GB2501314A

GB2501314A - Levelling device for caravan

Info

Publication number: GB2501314A
Application number: GB1206988.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frederick Nigel Milbank
Original assignee: Milenco Ltd
Current assignee: Milenco Ltd
Priority date: 2012-04-20
Filing date: 2012-04-20
Publication date: 2013-10-23
Also published as: GB201206988D0

Abstract

A levelling device 10 comprises a wedge-shaped body 12 having a lower surface (14, Fig 2) for contacting the ground (16, Fig 1) and an upper surface 18 for receiving the wheel (20, Fig 1) of a vehicle, for example a caravan. The lower surface and the upper surface are each formed of a solid face 22 with holes 24 therein. Each hole 24 on the upper surface 18 corresponds to a solid face 22 of the lower surface. Preferably, each hole 24 on the lower surface corresponds to a solid face 22 of the upper surface. Preferably the holes on the upper surface are diamond shaped and are arranged in two columns lengthwise along the device. Preferably the upper surface comprises a series of substantially horizontal ridges (26, Fig 4) and arcuate indentations (28, Fig 4), the indentations each being at different heights from the lower surface.

Description

DESCRIPTION

A LEVELLING DEVICE

This invention relates to a levelling device.

It is known, in relation to the parking of vehicles, to use a levelling device. In many practical situations in relation to the parking of a vehicle such as a caravan, a level surface to park the vehicle cannot be found. On such io uneven ground, particularly where it is planned to leave a vehicle for a relatively long period of time, it is known to use a levelling device underneath one or more wheels of the vehicle. Such devices are generally formed as a wedge shape, with a narrow end to receive the wheel, as the vehicle is moved onto the levelling device, and a higher end to locate the wheel, once the vehicle is in position.

United Kingdom Patent Application Publication GB 2465065 discloses a levelling device comprises a wedge-shaped body or ramp having a lower surface for contacting the ground and an upper surface for receiving the wheel of a vehicle such as a caravan, wherein the lower surface is a substantially planar, substantially continuous surface and the upper surface is a substantially discontinuous surface comprising a series or grid of inter-crossing ribs, which may be continuous between the upper and lower surfaces. This improved levelling device has a number of advantages over standard levelling devices but is not necessarily easy to manufacture, nor is it necessarily the best levelling device to use in all situations It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.

According to the present invention, there is provided a levelling device levelling device comprising a wedge-shaped body having a lower surface for contacting the ground and an upper surface for receiving the wheel of a vehicle, wherein the lower surface and the upper surface are each formed of a solid face with holes therein, each hole on the upper surface corresponding to a solid face of the lower surface.

Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a levelling device that is easy to manufacture, as a simple mould can be used to create the finished S product, as the holes on the top surface correspond to solid elements on the bottom surface and the provision of top and bottom surfaces that are both solid and comprised of holes produce a levelling device that can be used on wide range of different ground surfaces and provide adequate grip from both the top and bottom surfaces.

Advantageously, each hole on the lower surface corresponds to a solid face of the upper surface. This provides the best embodiment of the levelling device as the holes on the bottom surface match corresponding solid faces on the top surface and vice versa and this produces the most efficient levelling device in terms of the mould needed to produce the levelling device and also provides the best arrangement for grip in relation to the top surface and the bottom surface.

Ideally, each hole on the upper surface is connected to the corresponding solid face of the lower surface by a continuous tube and each hole on the lower surface is connected to the corresponding solid face of the upper surface by a continuous tube. Again, this provides the best embodiment of the levelling device as the continuous tubes produce the most efficient levelling device in terms of the mould needed to produce the levelling device.

Preferably, the levelling device further comprises a set of spaced out teeth located at the lower end of the upper surface. The provision of the teeth on the front edge of the levelling device improves the grip of the wheel of the vehicle on the upper surface of the levelling device, at the moment when that wheel first engages the levelling device. This improves the functionality of the levelling device, and ensures that the movement of the wheel of the vehicle onto the levelling device is as straightforward as possible. The use of the teeth removes the need for an additional gripper plate on the levelling device.

Advantageously, the upper surface comprises a series of ridges and indentations. The ridges and indentations may be so configured that each ridge is substantially horizontal. Each indentation can be of an arcuate (curved) shape, with the indentations being formed at different heights from the lower surface. The use of the indentations on the levelling device creates locating positions on the top of the levelling device for the wheel of the vehicle S to locate. The upper surface of the device therefore has predetermined positions on the levelling device for locating wheels, and this increases the ease of locating the wheel at a desired height on the levelling device. This also helps to keep the wheel in the same position, once the vehicle wheel has been positioned on the levelling device. The use of the indentations and ridges io removes the need for a separate chock to be used to retain the wheel of the vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a side view of the levelling device supporting a wheel, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the levelling device, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the top of the levelling device, and Figure 4 is a further side view of the levelling device.

Figure 1 shows the levelling device 10, which comprises a wedge-shaped body 12 having a lower surface 14 for contacting the ground 16 and an upper surface 18 for receiving the wheel 20 of a vehicle. The levelling device is designed to provide the user of a vehicle such as a caravan with a simple method for levelling their vehicle on uneven ground. One or more wheels 20 of their caravan will be levelled with the levelling device 10. The wedge-shape of the body 12 enables the wheel 20 to easily be located onto the levelling device and also provides a gradient such that different heights of levelling can be utilised with the same device 10 for the wheel 20 being located thereon.

The levelling device 10 is likely to be used mostly on bare ground such as soil in a field, as this is the typical situation when uneven ground will be encountered by the owner of a caravan. For this reason, the design of the lower surface 14 of the levelling device 10 is of fundamental importance. This is because the weight of the vehicle that is being located on the levelling device 10 will tend to push the levelling device 10 into the ground 16. This has two negative consequences, firstly that it can make the levelling device 10 difficult to recover when the caravan is to be moved and secondly as the levelling device 10 sinks into the ground 16 it will no longer provide its desired levelling function.

Figure 2 shows a view of the underside of the levelling device 10. The lower surface 14 of the levelling device 10 is formed of a solid face 22 with holes 24 therein. The solid face components 22 are flat and form a plane across the bottom of the levelling device 10. The solid faces 22 and the holes 24 form a repeating pattern across the lower surface 14. This repeating pattern creates a lower surface 14 that is partially solid for bearing on the ground 16 when in use, which provides rigidity in the levelling device 10 and also provides assistance in preventing the levelling device 10 from sinking into the ground 16 when a vehicle is in position on the levelling device 10.

The holes 24 in the lower surface 14 of the levelling device 10 reduce the amount of material that need to be used in the construction of the levelling device 10 and also make it easier for the levelling device 10 to be constructed from a single mould, when moulding using plastics material. The edges between the holes 24 and the solid faces 22 create grip, when the levelling device is placed on the ground 16 and the wheel 20 of the vehicle is being introduced onto the levelling device 10. This additional grip helps to prevent the levelling device 10 from moving laterally, as the wheel 20 is being brought onto the levelling device 10. The design of the lower surface 14 provides significant improvements in the levelling device 10.

Figure 3 shows the upper surface 18 of the levelling device 10 which, like the lower surface 14, is formed of a solid face 22 with holes 24 therein, where each hole 24 on the upper surface 18 corresponds to a solid face 22 of the lower surface 14. Similarly, each hole 24 on the lower surface 14 corresponds to a solid face 22 of the upper surface 18. Each hole 24 on the upper surface 18 is substantially diamond-shaped and the holes 24 on the upper surface 18 are arranged in two columns running lengthwise along the levelling device 10. The solid face 22 of the upper surface 18 is formed of series of substantially parallel ribs 30 that are arranged across the upper surface 18. The wheel 20 is able to get better grip from the ribs 30.

Each hole 24 on the upper surface 18 is connected to the S corresponding solid face 22 of the lower surface 14 by a continuous tube and each hole 24 on the lower surface 14 is connected to the corresponding solid face 22 of the upper surface 18 by a continuous tube. The holes 24 define openings of the tubes of plastics material that run continuously from top to bottom of the levelling device 10. As discussed above, this is to make the io manufacture of the levelling device 10 more efficient as the entire levelling device can be made from a single piece of plastics material within a single mould. The levelling device 10 provides improved functionality in operation in addition to being easier to manufacture.

A more detailed side view of the levelling device 10 is shown in Figure 4, which shows the side profile of the preferred embodiment of the levelling device 10. The levelling device 10 is also provided a set of teeth 32 located at the lower end of the upper surface 18. This line of teeth 32 (also seen in Figure 2) further assist in the engaging of the wheel 20 with the levelling device 10, when the wheel 20 is first being moved up the levelling device 10.

The teeth 32 provide a gripping edge that is non-continuous and removes the need for an additional component such as a gripping plate, which is present on many existing levelling devices. The teeth 32 will engage with at least part of the tread of a tyre 20 that is being moved onto the device 10, thereby assisting in the traction between the wheel 20 and levelling device 10, as the levelling device 10 is put to use.

The upper surface 18 of the levelling device 10 comprises a series of substantially horizontal ridges 26 and indentations 28. Each indentation 28 is of an arcuate shape, being curved, effectively forming a concave surface. The indentations 28 are formed in the upper surface 18, at different heights from the lower surface 14. The indentations 28 thus create locating positions for the wheel 20. The design of the upper surface 18 increases the ease of locating the wheel 20 at a desired height. This shape of the surface 18 also helps to keep the wheel 20 in the same position, once the vehicle wheel 20 has been positioned on the levelling device 10.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A levelling device (10) comprising a wedge-shaped body (12) having a lower surface (14) for contacting the ground (16) and an upper S surface (18) for receiving the wheel (20) of a vehicle, wherein the lower surface (14) and the upper surface (18) are each formed of a solid face (22) with holes (24) therein, each hole (24) on the upper surface (18) corresponding to a solid face (22) of the lower surface (14).
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein each hole (24) on the lower surface (14) corresponds to a solid face (22) of the upper surface (18).
3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each hole (24) on the upper surface (18) is substantially diamond-shaped.
4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the holes (24) on the upper surface (18) are arranged in two columns running lengthwise along the levelling device (10).
5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein each hole (24) on the upper surface (18) is connected to the corresponding solid face (22) of the lower surface (14) by a continuous tube.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein each hole (24) on the lower surface (14) is connected to the corresponding solid face (22) of the upper surface (18) by a continuous tube.
7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the upper surface (18) comprises a series of ridges (26) and indentations (28).
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein each indentation (28) is of an arcuate shape.
9. A device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the indentations (28) are formed at different heights from the lower surface (14).s
10. A device according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein each ridge (26) is substantially horizontal.