Patent ID: 11927008
Assignee: GRUPPO ITALTELO S.P.A.
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  B | IPC E

Claim 0:
1. Extendable structure (1) adapted to operate between a retracted configuration and at least one at least partially extended configuration, the extendable structure (1) comprising:
a box-shaped body (2) comprising at least one upright (3, 4), a width (W3, W4) of said at least one upright (3, 4) defining, in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1), a width (W2) of the box-shaped body (2),
a foldable floor element (11) hinged in proximity to or at a lower portion (3b, 4b) of said at least one upright (3, 4), in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1) the foldable floor element (11) being folded and being placed in proximity to said at least one upright (3, 4), in a step of opening the extendable structure (1)—aimed to determine a transition of the extendable structure (1) from the retracted configuration to said at least one at least partially extended configuration—the foldable floor element (11) being transversely spread out, at least partially away from said at least one upright (3, 4), in a completely extended configuration of the extendable structure (1), the foldable floor element (11) being substantially flat and transverse to said at least one upright (3, 4),
a foldable ceiling element (14) hinged in proximity to or at an upper portion (3a, 4a) of said at least one upright (3, 4), in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1) the foldable ceiling element (14) being folded and being placed in proximity to said at least one upright (3, 4), in the step of opening the extendable structure (1)—aimed to determine the transition of the extendable structure (1) from the retracted configuration to said at least one at least partially extended configuration—the foldable ceiling element (14) being transversely spread out, at least partially away from said at least one upright (3, 4), in the completely extended configuration of the extendable structure (1) the foldable ceiling element (14) being substantially flat and transverse to said at least one upright (3, 4),
wherein, in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1), the foldable floor element (11) and the foldable ceiling element (14) are housed within the box-shaped body (2) and the box-shaped body (2) defines an overall size of the extendable structure (1);
wherein the extendable structure (1) also comprises at least one actuator (24, 25; 26, 27) configured for determining the transition of the extendable structure (1) from the retracted configuration to said at least one at least partially extended configuration, said at least one actuator (24, 25; 26, 27) being configured also for determining the transition of the extendable structure (1) from said at least one at least partially extended configuration to the retracted configuration, wherein said at least one actuator (24, 25; 26, 27) is arranged at or in proximity to said at least one upright (3, 4) and is housed, in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1), within the box-shaped body (2), said at least one actuator (24, 25; 26, 27) being operatively connected to at least one of the foldable floor element (11) and the foldable ceiling element (14) and being configured for at least partially moving at least one of the foldable floor element (11) and the foldable ceiling element (14), the movement of at least one of the foldable floor element (11) and of the foldable ceiling element (14) determining the folding or the spreading out thereof;
wherein the box-shaped body (2) also comprises at least one lateral wall (5, 6), in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1) said at least one lateral wall (5, 6) being placed in proximity to said at least one upright (3, 4) and laterally delimiting the box-shaped body (2) defining a side thereof, in said at least one at least partially extended configuration of the extendable structure (1) said at least one lateral wall (5, 6) being spaced with respect to said at least one upright (3, 4), wherein the foldable floor element (11) is hinged in proximity to or at a lower portion (5b, 6b) of said at least one lateral wall (5, 6) and the foldable ceiling element (14) is hinged in proximity to or at an upper portion (5a, 6a) of said at least one lateral wall (5, 6), and wherein in the opening step the spreading out of the foldable ceiling element (14) and the foldable floor element (11) determines a moving away of said at least one lateral wall (5, 6) from said at least one upright (3, 4), in a step of closing the extendable structure (1)—aimed to determine the transition of the extendable structure (1) from said at least one at least partially extended configuration or from the completely extended configuration to the retracted configuration—the folding of the foldable ceiling element (14) and the foldable floor element (11) determining an approach of said at least one lateral wall (5, 6) to said at least one upright (3, 4);
wherein the foldable ceiling element (14) and the foldable floor element (11) are extended at a same side of said at least one upright (3, 4) and are configured for being moved in a mirrored manner with respect to a plane crossing through a center line of said at least one upright (3, 4) orthogonal to a main extension direction (D3, D4) of said at least one upright (3, 4), the center line being defined with reference to the main extension direction (D3, D4) of said at least one upright (3, 4), in which the foldable ceiling element (14) comprises a first foldable ceiling portion (15) and a second foldable ceiling portion (16) extending at opposite sides of said at least one upright (3, 4) and the foldable floor element (11) comprises a first foldable floor portion (12) and a second foldable floor portion (13) extending at opposite sides of said at least one upright (3, 4), the first foldable ceiling portion (15) and the second foldable ceiling portion (16) being configured for being moved in a mirrored manner with respect to a plane crossing through said at least one upright (3, 4) parallel to the main extension direction (D3, D4) of said at least one upright (3, 4), the first foldable floor portion (12) and the second foldable floor portion (13) being configured for being moved in said mirrored manner with respect to the plane crossing through said at least one upright (3, 4) parallel to the main extension direction (D3, D4) of said at least one upright (3, 4); and
wherein said at least one actuator (24, 25; 26, 27) includes a first actuator (24; 26) and a second actuator (25; 27) both being arranged at or in proximity to said at least one upright (3, 4) and housed, in the retracted configuration of the extendable structure (1), within the box-shaped body (2), the first actuator (24; 26) being operatively connected to the foldable floor element (11) and being configured for at least partially moving the floor element (11), the second actuator (25; 27) being operatively connected to the foldable ceiling element (14) and being configured for at least partially moving the foldable ceiling element (14).