Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Camper
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2001-10-02
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Camper
C296S161000, C296S168000, C296S169000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296297
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a clamshell-style camping trailer for attachment to a towing bicycle. More specifically the trailer comprises a storage container having top and bottom shell compartments in pivotal relationship to allow them to be separated to provide a level surface that may be used as a sleeping deck. A tent cover, over the sleeping deck, provides a camping enclosure for accommodation and protection of a camper.
1. Background Art
In response to the availability of national parklands and wildlife refuges, a significant population exists of those who enjoy outdoor activities which may take them into areas remote from accommodation facilities such as hotels, motels and even chalets and cabins.
For such occasions, there is a wide range of camping options including various types of motorized campers and trailers, some of which may be pulled by using motorcycles. Such modes of transportation usually appeal to those planning to explore nature's beauty at a significant distance from their normal place of residence. For those wishing to leisurely explore natural environments closer to them there exists a wide variety of options and equipment suitable for back-packs to be carried by hikers. Another means of exploring, at a slower pace than with motorized equipment, uses the convenience of bicycling while pulling needed supplies and equipment in a trailer, suitably attached to the towing bicycle.
While many types of trailer exist as cargo storage containers, suitable for towing by bicycles, the inventor discovered the need for a compact bicycle trailer with a storage container to accommodate food, supplies and camping equipment, including a tent. A suitable folding trailer small and light enough for bicycle towing, but with sufficient internal space for storing needed camping items, including a tent structure, could not be found.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of known designs for bicycle-towed, clamshell-style camping trailers, the present invention has been developed to alleviate these drawbacks and provide further benefits to the user. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention.
2. Disclosure of the Invention
The present invention in its several disclosed embodiments alleviates the drawbacks described above with respect to conventionally designed bicycle trailers and incorporates several additional beneficial features.
The trailer not only allows a cyclist to carry food and related supplies, but in a relatively small space, can hold a tent structure specifically designed for mounting on the trailer. The present invention is remarkable because its camping configuration having a relatively small flat surface provides sufficient area to sleep one person in a tented enclosure that allows the camper to sit in a comfortable upright seating position.
As shown, the invention takes the form of a clamshell-style camping trailer adapted to be pulled by a bicycle. In the illustrated embodiment, the camping trailer includes a wheeled chassis that has a camper compartment mounted thereupon and a tongue member coupled thereto for connection to a towing bicycle. The compartment is transformable between a traveling configuration and an open configuration. The camper compartment has at least two clamshell-styled bodies, each of which is configured to matingly engage the other for configuring the camper compartment into the traveling configuration. At least one of the two clamshell-styled bodies has a closure member for forming a separate cargo space within each of the bodies so that the bodies may be moved relative to one another without contents contained in the cargo spaces spilling therefrom.
The closure member includes a friction-fit securement that is configured to releasably attach the closure member to the camping trailer. A substantially rigid brace extends across an open portion of at least one of the two clamshell-styled bodies for resisting deflection of the bodies. In one embodiment, the friction-fit securement is configured to releasably attach the closure member to the brace.
At least one hinge is connected between the two clamshell-styled bodies so that one may be pivoted away from the other when being transformed from the traveling configuration to the open configuration.
An L-shaped angle brace is positioned interiorly within one of the cargo spaces at a back side wall of at least one of the two clamshell-styled bodies substantially adjacent to the hinge. In the illustrated embodiment, there is such a brace in each of the bodies. An exterior surface of a vertical leg of the L-shaped angle brace is positioned flush with an interior surface of at least one of the two clamshel-styled bodies and a top surface of a horizontal leg of the L-shaped angle brace is positioned level with an upper lip of at least one of the two clamshell-styled bodies. The top surface of the horizontal leg of the brace constitutes a portion of a support surface upon which a substantially flat sleeping deck is supported in the camping configuration.
The at least two clamshell-styled bodies take the form of a top body and a bottom body that are adapted to establish a camping configuration when the top body is maximally pivoted with respect to the bottom body. Each of the top and bottom bodies have an upper opening when in the camping configuration that is defined by an upper lip which are both positioned substantially level with one another in the camping configuration.
The top body has a height greater than a height of the bottom body. The bottom body is supported on the wheeled chassis in the camping configuration and the top body is supported on an adjacent ground surface in the camping configuration. The heights of the top and bottom bodies are selected so as to maintain each of the upper lips substantially level with one another in the camping configuration.
The top body includes a recess at a back portion thereof and the recess is configured to releasably receive a back light assembly. For use, a back light assembly is insertably received in the recess which is sized to form a friction fit with the back light assembly when the back light assembly is installed therein.
Each of the top and bottom bodies has at least one reinforcing rib positioned exteriorly thereof for resisting deflections in the bodies. The ribs on each of the bodies are arranged to abuttingly engage one another when in the camping configuration for setting a degree of pivotation between the bodies that causes the substantially level orientation of the upper lips of the top and bottom bodies.
Preferably, each of the closure members take the form of a substantially planar cover that may be suitably constructed from plywood or similar sheeting. Each of the covers are adapted together to form the substantially flat sleeping deck when the top and bottom bodies are in the camping configuration. A periphery of at least one of the covers is shaped to conform to a shape of a mouth formed by the upper lip of one of the bodies upon which the cover is attached so that the cover is supported at the periphery on the mouth in the camping configuration. In this manner and orientation, the rigid brace that extends across the mouth of one of the bodies and presents an upper support surface that abuttingly engages the cover for lending additional support thereto in the camping configuration.
At least one of the mouths includes a flange that projects beyond the periphery of the planar covers so that both covers are located interiorly to an external periphery of the flange in both the travel configuration and the camping configuration. A lock assembly is at least partially contained in the flange for releasably locking the two clamshell-styled bodies in the traveling configuration.
The tongue member is telescopically constructed to facilitate raising and lowering of a top portion of the tongue member to establish proper positioning of the top portion for attachment to a to
Barrow Glenn P.
Barrow Timothy M.
Blankenship G
Gordon Stephen T.
Kilpatrick Stockton L.L.P.
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