GB2164005A

GB2164005A - Apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan

Info

Publication number: GB2164005A
Application number: GB08422300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Patrick Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-09-04
Filing date: 1984-09-04
Publication date: 1986-03-12
Also published as: GB8422300D0

Abstract

A temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan (4) of the type having an upwardly opening rear door comprises a foldable platform which opens out to an unfolded position in which it extends through the rear doorway of the motorised caravan so that it is substantially parallel to but spaced above ground level, support means for supporting the platform in its unfolded position, and an awning for fitting over the platform. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan This invention relates to apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan of the type having an upwardly opening rear door.

Motorised caravans are well known and they come in various shapes and sizes. One particularly convenient type of motorised caravan is that often known as a caravanette and which has an upwardly opening rear door. Invariably more space is required in the motorised caravans than is available and there is a need for apparatus which is easy to erect and which provides a temporary extension to the rear of the motorised caravan.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide such a temporary extension to motorised caravans of the type having an upwardly opening rear door.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan of the type having an upwardly opening rear door, which apparatus comprises a foldable platform which opens out to an unfolded position in which it extends through the rear doorway of the motorised caravan so that it is substantially parallel to but spaced above ground level, support means for supporting the platform in its unfolded position, and an awning for fitting over the platform.

The platform may be in two or three sections, the platform being such that in its unfolded position one section is in the motorised caravan and the other section or sections are outside the motorised caravan.

Usually, the various sections will be hinged together.

The support means may comprise a plurality of struts positioned above the platform.

The struts may be such that two struts extend from the top of the motorised caravan above or adjacent the doorway.

The struts may be hollow section bars. Preferably the bars are of circular cross section but bars of other cross section may be employed. Also, if desired, solid bars may be employed.

The two struts extending from the top of the motorised caravan above or adjacent the doorway may also be effective to form part of a support framework for the awning, the support framework comprising further two struts which extend between the opened door of the motorised caravan and the platform.

Usually, the two further struts will be similar in shape to the two struts extending from the top of the motorised caravan above or adjacent the doorway.

The support means may also comprise one or more bars positioned underneath the platform.

Usually, there will be three bars, with two bars extending longitudinally with respect to the motorised caravan and with one bar extending transversely with respect to the motorised caravan.

The bars are preferably hollow section bars. The bars may be of square cross section but bars of other cross sectional shapes may be employed.

Also, solid bars may be employed if desired.

With hollow section bars extending underneath the platform, it may be convenient to form the struts with hooks at their end to hook into the hollow ends of the bars.

Obviously, the awning will usually be a waterproof awning.

The apparatus may include awning fixing means which is secured in use to the rear body of the motorised caravan around the rear doorway and which is for securing the awning to the rear body of the motorised caravan.

The awning fixing means may be a channel for receiving a complementary bead on the awning.

Preferably, the awning will be provided with the door. The awning will then be normally provided with door fixing means. The door fixing means may be a zip fastener or ties.

The apparatus may include a storm flap.

The storm flap may be secured to the outermost part of the extension in use of the apparatus, and the awning may extend in use back over the extension and over a rear portion of the rear body of the motorised caravan.

The apparatus of the invention may include guy ropes and pegs for securing the end of the awning that extends in use over the rear portion of the rear body of the motorised caravan.

The apparatus of the invention can be made in any desired materials. The platform will usually be made of wood. Preferably the wood is fibre board.

The struts will usually be made of metal. The awning may be made of a canvas material or a plastics material. Nylon is a presently preferred plastics material. If desired, the sides and back of the awning may be made of a rubberised heavy duty nylon, whilst the top of the awning may be made of reinforced polyvinyl chloride coated on both sides with a waterproofing material. The awning fixing means may be made in the form of aluminium track. The track may also be made of a plastics material such as nylon.

The invention also extends to a motorised caravan which is of the type having an upwardly opening rear door and which is provided with the apparatus for providing the temporary extension.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a motorised caravan, partially cut away with its rear door in a closed position; Figure 2 shows the van of Figure 1 with an erected extension; and Figures 3. 1 to 3.9 sequentially show the assembly stages required to erect the extension.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown apparatus 2 for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan 4 of the type having an upwardly opening rear door 6. The apparatus 2 comprises a foldable platform 8 which is in three sections 10, 12, 14. The section 14 remains in the caravan as illustrated in Figures 3.5 and 3.6 while the sections 10 and 12 extend out of the motorised caravan 4 as shown in Figures 3.5 and 3.6 so that the platform 8 is substantially parallel to but spaced above ground level 16.

The platform 8 is held in its extended unfolded position by support means in the form of a pair of diagonally extending struts 18 which are hollow and are of circular cross section. The struts 18 are positioned above the platform as shown and, as shown in Figure 3.5, the struts have clips 20 at their top end which clip under a bar portion 22 of the motorised caravan 4.

The two struts 18 act to also form part of a support framework for an awning 24. The support framework also comprises two further struts 26 which extends substantially vertically as shown in Figure 3.6. The top of the struts 26 clip to the door 6 as shown in Figure 3.6. The struts 26 are of the same cross sectional shape as the struts 18.

The support means further comprises three bars positioned underneath the platform. Two of these bars are bars 28 which extend longitudinally with respect to the motorised caravan. The third bar 30 extends transversely with respect to the motorised caravan. As shown in Figure 3.6, the bar 30 is hollow and is of rectangular cross section and the struts 18, 26 clip into the hollow ends of the bar 30. The bars 28 are similar to the bar 30.

The awning 24 is secured to the rear body of the motorised caravan around a rear doorway 32 by awning fixing means in the form of a channel 34 which is shown most clearly in Figure 3.1. The channel 34 receives a complementary bead 36 on the awning 24.

The awning 24 is provided with a door 38 as shown in Figures 3.7 and 3.9. The door is secured in its downward position by means of a zip fastener (not shown).

A storm flap 40 is provided and as shown most clearly in Figure 3.9, one end 42 of the storm flap 40 is secured to the front of the assembled awning 24. The storm flap then extends back over the awning 24 and over a rear portion 44 of the rear body of the motorised caravan 4. Guy ropes are provided, one of which is shown as guy rope 46, on either side of the motorised caravan 4. These guy ropes are secured into the ground by pegs (not shown) and they are then effected to hold the storm flap tightly on the rear portion 44 of the motorised caravan.

Figure 1 illustrates that the motorised caravan 4 looks totally normal in the non assembled position of the extension. Figure 2 shows the extension in its assembled position and it will be seen that the motorised caravan 4 has been converted frorn what would normally have been a two berth motorised caravan 4 able to only contain one double bed 50 into a four berth motorised caravan 4 also containing a second double bed 52. If only one double bed is required, then the double bed 52 can be used and the double bed 50 can be dispensed with and a table can be inserted in its place. The table can be left in position and it will not be necessary to constantly change the position of the table (not shown) and the double bed 50 depending upon whether or not people are eating or going to bed.

The apparatus 2 is very easy to assemble and it can be installed on a do-it-yourself basis if desired.

Furthermore, since the platform 8 is off the ground 16, extra camping site fees for the extension are not required. Also, since the platform 8 is off the ground, the occupants of the extension do not have to worry about ground dampness.

Figure 3 shows in self-explanatory steps how-the apparatus of the invention is assembled to form the temporary extension.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, different types of struts 18, 26, 28, 30 can be employed. The struts can be totally separable from the platform 8 and the motorised caravan 4 or they can be partially secured and swung to inoperative positions. Various types of hinge arrangements may be employed for hinging the sections 10, 12, 14 of the platform 8 together.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan of the type having an upwardly opening rear door, which apparatus comprises a foldable platform which opens out to an unfolded position in which it extends through the rear doorway of the motorised caravan so that it is substantially parallel to but spaced above ground level, support means for supporting the platform in its unfolded position, and an awning for fitting over the platform.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the platform is in two or three sections, the platform being such that in its unfolded position one section is in the motorised caravan and the other section or sections are outside the motorised caravan.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the sections are hinged together.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the support means comprises a plurality of struts positioned above the platform.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the struts are such that two struts extend from the top of the motorised caravan above or adjacent the doorway.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which the struts are hollow section bars.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or according to claim 5 and claim 6 in which the two struts extending from the top of the motorised caravan above or adjacent the doorway are also effective to form part of a support framework for the awning, the support framework comprising two further struts which extend between the opened door of the motorised caravan and the plafform.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the support means comprise one or more bars positioned underneath the platform.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which there are three bars positioned underneath the platform, with two bars extending longitudinally with respect to the motorised caravan and with one bar extending traversely with respect to the motorised caravan.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the bars are hollow section bars.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including awning fixing means which is secured in use to the rear body of the motorised caravan around the rear doorway and which is for securing the awning to the rear body of the motorised caravan.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the awning fixing means is a channel for receiving a complementary bead on the awning.

13. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including a storm flap.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the storm flap is secured to the outermost part of the extension in use of the apparatus, and in which the awning extends in use back over the extension and over a rear portion of the rear body of the motorised caravan.

15. Apparatus for providing a temporary extension to the rear of a motorised caravan of the type having an upwardly opening rear door, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A motorised caravan which is of the type having an upwardly opening rear door and which is provided with apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.