Patent Abstract:
A dwelling system having a housing for enclosing an oversized vehicle where the oversized vehicle is generally an oversized vehicle such as a large truck, a recreational vehicle or a mobile home, for example. In one embodiment, the housing uses oversized doors with mock doors and windows such that the oversized garage enclosure is externally concealed. In another embodiment, the garage includes components that are vertically actuable so as to accommodate ingress and egress of an oversized vehicle.

Full Description:
This application claims benefit of provisional application No. 60/070,252, filed Dec. 31, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for enclosing an oversized vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for enclosing an oversized vehicle within a housing structure such that the oversized vehicle is fully enclosed within the housing structure. 
     Motor Homes, recreational vehicles (“oversized vehicles”) and mobile homes, collectively referred to as “oversized vehicles,” have recently enjoyed an increase in popularity. Oversized vehicles provide a spontaneous mobility that is relatively inexpensive as opposed to a fixed dwelling which is generally more expensive and is immovable. The fixed dwelling, however, provides the owner a relatively spacious living area and is a welcome addition to most communities. In contrast, oversized vehicles are generally not welcomed into residential neighborhood and are considered as detrimental to the general appearance of such a neighborhood. 
     In addition, dump trucks, tractors, and other types of commercial vehicles can be too large to fit within conventional garages, they too are not welcomed in residential neighborhoods. 
     While oversized vehicles may be practical for use in campgrounds or in commercial settings, often times there are local ordinances and subdivision restrictions that do not allow oversized vehicles visibly located on residential lots. Further, there are often residential zoning requirements which limit the size of a garage and the size of the garage door that can be used. And, since an oversized vehicle is by definition a large vehicle, housing the oversized vehicles within a standard residential garage is not an option. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a structure that accepts the oversized vehicle such that it is fully enclosed therein. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide an oversized vehicles and dwelling combination that will fit in oversized vehicles parks. 
     These and other objects of the invention will be obvious and will appear hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aforementioned and other objects are achieved by the invention which provides a dwelling system and a method associated therewith. The dwelling system comprises an oversized vehicle and a housing. 
     The oversized vehicle is generally a vehicle which is mobily disposed and is larger than what a conventional residential garage will accept. Examples of such oversized vehicles are recreational vehicles and mobile homes. 
     Generally, the housing has one or more rooms and is optionally a structure in which one or more people could dwell therein. The housing is adapted to be fully enclosed within the housing and is not visible from an external portion of the housing. 
     In further aspects, the invention provides methods in accord with the apparatus described above. The aforementioned and other aspects of the invention are evident in the drawings and in the description that follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other objects of this invention, the various features thereof, as well as the invention itself, may be more fully understood from the following description, when read together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows an cross-sectional view of the dwelling system of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of the oversized vehicle disposed under a housing as per the invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the housing of the invention where the oversized vehicle is larger than a width of the housing; 
     FIG. 4A shows a side view of a retractable entryway into the housing with an open doorway; 
     FIG. 4B shows a front view of a retractable entryway into the housing with an open doorway; 
     FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the dwelling structure where the oversized vehicle is disposed within the housing; 
     FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a housing which is adapted to have an entry at one end and an exit at another end; 
     FIGS. 7A and 7B show a front view of an alternative embodiment of the invention where the oversized vehicle is fully enclosed within the housing and the housing is mechanically interconnected to the oversized vehicle from a vertical surface. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     While the present invention retains utility within a wide variety of dwelling systems and may be embodied in several different forms, it is advantageously employed in connection with recreational vehicles and mobile homes. Though this is the form of the preferred embodiment and will be described as such, this embodiment should be considered illustrative and not restrictive. One skilled in the art will realize that the invention is useful with any type large vehicle that may not readily fit into a conventional garage. Therefore, as used herein, the term “oversized vehicles” shall be defined as any such vehicle without limitation. Further, illustrated and described herein is a structure that mates directly with the oversized vehicle. One skilled in the art will realize that no such mating need be performed to accomplish the goals of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of the dwelling system  10  where a housing  12  is adapted to receive an oversized vehicle  20 . In this embodiment, the housing  12  is structured so as to receive the oversized vehicle  20  below a living area  16 . The housing is, in this embodiment, sized to accommodate the oversized vehicle  20  below the living area  16 . The housing  12 , and therefore the living area  16 , can then be sized to maximize the square footage of living space given the lot size. 
     In one embodiment, access to the oversized vehicle  20  is achieved through the floor of the housing  12  through the roof  28  of the oversized vehicle  20 . While the invention is not limited to any particular method of ingress and egress, this embodiment allows the housing  12  to not require plumbing or other amenities which can be used within the oversized vehicle  20 . Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, access to the oversized vehicle  20  from the housing  12  achieved through an access way  26  disposed in a roof  28  of the oversized vehicle  20 . The access way  26  has a weather tight door which when in a normally closed position seals the interior of the oversized vehicle  20  from external elements. In other embodiments, however, the need for a weather proof door would be unnecessary. For example, the housing  12  could be accessed by exiting the oversized vehicle  20  from a side door and then using an access way, such as stairs, offset to a side of the oversized vehicle  20  to enter the housing  12 . In such an embodiment during entry into a living area  16 , the occupants would be protected from external elements from above, but not from the side. Other offset forms of access ways should be readily apparent. 
     When using the door on the roof  28 , however, the access way  26  is retractable in any of numerous ways well known in the art to open the access way  26 . 
     Once the access way  26  is open, a mating structure  18 , such as the stairs which are illustrated for example, can pass therethrough. One skilled in the art will realize that any structure that provides vertical access can serve as the mating structure  18 . Other examples are telescoping ladders and elevators. The mating structure  18  is retractable into the housing  12  and is lockable in that position to insure security to the housing  12 . The method of retraction is again design specific and ranges from a manual spring-biased structure to a structure having electric motors to cause retraction and engagement, for example. In the preferred embodiment, each such mating structure  18  can be locked, and in one embodiment engaged, using a key at ground level. 
     For homes that are known to be unoccupied for long periods of time, an elevated and lockable mating structure  18  is a desirable element of security. If the mating structure  18  is the primary means of ingress, an intruder would need a ladder to enter the housing  12 , thus becoming highly visible thereby discouraging such actions. 
     When the mating structure  18  is unlocked, a force moves the mating structure  18  into an engaged position. In the illustrated embodiment, the mating structure  18  is a flight of stairs which is rotatably connected at one end to the housing  12 . The force is manual and is actuated by pulling a rope from below or pushing down from above, though electric motors can be substituted without detriment to the invention. 
     Actuation as described causes the mating structure  18  to rotate about the hinges. Once fully engaged, the mating structure  18  locks in position. 
     In the engaged position, the mating structure  18  is in mechanical contact with a floor  32  of the oversized vehicle  20 . Occupants of the living area  16  then access the facilities of the oversized vehicle  20  by walking down the mating structure  18  into the oversized vehicle  20 . Examples of such facilities would be sanitary facilities  22 , such as a toilet and a sink and a kitchen area  24 . Since the facilities that require plumbing such as the sanitation facilities  22  are disposed within the oversized vehicle  20 , the housing  12  need not have plumbing. Thus, the requirement of winterizing the housing  12  when the housing  12  is unoccupied for any long period of time is avoided. 
     The above-described embodiment shows a means by which the oversized vehicle  20  is accessed from the housing  12  and the space necessary for the mechanical interconnection of the two dwellings is minimized. However, the oversized vehicle  20  in that embodiment is fully exposed to passersby. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment where the oversized vehicle  20  is fully enclosed within the housing  40 . However, since zoning laws often limit the size of a garage door in residential areas, the invention provides for a system by which access can still be achieved while maintaining the appearance of standard-size garage doors. 
     Another problem addressed in this embodiment is the overall length of the oversized vehicle  20 . The length of the oversized vehicle  20  is commonly on the order of twenty-four feet long. This length can exceed the width of the housing  40 . To manage the additional width of the oversized vehicle  20 , a garage addition  44  extends from the housing  40 . The enclosed space below the living area  16  and the area enclosed by the garage addition  44  define a chamber  42  where the oversized vehicle  20  is ultimately stored. 
     The garage addition  44  consists primarily of a roof  46  and an entryway  48 . Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B with continuing reference to FIG. 3 the entryway  48  opens to allow access to the oversized vehicle  20 . A mock garage door  49 , however, is the size of a standard garage door. In the preferred embodiment, the mock garage door  49  is an operable garage door. Access through the entryway  48  is accomplished by using a two-part door system  52 ,  54  which is rotatably hinged about lateral surfaces of the garage addition  44 . Additionally, at least a portion  50  of the roof  46  is rotatably disposed relative to the roof  44 , thereby allowing the oversized vehicle  20  with its additional height to enter into what would otherwise have been a smaller opening. To reiterate, a first door  52 , a second door  54  and at least a portion  50  of the roof  46  each rotate about hinges to allow entry of the oversized vehicle  20  into the chamber  42 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, as previously discussed, the chamber  42  fully encloses the oversized vehicle  20  therein. In one embodiment, access to the oversized vehicle  20  is then as is commonly achieved for typical automobiles. That is, the occupants exit the vehicle through a side door of the oversized vehicle and enter the housing  40  through a door in the housing  40 . In this embodiment, the housing is a fully functional dwelling that may be a permanent home having plumbing and sanitation facilities disposed therein. Compliance with relevant regulations is achieved in that the only “garage door” is the mock garage door  49  which is to code and the oversized vehicle  20  is not otherwise externally visible. As will be shown later herein, this purpose can also be achieved with a housing structure disposed adjacent to the chamber  42 . 
     In another embodiment, the mating structure  18  retractably engages the oversized vehicle  20  and establishes the mechanical interconnection as was previously described. Also shown in this embodiment is an accordion-like structure  56  which provides a substantially airtight seal between the oversized vehicle  20  and the housing  40 . This accordion like structure  56  ensures that a heating system disposed within the housing  40  or within the oversized vehicle  20  can heat the structure not having such a system if necessary. Further, an air conditioning system disposed in the housing  40  or oversized vehicle  20  can cool the other without significant thermal loss to the environment. 
     In FIG. 6, a housing  60  is shown having a garage addition  44  as previously described including an entryway  48  which is hinged to allow forward access  66 . Thus, in a manner similar to the previous embodiment, the entryway  48  opens to allow the oversized vehicle  20  to become fully enclosed in the housing  60  and again the mating structure  18  within the housing  60  engages the oversized vehicle  20  such that a mechanical interconnection is achieved. In contrast to the previous examples, however, the housing  60  includes a second garage addition  62  having an exit way  64 . The exit way  64  is adapted to open similar to that of the entryway  48  where a first and a second door rotate as well as a portion of the roof. The exit way  64  then allows the oversized vehicle  20  to drive forward thereby providing for a forward egress  68 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, there is a shown a housing  70  having a set of large double doors  72  disposed therein. The large double doors  72  are constructed such that a bottom portion is a mock double garage door  74  and an upper portion of the large double door  72  has a split window  76 , which when the large double door  72  is closed the split window  76  looks as if it is a single window. 
     The large double door  72  can be rotatably disposed so as to rotate about hinges as previously described. A first door  78  and a second door  80  then rotate in opposing directions thereby allowing access to the oversized vehicle  82 . Alternatively, the large double door can retract into the housing similarly to an electric residential garage door or a commercial garage door. In such an implementation, the housing would be adapted to receive the large double door and hold the large double door after it was rotated ninety degrees. The large double door would also have to be collapsible in part in the vertical direction to retract into the housing. 
     In this embodiment, the oversized vehicle  82  is provided with access through the lateral surface of the oversized vehicle  82 . That is, a door in the lateral surface of the oversized vehicle  82  is interconnected with the housing  70  and a platform is provided therebetween through an access way  84 . As previously described, the access way  84  has a similar accordion-like structure  86  to provide a substantially airtight connection. 
     The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4