Recreational vehicles with walk-in closet

• US 6,565,144 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Original Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Inventors: Crean, Johnnie
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/945,332
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 296/168, 296/26.13, 296/171, 296/170, 296/173, 296/172, 296/175, 296/176, 296/165, 296/181, 296/26.01, 52/67, 527/451
• US Class Current: 296/168
• 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 recreational vehicle having an expandable room wherein the room can be positioned in a retracted or deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the room expands inwardly into the main housing of the vehicle so as to enlarge the area of the room without displacing the fixtures and plumbing that are typically positioned adjacent an outer wall of the room. The room can be extended in conjunction with an exterior slide-out assembly wherein the deployed slide-out assembly creates a larger inner living space so as to accommodate the expanded room wherein the expanded room comprises a walk-in closet.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a set of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling of the recreational vehicle over the ground;

a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floor defines an inner living space of the recreational vehicle;

a main housing comprising of a plurality of walls mounted above the frame that enclose the inner living space of the recreational vehicle; and

a walk-in closet enclosing a floor space wherein the floor space is at least approximately 5% of the inner living space of the recreational vehicle.

2. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 wherein the floor space of the walk-in closet is at least 21 square feet.

3. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 wherein the walk-in closet is positioned adjacent to a sleeping area.

4. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 wherein the walk-in closet comprises a drop ceiling.

5. The recreational vehicle of claim 2 wherein a plurality of hanging devices are fixedly attached to the drop ceiling wherein the hanging devices are adapted to hang articles of clothing and the hang devices are positioned substantially parallel to each other in a manner so as to permit clothing to hang in parallel rows inside the walk-in closet.

6. The recreational vehicle of claim 1 wherein the floor comprises an upper and a lower level wherein the walk-in closet is positioned on the lower level and a sleeping area is positioned on the upper level.

7. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a set of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling of the recreational vehicle over the ground;

a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floor defines an inner living space of the recreational vehicle;

a main housing comprising of a plurality of walls mounted above the frame that enclose the inner living space of the recreational vehicle; and

a walk-in closet mounted in the main housing wherein the walk-in closet provides sufficient space for an individual to enter into the closet and move around freely wherein the walk-in closet has at least two rods adapted for hanging articles of clothing wherein the at least two rods are positioned parallel to each other and define a plane substantially parallel to the floor of the recreational vehicle.

8. The recreational vehicle of claim 7 wherein the walk-in closet comprises at least 4% of the inner living space of the recreational vehicle.

9. The recreational vehicle of claim 8 wherein the walk-in closet encloses a floor space wherein the floor space is at least 21 square feet.

10. The recreational vehicle of claim 7 wherein the walk-in closet comprises a drop ceiling.

11. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a set of wheels attached to the frame to permit rolling of the recreational vehicle over the ground;

a floor attached to the frame, wherein the floor defines an inner living space of the recreational vehicle;

a main housing comprising of a plurality of walls mounted above the fame that enclose the inner living space of the recreational vehicle; and

a walk-in closet, wherein the walk-in closet is positioned within the living space and comprises a first wall wherein the first wall has an opening adapted for individuals to enter into the walk-in closet.

12. The recreational vehicle of claim 11 further comprising an extendable housing assembly attached to a first wall of the plurality of the walls of the main housing, the extendable housing assembly including a multilevel floor having a first and a second level and a plurality of walls mounted at the outer edges of the floor, wherein the extendable housing assembly is movable between a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein the walk-in closet is positioned within the extendable housing assembly so that when the extendable housing assembly is in a deployed configuration, a portion of the walk-in closet is positioned outside the first wall of the plurality of walls of the main housing.

13. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the walk-in closet has a floor space that is at least 4% of the area of the inner living space of the recreational vehicle.

14. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the walk-in closet encloses a floor space that is at least 21 square feet.

15. The recreational vehicle of claim 12 wherein the walk-in closet comprises a plurality of rods adapted to hang articles of clothing wherein the rods are positioned substantially parallel to each other so as to permit clothing to hang in parallel rows.