US 5,628,541 A · Expandable coach having at least one expansion chamber

Abstract

A coach, having an interior living space, which coach has at least one and no more than two expansion chambers. Each expansion chamber is formed as a box having top, side and bottom walls and one rear or front wall. The coach may be a trailer, an RV body disposed upon a truck chassis, or a recreational vehicle having a self-contained propulsion system. The coach may have instead of wheels as a support system, a series of vertical jacks or other support mechanism to thereby render the coach suitable for use as an office or an industrial facility. The coach features a spaced inner and outer wall construction and which may have no closing wall at the position at which the chamber is disposed. The chamber is adapted such that its sidewalls when in the retracted position are disposed between the inner and outer sidewalls of the living space. The expansion chamber sidewalls move from their respective first stowed inner disposition between the inner and outer wall rearwardly or forwardly depending upon the disposition of the expansion chamber to a second outer expanded position; and the top and bottom walls move from a stowed disposition beneath the top wall and beneath the floor of the living space respectively to a second outer expanded position. For support of the expanded chamber, a pair of deployable rails are moved from a stowed position to an in-use position, cantilevered from beneath the body of the living space to support the expansion chamber.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A coach, having an interior living space, which coach, when having a cab for controls for the operation of a propulsion system includes one expansion chamber and which coach when not having a cab and a propulsion system, has at least one and no more than two expansion chambers,

which coach includes a main body having a top wall, and spaced left and right outer sidewalls, attached normal thereto;
said main body also having spaced parallel fixed inner sidewalls each of which is spaced from its respective outer sidewall;
and a fixed base, which fixed base is connected to said fixed inner sidewalls,
each of said expansion chambers comprising a box open at one end and having a top wall, fixed to two side walls, a bottom wall and one closure wall fixedly connecting the top wall and the bottom wall, the location of the closure wall being dependent on the disposition of the expansion chamber relative to the main body,
which expansion chamber if located in front of the main body has a front closure wall and if located to the rear of the main body has a rear closure wall,
said expansion chamber being disposed intermediate the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and beneath both of said top wall and said fixed base,
said expansion chamber being movable in and out with respect to said main body in a telescopic manner, from between the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and from beneath both of the top wall and fixed base;
the interior living space being defined as the volume of the interior of the main body added to the volume of each of said expansion chambers when moved to its in use position.

5 more elements

A self-contained motorized coach having an interior living space, which coach, has a cab for controls for the operation of a propulsion system at the forward end of said coach, and which coach includes one expansion chamber at the rear thereof,

which coach includes a main body having a top wall, and spaced left and right outer sidewalls, attached normal thereto;
said main body also having spaced parallel fixed inner sidewalls each of which is spaced from its respective outer sidewall;
and a fixed base, which fixed base is connected to said fixed inner sidewalls,
the said expansion chamber comprising a box open at one end and having a top wall, two sidewalls, a bottom wall and a rear closure wall connecting the top wall, sidewalls, and the bottom wall, said expansion chamber being disposed intermediate the main body's outer and inner side walls, and beneath both of said top wall and said fixed base,
said expansion chamber being movable in and out with respect to said main body in a telescopic manner, from between the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and from beneath both of the top wall and fixed base on a deployable rail system;
and a deployable rail system for the movement of said expansion chamber;
the interior living space being defined as the volume of the interior of the main body added to the volume of said expansion chamber when moved to its expanded in use position.

4 more elements

A towable coach adapted to be pulled by a powered vehicle, said coach having an interior living space, which coach has at least one and no more than two expansion chambers,

which coach includes a main body having a top wall, and spaced left and right outer sidewalls, attached normal thereto;
said main body also having spaced parallel fixed inner sidewalls each of which is spaced from its respective outer sidewall;
and a fixed base, which fixed base is connected to said fixed inner sidewalls,
each of said expansion chambers comprising a box open at one end and having a top wall, fixed to two sidewalls, a bottom wall and one closure wall fixedly connecting the top wall, sidewalls and the bottom wall, the location of the closure wall being dependent on the disposition of the expansion chamber relative to the main body,
which expansion chamber if located in front of the main body has a front closure wall and if located to the rear of the main body has a rear closure wall,
each of said expansion chambers being disposed intermediate the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and beneath both of said top wall and said fixed base,
each of said expansion chambers being movable in and out with respect to said main body in a telescopic manner, from between the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and from beneath both of the top wall and fixed base from a stowed position to an expanded position;
the interior living space being defined as the volume of the interior of the main body added to the volume of each of said expansion chambers when moved to its expanded position.

5 more elements

A towable coach adapted to be pulled by a powered vehicle, said coach having an interior living space, which coach has at least one and no more than two expansion chambers,

which coach includes a main body having a top wall, and spaced left and right outer sidewalls, attached normal thereto;
said main body also having spaced parallel fixed inner sidewalls each of which is spaced from its respective outer sidewall;
and a fixed base;
which fixed base is connected to said fixed inner sidewalls,
each of said expansion chambers comprising a box open at one end and having a top wall, two sidewalls, a bottom wall and one closure wall connecting the top wall, sidewalls and the bottom wall, the location of the closure wall being dependent on the disposition of the expansion chamber relative to the main body,
which expansion chamber if located in front of the main body has a front closure wall and if located to the rear of the main body has a rear closure wall,
each of said expansion chambers being disposed intermediate the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and beneath both of said top wall and said fixed base,
each of said expansion chambers being movable in and out with respect to said main body in a telescopic manner, from between the main body's outer and inner sidewalls, and from beneath both of the top wall and fixed base from a stowed position to an expanded position;
the interior living space being defined as the volume of the interior of the main body added to the volume of each of said expansion chambers when moved to its expanded position and further wherein the proximal ends of each of the inner walls of the main body is connected to the respective outer wall by a connector panel wall segment to thereby define a pocket for receipt of said chamber's respective sidewall and further including a brace interconnecting each of said wall segments along the tops thereof and means to prevent excessive outward movement of said expansion chamber relative to said main body.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Expandable coach having at least one expansion chamber

Life of this patent

Expandable coach having at least one expansion chamber

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42