ZA200601439B - A caravan - Google Patents

Description

200z;0 1439

The invention provides a caravan which includes: a towable body having a hollow interior which defines a main living compartment of the caravan; and a sub-frame which is displaceably mounted on the body for displacement between a retracted traveling position and an extended position in which a hollow interior of the sub-frame provides an auxiliary room which can be entered from the main living compartment and which is operatively horizontally spaced from the main living compartment, the auxiliary room being bordered by rigid walls.

By caravan is meant a road vehicle capable of being towed by a motor car for providing a temporary stationary dweliing, and thus inciudes mobile homes or the like. it will be appreciated that, as the auxiliary room is horizontally spaced from the main living compartment, the auxiliary room and the main living compartment will typically be at the same level.

The sub-frame may have walls which border the auxiliary room, the walls preferably being provided by rigid panels which are located in the main living compartment when the sub-frame is in its traveling position. The sub-frame is thus preferably non-collapsible.

In a preferred embociment 5 the vention, the sub-irame is elongated, being dimensioned for providing a bedroom or at least one sleeping berth when the sub-frame is in its extended position. The hollow interior of the sub-frame may thus be 1.5 -- 2.5 m long, preferably being 1.8 -- 2 .2 m long. In addition, the hollow interior of the sub-frame may be 1 -- 2m wide, preferably being about 1.5 m wide.

Conveniently, the auxiliary room may de a bedroom, the sub- frame thus including a bed or a sleeping berth housed in its interior. The sub- frame may also include electric cabling which is connected to the electrical system of the caravan body, to provide electric power in the auxiliary room even when the sub-frame is in its extended position.

The interior of the caravan body may be provided with furniture or fittings in the main living compartment, the furniture or fittings being displaceable or collapsible between an operative position in which retraction of the sub-frame into its traveling position is obstructed, and a stowed position in which the furniture or fittings are clear of the sub-frame during retraction thereof into the main living compartment. The sub-frame may thus, for example, include a table which is vertically displaceable between its operative position and its stowed position.

The caravan may include a support mechanism for supporting arranged to act between the sus-frame in {hz caravan vody 707 insiance being in the form of support rails which extend horizontally beneath the sub- frame and being slidably receivable on the caravan body. Instead, the support mechanism may be arranged to act between the ground and the sub- frame, to space the sub-frame from the ground, for instance being in the form of a support prop.

The sub-frame may be slidably mounted on the body, being rectilinearly displaceable between its extended and its retracted positions.

Typically, the sub-frame is longitudinally aligned with the body of the caravan, so that the sub-frame projects from an end wall of the caravan body when the sub-frame is in its extended position. in such case, the hollow interior of the sub-frame may be closed otf by an end wall at an end of the sub-frame furthest from the caravan body when the sub-frame is in its extended position, the end wall of the sub-frame optionally being receivable in a complementary recess in the outer surface of the caravan body at the associated end of the body, so that the end wall of the sub-frame is flush with the adjacent outer surface of the body. The sub-frame may be slidable either towards a front of the caravan body, or, instead, towards a rear of the body.

SEF 1

In another embodiment of the invention, the sub-frame is laterally displaceable relative to the caravan body, so that, in its extended position, the sub-frame is located to a side of the main living compartment. with reference tc tne accompanying diagranmnialic drawings, Ji wiih

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a caravan in accordance with the invention, the caravan being in its compact traveling condition;

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, the caravan being in its expanded condition; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary three dimensional view from above of the caravan of Figure 1, the caravan being in its expanded condition.

In the drawings, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a caravan in accordance with the invention. The caravan 10 has a frame or body 12 which defines a main living compartment 14 (see figure 3), and a sub-frame 16 which is mounted on the body 12 for providing an auxiliary or extra room 18 which is horizontally spaced from the main living compartment 14.

The caravan body 12 is supported in conventional fashion on a pair of co-axial road wheels, the caravan 10 being designed for towing thereof by a road vehicle, such as a motor car (not shown). The body 12 is generally brick-shaped, being rectangular parallelepipedal, so that it has a rectangular horizontal floor 20 opposed by a parallel and opposed rectangular roof 22; two rectangular and opposed side walls 24 which rise vertically from opposite side edges of the floor 20, and a pair of more or less square end walls 26 which extend roughly vertically between end edges of the side walls 24 and between end edges of the floor 20 and roof 22. A fore-and-aft direction of the caravan

The sub-frame 16 is an elongated brick-shaped unit which is hollow and is mounted on the body 12 such that it is rectilinearly displaceable relative to the body 12 of the caravan 1C for moving the sub-frame 16 between a compact traveling position (Figure 1) and an extended position (Figures 2 and 3) in which the hollow interior of the sub-frame 16 provides an auxiliary room 18 which is in communication with the main living compartment 14 and branches out horizontally frem the main iiving compaiiment 14.

To this end, the sub-frame 16 is open at one end thereof and is closed at its other end by an end wall 30 which is more or less vertical. When the sub-frame 16 is in its traveling position, the end wall 30 of the sub-frame 16 forms part of the associated end wall 26 of the caravan body 12, being more or less co-planar therewith. The front end wall 26 of the caravan body 12 provides a peripheral recess 32 in which the end wall 30 of the sub-frame 16 is receivable, so that the end wall 30 of the sub-frame 16 is flush with the outer surface of the caravan body 12. Gripping openings 34 form part of this recess 32 to permit the insertion of a user's hand for manual gripping and expansion of the sub-frame 16.

As the sub-frame 16 is elongated and is disposed more or less horizontally, the majority of the sub-frame 16 is located in the main living compartment 14 when the sub-frame 16 is in its traveling position. in this example, the main living compartment 14 includes a dining table 38 which is main living compaiiment 14.

In this example, the auxiliary room 18 provided by the sub-frame 16 is intended as a sleeping compartment, and is thus 1.8m long, 1.5m wide, and 1.2m high. Aithough not shown in the drawings, the sleeping compartment is provided with a bed which rests on a floor 40 of the sub-frame 16, the bed being lengthwise aligned with the auxiliary room 18.

The sub-frame 16 has four orthogonally arranged walls 42 of rigid paneling, so that the sub-frame 16 is substantially rigid and is non- collapsible. When the sub-frame 16 is in its traveling position, it provides an elongated sleeping compartment which is enclosed by substantially rigid walls 40, 42 on all sides, except for an entrance opening into the main living compartment 14 at the inner end of the auxiliary room 18. In this example, the auxiliary room 18 has a single window 44 set in the outer end wall 30, but it will be appreciated that windows or even doors can, in other examples, be provided in side walls 24 of the sub-frame 16.

The caravan 10 further includes a support mechanism for supporting the sub-frame 16 in its extended position. In this example, the support mechanism comprises a pair of support rails 48 which are disposed more or less horizontally and which are fast with the sub-frame 16 adjacent its distal end. The rails 48 are positioned beneath the sub-frame 16 and are slidably housed in the caravan body 12, so that the rails 48 are slidably fraveiing pesition to its exiendec position. in other embodiments of ine invention, the support mechanism can include at least one support prop for spacing the extended sub-frame 16 from the ground. in use, the caravan 10 is hitched to a draught vehicle and towed in conventional fashion to a desired destination. During such towing, the caravan 10 is in a compact traveling condition, the sub-frame 16 being located in the main living compartment 14 defined by ihe caravan body 12. The outward appearance of the caravan 10 in this condition is similar to that of a standard caravan 10, as the end wall 30 of the sub-frame 16 is snugly received in its complementary recess 32 in the front wall 26 of the caravan body 12.

Upon arrival at the desired destination, the caravan 10 is unhitched and is parked to provide a temporary dwelling. A user then grips the end wall 30 of the sub-frame 16 and pulls it lengthwise away from the caravan body 12, so that the sub-frame 16 slides rectilinearly out of the body 12. The support rails 48 automatically extend with the sub-frame 16, to support the sub-frame 16 in its extended position.

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Once the sub-frame 16 has thus been extended, its hollow interior. which opens out into the main living compartment 14, provides an auxiliary sleeping room 18 which is in communication with the main living compartment 14. The dining table 38 is then erected, having been located

An occupant of the caravan 10 can thus use the whole main living compartment 14 for waking activities such as eating, food preparation or leisure, and can retreat to the bed provided in the auxiliary rocm 18 when the user wishes to sleep.

When further traveling is required, the caravan 10 is again returned to this compact traveling condition by pushing ihe suc-frame 16 sack into the caravan body 12 and locking it in position. Naturally, the dining table 38 is first collapsed to clear the path for sliding retraction of the elongated sub- frame 16.

It is an advantage of a caravan 10 as shown with reference to the drawings that it provides a caravan with increased living space without markedly affecting the towing characteristics or the size of the caravan 10 in its compact traveling condition. The auxiliary room 18 is bordered by rigid walls and thus has the look and feel of a solid compartment, which would not be the case if the caravan 10 was provided with an expandable compartment bordered by canvass walls.

Claims (19)

CLAIMS:

1. A caravan which includes: a towable body having a hollow interior which defines a main living a sub-frame which is cispiacaabily mounted iv he D0Cy 101 displacement between a retracted traveling position and an extended position in which a hollow interior of the sub-frame provides an auxiliary room which can be entered from the main living compartment and which is operatively horizontally spaced from the main living compartment, the auxiliary room being bordered by rigid walls.

2. A czrevan as ciaimed in cigim 4, in whicn the subd-rame nas walls which border the auxiliary room, the walls being provided by rigid panels which are located in the main living compartment when the sub-frame is in its traveling position.

3. A caravan as claimed in claim 2, in which the sub-frame is non- collapsible.

4. A caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the sub-frame is elongated, being dimensioned for providing a bedroom or at least one sleeping berth when the sub-frame is in its extended position.

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5. A caravan as claimed in claim 4, in which the hollow interior of the sub-frame is 1.5 -- 2.5 m long.

6. A caravan as claimed in claim 5, in which the hollow interior of

7. A caravan as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 inclusive, in which the hollow interior of the sub-frame is 1 -- 2 m wide.

8. A caravan as claimed in claim 7, in which the hollow interior of the sub-frame is about 1.5 m wide.

gS. A caravan as ciaimec in any ona of the preceding claims, whick includes a bed or a sleeping berth housed in the interior of the sub-frame.

10. A caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the sub-frame includes electric cabling which is connected to the electrical system of the caravan body, tc provide electric power in the auxiliary room even when the sub-frame is in its extended position.

11. A caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the interior of the caravan body is provided with furniture or fittings in the main living compartment, the furniture or fittings being displaceable between an operative position in which retraction of the sub-frame into its traveling position is obstructed, and a stowed position in which the furniture or fittings are clear of the sub-frame during retraction thereof into the main living compartment.

12. A caravan as claimed in claim 11, in which the furniture or fittings displaceable pelween iis operative position and its stowed position

13. A caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes a support mechanism for supporting the sub-frame in its extended position.

14. A caravan as claimed in claim 13, in which the support mechanism is arrangaa to act between the sud-irams 0 the caravan body

15. A caravan as claimed in claim 13, in which the support mechanism is arranged to act between the ground and the sub-frame, to space the sub-frame from the ground.

16. A caravan as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the sub-frame is slidably mounted on the body, being rectilinearly displaceable between its extended and its retracted positions.

17. A caravan as claimed in claim 16, in which the sub-frame is longitudinally aligned with the body of the caravan, so that the sub-frame projects from an end wall of the caravan body when the sub-frame is in its extended position.

18. A caravan as claimed in claim 17, in which the interior of the sub- caravan body when tne sub-frame is 10 iis exienged position, the end wall or the sub-frame optionally being receivable in a complementary recess in the outer surface of the caravan body at the associated end of the body, so that the end wall of the sub-frame is flush with the adjacent outer surface of the body.

19. A caravan as claimed in claim 16, in which the sub-frame is laterally dispiaceebie reigtive {o the caravan body, sc that, in iis extended position, the sub-frame is located to a side of the main living compartment. DATED THIS 17™" DAY OF FEBRUARY 2006 ES ADAMS & ADAMS APPLICANT'S PATENT ATTORNEYS