Van layout

• US 4,550,946 A
• Filed: 08/19/1982
• Issued: 11/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanmar Home Equipment Limited
• Original Assignee: Hanmar Home Equipment Limited
• Inventors: Hanemaayer, Jacobus N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US06/409,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24 R, 296/156, 296/168, 296/164, 296/169, 296/174, 296/64, 296/65 R, 296/69, 296/170, 5/8, 5/9 R, 5/118, 5/10 R, 5/10 B, 4/596, 4/599, 4/600, 4/612, 4/613, 4/614, 4/597, 297/105, 297/111, 297/63, 297/67, 297/445, 297/458, 297/330, 105/319, 105/321, 312/199, 312/240, 312/60
• US Class Current: 296/156
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/36 Auxiliary arrangements; Arrangements of living accommodation toilet or washing arrangements B60R15/00; Details

Abstract

The single room interior space of a compact motorvan for most daytime living converts quickly into three private compartments by simply opening a set of dual function folding doors (movable partitions) exposing a toilet and bigger than average shower stall area (latter doubling as coat closet) and at the same time forming a central compartment, thereby automatically creating two more private compartments in front and rear. The kitchen facilities located in the central compartment, opposite from the toilet and shower/coat closet area, are used when the doors cover that area from view. This central utility compartment is always available for active use and never occupied by seats, table or beds. The four seats in the instantly creatable front compartment rapidly convert to two, wide single beds, with ample space between them for quick exit or access to the central privacy compartment. There is also an easily and quickly stowable overhead double adult size bed in this front compartment. The mattress base is suspended in mid air, supported by flanges on horizontal members when in the downwardly pivoted position, which are hinged on shelves located above window line. When not in use, base is stored above driving compartment, away from the adult height standing area. The instantly available rear compartment may feature a dinette or a chesterfield. Both convert to a regular adult size double bed.

Claims

1. A mobile van having a van body comprising:

(A) a plurality of main sections serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the body and in close relation to one another;

(B) one of said sections having at least a substantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side-wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said one section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing for communication between said one section and each other main section which is adjacent thereto;

(C) partition means associated with said one section and movable between (a) a first position clear of said passageway providing open communication between said one section and at least one other main section adjacent thereto whereby the combined spaces defined by said passageway, kitchen facility, and said at least one other section are available for communal use and (b) a second extended position across said passageway and separating said one section from said at least one other main section thereby forming separated compartments and converting said one section into a segregated compartment to enable said toilet region to be used in privacy, and

(D) said partition means being adapted to at least partially cover and conceal said toilet region from view and block the use thereof when in said first position to enable the kitchen facility to be used while the toilet region is at least partly concealed, and said partition means further adapted to expose said toilet region for use within the thus converted compartment when in said second extended position so that a free open space defined at least in part by said toilet region and said passageway becomes accessible for use within the thus converted and segregated privacy compartment.

2. The mobile van of claim 1 wherein said main section comprise a central section flanked by a forward section and a rear section, and wherein said movable partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the van body such that in their first positions, free communication between all said sections is provided, while in their second extended positions they isolate said central section from the other two sections thereby to define three separated compartments and enabling a person in the thus-defined central compartment to use the toilet region therein in privacy, and said forward and rear sections having means therein convertible to sleeping facilities and said passageway providing ready and direct access from said sleeping facilities to said central section in said first position of said partition means.

3. The mobile van of claim 1 wherein a flush toilet is located in said toilet region.

4. The mobile van of claim 2 wherein said toilet region has flush toilet and shower stall facilities adjacent the associated sidewall portion of the van.

5. The mobile van of claim 3 wherein said partition means comprise pairs of doors hinged to pivot about axes which are parallel to one another.

6. The mobile van of claim 2 wherein said means in said forward section convertible to sleeping facilities is capable of defining a pair of beds spaced apart laterally of the van body to define a walkway therebetween aligned with the passageway defined by said central section to facilitate passage between said beds and said central section.

7. A mobile van having a van body comprising:

(A) a rear section, a central section, and a forward section;

said sections being serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the van body in juxtaposition to one another;

(B) said central section having at least a substantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said central section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing communication between said rear, central and forward sections;

(C) movable partition means operatively associated with said central section and movable between (a) a first retracted position clear of said of said passageway wherein free communication is provided between said central section and at least one of the other said sections whereby the combined spaces defined by said passageway, kitchen facility, and said at least one other section are available for communal use while at the same time said movable partition means at least partly conceals said toilet region from view and blocks the use thereof, and (b) a second extended position wherein said partition means extends generally laterally of the van body so as to form a temporary wall portion closing said passageway and temporarily separating said central section from at least one of the other two sections and thus converting such central section to a privacy compartment with at least a portion of said toilet region being at the same time open and accessible for use within said central section so that a substantial portion of the space defined by said central section, including the space defined by said passageway, is made available for use by a person occupying the converted privacy compartment.

8. The mobile van of claim 7 wherein said movable partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the van body such that in their second extended positions they isolate said central section from the other two sections thereby to define three separated compartments within said van body and enabling persons in the thus-defined central compartment to use said toilet region therein in privacy.

9. The mobile van of claim 8 wherein said movable partition means comprise first and second doors, each hinged to a respective portion fixed to the van body and pivotable from retracted positions overlying and concealing at least a substantial portion of said toilet region, to said extended positions wherein they serve to isolate said central section from the other sections.

10. The mobile van of claim 8 wherein at least one of said rear and forward sections therein includes means convertible into sleeping accommodations whereby persons using such sleeping accommodations have ready access to the toilet region in said central section.

11. The mobile van of claim 10 wherein said forward section includes said means convertible into sleeping accommodations and capable of defining a pair of beds spaced apart laterally of the van body to define a walkway therebetween aligned with the passageway defined through said central section thus facilitating passage between said beds and said central section.

12. The mobile van of claim 11 wherein said rearward section includes means convertible to a sleeping accommodation.

13. The mobile van of claim 9 wherein said first and second doors each comprise a pair of panels hinged together to provide a folding action.

14. The mobile van of claim 7 wherein a flush toilet is located in said toilet region, and said movable partition means are arranged to conceal said flush toilet in the retracted position thereof.

15. The mobile van of claim 14 wherein a shower stall is also located in said toilet region alongside the flush toilet so that said passageway is defined between said kitchen facility on the one side and the toilet and shower stall facilities on the other side.

16. The mobile van of claim 15 wherein said movable partitions comprise first and second doors, each hinged to a respective portion fixed to the van body and pivotable from positions wherein they overlie and conceal at least substantial portions of the toilet and shower stall respectively, to their extended positions wherein they isolate said central section from the other sections whereby to allow use of the toilet and/or shower stall in privacy.

17. The mobile van of claim 16 wherein there is provided a swingable coat rack assembly mounted to pivot into and out of said shower stall and to be concealed by the door when the latter is in the retracted position.

18. The mobile van of claim 17 wherein said first and second doors and said coat rack assembly are all pivotable about mutually parallel axes.

19. The mobile van of claim 15 wherein said shower stall includes a frame and a fold-out base portion pivotally mounted to said frame to alternately assume two positions (a) a first retracted position during non-use of the shower in which such base extends below the movable partition associated with the shower stall to form a lower covering for same and (b) a second extended position during use of the shower in which the fold-out base extends generally horizontally on the floor of the van.

20. A mobile van including a separable privacy compartment having a shower stall therein, said shower stall including a frame, partition means movable between an open position for use of the shower stall and a closed position wherein upper portions of the shower stall are concealed, and a fold-out base portion pivotally mounted to said frame to alternately assume two positions, namely a first retracted position during non-use of the shower in which said base extends below the movable partition means to form a lower covering for the shower stall and a second extended position for use of the shower stall in which the fold-out base extends outwardly over the floor of the van and a swingable clothes rack assembly mounted to pivot into and out of said shower stall and to be concealed behind the movable partition means when the latter is in the closed position.

21. The mobile van of claim 20 wherein said partition means comprises a door pivotally mounted for movement about an axis and said clothes rack assembly being pivotable about an axis parallel thereto.

22. The mobile van of claim 20 wherein said privacy compartment further includes a toilet facility adjacent said shower stall and a further partition means movable between a closed position in which at least a portion of such toilet facility is concealed and an open position wherein the toilet facility is exposed for use.

23. The mobile van of claim 22 wherein said first mentioned partition means and said further partition means are arranged to perform a dual function in that, in their open positions, they form temporary barriers defining and isolating said privacy compartment from other sections of the van adjacent thereto.

24. A motor van having in a forward section thereof a stowable bed assembly, the assembly comprising a plurality of support boards and means to mount the boards in two alternate positions, (a) a storage position wherein the boards overlie one another closely adjacent the ceiling of the van and adjacent a frontal portion of said forward section, and (b) a sleeping position wherein the boards extend generally in co-planar relation to one another to define a bed spaced from the ceiling of the van, and retaining means associated with said means to mount the boards to secure the latter in both said storage and sleeping positions, wherein the means to mount the boards in the two alternate positions comprises a pair of elongated rigid support means hinged along first longitudinal edges thereof to the opposing sides of the van interior in the forward section, the support means having flange means attached to their second longitudinal edges and spaced from said first longitudinal edges, said support means being pivotable between a raised portion wherein the hinges are below said flange means and a lowered position wherein said flange means are below said hinge means, and the boards in their sleeping position resting on said flange means.

25. A motor van as defined in claim 24 wherein said retaining means includes means co-acting between said flange means and said boards to secure the latter in their co-planar sleeping positions.

26. A motor van as in claim 24 wherein said rigid support means are further provided with means to retain the support boards in said storage position when in their raised positions.