Box for camping vehicle

Abstract

To provide a demand for a box for a camping vehicle that can be loaded and unloaded with simple operations and that has low expenses such as maintenance costs.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a box for a camping vehicle made of an aluminum alloy and subjected to bead processing (cord-drawing processing), the box being loadable on a cargo bed of a light truck. The box for a camping vehicle includes a box main body, a jack installed at a bottom portion of the box main body, and leg stands that support the box main body and are provided at lower portions of left and right side surfaces of the box main body in a vehicle traveling direction. The jack can be operated with one touch using an impact driver, thereby allowing a single person to load and unload the box main body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a camper box. [Background technology]

[0002] Camping has been around for a long time, and people enjoy living with family and friends in a natural environment and playing games around a campfire, through activities such as car camping and barbecues enjoyed by family and friends, mountaineering camps organized by mountaineering clubs, school-sponsored forest schools, children's group camps, and camps organized by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

[0003] In a narrow sense, auto camping is camping where you drive your car into the campsite and pitch a tent or tarp right next to the car. At an auto campsite, each tent site is divided into sections with its own parking space. You can pitch a tent or tarp, or sleep in your car. This is camping in a camper van or camper trailer. In Japan, camping with the whole family, so-called family camping, has become popular. In a broader sense, it also refers to camping where you simply use a car as a means of transportation.

[0004] A camper van is generally the Japanese name for a vehicle equipped with sleeping and overnight facilities. In Japan, camper vans are generally permitted to operate if they are registered as a vehicle as defined by the Road Transport Vehicle Act. Under Japan's Road Transport Vehicle Act, if a vehicle meets the purpose of use of a special vehicle, "a vehicle equipped with special facilities for camping or promotional activities," it is classified as a special-purpose vehicle and can be registered with the so-called "8" number. In this case, structural requirements include the provision of sleeping berths for at least one-third of the passenger capacity and cooking facilities.

[0005] In the case of a camper that is not a special-purpose vehicle camper (number 8), for example, if it has number 1 (large truck), number 3 (ordinary passenger car, over 2000 cubic centimeters), number 4 (small freight vehicle), or number 5 (small passenger car, 2000 cubic centimeters or less), it does not have to meet the structural requirements for a special-purpose vehicle camper. Sales of completed camper-spec minicars are also increasing, and camper manufacturers are selling vehicles that offer camping and long-term travel to users without the need for an 8-number license plate, while still taking advantage of the benefits of a minicar, such as taxes and license requirements. Registrations of vehicles with numbers other than 8, such as 1, 3, 4, and 5, are also increasing, as vehicles designed for those who want to enjoy camping or traveling themselves. Depending on the type of installation, they can be categorized as follows: full conversions (installed on a dedicated chassis), cab conversions (installed on a chassis with a cab, generally made from a converted truck), van conversions (also called camper vans, installed by modifying the interior and roof of a minivan, often with a seating capacity of 10 or less and able to be driven with a regular driver's license), bus conversions (installed on a microbus or other bus), and light vehicle camper vans.

[0006] Kei car campers are campers based on kei cars. Triggered by the release of the "Tent Mushi" in 2006, they have been gaining attention since the camper boom around 2012 and as a way for baby boomers to spend their leisure time. Their popularity is due to the low price of the base vehicle, low maintenance costs, ease of handling, the ability to park in any parking space, and the fact that they can be used by a couple, all of which match the lifestyles of people in Japan. Similar vehicles include travel trailers and truck campers. Travel trailers are commonly called camper trailers in Japan. As the name suggests, they are towable vehicles. Truck campers are a type of vehicle that is placed in the cargo area of ​​a pickup truck or a fastback-style passenger car by removing the back door, and are also called camper shells or camper shells. The shell, which can be separated from the vehicle body, is treated as cargo, so no structural modifications are required when registering or inspecting the vehicle as long as it is removed. For this reason, although it is possible to sleep in it, it does not qualify as a camper with an 8-number license plate. Many larger models have special legs that allow them to stand on their own. Due to the constraints of the cargo area, there is less interior space and equipment than other types of vehicles, but some large models have sufficient size and equipment (Non-Patent Document 1).

[0007] Prior art includes a camper van in which the vehicle and cabin are separate entities, with the cabin configured to be detachable from the vehicle's flat loading platform. A pallet section is provided at the bottom of the cabin, into which the claws of a forklift can be inserted, and a hanging hardware is provided at the top of the cabin, onto which a crane hook can be attached (Patent Document 1). A forklift is generally used to load and unload the cabin onto the vehicle's loading platform, but preparing a forklift and crane is a tedious process.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a vehicle with a living space has been invented (Patent Document 2), which is a living cabin that can be placed on the loading surface of the bed of a cargo vehicle, and which includes a jack locking process in which an F-shaped jack member having a jack side locking portion and a height adjustment portion is used to insert the jack side locking portion into two locking holes on the side of the living cabin, a placement process in which the bed of the cargo vehicle is moved into the space between the main box and the ground and the main box is positioned above the bed, a placement process in which the main box is lowered by adjusting the height of the jack and the main box is placed on the loading surface of the bed between the left and right side gates, a jack removal process in which the jack side locking portion is removed from the locking hole, and a fixing process in which the first hook portion of the connecting belt is engaged with the locking hole and the second hook portion of the connecting belt is engaged with the rope hook portion. When loading or unloading a living cabin onto or from the cargo bed of a freight vehicle, it is difficult for one person to operate two pairs of jacks, one at the front and one at the back. At least two people are required to operate the left and right jacks to load or unload the cabin.

[0009] A mobile house has been invented, which includes a house container having a main house section with a container base, two expansion chambers, two rear jacks that are immobile in the width direction, and two front jacks that extend and retract outward from both sides in the width direction, and a truck with a loading platform (Patent Document 3). The front jacks are located forward of the front end of the expansion chamber in the fore-and-aft direction, and both rear jacks and both front jacks when retracted are set within a range that does not exceed both ends of the loading platform in the width direction, and a non-contact area is provided on the loading platform where the pistons of the rear jacks do not come into contact with the loading platform when the pistons extend and retract in the vertical direction and when the loading platform moves forward from the house container, and the lower ends of the front jack and both rear jacks are located above the lower end of the container base. The hydraulic operation of the front and rear jacks is driven by a motor and pump. Power is provided by batteries, a generator, or external city power. The front and rear jacks are installed in the container house, but require motors, pumps, and power and equipment.

[0010] A trailer house that is towed by a towing vehicle and moves has been devised, comprising a carriage section having wheels with a connecting section for connecting to the towing vehicle, a house section that is detachably placed on the carriage section, and a lift pipe that extends in the width direction and is provided at the bottom of the house section, the lift pipe being formed so that the lifting bar of a house separation jack can be inserted from openings at both ends, and multiple lift pipes are arranged at intervals in the front-to-rear direction (Patent Document 4). A trailer (towed vehicle) requires a towing license if its vehicle weight is over 750 kilograms, but not if it weighs less than that.However, when a trailer is connected to a towing vehicle, its movements are more complex and dangerous than those of an ordinary passenger car, so driving a trailer requires skills different from those used to drive a regular car. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 3156034 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-003839 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6858999 [Patent Document 4] Publication No. 3196708 [Non-patent literature]

[0012] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Camper van" on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] The period from 1985 to 1990 was known as the first camping boom, with 15.8 million people camping. The reasons for this include the bubble economy and the widespread use of private cars. Its popularity has increased again since around 2013. This is due to a shift from material consumption to experience consumption, and the recognition of camping as a fashionable hobby thanks to social media and YouTube (registered trademark). Then, with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, its popularity accelerated dramatically as a leisure activity that allows people to avoid the three Cs. Solo camping has become popular, and there are now tents that are easy to set up, such as one-touch tents. For people who enjoy camping, there is a desire for the development of a lightweight camper van that is easy to transport and has low maintenance costs.

[0014] Prior art includes a camper van in which the vehicle and cabin are separate entities, with the cabin configured to be detachable from the flat loading platform of the vehicle. The bottom of the cabin is provided with a pallet section into which the forklift claws can be inserted, and the top of the cabin is provided with a hanging hardware onto which a crane hook can be attached. A forklift is generally used to load and unload the cabin onto the truck bed, but preparing a forklift and a crane is a difficult task.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a vehicle with a living space has been invented, which is a living cabin that can be placed on the loading surface of the bed of a cargo vehicle, and which includes a jack locking process using an F-shaped jack member having a jack side locking portion and a height adjustment portion, inserting the jack side locking portion into two locking holes on the side of the living cabin; a placement process of moving the bed of the cargo vehicle into the space between the main box and the ground and positioning the main box above the bed; a placement process of lowering the main box by adjusting the height of the jack and placing the main box on the loading surface of the bed between the left and right side gates; a jack removal process of removing the jack side locking portion from the locking hole; and a fixing process of engaging the first hook portion of the connecting belt with the locking hole and engaging the second hook portion of the connecting belt with the rope hook portion. When loading or unloading a cabin onto or from the bed of a freight vehicle, it is difficult for one person to operate two pairs of jacks, one at the front and one at the back. At least two people are required to operate the left and right jacks to load or unload the cabin.

[0016] The invention relates to a mobile house comprising a container for a house, the container having a main house section with a container base, two expansion chambers, two rear jacks that are immobile in the width direction, and two front jacks that extend and retract outward from both sides in the width direction, and a truck with a loading platform. The front jacks are located forward of the front end of the expansion chamber in the fore-and-aft direction, and both rear jacks and both front jacks when retracted are set within a range that does not exceed both ends of the loading platform in the width direction. The loading platform is provided with a non-contact area where the pistons of the rear jacks do not come into contact with the loading platform when the pistons extend and retract in the vertical direction and when the loading platform moves forward from the container for a house, and the lower ends of the front jack and both rear jacks are located above the lower end of the container base. The hydraulic operation of the front and rear jacks is driven by a motor and pump. Power is provided by batteries, a generator, or external city power. The front and rear jacks are installed in the container house, but require motors, pumps, and power and equipment.

[0017] A trailer house that is towed by a towing vehicle and moves is devised, comprising a carriage section having wheels with a connecting section for connecting to the towing vehicle, a house section that is detachably placed on the carriage section, and a lift pipe that extends in the width direction and is provided at the bottom of the house section, the lift pipe being formed so that the lifting bar of a house separation jack can be inserted from openings at both ends, and multiple lift pipes are arranged at intervals in the front-to-rear direction. A trailer (towed vehicle) requires a towing license if its vehicle weight is over 750 kilograms, but not if it weighs less than that.However, when a trailer is connected to a towing vehicle, its movements are more complex and dangerous than those of an ordinary passenger car, so driving a trailer requires skills different from those used to drive a regular car.

[0018] The present invention was made to solve a problem that had existed in the past: a camper box that can be loaded and unloaded onto the bed of a light truck, and a jack installed on the bottom of the box allows one person to load and unload the camper box, making it easy to move. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] This camper box can be loaded onto the bed of a light truck and comprises a box body, a jack installed at the bottom of the box body, and leg stands for supporting the box body, which are provided at the lower left and right sides of the box body in the traveling direction of the car. A camper box is considered luggage to be loaded onto a light truck. According to the Road Traffic Act, the load restrictions for a light truck are: length - not exceeding 2 / 10 of the vehicle's length, width - not exceeding 2 / 10 of the vehicle's width, height - within 2.5 meters from the ground, and weight - maximum 350 kilograms. The camper box of this invention meets all of these regulations. This camper box can be loaded onto a light truck and easily moved. It can also be placed on the ground and used for purposes other than as a camper box, such as a children's study room. When moving, the camper box is secured to the bed of the light truck to prevent it from moving.

[0020] The camper box is made of aluminum alloy, and the floor, sides, and ceiling panels are beaded (string-processed). Aluminum alloys are alloys whose main component is aluminum. Aluminum is characterized by its light weight, while pure aluminum is a soft metal, and alloying it with copper, manganese, silicon, magnesium, zinc, nickel, etc. can improve its strength and other properties as a metallic material. An example of an application of the lightness and strength of aluminum alloys is duralumin (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy) used as an aircraft material. A 5000 series Al-Mg alloy was used for the camper van box. This alloy contains a large amount of magnesium to increase the strength without degrading the corrosion resistance of aluminum, making it the most corrosion-resistant of all aluminum alloys. It has excellent workability and anodizing properties, making it suitable for use in ships, vehicles, interior and exterior building components, communication equipment parts, machine parts, aluminum wheels for aircraft and automobiles, pressure vessels, and beer and juice can lids. It offers an excellent balance of strength, corrosion resistance, workability, and weldability.

[0021] Bead processing, also known as stringing, is a process performed using a punch and fiber laser combination machine to form linear protrusions on the surface of an aluminum alloy plate, increasing its strength. Generally, increasing strength is achieved by either thickening the material or using reinforcing metal fittings, but these methods have problems with cost, weight, and thickness variations. Bead processing raises the area to be reinforced like a string, creating grooves that distribute pressure and significantly increase strength. In particular, bead processing is effective in improving bending strength. Damage to components is more often caused by bending forces than tensile forces. Bead processing not only increases strength without changing thickness, but also reduces weight without the need for reinforcing metal fittings, further reducing costs by reducing raw material usage.

[0022] The jack installed at the bottom of the camper box can be operated with one touch using an impact driver. The jacks can be mechanical, hydraulic, or air-powered. If a gear jack is used, the gear ratio should be about 1:3. The load weight can be reduced by using an aluminum alloy jack. There is no particular limit to the number of jacks, but supporting the load with four jacks is considered to be stable.

[0023] The leg stands that support the camper box, which are provided on the lower left and right sides of the box body in the direction of travel of the vehicle, can remain attached when the camper box is loaded onto the bed of a light truck and moved, or the lower parts of the leg stands can be removed. The leg stand of the present invention is positioned on the outside of the left and right side panels of the bed of a light truck, and may be attached while the light truck is traveling. When the jack is raised, the leg stands are lifted off the ground, allowing the light truck to drive. When the jack is lowered, the leg stands touch the ground, creating a gap between the jack installed on the bottom of the camper box and the bed of the light truck. When the light truck is driven forward, the camper box is free-standing on the leg stands and placed on the ground. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The camper box with leg stands can be easily moved onto the bed of a light truck. The camper box is made of aluminum alloy with a beaded finish, making it both lightweight and strong. A jack is installed on the bottom of the camper box, and a pair of leg stands are provided on both sides to support the main box, allowing one person to load and unload the camper box onto the bed of a light truck. Since the camper box is loaded into the bed of a light truck, maintenance costs and other expenses are low. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] Right side view of camper box [Figure 2] Left side view of camper box [Figure 3] Rear view of camper box [Figure 4] Schematic diagram of the camper box lifting system DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Examples of the present invention are shown below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. [Example]

[0027] FIG. 1 is a view of the right side of the camper box (2). FIG. 2 is a view of the left side of the camper box (2). FIG. 3 is a rear view of the camper box (2). This camper box (2) can be loaded onto the bed of a light truck (1), and is made up of a box body, a jack (4) installed at the bottom of the box body, and leg stands (3) that support the box body and are provided at the bottom of the left and right sides of the box body in the direction of travel of the vehicle. As can be seen from the left side of the camper box (2) (Figure 2), there is a door (6) on the left side and a skylight (7). There is a double sliding door (8) at the rear of the camper box (2) (Figure 3), which can be used for access from this side as well. This camper box (2) can be loaded onto a light truck (1) and easily moved. It can also be placed on the ground and used for purposes other than as a camper box (2), such as a children's study room. When moving, the camper box (2) is secured to the bed of the light truck to prevent it from moving. [Example]

[0028] The camper box (2) is made of aluminum alloy, and the floor, side, and ceiling panels are beaded (stripe-out) (5). A 5000 series Al-Mg alloy was used for the camper box (2). This alloy contains a large amount of magnesium to increase the strength without degrading the corrosion resistance of aluminum, making it the most corrosion-resistant of all aluminum alloys. Its excellent workability and anodizing properties make it suitable for use in ships, vehicles, interior and exterior building components, communication equipment parts, machine parts, aluminum wheels for aircraft and automobiles, pressure vessels, and beer and juice can lids. It offers an excellent balance of strength, corrosion resistance, workability, and weldability. Bead processing, also known as string processing (5), is a process performed using a punch and fiber laser combination machine to form linear protrusions on the surface of an aluminum alloy plate, increasing its strength. Generally, increasing strength is achieved by either thickening the material or using reinforcing metal fittings, but these methods have problems with cost, weight, and thickness variations. Bead processing (5) creates a string-like protrusion in the area to be reinforced, creating grooves that distribute pressure and significantly increase strength. In particular, bead processing (5) is effective in improving bending strength. Breakage of components is more often caused by bending forces than tensile forces. Bead processing (5) not only increases strength without changing thickness, but also reduces weight by eliminating the need for reinforcing metal fittings, further reducing costs by reducing raw material usage. [Example]

[0029] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the lifting system for the camper box (2). The jack (4) installed at the bottom of the camper box (2) can be operated with one touch using an impact driver (11). The lifting system consists of four jacks (4), three gearboxes (10), a rotating shaft, and an impact driver (11). One end of the jacks (4) is fixed. The gear ratio is 1:3. The jacks are installed at the bottom of the camper box (2). When the camper box (2) is placed on the ground using a pair of leg stands (3), there is a gap between the bed of the light truck and the bottom of the camper box (2), i.e., the jack (4). Backing up the light truck (1), raising the left and right tailgates of the light truck (1) and lowering the rear tailgate, the bed is placed under the camper box (2). The camper box (2) is placed between the left and right tailgates of the light truck (1). Then, by raising the jack (4), the leg stands (3) are lifted off the ground, allowing the vehicle to be driven. At this time, the leg stands are located on the outside of the left and right side tailgates. The rear tailgate must be raised when driving. The jack (4) is operated from behind the bed of the light truck. The box is then secured to the bed. In this way, the camper box is loaded onto the bed of the light truck. When lowering a camper box (2) from the bed of a light truck (1), the jack (4) is lowered, the leg stands are placed on the ground, the rear tailgate is lowered, and the light truck is driven forward to lower the box. [Example]

[0030] The leg stands (3) that support the camper box (2) are provided on the lower left and right sides of the box body in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and can remain attached when the camper box (2) is loaded onto the bed of a light truck (1) and moved, or the lower parts of the leg stands (3) can be removed. The leg stand (3) of the present invention is located on the outside of the left and right side panels of the bed of the light truck (1) and may be attached while the light truck (1) is traveling. When the jack (4) is raised, the leg stand (3) is lifted off the ground, allowing the light truck to move. When the jack (4) is lowered, the leg stand touches the ground, creating a gap between the jack (4) installed on the bottom of the camper box (2) and the bed of the light truck (1). When the light truck is driven forward, the camper box (2) stands on the ground by the leg stand (3). [Industrial Applicability]

[0031] As mentioned above, camper boxes equipped with leg stands can be easily moved onto the bed of a light truck. Made of aluminum alloy with beaded construction, the camper box is both lightweight and strong. A jack is attached to the bottom of the camper box, allowing for one-touch operation. The camper box also has a pair of leg stands on both sides that support the main box, allowing one person to load and unload the camper box onto the bed of a light truck. Since the camper box is loaded into the bed of a light truck, maintenance costs and other expenses are low. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Light truck 2 camper van boxes 3 Leg Stand 4 Jack 5 Bead processing (string processing) 6 Door 7. Windows 8 Double sliding door 9 Fixed side 10 Gearbox 11 Impact driver

Claims

1. This camper box can be loaded onto the bed of a light truck and comprises a box body, a jack installed at the bottom of the box body, and leg stands for supporting the box body and provided at the lower left and right sides of the box body in the traveling direction of the car.

2. 2. The camper box according to claim 1, wherein the camper box is made of aluminum alloy, and the floor, side and ceiling panels are beaded (stripe).

3. 3. The camper box according to claim 1, wherein the jack installed at the bottom of the camper box can be operated with a single touch using an impact driver.

4. The camper box according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the leg stands supporting the camper box, which are provided on the lower left and right sides of the box body in the direction of travel of the vehicle, remain attached when the camper box is loaded onto the bed of a light truck and moved, or the lower parts of the leg stands are removed.

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