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EP-4566857-B1 - LIFTABLE ROOF FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

EP4566857B1EP 4566857 B1EP4566857 B1EP 4566857B1EP-4566857-B1

Inventors

  • BERNARDESCHI, Paolo
  • MINUTI, RICCARDO
  • PIRILLO, Carmela
  • ROMAGNOLI, Fabio

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241202

Claims (7)

  1. A liftable roof (1) for recreational vehicles, comprising: - an upper load-bearing cover (2) for covering an opening made in an upper surface of a recreational vehicle (V), said cover (2) comprising a covering panel (21) and respective perimeter edges (22) of said panel (21) stably fixed to it, wherein said perimeter edges (22) comprise two first lateral profiles (221) made of aluminium; - a lower frame (3) stably connectable to said upper surface of said recreational vehicle (V); - movement means (6) interposed and operatively connected to said upper load-bearing cover (2) and to said lower frame (3), said movement means (6) being configured to move said upper load-bearing cover (2) relative to said frame (3) between a lowered position and a raised position, said roof (1) being characterised in that said perimeter edges (22) further comprise - a first front stretch (222) made of polymeric material stably fixed on respective front ends of said two first lateral profiles (221); - a first rear stretch (223) made of polymeric material fixed stably on respective rear ends of said two first lateral profiles (221); said lower frame (3) comprises two second lateral profiles (31) made of aluminium and - a second front stretch (32) made of polymeric material fixed stably on respective front ends of said two second lateral profiles (31); - a second rear stretch (33) made of polymeric material, fixed stably on respective rear ends of said two second lateral profiles (31).
  2. The roof (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said movement means (6) comprise four-bar linkages.
  3. The roof (1) according to the preceding claim, characterised in that said four-bar linkages are fixed below said two second lateral profiles (31) made of aluminium and above said two first lateral profiles (221) made of aluminium.
  4. The roof (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said perimeter edges (22) comprise a cavity (5) for containing said panel (21), said cavity (5) being substantially shaped to match respective lateral stretches of said panel (21).
  5. The roof (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a first seal (41) positioned between each of said two first lateral profiles (221) and said panel (21), said first seal (41) being configured for the passage of electrical wires.
  6. The roof (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a second seal (42) positioned between each of said two first lateral profiles (221) and said upper surface of said vehicle (V).
  7. The roof (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said panel (21) comprises a first resistant upper layer and a second layer made of heat-insulating material fixed on a lower surface of said first upper layer and a third resistant layer fixed to a lower surface of the second layer said heat-insulating material.

Description

This invention relates to a liftable roof for recreational vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to a roof for vehicles such as vans, mini-vans, camper vans, or the like, also known as "recreational vehicles", that is to say, suitable for transporting persons and for leisure time and being such as to comprise an internal living space. More specifically, with reference to the van-type recreational vehicles, for which the solution according to the invention can be applied, the living space inside the above-mentioned van-type recreational vehicles is usually small; for the reason, the need is always felt to increase the available space as much as possible. The vans are vehicles suitable for camping, which substantially maintain the bodywork of the van for commercial use from which they derive. Various types of accessories, such as windows, fly screens, ventilation grilles, access doors, service doors, etc, etc. are applied stably to the bodywork of the commercial van, in order to convert it into a van-type recreational vehicle. In addition to the above changes to the exterior bodywork of the van, clearly, the furniture in the interior space is also installed. Recreational vehicles of the van type, exist both in "low" and "high" versions, depending on the height of the rear cabin of the van from which they derive. The invention can be applied on both types of versions. The liftable roofs therefore allow the internal space of the vehicle to be considerably increased, for example by providing an additional space which can be used as a "night zone" compartment for the users. There are currently various solutions of liftable roofs for recreational vehicles. All the prior art solutions comprise a lower frame which is fixed to the original ceiling of the van (on which there is an opening for access from the cabin of the van), and an upper cover is connected to the lower frame by means of mechanisms for movement by levers and tie rods. Document DE 28 26 777 A1 discloses such lower frame and upper cover. According to known liftable roofs, such as disclosed in document EP 4 177 089 A1, the upper cover and the lower frame are generally made of plastic material such as, for example, ABS and PMMA or fiberglass. The movement mechanisms allow the upper lid to be moved between a first lowered configuration, that is to say, non-operational (with the vehicle travelling), in which the cover is positioned in direct contact with the lower frame, and a second raised configuration, that is to say, operational (with the vehicle parked), in which the above-mentioned additional space is obtained. The upper cover is generally connected by a flexible awning to the lower frame. The awning makes it possible to obtain a closed space also laterally and it can be used by the user. The known solutions generally involve the use of covers made of very resistant material in order to ensure the support of any loads. The known lifting roofs guarantee a good solution but certainly not without drawbacks. A first drawback of known lifting roofs is that they often do not allow an adequate discharge of the loads and forces acting on them. Another drawback of the known lifting roofs is that, in order to overcome the difficult distribution of loads, they are designed so as to make the cover (and in particular the panel that constitutes it) extremely heavy. The excessive heaviness of the roof results in various drawbacks such as, for example, the drop in efficiency of the vehicle (in particular as a result of the known electrification process) or the increase in fuel consumption. Another drawback of known lifting roofs is that they often result in high construction costs. Another drawback is due to the fact that, when the outer layer is made of ABS\PMMA it is not possible to produce it in dark colours, such as black, since, if subjected to heat sources, such as, for example, sunlight, there is a risk of significant plastic deformation which may adversely affect the integrity of the liftable roof. The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a liftable roof for recreational vehicles which is able to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. Another aim of the invention is to provide a liftable roof for recreational vehicles which can be obtained by means of a simple, fast and inexpensive production process. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a liftable roof for recreational vehicles which is capable of ensuring optimal distribution of the loads without the need to compromise the lightness of the cover and in particular of the cover panel. Another aim of the present invention is to provide a liftable roof for recreational vehicles such as to reduce the risks related to the thermal expansion of the components. According to the invention, these aims and others are achieved by a liftable roof for recreational vehicles having the technical features described in the appended claims. The technical features of the invention, with r