(19)
(11) EP 1 323 578 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
02.07.2003 Bulletin 2003/27

(21) Application number: 02380228.3

(22) Date of filing: 04.11.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7B60P 3/32, E04H 15/00
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 05.11.2001 ES 200102683

(71) Applicant: Mora Navarro, Juan Antonio
08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona (ES)

(72) Inventor:
  • Mora Navarro, Juan Antonio
    08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona (ES)

(74) Representative: Gonzalez Gonzalez, Pablo 
Acebes Garcia Y Asociados, S.L:, Trueba y Fernández, 5-2
28016 Madrid
28016 Madrid (ES)

   


(54) Door device for caravan awnings, tents and similar products


(57) A door structure for caravan awnings and other similar apparatus, that has a standard position slightly inclined towards the inside, which facilitates the closing due to gravity. The door consists of a rigid frame (4) made up of tubular elements and it is attached to a vertical upright post in a revolving manner with couplings positioned with stops. The vertical upright post comprises two or more telescopic parts and all side of the frame are also made up of telescopic parts that are connected to each other, they can be fixed firmly with tightening screws or similar items. The flat surface of the door, attached to the frame, has ties around the perimeter used to fasten the door in the closed position.
The structurally rigid frame (4) made from several parts that are connected to each other consecutively in a telescopic manner and fastened by using tightening elements, such as screws (5) or similar, which enables this frame to be adapted to a wide range of predetermined limits, and the innermost upper and lower tubular parts (4) include hollow couplings (6) adapted to be fixed to the awnings front upright post (2) and they are supported by stops (7) also fixed to the upright post (2) and set in respectively predetermined positions by using tightening devices, such as screws or similar; and as the said front upright post (2) of the awning also comprises two or more telescopically connected parts that are mutually fastened by tightening up element (5).




Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION



[0001] The invention herein makes reference to a door device for caravan awnings, tents and similar products, which contributes essential novel characteristics and substantial advantages in relation to the means known and used for the same purposes in the current stage of technical advancement.

[0002] More specifically, the invention proposes to incorporate a rigid structural frame in this type of door, made from tubular elements coupled in a telescopic manner consecutively, and covered with the same material used to manufacture the awning. The sizes of these elements enable them to be adjusted by virtue of the telescopic nature of the connections between the tubular elements that make up the said structural frame.

[0003] The field of application for this invention is, obviously, within the industrial sector dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of objects related to leisure and free time, such as motor homes, tents and other products of a similar nature.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION



[0004] In general the use, which is growing on a daily basis, of vehicles such as motor homes or caravans towed by another vehicle is widely known, as are tents and other similar products with a view to enjoying free time and for leisure purposes during holiday periods or for other types of festivities. The type of vehicles mentioned offer the user the possibility to travel around in total comfort, they can be parked in selected locations and can be lived in, as they have all the elements necessary to be able to stay in them for relatively long periods of time. The fact that these vehicles can travel to the places where any other vehicle can go, means that the user can decide to park in natural spots and thus be in contact with nature for as long as desired.

[0005] These concepts can also be applied to tents, which can be erected in preestablished places reserved for this purpose, normally in the country or in mountainous areas that offer the user an attraction from the point of view of the area where they are located.

[0006] However, understandably, the interior area of the vehicle, or the interior area of the other facilities mentioned, do not tend to be as spacious as required and, in addition, the user often wants to relax by being in closer contact with the nature of the location where he/she has installed him/herself. Therefore, and in order to be more comfortable and to increase the space in the vehicle or tent, sheltered spaces known as awnings were created, which can be attached to the vehicle or tent and they provide additional space for the users. They offer the advantage of having a roof and protect against any inclemency of the weather.

[0007] In existing awnings, the access doors comprise an element or closure panel that normally consist of a piece of the same material as the awning, or of a different material, and the closed position is generally attained by tying together tapes that are located along the perimeter of the closure element.

[0008] This type of closure element tends to be uncomfortable to use given the way it has been devised and in addition, when you want to leave the access open, you have to tie it up manually to one of the sides.

[0009] For all these reasons, the main object of the invention is to develop a door that resolves the disadvantages of the current systems. This objective has been fully achieved with the device designed by this invention, by virtue of which a door frame element has been developed using a rigid structured frame, based on consecutive tubular elements connected to each other in a telescopic manner and covered by an element made from the same cloth or material as the rest of the awning, similar to that used in awnings based on preceding techniques. The structure is attached to the front upright post of a standard awning, with a vertical axis of rotation, and given its angle with respect to the vertical plane the door itself adopts the two stable extreme open and close positions due to gravity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS



[0010] These and other characteristics and advantages of the invention can be observed more clearly in the following detailed description of the preferred realisation mode, but they are only provided for illustration purposes and are not limiting, in relation to the drawings attached, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a door device built according to the guidelines of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED REALISATION MODE



[0012] In accordance with the above description, this invention has been developed with a view to provide a door device for awnings and similar structures, which considerably improves the use possibilities of these doors, the invention is a door that has rigid characteristics derived from the tubular frame incorporated in the door.

[0013] Indeed, if you look at the schematic illustration in Figure 1, an awning structure can be seen, indicated by numerical reference (1), assembled on a frontal upright post (2). When viewed from the front, it stands in a vertical direction, but normally, when seen from a lateral view, it inclines backwards (i.e. towards the interior space), as it ascends. This circumstance, together with the incline of the remaining upright posts, increases the supportive base as well as the size of the interior space. In addition, the backward incline of upright post (2), also favours the position of the door invented, which will be explained subsequently.

[0014] The door plan has been indicated by number (3) and in this illustration the structure of the perimeter frame (4) can be observed, made up of parts that can be connected together by means of telescopic connections. The means to tighten them up have been envisaged, such as screws (5) or similar, for the mutual fastening of the parts that are connected telescopically. Upright post (2) has also been made up from two or more parts that are connected telescopically, mutually fastened to each other by a tightening device, such as a screw (5) or something of a similar nature.

[0015] Understandably, when this device is used the dimensions of the door can vary, within predetermined limits, by using the same tubular structure 4, and by fastening a closure plane (3), adapted to the final dimensions of the door.

[0016] As seen in this Figure, the innermost upper and lower tubular parts, indicated with reference number (4), are linked to hollow couplings (6) that can be fixed to the frontal upright post (2) and fastened at the upper end by the stops provided (7), fastened with screws. With this very simple method the door has the necessary vertical axis of rotation required, between the extreme open and close positions. These extreme positions are stable positions as the backward incline of the upright pole (2), means that the door 'falls' due to gravity. In any case, the use of traditional ties (8) has been envisaged to fasten the door in closed position.

[0017] Understandably, the different tubular parts that make up frame (4) are metallic elements, conveniently protected to avoid rust or deterioration as they are installed outdoors and thus exposed to the environmental inclemencies where installed.

[0018] It is not considered necessary to further extend the contents of this description for an expert in the matter to understand its scope and the advantages derived from the invention, and for the development and implementation of the object of the invention.

[0019] However, it should be understood that the invention has been described according to a preferred realisation mode, therefore it may be susceptible to modifications that do not represent any modification to the fundamentals of the said invention, these modifications may particularly affect the shape, size and/or materials used in the manufacture of the assembly or any of its parts.


Claims

1. Door device for caravan awnings, tents and similar, which is characterized by the fact that it includes a structurally rigid frame (4) made from several parts that are connected to each other consecutively in a telescopic manner and fastened by using tightening elements, such as screws (5) or similar, which enables this frame to be adapted to a wide range of predetermined limits, and the innermost upper and lower tubular parts (4) include hollow couplings (6) adapted to be fixed to the awnings front upright post (2) and they are supported by stops (7) also fixed to the upright post (2) and set in respectively predetermined positions by using tightening devices, such as screws or similar; and as the said front upright post (2) of the awning also comprises two or more telescopically connected parts that are mutually fastened by tightening up elements (5).
 




Drawing