GB2394450A

GB2394450A - Bed and seating arrangement in a motorised caravan

Info

Publication number: GB2394450A
Application number: GB0224637A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Paul Trossell; John Whelpton; Lee Richard Machin; Michael David France
Original assignee: ADAM DALE IND Ltd
Current assignee: ADAM DALE IND Ltd
Priority date: 2002-10-23
Filing date: 2002-10-23
Publication date: 2004-04-28
Also published as: GB0224637D0

Abstract

A first aspect of the invention provides a motorised caravan having a main body 10 connected to a cab area 11, and a bed (17 figure 3a) mounted above seats 12,13 for the driver and passenger, where said bed is movable between a first lower position (figure 3b) in which it provides a horizontal surface for sleeping on, and a second, upper position (figure 3a) which facilitates access from the main body to the cab area. The ends and front of the bed may be provided with a shroud which covers the joins between the bed and cab area when the bed is in its upper position. A second aspect provides an L-shaped seating arrangement (figure 6) in the main body of the caravan, where a portion (22) of the leg (23) of the L may be removed (figure 7) so that substantially the entire length of the arm (24) may be used as forward facing seating.

Description

! 1 Motor Caravans The invention relates to caravans, and particularly to

motorised caravans, known as motorhomes.

In the construction of a motor caravan, space is at a premium and when constructing a motorised caravan, it is common practice to provide a bed housed in a pod extending over the driver's cab of the vehicle.

In some countries, it is the practice to provide a fixed bed which has the advantage that a permanent, purpose built bed base can be provided, for example using bed slats which give greater comfort. Furthermore the bed can 5 be left made up during the day. However, the disadvantage is that entering the cab area from the main body of the motor caravan is more difficult, as one has to duck down underneath the bed, which extends across the driver's and front passenger's seats.

In the United Kingdom, customers prefer good access to the cab area, and so it is usual to have a bed base which is cut away to provide good headroom when the bed is not in use. However, the disadvantage here is that the bed has to 25 be constructed from modular components which fill the cut away portion when the bed is in use but are removed and stowed away during the day. This in turn means that the bed has to be assembled again every night, and the bed is less comfortable since bed slats, for example, cannot be 30 used.

- Until now it has always been assumed that one or other of these known constructions would have to be selected, dependent upon a customer's particular preference.

5 The invention provides a motorised caravan having a main body connected to a cab area, the cab area containing a driver's seat and at least one front passenger seat, and a bed mounted above the driver and passenger seats, the bed being movable between a first, lower position in which it lo provides a horizontal surface for sleeping on, and a second, upper position which facilitates access from the main body to the cab area.

The invention enables a customer to have all the 5 advantages of the known constructions. A purpose built bed may still be provided, utilising bed slats and a one piece mattress. The bed may be left made up during the day.

However, when good access to the cab area is required, the bed can simply be moved into the upper position.

Preferably the bed moves between the lower and upper positions by pivoting about its front edge.

Support means may be provided, for example in the form of 25 gas filled struts, which maintain the bed in its upper position once an occupant of the motor caravan has pivoted the bed from the lower to the upper position.

The ends and front edge of the bed may be provided with a 30 shroud which extends between the bed and the body of the motor caravan when the bed is in the upper position, to provide a visually pleasing lining to the upper part of the cab area.

The shroud may be of fabric material which can collapse, for example in the manner of a bellows, when the bed is moved to the lower position.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the main body of a motor caravan is provided with an L shaped seating arrangement, with a leg of the L extending along one side of the motor caravan, and an arm of the L lo extending partially across the width of the motor caravan, the arrangement being such that a portion of the leg of the L, adjacent to the arm of the L, may be removed, so that substantially the entire length of the arm of the L may be used as forwardly facing seating.

This aspect of the invention enables occupants of the motor caravan to sit comfortably around a removable table when the motor caravan is stationery, but enables substantially the entire length of the arm of the L to be 20 used as passenger seating whilst the vehicle is in motion.

Preferably, the seating which forms the arm of the L is provided with seatbelts for at least two passengers.

25 The L shaped seating is preferably provided with at least two support panels which pull out from the seating in different directions to provide a generally rectangular base portion on which a bed can be laid.

30 The directions may be at right angles to one another.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 5 Figure 1 is a view from within a motorised caravan according to the invention, looking forwards from the main body area to the cab area; Figure 2 is a plan view of the bed of a motor caravan lo shown in Figure 1; Figure 3a is an end view of the bed of Figure 2, showing the bed in an upper position; 5 Figure 3b is a view similar to Figure 3a, but showing the bed in a lower position; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a shroud of the bed in more detail, with the bed in the upper 20 position; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the bed in the lower position; 25 Figure 6 is a plan view of a seating arrangement within the main body of the caravan, in a seating position; Figure 7 is a plan view of the seating arrangement of Figure 6, shown in a travailing position; and Figure 8 is a plan view of the seating arrangement of Figure 6 in a position for sleeping.

The motorised caravan, or motor home, shown in Figure 1 has a main body area 10 and a cab area 11. The cab area contains a driver's seat 12 and a front passenger seat 13.

The main body area 10 contains other seating such as 14.

Mounted above the seats 12 and 13 is a bed which, in Figure 1, is shown folded upwardly at 14 into a storage position. In this upper position occupants of the motor caravan can easily move from the main body area 10 to the lo cab area 11 with ample headroom. A shroud 15 fitted around the bed 14 provides a smooth finish to the upper cab area preserving the general pleasing appearance of the interior of the motor caravan.

5 As shown in Figure 2 the bed comprises a rectangular panel 16 mounted on a surround support frame 17. The support frame 17 is pivotally mounted at its front edge on hinges 18. As best seen in Figure 3a, gas filled support struts 19 extend between the ends of the frame 17 and a surround 20 fixed support floor 20 which extends around the upper portion of the cab area 11.

An occupant of the motor caravan can manually move the bed, in no more than a second or two, from the upper 25 position shown in Figures 1 and 3a, to the lower position shown in Figure 3b. When the bed is in the upper position shown in Figure 3a, it is maintained securely in that position by the gas filled struts 19, without the need for any additional locking catches.

Because the bed base provided by the panel 16 can be moved out of the way by a simple upward pivoting motion, a purpose-built bed can be laid on the panel 16. It is

- therefore possible to provide a very comfortable bed, for example using bed slats 21 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and the bed can remain made up during the day.

When it is desired to travel in the motor caravan, the bed 5 is simply moved into the upper position shown in Figures 1 and 3a.

The shroud 15 is shown in more detail, in the upper position in Figure 4, and in the lower position in Figure lo 5. When the bed is lowered from the upper to the lower position, the shroud folds away in the manner of a bellows. This embodiment of the invention has a further innovation 5 as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8. Seating for the main body 10 of the motor caravan includes the L shaped seating arrangement shown in Figure 6, with the leg of the L extending along one side of the motor caravan in the direction of arrow A and the arm of the L extending 20 partially across the motor caravan in the direction of arrow B. With the seating arrangement as shown in Figure 6, several people can sit around a table placed in the centre of the main part of the motor caravan. The driver's seat 12 and the front passenger 13 can be swivelled 25 through 180 to face this table.

A portion 22 of the leg 23 of the L adjacent to the arm 24 of the L comprises a panel which supports a horizontal seating cushion (not shown).

When it is desired to travel in the motor caravan, the seating cushion is removed and stowed away, and the panel 22 is slid rearwardly into the arm 24 of the L as shown in

figure 7. With the panel 22 out of the way at least two passengers can sit comfortably on the arm 24 of the L, facing forwards, and seatbelts (not shown) can be provided to safely restrain these passengers in their forwardly 5 facing seat.

The seating arrangement is particularly versatile in that it also has a third configuration, in which an additional bed can be laid thereupon. In this configuration the panel lo 22 is again extended, in the forward direction, a second panel 25 slid out of the leg 23 of the L, in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the panel 22, and a third removable panel 26 is fitted into position to complete a rectangular support area on which various 5 seat cushions can be arranged to make up a generally rectangular sleeping surface.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to 20 this specification in connection with this application and

which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and

documents are incorporated herein by reference.

25 All of the features disclosed in this specification

(including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features 30 and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification

(including any accompanying claims, abstract and

drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic 5 series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features lo disclosed in this specification (including any

accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A motorised caravan having a main body connected to a cab area, the cab area containing a driver's seat and at least one front passenger seat, and a bed mounted above the driver and passenger seats, the bed being movable between a first, lower position in which is provides a horizontal surface for sleeping on, and a second, upper position which facilitates access from the main body to the cab area.

2. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 1, in which the bed moves between

0 the lower and upper positions by pivoting about its front edge.

3. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 2, in which support means are provided which maintain the bed in its upper position once an occupant of the motor caravan has pivoted the bed from the lower to the upper position.

4. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 3, in which the support means comprise gas filled struts.

5. A motorised caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the To ends and front edge of the bed are provided with a shroud which extends between the bed and the body of the motor caravan when the bed is in the upper position, to provide a visually pleasing lining to the upper part of the cab area.

6. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 5, in which the shroud is of fabric material which can collapse, when the bed is moved to the lower position.

7. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 6, in which the fabric material collapses in the manner of a bellows.

30

8. A motorised caravan having a main body, the main body being provided with an L shaped seating arrangement, with a leg of the L extending along one side of the motor caravan, and an arm of the L extending partially across the width of the motor caravan, the arrangement being such that a portion of the leg of the L, adjacent to the arm of the L, may be removed, so that substantially the entire length of the arm of the 35 L may be used as forwardly facing seating.

9. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 8, in which the seating which forms the arm of the L is provided with seatbelts for at least two passengers.

5

10. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9, in which the L shaped seating is provided with at least two support panels which pull out from the seating in different directions to provide a generally rectangular base portion on which a bed can be laid.

0

11. A motorised caravan as claimed in Claim 10, in which the directions are at right angles to one another.

12. A motorised caravan constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.