CA1099311A - Bed extension kit for vans and the like - Google Patents

Bed extension kit for vans and the like

Info

Publication number
CA1099311A
CA1099311A CA330,023A CA330023A CA1099311A CA 1099311 A CA1099311 A CA 1099311A CA 330023 A CA330023 A CA 330023A CA 1099311 A CA1099311 A CA 1099311A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
panel
component
kit according
van
vertical
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA330,023A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
J.G. Harold Hussey
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA330,023A priority Critical patent/CA1099311A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1099311A publication Critical patent/CA1099311A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60PVEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS
    • B60P3/00Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects
    • B60P3/32Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects comprising living accommodation for people, e.g. caravans, camping, or like vehicles
    • B60P3/36Auxiliary arrangements; Arrangements of living accommodation; Details
    • B60P3/38Sleeping arrangements, e.g. living or sleeping accommodation on the roof of the vehicle

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Specific Sealing Or Ventilating Devices For Doors And Windows (AREA)

Abstract

"BED EXTENSION KIT FOR VANS AND THE LIKE"
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A kit for extending bed sizes for vans and the like includes an outer frame with a door frame hinged to the upper horizontal member. This frame is bolted around an opening cut out in the van body side wall with the cut out portion of the wall becoming part of the door covering so that when closed, it is relatively well concealed and flush with the van side.
In use, the door is raised and the bed extension is pulled out. This extension includes folding side panels and an end panel and a folding down floor panel all sheltered by the raised door when extended, which becomes the upper side. A mattress portion, also stored, is placed on the floor panel. One em-bodiment is designed to extend the length of a full width bed and the other embodiment is designed to extend the length of a small or regular sized bed. In both cases an extension of approximately of 2 feet is provided to the length of the beds which extend transversely of the van.

Description

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"BED EXTENSION KIT FOR VANS AND THE LIKE"
BACKGROVND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bed extension kits for vans.
Many vans include either a single width bed or a double width bed adapted to be extended vertically across the width of the van when in use. Sometimes these beds constitute the dinnette assembly comprising a pair of spaced and parallel seats and a central table which, when lowered to the seat level, receives a mattress thus forming the bed. In all cases, such beds are relatively short 50 that tall people find the use thereof extremely uncomfortable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a van extender kit which is readily situated with-in the side wall of the van and normally presents a nonextend-ing outer surface to the van side wall. However when used, a portion of the side wall is hinged upwardly and the said exten-sion is pulled outwardly thus providing an enclosure component which acts as the extension to the bed either a single bed or a double bed.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a bed extension kit for vans and the like which in~lude a bed unit extending transversely of the van; said van including a side wall; said kit comprising in combination a substantially rectangular frame securable around the edges of a rectangular : -- .
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','~'' opening cut in said side wall of said van, a door panel co~pon-ent hingedly secured to adjacent the upper horizontal edge of said opening and movable ~rom a lowered, side wall engaging position to an open raised position and vice versa, an extend-able and retractable enclosure component operatively connected to adjacent two vertical side edges of said frame, said enclo-sure component including side walls and an outer end wall ex-tending across the outer edges of said side walls, and a floor bed panel foldable downwardly to a substantially horizontal position to form a base for said enclosure component when same is extended and foldable upwardly to a substantially vertical position when said enclosure component is retracted, said door panel component forming the roof panel of said enclosure com-ponent when said enclosure component is fully extended, said side walls each include an inner panel hinged by the inner ver-tical edge thereof to the corresponding vertical member of said frame, an outer panel hinged by the inner vertical edge thereof to the outex vertical edge of said inner panel, said outer end wall being hingedly connected by the vertical edges thereof one 2Q each to the outer vertical edges of each of said outer paneIs, said inner and outer panels folding inwardly towards one another at the junction between said inner and outer panels when said enclosure component is retracted.
Another advan-tage of the present invention is that the door portion formed in the van side wall is hinged upwardly and acts as the upper wall of the enclosure component, .it being . " .

-understood that adequate sealing is provided in all locations so that the enclosure is sealed when fully extended.
A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that when the extension is in the fully retracted position, all of the parts lie in a vertical relationship so that the actual extension in-to the interior of the van is min-imal.
Still another advantage of -the invention is to pro-vide .

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3~L1 a device of the charactsr herewithin described in which all o-f the parts of the enclosure component are hingedly connect-ed together so that extension and retraction is rapid and easy.
A still further advantage of the invention is to pro-vide a conversion kit which is readily adaptable for use with conventional Vans, is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof ! which includes a description of the pre-ferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a van showing the access doors for a small and large extension, the access door for the large extension being shown in phantom.
Figure 2 is an inside elevation of the main frame and door frame of the kit per se.
Figure 3 is a top plan schematic sectional view of the smaller èxtension kit shown in the extended position in a van.
Figure 4 is a fragmentary partially schematic cross sectional view of part of the van showing the smaller kit in the fully extended position.

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~ igure 5 is a schematic top plan view of Figure 4 showing the enclosure component partially extended.
Figure 6 is a ~ragmentary partially cross section-ed schematic view of the rear of the van showing the smaller kit in the fully ret~-acted po~ition.
Figure 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the frame component installed in the side wall of a van.
Figure 8 is a schematic top plan view showing the enclosure component in the fully retracted positionO
Figure 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the side wall of the van showing the main frame and formers in position prior to cutting the van side wall.
Figure 9A is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing the door former per se secured to the portion of the van side wall which has been cut out.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Proceeding therefore -to describe the invention in de-tail, reference should first be made to ~igure 1 in which 10 illustxates generally, a van of the type often used for recrea-tional purposes and con-taining various sleeping and living -~
facilities which are conventional.
In the side wall panel 11 of the van, reference charac-ter 12 illustrates the outer door of a bed end extension kit and reference character 12A, a larger extension ki-t which is - . : . ~ , .: ... :
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shown in phantom and which of course is alternative to the bed extension kit 12.
Each of the kits 12 or 12A are substantially similar in configuration which one exception which will hereinafter be described so that similar reference characters have been given.
Figure 2 shows the inner elevational view of a kit which includes a substantially rec~angular main frame collec-tively designated 13 consisting of an upper horizontal right angle frame member 1~, a lower horizontal right angled frame member 15 and a pair of vertical angled frame members 16 join-ed together as by welding or the like to form an open rectan-gular frame.
A door assembly collectively designated 17 is pro-vided and consists of a substantially rectangular frame generally designated 18 having an upper horizontal angulated member 19, a lower horizontal angulated member 20 and a pair of vertical angulated members 21 all secured together by welding or the like to form a substantially rectangular rame having smaller overall dimensions than the main frame 13. This door frame 18 is hinged by the upper horizontal member 19 to the upper horizontal member 14 of the main frame, by an elongated piano-type hinge 22 so that it can swing outwardl~ from the side wall 11 of the van or downwardly to the closed position illustrated in Figure 1.
Secured to the vertical members 21 of the door frame 18l are wooden or plastic form members 23 (see Figures 9 and .. . . .

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9~). The inner edges 24 of these form members 23 engage within the vertical angle members 21 and are secured thereto as by rivets or screws 25. The outer surfaces 26 of the form members are shaped to the configuration of the inner sur-face 27 of the metal sheeting forming the van side panel ll as clearly illustrated in Figure 9A.
When installed, the main frame 13 is secured in the desired position on the interior surface 27 of the van side panel ll by means of bolts extending through corner apertures 28 of the main frame and through apertures (not illustrated) drilled in the side panel ll. The outline of the door frame is then marked on the panel and a plurality of drillings or apertures are formed around the main frame and through the panel to match apertures 29 drilled in the horizontal members 14 and 15 of the main frame.
The two frames are then removed and the door panel is cut out to define the door frame 18. This portion of the metal that has been removed is then secured to the outer sur-face of the door frame 18 as by rivets ox screws, through apertures 30 formed in the door frame members so that the metal portion that has been removed becomes the covering for the door frame and is secured to the form members 25 following the outer contour thereof as illustrated in Figure 9A.
The frame is then replaced around the boundaries of the rectangular aperture that has been cut in -the wall ll of the van by means of the bolts extending through the corner . . . .

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apertures 28 and rivets or screws engaging through the hole drilled in the side panel ll of the van and ~he drillings 29 in the main frame members.
A conventional lock 31 operatively e~tends between the bottom edge of the door and the main frame and is conven-tional in construction so that it is not believed necessary to describe same further except to say that it holds the door in the closed position under normal circumstances when the extension kit is in the retracted position within the van body.
It will also be appreciated that conventional sealing material is engaged between the main frame and the side of the van ll to which it is secured and in all necessary locations.
The kit further includes a retractable and extendable enclosure component collectively designated 32. This is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. It consists of a pair of side walls collectively designated 33 and a rear transverse wall 34.
Each side wall consists of an inner panel 35 hinged by the inner vertical edge 36 thereof to vertical frame member 16 by means of a vertically situated piano hinge or the llke 37 and adapted to fold inwardly towards the interior of the van.
An outer wall panel 3~ is hinged by the inner ver-tical edge thereof to the inner vertical edge 39 thereof to the outer vertical edge 40 of the inner panel 35 by means of a fur-ther vertical piano hinge or the like 41 and is adapted to hinge inwardly relative to the inner panel 35.
The outer vertical edge 42 of the outer panel 38 i5 ' :

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in turn hingedly connected to the outer vertical edge 43 of the transverse panel 34 by means of a piano hinge or the like 4~ with the outer panel 38 adapted to hinge inwardly relative to t~e rear transverse panel 34 as clearly shown in Figure 5.
This makes an enclosure consisting of the inner and outer side panels 35 and 38 and the transverse rear panel 34 which can be extended fully to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 or can be folded inwardly to take up a position illus-trated in Figures 6 and 8O Figure 5 shows the enclose in the partially folded position with the hinges ~1 moving inwardly towards one another as the rear panel 34 moves towards the van side 11.
When in the fully extended position, a floor bed panel 45 may be lowered into position within the enclosure component, said bed panel in one embodiment consisting of a rectangu]ar panel hinged by the inner edge thereof to the lower horizontal frame member 15 by means Gf a piano hinge ~6 or the like. When lowered, the outer edge 47 of this bed floor panel ~5 engages a flange 48 extending inwardly from the 20 central portion of the lower edge of the rear transverse panel 34 thus supporting the floor which completely encloses the lower side area of the enclosure component.
When in the fully e~tended position, it will also be observed that the hinged door component 17 is in the raised position with the vertical surfaces 24 of the i.nner sides of the form members 25 sealably engaging the upper edges 47 of the ~ ~ .

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g inner and outer side panels 35 and 38 of the enclosure.
Once again sealing material (not illustrated) is provided and it will be observed that these upper edges 47 slope out-wardl~ and downwardly when the enclosure is in the fully ex-tended positlon as shown in Figure 4 so that the door acts as a roof covering and sloped to shed water beyond the confines of the enclosure.
An alternative construction for the floor bed panel 45 is shown in Figure 3 in which the bed panel is formed from an inner rectangular panel 49 and an outer rectangular panel 50 hingedly connected together by the transversely extending piano hinge or the like 51 so that it can be folded upwardly to the position shown schematically in Figure 6. This faci~
litates the extension and retraction of these panels which form the floor when extended.
Reference to Figure 3 will show the smaller kit 12 in the extended position with the door panel removed for cla-rity. Under these circumstances, the dinette table 52 is in the lowered position relative to the side seats 53 thus making the main portion of the bed and the floor panel 45 is in the lowermogt position thus forming the bed extension. A mattress portion 54 (shown in Figure 4) engages the floor bed panel 45 and may be secured thereto, and is level with the seat cush-ions 55 and the mattress extension portion 56 which normally covers the table 52 when in the lower position illustrated in ; Figure 3.

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' ,''.' ..' ' ' ',' ' , The operation of the larger kit eY~tension 12A iS
similar except that, due to the larger dimensions and loca-tion, the occupant may sleep lengthwise entirely within the extension.
When in the folded position, the floor bed panel 45 together with the mattress portion 54, is raised to the ver-tical potion shown in full line in Figure 4 whereupon the side walls of the enclosure component are pushed inwardly as illustrated in Figure 5 and the rear transvexse wall 48 is pushed towards the van wall 11 so that the side wall panels take up the position shown in Figure 8 with the rear wall panel being just inside the plane of the side wall 11 whereupon the door component may be lowered and locked as illustrated in Figures 1 and 9 thus presenting a relatively smooth configu-ration to the side of the van.
In this position, the floor bed panel 45 is also vertical and the mattress port.ion 54 may be stored vertically as shown in Figure 8 and held in position by conventional straps (not illustrated) entirely within the confines of the main frame formers or form components 25 as shown.
Extension is a reverse of the actions hereinbefore described and it will be seen that the extension is readily and easily extended or retracted as desired.
It should be noted that all of the piano hinges are preferably covered with a vinyl leatherette type coating to ,. ' ~ , : -' : . ' .
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-- lOA -assist in weatherproofing and the panels and side portions of the kits may be similarly covered, if desired.
Although the description refers to a standard type van, the kit can, of course, be installed into vans with rounded top.
When the kit is fully extended, a latch (not illus-trated) may be used to detachably secure the back panel to the roof panel to preven-t the roof panel from being lifted by the wind.
Since various modifications can be made in my in vention as hereinabove described, and many widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the ciaims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying spe-cification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM AS MY INVENTION:
(1) A bed extension kit for vans and the like which include a bed unit extending transversely of the van; said van including a side wall; said kit comprising in combination a substantially rectangular frame securable around the edges of a rectangular opening cut in said side wall of said van, a door panel component hingedly secured to adjacent the upper hori-zontal edge of said opening and movable from a lowered, side wall engaging position to an open raised position and vice versa, an expendable and retractable enclosure component opera-tively connected to adjacent two vertical side edges of said frame, said enclosure component including side walls and an outer end wall extending across the outer edges of said side walls, and a floor bed panel foldable downwardly to a substantially horizontal position to form a base for said enclosure component when same is extended and foldable upwardly to a substantially vertical position when said enclosure component is retracted, said door panel component forming the roof panel of said en-closure component when said enclosure component is fully ex-tended, said side walls each include an inner panel hinged by the inner vertical edge thereof to the corresponding vertical member of said frame, an outer panel hinged by the inner ver-tical edge thereof to the outer vertical edge of said inner panel, said outer end wall being hingedly connected by the vertical edges thereof one each to the outer vertical edges of each of said outer panels, said inner and outer panels folding inwardly towards one another at the junction between said inner and outer panels when said enclosure component is retracted.
(2) The kit according to Claim 1 in which said door panel component includes a substantially rectangular door frame hinged by the upper side member thereof to the upper side mem-ber of said substantially rectangular frame, means detachably securing said door panel component in the closed position in engagement with the side wall of said van, and form members se-cured to the vertical side members of said door frame conform-ing substantially to the cross sectional configuration of the side wall of said opening.
(3) The kit according to Claim 1 which includes means on said enclosure component to detachably support said floor bed panel when said floor bed panel is folded downwardly to the substantially horizontal position.
(41 The kit according to Claim 2 which includes means on said enclosure component to detachably support said floor bed panel when said floor bed panel is folded downwardly to the substantially horizontal position.
(5) The kit according to Claim 2 which includes means on said enclosure component to detachably support said floor bed panel when said floor bed panel is folded downwardly to the substantially horizontal position.
(6) The kit according to Claim 1 in which said door panel is formed in two sections hingedly connected together transversely and being situated substantially vertically in in-terfacing relationship when in the substantially vertical position.

(7) The kit according to Claim 2 in which said door panel is formed in two sections hingedly connected together transversely and being situated substantially vertically in in-terfacing relationship when in the substantially vertical posi-tion.
(8) The kit according to Claim 3 in which said door panel is formed in two sections hingedly connected together transversely and being situated substantially vertically in in-terfacing relationship when in the substantially vertical posi-tion.
(9) The kit according to Claim 4 in which said door panel is formed in two sections hingedly connected together transversely and being situated substantially vertically in in-terfacing relationship when in the substantially vertical posi-tion.
(10) The kit according to Claim 5 in which said door panel is formed in two sections hingedly connected together transversely and being situated substantially vertically in in-terfacing relationship when in the substantially vertical posi-tion.
(11) The kit according to Claims 1, 2 or 3 in which said form members engage the upper edges of said side walls of said enclosure component in sealing relationship, when said en-closure component is in the extended position.
(12) The kit according to Claims 4, 5 or 6 in which said form members engage the upper edges of said side walls of said enclosure component in sealing relationship, when said en-closure component is in the extended position.
(13) The kit according to Claims 7, 8 or 9 in which said form members engage the upper edges of said side walls of said enclosure component in sealing relationship, when said en-closure component is in the extended position.
(14) The kit according to Claim 10 in which said form members engage the upper edges of said side walls of said enclosure component in sealing relationship, when said enclosure component is in the extended position.
CA330,023A 1979-06-18 1979-06-18 Bed extension kit for vans and the like Expired CA1099311A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA330,023A CA1099311A (en) 1979-06-18 1979-06-18 Bed extension kit for vans and the like

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA330,023A CA1099311A (en) 1979-06-18 1979-06-18 Bed extension kit for vans and the like

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1099311A true CA1099311A (en) 1981-04-14

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ID=4114481

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA330,023A Expired CA1099311A (en) 1979-06-18 1979-06-18 Bed extension kit for vans and the like

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1099311A (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5011216A (en) * 1989-06-15 1991-04-30 Milo Baughman Expandable sleeping compartment for vehicles
US5061006A (en) * 1989-06-15 1991-10-29 Milo Baughman Method for expandable sleeping compartments for vehicles
FR2669587A1 (en) * 1990-11-27 1992-05-29 Perraud Jean Claude Device for extending the useful volume of a vehicle particularly one which can be used as a bunk
US5345730A (en) * 1985-05-30 1994-09-13 Jurgensen Bruce A Expandable structure and sequence of expansion
WO1998021067A1 (en) * 1996-11-11 1998-05-22 Mervyn James Flynn Caravan construction
AU2006201425B2 (en) * 2005-04-05 2009-04-23 Bronte John Scholz Camping trailer
US10974664B2 (en) 2019-03-25 2021-04-13 Flare Space, Llc Vehicle retrofit providing extended interior width

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5345730A (en) * 1985-05-30 1994-09-13 Jurgensen Bruce A Expandable structure and sequence of expansion
US5011216A (en) * 1989-06-15 1991-04-30 Milo Baughman Expandable sleeping compartment for vehicles
US5061006A (en) * 1989-06-15 1991-10-29 Milo Baughman Method for expandable sleeping compartments for vehicles
FR2669587A1 (en) * 1990-11-27 1992-05-29 Perraud Jean Claude Device for extending the useful volume of a vehicle particularly one which can be used as a bunk
WO1998021067A1 (en) * 1996-11-11 1998-05-22 Mervyn James Flynn Caravan construction
AU2006201425B2 (en) * 2005-04-05 2009-04-23 Bronte John Scholz Camping trailer
US10974664B2 (en) 2019-03-25 2021-04-13 Flare Space, Llc Vehicle retrofit providing extended interior width
US11318894B2 (en) 2019-03-25 2022-05-03 Flarespace Al, Llc Vehicle retrofit providing extended interior width

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