Patent Application
20250154759
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) to France patent application FR2312465 filed on Nov. 14, 2023, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a container-type dwelling, and more specifically to a convertible shipping container with a deployable structure that can be used to expand an interior space.
Shipping containers are currently widely used for transporting goods by ship. Indeed, they are designed to be easily handled, stored and transported, and their use offers various logistical advantages, such as, for example, limiting the risks of damage, loss or theft, or even reducing costs by improving productivity and loading. In terms of format, these containers correspond to standardized formats in accordance with current ISO standards. However, it has recently been observed that the number of empty containers remaining on quaysides in major commercial ports is greater than the number of containers used to transport goods. The relative stagnation of international trade and the worldwide surplus of containers remaining on quaysides has allowed the use of these containers to be reconsidered.
Indeed, faced with the growing demand for real estate, repurposing shipping containers for residential use is booming. Given the various technical constraints likely to be encountered when building a house, and faced with the obstacles to accessing property, containers are thus becoming an increasingly plausible alternative in terms of choosing a dwelling.
Constructions of large living spaces have already been proposed that are developed from several machined and interconnected containers. However, this requires equipment and expertise involving a final cost that remains expensive.
Small format modular and/or deployable structures are also known, but most of these structures are prefabricated containers requiring a relatively long installation time, as well as several people for assembly. Although these structures are deployable, they are not directly habitable once deployed and require many additional fittings; furthermore, they do not provide a dwelling with a large living area unless combined with other prefabricated containers.
In at least one embodiment, the aim of the invention is to provide a convertible container with a standardized and easily transportable structure.
In at least one embodiment, a further aim of the invention is to provide a convertible container with a floor surface area that can be increased at least twofold or threefold.
In at least one embodiment, a further aim of the invention is to provide a ready-to-use and fitted convertible container that can be deployed quickly and has all the necessary amenities of a quality dwelling.
In at least one embodiment, a further aim of the invention is to provide a convertible container that is easy to deploy.
In at least one embodiment, a further aim of the invention is to provide a convertible container where the panels are deployed by means of independent guidance for each of the panels.
To this end, the invention relates to a convertible shipping container having a parallelepiped structure extending in a longitudinal direction and having an interior space, the container having two transverse side walls, as well as two longitudinal side walls, with at least one longitudinal side wall including at least one opening provided over a portion of its length, the transverse and longitudinal walls being respectively arranged opposite one another and each connecting a ceiling and a floor, the floor defining a floor surface area, called surface area S1. The container is characterized in that it further includes:
According to the invention, the plurality of slots includes a pair of vertical slots, the vertical slots being longitudinally opposite each other, as well as a pair of horizontal slots, the horizontal slots being vertically opposite each other.
According to the invention, the set of deployable panels includes:
Of note, the term “slot” defines a narrow, elongated and functional opening designed to accommodate the passage or sliding movement of a deployable panel in one direction. The slot acts as a guide to ensure the movement of a slidably mounted deployable panel.
Furthermore, within the meaning of the invention, a slot is understood to be associated with a deployable panel, i.e., the panels are not secured together, in the retracted position or during deployment.
Throughout the text, the extension block can be defined as a built-in structure, or as a formed built-in room that cannot be equated with the deployable panels according to the invention. The deployable panels are separate elements that only form a structure or a room following the deployment that corresponds to the deployed position. The deployable panels can be deployed independently of one another.
A convertible container is understood to mean a shipping container that has been machined and has undergone the necessary modifications according to any one of the features of the invention. The container according to the invention will be equally referred to as a container, a shipping container, a convertible container or even a convertible shipping container hereafter.
A parallelepiped structure is understood to mean that the structure of the container can be that of a rectangular cuboid. More specifically, the structure of the container can be that of a forty-foot shipping container assuming the dimensions of the ISO standards relating to these containers.
The convertible container according to the invention extends in a longitudinal direction and thus includes six walls, including four side walls and two walls forming a floor and a ceiling. The side walls include two longitudinal side walls, called longitudinal walls, and two transverse side walls, called transverse walls.
According to the invention, at least one of the longitudinal walls includes at least one opening provided over a portion of its length. Thus, this door grants access to an additional room that will be formed when the container will be in the deployed configuration. Furthermore, the convertible container can be a shipping container and can include an entrance door arranged on a transverse wall of the container. The container according to the invention can include an extension block longitudinally opposite the entrance door, with the block extending over a longitudinal portion and being slidably mounted.
The container is a convertible container with a floor surface area S1 that corresponds to a surface area defined by the floor of the container when the container is in the retracted configuration. The surface area S1 therefore is a surface area that can be increased in order to define a surface area S2 when the container changes configuration between the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration, with each of the configurations respectively corresponding to the standard state and the final state of the container-house according to the invention. It is thus understood that the surface area S2 is greater than the surface area S1.
As the floor surface area of the container is that of a shipping container, the invention advantageously allows the surface area S1 to be multiplied when the convertible container is in the deployed configuration, such that S2>2S1 or S2>3S1.
Advantageously, and according to the invention, the convertible container includes a plurality of slots arranged on at least one longitudinal side wall, preferably on each of the longitudinal walls. These slots can be arranged on the walls of the container using methods that are known to a person skilled in the art and are designed to guide the sliding movement of deployable panels contained inside the container. The slots of the invention can be regarded as outlet orifices for internal deployable panels. To a different extent, the slots also can be used for inserting external extension panels, the panels thus can be inserted into the slots and fixed by fixing means.
Furthermore, the invention can also provide a deployed configuration, in which a first set of internal deployable panels is deployed through the slots in a first longitudinal side wall in order to form a first additional room adjacent to the container, and a second set of external extension panels can be installed after the first set of internal deployable panels has been deployed.
Preferably, the invention provides two sets of internal deployable panels contained inside the container and configured to be deployed through each of the slots in the respective longitudinal side walls of the container according to the invention.
Internal deployable panels or deployable panels are understood to be panels contained inside the container and that are configured to be deployed by passing through the slots when transitioning from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration of the container.
Extension panels or external panels are understood to be panels that are not contained inside the container, these panels are likely to be subsequently installed in the slots that were not used to deploy the deployable panels. To this end, the extension panels can be inserted into the slots and can be fixed by means that are known to a person skilled in the art.
The container therefore includes at least one set of deployable panels arranged and contained inside the container. More specifically, the panels are mounted to freely slide through the slots in at least one longitudinal side wall, allowing them to be deployed in a transverse direction perpendicular to the direction of the container. The deployable panels are thus configured to exit through the slots in a longitudinal wall so as to form at least one additional room adjacent to the container. According to the invention, and for practical reasons concerning the size and occupancy of the interior space of the container, the slots conform to the thickness of the panels, so that the transition of a set of panels from the retracted position to the deployed position only allows one panel to exit per slot.
The invention further includes an extension block coaxially arranged inside the container. This extension block is an extension room that can be deployed by longitudinally sliding when the container transitions from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration. The container thus defines a housing for the extension block, the dimensions of which are designed to be smaller than those of the container. In this way, the extension block can be built into the container. The extension block can include a cut-out for withdrawing an integrated sanitary block, which sanitary block can be subsequently deployed after the extension block has been deployed. The sanitary block is deployed manually and coaxially relative to the extension block.
The extension block according to the invention is mounted to freely longitudinally slide between a retracted position, in which the block is entirely contained in the main container and is coincident therewith. The extension block longitudinally extends inside the container over a longitudinal portion opposite the entrance to the container. The block is mounted to freely slide between a retracted position, in which the transverse wall of the block is coincident with the transverse side wall of the container, and a deployed position, in which the extension block projects from the longitudinal end of the container. The extension block is thus deployed like a sliding drawer.
Mechanical guide means can be provided to this end, such as rails or slides adapted and fitted with blocking elements in order to define a sliding stroke. Furthermore, the extension block of the invention can include a substantially square cut-out on the transverse wall corresponding to the longitudinal end in which the extension block is slidably mounted. These cut-outs allow the withdrawal of a compact sanitary block that is integrated into the extension block.
Thus, and according to the invention, the shipping container has at least four slots arranged on a longitudinal side wall.
According to a variant of the invention, the upper horizontal panels are made of polycarbonate. Advantageously, this material allows a lightweight panel to be obtained that allows light to pass therethrough and has an anti-UV treatment, all while remaining easy to manufacture. These panels are also easy to deploy.
Advantageously, and according to the invention, the lower panel has a section that is mechanically connected to the lower panel by a pivot link with a longitudinal axis.
Thus, and according to the invention, the link is configured to pivot a section so as to close-off an additional room adjacent to the container. A second longitudinal side wall is thus formed to support an upper vertical panel. Thus, the section is a foldable section arranged so as to be superimposed on the lower panel.
Advantageously, the convertible shipping container further includes an electrical installation and a reverse osmosis module and the movable extension block includes a sanitary block.
The sanitary block can include a bathroom and other amenities, such as a toilet.
Thus, and according to the invention, the sanitary space is located in a deployable part in order to free up as much space as possible for the living areas.
Advantageously, the sanitary block of the movable extension block is mounted so as to freely longitudinally slide.
The convertible container can be defined as a dwelling housing at least one set of deployable panels. The set of deployable panels includes vertical panels transversely extending over at least a portion of the transverse side walls, as well as horizontal panels longitudinally extending over at least a portion of the floor and the ceiling.
According to the invention, each additional room is an additional annexed compartment adjacent to the main structure of the convertible container. An additional room is defined as a room including at least four walls formed by the movable extension block or by the deployment of at least one set of deployable panels.
Furthermore, the convertible container according to the invention includes a kitchen, a bathroom, a toilet and at least one bedroom. The furniture is designed so as to optimize the available space, all while being adapted to transition from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration of the container.
A further advantage of the invention lies in the presence of the various connections for water and electricity. Indeed, the container includes all the connections needed to supply water and electricity after deployment.
Furthermore, the convertible container according to the invention can include solar panels arranged on the roof, as well as a rainwater tank.
According to the invention, the convertible shipping container includes a kitchen panel arranged against the internal side of a longitudinal side wall of the main container. When the convertible container is in the deployed configuration, the kitchen panel thus comes into abutment against a longitudinal side wall. This kitchen panel further includes at least one opening to grant access to an additional room that is formed after deployment. This opening conforms to the opening provided on a portion of the length of the longitudinal side wall of the convertible container. The kitchen panel further includes all the appropriate fittings to allow the user to benefit from a comfortable dwelling. The panel also can be made as a single piece using additive manufacturing or three-dimensional printing techniques that are known to a person skilled in the art.
The kitchen panel is arranged like a traditional kitchen and includes storage space, an opening for a hot plate, a worktop and a sink with two water outlets. Furthermore, a reverse osmosis filtration system can be provided. The kitchen panel further includes shelves and a space designed to accommodate a freezer.
The convertible container can further include water filtration systems to allow a user to access filtered tap water or harvested rainwater. These systems can be reverse osmosis filtration modules, for example, and can be fitted to the water points of the convertible container.
The design of the convertible container allows efficient water management. Indeed, rainwater can be harvested via a gutter system arranged on the roof of the convertible container. The rainwater that can be harvested is then directed to the filtration system before being used.
The convertible container can thus allow water to be reasonably and smartly consumed through the presence of a water tank or by collecting rainwater with a filtration system for the everyday use thereof and a means for recovering excess water from the bathroom or kitchen, which can be used to supply a nearby garden, for example.
According to the invention, the shipping container further includes a modular bed system equipped with a winch, with the system being arranged on the ceiling of the convertible container, as well as anchoring means arranged on a section of a lower horizontal panel.
Advantageously, the bed can be lowered to a suitable height and then fixed to the anchoring means in order to be stabilized and ready for use.
More specifically, the invention relates to a convertible container having a parallelepiped structure extending in a longitudinal direction and having an interior space, the container having two transverse side walls, as well as two longitudinal side walls, with at least one longitudinal side wall including at least one opening provided over a portion of its length, the transverse and longitudinal walls being respectively arranged opposite one another and each connecting a ceiling and a floor, the floor defining a floor surface area, called surface area S1. The container is characterized in that it further includes one or more slots arranged on at least one longitudinal side wall, the slots being configured to guide the sliding movement of deployable panels toward the outside of the container, the plurality of slots including a pair of vertical slots longitudinally opposite each other, as well as a pair of horizontal slots vertically opposite each other. As well, the container includes a set of deployable panels arranged inside the container and mounted to freely transversely slide through the plurality of slots between a first position, called retracted position, in which the set of panels is contained inside the container, and a second position, called deployed position, in which the set of panels is transversely deployed toward the outside of the container so as to define at least one additional room adjacent to the container,
The set of deployable panels includes:
the container being convertible between a first configuration, called retracted configuration, in which the set of deployable panels, as well as the movable extension block, are respectively in the retracted position and are contained in the container, and a second configuration, called deployed configuration, in which the set of deployable panels and/or the movable extension block are deployed outside the container so as to define a floor surface area S2>S1.
The convertible shipping container according to the invention thus affords a modular, economical dwelling with a large floor surface area, all while being easy to deploy. It is therefore a container that provides a fully equipped dwelling with smart water management.
Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:
The convertible container includes a main convertible container 1 whose parallelepiped structure has an interior space. The interior space is an internal space defined by a set of six walls forming the parallelepiped structure. The container 1 extends in a longitudinal direction and therefore has two transverse side walls 10, 11, as well as two longitudinal side walls 12, 13. Each of the transverse 10, 11 and longitudinal 12, 13 walls respectively connect the ceiling 14 and the floor 15 of the container 1. The floor 15 defines a floor surface area S1.
At least one longitudinal wall 13 includes at least one opening 13a arranged over at least a portion of its length so as to gain access to an additional room 40 formed when the container 1 is deployed.
The container 1 also includes a plurality of slots 20 arranged over at least one of the longitudinal side walls 12, 13. The container 1 also includes at least one set of deployable panels 30 arranged inside the convertible container 1. The panels 30 are mounted to freely slide between a retracted position and a deployed position.
The set of panels 30 is configured to complete a translation movement perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the container 1, the panels 30 thus complete a transverse movement when transitioning from the retracted position to the deployed position. The set of panels 30 is configured to slide through the slots 20, which thus act as a guide when the panels are deployed. The deployable panels 30 are contained inside the container 1 and thus slide toward the outside of the container in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the container 1. The deployment of a first set of panels 30 allows at least one first additional room 40 to be obtained adjacent to the convertible container 1.
Furthermore, the container 1 also includes a movable extension block 50. The block 50 is mounted to freely slide inside the convertible container 1, which then defines a housing for the block 50. The block 50 is mounted so as to be able to slide toward the outside of the convertible container 1 in the longitudinal direction. The block 50 is a coaxial block arranged in at least one internal portion of the container 1 and translates between a retracted position, in which the block 50 is coincident with the container 1 and arranged inside the container, and a deployed position, in which the block 50 projects from a longitudinal end of the container 1.
The container 1 thus has two configurations, with a first configuration, called retracted configuration, in which at least one set of the deployable panels 30, as well as the movable extension block 50, are contained inside the container 1, and a second configuration, called deployed configuration, in which the set 30 and/or the block 50 are deployed outside the container 1.
The deployed configuration of the convertible container 1 is thus a configuration in which the deployable panels 30 are in the deployed position and/or the movable extension block 50 is in the deployed position so as to obtain a floor surface area S2>S1.
The invention therefore allows a larger living area to be obtained when the container 1 is in the deployed configuration.
According to one embodiment, each vertical panel 32 is respectively arranged inside the container 1 on a transverse wall 11 or 10 when the container is in the retracted configuration or when the set 30 of deployable panels is in the retracted position. The vertical panels 32 are mounted to freely slide through the vertical slots 20b.
Each horizontal panel 31 is respectively arranged inside the container 1 in the vicinity of the ceiling 14 or the floor 15 when the container is in the retracted configuration or when the set 30 of deployable panels is in the retracted position. The horizontal panels 31 are mounted to freely slide through the slots 20a.
The transition of the set of deployable panels 30 from the retracted position to the deployed position thus corresponds to the formation of an additional room 40 adjacent to the convertible container 1, an opening 13a then grants access to the room 40 when a user is inside the main container.
In the deployed position, the block 50 is at least partly located outside the container 1. This block is slidably mounted in a longitudinal end of the container 1, opposite the transverse wall 11 including a door 11a. In its retracted position, the block 50 is thus coincident with the transverse wall 10 of the container 1.
According to this embodiment, the horizontal panels 31 include an upper horizontal panel 31c and a lower horizontal panel 31a. The panel 31a is mechanically connected to a longitudinal section 31b by means of a pivot link 33 with a longitudinal axis. The arrangement between the panel 31a, the section 31b and the pivot link 33 thus allows the section 31b to be pivoted so as to form a transverse wall parallel to those of the main container 1.
Furthermore, provision also can be made for the room 40a to be formed by the deployment of the panels according to the embodiments shown in the preceding figures and for the additional room 40b to be formed by supplementary panels added following the deployment of the extension block 50 and the formation of the room 40a. Furthermore, each of the additional rooms 40a and/or 40b can be formed according to the deployment of a set of panels 30, as provided in
The floor surface area S2 thus can be defined by the sum of the surface area S1 of the container 1 and at least the floor surface area of a room 40a, 40b or 50. Thus, the floor surface area S2 of the container is that of the container 1 in a deployed configuration in which S2 is greater than S1.
In a second step of the depicted deployment, the section 31b of the panel 31a pivots through an angle of approximately 90° in order to support the deployment of the panel 31c during a final step. An additional room 40 is thus closed off.
Of note, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes”, and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As well, the corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims as follows:
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR2312465 | Nov 2023 | FR | national |
