Habitable vehicle utility docking apparatus and method

• US 6,712,619 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George J. Marshall
• Original Assignee: George J. Marshall
• Inventors: Marshall, George J., Otruba, Emery M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US10/248,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 439/34, 439/35, 439/191, 439/638, 439/639
• US Class Current: 439/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/36 Auxiliary arrangements; Arrangements of living accommodation toilet or washing arrangements B60R15/00; Details
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 15/00 Arrangements or adaptations of sanitation devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49195 with end-to-end orienting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49318 Repairing or disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49428 Gas and water specific plumbing component making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53243 Multiple, independent conductors

Abstract

A habitable vehicle utility docking apparatus comprises a fixed-half quick connect panel fixed to a habitable vehicle such as a recreational vehicle or a boat, and a removable-half quick connect panel matable therewith. The fixed-half quick connect panel maintains a permanent connection to utilities inside the habitable vehicle. The removable-half quick connect panel is connected via commonly-used hoses and wires to external docking station utility services at a campsite, marina, etc. docking station. This avoids the time and inconvenience of having to make a multiplicity of utility connections and disconnections for each and every coming and going of the habitable vehicle to and from the docking station.

Claims

1. A docking apparatus for simplifying the attachment and detachment of a habitable vehicle to and from docking station utility services of a docking station, comprising:

a fixed-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of first half utility connectors;

pre-attached to said habitable vehicle; and

pre-connected to locations within said habitable vehicle where said utility services are to be used;

a removable-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of second half utility connectors; and

docking means for connecting said habitable vehicle to said docking station utility services while said external utility conduits remain connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel and thereby mating and securing together said first half and said second half utility connectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

said habitable vehicle in combination therewith.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a manufactured pre-attachment and pre-connection of said fixed-half quick connect panel to said habitable vehicle, established in connection with manufacturing of said habitable vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a retrofitted pre-attachment and pre-connection of said fixed-half quick connect panel to said habitable vehicle, established separately from manufacturing of said habitable vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one connector cap mating and securing to a corresponding one of said second half utility connectors of said removable-half quick connect panel, while said external utility conduits are disconnected from said removable-half quick connect panel.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

alignment means for aligning said removable-half quick connect panel with said fixed-half quick connect panel when mating said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

gripping means for holding said removable-half quick connect panel while mating said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said docking means for:

setting up said habitable vehicle for using said docking station utility services by connecting external utility conduits delivering said docking station utility services to said removable-half quick connect panel;

disconnecting said habitable vehicle from said docking station utility services while leaving said external utility conduits connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by un-securing and un-mating said removable-half quick connect panel from said fixed-half quick connect panel; and

tearing down said habitable vehicle from using said docking station utility services by disconnecting said external utility conduits from said removable-half quick connect panel.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, said docking station utility services comprising at least two utility services, said apparatus further comprising:

a utility connection of said habitable vehicle to each of said at least two utility services, established by mating and securing the first half connector for each of said at least two utility services with the second half connector for a corresponding one of each of said at least two utility services, in turn established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel; and

said utility connection of said habitable vehicle to each of said at least two utility services, disestablished by un-securing and un-mating said first half connector for each of said at least two utility services from said second half connector for the corresponding one of each of said at least two utility services, in turn established by said un-securing and un-mating said removable-half quick connect panel from said fixed-half quick connect panel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, said docking station utility services comprising at least two utility services, said apparatus further comprising:

a utility connection of said habitable vehicle to each of said at least two utility services, established by mating and securing the first half connector for each of said at least two utility services with the second half connector for a corresponding one of each of said at least two utility services, in turn established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, said at least two utility services selected from among utility services comprising:

potable water;

electrical power;

television;

telephone;

computer data;

sewage disposal; and

cleaning vacuum services.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, said at least two utility services comprising a sewage disposal service and at least one other utility service in addition to said sewage disposal service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially fluid-impenetrable barrier between said sewage disposal service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, said at least two utility services comprising a potable water service and at least one other utility service in addition to said potable water service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially fluid-impenetrable barrier between said potable water service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, said at least two utility services comprising a cleaning vacuum service and at least one other utility service in addition to said cleaning vacuum service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially debris-impenetrable barrier between said cleaning vacuum service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a fixed-half weather cover mating and securing to said fixed-half quick connect panel to protect said plurality of first half utility connectors while said removable-half quick connect panel is un-secured and un-mated from said fixed-half quick connect panel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, said fixed-half weather cover comprising:

at least one dummy second half connector mating with and thereby protecting a corresponding at least one of said first half utility connectors.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable-half weather cover mating and securing to said removable-half quick connect panel to protect said plurality of second half utility connectors while said removable-half quick connect panel is un-secured and un-mated from said fixed-half quick connect panel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, said removable-half weather cover comprising:

at least one dummy first half connector mating with and thereby protecting a corresponding at least one of said second half utility connectors.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a weather tight cover securing over said removable-half quick connect panel, while said external utility conduits are disconnected from said removable-half quick connect panel and said removable-half quick connect panel is mated and secured to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

storage means for storing a removable-half weather cover inside said weather tight cover.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

storage means for storing a fixed-half weather cover inside said weather tight cover.

22. A docking apparatus for simplifying the attachment and detachment of a habitable vehicle to and from docking station utility services of a docking station, comprising:

a fixed-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of first half utility connectors;

pre-attached to said habitable vehicle; and

pre-connected to locations within said habitable vehicle where said utility services are to be used;

a removable-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of second half utility connectors;

docking means for connecting said habitable vehicle to said docking station utility services while said external utility conduits remain connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel and thereby mating and securing together said first half and said second half utility connectors; and

a substantially impenetrable barrier between a first one of said utility services and at least one other of said utility services, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising said docking means for:

setting up said habitable vehicle for using said docking station utility services by connecting external utility conduits delivering said docking station utility services to said removable-half quick connect panel;

disconnecting said habitable vehicle from said docking station utility services while leaving said external utility conduits connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by un-securing and un-mating said removable-half quick connect panel from said fixed-half quick connect panel; and

tearing down said habitable vehicle from using said docking station utility services by disconnecting said external utility conduits from said removable-half quick connect panel.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, said first one of said utility services comprising a sewage disposal service and said at least one other utility service comprising at least one other utility service in addition to said sewage disposal service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially fluid-impenetrable barrier between said sewage disposal service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, said first one of said utility services comprising a potable water service and said at least one other utility service comprising at least one other utility service in addition to said potable water service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially fluid-impenetrable barrier between said potable water service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, said first one of said utility services comprising a cleaning vacuum service and said at least one other utility service comprising at least one other utility services in addition to said cleaning vacuum service, said apparatus further comprising:

a substantially debris-impenetrable barrier between said cleaning vacuum service and said at least one other utility service, established by said mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

said habitable vehicle in combination therewith.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a manufactured pre-attachment and pre-connection of said fixed-half quick connect panel to said habitable vehicle, established in connection with manufacturing of said habitable vehicle.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a retrofitted pre-attachment and pre-connection of said fixed-half quick connect panel to said habitable vehicle, established separately from manufacturing of said habitable vehicle.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, said at least two utility services selected from among utility services comprising:

potable water;

electrical power;

television;

telephone;

computer data;

sewage disposal; and

cleaning vacuum services.

31. A docking apparatus for simplifying the attachment and detachment of a habitable vehicle to and from docking station utility services of a docking station, comprising:

a fixed-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of first half utility connectors;

pre-attached to said habitable vehicle; and

pre-connected to locations within said habitable vehicle where said utility services are to be used;

a removable-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of second half utility connectors;

docking means for connecting said habitable vehicle to said docking station utility services while said external utility conduits remain connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel and thereby mating and securing together said first half and said second half utility connectors; and

a fixed-half weather cover mating and securing to said fixed-half quick connect panel to protect said plurality of first half utility connectors while said removable-half quick connect panel is un-secured and un-mated from said fixed-half quick connect panel.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising said docking means for:

setting up said habitable vehicle for using said docking station utility services by connecting external utility conduits delivering said docking station utility services to said removable-half quick connect panel;

disconnecting said habitable vehicle from said docking station utility services while leaving said external utility conduits connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by un-securing and un-mating said removable-half quick connect panel from said fixed-half quick connect panel; and

tearing down said habitable vehicle from using said docking station utility services by disconnecting said external utility conduits from said removable-half quick connect panel.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, said fixed-half weather cover comprising:

at least one dummy second half connector mating with and thereby protecting a corresponding at least one of said first half utility connectors.

34. A docking apparatus for simplifying the attachment and detachment of a habitable vehicle to and from docking station utility services of a docking station, comprising:

a fixed-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of first half utility connectors;

pre-attached to said habitable vehicle; and

pre-connected to locations within said habitable vehicle where said utility services are to be used;

a removable-half quick connect panel comprising a plurality of second half utility connectors;

docking means for connecting said habitable vehicle to said docking station utility services while said external utility conduits remain connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by mating and securing said removable-half quick connect panel to said fixed-half quick connect panel and thereby mating and securing together said first half and said second half utility connectors; and

a removable-half weather cover mating and securing to said removable-half quick connect panel to protect said plurality of second half utility connectors while said removable-half quick connect panel is un-secured and un-mated from said fixed-half quick connect panel.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising said docking means for:

setting up said habitable vehicle for using said docking station utility services by connecting external utility conduits delivering said docking station utility services to said removable-half quick connect panel;

disconnecting said habitable vehicle from said docking station utility services while leaving said external utility conduits connected to said removable-half quick connect panel, as often as desired, by un-securing and un-mating said removable-half quick connect panel from said fixed-half quick connect panel; and

tearing down said habitable vehicle from using said docking station utility services by disconnecting said external utility conduits from said removable-half quick connect panel.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, said removable-half weather cover comprising:

at least one dummy first half connector mating with and thereby protecting a corresponding at least one of said second half utility connectors.