GB2573204A

GB2573204A - Caravan or motorhome configuration

Info

Publication number: GB2573204A
Application number: GB1904295.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Cunningham Paul
Original assignee: Swift Group Ltd
Current assignee: Swift Group Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-28
Filing date: 2019-03-28
Publication date: 2019-10-30
Also published as: GB201805037D0; GB201904295D0

Abstract

A caravan or motorhome has an area with a storage locker 12a,12b at an end of a sofa 14a,14b and an adjacent table unit 10 able to stow a table top (24, fig 2a-c) vertically in a slot. The locker 12a,12b can have a front door pivoting downwards connected to a pivoting top flap (52, fig 5). The table top can be hinged for extension. Gas bottles (66, fig 8) can be stored between storage lockers. The table top is guided by a channel (28, fig 2a-c).

Description

Caravan or Motorhome Configuration

The present invention is related to a configuration for a caravan or motorhome, particularly the configuration of storage modules in the seating area of a caravan or motorhome.

The seating area of a caravan or motorhome, typically provided in the front, mid or rear of the caravan or motorhome, comprises sofas or travelling seats and a table. The table can usually be folded away into a front chest drawer unit or stowed in an adjacent furniture unit and beds can be pulled out, to convert the seating area into a sleeping area.

It is desirable to optimise the configuration of the seating area of the caravan or motorhome, with consideration given to living space, ergonomic requirements for seating and sleeping, maximisation of storage space and any relevant legislative requirements, such as gangway width, entrapments gaps, etc.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a caravan or motorhome comprising an area having a table unit, a storage locker and at least one sofa, wherein the table unit is configured to stow a table top substantially vertically with respect to a nominally horizontal floor section, the storage locker is provided at an end of at least one sofa and the table unit is provided adjacent the storage locker.

The area may be provided at the front, mid or rear of the caravan. The front, mid or rear of the caravan may be with respect to an intended direction of travel.

The feature of the table unit being configured to stow the table top substantially vertically allows the table unit to be of reduced depth compared to conventional caravan and motorhome table units, in which the table top is stored substantially horizontally, typically in two pieces. Reduced depth may refer to a reduced length in the intended direction of travel of the caravan or motorhome, preferably resulting in a reduced amount of protrusion into an interior of the caravan or motorhome. The reduction in the depth of the table unit reduces the amount by which the table unit protrudes into the seating area, thereby optimising the amount of living space in the caravan or motorhome. The reduction in depth of the table unit allows the length of the sofa to be maximised. The sofa may be convertible into a bed and vice versa; and so the reduction in depth of the table allows the length of the bed to be maximised.

The provision of the storage locker at the end of the sofa, adjacent the table unit, advantageously utilises otherwise-unused space in the front area of the caravan.

The table unit may comprise a slot for receiving the table top. The table top may be received in the slot when stowed in the table unit. The slot may be substantially vertical, for holding the table top in a substantially vertical orientation. The table top may be adapted to be deployed by pulling the table top out of the slot and pivoting the table top so it is supported to extend substantially horizontally from the table unit preferably with respect to the nominally horizontal floor section. The table top may comprise a protrusion that may slide along a side channel adjacent the slot in the table unit. The side channel may guide the table top when it is being deployed from the slot. The table top may comprise a lip that may protrude from the upper end of the slot when the table top is in the stowed position. The lip may provide a surface for a user to grip to deploy the table. A storage pocket may be provided in a front face of the table unit, which may be beneath the table top when the table top is in the deployed configuration.

The table top may be extendable, to provide a table in a first length or a second length. The second length may be greater than the first length. The table top may comprise a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being hingedly attached to the second portion. The second portion may be pivotable about a hinge connection so that the second portion may lie parallel to the first portion to provide the table having the first length and to lie coplanar, or in line, with the first portion in an end-to-end arrangement to provide the table having the second length. This feature provides the advantage that the table may be used in shortened mode (when the table is the first length), or an extended mode (when the table is the second length), depending on the situation. For example, it may be desired to use the table in an extended mode when users are eating at the table, whereas it may be desired to use the table in a shortened mode at other times, in order to place a television or other objects on the table.

The table unit may be adapted to stow the table top when the second portion is pivoted to lie parallel to the first portion. This may allow the table to be stowed vertically without having to increase the height of the table unit.

The storage locker may comprise a front door. The front door may be pivotably connected to a lower portion of the storage locker, so that the front door may be pivoted downwards to provide access to the storage locker. The front door may comprise a handle at an upper end, to allow a user to pull open the front door. The front door may be openable when the sofa is in a bed configuration as well as in a sofa configuration.

The storage locker may comprise a top flap, preferably located at an upper part of the storage locker, preferably in a substantially horizontal orientation when in a closed position. The top flap may be pivotably connected to a back portion of the storage locker, so that the top flap may be pivoted upwards to provide access to the storage locker. The front door and the top flap may be operably connected so that the top flap may be opened synchronously with the front door. The feature of the top flap opening synchronously with the front door improves accessibility to the interior of the storage locker.

The storage locker may be manufactured from a combination of injection moulded solid polymer and cellular foam components. An exterior surface of the storage locker may be at least partially covered with a fabric trim. The fabric trim may match a fabric cover of the sofa.

The front area may comprise two sofas and two storage lockers. A first sofa may be adjacent a left wall of the caravan and a second sofa may be adjacent a right wall of the caravan. A first storage locker may be provided at the end of the first sofa and a second storage locker may be provided at the end of the second sofa. The table unit may be provided between the two storage lockers. Side edges of the table unit may contact a side edge of each of the lockers.

The storage lockers and table unit may extend across a front wall of the caravan, filling the space at the front of the caravan. The width of the storage lockers may correspond to the width of the seat cushions of the sofas and the width of the table unit may correspond to the width of the space between the sofas. The provision of a storage locker on each side of the table unit in the front area of the caravan or motorhome may optimise the usable space in the front area of the caravan or motorhome.

The front door of the storage lockers may lie in plane with the front face of the table unit. The depth of the storage lockers may be greater than the depth of the table unit. The storage lockers may be adapted to extend in a depth direction into a gas locker of the caravan. The gas locker may be provided at the front of the caravan, behind the table unit and storage lockers. The storage lockers may extend into the gas locker, and gas bottles may be provided in a space in the gas locker between the backs of the two storage lockers.

The storage lockers may comprise a heat management means that may be provided on a rear face of the storage lockers. The heat management means may be configured to manage heat flow from a radiator, for example a radiator placed at a low level on the gas locker.

The invention extends to an interior layout of a motorhome or caravan comprising an area including a table unit, a storage locker and at least one sofa as described in the above aspect.

The invention extends to an interior of a caravan or motorhome comprising at least a table unit, a storage locker and at least one sofa as described in the above aspect.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a configuration of a front seating area in a caravan;

Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show a table for the front seating area in isolation;

Figure 3 shows the front seating area with the table in a half-fold mode;

Figure 4 shows the front seating a with the table in a fully-extended mode;

Figure 5 shows a storage locker in the front seating area;

Figures 6A and 6B show the storage locker in isolation;

Figure 7 shows a cut-away side view of the front seating area and gas locker;

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the front seating area and gas locker;

Figure 9 shows a further example of a configuration of a front seating area in a caravan;

Figure 10 shows a storage locker in the front seating area of the further example in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 shows the front seating area of the further example in Figure 9 with the table in a deployed configuration.

As shown in figure 1, the front seating of the caravan comprises a table unit 10, a left storage locker 12a and a right storage locker 12b, and a left sofa 14a and a right sofa 14b. The sofas 14a, 14b are convertible into a bed. Each sofa 14a, 14b is provided against an opposing side wall of the caravan, and a space 16 is provided between the sofas 14a, 14b. The left and right storage lockers 12a, 12b are provided at the ends of the left and right sofas 14a, 14b respectively. The table unit 10 is provided between the left and right storage lockers 12a, 12b.

The storage lockers 12a, 12b and table unit 10 extend across the front wall of the caravan, filling the space at the front of the caravan between the back cushion of the left sofa 14a and the back cushion of the right sofa 14b. The widths of the storage lockers 12a, 12b correspond to the width of the seat cushions 18 of the sofas 14a, 14b and the width of the table unit 10 corresponds to the width of the space 16 between the sofas 14a, 14b.

The top surfaces 20 of the storage lockers 12a, 12b, when the storage lockers are closed, lie in substantially the same plane as the top surface 22 of the table unit 10. This may provide a surface for placing items. The plane of the top surfaces 20, 22 of the storage lockers 12a, 12b and table unit 10 are adjacent the bottom end of the front windows of the caravan.

As shown in figures 2A, 2B and 2C, a table top 24 is adapted to be stored substantially vertically in the table unit 10. The table unit 10 comprises a substantially vertical slot 26 for receiving the table top 24. The table top 24 can slide out of the slot 26 and be supported to lie horizontally. The table unit 10 comprises side channels 28 for guiding the table top 24 from the stowed position to the deployed position. The table top 24 comprises a protrusion 30 that slides up the channel 28 as the table top 24 is deployed. The table unit 10 comprises two abutment portions 32, 34 that act to support the table top 24 to lie horizontally when deployed. The first abutment portion 32 contacts the bottom surface 36 of the deployed table top 24 and the second abutment portion 34 contacts the top surface 38 of the table top 24. The second abutment portion 34 is provided behind the first abutment portion 32, in a direction from the front to the rear of the table unit 10. Figures 2C and 3 show the table unit with the table top deployed.

The table top 24 comprises a lip 40, which provides a handle for a user to grip in order to deploy the table top 24. When the table top 24 is stowed in the slot 26 in the table unit 10, the lip 40 projects above the end of the slot 26, so it may be easily gripped by a user.

As shown in figures 1 and 2A-C, the table unit 10 also comprises a storage pocket 42 on a front surface 44 of the table unit 10. The storage pocket 42 is a substantially vertical slot provided in the front surface 44 of the table unit 10, beneath the table top 24 when the table top 24 is deployed.

In some examples, the table top 24 comprises two portions 46, 48 that can be folded over each other to provide a shorter table top. As shown in figure 4, the table top can be unfolded to provide an extended table. An end of the bottom portion 46 is hingedly connected with an end of the top portion 48, to allow the top portion 48 to pivot between a position in which it lies on top of the bottom portion 46 and a position in which it lies coplanar with the bottom portion 46. The length of the top portion 48 is the same as the length of the bottom portion 46, so that the length of the table top 24 doubles when extended. The table top 24 is stowed in the folded configuration.

Figure 5 shows the left storage locker 12a in an open configuration in the caravan front area. The storage lockers 12a, 12b each comprise a front door 50 and a top flap 52. The front door 50 is openable in a direction away from the front wall of the caravan. A top end of the front door 50 comprises a handle 54 which can be gripped by a user to open the front door 50 by pivoting the door downwards 50, as shown in figures 6A and 6B. A bottom edge 56 of the front door 50 is pivotably connected to the base 58 of the storage locker. The top flap 52 is pivotably connected to a back wall 60 of the storage locker 12a, 12b.

The front door 50 and the top flap 52 are operably connected so that when a user opens the front door 50, the top flap 52 pivots upwards to provide improved access to the contents of the storage locker 12a, 12b. A rod 60 is pivotably connected to a pivot point on the front door 50 and is also pivotably connected to a pivot point on the top flap 52, to cause the top flap 52 to open synchronously with the front door 50, as shown in figures 6A and 6B. Opening the front door 50 causes the rod 60 to move upwards, as the base pivots up, and causes the top flap 52 to pivot to open upwards as it is pushed up by the rod 60.

Trays 62 are provided in the storage lockers 12a, 12b for holding goods. The storage lockers 12a, 12b are accessible when the sofas 14a, 14b are in the sofa configuration and also when the sofas 14a, 14b are in the bed configuration.

The front doors 50 of the storage lockers 12a, 12b and the front surface 44 of the table unit 10 lie in the same plane. The depth of the storage lockers 12a, 12b is greater than the depth of the table unit 10. As shown in figures 7 and 8, the storage lockers 12a, 12b extend in a depth direction from the front area into the gas locker 64. The gas locker 64 is provided at the front of the caravan and provides a space for storing gas bottles 66. The storage lockers 12a, 12b extend back into a space in the gas locker 64, with the gas bottles 66 being stored in the space between the backs of the two storage lockers 12a, 12b, as shown in figure 8. This may optimise use of space in the caravan, reducing the amount of unused space in the gas locker 64 and increasing the volume of the storage lockers 12a, 12b.

Figures 9 to 11 show a further example of a front chest configuration having many of the same features as those shown in Figure 1. Reference numerals have been altered so that any reference shown Figures 1 to 8 can be found in Figures 9 to 11 with an additional 1 prefixed to it. For example, the table unit 10 of Figure 1 corresponds with the table unit 110 of Figure 9.

As above, the front seating of the caravan comprises a table unit 110, a left storage locker 112a and a right storage locker 112b, and a left sofa 114a and a right sofa 114b. The sofas 114a, 114b are convertible into a bed. Each sofa 114a, 114b is provided against an opposing side wall of the caravan, and a space 116 is provided between the sofas 114a, 114b. The left and right storage lockers 112a, 112b are provided at the ends of the left and right sofas 114a, 114b respectively. The table unit 110 is provided between the left and right storage lockers 112a, 112b.

The left and right storage lockers 112a, 112b each comprise a top flap 152. The top flap 152 is operable by a user to provide access to the contents of the storage locker 112a, 112b.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to 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.

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 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 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 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 caravan or motorhome comprising an area having a table unit (10), a storage locker (12a, 12b) and a sofa (14a, 14b), wherein the table unit (10) is configured to stow a table top (24) vertically, and wherein the storage locker (12a, 12b) is provided at an end of the sofa (14a, 14b) and the table unit (10) is provided adjacent the storage locker (12a, 12b).

2. The caravan or motorhome of claim 1, wherein the table top (24) is extendable to provide a table in a shortened length or an extended length, the table top (24) comprising a first portion (46) and a second portion (48), the first portion (46) being hingedly attached to the second portion (48) so that the second portion (48) is pivotable to lie on top of the first portion (46) to provide the standard-length table and to lie in plane with the first portion (46) in an end-to-end arrangement to provide the extended-length table.

3. The caravan or motorhome of claim 2, wherein the table unit (10) is adapted to stow the table top (24) when second portion (48) is pivoted to lie over the first portion (46).

4. The caravan or motorhome of any preceding claim, wherein the storage locker (12a, 12b) comprises a front door (50) that is pivotably connected to a lower portion (58)_of the storage locker (12a, 12b), so that the front door (50) may be pivoted downwards to provide access to the storage locker (12a, 12b).

5. The caravan or motorhome of claim 4, wherein the storage locker (12a, 12b) further comprises a top flap (52) that is pivotably connected to a back portion (60) of the storage locker (12a, 12b), so that the top flap (52) may be pivoted upwards to provide access to the storage locker (12a, 12b).

6. The caravan or motorhome of claim 5, wherein the front door (50) and the top flap (52) are operably connected so that the top flap (52) is opened synchronously with the front door (50) when the front door (50) is opened.

7. The caravan or motorhome of any preceding claim, wherein the front area comprises two sofas (14a, 14b) and two storage lockers (12a, 12b), wherein a first sofa (14a) of the two sofas (14a, 14b) is provided adjacent a left wall of the caravan and a second sofa (14b) of the two sofas (14a, 14b) is provided adjacent a right wall of the caravan, and a first storage locker (12a) and a second storage locker (12b) are provided at an end of the first sofa (14a) and the second sofa (14b) respectively.

8. The caravan or motorhome of claim 7, wherein the table unit (10) is provided between the first storage locker (12a) and the second storage locker (12b).

9. The caravan or motorhome of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the width of each of the first and second storage lockers (12a, 12b) corresponds to the width of the respective first and second sofa (14a, 14b), and the width of the table unit (10) corresponds to the width of a space between the sofas (16).