Abstract:
A system for providing an externally expandable enclosure in a recreational vehicle is disclosed. The expandable enclosure is operatively associated with an aperture formed in wall of the recreational vehicle, providing access to the enclosure from inside the vehicle. The enclosure includes a cover, having a plurality of sidewalls and a face wall, hinged in relation to the aperture such that the cover, when in a closed position, seals the aperture. The enclosure also includes an assembly, coupled to the cover, that is adapted to collapse and stow between the cover and the exterior surface of the recreational vehicle when the cover is closed, and provides an enclosed space accessible through the aperture when the cover is opened.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates, generally, to recreational vehicles and, more specifically, to expandable enclosures for recreational vehicles.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Recreational vehicles such as trailers, motor homes and campers generally include beds for providing sleeping accommodations to the users. In order to conserve space in the recreational vehicle, the beds are often either foldable onto an interior wall or otherwise stowable in the recreational vehicle. In some recreational vehicles, in order to maximize use of space, the recreational vehicle may also include a movable external surface, such as a portion of the roof that may be raised to provide more headroom when the recreation vehicle is stationary. A common example of such an expandable surface is a “pop-top” roof on conversion vans, which includes a shell type roof and accordion-like fabric walls.  
           [0003]    Although pop-top roofs provide additional space, there is often a desire for still more efficient use of space. To this end it would be desirable to have expandable enclosures on the sides of the recreational vehicle. However, because a cover on an expandable side enclosure is typically vertical when closed, and may be near the ground, expandable side enclosures present weatherproofing problems not encountered with pop-top roofs. In particular, with an expandable enclosure on the side, water (e.g., rain) running down the external wall of the recreational vehicle, or splashing up from the road, is more likely to find its way into the recreational vehicle than with a horizontal cover on a pop-top roof.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Accordingly, there is a need for an expandable enclosure on the side of a recreational vehicle that overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.  
           [0005]    In particular, there is a need for an expandable side enclosure for a recreational vehicle that has a collapsible structure adaptable between a compacted stowage condition and an expanded open condition providing additional space.  
           [0006]    Comprehending that, the present invention provides, in one embodiment, an expandable enclosure assembly, comprising a movable cover having a hinge attachment to the sidewall of a recreational vehicle. The movable cover closes over an aperture in the sidewall, which serves as an entrance to the expandable enclosure. The movable cover opens out and away from the sidewall, between an approximately vertical closed position and an approximately horizontal open position, forming a floor panel for the expandable enclosure. A collapsible tent assembly having an outer face panel, a top panel, and two side panels is secured to the aperture and the movable cover such that opening the movable cover also opens the tent assembly. A collapsible support assembly stretches or forms the tent assembly to its fully open shape and provides stabilization and support to the tent assembly.  
           [0007]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a recreational vehicle having a sidewall is provided with an expandable enclosure assembly. The enclosure assembly comprises a movable cover having a face wall, a top edge wall, a bottom edge wall and two side edge walls. The top edge wall includes a hinge connected to the sidewall of the recreational vehicle such that the cover is swingable between an approximately vertical closed position and an approximately horizontal open position. Each of the cover&#39;s side edge walls includes a hinge connected between the inside of the cover and enclosure side walls such that the enclosure side walls are swingable downwardly between a closed position, generally parallel with the plane of the cover&#39;s face wall, and an open, generally vertical position. The cover&#39;s face wall includes a generally horizontal hinge at an upper portion thereof, connected between an inside portion of the cover&#39;s bottom edge wall and an enclosure face wall, such that the enclosure face wall is swingable between a closed position, generally parallel to the plane of the cover&#39;s face wall, and an open position generally perpendicular to the plane of the cover&#39;s face wall. The enclosure assembly further comprises a support wall that includes a generally horizontal hinge, connected to the sidewall of the recreational vehicle such that the platform is swingable between a closed position, generally parallel to the sidewall of the recreational vehicle, and an open, generally horizontal position.  
           [0008]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the movable cover further comprises a support member for holding the cover in an open position. Optionally, the support member may provide a locking mechanism to secure the support in a desired position. In another embodiment of the invention, the enclosure further comprises a pair of support members for holding the support platform in an open position. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the support members are flexible cables. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention, with the cover in the closed position against the sidewall of a recreational vehicle.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention, with the cover in the open position.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention, with the cover in the open position and the left enclosure side wall opened to the expanded condition.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention, with the cover in the open position and both the left and right enclosure side walls opened.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention with the cover in the open position, both the left and right enclosure side walls opened to the expanded condition and the enclosure face wall swung down.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention with the cover in the open position and the bottom support wall swung down to the expanded position, with the left and right enclosure side walls and enclosure face wall not shown for clarity.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a front view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the fully collapsed position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the collapsed position, taken along the line A-A of FIG. 7.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the closed position, showing a portion of the expandable enclosure as depicted in FIG. 8.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the closed position, showing a portion of the expandable enclosure as depicted in FIG. 8.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a front view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the expanded position.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the expanded position, taken along the line B-B of FIG. 11.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a front view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in the closed position.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in a partially expanded position.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an expandable enclosure according to the present invention in an expanded position.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a support assembly for an expandable enclosure according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]    In one embodiment of the present invention, an expandable enclosure is provided by a plurality of rigid members configured to provide a collapsible, solid-walled room. Depending upon the intended use and desired aesthetics, the enclosure may be formed in a number of shapes and form factors. Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Expandable enclosure assembly  1  having movable cover  10  attached to the side  20  of a recreational vehicle (not shown) is depicted. Side  20  has an aperture (not shown) formed therein that allows a user access to the enclosure from inside the vehicle once assembly  1  is fully deployed. Cover  10  is shaped somewhat in the nature of a shallow box, with a face wall  11 , a top edge wall  12 , side edge walls  13  and a bottom edge wall  14 . Cover  10  may be fabricated from mold-injected plastic, such as ABS, PVC or HDPE, for example. Cover  10  may also be fabricated from aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a foam core laminate material. Foam core laminate or other insulated materials may be used to maintain a comfortable temperature within the expandable enclosure assembly  1  for an occupant. Preferably, cover  10  has relatively large dimensions consistent with use of the expanded space for a foldable bed, i.e., approximately six feet or greater in its longer dimension and at least two feet in its shorter dimension. Preferably, the top edge wall  12 , side edge walls  13  and bottom edge wall  14  each have a relatively short dimension extending from the face wall  11  toward the side  20  of the recreational vehicle. For convenience, the relatively short dimension of top edge wall  12 , side edge walls  13  and bottom edge wall  14  will be termed a “height,” regardless of the orientation of the cover  10 . Preferably, the height of each of these is between approximately one inch and approximately eight inches, to minimize the external dimension of the recreation vehicle when the cover  10  is in the closed, or collapsed, condition. Although top edge wall  12  is depicted with a somewhat larger height that bottom edge wall  14 , it is to be understood that top wall  12  may also have a somewhat smaller height than bottom wall  14 , or an equal height.  
         [0026]    Top edge wall  12  includes horizontal hinge  15  for swingably securing the expandable cover  10  to the side  20  of the recreational vehicle, covering the aperture formed therein. Referring now to FIG. 2, expandable cover  10  is depicted in the open condition, after being swung open on hinge  15 . Preferably, cover  10  also includes at least one support  16 , which may conveniently be a telescoping, spring-loaded support. Support  16  may also have a lock mechanism  17  that locks into position in the extended condition depicted in FIG. 2, and can be unlocked to allow the cover  10  to swing closed when in the closed condition depicted in FIG. 1. However, a lock mechanism is not required.  
         [0027]    As depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, after cover  10  is in the open condition, serving as a roof for the enclosure assembly, enclosure side walls  18  and  19 , which are swingably attached to the inside of cover  10  by means of horizontal hinges  22  and  23 , are swung open downwardly until they are generally vertical. Referring now to FIG. 5, enclosure face wall  24  is swingably attached to the inside portion cover  10 , proximal to bottom wall  14 , by horizontal hinge  30  (not visible in FIG. 5). Face wall  24  lowers down between enclosure side walls  18  and  19 , and matably engages with the side walls to form durable temporary seams (e.g., by tongue and groove joint). Face wall  24  is conveniently formed in two parts, a large portion  31  and a smaller portion  32 , with a seam  33  and hinge  34  (depicted in FIG. 9) between them. The hinge  34  allows portions  31  and  32  of front wall  24  to fold into themselves when the expandable enclosure assembly is in the closed position. Face wall  24  may have a window  25  for an occupant to view the outside and to transmit light or fresh air to the expandable enclosure assembly  1 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 6 depicts the design of the foldable support wall  27 , with face wall  24  and side walls  18  and  19  omitted for clarity. After the side walls  18  and  19  and face wall  24  are opened, foldable support platform  27  is lowered from its approximately vertical stowed position on horizontal hinge  28  to an approximately horizontal position between side walls  18  and  19 , and matably engages with the face and side walls to form durable temporary seams. Support platform  27  is secured by supports  29  (e.g., cables) at its sides, and may be used to support bedding (e.g., a mattress) or for some other desired purpose (e.g., storage). Face wall  24 , side walls  18  and  19 , and support  27  may be fabricated the same types of rigid material as cover  10  (e.g., mold-injected plastic, aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, foam core laminate), although the exact composition of each does not have to be identical.  
         [0029]    To close or stow the expandable cover  10  and platform  27 , the foregoing steps are reversed. FIG. 7 is a front view depicting the expandable cover  10  in the closed or collapsed position. FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 7, depicting expandable cover  10 , face wall  24 , side wall  18  and platform  27  in the closed (or collapsed) position. While in the closed position, cover  10  and platform  27  may be securely latched in place by latches (not shown). FIG. 9 provides a detailed view of an upper portion of FIG. 8, while FIG. 10 provides a detailed view of a lower portion of FIG. 8.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 provides a front view of enclosure  1  fully opened. Cover  10 , held in place by supports  16 , serves as a roof for enclosure  1 . FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 11, providing a detailed depiction of enclosure  1  in the opened position. Platform  27  is lowered in place, securing face wall  24  and side walls  18  and  19  (not shown) into their respective open positions. Enclosure  1  is positioned relative to aperture  36 , which is formed in the side  20  of the recreational vehicle, such that space within enclosure  1  is readily accessible from inside  38  the recreational vehicle.  
         [0031]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a supple assembly of a tent-like nature is configured to provide an expandable enclosure. Referring now to FIG. 13, an illustration of this embodiment is presented. Expandable enclosure assembly  40 , having movable cover  42  attached to the side  44  of a recreational vehicle (not shown) is depicted. Cover  42  is shaped somewhat in the nature of a shallow box, with a face wall  46 , a top edge wall  48 , side edge walls  50  and a bottom edge wall  52 . Cover  42  may be fabricated from mold-injected plastic, such as ABS, PVC or HDPE, for example. Cover  42  may also be fabricated from aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a foam core laminate material. Foam core laminate or other insulated materials may be used to maintain a comfortable temperature within the expandable enclosure assembly  40  for an occupant. Preferably, cover  42  has relatively large dimensions consistent with use of the expanded space for a foldable bed, i.e., approximately six feet or greater in its longer dimension and at least two feet in its shorter dimension. Preferably, the top edge wall  48 , side edge walls  50  and bottom edge wall  52  each have a relatively short dimension extending from the face wall  46  toward the side  44  of the recreational vehicle. For convenience, the relatively short dimension of top edge wall  48 , side edge walls  50  and bottom edge wall  52  will be termed a “height,” regardless of the orientation of the cover  42 . Preferably, the height of each of these is between approximately one inch and approximately eight inches, to minimize the external dimension of the recreation vehicle when the cover  42  is in the closed, or collapsed, condition. Top edge wall  48  may have a height that is somewhat larger, a somewhat smaller, or roughly equivalent to bottom edge wall  52 .  
         [0032]    Bottom wall  52  includes horizontal hinge  54  for swingably securing the cover  42  to the side  44  of the recreational vehicle, over an aperture  56  (not shown) formed in side  44 . Referring now to FIG. 14, cover  42  is depicted in a partially open position, after being swung open on hinge  54 . A supple tent assembly  58  is coupled to, and disposed within, cover  42  such that as cover  42  is opened, assembly  58  deploys (i.e., opens) to provide a covered enclosure. Assembly  58  is fabricated from a sturdy, flexible, and waterproof material (e.g., nylon, treated canvas) that provides reliable shelter when deployed but is easily collapsed or folded for compact storage. Assembly  58  is securely attached to top wall  48  and side walls  50  of cover  42 , as well as to perimeter  60  of aperture  56 . Perimeter  60  comprises the side and upper portions of aperture  56 , but does not include the portion of aperture  56  adjacent to hinge  54 . Where assembly  58  couples to perimeter  60 , an appropriate sealant is utilized to weatherproof enclosure  40 . For example, a plastic or rubber gasket may be disposed along the seam between assembly  58  and perimeter  60 . Alternatively, a waterproof resin or polymer composition may be applied thereto. Similarly, where assembly  58  couples to cover  42 , an appropriate sealant is utilized to weatherproof enclosure  40 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 depicts cover  42  in a fully deployed position. Cover  42  lowers from its approximately vertical stowed position on horizontal hinge  54  to an approximately horizontal open position. Once enclosure  40  is fully opened, cover  42  serves as a support platform for the enclosure and assembly  58 , and may be used to support bedding (e.g., a mattress) or for some other desired purpose (e.g., storage). Depending upon the intended use for enclosure  40 , and the composition of assembly  58 , cover  42  may be secured in its horizontal position simply by the tension and strength of assembly  58 . In one embodiment, cover  42  may be secured by supports  29  (e.g., cables) at its sides (not shown in FIG. 15). Optionally, hinge  54  may be formed to limit the opening of cover  42  to a horizontal position, and provide extra support therefore. Further optionally, support members (not shown), such as braces or struts, may be permanently or removably attached to the outside of face wall  46  for deployment between cover  42  and side  44  (or the ground), providing even further support for cover  42  in its horizontal position.  
         [0034]    Depending upon the shape of aperture  56  and the desired aesthetics of enclosure  40 , assembly  58  may, itself, take a number of shapes (e.g., semi-spherical, semi-conical). As depicted in FIG. 15, assembly  58  is of a polygonal shape, having an upper wall  62 , two side walls  64 , and a front wall  66 . Front wall  66 , and side walls  64 , or any combination thereof, may have one or more windows  68  for an occupant to view the outside and to transmit light or fresh air to the enclosure assembly  40 .  
         [0035]    Referring now to FIG. 16, enclosure  40  also comprises tent support assembly  70 . Assembly  70  is provided to fully expand, and provide interior support for, assembly  58 . As depicted in FIG. 16, assembly  70  comprises a movable U-shaped frame member, coupled at each of its open ends to cover  42 , near top edge wall  48 , by hinge members  72 . Assembly  70  may comprise any lightweight durable material, such as hollow plastic or metal tubing, that provides sufficient support for tent assembly  58  while in use. In its closed position, assembly  70  stows flat inside of cover  42 . Assembly  70  is formed to match the profile of front tent wall  66  such that, when rotational opening force  74  is manually applied, assembly  70  is raised to a substantially vertical position, fully engaging front wall  66 , expanding tent assembly  58  to its fullest form, and providing support for all of the constituent members thereof. Hinge members  72  may be provided with a locking or ratcheting mechanism to constrain the movement of, and provide support to, assembly  70 .  
         [0036]    Optionally, assembly may comprise additional frame members disposed, in parallel, along the length of cover  42  to provide additional lateral and vertical support internal to tent assembly  58 . Assembly  70  may, alternatively, comprise one or more external frame members removably coupled to the exterior of assembly  58 . Alternatively, assembly  70  may comprise one or more deformable support members permanently attached to, or within, assembly  58  that provide desired shape and support when enclosure  40  is opened, readily collapse or fold to store within cover  42  when enclosure  40  is closed. Other combinations and contrivances, providing the necessary shaping, support, and storage functionalities, are contemplated by the present invention.  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIG. 17, an alternative embodiment of a movable cover  80  for expandable enclosure assembly  40  is illustrated. Cover  80  is formed of size and shape substantially identical to that of the inner perimeter of aperture  56 . Cover  80  is, however, nominally smaller, such that cover  80  may, in its closed position, fit snuggle within aperture  56  while allowing just enough room for attachment and weatherproofing materials. In its closed position, an outer face wall  82  of cover  80  aligns flush with the outer side  44  of the vehicle, sealing aperture  56  in weatherproof manner.  
         [0038]    As depicted in FIG. 18, cover  80  is shaped somewhat in the nature of a shallow box, with face wall  82 , a top edge wall  84 , side edge walls  86  and a bottom edge wall  88 . Cover  80  may be fabricated from mold-injected plastic, such as ABS, PVC or HDPE, for example. Cover  80  may also be fabricated from aluminum, carbon fiber, fiberglass, or a foam core laminate material. Foam core laminate or other insulated materials may be used to maintain a comfortable temperature within the expandable enclosure assembly  40  for an occupant. Preferably, cover  80  has relatively large dimensions consistent with use of the expanded space for a foldable bed, i.e., approximately six feet or greater in its longer dimension and at least two feet in its shorter dimension. Preferably, walls  84 ,  86 , and  88  each have a relatively short dimension extending, in the closed position, inwardly from face wall  82  toward the inside of the recreational vehicle. For convenience, the relatively short dimension of walls  84 ,  86 , and  88  will be termed a “height,” regardless of the orientation of the cover  80 . Preferably, the height of each of these is between approximately one inch and approximately eight inches, depending upon the thickness of the side wall of the recreational vehicle.  
         [0039]    Bottom wall  88  incorporates horizontal hinge  90  for swingably securing the cover  80  within the recess of aperture  56 . This is shown in greater detail with reference now to FIG. 19, which depicts a cross sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 18. As shown, hinge  90  is disposed upon a lower surface  92  of aperture  56 , within aperture  56 , adjacent to the outer side  44  of the vehicle&#39;s side wall. Hinge  90  couples the bottom wall  88  of cover  80  to surface  92  within aperture  56 . Hinge  90  is configured such that cover  80  is swingably closable, coming to rest at a closed position within aperture  56 . Depending upon the relative sizes and dimensions of all the related apparatus, and upon the particular weatherproofing devices, if any, that are utilized, hinge  90  may be a thin form-factor hinge mounted externally to cover  80  and surface  92 . Alternatively, hinge  90  may be coupled to cover  80  or surface  92  within a recessed area formed therein, to allow for a flush engagement of bottom wall  88  with surface  92 .  
         [0040]    Referring back to FIG. 18, cover  80  is depicted in a partially open position, after being swung open on hinge  90 . Supple tent assembly  58  (not shown) is coupled to, and disposed within, cover  80  such that as cover  80  is opened, assembly  58  opens to provide a covered enclosure. Cover  80  lowers from its approximately vertical stowed position on horizontal hinge  90  to an approximately horizontal open position. Once enclosure  40  is fully opened, cover  80  serves as a support platform for the enclosure and assembly  58 , and may be used to support bedding (e.g., a mattress) or for some other desired purpose (e.g., storage). Depending upon the intended use for enclosure  40 , and the composition of assembly  58 , cover  80  may be secured in its horizontal position simply by the tension and strength of assembly  58 . In an alternative embodiment, cover  80  may be secured by supports  29  (e.g., cables), couple between side walls  86  and aperture  56 .  
         [0041]    Optionally, hinge  90  may be formed to limit the opening of cover  80  to a horizontal position, and provide extra support therefore. Further optionally, support members (not shown), such as braces or struts, may be permanently or removably attached to the outside of face wall  82  for deployment between cover  80  and side  44  (or the ground), providing even further support for cover  80  in its horizontal position.  
         [0042]    In all the embodiments described above, additional weatherproofing elements may be added to portions of the enclosure to improve the overall integrity of the enclosure, especially when closed. For example, a narrow, waterproof gasket may be disposed around the perimeter of cover  80 . Similarly, weather-stripping may be disposed along the seams of enclosure  1  to improve the thermal stability inside the enclosure.  
         [0043]    While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Upon reference to the description, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.