WO2002095166A1

WO2002095166A1 - A portable building

Info

Publication number: WO2002095166A1
Application number: PCT/GB2002/002389
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander James Ciniglio
Original assignee: Ciniglio A J
Priority date: 2001-05-23
Filing date: 2002-05-22
Publication date: 2002-11-28

Abstract

A portable building comprising means to raise and lower the height of the roof (135). The building has a series of extendable uprights built into its walls, and a support at the top of each upright to support the roof (135). The roof (135) is in a lowered position while the building is transported to a desired location. To then increase the height of the roof (135), the uprights are adjusted to the desired length and locked in this position. If the building has to be moved again, the uprights can be unblocked and the height of the roof (135) can be reduced.

Description

A Portable Building

The present invention relates to portable buildings, and more specifically, to a portable building with an adjustable roof.

Portable buildings are commonly used for toilets, stores, offices, mess rooms, food booths, roadside cafes, rest rooms and recording booths. They may be intended for long term, medium term or short term use. It is common for such buildings to be erected outside, in the open air.

GB2265396A describes a mobile workstation which may be internally fitted out for a specific function, and which can be guided into a designated area within a building, either as a single unit, or in combination with other workstations.

The present invention is particularly concerned with providing a portable unit which can be fitted out, for example as an office, and then installed in an available internal space such as a garage.

A problem with installing a portable unit inside a garage is that the roof or ceiling height of the unit must be low enough to fit through the garage door, and so will be too low for long term use by an occupant.

One solution is to have a flat-pack or foldable portable building, which requires on-site construction. For example, GB2146053 A describes a portable building which is erected on location, and in which the container in which the building is transported also forms part of the erected building. However, the process of erecting the building is time consuming, and it is difficult to provide such a building in an already fully furnished state. Electrical wiring, plumbing, computer networking cables, etc may also have to be installed separately after construction - a process requiring skill as well as considerable time. The present invention provides a portable unit having side walls and a roof, comprising means for holding the roof at a first height for transporting the unit, and means for holding the roof at a second height, for when the unit is installed, wherein said roof is movable from said first height to said second height. Preferably, the whole of the roof is movable, and the unit also has a base. The movable. roof allows the unit to be more easily fitted through a doorway of a domestic garage, and makes it easier to install or to store, while allowing maximum space inside the portable building. Preferably, the roof moves by the extension or contraction of extendable uprights, which may be of a telescopic form. The uprights^'mayincorporate a mechanism for raising the roof, or they may just provide a guide for movement of the roof when the necessary force is applied by independent means. The roof may be locked in place at the desired height. Thus the unit is substantially pre-assembled, ready for use. The roof need only be raised to ready the unit for normal occupancy.

The unit may be installed by one of several methods. For example, it may be transported to the garage in a lorry, van or trailer. If it is light enough, it may be possible for several people to co-operate in carrying it manually inside the garage. Alternatively, the lorry, van or trailer may have a ramp which the unit may be moved down into the garage, then slid across the garage floor. Sliding the unit could be made easier by placing rollers between the unit and the floor, or placing below the unit a sheet of material with a low friction contact with the floor. The rollers or sheet could then be removed by elevating only one end or corner of the unit at a time. Another possibility is to install the unit in the garage with a forklift truck or a specially adapted vehicle which has means for supporting the weight of the unit as it is positioned. In another form the unit is on castors and is wheeled into place. Legs may then be screwed down to take the weight of the unit off the castors.

The unit may be large enough to fill most of the garage, or it may be smaller, such that it only occupies part of the garage. The door may be aligned with the garage door, or for a unit which does not occupy the whole garage, it may be in any position which allows enough space for access. After positioning of the unit, its roof may be raised to the ceiling height of the garage. Having a roof capable of being raised to the ceiling level of the larger building has the additional advantage that with the top of the building in close contact with the ceiling, the building becomes very securely positioned, and is unlikely to be knocked over or accidentally moved.

The units could be rented out by individual customers from a company. The company could transport each unit and install it in a customer's garage. The unit could be pre- fitted with office equipment, including furniture, a computer, communication equipment, air conditioning, lighting, heating, electrical power, etc. Power sockets, etc. may be wired up inside the unit, and this wiring may be connected to an electricity supply, etc. on installation of the unit. The furniture could include desks, filing cabinets, drawers, shelves, chairs, and bookcases. The communication equipment could include a telephone, an answering machine, a videophone, an intercom connected from the office to the customer's house, a facsimile machine, and computer data lines for remote connection, especially to the internet. The unit could also have general office equipment such as a photocopier, a printer and a scanner. A motion sensor may be used to power up the equipment, and power it down automatically when the unit is empty, i.e. there is no movement within the unit. A closed circuit camera may be linked to a remote station.

Renting out of the pre-fitted offices by the company would be particularly useful for customers who did not have the time, computer knowledge or DIY skills to set up an office in their house. For a household with young children, an office in the garage would be a quiet and peaceful place to work. For a customer who was likely to move house in the foreseeable future, they could simply take their office with them. The fact that the office was installed inside a garage, rather than directly in a garden, would provide greater security against theft and break-in. However, the office could alternatively be installed outside, in a garden, provided it was waterproof, or it could be installed inside a vehicle, such as a van.

Companies may loan or rent the units to employees, allowing a greater degree of home working. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are now described, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1A shows a portable unit with adjustable roof and a roof adjusting mechanism installed, forming a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure IB shows a sprung pin mechanism for locking the roof at its correct height.

Figure 1 C^~shows a siα'e^'view of the pinlockihg the roofin position.

Figure ID shows a side view of the pin being pulled out by a bolt.

Figure 2 A shows a second embodiment of the invention with a second roof adjusting mechanism inside the portable building.

Figure 2B shows a more detailed view of the gears which can be rotated to raise the roof.

Figure 2C shows the extension mechanism of the uprights.

Figure 3 A shows a perspective view of the building of figure 1 A or figure 2A, before the roof has been raised.

Figure 3B shows a perspective view of the building after the roof has been raised and the door has been attached.

Figure 3C shows a front view corresponding to figure 3 A.

Figure 3D shows a front view corresponding to figure 3B.

In the two embodiments of the invention now described, the roof is raised or lowered by means of a series of extendable uprights which are spaced around the wall of the portable building. Each upright has a roof support panel at the top. The uprights may be located on the inside surface or outside surface of the wall, or within the wall. Preferably, the uprights are made of steel.

The extendable uprights have two separate sections - an outer hollow or partially hollow section, and an inner section. The inner section fits within the hollow part of the outer section, and slides up and down within it to vary the total length of the upright.

Figures 1 A to ID show an embodiment of the invention wherein a portable lifting unit 1T9^" provides ^"the force and^" support to^'raise or lower the roof 135^". When the height is as required, the roof is locked in position. The roof can later be unlocked from this position, to allow it to be lowered again. The portable lifting unit 119 comprises a frame 120, a base 123, a roof support section 121, 125, and a raising and lowering mechanism for the roof support section. The roof support section has a stem 121 and an H-shape support 125. The H-shape support 125 is fitted horizontally on top of the stem, in order to support the plane of the roof. The support 125 may be attached to the stem 121 by means of a hinge, which may be lockable, allowing sloping roofs to be elevated or lowered.

One method of implementing the raising and lowering mechanism of the portable lifting unit is by means of gears arranged within the frame, which are coupled to a handle 122. Such mechanisms are already well known in the art. The portable lifting unit takes the weight of the roof, and can be raised or lowered by turning the handle 122 when the locking means are not engaged. The base 123 has wheels 124, allowing it to be wheeled inside the portable building and positioned. It may also have brakes for the wheels 124 to prevent further movement of the base once the unit is in position.

The uprights are in two sections. The upper section 100 has a U-shaped cross section, and the lower section 101 has two compartments running along its length. One of these houses the upper section 100, and the other houses a sprung peg 106. When the roof gets to the desired height, a hole 108 in the upper section 100 becomes aligned with the sprung peg 106, and the sprung peg 106 snaps into the hole 108, securing the upper section 100 in place. The peg 106 is preferably of a cylindrical shape with a flange 105 of larger diameter running around the circumference, halfway along the peg 106. The flange 105 limits the lateral motion of the peg 106 through the hole 108. The spring 107 is looped over one end of the peg, and the ridge 105 engages one end of the spring, preventing it from sliding over the other half of the peg 106.

To lower the roof 135, the weight of the roof 135 is supported, and a bolt 110 is screwed into a hole in the sprung end of the peg 106. When the bolt is tightened, it retracts^" the peg from the hole^~108, allowing the roof 135 to be lowered. The length of the bolt is such that when the bolt is fully screwed into the peg, the peg is fully removed from the hole 108, but is still located within the lower part 101 of the upright. If the height is changed, the hole 108 is no longer aligned with the peg 106. When the bolt 110 is removed, the peg 106 presses against the upper section 100 of the upright, such that if the hole 108 is again aligned, the peg 106 will once again lock the roof in position. The portable building could be designed with a series of holes or a series of pegs to enable the roof to be locked at a choice of heights. The peg and bolt mechanism is particularly useful if the desired height of the roof is fixed, and exactly known.

In the second embodiment, the force to lift the roof 135 is provided by a mechanism built in to the portable building, rather than by a separate unit. The extendable uprights comprise upper tube sections 134 and lower rod sections 133, such that the top section of the rods 133 fit inside the bottom section of the tubes 134. The top end of the rod sections 133 have a screw thread 139 which engages with a screw socket 138 in the tube 134. By rotating the rod 133 relative to the tube 134, the screw mechanism enables the total length of the upright to increase or decrease.

The rod sections 133 are all rotated in unison by means of a gear 130 at the base of each, and a toothed belt 131 which engages with each gear. A control gear 137 also engages with the belt, and this is coupled to a handle 132. When the handle 132 is turned, the belt 131 turns all the gears simultaneously. Turning the handle 132 in one direction thus extends the uprights and raises the roof 135, whereas turning the handle in the other direction shortens the uprights, and lowers the roof 135. The roof 135 could be securely locked in position by immobilising the belt 131. This could be done in a number of ways, such as fastening a clamp around it, where the clamp was also fixed to the wall of the portable building. The clamp could hold the belt 131 by engaging on its teeth 140. Such mechanisms are well known in the art.

This second embodiment has the advantage that the roof can be locked at a chosen height, rather than only a predetermined height. It may also give more flexibility for pre-installing fixed furniture than the first embodiment of the invention, for example in th rfirs^'t embodiment, a chair or stool fixed to the centre of the floor may not leave enough room to use the portable lifting unit 119.

In a preferred embodiment, the roof 135 may be shaped with an overhang 151 around its edges, as shown in figure 3. When the roof 135 is in a lowered position, the overhang 151 covers the top part 152 of the wall. When the roof 135 is raised, the top part 152 of the wall becomes exposed, therefore no gap is left between the roof 135 and the wall. An alternative embodiment has a roof without an overlap, and a separate insertable section to fill the gap which appeared at the top of the wall when the roof was raised. This can be made from the same material as the wall. Alternatively, for a short-term temporary building, it may be a sheet of plastic wrap, tent canvas, etc. Another possibility is stretch material or roller blinds, which can be pre-installed on the inside of the unit.

Figure 3 A shows a portable unit, corresponding to the embodiments shown in either figure 1A or figure 2A, with the roof 135 in a lowered position. The door 150 is fitted after raising the roof. The door is a sliding door, opening or closing by sliding along a rail 153. It has a thinner section at the top, so that it can slide past the overhang of the roof.

In another possible embodiment (not shown), the door could be of adjustable height, such as by means of an extendable sliding panel, so that the height of the door may be adjusted to match the chosen height of the installed building. Other possible applications exist for the invention, such as using the unit as a catering area, bathroom/toilet, home sauna, etc, and for these applications, the unit may also be fitted out with plumbing.

Preferably the unit is pre-fitted with desktop or work surfaces and cupboard space. Since the roof section only is movable, cupboards may be pre-fitted to occupy the wall section up to eye level, to about 2 metres. Preferably the fixed internal wall height is less than about 2 metres from the internal floor, preferably is already 1.5 metres and preferably between about 160 cm and 180 cm, and preferably is about 170 cm. The roof section ^'is lowered^" to Ihelop^"of^"the^~fixed wall^'duriήg iristallafiδnζ and^" then^" raised to the maximum height after installation.

The wall height is low enough for the unit to roll under a standard "up and over" garage door, but high enough to provide for cupboards to be pre-installed at head height

As indicated above power points are also pre-fitted, and telecommunication links. Meters for monitoring power and/or telecommunications usage may also be installed, and these could then be relayed back to the employer, etc. loaning the unit.

To install the unit, the unit is delivered on a trailer and then rolled into the garage on castors attached to the underside of the unit. Feet are then jacked down to take the weight of the unit from the castors, and level the unit. Power supply and telecommunication leads are then connected to appropriate sources. Of course, wireless telecommunications may be used.

No doubt many effective alternatives will occur to the skilled person, and the invention is not limited to the described embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A portable unit having side walls and a roof, comprising means for holding the roof at a first height for transporting the unit, and means for holding the roof at a second height, for when the unit is installed, wherein said roof is movable from said first height to said second height.

2. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the whole of the roof is movable from said first height to said second height.

3. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a base, the unit being adapted such that the base makes direct contact with the ground when the unit is installed.

4. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said roof is movable by changing the length of one or more extendable guides.

5. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 4, wherein said extendable guides are comprised of uprights.

6. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said uprights are each comprised of at least two sections which engage together and which move relative to one another in order to alter the length of the upright.

7. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the roof is supported on the uprights and the unit comprises means to simultaneously change the length of more than one upright.

8. A portable unit, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising locking means for locking the roof at least one predetermined height.

9. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said locking means is auto locking at a predetermined height.

10. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 9, wherein said locking means comprises one or more pegs, and one or more corresponding holes, said pegs being engageable in said holes.

11. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 10, wherein said pegs are spring loaded.

12. A portable unit, as claimed in any one of claims 9, 10 or 11, comprising unlocking means for unlocking said locking means.

13. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 12, wherein said unlocking means comprises means for removing said pegs from said holes.

14. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said unlocking means comprises a screw which is for screwing into said peg in order to withdraw said peg from said hole.

15. A portable unit, as claimed in any one of the previous claims, which is adapted to use temporary lifting means to position the roof to a desired height, and to support the roof while it is being positioned.

16. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 5, wherein one section of each upright comprises a tube and a second section of said upright comprises a rod, said rod fitting inside said tube and moving along an axial direction within the tube in order to extend the length of the upright.

17. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 5 or 16, wherein said two sections of uprights engage together by a screw mechanism, and the length of the uprights is altered by rotating one of said two sections with respect to the other.

18. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 17, comprising means to simultaneously rotate sections from more than one upright.

19. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 17, wherein means of rotating said section of upright comprises a gear which is attached to the upright, and a belt which is coupled to the gear, such that said section is rotated by lateral motion of the belt.

20. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 19, wherein said belt engages with gears from more than one upright, simultaneously rotating said uprights and changing their lengths.

21. A portable unit, as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein said roof defines the height of a doorway in the portable unit, and the height of the doorway is increased as the roof is raised.

22. A portable unit, as claimed in claim 21, wherein the door comprises a thick lower section and a thinner upper section, said lower section corresponding to the area of the doorway with the roof in a lowered position, and said upper section corresponding to the increase in area of the doorway when the roof is raised from a lowered to an upper position.

23. A portable unit, as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein said roof has an overhang which overlaps the top part of the wall of the portable unit when the roof is in a lowered position.

24. An inner shell for providing a room within a substantially enclosed space, the inner shell having at least walls and a roof, wherein the roof is movable to allow the shell to be moved through an opening in order to be installed into the space.

25. An inner shell, as claimed in claim 24, comprising automatic locking means to automatically lock the roof in position when the roof is raised.

26. An inner shell, as claimed in claim 25, wherein locking means includes release means whereby the roof is retractable.

27. An inner shell, as claimed in claim 24, wherein the shell has a base and mountings for a door on the roof and the base.

28. A pre- fabricated office unit adapted for installation in a domestic garage.

29. A portable lifting unit for temporarily supporting the weight of the roof of a portable unit as described in any one of the previous claims, and altering the height of said roof.

30. In combination, a domestic garage and a pre-fabricated office unit, the office unit having a roof which can be raised and lowered, the office being moved into the garage with the roof lowered and the roof being raised to ready the unit for use.

31. The combination of claim 30, wherein the unit is prefitted with work surfaces and cupboard space.