Abstract
A containment arrangement is provided having a container with vehicle connection structure which allows an opening in the container to move through a variety of different planes without limiting accessibility to the opening. In addition, the present invention includes means for attaching a container to the vehicle at a corner of the vehicle, and allowing a vertical opening in the container to be fully accessible as the container is moved from a location adjacent one side of the vehicle to a location adjacent another side of the vehicle. Preferred embodiments of the invention include a double pivot structure connecting a container, such as an exterior kitchen, to a RV, where the front of the container serves as a kitchen counter when opened, and provides access to a stove and refrigerator. In those preferred embodiments, the exterior kitchen can be selectively locked into a variety of positions, rotated with respect to the corner of the vehicle, and vertically supported on the vehicle side wall and/or the ground, without manual lifting of the container.
Claims
1. A connection assembly for allowing a container, having first and second opposing walls, to be moved, while remaining attached to a vehicle, having first and second exterior walls, between: a first position where said second opposing wall of said container is adjacent said first exterior wall of said vehicle, and a second position where said second opposing wall of said container is adjacent said second exterior wall of said vehicle.
2. The connection assembly according to claim 1 having a rotatable connection to the vehicle, which allows said second opposing wall to pivot away from an exterior wall of said vehicle.
3. The connection assembly according to claim 2 having a pin and slot structure for retaining said container in pre-set pivotal positions with respect to said vehicle.
4. The connection assembly according to claim 2 further comprising a rotatable connection to said container, which allows said container to pivot with respect to the connection assembly.
5. The connection assembly according to claim 1 wherein: the first exterior wall of said vehicle is the rear wall of said vehicle, said second exterior wall of said vehicle is a side wall of said vehicle connected to said rear wall of the vehicle, forming a corner area therebetween, the connection assembly is joined to said vehicle adjacent that corner area of those rear and side walls of the vehicle.
6. The connection assembly according to claim 1 wherein said container includes exterior kitchen components, and has energy transfer means between said vehicle and those kitchen components.
7. The connection assembly according to claim 1 wherein the connection assembly allows said container to be separated from attachment from said vehicle for use at a location remote from said vehicle and then reattached to said vehicle.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a front, left, upper perspective view of kitchen facilities for a recreational vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the appliances, such as a cooking unit (or stove) and refrigerator removed and with the container (or storage unit) for the kitchen facilities fully connected to its mounting structure.
[0021] FIG. 1B is an enlarged perspective view of the detail shown in area B of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 1C is an enlarged perspective view of the detail shown in area C of FIG. 1.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a front, left, upper perspective view of the kitchen facilities of FIG. 1 with the container for the kitchen facilities partially released from it mounting structure and rotated toward a side wall of the RV, illustrating the rear of the kitchen facilities and its mounting structure.
[0024] FIG. 2A is an enlarged perspective view of the detail shown in area A of FIG. 2.
[0025] FIGS. 3-14 illustrate the kitchen facilities of FIG. 1, as secured to a recreational vehicle, and further illustrate the range of motion of storage unit 20.
[0026] FIG. 15 is a front, left, upper perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as positioned on the side wall of the RV.
[0027] FIG. 16 is a left, upper perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 in the position of FIG. 15.
[0028] FIG. 17 is an enlarged, left, upper perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 at the area of the position locking mechanisms.
[0029] FIG. 18 is an enlarged, left, upper perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 15 at the area of the DC electrical connection to the RV.
[0030] FIGS. 19(a-f) are top schematic views showing the range of orientations of a container of the present invention with respect to the rear right corner of an RV, as permitted by its mounting system of FIGS. 1 and 15.
[0031] FIGS. 20(a-c) are top plan schematic views showing the range of orientations of a container of the present invention using an alternative mounting system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Several different embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings. In general, FIGS. 1-14 illustrate one embodiment, FIGS. 15-18 illustrate another embodiment, and FIGS. 20(a-c) illustrate yet another embodiment. FIGS. 19(a-f) illustrate ranges of orientation for generic embodiments of the present invention, including these three representative embodiments. The numbering in the figures is consistent across corresponding components in each of the embodiments.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a kitchen facility 10 for a recreational vehicle generally includes a storage unit 20 (or container) and a mounting structure 30. In the embodiment shown, storage unit 20 generally includes a first or front side 21, a second or rear side 22, a third side (or right side) 23, a fourth side (or left side) 24, a bottom 25 and a top 26 defining an interior space 27. First side 21, second side 22, third side 23, and fourth side 24 are, for example, formed so as to extend above top 26 and form a wall 28 thereabout. A door 29 is secured, for example, to bottom 25 by one ore more hinges (not shown), of a conventional construction. In this manner, door 29 may be selectively pivoted up or down to close or permit access to interior space 27. Although not shown in the present embodiment, kitchen facilities 10 may be provided with a locking or latching mechanism to secure door 29 in a close position. Also, storage unit 20 may, for example, be provided with collapsible braces or legs of convention construction, which selectively extend from bottom 25 to the ground upon which the recreational vehicle rests, in order to provide additional support for the storage unit when it is positioned away from the rear wall 91 of the recreational vehicle. Similarly, door 29 may be formed with conventional stops to limit its downward motion to a horizontal plane when opened.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows kitchen facilities 10 with door 29 in the open position and cooking unit 40 extended on slide mechanism 41. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate kitchen facilities 10 with storage unit 20 rotated about pivot location PL1 such that rear side 22 is generally parallel with sidewall 92 of recreational vehicle 90. FIGS. 9 and 10 show kitchen facilities 10 with storage unite 20 rotated about first pivot location PL1 such that third side 23 is generally parallel with sidewall 92 of recreational vehicle 90. FIGS. 11 and 12 show storage unit 20 rotating about both pivot locations PL1 and PL2 such that it can be positioned such that rear side 22 is generally parallel with sidewall 92 of recreational vehicle 90, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.
[0035] FIGS. 15-18 show another preferred embodiment of the present invention, differing from the previously described embodiment in certain features. Accordingly corresponding numbers are used in the figures between the two embodiments, where appropriate. In FIGS. 15-18, storage unit 20 is, for example, formed from powder coated metal into a generally rectangular container which is accessible through door 29. A hinge, 29a attaches door 29 to storage unit 20 in a conventional manner, and conventional stops 92b are used to limit the downward motion of door 29 to a generally horizontal plane. Thus, door 29 can serve as a counter space or working area for food preparation and the like when it is opened. Storage unit 20 is formed without wall 28 in this embodiment, allowing top 26 to function as a counter space or working area without peripheral limitations. In general, door 29 is formed in a vertical plane, but that vertical plane changes location and orientation as storage unit 20 is moved about the pivot location(s) of then mounting structure. Alternative mounting structures are within the scope of the present invention, having two or more pivot locations or one pivot location on a sliding channel, as described further herein. However, the common feature of these mounting structures, and one of its important functions is to allow the vertical plane of door 29 to be oriented for the door to freely open regardless of whether the storage unit is on the rear of the vehicle or the side of the vehicle, and without having to remove the storage unit from the vehicle. Thus, the user is not required to lift the storage unit to position it around the vehicle.
[0036] Also shown in connection with FIGS. 15-18 are side bumper 100, which is placed on sidewall 92 so as to protect the sidewall from inadvertent impact with storage unit 20, and electrical outlets 102 to allow electric power to appliances stored within storage unit 20. In FIG. 17, storage unit 20 is formed with a bracket 104 which is received by horizontally extending member 72 when storage unit 20 is to be held immobile with respect to member 72, and locking pin 106 is used to then secure member 72 to bracket 104. Locking pin, is, for example, formed as a conventional cylindrical pin passing through member 72 and bracket 104, and tethered to member 72 by wire 108. Similarly, a conventional pin 110 and slot 112 locking arrangement can be formed with respect to brackets 71A and pins P to selectively secure storage unit 20 into pre-set rotational positions about pins P. Alternatively, various conventional locking structures, such a ratchet and pawl, or the like can be used to selectively control the rotation of storage unit 20 about its rotational axis or axes. In FIG. 18, wiring 114 for DC electric power to storage unit 20 and/or its contents is provide through, for example, the second, lower horizontally extending member, and into the corner of rear wall 91 and sidewall 92. Such DC power, could, for example, be used to provide LED lighting in connection with the storage unit, using conventional LED elements.
[0037] In these embodiments, the present invention is characterized by having a corner pivot structure for the storage box which extends outward away from the plane of the vehicle walls at either the side or the rear of the vehicle. Thus, the storage unit is able to pivot through an arc of approximately 270 degrees (in the horizontal plane, in the illustrated embodiment). The second pivot location allows storage unit 20 to additionally pivot through an arc of approximately 180 degrees (in the horizontal plane, in the illustrated embodiment). Thus, door 29 remains accessible regardless of which side of the vehicle the storage unit is being used on, and regardless of which direction of orientation is desired for that door, front, back, left or right opening. Stated differently, the mounting structure shown allows the vertical plane of door 29 to be rotated through an arc of approximately 360 degrees, even though any single pivot location used in the structure has a smaller arc of motion. However, the present invention is not limited merely to mounting structures having two pivot points or hinges and pivot points. For example, FIGS. 20(a) show another embodiment of the present invention wherein storage box 20 is formed with at least one C-channel 120 on its rear side, which receives therein a pivot pin 130, mounted to extend from the corner of a vehicle 140. Working in cooperation, pivot pin 130 allows storage unit 20 to slide along C-channel 120 through an arch of 270 degrees, keeping door 29 fully accessible at all times. It is also possible to achieve the desired motion of the present invention with a mounting structure having three or more pivot points, arranged for example, to allow a more compact collapsed structure when the storage unit is positioned adjacent a vehicle wall. In each case, the storage unit can maintain door accessibility as it is moved, without lifting, between two substantially orthogonal walls of a vehicle.
[0038] Further adaptations of the present invention include adding a conventional lift assist device (motor driven, pneumatic strut, or spring assist) to allow the storage unit to slide up and down the rotational axis of pivot location PL1. In this way, the storage unit can be rotated not just to toward the left side wall, but also to the opposite or right side wall of the trailer and, in the elevated position, door 29 would be immediately accessible to users of a conventional ramp door patio on the RV, as shown in FIG. 19b.
[0039] Also, in further embodiments, storage unit 20 can be formed to be readily removable from pins P, such that the storage unit can be lifted off of the vehicle and used at a remote location, as shown in FIG. 19f.
[0040] The storage unit of the present invention has been described and illustrated in part in connection with kitchen facilities, but is also suitable for use with entertainment systems, tools, special equipment, and a variety of other exterior devices which the user may find to be desirable to store on the exterior of a vehicle, such as an RV. For example, if a portable generator was mounted within storage unit 20, that arrangement could provide a number of significant advantages, compared with conventional internal RV generator mounting. Also, another advantage of the present arrangement is that the storage unit's location at the rear of the RV, especially in connection with toy hauler types of RVs, can provide a measure of additional security against ramp door intrusion, without loss of towing functionality.
[0041] Although the present invention has been described and illustrated above in connection with certain embodiments, that is by way of illustration and example only. It will now be readily apparent that numerous adaptations and modifications of the present invention are contemplated. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the terms of the following claims.
