Mobile habitable container

• US 4,841,897 A
• Filed: 01/04/1988
• Issued: 06/27/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David H. Claflin
• Original Assignee: David H. Claflin
• Inventors: Claflin, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWINEHART, EDWIN L
• Application Number:
  US07/140,776
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 114/270, 114/344, 114/283, 114/123, 114/353, 114/56, 114/63, 52/143, 52/745, 296/156, 296/168, 296/181
• US Class Current: 114/344
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/32 comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping, or like vehicles tents or canopies, in general E04H15/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/34336 Structures movable as a whole, e.g. mobile home structures vehicles comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping or like vehicles B60P3/32

Abstract

A mobile habitable container is suitable for use as a houseboat or highway trailer with a land use only mode. The mobile habitable container can be moved over Class I, Class II or Class III highways without oversize permit when mobile and can be rotated 90° to provide the largest practical living space within legal highway limits.

Claims

1. A mobile habitable container, said container to be functional in two mutually exclusive modes, the transformation between said modes requiring 90 degree rotation about an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of said container comprising:

A. A set of highway wheels attached to one long side whose dimensions are less than or equal to maximum legal highway width X length;

B. A highway trailer mode as one of said two mutually exclusively modes conforming to all dimensional and weight limit restrictions for legal use on U.S. Highways without the need for an oversize permit;

C. A habitat mode as the other of said two mutually exclusive modes, in which a wide habitat width dimension is less than or equal to the maximum legal highway height dimension, in which said wide habitat'"'"'s height dimension is less than or equal to the maximum legal highway width dimension and in which said wide habitat'"'"'s length dimension is less than or equal to the maximum legal highway length dimension;

D. Means for rotating said container back and forth 90 degrees about an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of said container the purpose of said 90 degree rotation to be to change back and forth between two said mutually exclusive modes; and

E. A composite outer shell for said container to be watertight and buoyant.

2. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 wherein said composite outer shell is one piece and is of fiberglass foam core construction.

3. The mobile habitable container of claim 2 with auxiliary retractable launching wheels to be used when said container is in said "wide habitat" mode.

4. The mobile habitable container of claim 3 in which when in said wide habitat mode, said container may assume a houseboat configuration, said houseboat configuration to have a heavy side which is said one long side, and to have a bottom so designed to provide extra buoyancy to the heavy side with the highway wheels of said container to enable said container to float level.

5. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 with two unequal size foldable and extendable pontoons, said container having an opposing side opposite said heavy side, said pontoons extending the full length of each of said opposing side and said heavy side of said container, said pontoons to have the function of supporting said container above the water.

6. The mobile habitable container of claim 5 having a larger one of said two pontoons supporting the heavy side of said mobile habitable container with the highway wheels of said container to enable said container to float level.

7. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 with a plurality of extendable and retractable posts equal in length to the height of said container when said container is positioned in the mode the function of said posts being to support and level said container on land and to support, level and raise said container above wave action in shallow water.

8. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 having a support structure consisting of a single structural tube of rectangular cross section said tube to have a height dimension less than or equal to the maximum legal highway width dimension and a width dimension less than or equal to the legal highway height dimension and a length dimension less than or equal to the legal highway length dimension.

9. The mobile habitable container of claim 8 having living accommodations built inside the single structural tube of rectangular cross section, said tube to comprise the sole structural member of said container.

10. The mobile habitable container of claim 8 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

11. The mobile habitable container of claim 8 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.

12. The mobile habitable container of claim 9 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

13. The mobile habitable container of claim 9 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.

14. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 having an asymmetrical interior positioning of furniture, appliances and machinery arranged along said long side containing said highway wheels the result of said asymmetrical positioning to be a design center of gravity which lies as close as practical to said highway wheels.

15. The mobile habitable container of claim 1, wherein interior elements of said mobile habitable container are secured to prevent said interior elements from moving during said 90 degree rotation or during highway travel.

16. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

17. The mobile habitable container of claim 1 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.

18. A houseboat, said houseboat to be functional in two mutually exclusive modes, the transformation between said modes requiring 90 degree rotation about an axis parallel to a longitudinal axis of said houseboat comprising:

A. A set of highway wheels attached to a first long side of said houseboat, the dimensions of said first long side to be less than or equal to legal highway width for said first long side width dimension and less than or equal to legal highway length for said first long side length dimension;

B. A wide habitat mode as one of said two mutually exclusive modes, in which the overall width of said houseboat including said highway wheels shall be equal to ore less than the legal highway height dimension and in which the overall height of said houseboat including the bottom which is below the water surface shall be equal to or less than the legal highway width dimension and in which the length of said houseboat shall be equal to or less than the legal highway length limit;

C. And a highway trailer mode as the other of said two mutually exclusive modes of said houseboat when said houseboat is on its highway wheels in which the overall dimensions of height, width, length and weight of said houseboat are less than or equal to the legal highway height, width, length and weight dimension limits;

D. Means for rotating said houseboat back and forth 90 degrees about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of said houseboat, the purpose of said 90 degrees rotation being to change back and forth between said two mutually exclusive modes.

19. The houseboat of claim 18 having an asymmetrical interior positioning of furniture, appliances and machinery arranged along said long side containing said highway wheels, the result of said asymmetrical positioning to be a design center of gravity which lies as close as practical to said highway wheels.

20. The houseboat of claim 19 having a bottom so designed as to provide extra buoyancy to said first long side with said highway wheels which is near said center of gravity to enable said houseboat to float level.

21. The houseboat of claim 18 with a one piece outer shell made of composite fiberglass foam core construction, said outer shell to be watertight and buoyant.

22. The houseboat of claim 18 with auxiliary retractable launching wheels, the purpose of said wheels to be to aid in moving said houseboat in and out of the water at a lake access ramp.

23. The houseboat of claim 18 having two unequal size foldable and extandable pontoons extending the full length of said houseboat, the purpose of said pontoons being to support said houseboat above the water surface and to turn said houseboat into a catamaran.

24. The houseboat of claim 23 having a larger one of said two unequal size pontoons attached to the said first long side with the said highway wheels, said larger pontoon to extend deeper into the water to provide additional buoyancy to said first long side to enable said houseboat to float level.

25. The houseboat of claim 18 having a plurality of extendable and retractable posts said posts to be equal in length to the overall height of said houseboat when said houseboat is in the water in said houseboats wide habitat mode, the purpose of said posts to be to support and level said houseboat on land and to support, level and raise said houseboat above wave action in shallow water.

26. The houseboat of claim 18, said houseboat to have a support structure consisting of single structural tube of rectangular cross section;

said tube, when in the wide habitat mode, to have a height less than or equal to the maximum legal highway width dimension and to have a width dimension less than or equal to the legal highway height dimension and to have a length dimension less than or equal to the maximum legal highway length dimension.

27. The houseboat of claim 26 having all living accommodations built inside said single structural tube, said tube to comprise the sole structural member of said houseboat.

28. The houseboat of claim 27 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

29. The houseboat of claim 27 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.

30. The houseboat of claim 18, wherein interior elements of said mobile habitable container are secured to prevent said interior elements from moving during said 90 degree rotation or during highway travel.

31. The houseboat of claim 30 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

32. The houseboat of claim 30 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.

33. The houseboat of claim 18 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached permanently.

34. The houseboat of claim 18 wherein said set of highway wheels is attached removably.