Mobile accommodation structure with extension unit

• US 4,960,299 A
• Filed: 07/06/1989
• Issued: 10/02/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William D. Steadman
• Original Assignee: William D. Steadman
• Inventors: Steadman, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Robert R.
• Application Number:
  US07/376,367
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26, 296/165, 296/169, 296/172, 296/174, 296/176, 52/79.5
• US Class Current: 296/26.15
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06

Abstract

A mobile accommodation structure such as a caravan or motor home is provided with at least one foldable extension (21, 22, 23) which can be erected from at least one side wall (12) to enlarge the interior volume enclosed by the mobile structure; the extension is in the form of an erectable wall structure including a first wall panel (21) pivotally and slidably connected to the said one wall (12) of the mobile accommodation structure for movement between an erected position in which it lies at an angle to the said one wall (12) and a storage position in which it lies generally parallel to the said one wall (12) and displaced parallel thereto with respect to its erected position, a roof panel member (33) movable between erected and storage positions in the former of which it overlies the said wall structures (21, 22, 23) in its erected position, and a movable floor panel (31) displaceable between erected and storage positions, in the former of which it lies parallel to and coplanar with the floor (34) of the mobile accommodation structure within the volume defined by the erected wall structure.

Claims

1. A mobile accommodation structure having:

two opposite side walls, a floor and a roof,

at least one foldable extension erectable from at least one of said two opposite side walls to enlarge the interior volume of said mobile accommodation structure,

said foldable extension having a wall structure including;

a first wall panel having a first edge and a second edge,

means pivotally and slidably connecting said first edge of said first wall panel to said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure,

a second wall panel having a first edge and a second edge,

means pivotally interconnecting said first edge of said second wall panel to said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure,

means pivotally interconnecting said second edge of said second wall panel and said second edge of said first wall panel whereby to allow movement of said foldable extension between an erected position in which said first wall panel lies at an angle to said one of said two opposite walls and a storage position in which said first wall panel lies generally parallel to said one of said two opposite walls and displaced parallel thereto from its erected position,

a roof panel member movable between an erected position in which it overlies said wall structure and a storage position, and

a movable floor panel displaceable between an erected position in which it lies parallel to and coplanar with said floor of said mobile accommodation structure within the volume defined by said erected wall structure, and a storage position.

2. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said means pivotally interconnecting said second wall panel of said erectable wall structure to said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure has a fixed pivot axis.

3. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said means pivotally interconnecting said second edge of said second wall panel and said second edge of said first wall panel comprise a third wall panel of said erectable wall structure, said third wall panel being pivotally connected by opposite edges thereof to said second edges of said first and second wall panels.

4. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 3, wherein at least one of said second and third wall panels is provided with at least one of a window and a door.

5. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said first wall panel is provided with windows.

6. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said means pivotally and slidably connecting said first edge of said first wall panel to said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure comprises a constrained pivot slidable along tracks on said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure.

7. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said movable roof panel is hinged to turn about a hinge axis parallel to said one side wall between a use position in which it lies over the walls of said erectable wall structure and a storage position in which it overlies said roof of said mobile accommodation structure.

8. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said movable floor panel is hinged to said mobile accommodation structure for turning movement about a pivot axis parallel to said one side wall between a use position in which it lies coplanar to said floor of said mobile accommodation structure and a storage position generally parallel to said at least one of said two side walls.

9. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 4, wherein said door in said second wall panel is usable in both the erected and collapsed positions of said foldable extension.

10. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said means pivotally interconnecting said first edge of said second wall panel to said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure is a slidable pivot means displaceable along said at least one of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure.

11. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein there are provided power driven means for turning the respective said wall panels about their pivotal connections whereby to drive said foldable extension unit between its use and its storage positions.

12. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein there are provided interior furnishing units attached to at least one of the said erectable wall panels for movement therewith.

13. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein both of said two opposite side walls of said mobile accommodation structure are provided with foldable extension units.

14. The mobile accommodation structure of claim 1, wherein said mobile accommodation structure is provided with stabilising legs which are erected contemporaneously with the erection of said foldable extension unit to its use position.