Prefabricated building systems with ballistic offset protection

Abstract

A building is disclosed and may include a truss-framed building structure, at least one of an internal shell and an external shell, and a suspended netting system disposed above and coupled to the truss-framed building structure. The at least one of the internal shell and the external shell may be coupled to the truss-framed building structure.

Description

PREFABRICATED BUILDING SYSTEMS WITH BALLISTIC OFFSET PROTECTIONBACKGROUNDTechnical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to prefabricated building systems, including buildings with a ballistic attack protection system.Description of the Related Art

[0002] A wide variety of prefabricated building systems are commercially available. Prefabricated buildings may be an ideal solution for efficient constructions in war zones and other areas at risk of attack from ballistics. This is due to the relative swiftness that such prefabricated buildings may be erected and the relative safety that such buildings can provide to the people and the contents within the buildings. However, as demonstrated in recent conflicts, operators face a new level of enemy capabilities to deliver deadly payloads or damage critical equipment utilizing improvised delivery systems.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments described herein include prefabricated building systems including a suspended netting system configured to assist in protecting a structure from ballistic attacks. The prefabricated building systems provide blast resistance as well as defeating direct small arms fire and frag. Methods of erecting such a prefabricated building are also described herein.

[0004] The building or structure includes a truss-framed building structure, at least one of an internal shell and an external shell coupled to the truss-framed building structure, and a suspended netting system disposed above and coupled to the truss-framed building structure. The suspended netting system may from the netting carriages such that there is slack in the suspended netting system and such that the suspended netting system is spaced away from the truss-framed building structure. The suspending netting system may be configured to prevent direct ballistic strikes on the truss-framed building structure. The building may also include a plurality of posts extending upward from the truss-framed building structure. The suspended netting system may be coupled to the plurality of posts.

[0005] In some embodiments, each post of the plurality of posts may include a netting deployment track extending vertically thereon and a netting carriage arranged on the respectivenetting deployment track. Each netting carriage may be configured to translate vertically along the respective netting deployment track. Each netting carriage may be coupled to the suspended netting system, such that when the netting carriage translates along the netting deployment track, the suspended netting system translates vertically. The suspended netting system may be configured to translate between a retracted position and a deployed position.

[0006] In some embodiments, the building may be prefabricated, foldable, and / or include a plurality of modules coupled together.

[0007] Among other benefits, aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein may provide easily customizable buildings with increased protection from ballistic attacks.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary prefabricated building having a suspended netting system.

[0009] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the prefabricated building of Figure 1 with an external shell removed.

[0010] Figure 3 shows a schematic view of a portion of the prefabricated building of Figure 1.

[0011] Figure 4 shows a partial side view of an exemplary post coupled to a suspending netting system.

[0012] Figure 5 shows a section view of a portion of a prefabricated building.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques associated with prefabricated building systems may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.

[0014] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, theparticular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0015] Figures 1 and 2 show a building 100 with improved protection from ballistic strikes, such as those from drones, missiles, or the like. Figure 2 is the same building 100 as the building 100 of Figure 1, but an external shell 104 is not shown to provide better understanding of the structure of the building 100. The building 100 may comprise a truss-framed building structure 108, at least one of an internal shell 112 and the external shell 104 coupled to the trussframed building structure 108, and a suspended netting system 116 disposed above and coupled to the truss-framed building structure 108. The suspending netting system 116 is configured to prevent ballistics (e.g., drones, missiles) from directly striking the truss-framed building structure 108. In other words, the suspended netting system 116 may “catch” an incoming payload and cause detonation of the payload at a distance away from the truss-framed building structure 108.

[0016] The internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 may be coupled to the trussframed building structure 108 by way of bolts or any other suitable fastener system.

[0017] The internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 may include a door 118. The door 118 may be top supported, such that the door 118 may be operable regardless of the ground conditions of the building 100. The door 118 may open by way of panel stacking in a horizontal direction.

[0018] The internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 may include a plurality of panels, which may be configured to overlap with one another. The internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 may be configured to withstand explosions on the surface thereof. The internal shell 112 may include a thickened portion on along an internal ceiling of the building 100 to provide additional protection to the contents of the building 100 from air-based ballistic strikes.

[0019] A plurality of posts 120 may extend upward from the truss-framed building structure 108. The plurality of posts 120 may be directly coupled to at least one of the truss framed-building structure 108, the internal shell 112, and the external shell 104. The plurality of posts 120 may be coupled to the to at least one of the truss framed-building structure 108, the internal shell 112, and the external shell 104 by way of bolts, welded connections, and / or may be integrally formed thereon. The suspended netting system 116 may be coupled to the plurality of posts 120. The suspended netting system 116 may hang from the plurality of posts 120 such that there is slack in the suspended netting system 116. The suspending netting system 116 and the plurality of posts 120 is partially shown schematically in Figure 3. It should be understood that one or more additional posts may be positioned adjacent to the building and the suspendednetting system 116 may also be coupled to the one or more additional posts. In such embodiments, coverage provided by the suspended netting system 116 may extend beyond a footprint of the building 100.

[0020] In some embodiments, posts 120 may be coupled to one another by way of crossbracing. Cross-bracing may comprise rigid bars, cables, or any other suitable cross-bracing support. In some embodiments, the cross-bracing components may extend from a post 120 to another post 120, the truss framed-building structure 108, the internal shell 112, and / or the external shell 104.

[0021] Each post of the plurality of posts 120 may include a netting deployment track 124 extending vertically thereon, as shown in Figure 4. A netting carriage 128 may be arranged on each respective netting deployment track 124. Each netting carriage 128 may be configured to translate vertically along the respective netting deployment track 124. In embodiments including such netting carriages 128, each netting carriage 128 may be coupled to the suspended netting system 116, such that when the netting carriage 128 translates along the netting deployment track 124, the suspended netting system 116 translates vertically. As the netting carriages 128 move vertically, the suspended netting system 116 may translate between a retracted position and a deployed position. When in the retracted position, the suspended netting system 116 may be proximal to the truss-framed building structure 108. When in the deployed position, as shown throughout the figures, the suspended netting system 116 may be positioned on a distal end 132 of each post 120 relative to the truss-framed building structure 108. In other words, the suspended netting system 116 may be spaced away from the truss-framed building structure 108 when the suspended netting system 116 is in the deployed position. A top 136 of the trussframed building structure 108 may be flat, angled, curved, or any suitable shape. Regardless of the shape of the top 136 of the truss-framed building structure 108, the suspended netting system 116 may be spaced away therefrom when in the deployed position.

[0022] A translation mechanism 140 may be used to translate the carriages 128 vertically along the posts 120. The translation mechanism 140 may be manually operated, such as by use of a chain system, or may be automatically operated, such as by use of an electric motor coupled to the netting deployment tracks 124. The translation mechanism 140 of each post 120 may be configured to operate independently. In some embodiments, the translation mechanisms 140 may operate together, such that the carriages 128 each move vertically simultaneously.

[0023] The suspending netting system 116 may comprise a fabric coil material. Fabric coil material may comprise any of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, copper-clad steel, solid brass, or any other suitable material.

[0024] In embodiments in which the both the internal shell 112 and the external shell 104 are coupled to the truss-framed building structure 108, the truss-framed building structure 108 may be at least partially filled with soil 144, as shown in Figure 5.

[0025] The building 100 disclosed herein may be prefabricated, such that on-site erecting of the building 100 can be accomplished quickly and simply at any site around the world. The building 100 may be foldable, such that individual components of the building 100 may be foldable to enable the components to be more easily stored and shipped. Exemplary foldable configurations of the building components are described in International Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 235296 Al to Peterson, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0026] The building 100 may include a plurality of modules 148 coupled together. Use of such modules 148 may enable a number of configurations and sizes of the building 100 to be possible. In embodiment utilizing a plurality of modules 148, each module 148 may include any of the truss-framed building structure 108, the at least one of an internal shell 112 and an external shell 104, the suspended netting system 116, and at least one post of the plurality of posts 120. The suspended netting system 116 may be configured to provide net coverage to each module of the plurality of modules 148.

[0027] A method of erecting the building 100 is disclosed below, with reference to Figures 1-5. The method of erecting the building 100 may include assembling the truss-framed building structure 108 from a plurality of truss sections and coupling sections at least one of the internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 to the sections of the truss-framed building structure 108. Portions of the internal shell 112 and / or the external shell 104 may be coupled to corresponding sections of the truss-framed building structure 108. The coupled shells 104, 112 and sections of the truss-framed building structure 108 may then be coupled to other coupled shells 104, 112 and sections of the truss-framed building structure 108 to create the building 100 in the desired shape. In embodiments including both the internal shell 112 and the external shell 104, the truss-framed building structure may be at least partially filled with soil 144 following attachment of the shells 104, 112 to the truss-framed building structure 108.

[0028] The plurality of posts 120 may then be coupled to the truss-framed building structure 108, such that each post of the plurality of posts 120 extends above the truss-framed building structure 108. The suspended netting system 116 may then be coupled to the plurality ofposts 120. Initially following coupling to the plurality of posts 120, the suspended netting system 116 may be coupled to the plurality of posts 120 proximate to the truss-framed building structure 108. The translation mechanism 140 may then be activated to raise the suspended netting system 116 along the plurality of posts 120 to the deployed position.

[0029] The devices and systems of the disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible or required for the desirable attributes disclosed herein. The various features described above may be used independently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. All possible combinations and subcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0030] Certain features that may be described in this specification in the context of separate implementations also may be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that may be described in the context of a single implementation also may be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. No single feature or group of features is necessary or indispensable to each and every embodiment.

[0031] Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Inaddition, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” as used in this application and the appended claims are to be construed to mean “one or more” or “at least one” unless specified otherwise.

[0032] In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0033] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 712,351, filed October 25, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A building, comprising:a truss-framed building structure;at least one of an internal shell and an external shell, the at least one of the internal shell and the external shell coupled to the truss-framed building structure; anda suspended netting system disposed above and coupled to the truss-framed building structure.

2. The building of claim 1, further comprising:a plurality of posts extending upward from the truss-framed building structure, wherein the suspended netting system is coupled to the plurality of posts.

3. The building of claim 2, wherein each post of the plurality of posts includes a netting deployment track extending vertically thereon and a netting carriage arranged on the respective netting deployment track,wherein each netting carriage is configured to translate vertically along the respective netting deployment track, andwherein each netting carriage is coupled to the suspended netting system, such that when the netting carriage translates along the netting deployment track, the suspended netting system translates vertically.

4. The building of claim 3, wherein the suspended netting system is configured to translate between a retracted position and a deployed position.

5. The building of claim 4, wherein the suspended netting system hangs from the netting carriages such that there is slack in the suspended netting system when in the deployed position.

6. The building of claim 5, wherein the suspended netting system is spaced away from the truss-framed building structure when the suspended netting system is in the deployed position.

7. The building of claim 1, wherein the suspending netting system is configured to prevent direct ballistic strikes on the truss-framed building structures.

8. The building of claim 1, wherein the suspending netting system comprises a fabric coil material.

9. The building of claim 1, wherein the truss-framed building structure is at least partially filled with soil.

10. The building of claim 1, wherein the building is prefabricated.

11. The building of claim 10, wherein the building is foldable.

12. The building of claim 1, wherein the building includes a plurality of modules coupled together.

13. A method of fabricating a building, comprising:assembling a truss-framed building structure from a plurality of truss sections; coupling at least one of an internal shell and an external shell to the truss-framed building structure;coupling a plurality of posts to the truss-framed building structure, such that the plurality of posts extends above the truss-framed building structure.

14. The method of fabricating a building of claim 13, further comprising: coupling a suspended netting system to the plurality of posts.

15. The method of fabricating a building of claim 14, wherein the suspended netting system is coupled to the plurality of posts proximate to the truss-framed building structure, wherein the method further comprises:activating a translation mechanism configured to raise the suspended netting system along the plurality of posts.

16. The method of fabricating a building of claim 15, wherein the translation mechanism moves a carriage disposed on a track extending along each of the plurality of posts, the carriage coupled to the suspended netting system.

17. The method of fabricating a building of claim 13, further comprising:at least partially filling the truss-framed building structure with soil.

18. A modular building, comprising:a plurality of modules, each module comprising:a truss-framed building structure; andat least one of an internal shell and an external shell, the at least one of the internal shell and the external shell coupled to the truss-framed building structure; anda suspended netting system,wherein each truss-framed building structure is coupled to at least one other truss-framed building structure of another module of the plurality of modules such that the plurality of modules forms a continuous building structure, andwherein the suspended netting system is configured to provide net coverage to each module of the plurality of modules.

19. The modular building of claim 18, wherein each module further comprises: at least one post extending upward from the respective truss-framed building structure, wherein the suspended netting system is coupled to the posts of each module.

20. The modular building of claim 19, wherein each post of the plurality of modules includes a netting deployment track extending vertically thereon and a netting carriage arranged on the respective netting deployment track,wherein each netting carriage is configured to translate vertically along the respective netting deployment track, andwherein each netting carriage is coupled to the suspended netting system, such that when the netting carriage translates along the netting deployment track, the suspended netting system translates vertically.

21. The building of claim 20, wherein the suspended netting system is configured to translate along each post of each module simultaneously.

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