Two floor expandable house structure

Abstract

A two-level expandable house structure can be used on an innovative recreational vehicle or new kind of movable house. The two-level structure will offer more space to people. For the same footprint area, a two-floor house will have more square footage of living space. The second level can be formed over a main section, which defines the footprint of the expandable house in the collapsed state, and also expansion sections that extend from one or both sides of the main section. Thus, the expandable house may expand to about three times its footprint and, with the second level, may expand to about six times the living space as compared to the main structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main section, the main section defining a footprint of the expandable structure in a collapsed state, the main section including a front wall and a rear wall, with sides spanning between the front and rear walls;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from a first side of the main structure; and   a second expansion section, the second expansion section expandable upward to create a living space above both the main structure and the first expansion section in a fully expanded state.   
     
     
         2 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a third expansion section, the third expansion section expandable outward in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from a second side, opposite the first side, of the main structure, wherein the second expansion section creates a living space above the third expansion section. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising an outer wall of the first expansion section is movable from a position adjacent the main section in the collapsed state, to a position away from the main section in the fully expanded state. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable structure of  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of expansion arms interconnecting the outer wall with the main section, the plurality of expansion arms expandable and contractable to move the outer wall. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a first level expansion section floor member, the first level expansion section floor member disposed substantially vertically adjacent the main structure in the collapsed state, the first level expansion section floor member movable to provide a floor for the first expansion section in the fully expanded state. 
     
     
         6 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising front and rear expansion section walls pivotably attached to the main section, the front and rear expansion section walls movable between a first position, adjacent the first side of the main section in the collapsed state, and a second position, with the front expansion section wall extending between the front wall of the main section and a front edge of the outer wall and the rear expansion section wall extending between the rear wall of the main section and a rear edge of the outer wall when the expandable structure is in the fully expanded state. 
     
     
         7 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a main section upper front wall extendable from a front slot formed in the front wall of the main section; and   a main section upper rear wall extendable from a rear slot formed in the rear wall of the main structure.   
     
     
         8 . The expandable structure of  claim 7 , further comprising a roof system attached to an upper edge of the main section upper front and rear walls, where extension of the main section upper front and rear walls from respective front and rear walls of the main section raises the roof system to reveal a main section floor in a fixed position thereunder. 
     
     
         9 . The expandable structure of  claim 8 , further comprising upper level floor panels disposed within a floor slot formed in the main section floor in the collapsed state, the upper level floor panels movable from the floor slot to provide a second level floor above the first expansion section. 
     
     
         10 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an outer wall of the first expansion section is movable from a position adjacent the main section in the collapsed state, to a position away from the main section in the fully expanded state;   front and rear expansion section walls pivotably attached to the main section, the front and rear expansion section walls movable between a first position, adjacent the first side of the main section in the collapsed state, and a second position, with the front expansion section wall extending between the front wall of the main section and a front edge of the outer wall and the rear expansion section wall extending between the rear wall of the main section and a rear edge of the outer wall when the expandable structure is in the fully expanded state;   front and rear upper expansion section walls disposed within wall slots formed in respective front and rear expansion section walls in the collapsed state, the front and rear upper expansion section walls expandable from the wall slots to form second level front and rear expansion section walls in the fully expanded state; and   an outer wall upper wall disposed within an outer wall slot formed in the outer wall in the collapsed state, the outer wall upper wall expandable from the outer wall slot to form a second level outer wall in the fully expanded state.   
     
     
         11 . The expandable structure of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a roof system attached to an upper edge of main section upper front and rear walls, where extension of the main section upper front and rear walls from respective front and rear walls of the main section raises the roof system to reveal a main section floor in a fixed position thereunder;   a fixed roof panel covering at least a portion of the main section; and   a plurality of movable roof panels movable from within the fixed roof panel to provide a roof over the first expansion section.   
     
     
         12 . The expandable structure of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a first wall spacer operable to fill a gap between the main section upper front wall and the front upper expansion section wall;   a second wall spacer operable to fill a gap between the main section upper rear wall and the rear upper expansion section wall;   a first corner spacer operable to fill a gap between the front upper expansion section wall and the outer wall upper wall; and   a second corner spacer operable to fill a gap between the rear upper expansion section wall and the outer wall upper wall.   
     
     
         13 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main section, the main section defining a footprint of the expandable structure in a collapsed state, the main section including a front wall and a rear wall, with sides spanning between the front and rear walls;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from a first side of the main structure;   a second expansion section, the second expansion section expandable outward in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from a second side, opposite the first side, of the main structure;   a third expansion section, the third expansion section expandable upward to create a living space above the main structure, the first expansion section and the second expansion section in a fully expanded state;   a first outer wall of the first expansion section is movable from a position adjacent the first side of the main section in the collapsed state, to a position away from the main section in the fully expanded state;   a second outer wall of the second expansion section is movable from a position adjacent the second side of the main section in the collapsed state, to a position away from the main section in the fully expanded state;   a first level first expansion section floor member, the first level first expansion section floor member disposed substantially vertically adjacent the first side of the main structure in the collapsed state, the first level first expansion section floor member movable to provide a floor for the first expansion section in the fully expanded state;   a first level second expansion section floor member, the first level second expansion section floor member disposed substantially vertically adjacent the second side of the main structure in the collapsed state, the first level second expansion section floor member movable to provide a floor for the second expansion section in the fully expanded state;   first and second sets of front and rear expansion section walls, the first set pivotably attached to the first side of the main section and the second set pivotably attached to the second side of the main structure, the first and second sets of front and rear expansion section walls movable between a first position, adjacent respective first and second sides of the main section in the collapsed state, and a second position, with the front expansion section wall extending between the front wall of the main section and a front edge of respective first and second outer walls and the rear expansion section wall extending between the rear wall of the main section and a rear edge of respective first and second outer walls when the expandable structure is in the fully expanded state.   
     
     
         14 . The expandable structure of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 front and rear upper first expansion section walls disposed within wall slots formed in respective front and rear first expansion section walls in the collapsed state, the front and rear upper first expansion section walls expandable from the wall slots to form second level front and rear first expansion section walls in the fully expanded state;   a first outer wall upper wall disposed within an outer wall slot formed in the first outer wall in the collapsed state, the first outer wall upper wall expandable from the outer wall slot to form a first second level outer wall in the fully expanded state;   front and rear upper second expansion section walls disposed within wall slots formed in respective front and rear second expansion section walls in the collapsed state, the front and rear upper second expansion section walls expandable from the wall slots to form second level front and rear second expansion section walls in the fully expanded state; and   a second outer wall upper wall disposed within an outer wall slot formed in the second outer wall in the collapsed state, the second outer wall upper wall expandable from the outer wall slot to form a second second level outer wall in the fully expanded state.   
     
     
         15 . The expandable structure of  claim 14 , further comprising
 a main section upper front wall extendable from a front slot formed in the front wall of the main section; and   a main section upper rear wall extendable from a rear slot formed in the rear wall of the main structure.   
     
     
         16 . The expandable structure of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a roof system attached to an upper edge of main section upper front and rear walls, where extension of the main section upper front and rear walls from respective front and rear walls of the main section raises the roof system to reveal a main section floor in a fixed position thereunder;   a fixed roof panel covering at least a portion of the main section; and   a plurality of movable roof panels movable from within the fixed roof panel to provide a roof over the first expansion section.   
     
     
         17 . The expandable structure of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a first set of first wall spacers operable to fill a gap between the main section upper front wall and the front upper first and second expansion section walls;   a second set of second wall spacers operable to fill a gap between the main section upper rear wall and the rear upper first and second expansion section walls;   a first set of first corner spacers operable to fill a gap between the front upper first and second expansion section walls and respective first and second outer wall upper walls; and   a second set of second corner spacers operable to fill a gap between the rear upper first and second expansion section walls and respective first and second outer wall upper walls.   
     
     
         18 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main section, the main section defining a footprint of the expandable structure in a collapsed state, the main section including a front wall and a rear wall, with sides spanning between the front and rear walls;   a main section upper front wall extendable from a front slot formed in the front wall of the main section;   a main section upper rear wall extendable from a rear slot formed in the rear wall of the main structure;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from a first side of the main structure, the first expansion, in a fully expanded state, defined by front and rear first expansion section walls and an outer wall; and   a second expansion section, the second expansion section expandable upward to create a living space above both the main structure and the first expansion section in the fully expanded state, the second expansion section, in the fully expanded state, defined by front and rear upper first expansion section walls and an upper outer wall, wherein   the front upper first expansion section wall expandable from a slot in a top surface of the front first expansion section wall;   the rear upper first expansion section wall expandable from a second slot in a top surface of the rear first expansion section wall; and   the upper outer wall expandable from a third slot in a top surface of the outer wall.   
     
     
         19 . The expandable structure of  claim 18 , further comprising a roof system attached to an upper edge of the main section upper front and rear walls, where extension of the main section upper front and rear walls from respective front and rear walls of the main section raises the roof system to reveal a main section floor in a fixed position thereunder. 
     
     
         20 . The expandable structure of  claim 19 , further comprising upper level floor panels disposed within a floor slot formed in the main section floor in the collapsed state, the upper level floor panels movable from the floor slot to provide a second level floor above the first expansion section.