The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0050734, filed on Apr. 30, 2019, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.
The present invention relates to a vehicle with an expandable space in which an internal compartment of the vehicle is expandable through extension of a portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle.
To cope with an increase in people enjoying outdoor activities according to an increase in leisure activities in recent years, demand for vehicles not only having a simple function as a traveling means, but also having a function of providing a rest space, has increased. Furthermore, in some cases, it may be necessary to provide an official space for official outdoor activities.
Most vehicles only provide a space facilitating passengers to be accommodated therein, even though the vehicles have more or less differences in association with such a space in accordance with kinds and sizes thereof. That is, such vehicles do not secure a sufficient space facilitating the user to rest or to perform an official task.
To the present end, it is necessary to provide a vehicle having a new concept configured for securing a sufficient space facilitating the user to rest or to perform an official task under the condition that the internal compartment of the vehicle is insufficient.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and may not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a vehicle with an expandable space in which an internal compartment of the vehicle is expandable through extension of a portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects may be accomplished by the provision of a vehicle with an expandable space including a door pivotally mounted to a vehicle body at a lower end portion of the door, to open or close an opening formed at a portion of one surface of the vehicle, while being configured to form a bottom surface connected to a floor of the vehicle in a state of completely pivoting toward an outside of the vehicle in accordance with an opening operation of the door, forming a terrace space connected to an internal compartment of the vehicle, and a seat slidably mounted in the internal compartment of the vehicle, to provide a seating compartment for passengers, while being configured to be slidable outwards toward the opening of the vehicle, providing a seating compartment in the terrace space when the terrace space is used in accordance with the opening operation of the door.
The seat may be slidable outwards toward the opening of the vehicle, and may be rotatable.
The bottom surface of the door connected to the floor of the vehicle in accordance with the opening operation of the door may be flush with the floor of the vehicle.
The vehicle may further include a roof coupled to an upper end portion of the door to form a L-shape with the door, to selectively close a portion of a top section of the opening, the roof configured of pivoting with the door during the opening operation of the door such that the roof is disposed at one side of the terrace space.
The vehicle may further include a support panel mounted at the roof while being pivotable upwards of the vehicle about a rotation shaft disposed at a rear end portion thereof. The support panel may have a front end portion pivotable upwards of the vehicle in an opened state of the door such that the front end portion thereof is spaced from the door, forming a table in the terrace space.
The vehicle may further include a power supply unit mounted at the support panel, and configured to supply electric power to an electronic appliance.
The power supply unit may be provided with a wireless charging system such that electric power is supplied to an electronic appliance by the power supply unit when the electronic appliance is disposed on the support panel.
The vehicle may further include a sliding panel mounted under the floor of the vehicle while having a panel shape. The sliding panel may be slidable toward the outside of the vehicle in an opened state of the door, forming the bottom surface connected to the floor of the vehicle while being supported by the door at a lower surface thereof.
When the vehicle further includes a roof coupled to an upper end portion of the door to form a L-shape with the door, to selectively close a portion of a top section of the opening, the roof configured of pivoting with the door during the opening operation of the door such that the roof is disposed at one side of the terrace space, the sliding panel may be slidable to the roof in the opened state of the door.
The vehicle may further include a guide formed at the floor of the vehicle, and a moving panel slidably coupled to the guide while supporting the seat mounted on an upper surface thereof. The moving panel may be slidable outwards of the vehicle along the guide, when the sliding panel has slid outwards of the vehicle, such that the moving panel moves to a predetermined position over the sliding panel.
The vehicle may further include a sunshade mounted at a portion of a top section of the vehicle body and configured to be deployed in an opened state of the door, to form a shade in the terrace space.
The sunshade may be deployed to be inclined upwards from a horizontal position of the vehicle.
When the terrace space is to be formed, the door may pivot toward the outside of the vehicle such that the door is disposed in parallel to the floor of the vehicle, and the sliding panel may then slide toward the outside of the vehicle.
When the terrace space is to be closed, the sliding panel may slide toward the inside of the vehicle such that the sliding panel is inserted into a space defined under the floor of the vehicle, and the door may then pivot toward the inside of the vehicle, closing the opening of the vehicle.
In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, the following effects may be provided.
In the vehicle with an expandable space according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it may be possible to expand the internal compartment of the vehicle through extension of a portion of the vehicle body to the outside of the vehicle.
In particular, as an additional space is secured, there may be an advantage in that a rest space or an official space may be secured in outdoors.
The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.
It may be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention as included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particularly intended application and use environment.
In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent portions of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the present invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As illustrated in
In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the door 100 is provided. As illustrated in
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a controller is connected to the motor to control the operation of the motor and the controller may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program which may include a series of commands for carrying out a method in accordance with various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
Furthermore, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the seat 200 is provided. The seat 200 is mounted in the internal compartment of the vehicle, providing a seating space for passengers. The seat 200 is also slidable outwards toward the opening S. In the instant case, a guide rail or the like may be mounted on the floor F, and the seat 200 may be mounted on the guide rail. The seat 200 may be slidable toward the outside of the vehicle in accordance with a pushing force from an actuator. Meanwhile, when the terrace space T is usable in accordance with the opening operation of the door 100, the seat 200 may slide toward the terrace space T, providing a seat in the terrace space T. In the instant case, the passenger may sit in the seat 200 within the terrace space T and, as such, there may be an advantage in that the passenger may secure a more convenient environment for rest or performance of an official task.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface of the door 100 connected to the floor F of the vehicle in accordance with the opening operation of the door 100 may be flush with the floor F of the vehicle. In the instant case, accordingly, there is no step between the floor F of the vehicle and the bottom surface of the door 100 connected thereto. Accordingly, when the seat 200 slides toward the outside of the vehicle, there may be an advantage in that the seat is movable from the floor F of the vehicle toward the outside of the vehicle along the bottom surface of the door 100 without interference.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the panel 400 is pivotally coupled to the roof 300 by at least a link 470 having at least one pivotal axis so as to support the panel 400 against the roof 300 when the support panel 400 is pivoted upwards.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle further includes the roof 300, which has a panel shape while being coupled to an upper end portion of the door 100, to close a portion of the top section of the vehicle, and pivots together with the door 100 during opening of the door 100 such that the roof 300 is mounted at one side of the terrace space T, the sliding panel 500 may slide to the roof 300 in an opened state of the door 100, as illustrated in
Furthermore, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
The guide F1 may have a groove shape formed at the floor F. The moving panel 600 is mounted at the guide F1 such that the moving panel 600 is slidable outwards or inwards of the vehicle along the guide F1. Accordingly, the seat 200 mounted on the upper surface 620 of the moving panel 600 is also slidable together with the moving panel 600 outwards or inwards of the vehicle. Referring to
Meanwhile, when the moving panel 600 moves to a predetermined position over the sliding panel 500, the seat 200 mounted on the moving panel 600 is moved together with the moving panel 600 outwards of the vehicle and, as such, a certain distance is secured between the seat 200 and another seat 201 mounted at the same guide F1 as the seat 200, as illustrated in
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the seat 200 is rotatably coupled on the moving panel 600.
Furthermore, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
This will be described in more detail. As illustrated in
When it is desired to form a terrace space in the vehicle, in which space expansion is possible in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, as illustrated in
Furthermore, when it is desired to close the terrace space in the vehicle, in which space expansion is possible in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, as illustrated in
As apparent from the above description, in the vehicle with an expandable space according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it may be possible to expand the internal compartment of the vehicle through extension of a portion of the vehicle body to the outside of the vehicle.
In particular, as an additional space is secured, there may be an advantage in that a rest space or an official space may be secured in outdoors.
For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “inner”, “outer”, “up”, “down”, “upwards”, “downwards”, “front”, “rear”, “back”, “inside”, “outside”, “inwardly”, “outwardly”, “internal”, “external”, “inner”, “outer”, “forwards”, and “backwards” are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. It will be further understood that the term “connect” or its derivatives refer both to direct and indirect connection.
The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain certain principles of the present invention and their practical application, to enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2019-0050734 | Apr 2019 | KR | national |
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Entry |
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Korean Office Action dated Jul. 15, 2021, issued in corresponding Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0050734. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200346574 A1 | Nov 2020 | US |