Patent Abstract:
A van is provided within its carrying compartment with an installation for use in the safe storage against theft of tradesmen&#39;s tools, such, for example, as electric drills. The installation comprises a substantially L-shaped frame, and several panels hingedly connected to the frame for movement between a collapsed, non obtrusive state in which chamber front and side panels are prostrate on, or adjacent to the compartment floor, and an erect state in which these are able to cooperated with a lid panel also hinged to the frame to create the chamber.

Full Description:
This application is a continuation of PCT/GB02/01475 filed Mar. 28, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to secure storage chambers for fixed installation within a compartment of a mobile vehicle, to kits of parts from which such storage chambers may be assembled, and to mobile vehicles having a vehicle compartment within which such a storage chamber shall have been installed. 
   The theft of valuable work tools, both mechanical and electro-mechanical, as well as other valuable items of substantial size, from mobile vehicles, notably motor vans, is commonplace, and it is the purpose of the present invention to offer a design for a secure storage chamber, being a chamber of a construction eminently well suited for installation, primarily, within a commodity carrying compartment of a van or other road vehicle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Mobile vehicles, and kits of parts as aforesaid, are as set forth in the claiming clauses, or any of them, accompanying this Application and, accordingly, the content of said claiming clauses and the inter-relationships therebetween are to be regarded, notionally, as being here set forth, also. 
   A tradesman&#39;s van and, more specifically, a kit of parts adapted for assembly such as to constitute a fixed secure storage chamber installation within the carrying compartment thereof, are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a side view of a motor van within which is installed a diagrammatically represented safe storage chamber structure; 
       FIG. 2  shows, pictorially, the structure represented in FIG  1 , safe storage chamber wall panels being disjointed and folded to an unobtrusive compact configuration; 
       FIGS. 3  to  5  show, pictorially, the first, second and third steps in the erection of the safe storage chamber from the compact configuration of  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5  being shown with part of the lid panel cut-away; 
       FIG. 6  shows the structure with the safe storage chamber in the fully erect configuration; and, 
       FIG. 7  shows the panel supporting frame of the installation. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The installation has a panel supporting frame ( FIG. 7 ) which comprises: a frame part  11  having first and second rigid, substantially L-shaped, square cross-section, mild steel, tubular side members  13 ,  15 , suitably of 2.5 mm wall thickness, said side members being respectively contained in spaced parallel planes; a frame first cross-member  17  which bridges corresponding first limb portions  19 ,  21 , respectively, of the L-shaped side members  13 ,  15  at the forward ends thereof; and, a frame second cross-member  23  which bridges corresponding second limb portions  25 ,  27  or the L-shaped frame side members  13 ,  15  at the upper ends thereof. 
   The first limb portions  19 ,  21 , and the first cross-member  17  of the frame, ate provided with a multiplicity of lugs  29  having passages adapted to receive bolt connectors (not shown) by means of which the installation, of which the frame  11  is part, is to be secured to the floor (not illustrated) of the vehicle compartment  31  (FIG.  1 ). When so secured, the first limb portions  19 ,  21 , of the frame side members, and frame first cross-member  17  are contained in a horizontal plane, and the second limb portions  25 ,  27 , of said frame side members, and the frame second cross-member  23  are contained in a vertical plane. 
   Attached to the frame  11 , there are, in the example, four panel members. Each of the aforesaid panel members comprises a body of flat sheet mild-steel, suitably of 2.5 mm gauge, and an endless mild-steel tubular sub-frame of square cross-section identical to that of the side frame members  13 ,  15 , each sub-frame being of a size and shape such as to extend round the periphery of the body of sheet material, the sub-frame and the body being secured together by tack welds at intervals around the sub-frame. 
   One of the four panel members is a front panel member  33  the bottom member of whose box-section sub-frame is connected by spaced apart hinges  35  to the frame box-section first cross-member  17 , the hinges being such as to constrain the front panel member  33  for angular displacement between a first, or collapsed, position ( FIG. 2 ) at which the front panel member lies flat parallel with the compartment floor, and a second, or erect, position ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 , and  5 ), at which the panel member  33  extends, transversely of the vehicle, upright with respect to the compartment floor. The sub-frame of the front panel member has, at its extremities, upstanding posts, as  37 . 
   First and second side panel members  39 ,  41 , have their sub-frames respectively connected, at hinges, as  43 , to the sub-frame of the front panel member  33  adjacent to the side edges  45 ,  47 , thereof. 
   It will be observed (FIG.  2 ), with the front panel member  33  in the collapsed state, the side panel members  39 ,  41 , are such as each to lie with one major surface thereof in face to face contact with the compartment floor, and with the other in supporting face to face contact with the front panel member  33 . 
   Projecting from corresponding major surfaces of the side panels  39 ,  41 , there are two posts (not shown) each provided with a diametral hole towards the free and thereof, and the front panel  33  has two passages, as  33 ′, at spaced locations such that with the front and side panel members in the collapsed position shown in  FIG. 2 , the aforesaid posts are respectively received within said passages  33 ′, the free ends of the posts projecting proud of the front surface of the front panel  33 . Elongate wire clips (not shown) extend through the passages, the side and front panel members being thereby held for movement as one. 
   In swinging the front panel member  33  upwardly from the collapsed to the erect position, the aide panel members  39 ,  41 , are compelled to follow. The second limb portions  25 ,  27 , of the frame side members  13 ,  15 , have inwardly extending transversely aligned lugs  49 ,  51 , respectively, through which correspondingly located passages, as  53 , extend, and the sub-frames of the side panel members  39 ,  41 , carry posts, as  55 , the positions of which are such as, when the front panel member  33  is in the upright position, to be able, respectively, to enter the passages  53 , the second limb portions  27 ,  29 , of the frame side members  13 ,  15 , thereby serving in the provision of rigid support for the hingedly connected front  33  and side panel members  39 ,  41 . 
   The fourth panel member is constituted by the lid  57 . The lid  57  spans the space between the vertical, second limb portions  25 ,  27 , of the frame side members  13 ,  15 , being supported therebetween for angular displacement about a transverse axis X - - - X defined by transversely aligned first and second pivotal bearing arrangements, as  59 . 
   The lid  57  is angularly displaceable about the axis X - - - X between the vertical plane ( FIGS. 2  to  5 ) and the horizontal plane (FIG.  6 ). Projecting outwardly from the underside  61  of the lid  57  at or adjacent to the side edges thereof, there are first and second lugs  63 ,  65 , respectively, and, projecting from the outer extremities of the upper edge of the lid panel  57 , there are apertured lugs  67 ,  69 , respectively. 
   At the ends of the second cross-member  23 , bridging the frame side members  13 ,  15 , there are elbow extension portions, as  71 , from which project apertured lugs, as  73 , these providing locations at which the second limb portions  25 ,  27 , of the side members  13 ,  15 , of the frame  11  may be secured, at the top, to side walls or other convenient structural parts of the vehicle compartment. Other features which should be mentioned are the lid handle  75 , latch means  77  for releasibly holding the lid  57  in the vertical plane, and a strong pad-locking means  79  which is for releasibly coupling the lid  57  and the front panel member  33  and which, in addition, serves as a handle for raising the front and side panel members as one from the collapsed position of FIG.  2 . 
   It should be noted, also, that the installation is, in the embodiment, devoid of a rear panel member. The lack of such a panel member arises from the circumstance that, in the example, the frame abuts a bulkhead or analogous wall separating the driver compartment from the compartment in which the frame  11  and the several said panel members are to be found. It will be noted, also, that, in the example, the front and side panel members have cut-away portions, this to accommodate the protrusion created by the rear  79  of the vehicle engine housing. 
   In other circumstances, of course, a rear panel member might be provided, the latter panel member comprising, in distinction from the front, side and lid panel members, a body of mid-steel sheet material secured, directly, as by tack welds (the rear panel member not being angularly displaceable a panel sub-frame would not then b required), to the forward faces of the second limb portions  25 ,  27 , of the frame side members  13 ,  15 . The absence of an engine housing protrusion, as  81 , would, of course, avoid the need for cut-aways in the front and side panel members. 
   The several Figures clearly show the conversion of the structure from a compact form ( FIG. 2 ) to the fully erect state ( FIGS. 3  to  5 ) at which a safe storage chamber emerges. 
   From the collapsed position (FIG.  2 ), the front  33  and side panel members  39 ,  41 , are to be swung upwardly about the hinge axis of the front panel member. With the front panel member  33  in the vertical plane (FIG.  3 ), the side panel members  39 ,  41 , may be swung outwardly about their parallel hinge axes with the front and side panel members given support by the inter-engagement between the posts  55  and lugs  49 . 
   With the front and side panel members thus supported, the lid panel member  57  is, after being freed from the frame  11 , by release of the latch means  77 , for angular movement about its pivot axis X - - - X, brought to contact with the upper rims of the front  33  and side panel members  39 ,  41 , thereby to serve as the upper closure member of the chamber so formed with the posts  37  received within the apertures of the lid panel lugs  67 ,  69 . 
   As indicated within the cut-away of  FIG. 5 , in the course of bringing the lid panel  57  to the closure position, the lugs  63 ,  65 , projecting from its underside, are brought to positions respectively lying in the paths of angular displacement of the side panel members  39 ,  41 . With the chamber closed, and with the chamber pad-locked, the presence of the lugs  63 ,  65 , secures the chamber against easy unauthorised access to valuables which may be held within the chamber, whilst, by folding the several hinged panel members to the positions shown in  FIG. 2 , the front and side panel members being then flat with respect to the compartment floor, and the lid panel member being supported vertically against the frame  11 , the installation is unobtrusive and does not constitute an obstruction in the use of the compartment for work purposes. 
   It is to be observed that the elbow extension portions  69 ,  71 , project upwardly from the cross-member  23 , the frame  11  being thereby provided with a step formation, which may be used to receive one end of lengthy items, such, for example, as a ladder to be transported. 
   Although not illustrated, the compartment may be provided with a second frame located at the opposite end of the compartment from the frame  11  of the aforedescribed installation. The additional frame would be hinged at its lower end to be displaceable between an erect lockable position and a position at which it is in contact with the compartment floor. The additional frame, when erect, would then serve to support the ladder or other lengthy item at its rear end.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1