GB2195376A - Portable buildings for overnight accommodation - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a portable building in particular a temporary portable cabin type building which is divided into a plurality of rooms each of which may have its own door 16-24 opening to the outside of the building, and each room being provided with sleeping facilities 44 so that each room can provide overnight accommodation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Portable buildings This invention relates to buildings which are portable and/or relocatable being of a nature which mainly will be transportable as a whole, but may also be of a prefabricated type so as to be dismantleable and relocatable.

It is known to provide portable buildings as temporary accommodation, for example for offices and changing facilities for sports events, but it has not heretofore been appreciated that the portable buildings, especially those buildings which are of a nature which can be transported on vehicles from place to place, may have a much more useful adaptation, which is provided by the present invention.

According to the present invention, there is provided a portable building divided into a plurality of rooms each having its own door and providing sleeping accommodation enabling each room to provide inexpensive overnight accommodation.

By the invention there can be provided a plurality of sleeping accommodation facilities in a portable building, which means that a portable building can be used for providing relatively inexpensive overnight accommodation for example for gangs of workmen or indeed for occasional travellers who simply require sleeping facilities whilst they break long journeys, and do not wish to incur the high expenditure of a hotel room.

Preferably, the building is a completely portable cabin.

Each of the rooms preferably is sub divided to provide a first area having sleeping facilities and clothes storage facilities, and a second area having toilet facilities such as a washbasin, lavatory and a shower unit.

An embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1A is a front view of a porlable building in accordance with the embodiment; Figure 1B is a rear elevation of the building; Figure 2 is a crossrsectional plan view of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the rooms shpwn in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, and firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the building indicated generally by reference numeral 2 is a portable cabin type which can be transported by a road vehicle such as a trailer or low loader vehicle and comprises a base 4, top 6, front and rear walls 8 and 10, and walls 12 and 14. As will be seen, the structure is divided internaly into a number of individual rooms, each having its own access door, these rooms being referenced 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. Each of the rooms has a window, these being referenced 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34, in the rear wall 10.

Each of the rooms is sub divided into a first area provided with sleeping facilities, and clothes and other storage facilities and a second area having toilet facilities, best seen in Fig. 3.

Each room is provided with its own entrance and in the first area has a free space 40 which has at one end a dressing table unit 42, and at one side a double bed 44 above which may be located a single bed 46. Beneath the double bed are storage drawers 48.

Leading from the space 40 is a door 50 which gives access to the toilet facilities area 52, a second door 54 from the free space 40 giving access to a hanging wardrobe 56. The facilities area 52, reverting to Fig. 2 includes a wash-hand basin 58, a lavatory 60 and a shower cubicle 62 also seen in Fig. 3.

All of the rooms will preferably have identical facilities, but they could be varied if desirable. It will be noted that adjacent rooms are "opposite handed" which thus enables common water inlet and waste outlet services to be provided between the adjacent rooms.

Each room will be provided with services which will be concealed behind the appropriate internal walls of the suites, such that the services can be easily coupled to the main services at on-site locations.

A building structure according to the invention will provide adequate, yet low cost accommodation not only for the traveller, but in places where more permanent or semi-permanent accommodation is required. In addition, the structure is relatively easily re-sited. For that purpose it may be removable and relocatable as a whole or it may be of a prefabricated form which can be disassembled, relocated and rebuilt.

It will be appreciated that a building structure in accordance with the invention may have more or less rooms than are illustrated, and that within the scope of the invention the facilities provided may be varied.

1. A portable building divided into a plurality of rooms each having its own sleeping accommodation enabling each room to provide inexpensive overnight accommodation.

2. A building according to Claim 1 wherein the building is a completely portable cabin.

3. A building according to Claim 1 or Claims 2, wherein each of the rooms is sub divided to provide a first area having sleeping facilities and closed storage facilities, and a second area having toilet facilities such as a wash-hand-basin, lavatory and a shower unit.

4. A portable building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Portable buildings This invention relates to buildings which are portable and/or relocatable being of a nature which mainly will be transportable as a whole, but may also be of a prefabricated type so as to be dismantleable and relocatable. It is known to provide portable buildings as temporary accommodation, for example for offices and changing facilities for sports events, but it has not heretofore been appreciated that the portable buildings, especially those buildings which are of a nature which can be transported on vehicles from place to place, may have a much more useful adaptation, which is provided by the present invention. According to the present invention, there is provided a portable building divided into a plurality of rooms each having its own door and providing sleeping accommodation enabling each room to provide inexpensive overnight accommodation. By the invention there can be provided a plurality of sleeping accommodation facilities in a portable building, which means that a portable building can be used for providing relatively inexpensive overnight accommodation for example for gangs of workmen or indeed for occasional travellers who simply require sleeping facilities whilst they break long journeys, and do not wish to incur the high expenditure of a hotel room. Preferably, the building is a completely portable cabin. Each of the rooms preferably is sub divided to provide a first area having sleeping facilities and clothes storage facilities, and a second area having toilet facilities such as a washbasin, lavatory and a shower unit. An embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1A is a front view of a porlable building in accordance with the embodiment; Figure 1B is a rear elevation of the building; Figure 2 is a crossrsectional plan view of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the rooms shpwn in Fig. 2. Referring to the drawings, and firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the building indicated generally by reference numeral 2 is a portable cabin type which can be transported by a road vehicle such as a trailer or low loader vehicle and comprises a base 4, top 6, front and rear walls 8 and 10, and walls 12 and 14. As will be seen, the structure is divided internaly into a number of individual rooms, each having its own access door, these rooms being referenced 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. Each of the rooms has a window, these being referenced 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34, in the rear wall 10. Each of the rooms is sub divided into a first area provided with sleeping facilities, and clothes and other storage facilities and a second area having toilet facilities, best seen in Fig. 3. Each room is provided with its own entrance and in the first area has a free space 40 which has at one end a dressing table unit 42, and at one side a double bed 44 above which may be located a single bed 46. Beneath the double bed are storage drawers 48. Leading from the space 40 is a door 50 which gives access to the toilet facilities area 52, a second door 54 from the free space 40 giving access to a hanging wardrobe 56. The facilities area 52, reverting to Fig. 2 includes a wash-hand basin 58, a lavatory 60 and a shower cubicle 62 also seen in Fig. 3. All of the rooms will preferably have identical facilities, but they could be varied if desirable. It will be noted that adjacent rooms are "opposite handed" which thus enables common water inlet and waste outlet services to be provided between the adjacent rooms. Each room will be provided with services which will be concealed behind the appropriate internal walls of the suites, such that the services can be easily coupled to the main services at on-site locations. A building structure according to the invention will provide adequate, yet low cost accommodation not only for the traveller, but in places where more permanent or semi-permanent accommodation is required. In addition, the structure is relatively easily re-sited. For that purpose it may be removable and relocatable as a whole or it may be of a prefabricated form which can be disassembled, relocated and rebuilt. It will be appreciated that a building structure in accordance with the invention may have more or less rooms than are illustrated, and that within the scope of the invention the facilities provided may be varied. CLAIMS

1. A portable building divided into a plurality of rooms each having its own sleeping accommodation enabling each room to provide inexpensive overnight accommodation.

2. A building according to Claim 1 wherein the building is a completely portable cabin.

3. A building according to Claim 1 or Claims 2, wherein each of the rooms is sub divided to provide a first area having sleeping facilities and closed storage facilities, and a second area having toilet facilities such as a wash-hand-basin, lavatory and a shower unit.

4. A portable building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.