Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FOLDABLE HABITATION
BACKGROUND
A foldable habitation allowing an owner to fold the habitation from an
unfolded state to a
folded state, to move it to another location, or for storage, is presented in
published
international patent application no. WO 02/066755. Such a foldable habitation
can provide a
cottage which can be displaced from year to year or an office which can be
installed on a
temporary construction site, for example, to give two of the numerous
possibilities it offers. It
can be folded into a compact folded state for displacement and be unfolded and
deployed to
satisfy dwelling needs.
Althougli the foldable habitation discussed above has been found satisfactory
on many
aspects, there remained room for even further improvements.
SUMMARY
In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a foldable habitation
comprising : a base
having an elongated central floor portion with a front end and a rear end; a
frame having a
front portion secured to and vertically extending from the front end of the
central floor
portion, a rear portion secured to and vertically extending from the rear end
of the central
floor portion, and an upper portion connecting the front portion and the rear
portion, the
frame being capable of supporting the weight of the foldable habitation when
the foldable
habitatio:n is lifted by the front portion and the rear portion of the frame;
and a covering
having a central roof portion mounted to the upper portion of the frame.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a foldable habitation
comprising : a base
having an elongated central floor portion, generally oriented in a
longitudinal orientation,
having a front end, a rear end, and two opposite sides, the base also having
two lateral floor
portions, each lateral floor portion being hingedly mounted along a respective
one of the
opposite sides of the central floor portion; a frame having a front portion
secured to and
vertically extending from the front end of the central floor portion, a rear
portion secured to
and vertically extending from the rear end of the central floor portion, and
an upper portion
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connecting the front portion and the rear portion; a covering having a central
roof portion
mounted. to the upper portion of the frame and having two opposite sides, and
two lateral roof
portions, each lateral roof portion being hingedly mounted along a respective
one of the
opposite sides of the central roof portion; two opposite lateral walls, each
lateral wall having
a front end and a rear end and being slidable in a transversal orientation
along a
corresponding one of the lateral floor portions; and a front wall and a rear
wall, each having a
central vvall portion mounted to a respective one of the front portion and the
rear portion of
the fram.e and having two opposite sides, and two foldable lateral portions,
each lateral
portion being hingedly mounted between a respective one of the opposite sides
of the central
wall portion and a respective one of the front end and the rear end of a
respective one of the
two lateral walls, the lateral portions being configured and adapted to unfold
when the
corresponding lateral wall is outwardly slid.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a foldable habitation
having a foldable
base including an elongated central floor portion having a front end and a
rear end, a foldable
covering including a central roof portion, and deployable walls, the foldable
habitation being
characterized in that it further has a supporting frame having a plurality of
interconnected
steel beams, the frame having a front portion secured to and vertically
extending from the
front encl of the central floor portion, a rear portion secured to and
vertically extending from
the rear end of the central floor portion, and an upper portion connecting the
front portion to
the rear portion of the frame and to which the central roof portion of the
covering is mounted.
In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method of handling a
foldable
habitation in a folded configuration, the method comprising: removably
fastening a front
leverage beam to an upper end of a front portion of a steel frame of the
foldable habitation;
removably fastening a rear leverage beam to an upper end of a rear portion of
the steel frame
of the folldable habitation; and lifting the foldable habitation using the
fastened front and rear
leverage beams.
In accordance with one aspect, there is provided a foldable habitation that
can be unfolded
and deployed to satisfy dwelling needs, and that can be folded into a compact
configuration
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for displacement or storage, for example. The foldable habitation has a base
with an
elongated central floor portion, a frame secured to and vertically extending
from the central
floor portion, and a covering having a central roof portion mounted to the
upper portion of
the frame. The foldable habitation can be provided as a cottage unit which can
be displaced
from year to year, a movable motel unit, or an office unit which can be
installed on a
temporary construction site, to give three examples of the numerous
possibilities.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following
detailed
description, taken in combination with the appended figures, in which:
Fig. I is a perspective view of an example of an improved foldable habitation
in a folded
state;
Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing unfolding of the lateral floor
portions;
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing unfolding of the lateral roof
portion on one side;
Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing unfolding of the walls on one side;
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with one side completely deployed, showing
unfolding of a
lateral raof portion on another side;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the improved foldable habitation of Fig. 1 in
an unfolded state;
Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the covering removed;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the frame of the foldable habitation of Fig.
1;
Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 4, showing the lateral wall
sliding
transversally;
Fig. 10 is an enlarged view, fragmented, of the front or rear portions of the
frame of Fig. 8,
with components removed, and with a leverage beam fastened thereto;
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Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the foldable habitation of Fig. 1 adapted to
be lifted by a
crane.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1 shows an example of an improved foldable habitation 10 in a folded
state. In the folded
state, the foldable habitation has an elongated appearance in an orientation
referred to herein
as the longitudinal orientation, schematized by a longitudinal axis 11. The
main components
of the foldable habitation 10 are substantially symmetrical along a median
longitudinal plane.
For the sake of clarity, a front end 12 and the rear end 14 of the foldable
habitation are
defined, though it will be understood that a front door of the foldable
habitation can be
provided in a wall referred to herein as a lateral wall or rear wall, for
example. Due to the
symmetricallity of the foldable habitation 10, the front end 12 and the rear
end 14 are similar.
Only one side of the foldable habitation thus needs to be discussed in detail.
For simplicity,
when two similar components are present on opposite sides of the foldable
habitation 10,
only one of the two similar components is referred to using a reference
numeral.
The foldable habitation 10 includes a base 16 having an elongated central
floor portion 18
oriented in the longitudinal orientation 11, and two lateral floor portions
20. Each lateral floor
portion 20 is hingedly mounted to pivot around a corresponding longitudinal
side 30 of the
central floor portion 18. The foldable habitation 10 also has a covering 24,
the covering 24
includes a central roof portion 26 oriented in the longitudinal orientation
11, and two lateral
roof portions 28. Similarly, the two lateral roof portions 28 are hingedly
mounted along two
opposite sides of the central roof portion 26. The foldable habitation 10 also
has two opposite
lateral walls 32. In the folded state, each lateral roof portion 28 is nested
between a
corresponding lateral floor portion 20 and a corresponding lateral wall 32.
The foldable
habitation also has a front wa1134 and a rear wall (not shown). The front wall
34 has a central
wall portion 36 having two opposite sides 38, and two folded lateral portions
40. Each one of
the two folded lateral portions 40 is hingedly mounted between a corresponding
opposite side
38 of the central wall portion 36 and a corresponding lateral wall 32. The
rear wall (not
shown) is similar to the front wall 34.
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Reference will now be made to Figs. 1 to 6 to show successive steps for
unfolding the
foldable habitation 10 from the folded state into an unfolded or deployed
state. These steps
can be carried out in the reverse order to fold the foldable habitation 10.
In Fig.l the foldable habitation 10 is in the folded state. In Fig. 2, the
foldable habitation 10 is
shown positioned onto height-adjustable bearing members, jacks 42 in this
case, and the
lateral floor portions 20 are being unfolded by hingedly pivoting around the
corresponding
side 30 of the central floor portion 18. In Fig. 3, the base 16 is deployed. A
lateral roof
portion 28 is being raised by hingedly pivoting along a respective side of the
central roof
portion 26. In Fig. 4, a lateral wall 32 is being slid transversally along a
corresponding lateral
floor portion 20, which results in unfolding a corresponding lateral portion
40 of the front
wall 34. 'The lateral portion 40 of the front wall 34 includes two wall panels
44, 46, which are
hingedly connected together along their adjacent sides. The inner wall panel
44 has an inner
side hingedly connected to a corresponding side 38 of the central portion 36
of the front wall
34, and the outer wall panel 46 has an outer side hingedly connected to a
front end of the
lateral wall 32. A lateral portion of the rear wall (not shown) is similarly
unfolded at the rear
of the foldable habitation 10 as the lateral wall 32 is transversally slid. In
Fig. 5, one side of
the foldable habitation 10 is shown unfolded, and the other side is being
deployed by raising
the lateral roof portion 28. The lateral wall of that other side, and the
corresponding lateral
portions of the front and rear walls, will then be deployed such as depicted
in Fig. 4. In Fig.
6, the foldable habitation is shown in an unfolded state. A chimney 48 can
also be present on
the front wall 34.
In Fig. 7,, the foldable habitation 10 is shown with the covering 24 removed.
A steel beam
frame 50 of the foldable habitation 10 is shown. Partitions 52, 54 were
unfolded subsequently
to deployment of the lateral walls 32. Cupboards were affixed to one partition
54,
corresponding to a kitchen area. Furniture can then be added to the foldable
habitation as
desired.
The example of a foldable habitation 10 described above and illustrated
corresponds to a
cottage unit offering a panoramic view at the front due to the presence of
numerous large
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windows on the front wall. In alternate embodiments, the configuration of the
partitions,
windows, and doors, can greatly depart from those illustrated to adapt the
foldable habitation
to other uses. An office unit where the partitions are removed or minimized,
and a motel unit
longitudinally separated in two halves and having two front doors, and two
bathrooms, one
accessible from each half, are two of the numerous examples of other uses.
Many additional
configurations and uses are also possible.
For illustrative purposes, the illustrated model has 7.3 m (24 feet) in length
and 6.7 m (22
feet) in vvidth when it is in the unfolded state. When it is folded, it can be
folded down to 2.6
m (8 feet and 7 inches) in width, which is an advantageous width when
exporting overseas
because it allows shipping in standard size shipping containers. In alternate
configurations,
various other lengths and widths are also possible.
A factor which has been known to limit the practicable length of previously
known foldable
habitations was the important longitudinal deflection, caused by the weight of
the
components, which has been known to occur when such folded habitations were
lifted to be
put onto a trailer or into a container, for example. This was a source of many
handling
difficulties, and in some cases, lifting required the installation of an outer
frame for the
folded habitation, like an exoskeleton, to provide a lifting structure to
limit the longitudinal
deflection during lifting.
One element which is very advantageous in the illustrated example of an
improved foldable
habitation 10 is the incorporation of an internal frame 50. The incorporation
of an internal
frame allows to alleviate many of the aforementioned handling difficulties
known to some
previously known foldable habitations by providing a longitudinal deflection-
resistant
structure. This can advantageously help in limiting the longitudinal
deflection in the
components of the foldable habitation, thus easing the manipulation of
foldable habitations
and allovving to provide foldable habitations of increased length as compared
to what could
previously be achieved. For example, using a frame of steel beams, it is now
possible to
produce and handle a foldable habitation having 10.3 m (34 feet) in length,
and potentially
more.
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Fig. 8 shows the steel frame 50 of the foldable habitation 10 shown and
described above. The
steel frame 50 has an upper portion 52 to which the central roof portion 26 is
mounted, and a
front portion 54 and a rear portion 56 to which the central portions 36 of the
front wall 34 and
of the rear wall are mounted, respectively. The front portion 54 and the rear
portion 56 are
secured ito, and vertically extend, from the front end and the rear end of the
central floor
portion 18, respectively. The upper portion 52 of the frame 50 is assembled to
the upper ends
of the front portion 54 and the rear portion 56 of the frame 50.
In this example, a front brace 58 and a rear brace 60 are provided as part of
the front portion
54 and the rear portion 56, respectively. The braces 56, 58 each have a fixed
central portion
62 fastened along the corresponding one of the front or rear end of the
central floor portion
18. For illustrative purposes, it will be understood that the central floor
portion 18 and lateral
floor portions 20 are constructed with an internal structure, and the central
floor portion 18,
for example, can have structural members extending along both transversally
opposite
sides 30. These side structural members are connected at opposite ends to the
central
portion 62 of the braces 56, 58. The use of fixed central portions 62 of
braces 56, 58 for
securing the frame 50 to the central floor portion 18 advantageously allows to
spread the
retention forces along the width of the central floor portion 18 when the
foldable habitation
10 is lifted. In alternate configurations, the frame can be connected to the
floor differently.
The braces 56, 58 in this example, also include two lateral brace portions 64,
each being
hingedly connected to a corresponding end of the central brace portion 62.
This particular
configuration is optional, but advantageously allows to provide the hinged
connection
between the lateral floor portions 20 and the central floor portion 18 as part
of the frame 50.
The use of braces 56, 58 can also contribute to add structure to the lateral
floor portions 20,
which can be helpful in leveling the habitation 10.
Certain conventional wood structures have a tendency to deform with time due
to warping of
the wood boards during temperature variations, or aging. A metal frame can
advantageously
overcome these limitations of wood structures because they are more stable
with time.
Further, providing the metal frame internally allows to somewhat minimize the
remaining
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deformation, or relative displacement, which can occur in the components which
are mounted
to the frame.
In this example, the upper portion 52 of the frame 50 includes two
longitudinally oriented
and transversally spaced-apart I-beams 66. I-beams advantageously provide an
important
amount of longitudinal deflection resistance to the frame 50 and can
advantageously be
manufactured in various lengths and sizes. It will be understood that beams
having other
cross-sectional shapes than I-beams, but also offering satisfactory
longitudinal deflection
characteristics can alternately be used. The particular size of I-beams for a
particular foldable
habitation application can be calculated by persons of ordinary skill in the
art for a given
overall weight, and weight distribution, of a particular embodiment of a
foldable habitation.
The two parallel I-beams 66 are transversally interconnected by a plurality of
struts 68. In the
illustrated example, all the components of the frame 50 are made of steel,
although
components of other metals can also be used. In alternate embodiments,
different
configurations of can alternately be used for the upper frame portion 52.
In this example, the front portion 54 and the rear portion 56 of the frame 50
are similar, and
both include two vertical beams 70, or studs, each one of the studs extending
downwardly
from a respective one of the two I-beams 66. Alternate configurations can also
be used.
In this example, the frame 50 is further reinforced by an optional
intermediate portion 72 also
having two vertical beams 74, or studs, and a transversal floor beam 76. The
intermediate
portion 72 serves to suspend an intermediate portion of the central floor
portion 18 to the
upper portion 52 of the frame 50. This advantageously allows to reduce
longitudinal
deflection in the central floor portion 18. In alternate configurations, the
intermediate portion
72 can be omitted, or additional intermediate portions can be added, to adapt
the frame to
different lengths of foldable habitations, or to different weight and
deflection characteristics
of the fol.dable habitation components, for example.
Referring now to Fig. 9, to ease the transversal sliding of the lateral walls
32 of the foldable
habitation when folding or unfolding, the lateral walls 32 can be supported on
wheels or
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rollers. In this example, a transversally oriented wheel 80 is provided at
each longitudinal end
of the lateral wall 32. The front brace 58, and more particularly the lateral
brace portions 64
thereof, are provided with guiding tracks 82 for the wheel 80. Guiding tracks
are optional, but
can advantageously be used to help maintaining the longitudinal alignment of
the lateral
walls during the transversal sliding displacement. The guiding tracks can
advantageously be
provided on either one of the front end and the rear end of the lateral floor
portions 20 rather
than being provided on both the front end and the rear end, because using two
opposite
guiding tracks can lead to blockage of the lateral wall 32 if obliqueness
occurs during the
transversal sliding displacement, such as if one end of the lateral wall 32 is
moved faster than
the opposite end. Providing guiding tracks made of metal is advantageous
because it provides
a hard surface on which the wheel 80 can be easily slid. This hard surface is
durable and
helps maintain the foldability of the habitation 10 over time. In embodiments
where lateral
brace portions 64 are used, the guiding track 82 can advantageously be
provided as part of
the frame 50. The guiding tracks 82 can thus be automatically aligned with the
central floor
portion 18. Further, providing the guiding track 82 as part of the lateral
brace portion 64
offers deformation resistance over time.
In this example, the guiding track 82 has a vertically-extending male portion
84 extending
along the upper side of the lateral brace portion 64, and the wheel 80 has a
circumferential
female groove 86 adapted to receive the male portion 84 of the guiding track
82. The use of
the male portion in the guiding track rather than in the wheel is advantageous
because the
vertically-extending male portion contributes to impede infiltration of water
from the outside.
Fig. 10 shows that the studs 70 of the front portion 54 or rear portion 56 of
the frame 50 can
advantageously have threaded apertures 88 defined in an upper end portion
thereof. The
fastener-receiving apertures 88 can receive fasteners used for securing a
leverage beam 90
directly to the frame 50. The threaded apertures 88 thus act as fixation
points, or lifting areas
of the frame 50. The fasteners used to fasten the leverage beams to the frame
50 collectively
support the entire weight of the foldable habitation 10 when it is lifted. The
positioning of the
threaded apertures 88 close to the upper portion 52 of the frame 50 is
advantageous because it
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allows to distribute the lifting force to the upper portion 52 of the frame 50
with a relatively
small moment of force between the front portion 54 or rear portion 56 and the
upper portion
52 because of the relatively small distance, or lever arm, between the
threaded apertures 88
and the upper portion 52.
Fig. 11, shows an example of how the foldable habitation 10 can be lifted. A
front leverage
beam 89 is secured to the front end 12 of the foldable habitation 10, and more
particularly to
the frame 50 thereof, whereas a rear leverage beam 90 is secured to the rear
end 14. The
front and rear leverage beams 89, 90 can advantageously be hooked upon at
opposite ends
thereof, to raise the entire foldable habitation 10 for manipulation and
displacement. As
discussed above, manipulating the foldable habitation 10 in this manner is
especially
advantageous for exporting overseas, or when shipping by train, in which cases
the foldable
habitation 10 can be raised and placed into a shipping container. When
shipping or moving
by truck, the foldable habitation can also be placed on a truck bed by
jacking, for example.
As can be seen therefore, the examples described above and illustrated are
intended to be
exemplaiy only. The scope of the invention(s) is intended to be determined
solely by the
appended claims.
