingedly attached to said second base expander portion such that the second exterior wall can be placed in a perpendicular or horizontal position relative to the base when the second base expander portion is horizontal to the base, said first and second exterior walls being adapted to detachedly fasten perpendicularly to the first and second base expanders;

respectively;

a plurality of exterior sidewalls hingedly attached to said first and second end portions such that said exterior sidewalls are pivotable to fill gaps between the first and second exterior walls and the first and second end portions; and

a plurality of interior walls hingedly attached to a frame of the containerized enclosure such that said interior walls can be positioned as desired to compartmentalize the interior of the habitable structure wherein at least one interior wall has at least one door.