US20160138258A1

US20160138258A1 - Folding shed

Info

Publication number: US20160138258A1
Application number: US14/945,173
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul E. Schaffert; Morris L. Hartman
Original assignee: Schaffert Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Schaffert Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 2014-11-19
Filing date: 2015-11-18
Publication date: 2016-05-19

Abstract

The apparatus described herein includes a folding shelter structure. The folding structure includes a roof, two sidewalls, two end walls a floor. The floor is divided into two sections, each section pivotally connected to a sidewall. The roof may be divided into two sections, each section pivotally connected to a sidewall. Each end wall may be divided into two sections that are pivotally connected to each other and to the sidewall adjacent the section. The folding structure is transformed from an operation to a storage or transport configuration by outwardly pivoting each roof section until the exterior surface of each roof section approximately abuts the exterior surface of the respective sidewall to which it is connected. The floor section is inwardly pivoted until the top surface of each floor section approximately abuts the interior surface of the respective sidewall to which it is connected and sandwiched between the sidewalls and the end walls. The roof may be supported by removable trusses extending between the side walls and supported at the end walls by a channel.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/082,089 filed Nov. 19, 2014 and entitled “Folding Shed,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the invention generally relates to structures, and more particularly to folding sheds.

BACKGROUND

Sheds have many practical uses, including providing storage space for tools or equipment or shelter for people or animals. However, when not being used, a shed may undesirably occupy space. Further, it may be difficult to transport an assembled shed to a site or move it to another site because of the space occupied by it. This may be solved by transporting the shed in unassembled components. This solution, however, requires the shed to be assembled at the site and/or disassembled and reassembled.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved shed. Ideally, an improved shed would occupy less space when not being used than it does when being used. Also ideally, an improved shed would be easier to transport than a typical shed.

SUMMARY

In accordance with various embodiments, a folding shed may include a first sidewall and a second sidewall; a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall, a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall, a foldable first end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
In accordance with various embodiments, the first and second roof sections are configured to pivot from the outside of the sidewalls around to be placed in a position proximal the tops of the first and second end wall. A support member is provided to engage the first end wall on a first end of the first roof section or to engage the roof section on an interior portion of the roof section in such a way that the support member limits the movement of the end wall or the side wall in an outward or inward direction. The support member may be an elongated channel that limits the movement of the end wall in a direction parallel with at least one of the first and second side walls. Each end of each of the first and second roof sections proximal to the first and second end walls includes the elongated channel. The elongated channel is less than half the length of the edge of the roof section proximal to the top of the end wall. The elongated channel is more than half the length of the edge of the roof section proximal to the top of the end wall. The elongated channel includes an aperture that extends through a first wall of the elongated channel and a second wall of the elongated channel. The end wall includes an aperture that aligns with the aperture of the elongated channel when the first roof section is pivoted around to from a roof over the folding shed. A pin may extends through the aperture of the elongated channel and the aperture of the first end wall thereby fixing the first roof section in place relative to the end wall.
In accordance with various embodiments, the support member may include at least one truss that extends from the first side wall to the second side wall. The truss limits the movement of the side walls by fixedly attaching to each of the side walls and providing a ridged attachment through the truss between each of the side walls. The truss includes a riser portion that follows the contour of the first and second roof sections as they extend from one side wall to the other. The truss provides vertical support to the first and second roof sections limiting their ability to sag. A plurality of trusses may be positioned between the first end wall and the second end wall. The plurality of trusses may extend between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.
In accordance with various embodiments, a first floor section and a second floor section are operable to cover a lower interior space of the folding shed. The first floor section is operable to pivot up from the lower interior space of the folding shed to approximately abut the first side wall as the folding shed is transformed into a folded position. The first floor section is sandwiched between the first sidewall and the first end wall when the folding shed is folded. The first side wall may include protrusions on a first end and a second end proximal to the pivotable joints with the first end wall and the second end wall, wherein the hinged connection between the first end wall and the first side wall and the second end wall and the second side wall are located on the protrusions with the first floor section operable to nest between the two protrusions.
In accordance with various embodiments, at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls include an aperture which receives an engagement feature from a wheel assembly operable as a jack. The aperture may be an open end of a tubular member that forms the bottom frame member of at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls. The engagement member is part of an L-shaped bracket that extends from the wheel assembly with a lateral member of the L-shaped bracket sized to engage the aperture. The tubular member which defines the aperture includes a second aperture which passes through a side wall of the tubular member. The lateral member includes an aperture there through. The tubular member aperture and the lateral member aperture are operable to align after the lateral member is inserted into the tubular member. The shed may include a locking pin inserted through the aperture in the tubular member and through the aperture in the lateral member in response to the lateral member being inserted to an engagement distance within the tubular member. Each of the first and second side walls, the first and second roof sections and the first and second end walls are formed from a plurality of tubular frame members connected to one another. An exterior sheathing may be fastened to the tubular frame members.
In accordance with various embodiments, at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls may be a common wall with another structure. The structure may be a semi-trailer. The common wall is a side wall and the end walls flex out away from the common wall. The second roof section may be pivotably attached to the common wall.
In accordance with various embodiments, the first and second roof section are configured to pivot from the outside of the sidewalls around to be placed in a position proximal the tops of the first and second end wall. The first roof section folds over and engages the seal plate against the top of the second roof section, wherein the seal plate has a first leg and second leg with a first angle there between. The angle may be less than the angle between the top surface of the first roof section and the top surface of the second roof section with the seal plate contacting the top surface of the second roof section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A depicts a front perspective view of a first example of a folding shed.

FIG. 1B depicts a front perspective view of a second example of a folding shed.

FIG. 2 depicts a rear perspective view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 viewed along line 3-3.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 viewed along line 4-4.

FIG. 5A depicts a side elevation view of the roof peak of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5B depicts a side elevation view of the roof peak of the folding shed depicted in the open state as opposed to the closed state of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A depicts a front elevation view of an example of an end wall connector for the folding shed depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6B depicts a front elevation view of an example of an end wall connector for the folding shed depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6C depicts a cross section view of a side wall bracket for the folding shed depicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 depicts a side elevation view of a roof hinge for the folding shed depicted in the cross section of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 showing the left roof section partially opened.

FIG. 9 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 1 with the left and right roof sections shown in opened positions and the right floor section open.

FIG. 10 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 1 with the left and right roof sections abutting the left and right sidewalls respectively.

FIG. 11 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 with the front and rear end walls pivoted inwardly towards each other.

FIG. 12 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 with the left and right sections of the front and rear end walls abutting each other.

FIG. 13 depicts a top plan view of the folding shed depicted in FIG. 1 with the folding shed in a storage or transport configuration.

FIG. 14 depicts a front perspective view of an exploded assembly of multiple folding sheds.

FIG. 15 depicts a front perspective view of an exploded assembly of multiple folding sheds with separable front and rear end walls.

FIG. 16 depicts a front perspective view of another example of a folding shed attached having a common wall with a second structure.

FIG. 17A depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 1 with wheels attached to the sidewalls and front walls of the shed.

FIG. 17B depicts a detailed perspective view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 17A with wheels attaching to the sidewalls of the shed.

FIG. 18 depicts a front elevation view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 1 with wheels attached to the sidewalls of the shed.

FIG. 19 depicts a top elevation view of the folding shed shown in FIG. 1 with wheels attached to the sidewalls of the shed.

FIG. 20A depicts a side perspective view of a wheel, caster jack and bracket for attachment to a shed, as depicted in FIGS. 22-24.

FIG. 20B depicts a side perspective view of another wheel, caster jack and bracket for attachment to a shed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Implementations of the apparatus described herein includes a folding shelter structure. One particular implementation is a folding shed. The folding structure may include a roof, two sidewalls, and two end walls. In some embodiments, the structure may include a floor. The floor may be divided into two sections, each section pivotally connected to a sidewall. The roof may be divided into two sections, each section pivotally connected to a sidewall. Each end wall may be divided into two sections that are pivotally connected to each other and to the sidewall adjacent the section. The folding structure may be transformed from an operation to a storage or transport configuration by outwardly pivoting each roof section until the exterior surface of each roof section approximately abuts the exterior surface of the respective sidewall to which it is connected. The floor section may be inwardly pivoted until the top surface of each floor section approximately abuts the interior surface of the respective sidewall to which it is connected. In this way the sidewall sections are sandwiched between floor sections and roof sections. The end walls may then be inwardly pivoted until the exterior sections for each end wall approximately abut each other. Once transformed into a storage or transport configuration, the structure may be readily stored or transported, especially compared to a similarly sized, fully assembled, non-folding structure. The assembled folding shed may be used for any of a number of purposes and functions such as a temporary or permanent structure for camping, hunting, fishing, disaster relief; a greenhouse for providing food production, hydroponic system operation, aquaponic system operation; a weather shelter for protecting livestock or perishables; a recreational shelter such as a hot tub enclosure, pool house; an industrial & construction structure for securing site tool or small equipment, job site headquarters, guard shack; a commercial structure for trade show booth, food service booth, ticket office, security office; a professional services structure for temporary medical use, on-site quarantine, temporary disaster office, on-site insurance claims office; etc.
FIGS. 1 and 2 depict front and rear perspective views of a first example of a folding shed 100 in an unfolded configuration, and FIG. 11 depicts a front perspective view of the first example of a folding shed 100 in a partially folded configuration, and FIG. 12 depicts a front perspective view of the folding shed 100 in a folded configuration. In this example, the folding shed 100 includes a rectangular base 102 and a roof 104. The base 102 includes left and right sidewalls 106, 108 and front and rear end walls 110, 112. The roof 104 is divided into separate left and right roof sections 114, 116 with each roof section 114, 116 pivotally coupled to its respective sidewall 106, 108. In one particular arrangement, the roof sections 114, 116 are connected to the sidewall 106, 108 supporting it with one or more roof hinges 118 so that each section may be independently pivoted with respect to the sidewall 106, 108. Further, each end wall 110, 112 is divided into separate right and left end wall sections 120, 122, 124, 126. The end wall sections 120, 122, 124, 126 are connected together by one or more end wall hinges 128 so that the right and left sections of an end wall 110, 112 may be pivoted or folded relative to each other. Although the left and right roof sections 114, 116 are each shown as connected to their respective sidewalls 106, 108 by two roof hinges 118, more or fewer roof hinges may be used to connect each roof section 114, 116 to its respective sidewall 106, 108. Similarly, although the right and left end wall sections 120, 122, 124, 126 for the front and back end walls 110, 112 are shown as connected together by two end wall hinges 128, more or fewer end wall hinges may be used. Moreover, other pivoting or rotating arrangements besides hinges may be employed, such as ball and socket joints, universal joints, and so on.
As shown in FIG. 3, within the rectangular base 102, the folding shed 100 may include a lower support surface proximal to the bottom of the folding shed 100. The lower support surface may be operable to separate contents of the folding shed from the substrate on which the shed 100 is set, such as the ground. For example, the rectangular base 102 may include a floor 103. The floor 103 may include one or more floor sections 105, 107. The floor sections 105, 107 may be pivotably attached to respective side walls 106, 108. The pivotal attachment to the side walls may allow the floor sections 105, 107 to swing up and away from the ground in response to collapsing the folding shed 100 into its folded position. In one example, a single floor may extend the full width of the shed. In another example, two separate floor sections 105, 107 may variously split the width of the shed. This may be done by each floor section covering half the width of the shed, but any variation of covering may be applicable.
In accordance with various embodiments, the shed 100 may be substantially or entirely enclosed. The enclosure may be formed by the walls and frame members discussed herein. As the frame members may be structural components, it may not be practical to completely enclose the structure with structural components. As such, panels, skins, plates, or the like may close the openings within and between the frame members. This panel system may be done in accordance with the systems described in patent application Ser. No. 13/804,212, and U.S. Pat. No.8,763,315. In accordance with various other embodiments as discussed herein, a skin may be applied to the exterior of the shed 100 of the framing system. More specifically the skin may be applied to the exterior portions of the frame members that makeup the end walls 110/112, side walls 106/108, floor 150/107 and roof 114/116.
With reference to FIGS. 1-4, each of the walls, floor and roof may be comprised as assemblies of coverings and frame portions. The frame portions may be filed with a filler for reasons discussed below. The frame members may provide structure support to the folding shed 100 in addition to a surface to mount the coverings and/or covering support brackets. These framing members may include a series of horizontal and vertical members. For example as shown on the side wall of FIGS. 1a and 2, the members may include horizontal members 130 a-d and vertical members 132 a-c. However, in various examples the number location and orientation of the members may change, for example FIGS. 1b and 3 show a different configuration of frame members with horizontal members 130 a-c and vernicle frame members 132 a-d. As there may be defined number of horizontal members or vertical members, the side walls will be referred to as having horizontal members of the 130 series (which can include e.g. 130 a,b,c, . . . ) and vertical members of the 132 series (which can include e.g. 132 a,b,c . . . ) The end walls will be referred to as having vertical members in the 152 series (e.g. 152 a,b,c . . . ) and horizontal members in the 150 series (e.g. 150 a,b,c, . . . ). The roof section will be referred to as having vertical members in the 142 series (e.g. 142 a,b,c . . . ) and horizontal members in the 140 series (e.g. 140 a,b,c). The horizontal and vertical sidewall members may be configured to define sidewall frame structures. The number and arrangement of sidewall, roof and end wall members will depend on various factors, including the desired overall weight for the structure or any particular part of the structure, the desired rigidity or size of the structure, visual or other aesthetic considerations, cost and availability of materials, and so on. Each horizontal and vertical sidewall member may be joined to another horizontal or vertical sidewall member by fasteners, welds, adhesives, any other known methods for joining two items together, or any combination thereof. Note that some of the frame members are shown has a hidden line to indicate their location behind a covering.
The shape and configuration for members forming each frame structure for the sidewalls 106, 108, end walls 110, 112, roof 104, floor 103, and door 160 may be configured in any form to serve the purposes of the individual foldable shed unit. Each of these walls may also include a covering 800 which can be a skin, plate, panel, etc. These coverings may include wood, metal (e.g. flat, corrugated, mesh, etc. made from steel, aluminum, tin, etc.) glass, greenhouse material (e.g. high density polyethylene extruded with a corrugated structure/shape such as ® solexx sheet), concrete, plastic (e.g. polycarbonate such as ®Lexan), etc. The coverings 800 may be a combination of these materials. For example as shown in FIGS. 1B and 3, covering 800 b may be a shaped metal and covering 800 a (e.g. ribbed 28 gage steel) may be sollex sheet. Each of the respective coverings 800 making up each of the walls may be connected to the frame structures by mechanical fasteners (e.g. screws, rivets or the like), welds, adhesives, any other known method to join two items together, or any combination thereof. For example, fasteners 802 may attach the skin to the frame members or through the frame members attaching an inner skin 800in to the outer skin 800 out.
The exterior and interior vertical end wall members e.g. 152 a, b may generally resemble the exterior vertical sidewall members e.g. 132 a, b, the sloping and bottom horizontal end wall members e.g. 154, 150 a may generally resemble the top and bottom horizontal sidewall members e.g. 130 a. Each vertical or horizontal frame members may have unique or shared structure. For example vertical and horizontal end wall members 152 b, 150 a, c, adjacent the door 160 may have slightly modified cross-sectional areas to accommodate the door 160. For example, the portion of the top horizontal front end wall member 150 c adjacent the door 160 may have a rectangular, hollow cross-sectional area with a pair of opposing plates extending vertically upward from the rectangular cross-sectional area rather than an H-shaped cross-sectional area a C-shaped cross-sectional area or the like that any of the other frame members may or may not have. In one example all of the frame members are made with hollow tubular cross-sections.
In accordance with various embodiments each wall portion may have an outside skin 800 out and an inside skin 800 inside. The two skins may be different materials and/or different configurations of material, e.g. 800 out may be a ribbed steel sheathing and 800 in may be a flat steel sheathing. Between the two skins 800 in and 800 out a filler 200 material may be utilized. The filler 200 may maintain the spaced relationship between skin 800 out and skin 800 inside forming and enclosed wall structure. The structure may enhance the structural integrity of the walls to reduce the tendency of the skins from buckling, to provide insulation for the folding shed 100, to soundproof the folding shed 100, to increase the weight of the folding shed 100 to resist uplift or overturning forces, to increase the fire resistance of the folding shed 100, or to do a combination thereof. One or more stiffener plates (not shown) may also located between the skins to maintain the plates' spaced relationship or to enhance the panel's structural integrity. The filler may be a foam (e.g. Styrofoam or injection foam), insulation, sand, wood, plate steel, plastic, or any other suitable material, or any combination thereof. Although each wall may be shown as including a sidewall filler 200, the sidewall filler 200 may be omitted from any or all of the walls.
Yet further, although the sidewalls 106, 108, end walls 110, 112, roof 104, floor and door 160 have been depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 and other figures as being a certain frame and panel structure, any or all may be created using any wall, roof, or door construction method used to create a structure. For example, a wood framing structure with plywood connected to the exterior side of the wood framing may be used for any or all of the sidewalls, end walls, roof, or the door. As another example, lightweight pre-cast concrete panels may be used to create any or all of the sidewalls, end walls, the roof, or the door for the folding shed. As yet another example, the sidewalls and end walls could be formed from a molded plastic that resembles the logs of a log cabin.
In accordance with various embodiments, the folding shed 100 may include one or more access points. These access points may include windows, doors, panels, or any portion of the shed configured to move items or people in and out of the shed. For example, the folding shed 100 may also include a door 160 connected to the front end wall 110 by one or more door hinges 162 to enable entry into and out of the shed 100. Although the door 160 is shown as connected to the front end wall 110 by two door hinges 162, more or fewer door hinges may be used. As indicated, the folding shed may include one or more access points including doors or windows. The end walls 110, 112 or sidewalls 106, 108 may have one or more access points. In one example, an end wall (e.g. 110) may have two doors 160. The doors may open towards each other, having their respective hinges locate on the opposite sides of the end wall from one another. In this way the access point opens up like barn doors. In various embodiments, the doors may be separated from one another by vertical end wall members 152 b. In other embodiments, the doors may close directly into one another with no separation. In such embodiments, the hinges 128 may be located on frame portions below the door and above the door.
As indicated above, the roof sections 114, 116 are pivotable with respect to the side walls 106, 108. When the left and right roof sections 114, 116 are configured in a closed position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a joint is formed between them at the peak of the roof 104. Water from rain, hoses, or other water sources may leak through this joint. To minimize water leakage through it, a roof plate 164 may be placed over the joint along the joint's length. Although only one roof plate 164 is shown, more than one roof plate may be used to prevent water leakage through the roof joint. Additionally, other devices or methods for sealing a joint to prevent water leakage through it may be used in lieu of, or in combination with, the roof plate 164.
FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the folding shed 100 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 viewed along line 3-3. The right sidewall 108 may be pivotally connected to the front end wall 110 using one or more front sidewall hinges 170. The right sidewall 108 may also be pivotally connected to the rear end wall 112 using one or more rear sidewall hinges 172. Like the right sidewall 108, the left sidewall 106 may also be pivotally connected to the front and rear end walls 110, 112 using front and rear sidewall hinges 170, 172.
When the right roof section 116 is in a closed position, it may be secured to the front and rear end walls 110, 112 using end wall connectors 174. The connector can be any mechanism such as latches or a pin in hole. Securing the right roof section 116 to the front end wall 110, the rear end wall 112, or both end walls 110, 112 prevents the right roof section 116 from being undesirably separated from the end walls 110, 112. For example, wind uplift forces could cause the right roof section 116 to be lifted away from the front and rear end walls 110, 112 if not positively connected to at least one of the end walls 110, 112. As shown in FIG. 3, the right roof section 116 is secured to both the front and rear end walls 110, 112. However, the right roof section 116 may be secured to only the front end wall 110 or to only the rear end wall 112. The left roof section 114 may also be secured to either the front end wall 110, the rear end wall 112, or both, in a manner similar to the right roof section 116. Each roof section may also be secured on each side by receiving the end wall within a channel formed by the connector 174 (see FIG. 6B-C for more details)
In the unfolded orientation, roof connectors 180 are provided to join the right and left roof sections 114, 116. As shown in FIG. 5, a roof connector 180 may include right and left roof connector plates 182, 184. The right roof connector plate 182 may be connected to the right horizontal top roof member 140 a using a first roof connector fastener 186, such as a bolt, screw or the like. Similarly, the left connector plate 184 may be connected to the left top horizontal roof member 140 b using a second roof connector fastener 188. When the right and left roof sections 114, 116 are both in a closed position as shown in FIG. 5, the right and left roof connector plates 182, 184 may be connected together using a third roof connector fastener 190. In some embodiments, one of the plates 182, 184 has a latch biased into a closed position and the other a pin for snap joining the roof connector plates 182, 184 together. By using a roof connector 180, the right and left roof sections 114, 116 may be prevented from moving towards the interior of the folding shed under the influence of gravity or other downward forces, or away from the interior of the shed under the influence of wind uplift or other upward forces when the left and right roof sections 114, 116 are in a closed position.
Although the roof connector 180 is depicted as including two roof connector plates 182, 184, the roof connector 180 could be formed using more or fewer plates or using different components. For example, the left and right roof sections 114, 116 may be connected together using a single plate that is connected to both roof sections. As another example, the left and right sections 114, 116 may be connected together using a tie rod connected to each section 114, 116. Further, although the roof connector plates 182, 184 are depicted as mechanically fastened to the right and left roof sections 114, 116 and to each other, other known methods of joining two items together such as welding or adhering, or a combination of other known methods, could be used to join the roof connector plates 182, 184 to the right and left roof sections 114, 116 and to each other. Similarly, alternative forms of the roof connector 180 (e.g., the tie rod) could be mechanically fastened, welded, adhered, joined by other known methods for joining two items together, or joined by a combination thereof. The roof connectors 180 may also be omitted. If omitted, the left and right roof sections 114, 116 may be directly connected to each other without the use of an intermediate component such as a roof connector 180, or may not be connected together.
Generally, the roof connectors 180 form a more stable roof by structurally tying the right and left roof sections 114, 116 together. Columns (not shown) may also be used to support the roof 104, especially for larger sheds. The columns could be connected to the roof 104 by welding or adhering the columns to the roof members 140 a-b, 142 a-c, 144, using mechanical fasteners, such as bolts or screws, to join the columns to the roof members 140 a-b, 142 a-c, 144, using any other suitable method of joining two or more components together, or any combination thereof. Cross support 175 and 177 (e.g. roof trusses), shown in FIG. 3 may provide additional support and strength in addition to or as an alternate to roof connectors 180. The supports 175, 177 may be received into brackets 187 located at the top of the side walls 106, 108.
The right sidewall 108, the roof 104, the front and rear end walls 110, 112, the floor 103 and the door 160 may be pre-assembled in a manner similar to that described for the left sidewall 108 for use as part of the folding shed 100. Once the left and right sidewalls 106, 108, the front and rear end walls 110, 112, the roof 104, and the door 160 are assembled, they may be connected together using hinges 118, 128, 162, 170, 172, 191 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 to form the folding shed. Although the assembly of the folding shed 100 has been described as occurring in a certain order, the order of assembly could be different. For example, some or all of the end wall, sidewall, roof, floor and door members that are connected together by hinges may first be connected together with their respective hinges 118, 128, 162, 170, 172, 191 and then the end walls 110, 112, sidewalls 106, 108, roof 104, floors 105, 107 and door 160 could be assembled.
As shown in FIG. 4, the floor 103 may include a floor section 105 and a floor section 107. The floor section 105 may be pivotably connected to side wall 106 at hinge 191. The floor section 105 may pivot toward side wall 106 along FR path. The floor section 107 may be pivotably connected to side wall 108 at hinge 191. The floor section 107 may pivot toward side wall 108 along FL path. As shown in this cross section, in some embodiments lower side wall members 130 c could have an opening 650 for receiving jack 600.
With reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, the roof plate 164 may be connected to the left roof section 114 using a roof plate connection member 230. In particular, the roof plate connection member 230 may be welded to the left roof section 114 and the roof plate 164. The roof plate connection member 230 may be an angle as shown in FIG. 5, a plate, or any other suitably shaped member. Further, more than one roof plate connection member 230 may be used. The roof plate 164 may be connected to the right roof section 116 using one or more roof plate fasteners 232. A water sealant 234 may be located between the roof plate 164 and the right and left sections 114, 116. The water sealant 234 helps prevent water from passing through the joint formed between the roof plate 164 and the right and left roof sections 114, 116. The combination of the roof plate 164 and the water sealant 234 may be used to prevent water from entering the joint formed between the left and right roof sections 114, 116 when the sections 114, 116 are configured in a closed position.
The roof plate 164 may be made of metal, wood, plastic, concrete, any other suitable material, or any combination thereof. The water sealant 234 may be made of rubber, plastic, or any other suitable material.
Methods of joining the roof plate 164 to the right and left roof sections 114, 116 other than the method depicted in FIG. 5 and described above may be used. For example, the roof plate 164 could be connected to both the left and right roof sections 114, 116 by roof plate fasteners 232. As another example, the roof plate 164 could be connected to the left and right roof sections 114, 116 by gluing the roof plate 164 to the water sealant 234 and gluing the water sealant 234 to the left and right roof sections 114, 116.
Methods of preventing water from passing through the joint formed between the left and right roof sections 114, 116 when the sections 114, 116 are configured in a closed position other than the one depicted in FIG. 5 and described above may be used. For example, a first waterproof material (e.g., rubber) may be connected to the left roof section 114 and a second waterproof material may be connected to the right roof section 116. Continuing with the example, the first and second waterproof materials may be configured to be pressed together when the roof sections 114, 116 are in a closed position in order to create a watertight seal at the joint formed between the roof sections 114, 116. As another example, a waterproof material could be configured to form a shape similar to the shape of the roof plate 164 depicted in FIG. 5 and connected to the roof sections 114, 116 by fasteners.
In accordance with various embodiments the roof plate 164 may substantially conform to the angle Ω₂between the outside surfaces of roof section 114 and roof section 116. This angle may be between 45 degrees and 180 degrees. In accordance with various embodiments, roof plate 164 may be sufficiently thin that it is able to be flexed by leverage placed on the roof section 114. Accordingly, the roof panel 164 may have a first angle prior to closure and a second angle after closure. As indicated the angle after closure is Ω₂, which corresponds to the angle between roof sections 114 and 116. However, before closure, the roof panel 164 may have a different angle Ω₁. The angle Ω₁may be less than the angle Ω₂. In various examples, the angle Ω₁may be 1-20° less than the angle Ω₂. In various examples, the angle Ω₁may be 5-15° less than the angle Ω₂. In various examples, the angle Ω₁may be about 10° less than the angle Ω₂. Accordingly, when closed, the roof panel 164 will have a tendency to maintain its angle Ω₁and therefore place a continued pressure on the opposing roof section (e.g. 116) by trying to spring back to its original angle Ω₁. This constant pressure by the roof plate 164 may provide improved water sealing due to the constant pressure. Each leg of the roof panel 164 may be configured to extend far enough down each roof section 114, 116 to limit the inflow of water. For example, each leg may be 1-8 inches in length. In various examples, each leg may be 3-6 inches in length.
FIGS. 6A-C depict various detailed views and embodiments of an end wall connector 174, which may be used to prevent the roof 104 from being undesirably separated from the end walls 110, 112 when the roof 104 is in a closed position. The end wall connector 174 may include an end wall connector plate 240 connected to the roof 104 by welding the plate 240 to the roof 104. Although depicted as connected to the roof 104 by welds, the plate 240 could be connected to the roof 104 by use of fasteners, adhesives, any other known method of connecting two members together, or any combination thereof. The end wall connector plate 240 may include a slot for receiving a peg 242 connected to the end wall 112. The peg 242 may be connected to the end wall 112 using mechanical fasteners, welds, adhesives, any other known connection method, or any combination thereof.
Attached to the plate 240 may be a latch 244 that forms an enclosed space with the slot in the end wall connector plate 240 for retaining the peg 242 within the slot. The latch 244 may be generally biased by a spring or other suitable device into a closed a position and may be connected to a latch handle 246 that permits the latch 244 to be moved from the closed position to an open position. To receive the peg 242 within the slot, the latch 244 may be moved to an open position as the roof 104 is moved into its closed position. Once the peg 242 is received within the slot, the latch 244 may be returned to its closed position (e.g., for example, by releasing the handle 246 if the latch 244 is biased to the closed position), thereby retaining the peg 242 within the enclosed space formed by the slot and the latch 244. The latch 244 may be configured to be moved into an open position by contact with the peg 242 as the roof 104 is moved into a closed position. Once the peg 242 clears the latch 244, the latch 244 may then be biased by a spring or other suitable device to return the latch 244 to its closed position. Methods other than the one depicted in FIG. 6 and described above may be used to prevent the roof 104 from being undesirably separated from the end walls 110, 112 when the roof 104 is configured in a closed position. The plate 240 may extend only a short distance proximal to the latch mechanism 244 as shown in patent application Ser. No. 13/804,212, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,763,315. In various other embodiments, a plurality of plates 240 may be used at different locations along the end wall 112, 114. In other embodiments, the plate 240 may extend a significant distance along the roof portions 114 and/or 116. For example, the plate 240 may extend between ⅕ to ½ the length of each of the roof portions 114, 116 that engage end walls 110, 112. In another example, the plate 240 may extend between ½ and the full the length of each of the roof portions 114, 116 that engage end walls 110, 112.
FIGS. 6B-C depict another detailed views and embodiments of an end wall connector 174, which may be used to prevent the roof 104 from being undesirably separated from the end walls 110, 112 when the roof 104 is in a closed position. The end wall connector 174 may include an end wall connector plate 240 a and 240 b connected to the roof 104 by welding the plate 240 a and 240 b to the roof 104. Although depicted as connected to the roof 104 by welds (other form of fastener e.g. hardware, adhesives, any other known method of connecting two members together, or any combination thereof.) The end wall connector plate 240 a,b may include an aperture for receiving a pin 242 a through the end walls 110, 112. The plates 240 a, 240 b may be angled plates (e.g. 90 degree angles) that extend along both sides of end walls 110, 112 as shown in FIG. 6C. The aperture 241 may extend through each plate 240 a and 240 b and through the end walls 119, 112 such that when the roof 104 is closed on the end walls, each of the apertures align so that pin 242 a can pass there through. Methods other than the one depicted in FIG. 6 and described above may be used to prevent the roof 104 from being undesirably separated from the end walls 110, 112 when the roof 104 is configured in a closed position. The plates 240 a,b may extend only a short distance proximal to the mechanism 174 (e.g. pin and aperture). However, in various embodiments, a plurality of plates 240 a,b may be used at different and multiple locations along the end wall 112, 114. In other embodiments, the plates 240 a,b may extend a significant distance along the roof portions 114 and/or 116. For example, the plates 240 a,b may extend between ⅕ to ½ the length of each of the roof portions 114, 116 that engage end walls 110, 112. In another example, the plates 240 a,b, may extend between ½ and the full the length of each of the roof portions 114, 116 that engage end walls 110, 112.
FIG. 7 depicts a side elevation view of a roof hinge 118 for the folding shed 100 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The roof hinge 118 may include a side wall hinge plate 250 pivotally connected to a roof hinge plate 252. The side wall hinge plate 250 may be configured to form T-shaped cross-section and may be connected to the top horizontal sidewall member 130 a by welds. Although the side wall hinge plate 250 is depicted as connected to the top horizontal sidewall member 130 a by welds, it may be connected to the top horizontal sidewall member 130 a using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, any other known method for joining two items together, or any combination thereof. Similarly, the roof hinge plate 252 may be connected to the bottom horizontal roof member 140 d using mechanical fasteners, welds, adhesives, any other known method for connecting two items together, or any combination thereof. Although the roof hinge 118 is depicted as a T-shaped side wall hinge plate 250 pivotally connected to a roof hinge plate 252, any other method for forming a hinged connection may be used to form a pivot connection between the sidewalls 106, 108 and the roof 104. In various examples, the hinge plate 250 may extend from the side wall from 0.5″-4″. In various examples, the hinge plate 250 may extend from the side wall from 1″-3″. In various examples, the hinge plate may be about 3 inches from the side wall. The hinge plate 250 and hinge 118 may allow for an overhang of about 3 inches on each side of the shed 100.
A method for transforming the folding shed 100 depicted in FIGS. 1-7 from an operation configuration to a storage or transport configuration will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 through 13. If required, any connections between the left and right roof sections 114, 116 to each other or to the sidewalls 106, 108 or end walls 110, 112 (other than the hinged connections between the roof 104 and the sidewalls 106, 108) are undone. For example, if the roof connector 180 depicted in FIGS. 5A and 5B is utilized, then the third roof fastener 190 may be removed in order to disconnect the right and left roof connector plates 182, 184 from each other. Similarly, if the roof plate 164 depicted in FIG. 5A and 5B is utilized, the roof plate fasteners 232 may be removed to disconnect the roof plate 164 from the right roof section 116. As yet another example, if the end wall connector 174 depicted in FIG. 6A or 6B is utilized, then the latch 244 may be moved into an open position to allow the peg 242 to be removed from the slot in the end wall connector plate 240 (as shown in FIG. 6A), or the pin 242 a may be removed from the aperture 241 (as shown in FIG. 6B).
After disconnecting any connections between the left and right sections 114, 116 to each other and to the sidewalls 106, 108 and end walls 110, 112, the left roof section 114 may be pivoted outwardly relative to the left sidewall 106 until its exterior surface approximately abuts the exterior surface of the left sidewall 106 as shown in FIG. 9. The right roof section 116 may then be pivoted outwardly relative to the right sidewall 108 until its exterior surface approximately abuts the exterior surface of the right sidewall 108 as shown in FIG. 10.
The various connections between floor portions 105 and 107 may be undone with respect to the side walls 106, 108 and the end walls 110,112 with the exception of the pivotable connection between the floor sections 105, 107 and the respective side walls. Once connections are removed, the floor sections 105, 107 may be pivoted up toward the respective side walls and approximately abut thereto.
After the exterior surfaces of the left and right roof sections 114, 116 approximately abut the exterior surfaces of their respective sidewalls 106, 108, one or more supports may be removed from between the side walls 106, 108. In various examples, the supports may be roof trusses 175, 177. The supports (e.g. trusses 175, 177) may engage in brackets 187 on each of the side walls 106, 108 (also shown in FIG. 3). The supports may have two riser bars 185 which follow the contour and angle of roof sections 114, 116. In some examples, the supports may have cross bars 183 which triangulate the riser bars providing additional strength. Protrusions 181 may extend downwardly from each end of the riser supports 185. The protrusions may be sized to snugly fit within brackets 187. In one example, the protrusions are square tube and the brackets 187 is a slightly larger square tube suitable to receive the protrusions 181 therein. The supports 187, 185 may provide support to the side walls 106, 108 to limit them from flexing out or in. The supports 187, 185 may also provide strength to the roof portions 114, 116 to limit them from flexing downward.
After the exterior surfaces of the left and right roof sections 114, 116 approximately abut the exterior surfaces of their respective sidewalls 106, 108, any connections between the sidewalls 106, 108 and end walls 110, 112 to each other, to the ground or a foundation (other than the hinged connections between the end walls to each other or the sidewalls 106, 108) are undone. Once these connections, if any, are undone, the right and left sections 120, 122, 124, 126 of the front and rear end walls 110, 112 may be moved inwardly toward the interior of the folding shed 100 as shown in FIG. 11 until the exterior surfaces for the left and right sections 120, 122, 124, 126 for each front and rear end walls 110, 112 approximately abut each other as shown in FIG. 12. Upon completion of this step, the folding shed 100 is now in a storage or transport configuration. As shown in FIG. 13, in such a configuration the exterior surfaces of the left and right sections 120, 122, 124, 126 of the front and rear end walls 110, 112 approximately abut each other and the interior surfaces of the left and right sections 120, 122, 124, 126 of the front and rear end walls 110, 112 approximately abut the interior surfaces of the left and right sidewalls 106, 108, respectively.
As depicted in FIG. 13, the side walls may have additional structural members, protrusions brackets or supports 166 on each end of each of the side walls 106, 108. These supports 166 may offset the end wall pivot hinges 170, 172 toward the center of the structure providing a space for the floor sections 105, 107 to nest within the side walls 106, 108 when in the fully folded position shown in FIG. 13. These supports may be extended in a direction to provide the described nesting area. For example, the direction may be generally parallel with the end walls 110, 112. The supports 166 may extend a sufficient distance to fully or partially nest the floor within. In one example, this may be at least the thickness of the floor. In other examples, it may be more or less than the thickness of the floor sections 105, 107. For example, the distance the supports 166 extend inwardly from the side walls 106, 108 may be from ½ inches-3 inches. In one example, the distance may be about 1 inch.
To transform the folding shed 100 from the storage or transport configuration shown in FIG. 13 to an operation configuration as shown in FIG. 1 or 2, the steps described above for transforming the folding shed 100 from an operation to a storage or transport configuration may be repeated in reverse order. Also, although the steps for transforming a shed 100 from an operation to a storage or transport configuration, or vice versa, are described in a certain order, the steps may be performed in a different order or some steps may be omitted. For example, rather than outwardly pivoting the left roof section 114 first, the right roof section 116 may be outwardly pivoted first for some folding sheds 100. Further, it should be appreciated that the end wall and sidewall hinges 128, 170, 172 may be configured to permit the left and right sections 120, 122, 124, 126 for either or both end walls 110, 112 to pivot outwardly rather than inwardly. When so configured, the interior surfaces of the left and right sidewalls 106, 108 will approximately abut when the folding shed 100 is configured into its storage or operation configuration.
In one embodiment, the folding shed 100 in its operation configuration may be approximately 6′-12′ wide by 6′-12′ long with a height of 5-8 at the eaves and 6′-9′ at the peak. At this size or smaller, the folding shed 100 can be readily configured from its folded configuration to its unfolded configuration, or vice versa, by one or two people. For larger sheds, mechanical equipment may be used to help move the folding shed 100 to a desired location on site and/or to change the folding shed 100 from a folded to an unfolded configuration, and vice versa.
FIGS. 14-15 depicts a perspective view of an example of a folding shed 500 structured in an expanding fashion. Like numbers are used for similar components. In various embodiments, the folding shed 500 is similar to other examples and embodiments of folding sheds discussed herein except that either one or both of end walls 110, 112 may be removed such that the left and right sidewalls 106, 108 roof and floor remain, providing a structure that can be attached directly to the end of another shed 100 section that likewise has one or both of end walls 110, 112 removed. By dividing the shed 100 into shed sections (100 a, 100 b, and 100 c in FIGS. 14 and 100 a, and 100 b, in FIG. 15) this example of a folding shed 100 now includes separate structural components that allow for perpetual expansion of the shed. As shown in FIG. 14, a first foldable shed structure 100 a may include the front end wall 110 and the left and right sidewalls 106, 108 and roof sections 114, 116 and/or floor sections 105, 107 (if used in the particular embodiment.) A second foldable shed structure 100 b may include either the left and right sidewalls 106, 108 their respective roof sections 114, 116 and/or floor sections 105, 107 (if used in the particular embodiment.) A third foldable shed structure 100 c may include the rear end wall 112 with the right and left sidewalls 106, 108, roof sections 114, 116 and/or floor sections 105, 107 (if used in the particular embodiment). In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 15 an expandable shed may further disassembly by having the front end wall 110 and the rear end wall 112 being separable as well. In this way shed portions 100 a and 100 b are similar to the shed portion 100 b of FIG. 14. In either embodiment, the separate shed portions may be attachable to one another via attachment points along the front vertical members (e.g. 152 a) and/or via their respective hinge fixtures located on the walls. As shown in FIG. 15 both end walls may include doors or in other embodiments only one end wall may include a door. In various embodiments, separate shed portions may be attached to one another by removing respective side walls and attaching where the side walls would otherwise be located.
A method for transforming the expandable folding shed shown in FIG. 14 or 15 from an operation to a transport or storage configuration may be similar to the one described above for the other examples and embodiments of folding 100 shed. In this embodiment the shed portions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c and so on may be disconnected from each other prior to pivoting the roof sections 114, 116 and the end walls 110, 112. After disconnecting each shed portions, the various roof segments may be pivoted relative to their supporting sidewalls segments and the various end wall sections for each end wall 110, 112 pivoted relative to each other as described in more detail above with respect to the first folding shed 100. It should be appreciated, however, that any or all of the structural components may be disconnected from adjacent structural components after performing any or all of the pivoting steps when transforming the shed, or that any or all the structural components may not be disconnected from adjacent structural components at any time during transformation of the folding shed. Other expandable structure may be accomplished according to those structures provided in patent application Ser. No. 13/804,212, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,763,315.
In accordance with various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16, the foldable shed assembly 100 may be attached to or share a common wall with a separate structure 700. The separate structure 700 may be a building, trailer, other shed, display booth, or any other edifice either temporary or permanent having at least one wall to attach the shed thereto. In such an embodiment, the shed 100 may have at least one fewer walls, such as a side wall which may be common with the separate structure 700. In some embodiments, as discussed above with regard to FIGS. 14 and 15, the shed 100 may have one or more fewer end walls operable to connected to another structure (such as the other foldable shed discussed above.) By providing a folding shed attached to a larger structure, the usable floor space of the larger structure may be expanded. This may be useful in applications such as trailers, RVs, or other mobile units, which tend to have limit floor space. In this way the foldable shed can be attached to the side of the structure 700 in a folded state. A restraining element 720 may be attached to the foldable shed or the structure 700. Once the structure is located or desires expanded usable floor space, the shed 100 can be released from the side of the structure 700, allowing the shed 100 to fold away from the common or attached wall 710 (the wall 710 can be the side of the structure 700 or one of the shed side walls 108, 106). In various examples, hinges 730 may attach the end walls 110, 112 to the side wall of the structure 700. Hinges 740 may attach the roof portion to the structure 700. In various examples, the hinges for the end walls and the roof portion may be attached the same as discussed above to a side wall, with the side wall being attached to the structure wall. As shown in FIG. 16, the foldable shed 100 may be attached to a trailer. As some trailers can squat when parked to rest on their frame or lower support, the shed 100 may squat down with the trailer to engage the ground. In some embodiments the shed may rest on a support structure such a s a deck or platform.
FIGS. 17-20 depict another example of a folding shed 100, in which all features are similar or identical to those of the shed 100 described in reference to FIGS. 1-13, with the additional feature of at least one wheel assembly 600 (e.g. 600 a associated therewith. More than one wheel assembly, such as wheel assembly 600 a-d may be employed (only 600 a, 600 b, and 600 c are visible in FIG. 17A). In the example shown, four wheel assemblies 600 a-d are variously attached to the sidewalls 106, 108 or end walls 110, 112 of the folding shed 100 at location separated from one another. As illustrated more clearly in FIGS. 23 and 24, each wheel assembly 600 a-d includes a wheel 602 a-d attached to a caster jack 604 a-d, which is in turn attached to a bracket 606 a-d, which is in turn attached to one of the side walls 106, 108 or end walls 110, 112 of the folding shed 100. Wheels, caster jacks and brackets are well known so will not be described in further detail here.
In various alternative examples, the folding shed 100 may include any suitable number of wheel assemblies, from as few as one wheel assembly to as many as ten or more wheel assemblies. In embodiments that include only two wheel assemblies, it may only be possible to use the wheels for moving the shed when it is in a folded/transport configuration. Otherwise, most embodiments will include three or more wheel assemblies, so that the folding shed can be moved, using the wheels, in an open/operation configuration. In the embodiment shown, the folding shed 100 includes four wheel assemblies 600 a-d. The wheel assemblies 600 a-d may be used to facilitate transfer of the shed 100 when it is in an operation configuration, as shown, or in a transport configuration.
In some embodiments, the wheel assemblies 600 a-d may be permanently attached to the foldable shed 100. Alternatively, the wheel assemblies 600 a-d may be removably attached. Using the caster jacks 604 a-d, the wheels 602 a-d of the wheel assemblies 600 a-d may be adjusted up or down. In the up position, the wheels 602 a-d will be off the ground and the shed 100 will fully contact the ground. In the down position, the wheels 602 a-d will fully contact the ground and lift the shed 100 off the ground. The shed 100 may then be moved from one place to the next, using the wheels. Additionally, in a neutral position, the wheels may be in contact with the ground and the shed may not be lifted off the ground. Each caster jack may be actuated to a different height, with one or some not actuated at all, and others actuated to different height levels. This allows the different parts of the shed supported by the caster jacks 604 a-d to be lifted as much as needed to sufficiently clear the obstructions necessary to move that part of the shed. Further, if the shed may require that a particular angle be maintained during transport (whether a short or long distance), the separately mounted caster jacks allow for the adjustment of the relative height of the shed to approximate or obtain the required angle.
In some examples, one or more of the wheels 600 a-d may include a wheel lock (not shown), which may help to stop the shed 100 from moving even when the wheels 602 a-d are in the down position.
The shed 100 may include one or more receiving features 650 which are operable to receive one or more portions of the wheel assembly, such that the wheel assembly can positively engage the shed 100 and support the weight. The receiving features 650 may be any bracket, aperture, lifting surface, or the like that is accessible to the wheel assembly 600. The receiving feature 650 may be located below one or more of the vertical walls of the shed 100, on the floor of shed 100, through one or more of the side walls or end walls of shed 100 or through the horizontal or vertical side wall members or end wall members e.g. 150 and 130 series of horizontal members, 132 and 152 series of vertical wall members, as shown in FIG. 17A. The shed may also include a locking feature 660 located proximal to the receiving feature 650 to lock the wheel assembly 600 into the receiving feature 650. In one example as shown in FIGS. 17A and B, the receiving feature 650 may be an open end 650 of one of the bottom horizontal wall members such as 150 a and sized to receive in a lateral member 614 of wheel assembly 600 discussed in more detail below.
FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate various embodiment of the wheel assembly 600 in greater detail. In this embodiment, the wheel assembly 600 includes a wheel 602, a caster jack 604 for lowering and raising the wheel 602, a bracket 606 for attaching the caster jack 604 to the shed 100, a hand crank 608 for lowering and raising the wheel 602. The wheel assembly 600 may include one or more engagement features that are operable to engage with the shed 100. In various examples, the bracket 606 may include features operable to engage the shed 100 from one or more directions. The bracket may include an upright member 612 operable to mate with and/or engage the exterior of the shed. The bracket may include a lateral member 614 operable to engage the bottom or internal structure of the shed 100. In addition or alternatively thereto, the wheel assembly may include one or more fasteners (such as bolts) 610 a, 610 b for attaching the bracket 606 to the shed 100. In various examples, as shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, fasteners may be positioned on an upright member 612 of the bracket 606, with one fastener 610 a positioned near a top end of the bracket, and the other fastener 610 b positioned near a bottom end of the bracket 606 or central thereto. As indicated, the wheel assembly 600 may include an engagement feature operable to reach under or within the shed 100 to provide greater support such as the lateral member 614, which may extend outwardly from the bottom end of an upright bracket member 606 to form an “L” shape. The upright member 612 may extend along an outer wall of the shed and the lateral member 614 may extend along a bottom surface or portion of the shed during use. The fasteners 610 a/b releasably mount the upright 612 member to the shed, which assists the lateral member 614 to carry the load of the shed. The fasteners are shown as bolts in this embodiment, which may be attached to pre-positioned receiving bores (having threaded sidewalls for threaded engagement with the bolts in this example). Alternatively, the fasteners may be positioned through the walls of the shed and secured from the inside of the shed by nuts or other retainers. The bolts may be inserted from the house and fastened to the bracket also. The fasteners may also be positioned on the lateral member only, or on both as desired. Other fasteners are contemplated, such as hooks, latches or the like.
The wheel assembly may also include a clearance portion 630 along upright member 612. The clearance portion 630 may alter the plane of engagement between the upright member 612 and the vertical wall of shed 100 to clear the wheel 602. The wheel assembly 600 may also include standoffs 640, shown in FIG. 20B, that are the same height (e.g. length) as the clearance portion 630 shifts the engagement plane of upright 612.
Referring again to FIG. 17B, the wheel assembly 600 may be operable to engage the shed 100 with or without fasteners along the side walls. For example, the lateral member 614 may be sized to engage and be inserted into the shed receiving member 650. In various examples, as discussed above, the shed receiving member 650 may be the end tubular channel of one of the lower frame members. The shed receiving member 650 may further include the locking feature 660. The locking feature 660 may be positioned relative to the lateral member 614 such that once engaged with the shed 100 the lateral member 614 is not removable without disengaging the locking feature 660. The locking feature 660 may align with an opposing locking feature 668 positioned on the lateral member 614, such that, in response to the lateral member 614 engaging the shed 100, the locking features 660 and the opposing locking feature 668 align and are engageable. The locking feature may include a pin 662 which engages an aperture 664. The aperture 664 may align with an opposing aperture 668 located on the lateral member 614. When aligned the pin 662 may extend through both apertures to lock the lateral member 614 relative to the shed 100. The locking feature 660 may be located in the side wall of the shed receiving member 650, which may be the side wall of any of the horizontal or vertical side wall members or end wall members (e.g. 150 and 130 series of horizontal members, 132 and 152 series of vertical wall members) as shown in FIG. 17B, the locking feature 660 is located through the side wall of end wall member 150 a with the end wall 150 a ending in an aperture 650 that is operable to receive lateral member 614.
It is contemplated that in the circumstance where only one or two wheel assemblies are utilized to move the shed, that a secondary rolling support mechanism may be utilized to movably support on the ground the portion of the shed not lifted off the ground by the first- or second-wheel assemblies. Such secondary rolling support mechanism may be positioned entirely under the shed, partially under the shed, or not under the shed (such as by suspension from a crane extending off the rear of a service truck). The secondary rolling support mechanism may take the form of, in one example, a flat platform with one or more caster wheels mounted on its bottom side. This would be positioned at least partially under the shed during repositioning of the shed.
The various components of the wheel assembly 600 may be made of any suitable material. In one embodiment, for example, all or substantially all components may be made of metal. In another example, all components may be made of metal, except the wheel 602, which may be made of rubber.
In various embodiments, the wheel assembly 600 may either permanently or removably attach to the shed 100. Permanent attachment may be made by welds or other permanent attachment means. Removable attachment may be made one or more shared engagement features between the shed 100 and the wheel assembly 600 by bolts 610 a, 610 b or other temporary attachment means. As the component parts of the wheel assembly 600 are generally well known, they will not be described further herein.
Although the sidewalls, end walls, roofs, and doors for various representative examples of folding sheds have been depicted and described as having certain frame or panel structures, the sidewalls, end walls, roofs, and doors for any of the various examples of folding sheds illustrated in the figures or described above may be created using any wall, roof, or door construction method used to create a structure. Furthermore, although various representative examples of this invention have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed examples without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive subject matter set forth in the specification and claims.
In accordance with various embodiments, the features, aspects, embodiments and examples from patent application Ser. No. 13/804,212, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,763,315 may be variously incorporated into the different aspects, features, embodiments and examples presented herein. Application Ser. No. 13/804,212, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,763,315 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the examples of the present invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the invention unless specifically set forth in the claims. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixed relation to each other.
In some instances, components are described with reference to “ends” having a particular characteristic and/or being connected with another part. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to components which terminate immediately beyond their points of connection with other parts. Thus, the term “end” should be interpreted broadly, in a manner that includes areas adjacent, rearward, forward of, or otherwise near the terminus of a particular element, link, component, part, member or the like. In methodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operations are described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled in the art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged, replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A folding shed comprising

a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall;

a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall;

a foldable first end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall; and

a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the first and second roof sections are configured to pivot from the outside of the sidewalls around to be placed in a position proximal the tops of the first and second end wall, wherein a support member is provided to engage the first end wall on a first end of the first roof section or to engage the roof section on an interior portion of the roof section in such a way that the support member limits the movement of the end wall or the side wall in an outward or inward direction.

2. The folding shed of claim 1, wherein the support member is an elongated channel that limits the movement of the end wall in a direction parallel with at least one of the first and second side walls.

3. The folding shed of claim 2, wherein each end of each of the first and second roof sections proximal to the first and second end walls includes the elongated channel.

4. The folding shed of claim 2, wherein the elongated channel is less than half the length of the edge of the roof section proximal to the top of the end wall.

5. The folding shed of claim 2, wherein the elongated channel is more than half the length of the edge of the roof section proximal to the top of the end wall.

6. The folding shed of claim 2, wherein the elongated channel includes an aperture that extends through a first wall of the elongated channel and a second wall of the elongated channel.

7. The folding shed of claim 6, wherein the end wall includes an aperture that aligns with the aperture of the elongated channel when the first roof section is pivoted around to from a roof over the folding shed.

8. The folding shed of claim 7, wherein a pin extends through the aperture of the elongated channel and the aperture of the first end wall thereby fixing the first roof section in place relative to the end wall.

9. The folding shed of claim 1, wherein the support member includes at least one truss that extends from the first side wall to the second side wall.

10. The folding shed of claim 9, wherein the truss limits the movement of the side walls by fixedly attaching to each of the side walls and providing a ridged attachment through the truss between each of the side walls.

11. The folding shed of claim 9, wherein the truss includes a riser portion that follows the contour of the first and second roof sections as they extend from one side wall to the other.

12. The folding shed of claim 9, wherein the truss provides vertical support to the first and second roof sections limiting their ability to sag.

13. The folding shed of claim 9, wherein a plurality of trusses are positioned between the first end wall and the second end wall.

14. The folding shed of claim 9, wherein the plurality of trusses extend between the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

15. A folding shed comprising

a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall;

a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall;

a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein a first floor section and a second floor section are operable to cover a lower interior space of the folding shed.

16. The folding shed of claim 15, wherein the first floor section is operable to pivot up from the lower interior space of the folding shed to approximately abut the first side wall as the folding shed is transformed into a folded position.

17. The folding shed of claim 15, wherein the first floor section is sandwiched between the first sidewall and the first end wall when the folding shed is folded.

18. The folding shed of claim 15, wherein the first side wall includes protrusions on a first end and a second end proximal to the pivotable joints with the first end wall and the second end wall, wherein the hinged connection between the first end wall and the first side wall and the second end wall and the second side wall are located on the protrusions with the first floor section operable to nest between the two protrusions.

19. A folding shed comprising

a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall;

a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall;

a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls include an aperture which receives an engagement feature from a wheel assembly operable as a jack.

20. The folding shed of claim 19, wherein the aperture is an open end of a tubular member that forms the bottom frame member of at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls.

21. The folding shed of claim 20, wherein the engagement member is part of an L-shaped bracket that extends from the wheel assembly with a lateral member of the L-shaped bracket sized to engage the aperture.

22. The folding shed of claim 21, wherein the tubular member which defines the aperture includes a second aperture which passes through a side wall of the tubular member.

23. The folding shed of claim 22, wherein the lateral member includes an aperture there through. The tubular member aperture and the lateral member aperture are operable to align after the lateral member is inserted into the tubular member.

24. The folding shed of claim 23, wherein the shed includes a locking pin inserted through the aperture in the tubular member and through the aperture in the lateral member in response to the lateral member being inserted to an engagement distance within the tubular member.

25. The folding shed of claim 24, wherein each of the first and second side walls, the first and second roof sections and the first and second end walls are formed from a plurality of tubular frame members connected to one another.

26. The folding shed of claim 25, further comprising an exterior sheathing fastened to the tubular frame members on the exterior of the folding shed.

27. A folding shed comprising

a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall;

a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall;

a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein at least one of the first and second end walls or first and second side walls is a common wall with another structure.

28. The folding shed of claim 27, wherein the structure is be a semi-trailer.

29. The folding shed of claim 27, wherein the common wall is a side wall and the end walls flex out away from the common wall.

30. The folding shed of claim 27, wherein the second roof section is pivotably attached to the common wall.

31. A folding shed comprising

a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

a first roof section pivotally coupled with the first sidewall;

a second roof section pivotally coupled with the second sidewall;

a foldable second end wall pivotally coupled with the first sidewall and the second sidewall, the first and second roof section are configured to pivot from the outside of the sidewalls around to be placed in a position proximal the tops of the first and second end wall, wherein the first roof section folds over and engages the seal plate against the top of the second roof section, wherein the seal plate has a first leg and second leg with a first angle there between and the angle is less than the angle between the top surface of the first roof section and the top surface of the second roof section with the seal plate contacting the top surface of the second roof section.