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US 6,439,647 B1Granted
Folding camper for vehicle
OwnerJames T. Baldwininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The folding camper is comprised of an outer shell hinged to a side wall of the cargo bed of a vehicle, an inner shell hinged to an opposite side wall, a front panel hinged to a front wall, and a rear panel hinged to a rear wall. When collapsed, the outer shell spans the entire cargo bed, and generally follows the contour of the vehicle's cab to maximize volume without protruding beyond the top and sides of the cab for reduced drag. The inner shell is closely nestled under the outer shell and generally follows the internal contour of the outer shell, except for its distal side which is more slanted than the hinged side. To erect, the shells are tilted upward until their opposite sides meet, and the front and rear panels are tilted upward until they meet the lower edges of the shells.
Claims22
A folding camper for a vehicle with a cab connected to a cargo bed, said folding camper comprising:
- a convex outer shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to a first side of said cargo bed, wherein when said outer shell is folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said first side to an opposite second side, and when said outer shell is erected, said outer shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- and
- a convex inner shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to said second side of said cargo bed, wherein when said inner shell is folded, said inner shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said second side to said first side, and when said inner shell is erected, said inner shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- wherein
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally follow a contour of said cab for reduced drag and improved fuel economy;
- and
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are erected, respective distal edges of said outer shell and said inner shell are generally in coincidence, and said camper is adapted to be substantially wider and taller than said cab for improved interior volume.
4 more elements
A folding camper for a vehicle with a cab connected to a cargo bed, said folding camper comprising:
- a convex outer shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to a first side of said cargo bed, wherein when said outer shell is folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said first side to an opposite second side, and when said outer shell is erected, said outer shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- and
- a convex inner shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to said second side of said cargo bed, wherein when said inner shell is folded, said inner shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said second side to said first side, and when said inner shell is erected, said inner shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- wherein
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally follow a contour of said cab for reduced drag and improved fuel economy;
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are erected, respective distal edges of said outer shell and said inner shell are generally in coincidence, and said camper is adapted to be substantially wider and taller than said cab for improved interior volume;
- and
- said inner shell includes a more slanted distal side than a distal side of said outer shell, said more slanted distal side of said inner shell cooperating with said slanted distal side of said outer shell to define a roof with a continuous down slope for improved water drainage when said camper is erected.
5 more elements
A folding camper for a vehicle with a cab connected to a cargo bed, said folding camper comprising:
- a convex outer shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to a first side of said cargo bed, wherein when said outer shell is folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said first side to an opposite second side, and when said outer shell is erected, said outer shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- a convex inner shell with a proximal edge for being hinged to said second side of said cargo bed, wherein when said inner shell is folded, said inner shell is adapted to generally span horizontally across said cargo bed from said second side to said first side, and when said inner shell is erected, said inner shell is adapted to angle acutely upward from said cargo bed;
- a front panel for being hinged to a front of said cargo bed and movable from a folded position on top of said cargo bed to an upright erected position;
- and a rear panel for being hinged to a rear of said cargo bed and movable from a folded position on top of said cargo bed to an upright erected position;
- wherein
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are folded, said outer shell is adapted to generally follow a contour of said cab for reduced drag and improved fuel economy;
- when said outer shell and said inner shell are erected, respective distal edges of said outer shell and said inner shell are generally in coincidence, and said camper is adapted to be substantially wider and taller than said cab for improved interior volume;
- when said outer shell, said inner shell, said front panel, and said rear panel are erected, said front panel and said rear panel are abutted against lower edges of said outer shell and said inner shell;
- and
- said inner shell includes a more slanted distal side than a distal side of said outer shell, said more slanted distal side of said inner shell cooperating with said slanted distal side of said outer shell to form a roof with a continuous down slope for more reliable water drainage.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.