GB2326622A

GB2326622A - Collapsible telescopic caravan

Info

Publication number: GB2326622A
Application number: GB9713656A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Cutting
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-28
Filing date: 1997-06-28
Publication date: 1998-12-30
Also published as: GB9713656D0

Description

REDUCING CARAVAN SPECIFICATION This invention relates to a reducing caravan.

The basis of the design is that the caravan consists of two boxes (each having five sides), the top box sliding down into the bottom one, which is secured in a basic wheeled caravan chassis with towing assembly.

This provides a reduced size caravan to tow easily behind a car, thereby reducing drag and sway, eliminating wind buffeting, and enhancing visibility for the driver whilst towing.

Once the destination is reached, the caravan can be opened up to its full height and provide all the normal accomodation expected of a rigid wall caravan.

According to the present invention, this is achieved by the bottom box having two walls wide enough to provide a channel all round for the top box to slide down into. This channel is fitted with interior runners to assist with the sliding movement. A fitted seal makes the channel watertight when the carvan is in the upright position.

There 15 a projecting rim fitted to the top half of the caravan which fits snugly into place, once the two boxes are closed, to provide a seal.

The top box has windows in it and half of a stable door which matches up with the other half of the door in the bottom box.

Once the top box is raised the two halves of the door can be bolted together to mae one door The top box and : the top part of the door, and the windows, are made of lightweight material such as fibre glass, for ease of lifting.

At each end of the bottom box are hinged brackets which flip over by a handle, once the top box is raised for it to rest on. Clips then secure the top half top the bottom half at each end. While the caravan is folded dowm, the hinged bracket is folded flat against the outside wall.

The interior of the caravan has fitted furniture to the bottom box, which is unaffected by the top half of the caravan sliding down into the reduced position. The exception to this is a wardrobe, which is made in two halves woth the top half fitting down into the bottom half. When the caravan is in the upright position, the top half of the wardrobe is extended to its full height, in the same way as the caravan.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawing in which: Figure 1 shows the caravan fully extended in the upright position. The dotted line shows the amount of the top half of the caravan retained inside the bottom half to secure.

Figure 2 shows the brackets used to secure the caravan when the i position as referned to in Figure 1 Figure 3 shows a cross section of the bottom half showing the inner channel which receives the top half of the Figure 4 shows the carvan in process of being folded down with the top half shown by dotted lines as it passes down inside the bottom half.

Figure 5 shows the carvan in completely reduced position with the top half inside the bottom half. The projecting rim fits snugly over the bottom section providing a sea 1 Figure 6 shows the carvan with additional shaping to the exterior to streamline and enhance appearance.

Figure 7 shows the caravan with additional shaping to the exterior and dotted lines to indicate the top half folded down inside the bottom half.

Claims

CLAIMS A reducing caravan comprising two boxes, the top box sliding down into the bottom one, which is secured on a wheeled chassis.
2 F reducing caravan as claimed in . Claim 1 wherein the chassis would be longer than twelve feet and hydraulic or electric lifting gear woud be provided top assist with the , raising of the tp half of the caravan.
A reducing caravan as claimed in Claim 1 o Claim wherein two aligned windows are provided at the front and back of the top half of the caravan. This would allow the towing driver, with the closed down caravan, to have rear view visibility.
4 A reducing caravan as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the interior is fitted with a collapsible shower and toilet cubicle and collapsible fitted wardrobe.
5 A reducing caravan as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the exterior walls are provided with a shaped extension to streamline the caravan for towing and reduce drag.
6 A reducing carvan substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-7 of the accompanying drawings.