WO2008109954A1

WO2008109954A1 - A vehicle having a slide out

Info

Publication number: WO2008109954A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/000355
Authority: WO
Inventors: Colin Robert Maclean
Original assignee: Paradise Motor Homes Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-14
Filing date: 2008-03-13
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Also published as: AU2008226338A1; AU2008101284A4

Abstract

A recreational vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes walls that together define an interior space and a slide out (21) extending across a slide out opening in a wall. The slide out (21) comprises a main face (25) pivotally mounted to the body and a bottom support (32) mounted on the body extending out to the main face (25) in a direction transverse to the main face (25). The slide out (21) is movable between a retracted position in which the main face (25) extends broadly across the opening in the wall and the bottom support (32) is received within the vehicle, and an extended position in which the main face (25) pivots away from the wall and the bottom support (32) projects out through the wall. The main face (25) of the slide out (21) is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body towards its upper edge and the bottom support (32) bears against the main face (25) towards the lower edge thereof. In the extended position the slide out (21) increases the interior space within the body of the vehicle.

Description

A VEHICLE HAVING A SLIDE OUT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a slide out for a vehicle and a vehicle having the slide out.

This invention relates particularly but not exclusively to a recreational vehicle that is a motor home having a slide out and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this example application. However it is to be clearly understood that this invention is capable of broader application. For example the invention could be equally applied to caravans, and caravans with slide outs are considered to be well within the scope of the invention. The invention also extends to recreational vehicles such as fifth wheelers having slide outs. Yet further the invention also extends to non recreational vehicles such as trailers.

DEFINITIONS

In this specification the term motor home shall be understood to refer to a vehicle that has its own motive power and can be driven on a road much like a truck or a commercial van. The motor home defines an interior space containing front seats for a driver and a passenger and a rear living space that includes a kitchen and a dining area and a sleeping area and optionally also a bathroom.

In this specification the term slide out shall be understood to mean a portion of a vehicle that can be displaced outwardly when the vehicle is in a camping mode and is not being driven around whereby to create a larger interior space within the vehicle. The slide out may be mounted on a side wall or a front or rear wall of the vehicle and the vehicle may have more than one slide out.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A motor home is a road going vehicle that has its own motive power and that defines an interior space that contains features that enable a user/s to live out of the motor home. For example the motor home may have a kitchen/kitchenette, a dining area and/or lounge area, a bedroom area and optionally also a bathroom area.

It will readily be appreciated that a motor home should be designed to appeal to a wide cross-section of people. In particular it should be designed to appeal to mature age couples, including elderly people and also affluent people who are used to a high level of comfort in their living accommodation. To do this a motor home should have all the basic amenities of a dwelling as set out above and further each of these amenities should be as comfortable as possible.

In particular affluent and mature age couples would generally like their motor homes to be as spacious as possible. In particular they would like the transverse width of the vehicle body to be as wide as possible as this helps to create a spacious and roomy feel.

In addition affluent couples would usually like their motor home to have a double bed in a conventional sense, e.g. a queen sized double bed. Further these couples would generally also like their bed to be in a so called island configuration. By island configuration is meant that it is possible for a user to walk around the foot of the bed and also along both sides of the bed. This enables each person to walk around to their side of the bed and then get onto the bed.

An example of a prior art motor home built into a van is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This motor home is a van type motor home in which motor home features are built into the existing van body which is a light commercial van. In the Fig. 1 illustration the van into which the motor home is built is a RENAULT ADVANTAGE™.

This limited internal width in the motor home 1 results in the motor home feeling cramped inside and generally lacking in a feeling of comfortable spaciousness. This is particularly so in the region of the motor home in which the kitchenette and the lounge seats and dinette are located. Clearly therefore it would be advantageous if the motor home could be widened in the region of the kitchen and lounge both to provide a greater width within the vehicle and overall to create a feeling of greater spaciousness.

Further in Fig. 1 the motor home has a transversely oriented double bed in a so called east-west configuration. However as is clearly shown in the Fig. 1 drawing the bed is snugly received within the width of the motor home with little clearance. A normal sized bed has a length of about 6 foot to enable most people to lie comfortably on it with their feet not projecting out over the foot of the bed. Specifically there is no space for a user to walk around the foot of the bed and up a remote side of the bed when they get into the bed. Instead the person sleeping on the far side would have to get onto the bed from the near side and then slide across to the far side of the bed. The vehicle has a maximum width of about 1.75m and the internal width is even less than this. The limited width of the vehicle means that there is not sufficient space to create a walkway around the foot of the bed, within an unaltered van body.

Clearly therefore it is a huge challenge for designers of motor homes to be able to provide an island double bed within the limited interior space conferred by the limited dimensions of a motor home. This is particularly so in smaller motor homes, such as van type motor homes.

It would be advantageous if a motor home could be devised that ameliorated the shortcomings of the prior art motor home illustrated in Fig. 1 and described above. In particular it would be advantageous if a small van type motor home could be devised that was able to have an island bed within it to enable each user of the bed to walk around to their side of the bed before getting on to the bed. It would also be advantageous if a way could be devised of widening the interior space of the motor home when it is being used in a camping configuration or mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle having a slide out, the vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening for a slide out; and at least one slide out comprising a main face member pivotally mounted to the body and extending across a said slide out opening in a wall, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which it broadly extends across the opening in the side wall and an expanded configuration in which it is pivoted outward away from the associated wall to increase the interior space defined within the body of the vehicle.

Thus the face member of the slide out is pivotally mounted to the associated wall and is pivoted outwardly in the expanded configuration to increase the interior space within the vehicle.

The main face member of the slide out may have an upper edge and a lower edge and may be pivotally mounted to the vehicle body towards its upper edge or its lower edge. The main face member may be substantially rectangular and it may have its longitudinal axis extending in a broadly horizontal direction. The face member of the slide out may be pivotally mounted to the vehicle body along its upper edge. The face member of the slide out may be pivotally mounted to the vehicle body by means of a hinge mounting, e.g. a piano hinge extending along its upper edge.

The slide out may further include a bottom support member that is mounted on the body of the vehicle and extends transverse to the main face member for closing off a bottom of the slide out. The bottom support member closes off the bottom of the space defined by the main face member.

The bottom support member may be received within the vehicle body in the contracted configuration and may move substantially horizontally outwardly out through the opening in the side wall into the expanded configuration. The bottom support member is displaced laterally outwardly by the width of the slide out.

The bottom support member may have an inner edge and an outer edge and the outer edge may be positioned next to the main face member. The outer edge of the bottom support member may engage the main face member towards the lower edge of the main face member. It may be pivotally attached to the lower edge of the main face member or it may bear against the lower edge of the main face member.

Thus in the contracted configuration the outer edge of the main face member is broadly aligned with the side wall of the body (as is the main face member) However in the expanded configuration the bottom support member is spaced laterally outwardly of the wall of the vehicle body as is the main face member.

Thus the bottom support member may bear up against the face member of the slide out without actually being positively attached thereto. In another form the bottom support member may be positively attached to the face member of the slide out in a way that permits it to pivot thereto.

The main face member may be substantially planar. This enables it to lie flat on the side of the body when the slide out is in the contracted configuration.

The slide out may further include end face members disposed at each end of the main face member for closing off the ends of the slide out. The end face members may be rigid and may be integral with the main face member. The end face members may extend perpendicularly to the main face member and may be sized and configured to fully close off the ends of the main face member. The main face member and the end face members together with the bottom support member help to close off the interior space of the vehicle from the outside when the slide out is in the expanded configuration.

The end face members of the slide out may be broadly triangular in shape with the apex of the triangle proximate to the point at which it pivots relative to the body.

The lower edge of the slide out may pivot to a position in the expanded configuration where it is spaced 200-800mm, e.g 400-600mm laterally outward away from its position in the contracted configuration, i.e. this is the distance in a horizontal direction.

Correspondingly the slide out may be able to pivot through an angle of 10-45 degrees, e.g. 20-35 degrees, when changing from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

The slide out may include guide means for guiding movement of the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations.

The slide out may also include means for checking the slide out in the expanded configuration. The check means may also check the position of the slide out in the contracted configuration.

The guide means and the check means may comprise a guide channel on one of the body and the slide out and a mechanical linkage on the other of the body and the slide out. The linkage moves in the channel which guides the movement of the slide out. The linkages may have one or more detents thereon and the ends of the channel may also define transverse check formations within which the detents on the linkage can be received to check the slide out in the expanded and contracted configurations.

Conveniently the mechanical linkage may be mounted on the slide out and the guide channel may be mounted on the body.

Thus the check means may be used to check and hold the slide out in the expanded configuration once it has been moved into the expanded configuration. The vehicle may also include means for resisting the main face member from being lifted up beyond the expanded configuration. The purpose of this feature is to prevent an unauthorised person who is outside the vehicle from gaining access to the interior space of the vehicle through the slide out.

The means for resisting lifting may comprise a mechanical linkage extending between the main face member and the bottom support member, e.g. a link member on the slide out sliding within a slot on the bottom support member. It may also include a bracket on the bottom support member engaging the body, e.g. the bed support on the body, for preventing the bottom support member from being lifted off the vehicle body while still permitting it to be slid across the vehicle body.

In one form the means for resisting excess lifting of the main face member may be formed by the guide channel on the body and linkage on the slide out. However it will also be appreciated that this feature could be provided in a number of different forms.

The slide out may include a handle formation on the bottom support member and the slide out may be manually displaced by a user from the contracted to the expanded configurations. The weight of the slide out member and the bottom slide out member may be not so great that it would be unduly onerous to do this.

In order to move the slide out from the expanded configuration back to the contracted configuration the user simply releases the check means that checks it in the expanded configuration and then slides the bottom support member back into the vehicle body. This permits the main face member to pivot back down to the contracted configuration under the influence of gravity.

The vehicle may further include drive means for driving the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations.

The drive means may include two members that are movable relative to each other to move the slide out relative to the body. One of the members is mounted to the vehicle body and the other member is mounted on the slide out. In one form the drive means may comprise a linear actuator and one member may be a screw threaded rod and the other member may be a lead screw or nut that engages the screw threaded rod.

In another form the drive means may comprise a hydraulic ram and the one member may be the housing of the hydraulic ram and the other member may be a piston for the hydraulic ram.

In one particular form of the invention the drive means comprises a linear actuator with a screw threaded rod on the vehicle and a lead screw or nut that is mounted on the slide out and is fast with the slide out. In particular the lead screw may be mounted on the bottom support member of the slide out.

Each slide out may be moved between the contracted and expanded configurations by means of a single said drive means comprising a pair of moveable members, e.g. a single linear actuator. Applicant has found that a single said drive means is usually sufficient to move the slide out between the two positions.

The drive means, e.g. the linear actuator or the hydraulic ram, may further include a limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out when it reaches the contracted configuration in one direction and a further limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out when it reaches the expanded configuration in the other direction.

This way the linear actuator or ram moves the slide out very precisely into the expanded and contracted configurations each time it is used. This precise movement assists in achieving efficacious sealing of the slide out against the body of the vehicle.

In one form of the invention the vehicle body may include a bed support that is mounted thereon and does not move relative to the vehicle body. The bed support may be mounted on the floor of the vehicle adjacent the slide out.

In said one form of the invention the bottom support member of the slide out is mounted on the bed support where it forms a bed base or has a bed base mounted thereon.

The bottom support member, when moving between the contracted and expanded configurations thus slides on the bed support which is spaced above the floor. Conveniently the bottom support member may form the bed base and may be in the form of a substantially planar sheet of material, e.g. planar board material.

The drive means may be mounted on the vehicle by being mounted on the bed support and may be operatively coupled to the bed base.

The vehicle may include other components of a bed mounted on the bed base, e.g. a mattress.

The bed may include a head and a foot and the head may be positioned inside the slide out adjacent to the main face member of the slide out. The bed may move together with the slide out when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

The vehicle may have one said slide out and the slide out may be defined in a side of the vehicle. In particular the slide out may be defined in the right side of the vehicle body towards the rear of the vehicle.

Thus when the bed is received within the expanded slide out the foot of the bed is moved away from the opposing side of the body creating a walkway around the foot of the bed. This produces a double bed with an island style configuration.

Instead of a bed the vehicle may include a kitchenette, e.g. kitchen counter and cupboards, mounted on the slide out within the interior space of the vehicle. Specifically the kitchenette may be mounted on the bottom support member of the slide out. The kitchenette may move together with the bottom support member when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

Yet further instead of a bed or kitchenette the vehicle may include a seat, e.g. a bench type seat for two or more people within the interior space of the vehicle and extending along a side of the vehicle body mounted on the slide out. Specifically the seat may be mounted on the bottom support member of the slide out. The seat may move together with the slide out when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

The slide out may extend a substantial portion of the length of the associated side wall of the vehicle, e.g. a length of 1m to 5m along the wall. In one form the slide out has a length of about 1.3m to 1.6m. This slide out is sufficiently long to receive the width of a double bed within its longitudinal extent.

In another form the slide out has a length of 3 to 5m. This slide out can fit the width of a double bed along its length as well as a kitchen counter or kitchen bench and a seat capable of seating two people side by side.

In some forms the bottom of the slide out, i.e. the bottom support member or the bottom of the opening in the side wall may be above the floor level, e.g. about 30cm to 70cm above the floor level. Further the upper edge may be proximate to, or even adjacent to, a roof of the vehicle.

In other forms the bottom support member or the bottom of the opening in the side wall may be substantially aligned with the floor level. Further the upper edge may be proximate to, or even adjacent to, a roof of the vehicle.

In yet other forms the slide out may have a substantially less vertical extent. The vertical extent may be 0.3m to 1.2m, e.g. 0.5m to 1.0m. It could be used for a myriad of uses or applications including a bookshelf, a table or the like.

The vehicle may include more than one said slide out mounted thereon.

The vehicle may include two or more slide outs mounted along one side wall.

The vehicle may include one or more slide outs mounted on one side wall and another one or more slide outs mounted on the other side wall.

The vehicle may also include a slide out, e.g. as defined above in the first aspect of the invention, mounted on a rear wall. The vehicle with the slide out on the rear wall may also include one or more slide outs on the side walls in any combination of slide outs on the side walls described above.

The vehicle may be a motor home. Further the motor home may be a commercial van type of motor home. Instead the motor home may be a cab chassis type of motor home. The vehicle may be a caravan. The vehicle may also be a fifth wheeler. Further the vehicle may also be a trailer.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle having a slide out, the vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening for a slide out; at least one slide out comprising a main face member pivotally mounted to the body and extending across a said slide out opening in a side wall and a bottom support member mounted on the body extending out to the main face member in a direction transverse to the main face member, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which the main face member extends broadly across the opening in the side wall and the bottom support member is received within the body, and an expanded configuration in which the main face member is pivoted outward away from the associated wall and the bottom support member projects out through the opening in the wall to the main face member to close off a bottom of the slide out, whereby to increase the interior space defined within the body of the vehicle.

The main face member of the slide out may have an upper edge and a lower edge and may be pivotally mounted to the vehicle body towards its upper edge. The bottom support member may bear against the main face member towards the lower edge thereof. Thus the bottom support member moves with the lower edge of the main face member.

The slide out may further include end face members at each end of the main face member.

The bottom support member together with the main face member and the end face members closes off the space defined collectively by the slide out. Thus the slide out opens into the interior space of the vehicle through the opening in the side wall but otherwise is closed off from the outside.

The vehicle may also include drive means for driving the slide out from the contracted to the expanded configurations and back again. The drive means may be in the form of a linear actuator or a hydraulic ram. The vehicle may include any one or more of the other optional features described above in the first aspect of the invention.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle comprising: a body having two side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, and a floor and roof that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening for a slide out; a bed support mounted on the body of the vehicle adjacent the slide out opening; at least one slide out comprising a main face member extending across a said slide out opening in a side wall having an upper edge and a lower edge and being pivotally mounted to the body towards its upper edge, the slide out further including a bottom support member in the form of a bed base mounted on said bed support; the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which the main face member is broadly aligned with the associated wall and the bottom support member is received within the vehicle body, and an expanded configuration in which the main face member is pivoted outward away from the associated wall and the bottom support member moves with the main face member outwardly away from the side of the vehicle whereby to increase the interior space defined within the body of the vehicle.

Thus the slide out provides additional width within the interior space of the vehicle to enable a double bed to be received therein while also providing a pedestrian walkway around the foot of the bed.

The slide out includes end face members mounted on each end of the main face member.

The drive means may comprise a single said linear actuator for driving the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations.

The vehicle may further include a double bed mounted on the bed base.

The bed base may have a size and shape that complements that of the bed which rests on top of it.

The bed support may have a longitudinal length that is less than that of the bed base which is mounted on top of it. Thus the foot of the bed base may overhang the foot of the bed support in the contracted configuration. The foot of the bed base may be broadly aligned with an end of the bed support in the expanded configuration.

The bed support may comprise a horizontally extending frame. The members making up the bed support frame may have a low friction material on the upper surface thereof.

The frame members may be made of a light weight metallic material, e.g. aluminium and the metallic material may be coated with a smooth coating, e.g. a smooth tape that is adhered onto the surface.

The bed base slides over the bed support when moving from the contracted to the expanded configurations and back again. The low friction material ensures that the bed base slides easily over the bed support without much frictional resistance.

The vehicle may include any one or more of the optional features defined in the first aspect of the invention described above.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle body comprising: a body shell member having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening for a slide out; and at least one slide out comprising a main face member pivotally mounted to the body shell member and extending across a said slide out opening in a side wall, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which it broadly extends across the opening in the side wall and an expanded configuration in which it is pivoted outward away from the associated wall to increase the interior space defined within the body of the vehicle.

The slide out may further include a bottom support member that is mounted on the body of the vehicle and extends transverse to the main face member for closing off a bottom of the slide out.

The body and the slide out may further include any one or more of the optional features of the body and the slide out defined in the first aspect of the invention above. According to yet another aspect of this invention there is provided a slide out for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening, the slide out comprising: a main face member for pivotally mounting to the body and extending across a said opening in a said wall; and a bottom support member for mounting on the body and extending out to the main face member in a direction transverse to the main face member for closing off a bottom of the slide out, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which the main face member broadly extends across the opening in a said wall and the bottom support member is received within the body and an expanded configuration in which the main face member is pivoted outward away from the associated wall and the bottom support member projects out through the opening in the wall to the main face member.

The slide out may include any one or more of the features of the slide out described above in the first aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle that is a motor home in accordance with this invention may manifest itself in a variety of forms. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe at least several embodiments of the invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The purpose of providing this detailed description is to instruct persons having an interest in the subject matter of the invention how to carry the invention into practical effect. However it is to be clearly understood that the specific nature of this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding broad description. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a layout of an interior space for a motor home in accordance with the prior art;

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a layout of a motor home having a slide out in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an external three dimensional view of the motor home of Fig. 2 showing the slide out in the expanded configuration;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the vehicle of Fig. 2, section through IV-IV showing a slide out in a contracted configuration and a double bed mounted on the slide out; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the vehicle in Fig. 2, section through IV-IV showing the slide out in the expanded configuration;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through part of the vehicle of Fig. 2 including the slide out, section through Vl-Vl; Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view through part of a vehicle having a slide out in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a three dimensional view of the slide out on the vehicle shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view through part of a vehicle having a slide out in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, the drawing showing the change in position of the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations;

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view through a motor home having a slide out in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, again showing the change in position of the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations;

Fig. 11 a cross sectional view of a vehicle that is a variation on the vehicle in Fig. 2 showing the slide out in the expanded configuration;

Fig. 12 is a schematic plan view of a layout of a motor home having a slide out in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 13 is a three dimensional view of part of the interior space including that formed by the slide out on the vehicle of Fig. 12.

Fig. 1 is described in the background to the invention section above. As it forms part of the prior art and does not form part of the invention it will not be described in further detail in the specific description below.

In Figs. 2 to 6 reference numeral 1 refers generally to a motor home that is a van type motor home in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

The motor home 1 comprises a vehicle body 3 having two parallel sides 5 and 7 and a front wall or end 9 and a rear wall or end 11 extending between the two sides 5 and 7. The motor home 1 also includes a floor 13 and a roof 15 that bound the sides 5 and 7 and the front and rear ends 9 and 11 in a vertical direction and together with the sides and front and rear define an interior space 17.

The motor home 1 further includes a slide out 21 defined in the side wall 7. The slide out 21 comprises a main face member 25 that extends across the corresponding opening defined in the side wall 7 and side or end face members 27 and 29 disposed at each end of the face member 25. The face member 25 has an upper edge 31 and a lower edge 33 and is pivotally mounted to the main body 3 of the motor home 1 and specifically the associated side wall 7 along its upper edge 31.

The slide out 21 further includes a bottom support member 32 that closes off the bottom of the slide out 21 and extends from the side 7 of the vehicle 1 across to the lower edge 33 of the main face member 25. It also extends substantially the full length of the main face member 25.

The slide out 21 is movable between a contracted configuration in which the slide out does not expand the interior space 17 of the vehicle body 3 and an expanded configuration in which the slide out 21 pivots laterally outwardly away from the wall 7 to increase the interior space 17 within the vehicle 1.

The main face member 25 is broadly aligned with the vertically extending side 7 of the motor home 1 in the contracted configuration and does not expand the interior space 17 of the vehicle body 3. Further the bottom support member 32 is received within the vehicle body 3 with a substantially horizontally extending orientation in the contracted configuration.

The main face member 25 is pivoted outwardly away from the side 7 of the motor home 1 in the expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration the upper edge 31 of the face member 25 stays aligned with the side 7 of the body 3 because it is pivotally mounted there to and the lower edge 33 is spaced outwardly away from the side 7. The end face members 27 and 29 extend across the space between the face member 25 and the side 7 in the expanded configuration thereby closing off the space within the slide out 21 from the outside.

In the expanded configuration the bottom support member 32 is displaced laterally outwardly out of the side 7 of the vehicle 1. The bottom support member 32 has an inner edge 34 that stays within the vehicle body 3 in both configurations and an outer edge 36 that is adjacent the side 7 of the body 3 in the contracted configuration. The outer edge 36 is positioned outward of the side 7 of the body 3 up against the lower edge 33 of the main face member 25 in the expanded configuration. The body 3 includes a bed support 41 mounted on the body 3 and fast with the body 3 that extends up from the floor 13 of the body 3 adjacent to the slide out 21.

The motor home 1 further includes a double bed 35 that is positioned adjacent to the slide out 21. The bed 35 includes the bed base, which is the bottom support member 32 of the slide out 21 described above, which is slidably mounted on the bed support 41 and a mattress 45 on top of the base 43. The bed base 32 moves with the slide out 21.

The bed 35 has a head 37 that is positioned next to the main face member 25 of the slide out 21 and thus when the slide out 21 moves out beyond the side wall into the expanded configuration the bed 35, and particularly the head of the bed, moves with it. The bed 35 also has a foot 38 at the opposite end to the head 37.

The bed support 41 comprises a horizontally extending open frame that is made of square tubes 47 of a light metallic material such as aluminium. The outer surfaces of the square tubes 47 and particularly the upward facing surfaces thereof have a low friction coating 49 applied thereto and this enables the base 32 to slide over the bed support 41 without much frictional resistance.

The bed base 32 comprises a substantially planar sheet of material such as board material that slides over the frame making up the bed support 41 and particularly the rails 47 with the low friction coating 49 thereon. The bed base 32 further includes side retaining formations 55 for guiding the longitudinal sliding movement of the bed base 32 over the bed support 41 between the contracted and expanded configurations such that the sides of the base 32 stay aligned with the sides of the support 41. The frame 51 also includes bottom retaining formations 57 for resisting the bed 35 including the bed base 32 from being lifted off the bed support 41.

In the illustrated embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the retaining formations 55 comprise plates that extend down from the bed base 32 over each side of the bed support 41 and further plates 57 that extend laterally inward from the plates 55 under the frame of the bed support 41 to resist the bed from being lifted off the bed support 41.

The bed support 41 has a rectangular shape in outline that corresponds to the width of a double bed 35 that is mounted on the support 41. However the bed support 41 is shorter in a longitudinal direction than the bed base 32 and the foot 38 of the bed base 32 overhangs the bed support 41 to some extent. The extent of the overhang corresponds broadly to the extent of outward movement of the slide out 21 as will become apparent from the discussion below.

The bed mattress 45 has a similar size and shape to the base 32 of the bed 35 and the sides of the mattress and base 32 are broadly aligned with each other.

The motor home 1 in Figs. 2 to 6 also includes drive means for driving the slide out from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

In the illustrated embodiment the drive means is in the form of a linear actuator 61 having a screw threaded rod 63 mounted on the bed support 41 beneath the bed base 32 and a lead nut or lead screw on the base 32 of the bed. The rod 63 is operatively coupled to an electric motor that is energised by the battery and that causes the rod 63 to rotate within the lead nut. This displaces the lead nut along the length of the rod 63 thereby effecting movement of the slide out 21 in the direction of the rod 63. As the structure and function of linear actuators would be known to persons skilled in the art it will not be described in greater detail in the specification.

The linear actuator 61 will have a first limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out 21 in the contracted configuration when it is moved to this position from the expanded configuration. The linear actuator 61 will also have a second limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out 21 in the expanded configuration when it is moved to this position from the expanded configuration.

The slide out 21 also includes a mechanical linkage 65 extending between the main face member 25 and the bottom support member 32 for resisting movement of the slide out 21 in a direction away from the side 5 of the body 3 beyond the expanded configuration. This feature in combination with the retaining formations 55 and plates 57 on the bed base described above that engage the railings of the bed support stops the main face member being lifted up beyond the expanded configuration. For example this stops someone outside of the motor home 1 from lifting the slide out 21 upwardly to gain access to the interior space 17 of the motor home 1. The mechanical linkage 65 is thus a security feature. In use on a road the motor home 1 will invariably have its slide out 21 in the contracted configuration as shown in Fig. 4.

In this configuration the foot 38 of the bed 35 is very close to the adjacent side wall 5 of the body 3 and there is not enough space to walk comfortably and easily around the foot of the bed 35.

When the vehicle 1 is taken off the road and is being used for living in, the slide out 21 can be moved to the expanded configuration shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

To do this the linear actuator 61 is used to drive the bottom support member which is the bed base 32 outward relative to the bed support 41. The main face member 25 is held by the linkage to the bottom support member 32 which in turn is held down by the bed support 41.

The bed base 32 bears against the lower edge 33 of the main face member 25 this pivots the slide out face member 25 upwardly into its expanded configuration. In the illustrated embodiment the bed base 32 is not positively attached to the slide out 21 and just pushes against it.

As described above the linear actuator 61 has a limit switch (not shown) that accurately stops the linear actuator 61 in the expanded configuration and a further limit switch (not shown) that accurately stops the linear actuator 61 in the contracted configuration.

As the bed base 32 moves out and the slide out 21 pivots up the bed 35 is translationally displaced into the additional interior space formed by the emerging slide out 21 and this causes a walkway to open up around the foot 38 of the bed 35 on the side 5 of the vehicle 1

The body 3 may be left in this expanded configuration for as long as is required. As described above the mechanical linkage described above 65 resists the slide out 21 from being lifted up beyond its expanded configuration. This stops an intruder from lifting up the main face member 25 to gain access to the interior of the slide out 21 and the rest of the interior space 17 of the vehicle body 3.

To move the slide out 21 back to the contracted configuration the linear actuator 61 is energised and the rod 63 is caused to rotate in a reverse direction relative to the lead screw to that previously used to expand the slide out 21. This rotation displaces the bed base 32 back into the vehicle body 3. The main face member 25 drops progressively back into its vertically extending configuration as the bed base 32 retracts inward.

In another embodiment of the motor home that is illustrated in Fig. 11 the linear actuator is substituted with a hydraulic ram. The ram has a housing 67 that is mounted on the bed support 41 and an extendible arm 68 that is attached to a lower surface of the bed base 32. The arm 68 pushes the bed base 32 out when the slide out 21 is expanded and retracts it inwards when the slide out 21 is contracted.

As hydraulic rams would be known to persons skilled in the art they will not be described in greater detail in this specification.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a motor home 1 in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

This motor home 1 is structurally and functionally similar to the motor home shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and therefore unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals will refer to the same components.

The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the earlier embodiment.

In this embodiment the slide out 21 includes a main face member 25 and end face members 27 and 29 at each end of the main face member 25. The main face member 25 is pivotally mounted to the associated side 7 of the vehicle body 3 along its upper edge. The end face members 27 and 29 are integral with the main face member 25 and move with it.

The slide out 21 also includes a bottom support member 32 that extends broadly parallel to the floor 13 of the body 3 and is displaced in a horizontally outward direction when the slide out 21 is moved to the expanded configuration. The bottom support member 32 has an outer edge 73 that projects into the space defined by the slide out 21 and a trailing edge 75 that is in the vehicle body 3. The body 3 may include a guide for guiding movement of the bottom support member 32 between the expanded and contracted configurations. The body 3 may also include check means (not shown) for holding or checking the bottom support member 32 in the expanded configuration.

In the illustrated embodiment the guide means and check means comprises a pair of mechanical linkages 76 on the end faces 27, 29 and a pair of guide channels 78 in the wall of the body 3 adjacent the end faces 27, 29. The linkages 76 may have detents thereon and the guide channels 78 may have transverse check slots for checking the linkage 76 in that particular position and holding the slide out 21 in the expanded or contracted configurations.

The bottom support member 32 also includes a handle 80 for assisting a user to manually displace the bottom support member 32 and thereby the full slide out 21 from the contracted to the expanded configurations and back again.

In the illustrated embodiment the main face member 25 of the slide out 21 can lean or bear against the leading edge 73 of the bottom support member 32 to support it in the expanded configuration. That is the bottom support member 32 butts up against the main face member 25 but it is not positively attached to it.

In another form that is not illustrated the bottom support member 32 may be positively attached to the main face member 25, e.g. towards the lower edge 33 thereof, by means of a pivotal mounting that permits the angle of the main face member 25 to the bottom support member 32 to be adjusted.

The bottom support member 32 and the main face member 25 can be manually moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations and back again. This can be accomplished by a user taking hold of the handle 80 on the bottom support member 32 and sliding it out into the expanded configuration. As it does this the outer edge 73 of the bottom support member 32 pushes the main face member 25 out into the expanded configuration.

The user checks the bottom and main face members 32 and 25 in this expanded configuration by displacing the detents on the mechanical linkages 76 into the check slots defined in the guide channels 78. To move the slide out 21 back to the contracted configuration the user moves the detents on the linkages 76 out of the check slots permitting the main face member 25 to pivot down under the influence of gravity. The bottom support member 32 can be pushed back into the vehicle 1.

In another embodiment that has not been illustrated the slide out 21 further includes a drive for driving the bottom support member 32 between the contracted and expanded configurations and back again.

The drive may be a linear actuator that is mounted on the floor 13 of the vehicle body 3 extending to the bottom support member 25 to which it is also attached. The linear actuator may be positioned beneath the bottom support member 25. Instead of a linear actuator a hydraulic ram or another drive may be used to achieve the same purpose.

Fig. 9 illustrates a motor home 1 with a slide out in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

This motor home 1 is structurally and functionally very similar to the motor home 1 shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and therefore unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals will refer to the same components.

The following description will focus on the difference between this embodiment and the embodiment described above with reference to Figs. 3 to 6.

In Fig. 9 the bottom support member 32 comprises a substantially planar bottom portion 75 (as does the member 32 in Fig. 7) and an upwardly extending wall portion 77 that extends up to the lower edge 33 of the main face member 25.

A seat 79 in the form of a long bench type seat is mounted on the bottom support member 32 that extends the length of the bottom support member 32. This bench seat 79 thus moves out with the slide out 21 when it is moved into the expanded configuration. This increases the interior space within the body 3 between the seat 79 and the opposite wall 5 of the motor home 1. The sloping main face member 25 of the slide out 21 provides sufficient clearance above the seat 79 to receive the upper body region of a user including the head of a user with some comfort.

Further the slide out 21 is moved between the expanded and contracted configuration by a drive in the form of a linear actuator 61 that acts on the bottom face member.

Fig. 10 illustrates a motor home with a slide out in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

This motor home is structurally and functionally very similar to the motor home shown in Fig. 9 and therefore unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals will refer to the same components.

The following description will focus on the difference between this embodiment and the embodiment described above with reference to Fig. 9.

In the Fig. 10 embodiment the bottom support member 32 comprises a planar bottom portion 75 and an upward extending wall portion 77. The vehicle 1 also includes a kitchen counter or bench top 85 with cupboards underneath the counter 85 mounted on the bottom support member 32, in particular portion 75 thereof.

The kitchen counter 85 moves out with the bottom support member 32 when it is moved into the expanded configuration. The sloping main face member 25 leaves sufficient space above the counter 85 for a user to use it in the normal way.

This feature has the effect of widening the space between the counter 85 and the opposite side 5 of the body 3 in a kitchen and dining area of the motor home 1. It thus increases the interior space 17 in the direction of width and this is very important in creating a feeling of increased spaciousness.

Fig. 11 has been described above with reference to Figs. 5 and 6.

In essence it discloses a drive means in the form of a hydraulic ram 76 for driving the bottom support member between the expanded and contracted configurations. Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate a motor home with a slide out in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

In Figs. 12 and 13 the motor home 1 has a slide out 21 that extends along a substantial portion of the length of the right side wall 7 of the motor home body 3. In fact the slide out 21 extends along about 60-80% of the length of the side wall 7.

The slide out 21 is a single slide out that is structurally very similar to the slide out 21 in Figs. 4 and 5. However instead of the slide out 21 having sufficient length to receive a double bed it is much longer than this. It is sized to receive a kitchen counter 85 and a bench type seat 79 for two people as well as a bed 35. The seat 79, kitchen counter 85, and the bed 35 are arranged broadly end to end along the length of the slide out 21. Further as shown in the drawings the bed 35 can have bed side tables on each side of the bed 35 in the slide out 21.

The bottom support member 32 will be different in the bed, kitchen and seat sections along the length of the side of the vehicle. In the bed section the bottom support member 32 will also serve as a bed base and will be the same as the support member described above with reference to Figs. 2 to 6 which is mounted on the support 41.

In the bench or counter section the bottom support member 32 will comprise a bottom portion 75 and an upwardly extending wall portion 77. Similarly in the seat section the bottom support member 32 also comprises a bottom portion 75 and an upwardly extending wall portion 77.

Further this embodiment may have three said linear actuators (not shown) for driving the slide out 21 between the contracted and expanded configurations. One linear actuator drives the bed section of the bottom support member. Another linear actuator drives the seat section of the bottom support member. Yet another linear actuator drives the kitchen counter section of the bottom support member.

In use the slide out 21 is driven from the contracted to expanded configurations by a plurality of linear actuators spaced apart along the length of the slide out 21. There may be one linear actuator mounted in the region of the bed, another in the region of the kitchen counter and another in the region of the seat.

Thus the entire slide out 21 moves out to the expanded configuration as a single unit with the main face member 25 pivoting out and up at the same speed along its full length. Similarly it moves down into the contracted configuration at the same speed as a single unit.

The slide out 21 is easy to change between the expanded and contracted configurations and further this change can be made fairly quickly.

The slide out in this embodiment creates a markedly wider interior space within the interior space 17 of the motor home body 3 along a major portion of its length. This increases the feeling of spaciousness within the interior space 17 of the motor home 1 and the consequent amenity conferred by the motor home 1.

An advantage of the motor home described above with reference to the drawings is that the slide out has a relatively simple structure and mechanism and thus is not very difficult to engineer and also it is not very expensive to make. It comprises a simple pivoting movement of one member and a translational sliding movement of another member. The hinge joint that permits the pivoting is a simple and reliable mechanism. Further the translational sliding of the other member is achieved by causing it to slide over a low friction surface formed by a frame.

A further advantage of the slide out described above is that the number of applications of it on a motor home is virtually unlimited. Any number of slide outs built into any given motor home. Yet further the slide outs can be built into any of the walls of the motor home. Yet further, more than one slide out can be arranged side by side on a wall of a motor home. Further its size in terms of both length of the slide out and the vertical extent or height of the slide out can vary. This provides the scope to very substantially increase the limited interior space of a motor home and particularly a van type of motor home. Further it can be made to be fitted in the sidewall of a commercially produced van.

A further advantage of the slide out described above is that it can be built into a motor home at a low cost. It comprises relatively few components and these components are relatively simple.

A further advantage of the slide out described above with reference to the drawings is that it enables the width of the vehicle to be increased at least over part of the length of the vehicle. One of the embodiments described above increases the width of the motor home over a large portion of its length. It is recognised that perhaps the most limiting dimension of a motor home is the width thereof and that therefore any contrivance that can increase the width of a motor home, particularly over a large portion of the length thereof, helps to improve the amenity thereof.

Further if the slide out has a length in the range of 1.3- 3m it only needs one linear actuator to drive it between the contracted and expanded configurations. This is because the mechanism is fairly simple and the load on the linear actuator is not too great. This factor also helps to keep the complexity and attendant cost of the linear actuator down. It also saves the additional weight associated with an extra slide out.

A further advantage of this slide out is that it can be manually displaced between the contracted and expanded configurations it is not too long. This further simplifies the mechanism and results in additional savings.

A further advantage of the slide out shown in the drawings is that it can receive the head of a double bed within the interior space defined by the slide out. This enables the foot of the bed to be displaced inward away from the opposed side of the vehicle a sufficient distance for a walkway to be provided around the foot of the bed.

It will of course be realized that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is herein set forth.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle having a slide out, the vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening for a slide out; and at least one slide out comprising a main face member pivotally mounted to the body and extending across a said slide out opening in a wall, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which it broadly extends across the opening in the side wall and an expanded configuration in which it is pivoted outward away from the associated wall to increase the interior space defined within the body of the vehicle.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , in which the main face member of the slide out has an upper edge and a lower edge and is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body towards its upper edge or its lower edge.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2, in which the main face member is substantially rectangular and it has its longitudinal axis extending in a broadly horizontal direction.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 3, in which the face member of the slide out is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body along its upper edge by means of a hinge mounting.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the slide out includes a bottom support member that is mounted on the body of the vehicle and extends transverse to the main face member for closing of the bottom of the slide out.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, in which the bottom support member is received within the vehicle body in the contracted configuration and is moved substantially horizontally outwardly out through the opening in the side wall into the expanded configuration.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6, in which the bottom support member has an inner edge and an outer edge and the outer edge engages the main face member towards the lower edge of the main face member.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7, in which the outer edge of the support member is pivotally attached to the lower edge of the main face member or it bears against the lower edge of the main face member.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8, in which the main face member is substantially planar, thereby to enable it to lie flat on the side of the body when the slide out is in the contracted configuration.

10. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the slide out includes end face members disposed at each end of the main face member for closing off the ends of the slide out.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10, in which the end face members are rigid and integral with the main face member.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11 , in which the end face members extend perpendicularly to the main face member and are sized and configured to fully close off the ends of the main face member, so that the main face member and the end face members together with the bottom support member help to close off the interior space of the vehicle from the outside when the slide out is in the expanded configuration.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, in which the end face members of the slide out are broadly triangular in shape with the apex of the triangle proximate to the point at which it pivots relative to the body.

14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 13, in which the lower edge of the slide out pivots to a position in the expanded configuration where it is spaced between 200 mm and 800 mm laterally outward away from its position in the contracted configuration.

15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 13, in which the slide is able to pivot through an angle of 10-45 degrees when changing from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

16. A vehicle as claimed any one of the preceding claims, in which the slide out includes guide means for guiding movement of the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations.

17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 16, in which the guide means comprise a guide channel on one of the body and the slide out and a mechanical linkage on the other of the body and the slide out.

18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 17, in which the slide out includes means for checking the slide out in the expanded configuration and/or check means for checking the position of the slide out in the contracted configuration.

19. A vehicle as claimed in claim 18, in which the linkages have one or more detents thereon and the ends of the channel define transverse check formations within which the detents on the linkage are received to check the slide out in the expanded and contracted configurations.

20. A vehicle as claimed in claim 19, in which the mechanical linkage is mounted on the slide out and the guide channel is mounted on the body.

21. A vehicle as claimed in claim 20, which includes means for resisting the main face member from being lifted up beyond the expanded configuration, thereby to prevent an unauthorised person from gaining access to the interior space of the vehicle through the slide out.

22. A vehicle as claimed in claim 21 , in which the means for resisting excess lifting of the main face member is formed by the guide channel on the body and linkage on the slide out.

23. A vehicle as claimed in claim 22, in which the slide out includes a handle formation on the bottom support member and the slide out is manually displaceable by a user from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

24. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes drive means for driving the slide out between the contracted and expanded configurations.

25. A vehicle as claimed in claim 24, in which the drive means includes two members that are movable relative to each other to move the slide out relative to the body, one of the members being mounted to the vehicle body and the other member being mounted on the slide out.

26. A vehicle as claimed in claim 27, in which the drive means drive means comprises a linear actuator and one member is a screw threaded rod and the other member is a lead screw or nut that engages the screw threaded rod.

27. A vehicle as claimed in claim 26, in which the drive means comprises a hydraulic ram and the one member is the housing of the hydraulic ram and the other member is a piston for the hydraulic ram.

28. A vehicle as claimed in claim 26 or claim 27, in which the drive means includes a limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out when it reaches the contracted configuration in one direction and a further limit switch for stopping movement of the slide out when it reaches the expanded configuration in the other direction.

29. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the vehicle body includes a bed support that is fixedly mounted thereon adjacent the slide out.

30. A vehicle as claimed in claim 29, in which the bottom support member of the slide out is slidably mounted on the bed support where it forms a bed base or has a bed base mounted thereon.

31. A vehicle as claimed in claim 30, in which the bottom support member is the bed base and is in the form of a substantially planar sheet of material.

32. A vehicle as claimed in claim 31 , in which the drive means is mounted on the vehicle by being mounted on the bed support and is operatively coupled to the bed base.

33. A vehicle as claimed in claim 32, in which the bed includes a head and a foot and the head is positioned inside the slide out adjacent to the main face member of the slide out, so that the bed moves together with the slide out when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

34. A vehicle as claimed in claim 28, which includes a kitchenette mounted on the slide out within the interior space of the vehicle, so that the kitchenette moves together with the bottom support member when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

35. A vehicle as claimed in claim 34, which includes a seat for two or more people within the interior space of the vehicle, so that the seat moves together with the slide out when it is moved from the contracted to the expanded configurations.

36. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one slide out includes a plurality of slide outs.

37. A vehicle as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the vehicle is selected from the group of vehicles comprising: a motor home, a caravan, a fifth wheeler and a trailer.

38. A slide out for a vehicle comprising a vehicle body having two side walls and a front wall and a rear wall that together define an interior space, at least one of the walls defining an opening, the slide out comprising: a main face member for pivotally mounting to the body and extending across a said opening in a said wall; and a bottom support member for mounting on the body and extending out to the main face member in a direction transverse to the main face member for closing off a bottom of the slide out, the slide out being movable between a contracted configuration in which the main face member broadly extends across the opening in a said wall and the bottom support member is received within the body and an expanded configuration in which the main face member is pivoted outward away from the associated wall and the bottom support member projects out through the opening in the wall to the main face member.