GB2174732A

GB2174732A - Hollow rectangular parallelpiped structure

Info

Publication number: GB2174732A
Application number: GB08502693A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Peter Smallhorn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-02
Filing date: 1985-02-02
Publication date: 1986-11-12
Also published as: GB2174732B; GB8502693D0

Abstract

A structure such as a portable building or the body of a vehicle or trailer defining an internal space which is rectangular in plan. Each of a pair of opposite side walls of the structure has an aperture therein closable by hinged flaps 7-10 which are openable to form the base, top and walls of an outward extension of the normal internal space of the structure. The outward extensions, when erected, forming with a central region of the normal internal space an enlarged central region. This may be partitioned at 11, 12 from the end regions 5 of the normal internal space of the structure to form ante-rooms for the enlarged central region. (Fig. 1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hollow rectangular parallelepiped structure The invention relates to a hollow rectangular parallelepiped structure. This may be, for example, a portable building or the body of a vehicle or trailer defining an internal space which is rectangular in plan. The internal space defined within the building, vehicle or trailer body or other structure (hereinafter called the "structure") is hereinafter referred to as said first internal space. The term "rectangular" as used herein includes both "rectangular" in its specific meaning and also "square". An object of the invention is to enable the ground area and also the volume of the first internal space to be increased.

According to the invention, a structure, as hereinbefore defined, has a rectangular aperture in at least one of its side walls, the aperture being closable by four flaps which are each hinged along a respective edge of the aperture and in their closed positions overlap in substantially the same upright plane as the remainder of said side wall and together close the aperture, the flaps being openable outwardly of the structure to define respectively the base, the top and two external walls of an externally closed outward extension of said first internal space, the base and top flaps being triangular in shape and the other two flaps being rectangular, whereby the or each outward extension, as viewed in plan, is of triangular shape and has only two external walls defined respectively by the rectangular flaps.

Preferably, there is a rectangular aperture in each of the side walls of the structure, each aperture being provided with respective flaps, as aforesaid, and each of the triangular flaps is one of four congruent right-angled triangles each having its hypotenuse extending along the line of the hinge of the respective flap, the positions of the apertures in the respective side walls being staggered relatively to each other in the longitudinal direction of the structure, whereby the two outward extensions, when formed, together with the portion of the first internal space therebetween, define a second internal space which is of rectangular shape, as viewed in plan, and which has a longitudinal axis positioned at an acute angle to the corresponding axis of the original internal space, the internal space between the two outward extensions being common to both the first and the second internal spaces.

The angle between the corresponding axes of the first and second internal spaces may, for example, be 60.

The structure may have internal partitions joining corresponding upright edges of the aperture in the respective side walls and extending transversely between the two side walls, the partitions being internal extensions of side walls of the outward extensions, when formed, and including or being defined by internal doors, giving access between end portions of the first internal space and the second internal space.

The first and second internal spaces may be used for any purpose. A preferred embodiment of the structure is as a medical or hospital unit, in which the second internal space, when formed, may be used as an operating theatre and the end portions of the first internal space are usable as ante-rooms of the operating theatre, for example, a pre-operative and/or a post-operative room.

By way of example, a structure in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the structure showing the outward extension erected at one side of the structure and folded to the closed position at the other side of the structure; Figure 2 is an elevation of the structure looking from the closed side thereof; Figure 3 is a view looking on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the outside and the inside of the structure, showing both side extensions erected and looking in the direction of arrow IV in Figure 1, and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the outside of the structure viewed in a similar direction to that viewed in Figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1-3, the structure comprises a main body which is rectangular in plan having side walls 1,2 and end walls 3, 4. In each of the side walls there is an aperture of rectangular shape extending from the floor 5 to the ceiling or roof 6. Each aperture has four flaps hinged thereto along a respective edge of the aperture. The top and bottom flaps 7,8 on each side are of triangular shape. The other flaps 9 and 10 hinged along upright edges of the respective apertures are of rectangular shape.

Thus on pivoting the top and bottom flaps 7, 8 outwardly of the respective side wall 1, 2 through 90 , the ceiling or roof and floor of a pair of outward extensions are formed. The outward extensions are therefore of triangular shape as viewed in plan. As a result of the triangular shape, there are only two external walls in each outward extension. These are formed on pivoting the flaps 9, 10 outwardly and securing them together at their outer ends by means not shown. The triangular top and bottom flaps 7,8 are all congruent and are right-angled triangles of which the hypotenuse extends along the hinge-line of the respective flap.The two apertures are staggered in the longitudinal direction of the structure so that an upright plane containing a line, as viewed in plan, jointing the corresponding upright edges of the respective apertures is a continuation of the plane of-one of the flaps 10 when the outward extensions have been formed. This is clear from Figure 1. The two outward extensions when formed by folding out the flaps 7-10 on each side of the structure are closed externally but are open to a portion of the interior of the main body of the structure and thus form a second internal space of which the portion between the two outward extensions is common to the first internal space defined by the side walls 1, 2; the end walls 3,4 and the floor 5 and ceiling or roof 6 of the main body of the structure.Due to the arrangement of the triangular flaps 7,8 of the two outward extensions and the positions of the apertures in the respective side walls 1, 2, the longitudinal axis, as viewed in plan, of the second internal space is inclined at an acute angle determined by the angular position of the flaps 10, when the outward extensions are erected, to the longitudinal axis of the body of the structure, i.e., of the first internal space. In the example illustrated this angle is 60 ; but other acute angles may be selected.

When the outward extensions are not required, the two rectangularflaps 9, 10 at each side of the structure are folded inwardly about their upright hinges and the two triangular flaps 7,8 are folded upwardly and downwardly about their respective hinges to lie against the folded flaps 9, 10. The four flaps at each side therefore overlap and close the aperture and thus complete the respective side wall 1,2. The flaps at one side wall are shown folded to their closed positions in Figures 1 and 3.

Internal partitions 11, 12 at the positions of the upright planes joining the corresponding upright edges of the apertures in the walls 1,2 may be provided, as indicated in Figure 1. These partitions may be formed by doors or may include doors such as 13, 14. These partitions 11, 12 serve to separate end portions of the body of the structure from the central region thereof which is common also to the second internal space which includes the outward extensions of triangular shape as viewed in plan.

The structure provided by this invention may be a portable building as indicated by Figure 4.

Alternatively it may be a wheeled trailer or semitrailed or body of a motor vehicle.

The trailer form is shown in Figure 5, where, as shown, the outward extensions are supported by legs 15 after parking and the trailer may be provided with an access ramp or steps 16.

The structure, that is a portable building or trailer, may be put to any required use. For example, the second internal space formed by the outward extensions when erected and the region between the partitions 11, 12 may be used as an operating theatre. The end regions outside the partitions 11, 12 may be used as ante-rooms. For example, the left-hand end region, as viewed in Figure 1 may be used as a store and service area and as a washroom and the right-hand end region, as viewed in Figure 1, may be used as a pre-operative and/or post-operative region. The operating theatre function is illustrated in Figure 4.

The provision of the triangular, in plan view, outward extensions enables a full-size, square or rectangular, operating theatre to be formed quickly from a trailer or vehicle body of standard narrower width. Thus the structure is very suitable for providing a mobile or field operating theatre or hospital unit.

The use of the triangular flaps 9 and 10 enables the outward extensions from the side walls 1,2 to be formed from only four pivoted flaps at each side, whereas where a side extension is defined by square or rectangular top and bottom flaps and it is directed at right angles to the plane of the side wall, three upright walls would be required instead of only the two flaps 9, 10, in accordance with the present invention. There is therefore considerable reduction in the total area offlaps or walls required.

The flaps may be made of glass fibre reinforced plastics or other suitable material, such as sheet metal.

The end regions of the body of the structure beyond the partitions 11, 12, may be of full height or they may have a lower ceiling 17, thereby providing an upper storage space or a space for accommodating water tanks or other services.

Although in the example illustrated, the apertures extend between the floor 5 and ceiling or roof 6, thereby making the outward extensions of full height, the apertures and therefore the outward extensions need not be of full height.

The walls 9, 10 of the extensions remain upright when folded and so may carry fixtures provided that these do not obstruct the folding of the floor and ceiling or roof flaps 7, 8.

The end regions of the first internal space provided in the body of the structure may have external access doors 18, 19 in their side and or end walls.

Claims

1. A hollow rectangular parallelepiped structure defining therewithin a first internal space which is rectangular in plan, the structure having a rectangular aperture in at least one of its side wails, the aperture being closable by four flaps which are each hinged along a respective edge of the aperture and in their closed positions overlap in substantially the same upright plane as the remainder of said side wall and together close the aperture, the flaps being openable outwardly of the structure to define respectively the base, the top and two external walls of an externally closed outward extension of said first internal space, the base and top flaps being triangular in shape and the other two flaps being rectangular, whereby the or each outward extension, as viewed in plan, is of triangular shape and has only two external walls defined respectively by the rectangularflaps.

2. A structure as claimed in Claim 1 in which there is a rectangular aperture in each of the side walls of the structure, each aperture being provided with four respective flaps, as aforesaid, and each of the triangular flaps being a congruent right-angled triangle having its hypotenuse extending along the line of the hinge of the respective flap, the positions of the apertures in the respective side walls being staggered relatively to each other in the longitudinal direction of the structure, whereby the two outward extensions, when formed, together with the portion of the first internal space therebetween, define a second internal space which is of rectangular shape, as viewed in plan, and which has a longitudinal axis positioned at an acute angle to the corresponding axis of the original internal space, the internal space between the two outward extensions being common to both the first and the second internal spaces.

3. A structure as claimed in Claim 2 in which the angle between the corresponding axes of the first and second internal spaces is substantially 60 .

4. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the structure has internal partitions joining corresponding upright edges of the aperture in the respective side walls and extending transversely between the two side walls, the partitions being internal extensions of side walls of the outward extensions, when formed, and including or being defined by internal doors, giving access between end portions of the first internal space and the second internal space.

5. A structure as claimed in Claim 4 being a medical or hospital unit in which the second internal space, when formed, is usable as an operating theatre and the end portions of the first internal space are usable as ante-rooms of the operating theatre.

6. A structure as claimed in any preceding claim being a building.

7. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 1--5 being a body of a vehicle or a trailer.

8. A structure as claimed in any one of Claims 2--5 in which the first internal space is rectangular as viewed in plan having its length greater than its width and the second internal space, when formed, is square as viewed in plan.

9. A structure constructed substantially as described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings.