GB2372202A - A portable and mobile storage, rest and shelter unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A Portable and Mobile Storage and Rest and Shelter Unit is shown in perspective in Figure 7. This unit is a composite, multifunction utility unit primarily for use by anglers by open water, including and particularly for night fishing. It is a wheeled framed trolley unit with an integral camp bed, chair, shelter and storage drawers and cabinet for fishing tackle, cooker, provisions, bivvy tent, and refuse and has a cover with zipped opening access panels. Additional equipment can be secured on top of the unit. The six legs can be adjusted to make the unit level and stable on uneven land. The unit is portable and can be transported by car. It can be hand drawn, with the handle adjustable in 15{ angle increments and the wheels unfolded. It can be adapted to be towed by bicycle or other vehicle. The wheels have adjustable independent suspension.

Description

PORTABLE AND MOBILE STORAGE, REST AND SHELTER UNIT This invention relates to a Portable and Mobile Storage Rest and Shelter Unit.

Anglers usually have many items of cumbersome equipment to carry to the waters edge from their mode of transport. This equipment is generally carried personally and is incumbent about their person, as they often walk over uneven and sometimes muddy and slippery terrain. This task can be perceived as strenuous, inconvenient and tedious and not without risk of personal injury, loss or damage to equipment.

The equipment carried can include, fishing rods, poles and nets, weights, flies, tackle box, camping cooker, food, drink, provisions, bait, water carrier, camp bed and bivvy tent *if night fishing).

According to the present invention there is provided a both Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit, comprising a wheeled tubular space frame chassis an integral unfolding camp bed, a folding handle, draw bar and shelter roof, unfolding seat, chair, several securely released de-mountable drawer and cabinet storage units and work tops. The unit has multiple adjustable legs to accommodate uneven ground when parked. It has unfolding wheels with independent suspension. The unit can be hand drawn or trailed. It can be folded to be transported by vehicle.

The overall function of the composite unit will be as a trolley, bed, chair, shelter-with drawers and cabinets for storage.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 shows a side view of the folded unit. Showing cabinet unit.

Figure 2 shows an end view of the folded unit from the wheeled end.

Figure 3 shows the plan view of the folded unit.

Figure 4 shows a side view of the unit with the handle in position to be hand-drawn and the wheels unfolded. The unit can also be used as a chair in this position. The drawer unit is shown in this Figure.

Figure 5 shows a side view of the camp bed unfolded and the adjustable legs extended, and the wheels folded in.

Figure 6 shows a plan view of the camp bed unfolded, and the wheels folded in.

Figure 7 shows in perspective the drawer and cabinet units de-mounted from the main frame, work tops extended and camp bed unfolded, and wheels folded in.

Figure 8 shows the Drawer and cabinet storage units with a drawer and doors open respectively, and shoulder straps attached.

Figure 9 shows a side view of the unit forming a shelter with a folding seat extended.

Figure 10 shows in perspective the unit set up on adjustable legs in the shelter configuration and cover fitted, and seat folded in.

Figure 11 shows side view of unit in tilted position with fabric cover fitted, as when being drawn by hand. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings Figures 1 to 11 the unit comprises a wheeled space frame 1, and integral unfolding camp bed, 2,3 and 4; a folding handle/a draw bar/chair back and shelter roof, 2; several securely released, de-mountable drawer and cabinet storage units, 5 and 6 respectively ; retractable work surfaces, 7; and folding wheels, 8. The unit has adjustable legs for levelling on uneven ground, 9. The wheels have independent suspension, which has adjustable ride stiffness to accommodate the terrain roughness and the final loaded weight of the unit.

The handle, draw-bar, chair back and bed head, 2, can be rotated through 3600 to enable the settings for its several functions. As the handle, 2, is rotated, a spring and ball system within the pivots, 10, clicks every 150, and the pivot mechanism can be locked every 150.

The folding frame, 3, clicks upon rotation through 1800 every 900 and the pivot, 11, is lockable every 900. 2 is shown configured as a handle in Figure 4.2 is shown configured as a camp bed head in Figure 5 and 6.2 is shown configured as the roof of the shelter in Figure 9 when locked at 900 to 3.

The drawer unit, 5, and cabinet unit, 6, are secured releasable to the main frame, 1 by rigid fasteners (not shown) at the top and bottom of the units. These units can be de-mounted by sliding them out of the main frame on rails, located with the main frame, as shown in Figure 7.

These units can be used separately as they are fitted with case fitting type handles and shoulder straps (Figure 8); can be placed adjacent to the main unit (Figure 7), or kept assembled in the main unit and accessed while the angler is lying or sat on the unit in either camp bed or chair configuration or while stopping momentarily when being drawn along. The drawers and cabinet doors are held in their closed position by rigid fasteners. The rigid fasteners are of the locking type, fitted with safety catches, to prevent inadvertent opening due to inclination or movement and also to reduce theft of the unit contents.

There are six adjustable legs on the unit, 9. Four of these are on the main frame and one each on the supporting legs. This mechanism has coarse adjustment, by hand operating a lever up or down through a sliding gate system in predetermined increments. When the desired sliding position is set on the gate, a pip-pin (hanging locally from the fixed part of the leg by a light gauge chain) is inserted through holes in the fixed and sliding part of the leg, to lock the sliding part in position.

Fine adjustment of the legs height is attained by rotating the knurled foot, 12, left or right to make a right handed threaded portion of the leg move down or up respectively inside the sliding part of the leg.

The wheels can be folded inwards through 900 to lie within the main frame. This allows for easier access when walking around the unit when parked and in use as a chair or bed. Also, the unit becomes more compact for transporting when the wheels are folded away and the bed folding frame, 3, and the handle, 2, are folded down onto the main frame, 1, as in Figure 1.

The wheels are released and locked into position by raising and lowering a springloaded hand operated lever in the vertical plane on the outer side of the wheel arm bracket on the main frame.

The camp bed folding frame handle and folding legs are released and locked by operating a knurled thumbwheel located at the respective pivot points as indicated on Figure 10. The camp bed has a fabric base, retained by a nylon cord passing through metal eyelets in the bed fabric and passing around the top rails of the frame, 1, the folding frame, 3, and the handle/draw bar, 2. See Figure 7. There is provided a separate fabric weather resistant cover, having several zipped opening access panels, which covers the whole unit, except the wheels, Figure 10. This cover can be left fitted to the unit while the unit is being drawn along or transported.

The typical operation of the unit is as follows : On removing the folded unit from a vehicle having arrived in the vicinity of an angling site, the unit is placed on the ground in an upright position. The handle drawn bar is released at the pivots and rotated upwards through an angle of 900 and is locked in position as in Figure 4. The two wheels are then unfolded as Figure 4.

The person then places a foot on the cross-bar, 16, behind the wheel, Figure 7 and a hand placed on top of the handle, 2, Figure 4 and the whole unit is tilted onto its pair of wheels and drawn along, Figure 11.

On arrival at the waters edge or other location, the person will park the unit by releasing the tilt of the handle so that the handle is in vertical position, Figure 4. The person will level the unit if the ground is uneven, by sliding the adjusters on the four legs of the main frame. Final adjustments for levelling is made by rotating the feet to the right or left for up or down respectively.

If the unit is required to be a chair, then the handle can be left upright as in Figure 4, or adjusted in 150 angle increments to the position required. Alternatively, if the camp bed is required, this can be provided by unlocking the folding main frame pivot, 11, Figure 5 and the rotating the folding frame, 3 in a 1800 angle in a direction away from the wheels, to the horizontal position shown in Figure 5.

When the folding frame bar 3 reaches the horizontal position, its pivot, 11, will click and the pivot locked by rotating a thumbwheel, 13, each side, clockwise, Figure 7.

The folding legs 14 can be unfolded and set in position and locked using the locking pivot 15, Figure 7. The folding legs can be moved and locked in 150 angle increments. The headboard to the camp bed is provided by unlocking the handle pivot 10, Figure 5, and rotating the handle in 150 angle increments until the desired position is reached, with the clicking mechanism operating at 150 increments. The pivot is then locked by rotating a thumb wheel on each side of the handle on the pivot 10, which is located on the inside of the frame side Figure 7.

The length of the folding legs can be altered to accommodate uneven ground by sliding the (adjustable leg 9, Figure 5) and rotating the feet, 12, Figure 5 as on the main frame legs.

To fold the unit away to be drawn away by hand Figure 4 and then finally folded to be transported Figure 1, the steps described above are carried out in the reverse sequence.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS Claim 1: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter unit, with de-mountable storage units, integral folding and adjustable camp bed, folding multi-purpose handle, draw bar and shelter roof, with folding wheels (to improve portability and access around the unit when parked), adjustable sliding levelling legs, based on a wheeled main frame of a space frame construction, is a composite utility unit, combining the features of storage, transportability and rest facility, and overall, it functions as a trolley, bed, chair, shelter, storage unit.

   Claim 2: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit, as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the integral campbed's, headboard frame also supports the function of combined handle, draw bar and shelter roof.

   Claim 3: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit as described in Claim 1 and Claim 2 wherein the combined handle, draw bar, camp bed headboard frame also supports the function of shelter roof.

   Claim 4: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit as claimed in Claim 2 and Claim 3, wherein the wheels can be folded into the main frame and locked to provide clearance for improved portability, and more access around the unit when parked.

   Claim 5: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit is claimed in Claim 4, wherein the storage drawer unit and storage cabinet unit are securely releasable and can be released by operating rigid fasteners and the storage units can each be made to slide out on rails which are integral to the main frame and de-mounted to the sides of the main frame and used as portable, shoulder strap carried, stand alone units.

   Claim 6: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the storage drawer unit can be used while assembled in the main frame unit while the whole unit is configured as a chair, bed or shelter or is in transit in portable mode, or while being drawn along by hand as a trolley or being towed as a trailer.

   Claim 7: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and shelter Unit as claimed in Claim 6, wherein each leg of the unit is provided with an adjustable height mechanism.

   Claim 8: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 11.

   Claim 9: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the handle 2 can be set at 150 angle, increments through 2700 can be set at a chosen angle so that unit can be drawn by a pedal bicycle, pedal tricycle, moped, scooter, motorcycle, motor tricycle, quad-bike or motor vehicle using the handle and a provided tow ball adapter affixed and bolted to the handle.

   Claim 10: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit, wherein the wheels are mounted on independent suspension, with adjustable ride stiffness.

   Claim 11: A Portable and Mobile Storage, Rest and Shelter Unit, which has a separate fabric weather resistant cover, having several zipped opening access panels.