System for moving a bed using a rack and gear

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/903,922, entitled “System and Method for Moving Objects,” filed on Jul. 31, 2004, published on Dec.30, 2004 as U.S. patent application Publication No. 2004/0262946, which claims the benefit of the following applications under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e): (1) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/491,448, entitled “Vertical Sliding Mechanisms and Systems,” filed on Jul. 31, 2003; (2) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/492,440, entitled “Vertical Sliding Mechanisms and Systems,” filed on Aug. 4, 2003; (3) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/510,270, entitled “Vertical Sliding Mechanisms and Systems,” filed on Oct. 9, 2003; (4) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/534,092, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Moving Items in a Vehicle,” filed on Jan. 2, 2004; (5) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/544,000, entitled “Systems and Methods for Moving Items in a Vehicle,” filed on Feb. 12, 2004; (6) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/560,872, entitled “Systems and Methods for Moving Items in a Vehicle,” filed on Apr. 9, 2004; all of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] Since at least the beginning of civilization, shelter from the elements has been a basic human need. Over the years, a number of structures have been developed to satisfy this need. For example, structures such as homes, apartments, condominiums, and the like have been used to effectively provide shelter from the elements. In addition to these immobile structures, mobile structures such as land vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, and the like have also been used to effectively provide shelter. Many of these structures are used not just to provide shelter but also to provide living quarters.

[0003] Ever since people began to use structures as living quarters, there has been an almost universal desire to increase the size and comfort provided by these structures. This is true regardless of whether the structure is mobile or immobile. For immobile structures, this desire is manifest by the continually increasing size of homes, apartments, condominiums, hotels, etc. In the context of mobile structures, the desire for more space and comfort is manifest by the increased size of land vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, etc. The size of immobile structures may be limited by a number of factors such as cost, available real estate in the area, government regulations, etc. The size of mobile structures may be limited by transportation regulations set by the government (e.g., width of a road vehicle, length of a road vehicle, etc.) and by the physical dimensions of the roads (e.g., width of a travel lane, distance between railroad tracks, height of bridges, etc.) or other medium of transportation (e.g., waterways, etc.). Also building larger structures may unnecessarily increase the consumption of valuable resources (e.g., land, steel, wood, etc.). Accordingly, it would be desirable to more effectively utilize the space in structures without increasing the “footprint” of the structures.

[0004] One type of vehicle where it may be desirable to more effectively utilize the space are “toy hauler” type recreational vehicles. Toy haulers may differ from other types of recreational vehicles in a number of ways. For example, toy haulers include a cargo area which is used to receive and transport off-road vehicles. Because of the cargo area, the toy hauler may have different characteristics than other recreational vehicles. For instance, in many recreational vehicles, the integrity of the body may be reinforced using a number of techniques such as coupling cabinets to both the side walls and the ceiling of the vehicle, using interior walls extending between the ceiling and the floor, and the like. Although these techniques may be used in a toy hauler, in an effort to maximize the amount of cargo space, these techniques are often not used in the cargo area. The lack of these reinforcement techniques combined with the rear wall being used as a door or ramp to load the off-road vehicles (i.e., the rear wall is not a rigid stationary structure) may contribute to flexing, swaying, etc. of the side walls in the area adjacent to the cargo area. This may be a problem when the toy hauler is traveling at high speeds, in high winds, or over rough surfaces (e.g., washboard gravel roads, unmaintained backcountry roads, etc.). The flexing, swaying, etc. may cause an object such as a bed coupled between the side walls to dislodge and fall during travel. Off-road vehicles positioned in the cargo area may be damaged by the falling bed. In light of these problems, it would be desirable to provide an improved system to securely hold and move the bed or other objects to prevent such an occurrence.

[0005] In the past, there have been attempts to more effectively utilize space inside structures by using a system which moves a bed to a use position at night and a stowed position during the day. Thus, the space taken up by the bed is capable of being utilized for other purposes when the bed is not being used for sleeping. Unfortunately, these systems suffered from a number of problems. For example, many of these systems were considered unreliable and difficult to maintain and operate. These problems may have inhibited the widespread adoption of these systems. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved system for moving objects that is considered reliable and effective for its intended use.

[0162] The subject matter described herein generally relates to systems and methods for moving objects in a wide variety of settings. For example, the systems described herein may be used to move objects or items such as furniture (e.g., seating units such as sofas, couches, chairs, benches, etc.; sleeping units such as beds, mattresses, etc.: dining units such as dinettes, tables, counters, etc.; desks; workbenches; etc.), platforms (e.g., platform which is used to raise and/or lower an off-road vehicle to allow additional off-road vehicles to be placed in a recreational vehicle commonly referred to as a “toy hauler,” a bed, etc.), slide-outs for recreational vehicles (patios, slide-out compartments or rooms, storage compartments, etc.), and the like. The systems may be used to move the objects vertically, horizontally, or any direction in between.

[0163] The systems described herein may also be used with a wide variety of mobile and immobile structures. Mobile structures include, but are not limited to, structures such as land vehicles (e.g., recreational vehicles, trailers, motorized vehicles, vehicles used to travel on a road, wheeled vehicles, railroad cars, buses, semi-trucks, etc.), watercraft (e.g., ships, boats, houseboats, cruise ships, yachts, etc.), aircraft, and any other mobile vehicles. In mobile structures include, but are not limited to, structures such as a building, edifice, etc.

[0164] In one embodiment, the systems described herein may be used with structures that are used as or include living quarters. For example, the systems may be used with any of the mobile and immobile structures previously described which may be used as living quarters. Structures which may be used as living quarters include, but are not limited to, homes, houses, residences, condominiums, abodes, dwellings, lodgings, recreational vehicles (e.g., travel trailers, fifth wheels, truck campers, “toy haulers,” snowmobile trailers, motor homes, etc.), houseboats, cruise ships, etc. In another embodiment, any structure which is suitable for or designed principally for habitation by people either on a permanent (e.g., a house) or a temporary (e.g., hotel) basis may be used with the described and illustrated systems.

[0165] In the following description, reference is made to a number of embodiments which illustrate the use of the system for vertically moving objects. Although only a few embodiments are shown, it should be understood that the systems, concepts, and features described herein may also be used in a variety of settings and situations in addition to those explicitly described. Also, the features, advantages, characteristics, etc. of one embodiment of the system for moving objects may be combined with the features, advantages, characteristics, etc., of any one or more other embodiments to form additional embodiments unless noted otherwise.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 1, a structure which, in this embodiment, is a “toy hauler” type of recreational vehicle 10 includes a system 12 for vertically moving objects—alternatively referred to herein as an apparatus for vertically moving objects, a lifting system, a vertical sliding system, or a vertical support system. The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20 which is coupled to a frame (not shown). The body 20 includes a front wall 14, a first side wall 16, a second side wall 18, a rear wall 22, a ceiling 24, and a floor 26. The vehicle 10 also includes a cargo area 28—alternatively referred to herein as a storage area or a storage compartment—which is used to receive and/or transport off-road vehicles—alternatively referred to herein as personal recreational vehicles—(e.g., four-wheelers, motorcycles, snowmobiles, dune buggies, personal watercraft, and the like) to various destinations where they may be used in recreational activities. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the rear wall 22 may be used as both a door to enter the vehicle 10 and as a ramp to move an off-road vehicle into and/or out of the cargo area 28. Although, the entire rear wall 22 is shown as being used as a ramp, in other embodiments, less than all of the rear wall 22 may be used as a door and/or ramp.

[0167] Although a vehicle and, in particular, a “toy hauler” type of recreational vehicle is referred to in many of the embodiments described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are provided as examples of the many structures which may include system 12. Also, using a “toy hauler” as an example of a suitable structure is not meant in any way to restrict or otherwise constrain the applicability of the concepts and features of the embodiments described to other types of structures and, in particular, to other types of recreational vehicles. Accordingly, there are a wide variety of structures which may be used with the systems described herein.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 1, the rear wall 22 pivots on an axis 32 between an open position (shown in FIG. 1) and a closed position (not shown). The axis 32 is generally horizontal and perpendicular to the side walls 16, 18. In the open position, the rear wall 22 may be used as a ramp to drive or otherwise move an off-road vehicle into and/or out of the cargo area 28. Once the off-road vehicle has been moved into and/or out of the cargo area 28, the rear wall 22 pivots upward on the axis 32 to a closed position. When the rear wall 22 is in the closed position and an off-road vehicle is positioned in the cargo area 28, the off-road vehicle is enclosed in the vehicle 10, thus providing protection from the elements, thieves, etc. In this manner, the vehicle 10 may be used to store and/or transport the off-road vehicle as desired.

[0169] The rear wall 22 may be pivotally coupled to the remainder of the body 20 at axis 32 using a suitable hinge or other pivoting mechanism (not shown). The rear wall 22 may be held in the closed position using any of a number of suitable latching mechanisms. In one embodiment, the rear wall 22 may be leveled in the open position and used as a floor for an accessory room. The walls of the room may be provided using fabric (e.g., fabric commonly used to make tents, etc.) which is supported by a room frame (e.g., flexible or rigid frame members such as those used for a tent). The room frame may be coupled to one or both of the rear wall 22 and the remainder of the body 20.

[0170] In another embodiment, the rear wall 22 may be configured to telescope longitudinally in the open position to reduce the angle of the rear wall 22 relative to the floor 26. Reducing the angle may reduce the likelihood of an off-road vehicle high-centering at the interface of the rear wall 22 and the floor 26 when the off-road vehicle is loaded and/or unloaded. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear wall 22 may include a telescoping portion 38 which telescopes longitudinally relative to the remainder of the rear wall 22 at interface 42. In other embodiments, the rear wall 22 may telescope at a distal edge 44 and/or a proximal edge 46 of the rear wall 22 or anywhere in between. The mechanism used to telescopically extend the rear wall 22 may be any mechanism which is suitable to provide the desired durability and strength to handle the repeated weight of off-road vehicles as they are loaded into and/or unloaded from the vehicle 10. In addition to the telescoping rear wall 22, the vehicle 10 may include a number of other features that may be commonly offered on a recreational vehicle (e.g., slide-out compartment, etc.).

[0171] The system 12, shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, includes lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d (collectively referred to as “the lifting assemblies 30”)—alternatively referred to herein as sliding assemblies or sliding mechanisms—drive members 34a, 34b, 34c (collectively referred to as “the drive members 34”)—alternatively referred to herein as synchronizing assemblies, synchronizing members, or timing assemblies—and a motor assembly 36. The lifting assemblies 30a, 30c are coupled to the first side wall 16, and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d are coupled to the second side wall 18. It should be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature. The drive members 34a, 34b, 34c extend between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c, the lifting assemblies 30c, 30d, and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d, respectively, and are used to synchronize the operation or movement of the lifting assemblies 30. In this embodiment, the motor assembly 36 is coupled to the lifting assembly 30b and is used to drive or move the lifting assemblies 30 in unison.

[0172] In general, the lifting assemblies 30 are used to vertically move a bed 40—alternatively referred to herein as a bunk or berth—between a first or use position where the bed 40 is positioned in the cargo area 28 and a second or stowed position where the bed 40 is positioned adjacent to the ceiling 24, as shown in outline in FIG. 1. Although four lifting assemblies 30 are shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, it should be understood that more or fewer lifting assemblies 30 may be used (e.g., one, two, three, five, six, or more).

[0173] In an alternative embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30 may be used to vertically move the bed 40 to a stowed position beneath the floor 26 of the vehicle 10. For example, a storage cavity or recess may be provided beneath the floor 26 which is used to receive the bed 40 in the stowed position. One or more doors may be provided to cover the cavity when the bed 40 is positioned in the floor 26 (e.g., doors may be pivotally or slidably coupled to the floor 26). The lifting assemblies 30 may be configured to extend down into the cavity to lower the bed 40 into the cavity. Alternatively, the lifting assemblies 30 may be configured to move the bed 40 into and/or out of the cavity without the lifting assemblies 30 extending into the cavity. For example, the bed 40 may be coupled to the lifting assemblies 30 at a point which is vertically offset above the bed 40 a sufficient amount to allow the bed 40 to be lowered into the cavity but maintain the point where the bed 40 is coupled to the lifting assemblies 30 above the floor 26. In one embodiment, an L-shaped bracket may be used to provide the offset coupling of the bed 40 to the lifting assemblies 30. When the bed 40 is positioned in the cavity beneath the floor 26, the bracket may extend upward from the bed 40, through a relatively small and inconspicuous opening in the floor 26, and to the point where the bracket is coupled to the lifting assembly 30. Thus, the lifting assemblies 30 may be used to move the bed 40 between a use position and a stowed position in the cavity.

[0174] In another embodiment, the ceiling 24 may include a storage cavity or recess which is used to receive the bed 40 in the stowed position. The cavity may be slightly larger than the bed 40 in order to at least substantially conceal the bed 40 in the stowed position. When the bed 40 is positioned in the cavity it may also be substantially flush with the ceiling 24 to provide an aesthetically pleasing and/or hidden appearance. In another embodiment, one or more doors (e.g., doors which pivot downward from the ceiling 24, slide parallel and adjacent to the ceiling 24, etc.) may also be used to enclose or conceal the bed 40 in the cavity.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 2, a perspective view of the system 12 is shown from inside the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the rear wall 22 includes a door (not shown) which may be used to cover or close an opening 48 through which off-road vehicles may be moved into and/or out of the cargo area 28. The door may function as a ramp in a manner similar to the rear wall 22 as explained in connection with FIG. 1. However, unlike FIG. 1 in this embodiment, the entire rear wall 22 is not used as the door. Rather, the rear wall 22 includes a rigid frame portion which frames in the opening 48. This may be desirable to increase the strength and rigidity of the vehicle 10.

[0176] In general terms, the system 12 may be used to move the bed 40 between the use position and the stowed position. The bed 40, as shown in FIG. 2, may be considered to be in the use position since the bed 40 is positioned sufficiently far away from the ceiling 24 to receive a person to sleep on the bed 40. However, in a typical situation, the bed 40 is lowered further than what is shown in FIG. 2 to make it easier for the person to get on and off of the bed 40.

[0177] Depending on the embodiment, the system 12 may be used to vertically move the bed 40 a variety of distances. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the system 12 may be used to move the bed 40 from within a short distance of the floor 26 all the way to the ceiling 24—even to the point of contacting the ceiling 24. In other embodiments, the system 12 may be configured to move the bed 40 a total distance of 1 foot (or about 30.5 centimeters) or less. The system 12 may also be configured to move the bed 40 within 4 feet (or about 1.2 meters) or less of the floor 26 and/or the ceiling 24, or, desirably, within 3 feet (or about 1 meter) or less of the floor 26 and/or the ceiling 24, or, suitably, within 2 feet (or about 0.6 meters) or less of the floor 26 and/or the ceiling 24, or, more suitably, within 18 inches (or about 45.5 centimeters) or less of the floor 26 and/or the ceiling 24, or, additionally, within 1 foot (or about 30.5 centimeters) or less of the floor 26 and/or the ceiling 24. The system 12 may also be configured to move the bed 40 a total distance of at least 3 feet (or about 1 meter), or, desirably, at least 4 feet (or about 1.2 meters), or, suitably, at least 5 feet (or about 1.5 meters), or, further, at least 6 feet (or about 1.8 meters).

[0178] The bed 40, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, includes a mattress 52 and a bed frame 54. The mattress 52 may be any of a number of suitable mattresses such as an air mattress, spring mattress, foam mattress, etc. In one embodiment, the mattress 52 includes viscoelastic or memory foam. The use of memory foam may be desirable because of the high degree of comfort provided using a relatively thin material. However, other materials may also be used that provide a suitable level of comfort while at the same time being relatively thin. The mattress 52 and/or the bed 40 may be any suitable size including, but not limited to, super king, California king, king, California queen, Olympic queen, queen, double, twin, or single. The mattress 52 and/or the bed 40 may also be any custom size (e.g., mattress sized to fit in odd shaped area in a recreational vehicle). In one embodiment, the mattress 52 is no more than 6 inches (or about 15.2 centimeters) thick, or, desirably, no more than 4 inches (or about 10.2 centimeters) thick, or, suitably, no more than 3 inches (or about 7.6 centimeters) thick, or, further, no more than 2 inches (or about 5.1 centimeters) thick. It should be appreciated that the mattress 52 may be made from any of a number of suitable materials and in any of a number of suitable configurations, according to the desires of the end user and/or manufacturer.

[0179] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the bed frame 54 is made of plywood and includes a bottom side or base 58 and four sides 62 extending upward from the bottom side 58. The plywood may be covered with a fabric material to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than just showing bare plywood. Plywood may be desirable to use as the bed frame 54 because of its relatively low cost and high structural integrity. In other embodiments, the bed frame 54 may be made of any of a number of suitable materials and in a wide variety of configurations. For example, the bed frame 54 may be made of metal, plastic, wood, composites, and the like. In one embodiment, the bed frame 54 may include a rectangular metal framework with cross members extending between outer framed members. The metal frame members may be used to support the mattress 52 directly or to support another intermediate bed support structure (e.g., plywood sheet, etc.) which in turn supports the mattress 52. In another embodiment, the bed frame 54 may include a single material or combination of materials (e.g., plywood and metal frame members, etc.).

[0180] In another embodiment, at least a portion of the bed frame 54 may be made using a molded plastic. Using molded plastic may provide a lighter bed frame 54 than may be achieved using materials such as plywood. This allows the user to haul more in the vehicle 10 without exceeding weight limits set by the government/manufacturer of the vehicle 10. In one embodiment, the bed frame 54 may be made using blow molding, rotational molding, thermosetting injection molding, or any other suitable plastic molding process. Regardless of the material or combination of materials used, the bed frame 54 may be configured as a lattice like structure, a solid contiguous piece, etc.

[0181] As shown in FIG. 2, the mattress 52 may be shorter longitudinally than the bed frame 54 to provide a storage area 56. The storage area 56 may be used to store personal effects, extra bedding, and the like. For example, the storage area 56 may be used to store a watch, glasses, wallet, keys, and the like when a person is sleeping in the bed 40. Thus, those items that are of high value or may be needed immediately upon waking are easily accessible to the person. Also, the storage area 56 may be used to hold bedding such as pillows, blankets, sheets, and the like. This allows the bed 40 to be positioned closer to the ceiling 24 in the stowed position since the bedding is not positioned between the mattress 52 and the ceiling 24. The storage area 56 may also include a number of compartments, trays, etc. which may be used to organize and/or hold the stored materials.

[0182] With continued reference to FIG. 2, each of the lifting assemblies 30 includes a corresponding moving assembly 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d (collectively referred to as “the moving assemblies 50”)—alternatively referred to herein as a carriage, trolley, sliding unit, or moving guide assembly—and a corresponding support assembly 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d (collectively referred to as “the support assemblies 60)—alternatively referred to herein as a guide assembly. Each moving assembly 50 cooperates with a corresponding support assembly 60 to move the bed 40 between the use position and the stowed position. The bed 40 is coupled to and moves with the moving assemblies 50. In this embodiment, the drive members 34a, 34b, 34c are coupled between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d, respectively. Also, the motor assembly 36 is coupled to the lifting assembly 30a and the drive member 34a.

[0183] At a general level, the support assemblies 60 are coupled to the vehicle 10 and are used to support the bed 40 and/or guide the vertical movement of the bed 40. Thus, the support assemblies 60 may be stationary relative to the vehicle 10. The moving assemblies 50 may be coupled to the bed 40 and used to move the bed 40 relative to the vehicle 10. The moving assemblies 50 cooperate with the support assemblies 60 to vertically move the bed 40 in a secure and controlled manner.

[0184] In one embodiment, each of the moving assemblies 50 may be identical to and/or interchangeable with the other moving assemblies 50. Using interchangeable moving assemblies 50 may make it easier to manufacture and inventory the moving assemblies 50. In other embodiments, one or more of the moving assemblies 50 may be custom made and/or not interchangeable with the other moving assemblies 50. For example, the interior features of the vehicle 10 may require the use of different moving assemblies 50. In a similar manner, each of the support assemblies 60 may also be identical to and/or interchangeable with the other support assemblies 60 with the understanding, as previously explained in connection with the moving assemblies 50, that there may be situations where it is desirable to use custom and/or non-interchangeable support assemblies 60.

[0185] At a general level, the motor assembly 36 is used to provide the driving force to move the moving assemblies 50 in cooperation with the support assemblies 60. In one embodiment, the motor assembly 36 provides rotational motion (e.g., rotating shaft, etc.) which is used to move the moving assemblies 50. The drive members 34 may be used to transmit the driving force provided by the motor assembly 36 to the moving assemblies 50. In this embodiment, the drive members 34 are rigid and transmit rotational motion from the motor assembly 36 to the moving assemblies 50. Examples of suitable rigid drive members may include metal, plastic, or composite, shafts, tubes, beams, rods, etc. In other embodiments, the drive members 34 may be flexible and perform the same function. Examples of suitable flexible drive members may include chains, cables, straps, toothed belts, and the like. The flexible drive members may be configured to extend between rotatable members (e.g., sprockets, pulleys, shafts, etc.) which may be used to transmit the rotary motion through the flexible drive members.

[0186] It should be appreciated that the drive members 34 and the motor assembly 36 may be provided in many widely varying configurations. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 may be modified by positioning the drive member 34c between the lifting assemblies 30c, 30d. In this configuration, two drive members 34 are positioned transverse to the side walls 16, 18 and one drive member 34 is positioned parallel to the side walls 16, 18. In another embodiment, the drive members 34 may include any combination of rigid and flexible drive members including situations where all of the drive members 34 are flexible.

[0187] The motor assembly 36 may also be provided in any of a number of configurations such as those shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1–2. Also, the motor assembly 36 may be coupled to only one moving assembly 50 (e.g., FIG. 1), coupled to only one drive member 34 (e.g., coupled to drive member 34a halfway between the moving assemblies 50a, 50c), coupled to both a moving assembly 50 and a drive member 34 (e.g., FIG. 2), and so on. In one embodiment, it may be desirable to position the motor assembly 36 between at least two of the drive members 34 as shown in FIG. 2 rather then at the end of one of the drive members 34 as shown in FIG. 1 in order to decrease the distance that the driving force is transmitted from the motor assembly 36. However, either configuration may be used in an effective manner.

[0188] In FIGS. 3–10, each of the lifting assemblies 30 from FIG. 2 are shown in greater detail. For each lifting assembly 30, two views are provided. One where the support assembly 60 is exploded and the moving assembly 50 is assembled, and one where both the support assembly 60 and the moving assembly 50 are exploded. Lifting assembly 30c is shown and described first and then the remainder of the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, 30d are described in that order.

[0189] In FIG. 3, an exploded view of lifting assembly 30c is shown. The support assembly 60c may include a support member 64—alternatively referred to herein as a guide member, stanchion, or rail—and a backing or spacing member 66. The support assembly 60c may be coupled to the first side wall 16 using any of a number of suitable fasteners or fastener methods (e.g., nut and bolt, screw, weld, rivets, glue, clamp, etc.). The particular type of fastener is not critical, however, it should be capable of securely coupling the support assembly 60c to the first side wall 16. In one embodiment, the fastener extends through the support member 64 and the backing member 66 and into the first side wall 16 to securely couple the support assembly 60c to the vehicle 10. In other embodiments, the backing member 66 and the support member 64 may be coupled to the vehicle 10 sequentially rather than as one component (e.g., the backing member 66 is coupled to the vehicle 10 first then the support member 64 is coupled to the vehicle 10).

[0190] In another embodiment, the support assembly 60c may be coupled to the first side wall 16 in a selectively releasable manner. A person using the vehicle 10 may be able to selectively couple and decouple the support assembly 60c from the first side wall 16, and, thus, couple and decouple the lifting assemblies 30 from the vehicle 10. When the system 12 is desired to be used for a particular outing, the system 12 may be coupled to the vehicle 10. However, in situations where the system 12 is not needed, the system 12 may be decoupled or removed from the vehicle 10.

[0191] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the support member 64 includes an engaging portion 68—alternatively referred to herein as an interlocking portion, meshing portion, rack portion, or middle portion—a first securing flange 72, and a second securing flange 74—the flanges 72, 74 may alternatively be referred to herein as securing members or securing guides. The support member 64 may also define a recess or channel 69. The recess 69 may be formed by offsetting the engaging portion 68 relative to the flanges 72, 74 so that the flanges 72, 74 extend outwardly from the engaging portion 68 in a plane which is parallel to and slightly offset from the plane of the engaging portion 68. The engaging portion 68 cooperates with a gear 70—alternatively referred to herein as a rotatable member, rotatable wheel, toothed wheel, pinion, cogwheel, gearwheel—which may be included as part of the moving assembly 50c. The first securing flange 72 and the second securing flange 74 respectively cooperate with a first securing flange 76 and a second securing flange 78—the flanges 76, 78 also may alternatively be referred to herein as securing members or securing guides—included as part of the moving assembly 50c as shown in FIG. 3. This is one way in which the moving assembly 50c movably cooperates with the support member 64.

[0192] In one embodiment, the engaging portion 68 may include a plurality of openings 82—alternatively referred to herein as holes, apertures, or slots—which cooperate with the gear 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the openings 82 have a generally rectangular or polygonal form. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the openings 82 may be round, oval, elliptical, or any other suitable shape. It should also be appreciated that the engaging portion 68 may include a plurality of recesses or indentations (not shown) which cooperate with the gear 70.

[0193] Referring to FIG. 11, one or more of the openings 82 may include a curved section 84 that is capable of accommodating a fastener such as a bolt, screw, etc. to couple the support member 64 to the first side wall 16. The fastener may be configured to be received by the curved section 84 of the opening 82, extend through an opening in the backing member 66 and into the first side wall 16. Holes 86 may also be provided in the flanges 72, 74 (FIG. 11) or the engaging portion 68 (FIGS. 3–10) to couple the support member 64 to the first side wall 16. It should be appreciated that the support member 64 may be coupled to the first side wall 16 in numerous ways, including those ways described previously in connection with coupling the lifting assembly 30c to the first side wall 16.

[0194] Referring to FIG. 12, another embodiment of the support member 64 is shown. In this embodiment, the support member 64 includes a first plate member or first element 92 and a second plate member or second element 94 overlaid on each other. The first plate member 92 is wider than the second plate member 94 so that by coupling the plate members 92, 94 together the portions of the first plate member 92 that extend beyond the edges of the second plate member 94 form the flanges 72, 74. The openings 82 may be provided in both the first plate member 92 and the second plate member 94 so that the support member 64 is capable of cooperating with the gear 70. It should be appreciated that the support member 64 may be made in a number of suitable ways to provide an equally large number of configurations in addition to those described herein.

[0195] The cross-section of the support member 64 can be varied as desired and according to the particular use thereof. For example, the support member 64 may have other configurations such as square, rectangular, polygonal, or other configurations so long as the configuration allows the support member 64 to perform the general functions described and shown herein. The support member 64 may be made of any of a number of suitable materials. For example, the support member 64 may include metals, plastics, composites, fibrous materials, or the like so long as the material has sufficient strength to support the raising and lowering of the bed 40 or other objects. In one embodiment, the support member 64 may be made of a steel material of a suitable gauge to perform the general functions described herein yet without being overly heavy (e.g., 11 gauge steel).

[0196] In another embodiment, the support member 64 may be integrally formed with and/or recessed within the first side wall 16 of the vehicle 10 in order to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance and/or to provide additional stability and/or strength. For example, the support member 64 may be formed by directly coupling the first plate member 92, shown in FIG. 12, to a wood or metal (e.g., aluminum) stud in the wall. The stud may function in a manner similar to that of the second plate member 94 referred to in connection with FIG. 12. For example, the stud may be configured similar to the backing member 66 or the second plate member 94 to allow the gear to cooperate with the support member 64.

[0197] Referring back to FIG. 3, the backing member 66 may include a groove 88 which is used to provide a space behind the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 so that teeth 96—alternatively referred to herein as projections, protrusions, or knobs—on the gear 70 may freely extend through the openings 82. The backing member 66 may be made using a variety of materials including metals, plastics, wood, composites, and so on. In one embodiment, the backing member 66 may be a wood board (e.g., pine) which is relatively inexpensive and readily available. Depending on the material used, the groove 88 may be formed using any of a number of conventional techniques (e.g., woodworking techniques, metal processing techniques, etc.).

[0198] The support member 64, as previously discussed, supports much of the weight associated with the bed 40, thereby acting as a load bearing member. When the size of the bed 40 increases or additional beds are coupled to the support member 64, the load on the support member 64 increases. Thus, it may be desirable to provide a stronger backing member 66. FIGS. 13–16 show alternative embodiments of the backing members 66 which may provide additional strength.

[0199] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the support assembly 60 where the backing member 66 comprises a steel material. FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the support assembly 60 of FIG. 13. The backing member 66 includes a first side wall 102, a second side wall 104, a mounting surface 106, and a channel or recess 108 in the mounting surface 106. The support member 64 is coupled to the mounting surface 106 so that the channel 108 is positioned on the back side of the engaging portion 68. The backing member 66 may be coupled to the vehicle 10 using fasteners as described previously. Also, the backing member 66 may include flanges (not shown) which extend outward from the side walls 102, 104 and include holes which may be used to receive a fastener to mount the backing member 66 to the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the backing member 66 may be coupled to the vehicle 10 using a fastener that extends through the curved sections 84 of the openings 82 in the support member 64 and through a base portion 98 of the channel 108 and into the vehicle 10.

[0200] FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the support assembly 60 where the backing member 66 and the support member 64 have the same cross-sectional configuration. FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 15. In this embodiment, the engaging portions 68 of two of the support members 64 may be coupled together so that the flanges 72, 74 on each support member 64 are spaced apart from each other. As shown in FIG. 16, the support assembly 60 generally has an “I” shaped cross-section.

[0201] As shown in FIGS. 3–10 and 13–16, the cross-sectional shape of the backing member 66 may be vary widely. For example, the backing member 66 may have cross-sections which are oval, rectangular, trapezoidal, polygonal, or the like. It should be appreciated that various other configurations of the backing member 66 may be possible and other methods may be used to increase the strength of the backing member 66 and/or the support member 64.

[0202] Referring back to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the support assembly 60c includes the support member 64 and the backing member 66. However, it should be appreciated that the support assembly 60c may include more or less components than those shown in FIG. 3. For example, the support assembly 60c may include only the support member 64 and not include the backing member 66. A groove or channel similar to the groove 88 may be provided in the first side wall 16 to allow the teeth 96 on the gear 70 to extend through the openings 82. Alternatively, the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 may be sufficiently thick to prevent the teeth 96 from protruding through the openings 82. The support assembly 60c may include a single unitary component or a combination of numerous components. Accordingly, a number of embodiments may be provided of the support assembly 60c which include a wide variety of components.

[0203] As shown in FIG. 3, the moving assembly 50c includes a moving member 80—alternatively referred to herein as a housing, bracket, moving guide member, or sliding member—a drive mechanism 90, a roller assembly 100, and cross braces 116. The moving assembly 50c cooperates with the support assembly 60c to enable vertical movement of the bed 40. In one embodiment, the moving assembly 50c slidably cooperates with the support assembly 60c to vertically move the bed 40.

[0204] The moving member 80 includes a first side 124, a second side 126, and a base 128. The first securing flange 76 and the second securing flange 78 extend from the first side 124 and the second side 126, respectively, towards each other to form a gap 118 there between. In one embodiment, the moving member 80 may have a C shaped cross-section (e.g., a C-channel is used). However, it may be appreciated that a wide variety of cross sectional configurations may be provided for the moving member 80. As previously discussed, the support member 64 may be configured to be positioned in the gap 118 with the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 slidably cooperating with the flanges 76, 78 of the moving member 80. In this manner, the moving member 80 may be securely yet movably coupled to the support member 64 and used to move the bed 40. It should be appreciated that other configurations may also be used to provide a secure and movable relationship between the moving member 80 and the support member 64.

[0205] Mounting members 110, 112, 114—alternatively referred to herein as mounting brackets or support flanges—extend outwardly from and perpendicularly to the base 128, the first side 124, and the second side 126, respectively. The mounting members 110, 112, 114 are used to couple and/or support the bed 40 on the moving assembly 50c. To this end, the mounting member 110 includes an aperture or hole 122 which may be configured to receive a corresponding mounting element (e.g., pin) from the bed 40.

[0206] The first side 124, the second side 126, the base 128, and the flanges 76, 78 all cooperate to define a channel 120 along a longitudinal direction of the moving member 80. The cross braces 116 extend between the first side 124 and the second side 126 to prevent the sides 124, 126 from spreading apart during repeated use. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, each cross brace 116 includes a bolt and corresponding nut (e.g., self-locking nut). In other embodiments, a strip of metal or any other suitable component may be coupled between the sides 124, 126 to prevent spreading. It should be appreciated that many different components may be used as the cross braces 116. Although two cross braces 116 are shown in FIG. 3, in other embodiments, one, two, three or more cross braces 116 may also be used.

[0207] Referring to FIG. 4, the lifting assembly 30c from FIG. 3 is shown with the moving assembly 50c exploded. Disposed at a lower or first end 132 of moving assembly 50c are elements or flanges 134 that close the channel 120 of the moving member 80. The elements 134 may serve to prevent a person from inserting their hand or fingers into the channel 120 while the moving assembly 50c is moving the bed 40.

[0208] A roller mounting structure or roller mount 136 is also disposed at the lower end 132. The roller mounting structure 136 includes two holes 138 formed in the first side 124 and the second side 126. The holes 138 are capable of cooperating with the roller assembly 100 to secure the roller assembly 100 to the moving member 80. It should be appreciated that various other structure may also be used to couple the roller assembly 100 to the moving member 80 such as brackets, etc. In another embodiment, the holes 138 may be tapered to cause a friction fit with the roller assembly 100. In yet another embodiment, the holes 138 may include bushing protrusions that cooperate with bushings included as part of the roller assembly 100.

[0209] The roller assembly 100 includes a support shaft 130 and a roller 140. The support shaft 130 is sized to securely fit within the holes 138 and an axial hole 142 which extends through the roller 140. The holes 138 and axial hole 142 are sized and configured to allow the roller 140 to rotate about the support shaft 130 and/or to allow the support shaft 130 to rotate within the holes 138. In one embodiment, the support shaft 130 includes two fastening grooves 144 formed in the surface thereof, which are adapted to receive fastening clips 146. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the fastening clips 146 may be E-clips. The fastening clips 146 and the fastening grooves 144 assist in retaining the support shaft 130 within the holes 138. Various other structure may also be used with or in place of the support shaft 130, the fastening clips 146, and the fastening grooves 144. For example, the support shaft 130 may include pin holes that accommodate split pins or the like, which prevent retraction of the support shaft 130 from within the holes 138. In another embodiment, the roller 140 may be coupled to the base 128 of the moving member using any of a number of suitable brackets or supports. The support shaft 130 can be manufactured from a variety of materials such as metals, composites, plastics, and the like. In one embodiment, the support shaft 130 is composed of steel material.

[0210] When the support member 64 is positioned in the gap 118 that is part of the channel 120, the roller 140 is disposed in the recess 69 and cooperates with the engaging portion 68. The roller 140 is sized and positioned to securely hold the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 in snug cooperation with the flanges 74, 78 of the moving member 80. In this manner, undesired movement (e.g., excessive play, etc.) between the moving assembly 50c and the support assembly 60c may be reduced. Because the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 may be configured to slide in continual contact with the flanges 76, 78 of the moving member 80, wear guides or wear strips 148 may be placed over (e.g., as a sleeve, etc.) or between any one or more of the flanges 72, 74, 76, 78 to minimize friction, wear, etc. The wear guides 148 may be any suitable low friction material such as a polymeric material, etc. In one embodiment the wear guides 148 may comprise a nylon material available from Petro Extrusion Technologies, 490 South Avenue, Garwood, N.J. 07027 as “Nyla-Glide with Moly,” as item number 06-287-14. The wear guides 148 may be coupled to the flanges 76, 78 using any of a number of suitable fasteners. In one embodiment, the wear guides 148 may be coupled to the flanges 76, 78 using glue or adhesive strips. A mechanical divet may also be placed at each end of the wear guides 148. The divets may extend through the wear guides 148 and into the flanges 76, 78. By configuring the flanges 72, 76 and the flanges 74, 78 to cooperate in sliding contact with each other, it may be possible to attain a tight fit between the support member 64 and the moving member 80 which may otherwise be difficult to obtain using other configurations and methods. That being said, other configurations and methods may also be used to move the moving assembly 50c relative to the support assembly 60c depending on the desired end use, cost, and manufacturing efficiencies.

[0211] With continued reference to FIG. 4, the roller 140 has a generally cylindrical configuration and includes a groove 152. As mentioned above, the roller 140 cooperates with the recessed side of the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64. The roller 140 self-centers in the recess 69 of the support member 64 during movement of the moving member 80. The groove 152 is provided to allow the roller 140 to pass over fasteners (e.g., bolt heads, screw heads, etc.) that may be positioned in the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64. For example, in FIG. 27 a fastener may be provided in the holes 86 over which the roller 140 travels but below where the gear 70 travels. The groove 152 is one way in which the roller 140 may travel unimpeded over the fastener. In another embodiment, the roller 140 may be configured without the groove 152. In this embodiment, the fasteners which cooperate with the holes 86 may be substantially flush with the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 (e.g., tapered bolt head, etc.).

[0212] The roller 140 may be composed of various types of materials such as metal, composites, plastics, and the like. In one embodiment the roller 140 is composed of a plastic material such as an acetal polymer (e.g., Delrin® available from DuPont). In addition to the embodiments of the roller 140 described herein, additional embodiments are also contemplated. For example, bearing rollers and other like rollers may also be used.

[0213] In another embodiment, the flanges 76, 78 may be U-shaped and define a channel which is configured to receive the flanges 72, 74 on the support member 64. Since the flanges 72, 74 are secured in the channels defined by the flanges 76, 78, the roller assembly 100 may be eliminated. The wear guides 148 may also be positioned between the flanges 72, 74 and the U-shaped channel to reduce the friction. Many other embodiments may also be provided to securely guide the movement of the moving members 80 in cooperation with the support members 64.

[0214] The mounting members 110, 112, 114, and a drive mounting structure or gear mount 156 are disposed at an upper or second end 154 of the moving assembly 50c. The drive mounting structure 156 includes two bushing protrusions 158 which extend outwardly from respective surfaces of the first side 124 and the second side 126 in a direction away from the channel 120. The bushing protrusions 158 define holes 162 in the sides 124, 126 which receive the drive mechanism 90 and cooperate therewith to allow rotation of the gear 70. It should be appreciated that various other configurations of the drive mounting structure 156 may be used. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the drive mounting structure 156 may utilize holes that have the form of an oblong slot extending to the end of the first side 124 or second side 126, distal from the base 128. In this embodiment, the slot may be capped with a securing flange that closes the open end thereof thereby coupling the drive mechanism 90 to the moving assembly 50c. In another embodiment, the bushing protrusions 158 may be detachable and secured to the moving member 80 by way of one or more fasteners. In yet another embodiment, the drive mounting structure 156 may include a hole that has an interior tapered form that frictionally retains the drive mechanism 90 to the moving member 80.

[0215] With continued reference to FIG. 4, the drive mechanism 90 includes the gear 70 and a drive shaft or drive member 150c. The drive shaft 150c is configured to be received within the holes 162 of the moving member 80 with the aid of bushings 164, while being capable of freely rotating within the bushings 164. As depicted in FIG. 4, the drive shaft 150c has a generally cylindrical configuration. The drive shaft 150c includes a first end 166, a second end 168, and an intermediate portion 170. The ends 166, 168 are shaped to allow the drive members 34, motor assembly 36, etc. to be engaged thereto. As shown in this embodiment, the ends 166, 168 are generally hexagonal in shape while the intermediate portion 170 is generally cylindrical in shape. It should be appreciated that the ends 166, 168 and the intermediate portion 170 may have various other cross-sectional shapes, such as square, octagonal, triangular, oval, polygonal, star shaped, or the like.

[0216] In one embodiment, the gear 70 comprises a first portion 172 and a second portion 174 which may be coupled together to form the gear 70. The second portion 174 includes a hexagonal shaped protrusion 176 which is received by a corresponding hexagonal shaped recess (not shown) in the first portion 172 to securely hold the portions 172, 174 together. The gear 70 may be provided in two portions to facilitate making the gear from powdered metal. In other embodiments, the gear 70 may be machined or the like to provide a single component. Spacers 178 positioned between the sides 124, 126 and the portions 172, 174 of the gear 70 may be used to hold the portions 172, 174 in engagement with each other. The spacers 178 may also serve to position the gear 70 in the middle of the gap 118 to cooperate with the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64.

[0217] The gear 70 may also be configured to include two cylindrical surfaces 182 positioned adjacent to and on each side of the teeth 96. The surfaces 182 cooperate with the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 to provide a snug or tight fit between the flanges 72, 76 and the flanges 74, 78 in a manner similar to the roller 140. In effect, the gear 70 may also function as a roller. In should be understood that in other embodiments, the gear 70 may be configured without the surfaces 182. For example, another roller 140 may be provided adjacent to the gear 70 to maintain the flanges 72, 74 of support member 64 in cooperation with the flanges 76, 78 of the moving member 80. In another embodiment, the gear 70 may be configured without the surfaces 182, and the moving member 80 may be configured without another roller 140 adjacent to the gear 70. Many other embodiments for accomplishing the same result may also be used.

[0218] The gear 70 is adapted to cooperate with the drive shaft 150c. In general, the gear 70 has a generally cylindrical form with a plurality of teeth 96 extending outwardly from a surface thereof. The teeth 96 are configured to cooperate with the openings 82 in the support member 64, as shown in FIG. 17. With continued reference to FIG. 4, the gear 70 includes an axial hole 184 which is sized to cooperate with the drive shaft 150c. In this embodiment, the axial hole 184 has a generally cylindrical configuration to match the intermediate portion 170 of the drive shaft 150c. However, various other cross-sectional shapes may be used as long as the axial hole 184 and the drive shaft 150c cooperate. For example, the intermediate portion 170 and the axial hole 184 may have a hexagonal cross-section. The portion of the drive shaft 150c which cooperates with the bushings 164 may be cylindrical and have a smaller diameter than the hexagonal intermediate portion 170. This allows the gear 70 to be received on the intermediate portion 170. The ends 166, 168 may have a smaller diameter hexagonal shaped cross-section than the portion that cooperates with the bushing 164. It may be desirable for the bushings 164 to be inserted from the outside of the channel 120 into the holes 162. A fastener such as the fastener clip 146 may be used to hold the bushings 164 in place.

[0219] The gear 70 includes a retaining hole 186 which passes through the gear 70 and is sized similarly to a retaining hole 188 in the drive shaft 150c. As shown in FIG. 4, when the gear 70 is coupled to the drive shaft 150c; retaining holes 186, 188 align to accommodate a securing pin or member 180. The securing pin 180 prevents the gear 70 from slipping relative to the drive shaft 150c as the drive shaft 150c rotates to raise and/or lower the bed 40. In another embodiment, as previously mentioned, the drive shaft 150c and the axial hole 184 can have complementary shapes (e.g., square, hexagonal, etc.) such that the complementary shape limits any slippage that might occur between the drive shaft 150c and the gear 70. The drive shaft 150c and/or the gear 70 may be prevented from moving in an axial direction by the securing pin 180 in conjunction with the spacers 178. The securing pin 180 prevents the gear 70 from moving axially relative to the drive shaft 150c. The spacers 178 prevent the gear 70 from moving axially relative to the moving member 80. In another embodiment, the fastening clips 146 may be used to prevent axial movement of the drive shaft 150c and/or the gear 70 relative to the moving member 80 in a manner similar to the roller 140.

[0220] As illustrated in FIG. 17, the teeth 96 of the gear 70 engage the openings 82 in the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64. In this embodiment, the openings 82 are rectangular in shape (e.g., FIGS. 3–10) and about 0.25 inches (6.35 millimeters) in height and about 0.620 inches (15.748 millimeters) in width. The distance from the centers of adjacent openings 82 is about 0.500 inches (12.7 millimeters). The openings 82 may be formed in the support member 64 in a number of suitable ways such as machining, punching, etc. In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 17, the openings 82 are made using a punch press. The force of the punch striking the support member 64 may cause edge 192 of the opening 82 to break away so that one side of the openings 82 are slightly larger than the other side of the openings 82. Thus, the opening on the side of the support member 64 that faces the gear 70 is slightly larger than opening 82 on the opposite side of the support member 64. Base portion 194 of the teeth 96 have been rounded to cooperate with the edge 192. By designing the teeth 96 and the openings 82 to closely correspond to each other, backlash and otherwise undesirable slop between the moving assemblies 50 and the support assemblies 60 may be reduced.

[0221] Referring back to FIG. 4, the gear 70, the drive shaft 150c, the bushings 164, and the spacers 178 may be manufactured from a variety of materials such as metal, composites, plastics, and the like. In one embodiment, the gear 70, the drive shaft 150c, the bushings 164, and the spacers 178 may all be made of steel material. In another embodiment, the spacers 178 may be made of plastic, while the remaining components are made of steel material.

[0222] It should be appreciated that various configurations of the drive mechanism 90 may be used as long as the drive mechanism 90 is capable of moving the moving assembly 50c in cooperation with the support assembly 60c. For example, the gear 70 may be welded, brazed, or joined to the drive shaft 150c. In another embodiment, the drive shaft 150c may include holes that accommodate split pins that prevent the drive shaft 150c from being retracted from the holes 162. In another embodiment, two gears 70 may be coupled to the drive shaft 150c and used to cooperate with a support member having two sets of openings 82. Accordingly, the number and configuration of the components included with the drive mechanism 90 may be widely varied as desired.

[0223] It should also be appreciated that various configurations of the moving assembly 50c may also be used. For example, in one embodiment, the drive mechanism 90 may be positioned at the lower end 132 of the moving assembly 50c and the roller assembly 100 may be positioned at the upper end 154 of the moving assembly 50c. In another embodiment, the moving assembly 50c may be shorter or longer than is shown in FIG. 4. Additionally, more or fewer components may be included as part of the moving assembly 50c as desired. Accordingly, the moving assembly 50c may be widely varied to fit the particular situation and the desires of the manufacturer/user.

[0224] FIGS. 5–10 show exploded views of the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, 30d. The moving assemblies 50a, 50b, 50d are generally similar to the moving assembly 50c. The support assemblies 60a, 60b, 60d are also generally similar to the support assembly 60c. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the description of the moving assembly 50c, the support assembly 60c, and their associated components may also be applicable to the moving assemblies 50a, 50b, 50d and the support assemblies 60a, 60b, 60d without repeating the same discussion for each component. Thus, the following description of FIGS. 5–10 focuses on the additional aspects shown in FIGS. 5–10 which may not be shown in FIGS. 3–4. However, this is not to say that the additional aspects shown in FIGS. 5–10 are not applicable to the subject matter illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 3–4. Rather, it is contemplated that, depending on the situation and the desires of the manufacturer/user, many of the additional aspects referred to in FIGS. 5–10 may be, and, indeed, often are applicable to the subject matter in FIGS. 3–4. In general, it is contemplated that the subject matter shown or described in connection with any of FIGS. 1–10 may be applicable to any of the remainder of FIGS. 1–10.

[0225] Referring to FIGS. 5–6, the motor assembly 36 may be used to vertically move the bed 40. In one embodiment, the motor assembly 36 is coupled to the second side 126 of the moving assembly 50a. However, as mentioned previously, the motor assembly 36 may be disposed at a variety of locations relative to one or more of the moving assemblies 50. For instance, the motor assembly 36 may be disposed half way between two moving assemblies 50. Further, the motor assembly 36 may be coupled to the moving assembly 50 using a bracket, one or more reduction gears, or other structures. In one embodiment, the motor assembly 36 is coupled to the moving assembly 50a without the use of reduction gears.

[0226] The motor assembly 36 includes an electric motor 160 which is coupled to a motor housing 198. The motor housing 198 includes one or more apertures 202 which can receive fasteners (not shown) to couple the motor housing 198 to the moving assembly 50a. Although the motor housing 198 is shown being coupled directly to the moving assembly 50a, in another embodiment, apertures 202 may receive fasteners (not shown) which couple the motor housing 198 to a bracket which in turn may be coupled to the moving assembly 50a. In general, the motor assembly 36 may be coupled to the moving assembly 50a in a widely varying number of ways.

[0227] With continued reference to FIGS. 5–6, the apertures 202 may be raised relative to a surface 204 of the motor housing 198 to provide a space 206 between the second side 126 of the moving assembly 50a and the motor housing 198. The space 206 may be used to provide room for the bushing protrusions 158 and the cross brace 116 between the motor housing 198 and the second side 126 of the moving assembly 50a.

[0228] Disposed within the motor housing 198 are one or more gears or linkages (not shown) which may be used to convert or translate rotary motion of a motor shaft (not shown) of the motor 160 into rotary motion of a drive sleeve 208. Of course, the drive sleeve 208 may be used to transmit the rotary motion to a drive shaft 220 and a drive shaft 150a, both of which may, in turn, transmit the rotary motion to the drive members 34 and the gears 70 in the lifting assemblies 30. Although reference is made to the use of the electric motor 160, it should be appreciated that various other types of activation assemblies may be used such as pneumatic, hydraulic, gasoline, or the like.

[0229] In one embodiment, the motor 160 is at least about a ⅛ horsepower motor, or, desirably, at least about a 3/16 horsepower motor, or, suitably at least about ¼ horsepower motor. Also, the motor assembly 36 may provide a gear reduction ratio of at least about 100:1, or, desirably, at least about 150:1, or, suitably, at least about 200:1. A 200:1 ratio may provide the motor 160 with desirable speed versus torque characteristics for vertically moving the bed 40. The motor 160 may be configured to rotate the drive shafts 150a, 220 between about 15 rpm and 35 rpm, or, desirably, between about 20 rpm and 30 rpm, or suitably, about 25 rpm. A motor having these characteristics may be custom designed, or such a motor may be obtained from Stature Electric Inc. of 22543 Fisher Rd. Watertown, N.Y. 13601 as part number 5029.002. The motor 160 may be a direct current motor or an alternating current motor. Typically, but not always, direct current motors are used in mobile structures while alternating current motors are used in immobile structures.

[0230] In one embodiment, the motor assembly 36 may be configured to move the moving assemblies 50 between about 2 inches to about 6 inches (or about 5.1 centimeters to about 15.2 centimeters), or, desirably, between about 3 inches to about 5 inches (or about 7.6 centimeters to about 12.7 centimeters), or, suitably, about 4 inches (or about 10.2 centimeters) for each revolution of the drive shafts 150. This may be done without using intermediate reduction gears by configuring the motor assembly 36 with a suitable ratio such as at least about 150:1 or, suitably, 200:1 and by configuring the gear 70 with a suitable diameter such as no more than about 3 inches (or about 7.6 centimeters), or, desirably, no more than about 2 inches (or about 5.1 centimeters), or, suitably no more than about 1.5 inches (or about 3.8 centimeters).

[0231] With continued reference to FIGS. 5–6, the drive shaft 150a includes a first end 212, a second end 214, and an intermediate portion 216. The ends 212, 214 are generally hexagonal shaped and the intermediate portion 216 is generally cylindrically shaped. The drive shaft 220 includes a hexagonally shaped first end 222 and a cylindrically shaped second end 224. The drive sleeve 208 includes a hexagonally shaped bore 210 which is configured to cooperate with the first end 222 of the drive shaft 220 and the second end 214 of the drive shaft 150a. The bore 210 may have a number of varying configurations so long as the bore 210 is capable of cooperating with the first end 222 of the drive shaft 220 and the second end 214 of the drive shaft 150a. For example, the bore 210 may be square, octagonal, triangular, oval, star-shaped, polygonal, or other configurations that facilitate engagement between the bore 210 and the drive shafts 150a, 220. In an alternative embodiment, the motor housing 198 may include a drive shaft in place of the drive sleeve 208. The drive shaft may be configured to be drivably coupled to the drive members 34 or any other suitable driver member.

[0232] In one embodiment, the motor 160 includes a brake or brake member (not shown) which may be used to hold the bed 40 in a fixed position when the motor 160 is not activated. The brake may be coupled to an end 228 of the motor 160 which is distal to the motor housing 198. In one embodiment, the brake is an electrical/mechanical brake that may be used to prevent movement of the motor 160 when electricity is not provided to the brake. When electricity is provided, (e.g., when the motor 160 is activated) the brake is deactivated to allow the motor 160 to move the bed 40. The brake may include a manual actuation device which can be used to selectively deactivate the brake even when electricity is not provided to the brake. For example, if no electricity is available to deactivate the brake, then the manual actuation device may be used to deactivate the brake and allow the user to manually move the bed 40. A suitable brake of this type may be obtained from Stature Electric Inc. as part number 9550-799.

[0233] The motor 160 may be activated using a switch device coupled to the interior of the vehicle 10. In one embodiment, the switch device may be any suitable switch such as a three way rocker switch. In another embodiment, the motor 160 may be controlled using a switch device which includes access control measures. For example, the switch device may be covered by a door (e.g., switch is recessed in a wall of the vehicle 10) to prevent access to the switch by those who do not have access privileges to the door. For example, the door may be opened using a key, combination, etc., so that only those with the key, combination, etc. can access and/or activate the switch device. In another embodiment, the switch device may be coupled to a keypad which is used to receive a security code to allow the switch device to be actuated. In one embodiment, the motor 160 may be configured to allow the switch device to operate for a set time after the code has been entered. Once that set time expires, then the switch device is inoperable and the code must be entered again.

[0234] In another embodiment, the motor 160 may be controlled using an electronic control system (not shown). The control system may include a microprocessor and memory. The memory may be used to store set points representing positions of the bed 40. The control system may be configured to use feedback control to move the bed 40 repeatedly to the same position (e.g., use position, stowed position, etc.) with the push of a button (e.g., button labeled stow and button labeled deploy, each of which operate as indicated by their labels). The control system may be configured to allow the user to selectively input the desired position of the bed 40. In another embodiment, the set points in the control system may be set by the manufacturer of the vehicle 10.

[0235] The control system may include a number of sensors which are used to measure the position of the bed 40 as it moves. The control system may then be used to repeatedly move the bed 40 between the desired use position and/or stowed position. In one embodiment, an encoder may be coupled to the motor 160 or any of the drive shafts 150, 220 or the drive members 34 to continually monitor the position of the bed 40. The encoder may provide a higher degree of accuracy and control than may otherwise be available using the proximity switch. Of course, other position sensors may be used such as rotary potentiometers, hall effect sensors, and the like. In one embodiment, the position sensor and the motor 160 may be one integral unit.

[0236] In yet another embodiment, the system 12 may include two motor assemblies 36 that are coupled to the control system. For example, one motor assembly 36 may be coupled to moving assembly 50a and another motor assembly 36 may be coupled to the moving assembly 50b. The vertical movement of the bed 40 may be controlled by monitoring the movement of one of the motors 160 and controlling the movement of the other motor 160 based on the movement of the one motor 160. For instance an encoder may be coupled to the one motor 160 which provides a feedback signal to the control system indicating the position/rate of movement of the one motor 160. The feedback signal may be used to control the other motor 160 to move similarly to the one motor 160.

[0237] In another embodiment, a proximity switch may be used to stop the movement of the bed 40 at the desired use position and/or stowed position. The proximity switch may be vertically adjustable so that the desired final position of the bed 40 may be adjusted accordingly. In one embodiment, the proximity switch may be configured to cut the power to the motor 160. In another embodiment, the proximity switch may be configured to provide feedback to the control system to stop the motor 160.

[0238] Referring to FIGS. 5–8, transmissions 200a, 200b (collectively referred to as the “the transmissions 200”)—alternatively referred to herein as motion conversion assemblies, motion translation assemblies, or drive boxes—are included as part of lifting assemblies 30a, 30b. In general, the transmission 200a is used to translate motion between the drive shaft 150a and the drive member 34b, and the transmission 200b is used to translate motion between the drive member 34b and a drive shaft 150b. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5–8, the transmissions 200 use a pair of bevel gears 254, 264 to translate the rotational motion 90 degrees between the drive shafts 150a, 150b and the drive member 34b. However, in other embodiments, the transmissions 200 may be used in any of a number of suitable configurations with an equally wide number of varying components to translate motion or driving force from one direction to another direction (e.g., transmission 200 includes a worm gear that meshes with a spur gear, etc.).

[0239] Referring to FIG. 6, the transmission 200a may be coupled to the moving member 80 using holes 230 disposed on the first side 124 of the moving member 80. The holes 230 may be configured to receive any of a number of suitable fasteners such as those described previously. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5–6, the holes 230 are threaded and configured to receive a fastener 232 (e.g., threaded bolt). It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the transmissions 200 may be coupled to the moving members 80 in a variety of suitable ways such as welding, brazing, etc. Also, the transmissions 200 may be integrally formed with the moving members 80.

[0240] In one embodiment, each of the moving members 80 include holes 230 on both the first side 124 and the second side 126. Holes 230 may be used to couple the transmissions 200 to either or both of the sides 124, 126. Thus, the moving assembly 50a may be provided by coupling the transmission 200 to the first side 124, and the moving assembly 50b may be provided by coupling the transmission 200 to the second side 126. In this manner, a single configuration for the moving assembly 50a may be used to provide both the moving assemblies 50a, 50b. In other embodiments, the moving member 80 may be configured to be coupled to the transmission 200 on only one side.

[0241] One embodiment of the transmission 200 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 18–23. Referring to FIG. 18, the transmission 200 comprises a housing 234 which includes securing flanges or members 236, bushing protrusions or shaft mounts 238, 244 and a hole 240. The securing flanges 236 include holes 242 which are sized similarly to the corresponding holes 230 in the moving member 80. The fastener 232 (e.g., bolt, screw, etc.) may cooperate with the holes 230, 242 to couple the transmission 200 to the moving member 80. In other embodiments, the fastener 232 may be any of the fasteners described previously. The housing 234 may be square, as shown in FIGS. 18–23, or may be rectangular, polygonal, cylindrical, or any other suitable shape which is capable of housing or enclosing the components of the transmission 200.

[0242] The bushing protrusions 238, 244 define apertures 246, 248, respectively, configured to receive respective bushings 250, 252. FIG. 19 shows the bushings 250, 252 positioned in the apertures 246, 248, respectively. Referring to FIG. 20, the transmission includes a first bevel gear 254 and a spacer 256. The first bevel gear 254 includes an axial hole 258, and the spacer 256 includes an axial hole 260. The axial hole 258 is sized to engage with the first end 212 of the drive shaft 150a so that the first bevel gear 254 and the drive shaft 150a move together. In one embodiment, the axial hole 258 has a hexagonal cross section which cooperates with the hexagonal first end 212. It should be appreciated that the axial hole 258 may have a variety of configurations so long as it is capable of cooperating with a corresponding drive shaft. For example, the axial hole 258 may have a cross-section which is square, octagonal, hexagonal, polygonal, triangular, oval, star-shaped, or other configurations that facilitate engagement with the first end 212. The axial hole 260 in the spacer 256 may be oversized relative to the drive shaft 150a to allow the drive shaft 150a to rotate freely in the axial hole 260 and/or allow the first bevel gear 254 to rotate relative to the spacer 256. When assembled, as shown in FIG. 21, the first end 212 of the drive shaft 150a extends through the holes 240, 260, 258 to a point just beyond the first bevel gear 254 and adjacent to gear teeth 262.

[0243] It should be appreciated that although the transmission 200 in FIGS. 18–23 is described in the context of FIGS. 5–6 (e.g., using the drive shaft 150a as examples, etc), the transmission 200 may be used in a wide variety of other configurations with a wide variety of components. Accordingly, the principles described in relation to the transmission 200 transcend the details of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 18–23.

[0244] Referring to FIG. 22, the transmission 200 includes a second bevel gear 264 having an axial hole 266 and the drive shaft 226a. The drive shaft 226a includes a first cylindrical end 268, a second cylindrical end 270, a first intermediate portion 272, a second intermediate portion 274, and a third intermediate portion 276. The first end 268 and the second intermediate portion 274 are sized to be received by and freely rotate inside the bushings 250, 252, respectively. The first intermediate portion 272 is configured to cooperate with the second bevel gear 264. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the first intermediate portion 272 has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape which corresponds to the hexagonal shape of the axial hole 266 in the second bevel gear 264. However, the first intermediate portion 272 may have any suitable cross sectional configuration such as square, octagonal, triangular, star-shaped, or other configurations as long as the drive shaft 226a is capable of drivably cooperating with the second bevel gear 264. In another embodiment, both the first intermediate portion 272 and the second bevel gear 264 may have a cylindrical cross-section and a roll pin or other suitable fastener may be used to drivably couple the drive shaft 226a to the second bevel gear 264. For example, the roll pin may extend through corresponding holes in the first intermediate portion 272 and the second bevel gear 264. The second end 270 and the third intermediate portion 276 are configured to cooperate with the drive members 34.

[0245] In one embodiment, the ends 268, 270 and the intermediate portions 272, 274, 276 of the drive shaft 226a may be progressively larger in diameter to facilitate positioning the drive shaft 226a through the bushings 250, 252 and the second bevel gear 264. For example, the first end 268 may have a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the first intermediate portion 272, which, in turn, is smaller than the diameter of the second intermediate portion 274. In this manner, the first end 268 may be inserted through the bushing 252 and the second bevel gear 264 before being positioned in the bushing 250. Likewise, the first intermediate portion 272 may be inserted through the bushing 252 before being received by the second bevel gear 264. In this embodiment, the bushings 250, 252 are different sizes to correspond to the differing diameters of the first end 268 and the second intermediate portion 274, respectively, of the drive shaft 226a.

[0246] Referring to FIG. 23, a fastening clip 280 may be received by a fastening groove 278 in the drive shaft 226a to prevent the drive shaft 226a from moving longitudinally. When in place, the fastening clip 280 may be positioned inside the housing 234 and adjacent to or in contact with the bushing 252 to prevent longitudinal movement in a direction away from the second bevel gear 264. In addition, the drive shaft 226a may be prevented from moving longitudinally by the increasing diameter of the first end 268, the first intermediate portion 272, and the second intermediate portion 274 because the larger diameter of the first intermediate portion 272 is unable to fit within the bushing 250 and the larger diameter of the second intermediate portion 274 is unable to fit within the axial hole 266 of the second bevel gear 264. Referring back to FIGS. 5–6, a cap or top 284 is received by the housing to enclose the components of the transmission 200 in the housing 234.

[0247] In operation, rotational motion is transmitted from the motor assembly 36 through the drive shaft 150a to the first bevel gear 254. The teeth 262 of the first bevel gear 254 cooperate with the teeth 282 of the second bevel gear 264 to rotate the second bevel gear 264 on an axis which is offset 90 degrees from the axis which the first bevel gear 254 rotates on. The rotational motion is transmitted through the drive shaft 226a to the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d coupled to the second side wall 18 of the vehicle 10.

[0248] It should be appreciated that the transmission 200 shown in FIGS. 18–23 may be altered in a number of ways to provide additional embodiments. For example, the number, size, and configuration of the components used in connection with the transmission 200 may be altered as desired. For example, spiral bevel gears may be used in place of the bevel gears 254, 264. Also, the materials used to make the components of the transmission 200 may be altered in numerous ways as desired. For example, the bevel gears 254, 264, the drive shafts 150a, 226a, which are typically made of metal (e.g., steel) may also be made using injection molded plastic, composites or other suitable materials.

[0249] Referring to FIGS. 7–8, the lifting assembly 30b is shown with the support assembly 60b exploded and the moving assembly 50a assembled—FIG. 7—and exploded—FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the transmission 200b is coupled to the second side 126 of the moving member 80. In general, the transmissions 200a, 200b are configured to be positioned adjacent to the first side wall 16 and the second side wall 18, respectively, in an opposing relationship. The drive member 34b extends between the transmissions 200a, 200b to transmit rotational motion between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b.

[0250] The transmission 200b may be similar to the transmission 200a. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7–8, the transmission 200b includes a drive shaft 226b which is similar to the drive shaft 226a except that the drive shaft 226b does not include the second cylindrical end 270. Rather, an end 288 of the drive shaft 226b may be hexagonal like the third intermediate portion 276 of the drive shaft 226a, or, in other embodiments, be any suitable configuration such as those configurations mentioned in the context of other drive shafts. From one aspect, the drive shaft 226b may be thought of as the same as the drive shaft 226a with the second end 270 removed. It should be appreciated that the configuration of the drive shafts 226 may vary widely and that the illustrated embodiments of the drive shafts 226 show a few of the many suitable configurations for the drive shafts 226.

[0251] As noted previously, the moving assembly 50b and the support assembly 60b are similar to the moving assembly 50c and the support assembly 60c described in detail previously. However, the moving assembly 50b may include a drive shaft 150b which has a different configuration than the other drive shafts 150a, 150c, 150d. For example, the drive shaft 150b may include a first cylindrical end 290, a second hexagonal end 292, a first hexagonal intermediate portion 294, and a second cylindrical intermediate portion 296. The drive shaft 150b cooperates with the gear 70, the moving member 80, and the transmission 200b in a manner similar to how the drive shaft 150a cooperates with the gear 70, the moving member 80, and the transmission 200a.

[0252] FIGS. 9–10 show the lifting assembly 30d with the support assembly 60d exploded and the moving assembly 50d assembled—FIG. 9—and exploded—FIG. 10. In general, the lifting assembly 30d is similar to the lifting assembly 30c. The moving assembly 50d includes a drive shaft 150d having a first end 302 and a second end 304. In this embodiment, the drive shaft 150d is similar to the drive shaft 150c.

[0253] FIGS. 23–24 show a cross sectional view of the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d, respectively, with the moving assemblies 50b, 50d being in cooperation with the support assemblies 60b, 60d. In this view, the manner in which the support member 64 cooperates with the moving assembly 50 can be seen in greater detail. As shown, the flanges 72, 74 prevent movement of the support member 64 away from the gear 70 while the gear 70 prevents movement of the support member 64 towards the channel of the moving member 80. Thus, the support member 64 may be configured to move in close cooperation with the moving assembly 50.

[0254] It should be appreciated that the support member 64 may be configured to cooperate with the moving assembly 50 in any of a number of ways. For example, a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of one of the lifting assemblies 30 is shown in FIG. 26. In this embodiment, the support member 64 includes U-shaped securing flanges or members 306, 308 which define a channel. The securing flanges or members 310, 312 on the moving member 80 extend away from each other and are configured to slide inside the channel defined by the flanges 306, 308. Accordingly, the moving member 80 may be configured to move on the outside of the support member 64 as shown in FIGS. 24–25 or on the inside of the support member 64 as shown in FIG. 26.

[0255] In another embodiment (not illustrated), the lifting assembly may include a support member which includes a gear rack and a moving assembly which includes a worm gear. The worm gear may be configured to cooperate with the gear rack to vertically move the bed 40. In one embodiment, the worm gear may be configured to rotate on a vertical axis which is generally parallel to the direction of the gear rack. The worm gears in adjacent lifting assemblies coupled to the same side wall may be moved in unison by a chain which rotates in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and extends between the adjacent worm gears. Another chain or a drive member 34 may be configured to extend between one lifting assembly coupled to one wall and another lifting assembly coupled to an opposite wall. If a drive member 34 is used, transmissions 200 may also be used to translate the rotational motion on the vertical axis to rotational motion of a horizontal drive member 34. It should be appreciated that additional variations and modifications of the various embodiments of the lifting assemblies 30 may also be made.

[0256] The combination of the drive mechanisms 90, transmissions 200, motor assembly 36, and drive members 34 provide a drive assembly. In general, the drive assembly refers to those components of the system 12 which may be used to drive movement of the bed 40. Although the drive assembly includes the previously referred to components in the embodiments of FIGS. 3–10, it should be appreciated that many other configurations, combination of components, etc. may be used to provide the drive assembly. For example, in one embodiment, the drive assembly may be operated manually without the use of the motor assembly 36.

[0257] Referring to FIG. 27, a perspective view is shown of the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c coupled to the first side wall 16. Although not shown in FIG. 27, the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d may be coupled to the second side wall 18 in a similar manner. The drive member 34a is shown being drivably coupled between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c. Although the drive members 34b, 34c are also not shown, it is contemplated that they may be coupled between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d in a similar manner.

[0258] In one embodiment, the drive members 34a, 34b, 34c may be configured to be substantially similar to make it easier to manufacture and/or inventory the drive members 34. For example, in one embodiment, the drive members 34a, 34b, 34c may be different lengths (e.g., the drive member 34b may be longer than the drive members 34a, 34c) but otherwise have the same configuration. In other embodiments, each drive member 34 may be unique and configured to cooperate only with specific lifting assemblies 30.

[0259] The drive members 34 may be made of any of a number of suitable materials such as plastics, metals, composites, etc. In one embodiment, the drive members 34 may be rigid and made of steel material. The drive members 34 may also have widely varying cross-sections such as cylindrical, tubular, square, hexagonal, octagonal, polygonal, etc. In one embodiment, the drive members 34 may comprise cylindrical tubular members made from steel material. Any suitable material in a variety of configurations may be used.

[0260] FIGS. 28–31 illustrate one embodiment of the drive assembly with the drive member 34b coupled between adjacent lifting assemblies 30a, 30b. Although the drive member 34b is shown being coupled between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, it should be appreciated, however, that the drive members 34a, 34c may be coupled 4 between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d, respectively, in a like manner.

[0261] In FIGS. 28–31, the drive member 34b is coupled between the transmissions 200a, 200b using a spacer 314 and a biasing member 316. In this embodiment, the drive member 34b is made from a tubular material (e.g., cylindrical tube, square tube, etc.) which includes a channel 318 extending longitudinally therein. The drive member 34b may include a first end 320 and a second end 322 which are configured to drivably engage or cooperate with the drive shafts 226a, 226b, respectively. In one embodiment, the first end 320 and the second end 322 may each have an interior cross section or connector recess which is capable of engaging the drive shafts 226 so that the drive member 34b and the drive shafts 226 rotate together. For example, the ends 320, 322 may include a hexagonal shaped cross-section which corresponds to the hexagonal shaped cross section of the drive shafts 226. In another example, the ends 320, 322 may have any suitable cross-section such as square, star-shaped, oval, polygonal, octagonal, and the like.

[0262] In one embodiment, the desired cross-sectional configuration of the ends 320, 322 may be provided by coupling an insert having the desired cross-section into the channel 318 at each of the ends 320, 322. For example, the inserts may be small sections of tubular material which have an interior cross section configured to engage the drive shafts 226 and are sized to be positioned within the channel 318. In one embodiment, the inserts may include a groove so that the inserts may be secured inside the channel 318 by crimping the ends 320, 322 of the drive member 34b into the groove. FIGS. 28–31 show the ends 320, 322 being crimped. In another embodiment, the inserts may be coupled to the drive member 34b using welding, soldering, screwing (e.g., threads which cooperate with each other on the insert and the drive member 34b), etc.

[0263] Although the embodiment of the drive member 34b in FIGS. 28–31 provides a simple and effective way of drivably coupling the adjacent lifting assemblies 30 together, it should be appreciated that the drive member 34b may be drivably coupled to the drive shafts 226 in any of a number of suitable ways. For example, in another embodiment, the drive member 34b and the drive shafts 226 may each include corresponding apertures which are configured to receive a split pin which extends through both the drive member 34b and the drive shafts 226.

[0264] A method for coupling the system 12 to the vehicle 10 may include coupling the lifting assembly 30a to the first side wall 16, coupling the lifting assembly 30b to the second side wall 18 and then coupling the drive member 34b between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b. In one embodiment, the drive member 34b may be positioned between the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b as shown in FIGS. 28–31. As shown in FIG. 29, the drive shaft 226b receives the biasing member 316, or, in other words, the biasing member 316 is positioned on the drive shaft 226b. It should be noted that in this embodiment the biasing member 316 is a spring, but that in other embodiments other suitable biasing members or mechanisms may be used. Also, the biasing member 316 may be made of any of a number of suitable materials such as steel, plastic, elastomeric material, etc.

[0265] Once the biasing member 316 is positioned in engagement with the drive shaft 226b, the first end 320 of the drive member 34b may be moved into cooperation with the drive shaft 226a. In general, this is done by moving the drive member 34b longitudinally in the direction of the drive shaft 226a so that the drive shaft 226a is received in the channel 318, as shown in FIG. 30. When the drive member 34b is moved onto the drive shaft 226a a sufficient distance, the second end 322 may be positioned in line with the drive shaft 226b. The drive member 34b may then be moved longitudinally toward the drive shaft 226b so that the drive shaft 226b is received in the channel 318 at the second end 322 of the drive member 34b.

[0266] Referring to FIG. 31, once the drive member 34b is coupled to the drive shafts 226, the spacer 314 may be positioned over the drive shaft 226a to prevent the drive member 34b from moving longitudinally towards the transmission 200a and causing the second end 322 to disengage from the drive shaft 226b. The spacer 314 includes a slit 324 which may be spread apart to allow the spacer 314 to fit over the drive shaft 226a. Once the spacer has been positioned on the drive shaft 226a, the slit 324 narrows to its previous configuration. In order to flex and bounce back to its original shape, the spacer 314 may be made from a resilient material such as Delrin®.

[0267] In one embodiment, the biasing member 316 may be used to bias the drive member 34b towards the spacer 314. This may be desirable for a number of reasons. For example, when the drive member 34b rotates, the drive shafts 226 may move longitudinally away from each other in a screw type motion. When this happens, the transmissions 200a, 200b may be forced away from each other. In extreme situations, the longitudinal displacement of the transmissions 200a, 200b may be sufficient to allow the drive member 34b to become disengaged from one or both of the drive shafts 226. The biasing member 316 may be used to prevent this by biasing the drive member 34b towards the spacer 314 and, thus, maintaining the drive member 34b in an engaged configuration with the drive shaft 226a. Also, the screw type motion is prevented because the drive member 34b is being biased towards the drive shaft 226a.

[0268] In some situations, the distance between the first side wall 16 and the second side wall 18 of the vehicle 10 varies as the bed 40 is raised and lowered. This may especially be a problem with recreational vehicles, but may also be a problem in other vehicles and even in buildings and other fixed structures. These variations in width between the side walls 16, 18 may be accounted for using the biased drive member 34b. As the width changes, the drive member 34b moves toward and away from the transmission 200b on the drive shaft 226b. In other words, the drive member 34b telescopes in and out relative to the drive shaft 226b to compensate for the changes in width. As the drive member 34b moves in this manner, the biasing member 316 is compressed and decompressed. However, regardless of the width changes, the biasing member 316 maintains the drive member 34b in engagement with the drive shaft 226a.

[0269] In one embodiment, the distance between the side walls 16, 18 may change at least about 0.125 inches (or about 3.2 millimeters), or at least about 0.25 inches (or about 6.4 millimeters), or at least about 0.385 inches (or about 9.8 millimeters), or at least about 0.5 inches (or about 12.7 millimeters), or at least about 0.625 inches (or about 15.9 millimeters), or at least about 0.75 inches (or about 19.1 millimeters), as the bed 40 is moved vertically. Depending on the amount of change in the distance between the side walls 16, 18, the length of the drive shaft 226b may be configured to be sufficient to accommodate any of these variations in width and even larger variations in width.

[0270] The variations in width between the side walls 16, 18 may be accounted for in any of a number of a ways. For example, in another embodiment, shims may be placed between the side walls 16, 18 and one or both of the support assemblies 60a, 60b until the support assemblies 60a, 60b are substantially the same distance apart.

[0271] It should be appreciated that the configuration shown in FIGS. 28–31 may be altered and modified in a number of ways. For example, the drive member 34b may be a flexible drive member such as a toothed belt that extends between pulleys coupled to the drive shafts 150a, 150b. In another embodiment, the biasing member may be a resilient polymeric material. Numerous additional modifications may be made.

[0272] Referring to FIGS. 31–32, it may be desirable to move one moving assembly 50 separately from the other moving assemblies 50 in order to move the portion of the bed 40 coupled to each of the moving assemblies 50 independent of the other portions of the bed 40 (e.g., level the corners of the bed 40, etc.). In one embodiment, the drive member 34b may be adjustable between a first orientation where the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b move in unison and a second orientation where the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b move independently of each other. The first orientation may be provided as shown in FIG. 31 where the drive member is engaged with the hexagonal shaped third intermediate portion 276 of the drive shaft 226a and with the hexagonal shaped end 288 of the drive shaft 226b.

[0273] As shown in FIG. 32, the second orientation may be provided by moving the drive member 34b longitudinally in the direction of the transmission 200b thereby compressing the biasing member 316. In this position, the second cylindrical end 270 of the drive shaft 226a is positioned in the first end 320 of the drive member 34b. However, the second cylindrical end 270 may be configured to be a smaller diameter than the adjacent hexagonal shaped third intermediate portion 276 to allow the first end 320 of the drive member 34b to rotate freely relative to the drive shaft 226a. Therefore, when the drive member 34b is in the second orientation, the moving assemblies 50a, 50b may be moved independently of each other. Additionally, the drive member 34b is supported by the second end 270 while the moving assemblies 50a, 50b are moved independently of each other. Once the moving assemblies 50a, 50b have been moved to their desired positions, the drive member 34b may be moved back into engagement with the hexagonal portion of the third intermediate portion 276 to move the moving assemblies 50a, 50b together.

[0274] The degree of adjustment provided using the configuration shown in FIGS. 31–32 may depend on the cross-section of the drive shaft 226a and the corresponding cross-section of an interior surface 326 of the channel 318 (FIG. 39) at the first end 320 of the drive member 34b. For example, assuming the cross section of both the interior surface 326 and the third intermediate portion 276 are hexagonal then the moving assembly 50 may be adjustable in increments of ⅙^th of a turn of the drive member 34b and/or the drive shaft 226a. A finer increment of adjustment may be provided by using higher order polygonal shaped cross sections for the interior surface 326 and the drive shaft 226a.

[0275] Referring to FIGS. 39–40, in one embodiment, a finer increment of adjustment may be achieved by providing a 12 sided star shaped interior surface 326 of the drive member 34b (e.g., the insert referred to previously may have a 12 sided interior cross section) which cooperates with the hexagonal third intermediate portion 276 of the drive shaft 226a. The use of the 12 sided interior surface 326 allows the moving assembly 50 to be adjusted in increments of 1/12^th of a turn of the drive member 34b and/or the drive shaft 226a. Also, the drive shaft 226a may still be provided with a hexagonal shaped cross section.

[0276] Numerous other configurations of the interior surface 326 and the drive shaft 226 may be used. For example, the drive shaft 226 may include a 12 sided cross section and the interior surface 326 may be hexagonal. In another embodiment, the drive shaft 226 may be square and the interior surface 326 may be square or octagonal. Numerous additional embodiments of this type are also contemplated as being used.

[0277] Referring back to FIG. 27, the drive member 34a may be coupled to the drive shafts 150c, 220 with the biasing member 316 positioned on the drive shaft 150c and the spacer 314 positioned on the drive shaft 220. As shown in FIG. 6, the cylindrical second end 224 of the drive shaft 220 may have a smaller diameter than the hexagonal first end 222. Therefore, when the drive member 34a is in the second orientation, the drive member 34a cooperates with the second end 224 to rotate freely relative to the drive shaft 220. Also, the drive member 34c is configured to cooperate with drive shafts 150b, 150d in much the same manner as that shown for the drive members 34a, 34b.

[0278] In one embodiment, when two drive shafts 150, 226 (shown in FIG. 6) are coupled together using one of the drive members 34, the drive shaft 150, 226 which is closest to the motor assembly 36, in terms of receiving rotational motion, may be configured to include the cylindrical portion to allow the drive members 34 to rotate freely. Since the motor assembly 36 prevents movement of the bed 40 when power is not provided (either by way of the brake or just through backdriving), it may be desirable for the drive member 34 to remain engaged with the drive shaft 150, 226 furthest from the motor assembly 36 so that the drive member 34 may be used to assist in adjusting the moving assembly 50. For example, with reference to FIG. 27, when the drive member 34a is moved to the second orientation, the drive member 34a is capable of being freely rotated relative to the drive shaft 220. In this embodiment, the moving assembly 50a is held stationary by the motor assembly 36. Therefore, the drive member 34a when in the second orientation may be capable of being rotated by hand to move the moving assembly 50c. The same general principles may apply to the drive members 34b, 34c.

[0279] It should be appreciated that the various configurations of the drive shafts 150, 226 and the drive members 34 may be varied in a number of ways. For example, the cylindrical portions of the drive shafts 150, 226 which may be used to allow the drive members 34 to rotate freely relative to the drive shafts 150, 226 may be provided on any suitable drive shaft 150, 226. For example, the drive shaft 150c and the drive shaft 220 may be configured so that the cylindrical portion is on the drive shaft 150c and the biasing member is positioned in cooperation with the drive shaft 220. In another embodiment, all or substantially all of the drive shafts 150, 226 may be configured to be interchangeable. Thus, each of the drive shafts 150, 226 may include a cylindrical portion. In yet another embodiment, none of the drive shafts 150, 226 may include a cylindrical portion. Rather, the first end 320 of the drive member 34 may be configured to completely disengage from the drive shafts 150, 226 when in the second configuration.

[0280] In one embodiment, the second end 168 of the drive shaft 150c may be used to receive a manual actuation device (not shown). The manual actuation device may be something as simple as a socket wrench sized to cooperate with the second end 168. In another embodiment, the manual actuation device may include a crank which is sized to cooperate with the second end 168.

[0281] As mentioned previously, the manual actuation device may be used to move the bed 40 when the motor assembly 36 is not available such as when the battery of the vehicle 10 is dead or the motor assembly 36 is not included. In some situations operating the manual actuation device may require driving through the force of the motor 160. However, one potential advantage of this configuration is that the backdriving effect of the motor 160 may act as a brake to prevent the bed 40 from suddenly and unexpectedly lowering. In another embodiment, the system 12 may be provided without the motor assembly 36. In this embodiment, a pawl and sector or ratchet may be provided to allow the bed 40 to be raised with the manual actuation device while also preventing the bed 40 from falling unexpectedly.

[0282] Referring to FIGS. 33–38 another embodiment is shown which may be used to allow adjacent moving assemblies 50 to be selectively moved in unison or independent of each other. In this embodiment, a camming device 330—alternatively referred to herein as a quick release device or coupling system—may be used to selectively alternate between moving the moving assemblies 50 in unison or independent of each other.

[0283] In one embodiment, the camming device 330 includes a body portion 332 and a cam lever 334. The camming device 330 may include flanges, apertures, and the like so that the camming device 330 may be coupled to the transmissions 200, the moving members 80, or any other component of the system 12. For example, the camming device 330 may be coupled to the transmissions 200 and/or the moving members 80 using a flange in a manner similar to how the transmissions 200 are coupled to the moving members 80. Although the camming device 330 is shown being square or rectangular in FIGS. 33–38, other configurations may also be used such as tubular, triangular, etc. The body portion 332 of the camming device 330 has a generally square cross-section with an interior 336. The interior 336 is adapted to accommodate a quick release arrangement that selectively engages and disengages the drive shaft 226b with a drive shaft 338.

[0284] FIG. 34 depicts a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the camming device 330. A coupler 340 having a bore 342 therethrough is adapted at a top end 344 to engage the end 288 of the drive shaft 226b. The drive shaft 226b is rotatable on its longitudinal axis but is fixed against vertical movement within the body portion 332. The drive shaft 226b extends a short distance from the coupler 340 and passes through an opening surrounded by a stationary flange 346 and on to the transmission 200b.

[0285] The coupler 340 has a bottom end 348 adapted to slidably engage a first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. The drive shaft 338 is also rotatable on its longitudinal axis but is fixed against longitudinal movement within the camming device 330. The drive shaft 338 may be fixed against longitudinal movement in a number of ways. For example, the drive shaft 338 may be fixably coupled to the second end 322 of the drive member 34b. Also, the drive shaft 338 may include a fastening recess configured to receive a fastening clip. The fastening clip may be received in a bracket coupled to the outside of the body portion 332 to prevent longitudinal movement of the drive shaft 338. The coupler 340 is configured to cooperate with the drive shaft 226b and the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338 such that, when coupled, the drive shaft 226b and the drive shaft 338 move together. At the same time, the coupler 340 is adapted to slide along the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 226b and the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. In one embodiment, the coupler 340 is configured to move between the first orientation where the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b may be moved in together and the second orientation where the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b may be moved independently of each other.

[0286] It should be appreciated that various components and configurations for providing the slidable engagement of the coupler 340 and the drive shafts 226b, 338 could be used. For example, the bore 342 may have a 12 sided star cross section (see FIG. 39) which may cooperate with the drive shafts 226b, 338 Also, the bore 342 of the coupler 340 may be tapered at the bottom end 348 to facilitate engagement with the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. The first end 350 may also have beveled edges which cooperate with the bottom end 348 of the bore 342 to facilitate engagement with the coupler 340. The coupler 340 may be made using a steel material, plastic, or any other suitable material.

[0287] A spring or biasing member 352 may be positioned to bias the coupler 340 to engage the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. It should be appreciated that various other ways for providing the biasing force could be used. In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 34, the flange 346 forms the stop for a top end of the spring 352, while a shoulder 354 formed on the coupler 340 forms a stop for the bottom end of the spring 352. The biased coupler 340, in turn, is stopped by a cam member 356 pivotally supported within the body portion 332 of the camming device 330. The cam member 356 is coupled to the cam lever 334 which extends outside of the body portion 332.

[0288] The cam member 356 is illustrated in the cammed orientation in FIG. 34 and in the uncammed orientation in FIG. 35. FIGS. 36–37 show the relative positions of the cam member 356 and the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338 in the cammed orientation and the uncammed orientation, respectively. The relative position of the cam lever 334 on the exterior of the body portion 332 is also illustrated in FIGS. 36–37.

[0289] As shown in FIGS. 34 and 36, when the cam member 356 is pivoted 90° into the cammed orientation, a cam surface 358 is rotated towards the drive shaft 226b as a support surface 360 is rotated towards the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. Since the cam surface 358 is farther than the support surface 360 from the axis of rotation of the cam member 356, as the cam member 356 pivots, the cam surface 358 forces biased coupler 340 to be cammed against the spring bias force and made to slide along the drive shaft 226b and, thus, to slide out of engagement with the drive shaft 338. As shown in FIGS. 34 and 36, the cam surface 358 ends up supporting the coupler 340 at a position slightly above the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338. In this manner, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b may be moved independently of each other. It will be appreciated, that the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b should only be moved a relatively small distance independently of each other since the drive member 34b may disengage if one of the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b is lowered or raised substantially above the other lifting assembly 30a, 30b. In another embodiment, the drive member 34b may be telescopic and a U-joint assembly provided to allow the lifting assemblies 30 to be vertically offset a larger amount.

[0290] The cam member 356 is configured to partially encircle the drive shaft 338 in both the cammed and uncammed orientations. When uncammed, the support surface 360 of the cam member 356 is located slightly below the first end 350 of the drive shaft 338 (FIGS. 35 and 37) such that the coupler 340 is supported in the engaged position with the drive shaft 338. Thus, when the cam member 356 is uncammed, the spring bias force normally affects coupling of the drive shafts 226b, 338 through the coupler 340 such that both the drive shafts 226b, 338 may be moved in unison.

[0291] Since the coupler 340 is biased by the spring 352 to remain engaged with the drive shaft 338, the spring bias force should be overcome by pivoting the cam member 356 to effect camming (i.e., disengagement of the drive shaft 338 from the coupler 340. Spring tension is adjusted, for example, by selecting the thickness and flexibility of the material forming the spring 352, to ensure that inadvertent release (i.e., inadvertent camming due to normal vibration, jolting, and jarring, and, in particular, the normal vibration, bouncing, and bumping that may occur during travel of the vehicle 10, is prevented because the spring bias force is not overcome by these occurrences. On the other hand, when the cam member 356 is in the cammed orientation (FIG. 34), there is slightly increased force on the cam surface 358 applied by the spring 352 that is tightened as the coupler 340 was cammed. The cam member 356 should be constructed to securely support the coupler 340 in the cammed direction.

[0292] As shown in FIGS. 36–37, in one embodiment, the cam member 356 may be configured to have a rounded edge 362 between the support surface 360 and the cam surface 358. Surfaces 358, 360 may be smooth and just slightly resilient to permit the cam member 356 to smoothly pivot along the bottom end 348 of the coupler 340. The cam member 356 may be made using a number of suitable materials. For example, the cam member 356 may be may be made using nylon or plastic material. One type of material that may be used is Delrin®.

[0293] As shown in FIG. 36, the cam surface 358 is configured to have a slight slope 364 toward the rounded edge 362 between the cam surface 358 and the support surface 360. If the cam lever 334 is operated upon partially, the force of the coupler 340 upon the sloped surface of the cam surface 358 tends to cause the cam member 356 to “flip” back into the uncammed orientation. In this manner, the cam member 356 may be prevented from resting in a relatively undesirable position that is between the fully cammed orientation and the fully uncammed orientation. When the cam lever 334 is operated fully, however, the cam member 356 is securely positioned in the cammed orientation.

[0294] It should be appreciated that various means for pivotally supporting the cam member 356 within the body portion 332 could be used. As shown in FIG. 38, one embodiment of the cam member 356 is adapted to be added to the body portion 332 that may be previously unprepared for use with the quick release arrangement. The cam member 356 is formed with receiving holes 366 for securely receiving a connecting end 368 of the cam lever 334 on one side and a bolt-type connector 370 on the opposite end. The bolt-type connector 370, in one embodiment, is made of a sturdy smooth material such as hard nylon or plastic. It should be understood that holes may be provided or may be made in the body portion 332 to correspond to the receiving holes 366 and the cam member 356 may then be positioned within the body portion 332 with the receiving holes 366 aligned with the holes in the body portion 332. The bolt-type connector 370 and the connecting end 368 of the cam lever 334 are passed through holes in the body portion 332 and into respective receiving holes 366 to thereby provide the pivotally supported cam member 356 of the quick release arrangement. In addition, for ease of removal of the cam member 356, small access holes 372 are provided within the cam member 356 to connect with the receiving holes 366 in a manner that permits the tip of a screwdriver or other small object to be inserted into the access holes 372 such that the connecting end 368 of the cam lever 334 or bolt-type connector 370 may be pushed out of engagement with the respective receiving hole 366. In one embodiment, the cam lever 334 and the bolt-type connector 370 may be composed of steel, nylon, or plastic material.

[0295] It should be appreciated that the embodiments described as being used to adjust the drive assembly between a first orientation where adjacent lifting assemblies 30 and/or moving assemblies 50 may be moved together and a second orientation where adjacent lifting assemblies 30 and/or moving assemblies 50 may be moved independently of each other are provided as selected examples of the many configurations that may be used. In one embodiment, the first orientation and the second orientation are provided through telescopic movement of one component of the drive assembly relative to another component of the drive assembly.

[0296] Referring to FIG. 41, another embodiment of the system 12 for moving an object vertically is shown. This embodiment is similar in many ways to the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, and, accordingly, the discussion of the components, configurations, etc. of the embodiment in FIG. 27 may apply equally to this embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 includes a gear rack 376 having a plurality of teeth 374. The gear 70 may be modified in a suitable manner to cooperate with the gear rack 376. The gear 70 may also be positioned sufficiently close to the gear rack 376 to maintain the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 in engagement with the flanges 76, 78 of the moving member 80. Also, in one embodiment, the roller 140 may be configured to include teeth which cooperate with the teeth 374 of the gear rack 376 to maintain the flanges 72, 74 in engagement with the flanges 76, 78, and, thus, prevent disengagement of the moving assembly 50 from the support assembly 60.

[0297] In another embodiment, the flanges 76, 78 on the moving member 80 may be configured to define a channel. The flanges 76, 78 may be similar to flanges 306, 308 of the support member 64 shown in FIG. 26 except that the flanges are part of the moving member 80 rather than the support member 64. The support member 64 may be a flat rail that includes the gear rack 376 with each side of the rail cooperating with the channels defined by the flanges 76, 78. Since the channels in the flanges 76, 78 prevent transverse movement of the support member 64 relative to the moving assembly 50, the roller assembly 100 may be eliminated.

[0298] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the support assemblies 60 may be configured without the use of the backing member 66 since the teeth 96 of the gear 70 do not pass through the support member 64. Rather, the support assemblies 60 may be comprised solely of the support member 64. In other embodiments, the backing member 66 may be used with the configuration shown in FIG. 41 to provide additional support to the support member 64.

[0299] The gear rack 376 and the gear 70 may be any suitable size and configuration so long as they are capable of cooperating with each other to vertically move the bed 40. For example, the gear rack 376 may be a separate component made from a steel material which is coupled to the support member 64 using a suitable fastener such as bolting, welding, and the like. In another embodiment, the gear rack 376 may be integrally formed as part of the support member 64. Also, the gear rack 376 may be made from steel, plastic, composites, polymeric material, and the like.

[0300] Referring to FIG. 42, another embodiment of the system 12 for moving an object vertically is shown. This embodiment is also similar in many ways to the embodiment shown in FIG. 27, and, accordingly, the discussion of the components, configurations, etc. of the embodiment in FIG. 27 may also equally apply to this embodiment. In this embodiment, however, the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 includes a chain 378. A sprocket—alternatively referred to herein as a rotatable member, rotatable wheel or toothed wheel—may be substituted for the gear 70 in the drive mechanism 90. The sprocket may be sized and configured to cooperate with the chain 378 to vertically move the bed 40. Also, the sprocket may be positioned sufficiently close to the chain 378 to maintain the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 in engagement with the flanges 76, 78 of the moving member 80. Also, the roller 140 may be configured to include teeth which cooperate with the chain 378 to maintain the flanges 72, 74 in sliding engagement with the flanges 76, 78. In addition, the moving assembly 50 may also be maintained in sliding engagement with the sliding assembly using the flanges 76, 78 that define a channel as explained in connection with FIG. 41.

[0301] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the support assemblies 60 may be configured without the use of the backing member 66 since the teeth of the sprocket do not pass through the support member 64. Rather, the support assemblies 60 may be comprised solely of the support member 64. In addition, the sprocket may be configured to cooperate with a stationary vertically extending length of chain 378 to vertically move the bed 40.

[0302] The chain 378 may be coupled to the support member 64 in any of a number of suitable ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 42, the chain 378 may be welded to the support member 64. In another embodiment, the chain 378 may be configured to include one or more links each of which includes a flange portion which extends outwardly from one side of the link to allow the flange to be coupled to the support member 64 using a fastener. The flange portions may include holes to receive a fastener. Other suitable ways of coupling the chain 378 to the support member 64 may also be used.

[0303] The chain 378 and the sprocket may be any suitable size and configuration so long as they are capable of cooperating with each other to vertically move the bed 40. For example, the chain 378 may be a roller chain which has sufficient strength to support the weight of the bed 40. In another embodiment, the chain 378 may be nickel plated to prevent corrosion. Also, the chain 378 may be made from steel, plastic, composites, polymeric material, and the like.

[0304] FIGS. 43–44 show one way that the bed 40 may be coupled to the moving assemblies 50. Moving assembly 50d is used to illustrate this embodiment. However, it should be appreciated that the other moving assemblies 50a, 50b, 50c may also be coupled to the bed 40 in this or a similar manner.

[0305] As shown in FIGS. 43–44, the bed frame 54 includes a mounting element 380 which is configured to cooperate with the mounting member 110 on the moving assembly 50d to securely couple the bed 40 to the moving assembly 50d. In this embodiment, the mounting element 380 is a pin and the mounting member 110 is a flange including the aperture 122. Also, the mounting members 112, 114 may be used to provide additional support to the bed 40. FIG. 43 shows the mounting element 380 and the mounting member 110 before being coupled together, and FIG. 44 shows the mounting element 380 and the mounting member 110 coupled together.

[0306] As mentioned previously, in some instances, the distance between the first side wall 16 and the second side wall 18 in the vehicle 10 may vary as the bed 40 moves vertically. In one embodiment, the aperture 122 in the mounting member 110 is oversized to allow the mounting element 380 to move within the aperture 122 in the longitudinal direction of the bed 40. Thus, the width variations between the side walls 16, 18 may be accounted for by the longitudinal movement, relative to the bed 40, of the mounting element 380 in the aperture 122. Thus, in this embodiment, play is provided where the bed 40 is coupled to the moving assembly 50d to account for the width variations of the side walls 16, 18.

[0307] It should be appreciated that the width variations between the side walls 16, 18 may be compensated for using a number of arrangements and techniques. For example, in another embodiment, the bed frame 54 may include an oversized aperture which is configured to receive a protrusion included as part of the mounting member 110. The aperture on the bed frame 54 may be configured to allow the protrusion to move in the aperture in a direction which is perpendicular to the side walls 16, 18 of the vehicle 10 as the bed 40 moves vertically.

[0308] In another embodiment, the bed 40 may be coupled to opposed moving assemblies 50 using an arrangement similar to how the drive member 34b is coupled between the moving assemblies 50a, 50b. For example, the bed frame 54 may include a tubular portion on each end which receive a mounting member in the form of a shaft coupled to the moving assemblies 50. The bed 40 may be coupled between the moving members using a biasing member (e.g., spring) and a spacer in a similar way to how the drive member 34b is coupled between the moving assemblies 50a, 50b. Once the bed 40 is coupled to the moving assemblies 50 in this manner, the width variations between the side walls 16, 18 may be accounted for by the telescopic movement of the tubular portions and the mounting members. A number of additional configurations may also be provided to securely couple the bed 40 to the moving assembly 50 and also compensate for the width variations between the side walls 16, 18.

[0309] As shown in FIGS. 43–44, the first end 302 of the drive shaft 150d (FIGS. 9–10) extends outwardly from the moving member 80 and may provide a suitable location to use the manual actuation device to vertically move the bed 40. As explained previously, a manual actuation device such as a crank or socket may be positioned on the first end 302 to drive the drive assembly.

[0310] It should be appreciated that numerous other ways may be provided to couple the bed 40 to the lifting assemblies 30 in addition to those previously described. For example, the bed frame 54 and the moving member 80 may be provided as one integral structure which cooperates with the support assemblies 60. In another embodiment, the bed 40 may be coupled to the lower end 132 of the moving assembly 50.

[0311] Referring to FIG. 45, another embodiment is shown of the system 12 for moving objects vertically. This embodiment is similar in many ways to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. However, in this embodiment, two lifting assemblies 30a, 30b have been provided to lift the bed 40 without the use of the lifting assemblies 30c, 30d. It should be appreciated that the number of lifting assemblies 30 used to vertically move the bed 40 may vary widely according to the particular situation. In some instances it may be desirable to reduce weight and cost by using fewer lifting assemblies. Generally, in situations where fewer lifting assemblies 30 are used, the bed 40 tends to also be smaller. For example, the bed 40 shown in FIG. 2 may be a queen size or larger bed while the bed 40 in FIG. 45 may be a double size or smaller. That being said, there may be situations where a queen sized or larger bed may be raised and lowered using two lifting assemblies 30, shown in FIG. 45, or a double sized or smaller bed may be raised and lowered using four or more lifting assemblies 30. For example, the configuration shown in FIG. 2 may be modified so that the rear wall 22 of the vehicle is fixed and two additional lifting assemblies 30 are coupled thereto for a total of six lifting assemblies 30. The drive member 34b may be coupled between the lifting assemblies 30c, 30d and split into three sections. The drive shafts 150 of the additional lifting assemblies 30 coupled to the rear wall 22 may be in line with and coupled together by the three sections of the drive member 34b. Thus, all of the six lifting assemblies 30 may be moved together.

[0312] Referring back to FIG. 45, the bed 40 may be steadied using braces or supports 382 which extend diagonally from the sides 62 or the bottom side 58 of the bed 40 to the moving assemblies 50. The braces 382 may be any suitable material such as plastic, composites, steel, etc. Also, the braces 382 may be coupled to the moving member 80 in any of a number of suitable ways such as welding, screwing, bolting, or with the use of any suitable fastener. In one embodiment, the braces 382 are coupled to the sides 124, 126 of the moving member 80 using bolts.

[0313] The braces 382 may extend from the bed 40 to the moving assemblies 50 in a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the side walls 16, 18, as shown in FIG. 45. In another embodiment, the braces 382 may extend from the bed 40 to the moving assemblies 50 in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the side walls 16, 18, or in any plane between being perpendicular or parallel to the side walls 16, 18. Although the braces 382 are shown extending downwardly to the moving assemblies 50, it is also contemplated that the bed 40 may be coupled to the lower end 132 of the moving assemblies 50 and the braces 382 extend upward from the bed 40 to the upper end 154 of the moving assemblies 50.

[0314] In another embodiment, dummy support assemblies and moving assemblies may be coupled to the side walls 16, 18 parallel to the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c. Thus, the bed 40 may be supported by the dummy support assemblies so that the braces 382 may be eliminated. The support assemblies and moving assemblies are referred to as dummy support assemblies and dummy moving assemblies because they are generally not used to lift the bed 40, either manually or with the use of the motor assembly 36. Rather, the dummy assemblies may be used to guide the movement of the bed using a dummy moving assembly which cooperates with a dummy support assembly. For example, the dummy moving assembly may be a flange on the bed 40 which cooperates with a C-channel coupled to the side wall of the vehicle 10. The dummy support assemblies and moving assemblies may be less costly and simpler in operation and assembly than other support assemblies or moving assemblies. It should be understood that the use of the term support assembly, moving assembly, and the like without the term “dummy” includes both dummy assemblies and other assemblies.

[0315] FIGS. 46–48 show another embodiment of the system 12 which may be used to vertically move or lift two or more beds 40a, 40b (collectively referred to as “the beds 40”) in the vehicle 10. As shown in FIGS. 46–48, a first or lower bed 40a and a second or upper bed 40b may be vertically moved between a use configuration 384—alternatively referred to herein as a first configuration, a first orientation, or a lowered configuration—where the beds 40 are spaced apart (FIG. 46), an intermediate configuration 386—alternatively referred to herein as a fourth configuration—where the beds 40 are positioned adjacent to each other with the upper bed 40b being in same position as in the use configuration 384 (FIG. 47), and a stowed configuration 388—alternatively referred to herein as a second configuration, a second orientation, or a raised configuration—where the beds 40 are stowed adjacent to the ceiling 24 of the vehicle 10.

[0316] In general, when the beds are in the stowed configuration 388, off-road vehicles may be received and transported in the cargo area 28 of the vehicle 10. When the off-road vehicles have been moved out of the cargo area 28, the beds may be moved to the use configuration 384. Typically, the beds 40 are in the use configuration 384 when the vehicle 10 is stationary and being used for camping and the like. In this manner, the cargo area 28 may serve dual purposes—receiving and/or transporting off-road vehicles and sleeping.

[0317] The lower bed 40a may be moved and otherwise configured in a manner similar to the bed 40 referred to in FIG. 2. Accordingly, many of the same principles apply to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 46–48.

[0318] In one embodiment, the upper bed 40b is moved between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388 using the lower bed 40a. For example, when the motor assembly 36 is activated, the lower bed 40a moves upward until it contacts the bottom side 58 of the upper bed 40b in the intermediate configuration 386 shown in FIG. 47. The lower bed 40a continues moving upward while bearing the weight of both the beds 40 until the beds 40 reach the stowed configuration 388. Many variations may be made on this embodiment to provide additional embodiments. For example, rather than the lower bed 40a contacting the bottom side 58 of the upper bed 40b, the moving assemblies 50 may contact the bed frame 54 of the upper bed 40b.

[0319] In another embodiment, both of the beds 40 are coupled to moving assemblies 50 which cooperate with the support assemblies 60. A separate drive assembly, including separate motor assemblies 36 may be provided to move the moving assemblies coupled to each of the upper bed 40b and the lower bed 40a separately. Many other suitable configurations may also be provided.

[0320] A wide variety and configurations of the beds 40 may be used. In one embodiment, the beds 40 may be identical or nearly identical to each other. Using identical or very similar configurations for the lower bed 40a and the upper bed 40b may make it easier to inventory, manufacture, and install the beds 40. However, in some embodiments, the beds 40 may be configured to be different from each other. For example, the upper bed 40b may be a double sized bed while the lower bed 40a may be a queen sized bed or vice versa. Also, the bed frame 54 of the upper bed 40b may be different than the bed frame 54 of the lower bed 40a to allow the upper bed 40b to be supported in a spaced apart position from the lower bed 40a in the use configuration 384.

[0321] In another embodiment, the upper bed 40b may be provided with a railing around the periphery of the upper bed 40b to prevent persons sleeping thereon from rolling off. The railing may be stationary or may itself be movable to a stowed position. For example, the railing may slide downward relative to the upper bed 40b to allow the upper bed 40b to be positioned closer to the ceiling 24 in the stowed configuration 388. Also, the railing may pivot downward on an axis which extends longitudinally along the side of the upper bed 40b.

[0322] As shown in FIG. 46, a ladder 390 may be used to access the upper bed 40b. The ladder may be configured in a number of suitable ways and may be made from any of a number of suitable materials such as steel, wood, etc. In one embodiment, the ladder 390 may include hooks which fit over the sides 62 of the upper bed 40b or other suitable structure to securely couple the ladder 390 to the upper bed 40b. Thus, the ladder 390 may be less likely to slide or move while a person is using it to get on the upper bed 40b.

[0323] Referring to FIG. 49, the ladder 390 may be stowed using support brackets 392 coupled to the bottom side 58 of the lower bed 40a when the beds are in the stowed configuration 388. The support brackets 392 may be made from a number of suitable materials such as wood, plastic, metal, etc. In one embodiment, the support brackets 392 may have a U-shaped cross section and may be coupled to the bottom side 58 of the lower bed 40a so that the open portions of the support brackets 392 face each other. The ladder 390 may be placed between the support brackets 392 and in the channel defined by each U-shaped support bracket 392. The ladder 390 may be secured to the support brackets 392 and/or the bottom side 58 of the lower bed 40a using a wide variety of fasteners, brackets, couplers, etc. For example, biased detents positioned on the brackets may be used to allow the ladder 390 to be easily and securely stowed (e.g., detent is sloped to allow the ladder 390 to bias it when being put in the stowed position, but requires a user to push the detent down to remove the ladder 390). In another embodiment, the ladder 390 may also be stowed on the top or bottom of the upper bed 40b.

[0324] As shown in FIGS. 46–48, the upper bed 40b may be supported in the use configuration 384 by one or more stops or brackets 394 coupled to the side walls 16, 18. The lower bed 40a is designed, dimensioned, and disposed such that when the lower bed 40a is raised and lowered, it is not affected by the stops 394. For example, the sides 62 of the beds 40 may include a first side or end 424 and a second side or end 426 where the sides 424, 426 on the lower bed 40a are disposed a distance from the side walls 16, 18 to miss contacting the stops 394 as the lower bed 40a is moved vertically.

[0325] In contrast, the upper bed 40b may be configured to engage the stops 394 using a complementary support bracket 396 coupled to the upper bed 40b as shown in FIGS. 46–48. Engagement of the stops 394 with the support brackets 396 may be achieved through frictional contact, latches, or pin and hole engagement as illustrated in FIGS. 46–48. With continued reference to FIGS. 46–48, the support bracket 396 coupled to the upper bed 40b extends from the sides 424, 426 toward the side walls 16, 18, respectively so that as the upper bed 40b is lowered, the support brackets 396 contact or engage the stops 394. The upper bed 40b stops descending when the stops 394 contact or engage the support brackets 396. The stops 394 securely support the upper bed 40b as the lower bed 40a continues to move downward.

[0326] Referring to FIGS. 50–52, one embodiment of the stops 394 and corresponding support brackets 396 is shown using pins 398 cooperating with holes 400 to stop the upper bed 40b from descending further and support the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384. FIG. 50 shows a side view of the stop 394 coupled to the first side wall 16 of the vehicle 10 and the support bracket 396 coupled to the first side 424 of the upper bed 40b. In this embodiment, the pin 398 protrudes from the support bracket 396 and engages the hole 400 in the stop 394. However, in other embodiments, the pin 398 may be part of the stop 394 and the hole 400 may be included in the support bracket 396. FIGS. 51–52 show the stops 394 before being engaged with the support brackets 396 and engaged with the support brackets 396, respectively.

[0327] In one embodiment, the stops 394 and the support brackets 396 may be identical or at least substantially identical to each other. For example, the stops 394 and the support brackets 396 may be the same except that the stop 394 includes the pin 398 and the support bracket includes the hole 400. This may make it easier to inventory and manufacture the stops 394 and the support brackets 396. The stops 394 and the support brackets 396 may also include mounting holes 402 which receive a suitable fastener such as a bolt, screw, clamp, etc. to couple the stops 394 to the side walls 16, 18 and the support brackets 396 to the upper bed 40b.

[0328] It should be appreciated that the stops 394 and the support brackets 396 may be provided in a wide number of configurations using an equally wide number of materials. For example, the stops may be coupled to or integrally formed with the support assembly, thus eliminating the need to separately couple the stops 394 to the side walls 16, 18 of the vehicle 10. Also, the stops 394 and the support brackets 396 may be made from plastic, composites, wood, metal, and so forth.

[0329] The upper bed 40b may include guides or flanges which extend from the bed frame 54 on each of the first side 424 and the second side 426 towards the side walls 16, 18, respectively, so that a guide extends around each of the support assemblies 60 to guide the movement of the upper bed 40b. Thus, when the upper bed 40b is lowered, the support brackets 396 may be aligned to engage the stops 394. In another embodiment, the upper bed 40b may not be guided as it moves up and down.

[0330] In another embodiment, shown in FIGS. 53–54, the upper bed 40b may use a guide 418 which cooperates with the recess 69 formed in the support member 64. The flanges 72, 74, which are offset from the engaging portion 68, serve to prevent the guide 418 from moving outside of the recess 69 and, thus, guide the upper bed 40b as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388.

[0331] Referring to FIGS. 55–56, another embodiment for supporting the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384 is shown. In this embodiment, the support bracket 396 is formed integrally with the bed frame 54 and is used to support the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384 and, at least in part, to guide the upper bed 40b as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388. Because the support bracket 396 guides the upper bed 40b as it moves, it may also be appropriately referred to as a guide or guide member.

[0332] In this embodiment, the support bracket 396 includes a guide portion 404, a base portion 406, and the pin 398. As mentioned previously, the pin 398 may be configured to engage a corresponding hole 400 in the stop 394 to support the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384. The guide portion 404 may be positioned adjacent to one of the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 to guide the upper bed 40b as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388. The guide portion 404 may be used to prevent the upper bed 40b from rotating in at least one direction in a horizontal plane. A guide 408, which also includes a guide portion 404, may be positioned adjacent to the other one of the flanges 72, 74 of the support member 64 to guide the upper bed 40b as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388 and/or prevent rotation of the upper bed 40b in at least one direction in a horizontal plane. As shown in FIGS. 55–56, the guide portion 404 of the guide 408 is positioned adjacent to flange 74 and the guide portion 404 of the support bracket 396 is positioned adjacent to flange 72 of the support member 64. Thus, the combination of the guide 408 and the support bracket 396 serve to guide the upper bed 40b along the support member 64 as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388.

[0333] As shown in FIGS. 55–56, the support bracket 396 and the guide 408 may be integrally made from the bed frame 54. In this embodiment, the bed frame 54 may include a base portion 410 which is positioned in a horizontal plane so that the base portion 410 is perpendicular to the side walls 16, 18 and a side portion 412 positioned vertically so that the side portion 412 is parallel to the side walls 16, 18. The support bracket 396 and the guide 408 may be made by stamping or otherwise cutting patterns 414, 416 in the side portion 412. In one embodiment, the patterns 414, 416 may be stamped into the bed frame 54 before the side portion 412 is bent to a generally perpendicular position relative to the base portion 410. Thus, in this embodiment, the stamped out portions (the precursors to the guide 408 and the support bracket 396) remain in the same general plane as the base portion 410. In another embodiment, the side portion 412 may be bent to be generally perpendicular to the base portion 410, or purchased in this configuration, and then the patterns 414, 416 are stamped into the side portion 412. Once the patterns 414, 416 have been stamped, the stamped out portions may be bent along an axis which is parallel to the side portion 412 and adjacent to the base portion 410 until the stamped out portions are perpendicular to the side portion 412.

[0334] The pin 398 may be formed by bending a segment of the stamped out portion that is designed to be the pin along a horizontal axis which is parallel to the side portion 412 until the pin 398 is positioned downward and perpendicular relative to the base portion 410. The final position of the pin 398 is shown in FIGS. 55–56. The guide portions 404 of the guide 408 and the support bracket 396 may be formed by bending the appropriate segments of the stamped out portions upward along an axis which is perpendicular to the side portion 412. In another embodiment, the guide portions 404 may be generally perpendicular to the side portion 412 and extend downward relative to the base portion 410.

[0335] It should be appreciated that the embodiment shown in FIGS. 55–56 may be modified in a number of ways to provide additional embodiments for supporting and/or guiding the movement of the upper bed 40b. For example, the stops 394 may be vertically adjustable to vary the position of the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384. The stops 394 may be configured to slide in tracks coupled to the side walls 16, 18 of the vehicle 10. Thus, a user may adjust the position of the stops 394 in the track to raise or lower the position of the upper bed 40b in the use configuration 384.

[0336] In another embodiment, the stops 394 shown in FIGS. 55–56 may be rotated 180 degrees so that the hole 400 is on the top of the stops 394. In yet another embodiment, the upper bed 40b may be guided as it moves vertically without the use of the guides 408. Rather, the upper bed 40b may be guided using the guide portion 404 of the support bracket 396 positioned adjacent to the flange 72 of the support assembly 60a and the guide portion 404 of the support bracket 396 positioned adjacent to the flange 74 of the support assembly 60c. In this manner, the guide portions 404 are positioned adjacent to the outside flanges of both the support assemblies 60a, 60c and serve to guide the bed 40 as it moves vertically. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 56 if one imagines that the guides 408 are removed. Although the bed frame 54, the stops 394, and the support brackets 396 included as part of the bed frame 54 are typically made from a steel material, they may also be made from a plastic material, composites, etc. In one embodiment, the bed frame 54 may be made from a molded plastic material.

[0337] FIG. 57 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the system 12 with the upper bed 40b supported in the use configuration 384 using another stop arrangement. In this embodiment, the backing members 66 of the support assemblies 60 are tubes having a square cross section and an elongated slot or gap 422 in a side 428 of the backing members 66. The slot 422 may be provided so that the teeth 96 of the gear 70 may be able to protrude through the openings 82 in the support member 64. It should be appreciated that in embodiments where the teeth 96 do not protrude through the openings 82, such as when a chain or gear rack are used, the slot 422 may not be needed. Also, in other embodiments, the slot 422 may be replaced with openings which correspond to the openings 82 in the support member 64. In addition, although the backing members 66 are shown having a square cross-section, other cross-sectional configurations may be used such as rectangular, polygonal, hexagonal, cylindrical, etc. The backing members 66 may have other configurations besides tubes.

[0338] FIGS. 58–59 show the stops and corresponding components from FIG. 57 which may be used to support the upper bed 40b in the use position. FIG. 58 shows the support bracket 396 disengaged from the stop 394, and FIG. 59 shows the support bracket 396 engaged with the stop 394. In this embodiment, the stop 394 may be coupled to the backing member 66 so that the stop 394 extends outward from backing member 66 in a direction parallel to the side walls 16, 18. Coupling the stops 394 to the backing member 66, or other suitable portion of the support assembly 60, may be desirable because doing so may eliminate the step of separately coupling the stops 394 to the side walls 16, 18. Instead, the stops 394 may be coupled to and included with the lifting assemblies 30. Also, since the stops 394 may be coupled to the same relative location on the backing members 66, the stops 394 are positioned so that the upper bed 40b is level by horizontally aligning the support assemblies 60 with each other rather than separately aligning the stops 394 so that the upper bed 40b is level when the upper bed 40b is supported by the stops 394. This may make installation simpler, more efficient, and easier.

[0339] The stops 394 may be coupled to the backing member 66 using any number of suitable fasteners or fastening methods such as bolts, screws, clamps, welding, brazing, and so on. In one embodiment, the stops 394 may be coupled to the backing member 66 using fasteners 432 which are received in holes 430 in the backing member 66. As shown in FIGS. 58–59, two fasteners 432 are used to couple the stop 394 to the backing member 66. However, it should be understood that more or less than two fasteners 432 may also be used.

[0340] In one embodiment, the position of the stop 394 may be adjusted by fastening the stop 394 to the backing member 66 in a plurality of locations represented in FIGS. 58–59 by the additional holes 430 in the backing member 66. The stop 394 may also be slidably adjustable relative to the backing member 66. In another embodiment, the position of the upper bed 40b may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the support bracket 396 relative to the bed frame 54. In this embodiment, the stop 394 remains stationary and the support bracket 396 is slidably adjusted relative to the bed frame 54 or removed and coupled to the bed frame 54 at another location. In yet another embodiment, the position of the stop 394 may be fixed relative to the backing member 66. For example, the stop 394 may be welded to the backing member 66.

[0341] The support brackets 396 may also serve to guide the upper bed 40b as it moves between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388. For example, as shown in FIGS. 58–59, the support bracket 396 may be coupled to the upper bed 40b so that it moves adjacent to and potentially in contact with the flange 72 of the support member 64 as the upper bed 40b moves. The support bracket 396 coupled to the other side of the bed frame 54 but adjacent to the same side wall may be configured to move adjacent to and potentially in contact with the flange 74 of the other support member 64. Thus, the support members 64 coupled to one side wall may be positioned between the support brackets 396 coupled to the side of the upper bed 40b so that the support members 64 guide the vertical movement of the support brackets 396.

[0342] Referring to FIG. 60, a cross-sectional top view is shown of the stop 394 and corresponding components from FIGS. 58–59. As shown in FIGS. 58–59, the hole 400 may be oversized to make it easier for the pin 398 to engage the hole 400 as the upper bed 40b is lowered. FIG. 61 provides an additional rear view of the components shown in FIGS. 58–59 in an engaged configuration.

[0343] FIG. 62 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the system 12 viewed from the inside of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the motor assembly 36 is coupled to the moving assembly 50c, and the drive member 34b extends between the lifting assembly 30c and the lifting assembly 30d. In this embodiment, the drive member 34b is a chain, but the drive member 34b may be any suitable flexible drive member such as a cable, a toothed belt, etc. Using a chain may be desirable because the transmissions 200, shown in FIG. 2, may be eliminated. However, in order to use a chain it may be desirable to reduce any variations in the width between the support members 64 coupled to the opposing side walls 16, 18. As shown in FIG. 62, the drive member 34b may be referred to as a loop of chain which includes two lengths of chain which extend between the drive shafts 150c, 150d. The two lengths of chain may cross in the middle so that the moving assemblies 50a, 50c and the moving assemblies 50b, 50d move in the same direction when the motor 160 is activated.

[0344] Referring to FIG. 63, a perspective view of one embodiment of the lifting assembly 30c is shown. In this embodiment, the second end 168 of the drive shaft 150c may be coupled to a sprocket 434 which is used to drive the drive member 34b. The second end 168 of the drive shaft 150c may include a fastening groove 436 which receives a fastening clip 438 to prevent he sprocket 434 from coming off the drive shaft 150c. Although not shown, a corresponding sprocket may also be coupled to the drive shaft 150d of the moving assembly 50d in a similar manner as the sprocket 434 is coupled to drive shaft 150c.

[0345] It should be appreciated that drive members 34a, 34b, 34c and any additional drive members 34 which may be included may be configured in a number of suitable ways. For example, in another embodiment, the sprockets 434 may be substituted with pulleys which cooperate with a toothed belt. Accordingly, many variations may be made to the drive members 34.

[0346] Referring to FIG. 64, a perspective view is shown of another embodiment of the system 12 from inside the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the upper bed 40b and the lower bed 40a are shown in a third configuration 440 where the upper bed 40b is in the stowed position and the lower bed 40a is in the use position. This configuration may be desirable for those situations where the upper bed 40b is not used but the lower bed 40a is used. The beds 40 may bed positioned in the third configuration 440 by moving the beds 40 to the stowed configuration 388. The user may then configure the upper bed 40b to remain in the stowed position, as explained below, while the lower bed 40a is lowered to the use position. Thus, the beds 40 may be movable between the use configuration 384 where the beds 40 are spaced apart in the cargo area 28, the stowed configuration 388 where the beds 40 are positioned adjacent to the ceiling 24, and the third configuration 440 where one of the beds 40 is in the use position and another one of the beds 40 is in a stowed position.

[0347] FIGS. 65–66 show one embodiment of the system 12 where the upper bed 40b may be configured to remain in the stowed position when the lower bed 40a is in the use position. The configuration of the bed frame 54, support assemblies 60, and stops 394 in FIGS. 65–66 are similar to the embodiment described in connection with FIGS. 55–56. However, in this embodiment, the backing member 66 is divided into an upper segment 442 and a lower segment 444 with a space 446 separating the segments 442, 444. The segments 442, 444 may be coupled to the first side wall 16 in a number of suitable ways. For example, in one embodiment, the segments 442, 444 may be coupled to the first side wall 16 separately from the support member 64 using fasteners such as bolts, screws, etc. The support member 64 may then be coupled to the segments 442, 444 of the backing member 66 using the same or different fasteners as used for the segments 442, 444. In another embodiment, the backing member 66 may be a single segment and be configured to include the space 446. The configuration of the backing member 66, the support member 64 and the methods of mounting either of them may be widely varied as desired by the manufacturer and/or user.

[0348] In one embodiment, the space 446 extends transversely through the backing member 66 in a direction parallel to the first side wall 16. When the beds 40 are both positioned in the stowed configuration 388, a stop 448 may be positioned through the space 446 so that the stop 448 protrudes from each side of backing member 66 in a direction parallel to the first side wall 16. When the lower bed 40a is lowered, the support bracket 396 and/or the guide 408 coupled to the upper bed 40b engages the stop 448. In this manner, the stop 448 supports the upper bed 40b in the stowed position while the lower bed 40a may be used for sleeping. Thus, the upper bed 40b may independently supported in the stowed position while at the same time the lower bed 40a may be raised and lowered as desired.

[0349] It should be understood that the embodiment shown in FIGS. 65–66 may be varied in a number of ways. For example, the space 446 may be configured to only extend part of the way between the segments 442, 444, or, if a one-piece backing member 66 is used, part of the way into the backing member 66. The stop 448 may be positioned in the space 446 and only one of the support bracket 396 or the guide 408 engages the stop 448. Although the space 446 and the stop 448 are shown as being square, other cross sectional configurations may be used such as polygonal, hexagonal, cylindrical, and so on. For example, in another embodiment, the space 446 may be a hole which is drilled through the backing member 66 and the stop 448 may be a nail which is sized to extend through the space 446 so that the support bracket 396 or the guide 408 engage the nail and support the upper bed 40b in the stowed position. In yet another embodiment, the stop 448 may be configured to engage the openings 82 in the support member at a position below the bed frame 54 so that the stop 448 contacts the bed frame 54 and prevents the upper bed 40b from being lowered. In this embodiment, the stop 448 may be configured with a plurality of hooks or tabs extending from a vertical surface. The hooks or tabs may be moved into engagement with the support member 64 by moving the hooks or tabs through the openings 82 in the support member and then moving the stop 448 down so that the hooks or tabs engage the support member 64. Also, the stop 448 may be made from a number of suitable materials including steel, plastic, composites, wood, etc. Many other variations may be made so long as the upper bed 40b is capable of being supported in the stowed position while the lower bed 40a is raised and lowered.

[0350] FIG. 67 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of system 12 from the inside of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c are used to move a first pair of beds 550, 551 coupled to the first side wall 16, and the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d are used to move a second pair of beds 552, 553 coupled to the second side wall 18. Each pair of beds may be moved independently. Both pairs of beds are coupled to the side walls 16, 18 so that the longitudinal direction of the beds 550, 551, 552, 553 (collectively referred to as “the beds 550–553”) is parallel to the side walls 16, 18. An aisle 554 is provided between the first pair of beds 550, 551 and the second pair of beds 552, 553 so that a person can move between the pairs of beds.

[0351] The beds 550–553 may be configured similarly to the beds 40. For example, the mattresses 52 and the bed frames 54 may be made from similar materials and in similar configurations as the beds 40. Although the beds 550–553 may be any suitable size, in many instances, because the beds 550–553 are coupled to the opposing side walls 16, 18, it may be desirable for the beds 550–553 to be double size or smaller. For example in one embodiment, each of the beds 550–553 may be twin, single, or smaller sized beds and configured to sleep one person thereon. In another embodiment, the first pair of beds 550, 551 may be coupled to the first side wall 16 without any beds being coupled to the second side wall 18. In this embodiment, the beds 550, 551 may be larger since there are no beds coupled to the second side wall 18. The configuration of the beds 550–553 may vary in a number of ways.

[0352] Each of the beds 550–553 includes a first side 556, a second side 558, a first end 560, and a second end 562. In general, the first sides of the beds 550–553 are coupled to the side walls 16, 18 while the second sides 558 are positioned adjacent to the aisle 554, or at least sufficiently far away from any walls of the vehicle 10 to allow a person to get on the beds 550–553 by way of the second sides 558. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 67, the first sides 556 of the first pair of beds 550, 551 are coupled to the first side wall 16. The first pair of beds 550, 551 is in the stowed configuration 388 where the beds 550, 551 are positioned adjacent to each other and adjacent to the ceiling 24. The second sides 558 of the first pair of beds 550, 551 are open to the aisle 554. The first sides 556 of the second pair of beds 552, 553 are coupled to the second side wall 18. The second pair of beds 552, 553 is in the use configuration 384 where the beds 552, 553 are spaced apart and configured to receive one or more persons to sleep thereon. The second sides 558 of the second pair of beds 552, 553 are also open to the aisle 554 and, with the beds 552, 553 sufficiently spaced apart, are configured to allow a person to get on the beds 552, 553 by way of the second sides 558.

[0353] In one embodiment, each pair of beds may be configured to move independently of the other pair of beds. For example, a separate drive assembly including separate motor assemblies 36 may be provided for each pair of beds. As shown in FIG. 67, a motor assembly 36 may be coupled to the moving assembly 50a, and the drive member 34a may extend between the moving assembly 50a and the moving assembly 50c to move the moving assemblies 50a, 50c together. Another motor assembly 36 may be coupled to the moving assembly 50b, and the drive member 34c (not shown in FIG. 67) may extend between the moving assembly 50b and the moving assembly 50d to move the moving assemblies 50b, 50d in unison. In this manner, each pair of beds may be moved separately.

[0354] The first sides 556 of the lower beds 550, 552 may be coupled to the moving assemblies 50 in any of a number of ways. In one embodiment, it may be desirable to couple the lower beds 550, 552 to the moving assemblies 50 in an immovable manner. For example, in one embodiment, the lower beds 550, 552 may be immovably coupled to the moving assemblies 50 using any suitable fastener such as bolts, screws, pin and hole arrangements, etc. Immovably coupling the lower beds 550, 552 to the moving assemblies 50 may reduce undesired cantilevered movement of the second sides of the lower beds 550, 552. Also, since the lower beds 550, 552 are not coupled to both of the side walls 16, 18, the desirability of accounting for width changes between the side walls 16, 18 may be diminished. Given these considerations, it may be desirable to couple the lower beds 550, 552 to the moving assemblies 50 so that play between the lower beds 550, 552 and the moving assemblies 50 is reduced. In one embodiment, this may be accomplished using a threaded member (e.g. threaded rod, threaded portion of a bolt, etc.) coupled to the lower beds 550, 552. The threaded member may be received by the hole 122 in the mounting member 110 of the moving assemblies 50. A nut may be used to secure the mounting member 110 to the lower beds 550, 552. Although the hole 122 may be oversized to make it easier to receive the threaded member, once the nut is tightened, there may be little, or, desirably, no play between the lower beds 550, 552 and the moving assemblies 50.

[0355] In another embodiment, the lower beds 550, 552 may be coupled to the moving assemblies 50 so that play is provided at the interface of the lower beds 550, 552 and the moving assemblies 50. This may be desirable to take into account variations in the distance between the adjacent lifting assemblies 30 coupled to the same side wall as the lower beds 550, 552 move vertically.

[0356] With continued reference to FIG. 67, braces 382 may be provided to support the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552. In one embodiment, the braces 382 may extend upward and outward from the lower ends 132 of the moving members 80 to the bottom side 58 in a manner which provides support to the lower beds 550, 552 in general and, desirably, to the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552. In another embodiment, the braces may form a rectangular structure which is coupled to the moving member 80 and extends under and is coupled to the bottom side 58 of the lower beds 550, 552. In another embodiment, the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552 may be supported from above using an arrangement similar to how the upper beds 551, 553 are supported in the use configuration 384, as explained in greater detail below.

[0357] The braces 382 may be made from any suitable material and in a wide variety of configurations. For example, in one embodiment, the braces 382 comprise a cylindrical tubular steel material which has been flattened and bent at each end so that the braces 382 may be coupled to the moving members 80 and the lower beds 550, 552. FIG. 72 shows one example of this embodiment. In another embodiment, the braces 382 may be made from a piece of steel plate which is sized and configured to be coupled to the moving members 80 and the bottom side 58 of the lower beds 550, 552. In further embodiments, the braces 382 may be made from metal, wood, plastics, composites, etc., in a wide variety of configurations so long as the braces 382 are capable of supporting the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552.

[0358] It should be appreciated that many other configurations may be provided additional support to the lower beds 550, 552 beyond what has been described and illustrated. For example, in another embodiment, a cross brace may be configured to be coupled to and extend between the lower ends 132 of the moving members 80 in a direction which is parallel to the side walls 16, 18. Additional braces 382 may be configured to extend from the cross brace to the bottom side 58 of the lower beds 550, 552.

[0359] With continued reference to FIG. 67, the upper beds 551, 553 may be movably coupled to the lifting assemblies 30 in a wide variety of ways. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 67, moving assemblies 564a, 564b, 564c, 564d (collectively referred to as “the moving assemblies 564”) may be configured to cooperate with the support assemblies 60 to guide the upper beds 551, 553 as the upper beds 551, 553 move vertically. In one embodiment, the moving assemblies 564 may be dummy moving assemblies. In another embodiment, the moving assemblies 564 may include a drive assembly (e.g., a drive member similar to drive member 34c and a motor assembly 36) which powers the upper beds 551, 553 separately from the lower beds 550, 552.

[0360] Referring to FIGS. 68–70, a front perspective assembled view, a back perspective assembled view, and a back perspective exploded view, respectively, are shown of one embodiment of one moving assembly 564. The moving assembly 564 may be configured to cooperate with the support member 64 in a manner which is similar to how the moving assembly 50 cooperates with the support member 64 described previously. However, rather than using a drive mechanism 90 and a roller assembly 100 to cooperate with the support member 64, the moving assembly 564 uses two roller assemblies 100.

[0361] As shown in FIGS. 68–70, one roller assembly 100 is positioned at the upper end 154 of the moving assembly 564 and another roller assembly 100 is positioned at the lower end 132 of the moving assembly 564. During operation, the rollers 140 are disposed in the recess 69 and in contact with the engaging portion 68 of the support members 64. The rollers 140 are generally configured to rotate in cooperation with the support member 64. The flanges 76, 78 of the moving assemblies 564 cooperate with the corresponding flanges 72, 74 on the support member 64 to prevent the support member 64 from separating from the moving assembly 564. The combination of the rollers 140 cooperating with the engaging portion 68 and the flanges 76, 78 cooperating with the corresponding flanges 72, 74 securely holds the support member 64 and the moving assembly 564 in cooperation with each other.

[0362] The mounting member 110 may be positioned in any suitable location relative to the moving assembly 564. For example, as shown in FIG. 67, the mounting member 110 may be coupled to the middle of the moving assembly 564. In other embodiments, the mounting member 110 may be coupled to the upper end 154, the lower end 132, or any place in between. Also, the mounting member 110 may be coupled to the first side 124 or the second side 126. It is also contemplated that more than one mounting member 110 may be used. For example, one mounting member 110 may be configured to extend outward from the first side 124 and another mounting member 110 may be configured to extend outward from the second side 126 in the opposite direction of the mounting member 110 coupled to the first side 124.

[0363] Referring to FIG. 71, a cross sectional view is shown of another embodiment of the moving assembly 564. In this embodiment, the moving assembly 564 is configured similarly to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 68–70 except that the moving assembly 564 is provided without roller assemblies 100. By not using the roller assemblies 100, the distance that the moving assembly 564 extends outward from the support member 64 towards the bed may be reduced. Thus, a wider bed may be provided without encroaching further into the aisle 554. The sides 124, 126 of the moving member 80 are sized so that the flanges 76, 78 on the support member 64 fit between and engage both the flanges 72, 74 and the base 128 of the moving member 80. The wear guide 148 may be positioned on the flanges 76, 78 to reduce the friction and/or wear between the flanges 76, 78 on the support member 64 and the flanges 72, 74 and the base 128 of the moving member 80. In another embodiment, the moving assembly 564 may be configured to move inside a channel defined by the support member 64 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 26. Although not shown, the mounting member 110 may be coupled to the moving assembly 564 in any suitable location.

[0364] It should be appreciated that the embodiments of the moving assembly 564 may be modified in a number of ways. Also, many other additional embodiments may be provided beyond those described and illustrated herein so long as the moving assembly 564 is capable of guiding the movement of the upper beds 551, 553. For example, in another embodiment, the support brackets 396 and the guides 408 illustrated in FIG. 56 may be modified to include flanges which cooperate with the flanges 76, 78 of the support member 64 in a similar manner as the flanges 72, 74 of the moving assembly 564 from FIGS. 68–70 engage the flanges 76, 78. Numerous additional embodiments may be provided as well.

[0365] Referring to FIG. 72, a perspective view is shown of the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c from the first pair of beds 550, 551 coupled to the first side wall 16. The beds 550, 551 are not shown in this illustration to better illustrate the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c. In general, the moving assemblies 50, 564 cooperate with support assemblies 60 to move the beds 550, 551 between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388.

[0366] During operation, the lower beds 550, 552 may be used to lift the upper beds 551, 553 in a manner similar to how the lower bed 40a is used to lift the upper bed 40b. In one embodiment, the lower beds 550, 552 may be configured to contact the bottom side 58 of the upper beds 551, 553 to raise the upper beds 551, 553 to the stowed configuration 388. In another embodiment, the moving assemblies 50 may contact the moving assemblies 564 with little or no contact between the lower beds 550, 552 and the upper beds 551, 553.

[0367] Referring to FIGS. 67 and 72, the first sides 556 of the upper beds 551, 553 may be supported in the use configuration 384 using the stops 394 coupled to the side walls 16, 18 of the vehicle 10. The stops 394 engage the support brackets 396 (not shown in FIGS. 67 and 72) coupled to the first sides 556 of the upper beds 551, 553. In FIG. 67, the first side 556 of the upper bed 553 is shown being supported by the stops 394 in the use configuration 384. It should be understood that the first sides 556 of the upper beds 551, 553 may be supported in a number of suitable ways so long as the upper beds 551, 553 are held securely.

[0368] The second sides 558 of the upper beds 551, 553 may also be supported in the use configuration 384 in a number of ways. For example, in one embodiment, one or more support elements 566 such as a strap (e.g., woven nylon, etc.), chain, cable, rod, etc. may be used to support the upper beds 551, 553 in the use configuration 384. In one embodiment, the support elements 566 extend from the ceiling 24 of the vehicle 10 to the second sides 558 of the upper beds 551, 553. In another embodiment, the support elements 566 may extend from the respective side wall 16, 18 which the upper bed 551, 553 is coupled to the second sides 558.

[0369] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 67, the support elements 566 are cables which are coupled to the side walls 16, 18 and extend diagonally relative to the side walls 16, 18 to the second sides 558 of the upper beds 551, 553. Although in this embodiment the support elements 566 are shown being coupled to the side walls 16, 18, the support elements 566 may also be coupled to the support assemblies 60 or, as previously mentioned, the ceiling 24. The support elements 566 may be coupled to the second sides 558 of the upper beds 551, 553 using a coupler 568. The coupler 568 may be any suitable device which securely couples the support elements 566 to the upper beds 551, 553.

[0370] Referring to FIGS. 73–76, in one embodiment, the coupler 568 may include an opening or slot 570 which is sized to be received by a corresponding support pin 572 on the upper beds 551, 553. As shown in FIG. 73, the support pin 572 may include a threaded portion 574 which extends through a hole 578 in the bed frame 54 and is received by a nut 576 to couple the support pin 572 to the bed frame 54. The opening 570 in the coupler 568 is shaped to include a large or first portion 584 which is capable of fitting over the head 580 of the support pin 572 and a small or second portion 586 which is capable of receiving the body 582 of the support pin 572 but not the head 580. The coupler 568 may be coupled to the support pin 572 by inserting the head 580 of the support pin 572 through the large portion 584 of the opening 570 and then sliding the support pin 572 to engage the body 582 with the small portion 586 of the opening 570.

[0371] It should be appreciated that many other devices and configurations may be used to couple the support element 566 to the upper beds 551, 553. For example, in another embodiment, the support element 566 may include a pin which is received by an opening in the bed frame 54 of the upper beds 551, 553. Numerous other embodiments may also be used.

[0372] Referring to FIG. 77, a front view of the system 12 is provided from a vantage point inside the vehicle 10. In general, the configuration of the first pair of beds 550, 551 and the second pair of beds 552, 553 may be similar to that shown in FIG. 67. In this embodiment, however, the support elements 566 may be used to support the upper beds 551, 553 and the lower beds 550, 552 in the stowed configuration 388.

[0373] In one embodiment, the support elements 566 include multiple couplers 568 positioned at locations along the support elements 566 which are suitable to support the upper beds 551, 553 and/or the lower beds 550, 552. For example, as shown in FIG. 77, both the upper bed 551 and the lower bed 550 of the first pair of beds 550, 551 may be supported in the stowed configuration 388. This may be desirable to provide additional support for the first pair of beds 550, 551 as the vehicle 10 travels along a road. In another embodiment, also shown in FIG. 77, the upper bed 553 of the second pair of beds 552, 553 may be supported in a stowed position by the support element 566 while the lower bed 552 is lowered for use. In addition to the support element 566, a stop 394 may be provided which engages the engaging portion 68 of the support member 64 to also support the upper bed 553 in the stowed position. In another embodiment, the first side 556 of the upper bed 553 may be supported by another support element 566 which extends from the ceiling 24 or the second side wall 18, and the second side 558 may be supported by the support element 566 as shown. Numerous other embodiments may also be provided.

[0374] Referring to FIGS. 67 and 77, the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552 may be supported in the use configuration 384 using supports or legs 588. In one embodiment, the supports 588 extend from the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552 to the floor 26. In one embodiment, the supports 588 may be a fold-up leg which folds up against the bottom side 58 of the lower beds 550, 552 when not in use. In another embodiment, the supports 588 may be adjustable (e.g., telescopic) to allow the supports 588 to be moved into contact with the floor 26.

[0375] It should be appreciated that the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552 may be supported in the use configuration 384 in a number of widely varying ways. For example, in another embodiment the support elements 566 may be configured to extend from the second sides 558 of the lower beds 550, 552 to the corresponding side wall 16, 18 which the bed is coupled to or to the ceiling 24. A wide number of additional embodiments may be used.

[0376] Referring to FIG. 78, another embodiment of the system 12 is shown being used in the corner of a room 592. The room 592 includes a first side wall 596, a second side wall 598, a ceiling 594, and a floor 600. The first side wall 596 and the second side wall 598 meet together in a corner of the room 592. The room 592 may be part of a mobile structure such as the vehicle 10, or it may be part of an immobile structure such as a building. In this embodiment, a lower bed 590 and an upper bed 591 are coupled to the first side wall 596 and the second side wall 598 using the lifting assemblies 30a, 30b, 30c. In general, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c are configured to be coupled to the first side wall 596 in a similar manner to how the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c are coupled to the first side wall 16 in FIG. 67.

[0377] As shown in FIG. 78, the lifting assembly 30b may be coupled to the second side wall 598 so that the lifting assembly 30b faces in a direction which is about 90 degrees from the direction that the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c face. In one embodiment, the drive member 34b may be configured to extend from the transmission 200, which is coupled to the moving assembly 50a, directly to the drive shaft 150b of the moving assembly 50b. In this embodiment, the lifting assembly 30a may be coupled adjacent to the second side wall 598 so that the drive member 34b is configured to extend directly from the transmission 200 to the drive shaft 150b of the moving assembly 50b. Although three lifting assemblies 30 are shown in FIG. 78, it should be appreciated that more or less may be used to raise and/or lower the beds 590, 591. For example, in one embodiment, two lifting assemblies 30 may be coupled to the first side wall 596 and two lifting assemblies 30 may be coupled to the second side wall 598. Additional embodiments may also be provided.

[0378] The corners 602 of the beds 590, 591 may be supported in the use configuration 384 using the support 588 and/or the support element 566. In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 78, the support element 566 may be a fabric strap such as an interwoven nylon fabric strap. The support 588 may be a folding-leg similar to that shown in FIG. 67. It should be appreciated, that the beds 590, 591 may also be supported in the use configuration 384 and/or the stowed configuration (now shown in FIG. 78) using the braces 382 and/or any other suitable support structure. For example, in another embodiment, the braces 382 may be positioned between the lower ends 132 of the moving assemblies 50b, 50c and the bottom side 58 of the lower bed 590. Many other additional configurations may also be used.

[0379] The beds 590, 591 may be moved between a use configuration 384 where the beds 590, 591 are spaced apart from each other and configured to receive a person to sleep thereon and a stowed configuration (not shown in FIG. 78) where the beds 590, 591 are positioned adjacent to each other near the ceiling 594 in a number of suitable ways. In one embodiment, the lower bed 590 may be configured to contact the bottom side 58 of the upper bed 591 so that the weight of the upper bed 591 is borne by the lower bed 590.

[0380] Many additional embodiments may also be provided for moving the beds 590, 591 between the use configuration 384 and the stowed configuration 388. For example, the embodiments described and illustrated previously may also be used to vertically move the beds 590, 591 in the corner of the room 592. In this embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c may be positioned opposite the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d so that the drive member 34b extends between the transmissions 200. In another embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30a, 30c may be coupled to the first side wall 596 as shown in FIG. 78 and positioned opposite the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d. The arrangement of the lifting assemblies 30 may be similar to that shown in FIG. 2, except that the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d are not backed by a wall. Rather, the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d may be supported in an upright position in a number of ways. For example, in one embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d may be coupled together using cross members to provide a rigid free standing structure. In another embodiment, the lifting assembly 30b may be coupled to the second side wall 598 with the lifting assembly 30b facing the lifting assembly 30a. The lifting assembly 30d may be coupled to the lifting assembly 30b using cross members to support the lifting assembly 30d in an upright position. In yet another embodiment, the lifting assemblies 30b, 30d may be coupled to the floor 600 and/or the ceiling 594. Numerous additional embodiments may also be used. It should be appreciated that many of the configurations and principles described in relation to earlier embodiments may also apply in these embodiments. For example, in the embodiments where the lifting assemblies 30 are positioned opposite each other, stops 394 similar to those shown in FIGS. 58–61 may be coupled to the support assemblies 60 to support the upper bed 591 in the use configuration 384.

[0381] Referring to FIG. 79, a perspective view of another embodiment of the system 12 is shown from inside the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the system 12 includes lifting assemblies 630a, 630b, 630c, 630d (collectively referred to as “the lifting assemblies 630”)—alternatively referred to herein as sliding assemblies or sliding mechanisms—a drive member 634—alternatively referred to herein as synchronizing assemblies, synchronizing members, or timing assemblies—cross members 614, and a motor assembly 636. The lifting assemblies 630a, 630c are coupled to the first side wall 16, and the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d are coupled to the second side wall 18. The lifting assemblies 630 may be used to vertically move a first or lower bed 640 and a second or upper bed 641 between a use configuration 610 where the beds 640, 641 are spaced apart and a stowed configuration 612 where the beds 640, 641 are positioned adjacent to the ceiling 24. A perspective view of the stowed configuration 612 is shown in FIG. 80. The drive member 634 may be used to move the pair of lifting assemblies 630a, 630c coupled to the first side wall 16 and the pair of lifting assemblies 630b, 630d coupled to the second side wall 18 together. The motor assembly 636 may be used to drive the lifting assemblies 630.

[0382] It should be appreciated that in describing the components in the embodiment in FIGS. 79–80, and, at a general level, any alternative or additional embodiment, that a description of the same component or a similar component in connection with previous or later embodiments should be considered to be applicable to the components in the present embodiment without explicitly stating the same. Also, situations where it is explicitly stated that a component may be similar to another component or that a component may have a particular feature or configuration of another component should not be taken as implying that the component may not be similar to other similar components or may not have other features or configurations of other similar components which are not explicitly mentioned. Accordingly, components such as, for example, the beds 640, 641 in FIG. 79 may be configured similarly to the beds 40a, 40b described previously, and the beds 640, 641 may also move in a similar fashion as the beds 40a, 40b.

[0383] In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 79, four lifting assemblies 630 may be used to vertically move the beds 640, 641. In other embodiments, one, two, three, five, six, or more lifting assemblies 630 may be used to vertically move the beds 640, 641. The lifting assemblies 630 may be coupled to the same side wall, opposing side walls, or on side walls which are perpendicular to each other. Thus, many configurations of the lifting assemblies 630 may be provided to vertically move the beds 640, 641.

[0384] As shown in FIG. 79, a cross member 614 may be coupled between the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c and the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d. The combination of each pair of the lifting assemblies 630 and the cross member 614 may form a rigid structure which can be coupled to the side walls 16, 18. Also, the cross member 614 may be used to conceal a flexible drive member 632, 638 (FIGS. 81–82) such as a chain, cable, toothed belt, or strap which moves behind or inside the cross member 614.

[0385] The lifting assemblies 630a, 630b, 630c, 630d each include a moving assembly 650a, 650b, 650c, 650d (collectively referred to as “the moving assemblies 650”), a moving assembly 651a, 651b, 651c, 651d (collectively referred to as “the moving assemblies 651”)—the moving assemblies 650, 651 may alternatively be referred to herein as carriages, trolleys, sliding units, or moving guide assemblies—and a guide assembly 660a, 660b, 660c, 660d (collectively referred to as “the guide assemblies 660”)—alternatively referred to herein as a support assembly. In this embodiment, the moving assemblies 651 may be coupled to the upper bed 641 and the moving assemblies 650 may be coupled to the lower bed 640. The moving assemblies 650, 651 may be configured to cooperate with the corresponding guide assemblies 660 to vertically move the beds 640, 641 between the use configuration 610 and the stowed configuration 612. In one embodiment, the moving assemblies 650, 651 slidably cooperate with the guide assemblies 660 to vertically move the beds 640, 641.

[0386] Although the lifting assemblies 630 are shown being configured to vertically move two beds, it should be appreciated that the lifting assemblies 630 may be used to vertically move one, three, or more beds. For example, in one embodiment, three beds may be moved between the use configuration 610 where the beds are spaced apart to receive one or more persons to sleep thereon and the stowed configuration 612 where the beds are positioned adjacent to the ceiling 24. Of course, any number of the beds in widely varying configurations may be provided.

[0387] The system 12, shown in FIG. 79, may be installed in the vehicle 10 in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the system 12 may be installed by first coupling at least one of the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c to the first side wall 16. In one embodiment, the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c and the cross member 614 may be coupled as an assembled unit to the first side wall 16. At least one of the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d may then be coupled to the second side wall 18. In another embodiment, the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d and the cross member 614 may also be coupled as an assembled unit to the second side wall 18. The drive member 634 may then be coupled between the pairs of lifting assemblies 630 coupled to each—side wall 16, 18. This process of installing the system 12 may be simple and efficient.

[0388] It should be appreciated that many additional ways may be used to couple the system 12 to the vehicle 10. For example, the order in which the lifting assemblies 630 are coupled to the side walls 16, 18 may be varied. Also, in another embodiment, the lifting assemblies 630 may be coupled to the side walls 16, 18 before the cross members 614 are coupled between the lifting assemblies 630. Numerous additional modifications may be made in the method for installing the system 12.

[0389] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 79–80, the lifting assemblies 630 are shown being coupled to the outside of the side walls 16, 18. However, in other embodiments, the system 12 may be configured so that the lifting assemblies 630 are built into the side walls 16, 18. For example, a slit may be provided in the side walls 16, 18 through which the beds 640, 641 may be coupled to the moving assemblies 650, 651. The moving assemblies 650 may be configured to move vertically inside the side walls 16, 18 and, thus, vertically move the beds 640, 641. The configuration of this embodiment may also be varied in a number of ways as desired.

[0390] Referring to FIGS. 81–82, FIG. 81 shows a perspective view of the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c coupled to the first side wall 16 and coupled to each other using the cross member 614, and FIG. 82 shows a perspective view of the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d coupled to the second side wall 18 and coupled to each other using the cross member 614. The moving assemblies 650, 651 each include a moving member 620, 622, respectively,—the moving members 620, 622 may alternatively be referred to herein as housings, brackets, moving guide members, or sliding members—and the guide assemblies 660 each include a guide member 618—alternatively referred to herein as a support member, a channel member, rail, or a stanchion.

[0391] As shown in this embodiment, each lifting assembly 630a, 630b, 630c, 630d may include a flexible drive member 616a, 616b, 616c, 616d (collectively referred to as “the flexible drive members 616”) which may be used to vertically move the moving members 620, 622 in cooperation with the guide members 618. Also, flexible drive members 632, 638 may be used to move the adjacent lifting assemblies 630a, 630c and the adjacent lifting assemblies 630b, 630d, respectively, together. The drive member 634 may be used to move the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c and the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d together. Thus, the flexible drive members 632, 638 and the drive member 634 may be used to move all of the lifting assemblies 630 together.

[0392] It should be appreciated that the configuration of the drive members 632, 634, 638 may be varied in a number of ways. For example, in another embodiment, the flexible drive member 632 may be configured to move the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c together with one drive member 634 extending between the lifting assemblies 630a, 630b and another drive member 634 extending between the lifting assemblies 630c, 630d. Thus, in this embodiment, two drive members 634 may be used and the flexible drive member 638 may be eliminated. Also, in the previous embodiment, the flexible drive member 632 may be positioned anywhere as long as it extends between and is capable of moving the two drive members 634 together. For example, the flexible drive member 632 may be positioned in the middle of the ceiling 24 and configured to extend between the two drive members 634. Numerous additional embodiments may also be provided.

[0393] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 81–82, the flexible drive members 616 form endless loops in each of the guide members 618. The flexible drive member 616 in each endless loop travels along an endless path. For example, as shown in FIG. 81, the flexible drive member 616a forms an endless loop which extends between an upper or first end 624 of the lifting assembly 630a and a lower or second end 626 of the lifting assembly 630a. The flexible drive members 616b, 616c, 616d form endless loops in the lifting assemblies 630b, 630c, 630d in a similar manner. The endless loops formed by the flexible drive members 616 are generally oriented vertically in a plane which is parallel to the side walls 16, 18.

[0394] It should be understood that the flexible drive members 616 may be used to form the entire endless loop, such as when the flexible drive members 616 are continuous loops of chain, or to form a part of the endless loop such as when the flexible drive members 616 are chains where a rigid component (e.g., moving member 620) is coupled between the ends of each of the chain. Either way, an endless loop is provided which travels along an endless path.

[0395] Each endless loop formed by the flexible drive members 616 includes a load bearing or first side 642 and a return or second side 644. The flexible drive members 616 each include a load bearing portion 652—alternatively referred to herein as a load bearing length or load bearing segment—on the load bearing side 642 of the endless loop, which extends from the location of the load, the moving assembly 650 in this embodiment, vertically to the upper end 624 of the lifting assemblies 630 where the load is supported. The load bearing portion 652 is generally that portion of the flexible drive members 616 which bears the load as the beds 640, 641 are moved vertically. The flexible drive members 616 also each include a return portion 654—alternatively referred to herein as a slack portion, return length, or return segment—on the return side 644 of the endless loop, which, in general, is the portion of the flexible drive members 616 which do not bear the load as the beds 640, 641 are raised and lowered. The load bearing side 642 is that side of the endless loop which is coupled to the load, e.g., the moving member 620, and the return side 644 is the other side of the endless loop.

[0396] As shown in FIGS. 81–82, the load bearing sides 642 and the return sides 644 of the flexible drive members 616 extend vertically lengthwise relative to the side walls 16, 18 and are, more or less, parallel to each other. In one embodiment, the load bearing portions 652 are coupled to the moving assemblies 650 so that the moving assemblies 650 and the flexible drive members 616 move along the endless paths defined by the endless loops at the same rate. The return portions 654 of the flexible drive members 616 are configured to move in the opposite direction of the moving assemblies 650, 651. For example, as the moving assemblies 650 are being raised, the return portions 654 move downwardly.

[0397] The flexible drive members 632, 638 are used to move the respective lifting assemblies 630 in unison. Each of the flexible drive members 632, 638 includes a load bearing or first side 646 and a return or second side 648. A taught portion or length 656 of the flexible drive members 632, 638 on the load bearing side 646 bears the weight of the beds 640, 641 at any give time. A slack portion or length 658 of the flexible drive members 632, 638 on the return side 648 serves to close the endless loop. Both the taught portions 656 and the slack portions 658 extend between the upper ends 624 of adjacent lifting assemblies 630 and are generally parallel to each other. The taught portions 656 are the portion of the flexible drive members 632, 638 which, at any given time, are in tension due to the weight of the moving assemblies 650 and the beds 640, 641.

[0398] It should be appreciated that the configuration of the flexible drive members 616, 632, 638 may be varied in a number of ways. For example, the load bearing sides 642 and the return sides 644 of the flexible drive members 616 may be switched with each other. This can be done by coupling the flexible drive members 616 to the moving assemblies 650 using what was previously the return sides 644. Thus, the return sides 644 become the load bearing sides 642 and what was once the load bearing sides 642 become the return sides 644. Also, by switching the load bearing sides 642 and the return sides 644 of the flexible drive members 616 with each other, the load bearing sides 646 and the return sides 648 of the flexible drive members 632, 638 are switched as well.

[0399] In operation, the motor assembly 636 is used to move the flexible drive members 616 along the endless paths. Since the moving assemblies 650 are coupled to the flexible drive members 616, the moving assemblies 650 also move along the endless path. For example, as shown in FIGS. 81–82, as the load bearing portion 652 of the flexible drive member 616a moves upward, the moving assembly 650a is raised and the flexible drive member 632 in the taught portion 656 moves toward the upper end 624 of the lifting assembly 630a. As the flexible drive member 632 moves in this manner, the load bearing portion 652 of the flexible drive member 616c also moves upward, thus raising the moving assembly 650c. At the same time, the rotary motion provided by the motor assembly 636 is transmitted by the drive member 634 to the flexible drive member 616b. The load bearing portion 652 of the flexible drive member 616b moves upward as the drive member 634 rotates, thus raising the moving assembly 650b. As the flexible drive member 616b moves in this manner, the flexible drive member 638 in the taught portion 656 moves toward the upper end 624 of the lifting assembly 630b. By moving the flexible drive member 638 in this manner, the load bearing portion 652 of the flexible drive member 616d moves upward, thus raising the moving assembly 650d. In this manner, the moving assemblies 650 and the beds 640, 641 may be moved vertically as desired.

[0400] In one embodiment, the flexible drive members 616 may be roller chains. In this embodiment, one or more sprockets may be provided at the upper end 624 and/or the lower end 626 to facilitate movement of the flexible drive members 616 along the endless path. In one embodiment, the roller chain may be #35 roller chain. The roller chain may also be corrosion resistant (e.g., nickel plated, stainless steel, etc.). In another embodiment the flexible drive members 616 may be toothed belts as shown and described in connection with FIGS. 110–111. The toothed belts may have straight teeth or may have helical offset teeth. The toothed belts may be configured to cooperate with a corresponding sprocket having the same tooth design. In one embodiment, the toothed belt may be a polyurethane toothed belt such as the Goodyear Eagle PD polyurethane toothed belt.

[0401] It should be appreciated that the flexible drive members 616 may be configured in a number of suitable ways beyond what is shown in FIGS. 81–82. For example, the flexible drive members 616 may be any suitable flexible material such as a V-shaped belt, etc. Also, in another embodiment, the flexible drive members 616 and the cross members 614 may extend between the lower ends 626 of the lifting assemblies 630. Further still, the flexible drive members 632, 638 which extend between the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c and the lifting assemblies 630b, 630d, respectively, may be substituted with a rigid drive member. For example, the rigid drive member may be configured to extend between the transmissions 200 which may be coupled to the upper ends 624 of the lifting assemblies 630. Many additional embodiments may also be provided.

[0402] Holes 628 in the upper ends 624 of the lifting assemblies 630 may be used to couple the lifting assemblies 630 to the side walls 16, 18. The holes 628 may be used to receive any of a number of suitable fasteners which are used to couple the lifting assemblies 630 to the first side wall 16. For example, in one embodiment, bolts or screws may extend through the holes 628 and into the side walls 16, 18 to securely hold the lifting assemblies 630a, 630c to the side walls 16, 18. Also, the lower ends 626 of the lifting assemblies 630 may include the holes 628 and, thus, be capable of being coupled to the side walls 16, 18 as well.

[0403] It should be appreciated that the ways in which the lifting assemblies 630 may coupled to the side walls 16, 18 are numerous. For example, in another embodiment, the holes 628 may be included in the middle of the lifting assemblies 630. Also, flanges may be included which extend outward from the guide members 618 adjacent to and parallel with the side walls 16, 18. The flanges may include the holes 628 so that fasteners may be used to couple the flanges and, thus, the lifting assemblies 630 to the side walls 16, 18.

[0404] Referring to FIGS. 83–84, a perspective view of one embodiment of the cross member 614 is shown assembled in FIG. 83 and exploded in FIG. 84. In this embodiment, the cross member 614 is configured to be adjustable lengthwise in order to provide the desired amount of tension in the flexible drive members 632, 638. The cross member 614 includes a first end section 662, a second end section 664, and an intermediate section 666. In this embodiment, the intermediate section 666 fits over corresponding portions of the first end section 662 and the second end section 664. The first end section 662 and the second end section 664 include holes 668, and the intermediate section 666 includes holes 672. Fasteners such as bolts, screws, pins, and the like may be received by the holes 668, 672 to couple the end sections 662, 664 to the intermediate section 666. The holes 672 in the intermediate section 666 may be oversized in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate section 666 so that intermediate section 666 may be moved longitudinally relative to at least one of the end sections 662, 664 to adjust the tension in the flexible drive members 632, 638. In one embodiment, the holes 668 in the end sections 662, 664 may be threaded to received a corresponding threaded portion of a fastener (e.g., bolt, screw, etc.). The intermediate section 666 may also include holes 674 which are configured to receive a fastener to hold the intermediate section 666 in place relative to one or both the end sections 662, 664. For example, a self tapping screw may be received by the holes 674 and used to create corresponding holes in the end sections 662, 664 to secure the intermediate section 666 to the end sections 662, 664.

[0405] It should be appreciated that many other configurations may be provided for the cross member 614. For example, in another embodiment, rather than using three sections, the cross member 614 may include two sections which may be adjusted lengthwise relative to each other. The two sections may be coupled together in a manner similar to that shown in FIGS. 83–84. In another embodiment, the cross member 614 may be a one-piece structure which is sized to provide the desired tension in the flexible drive members 632, 638. In another embodiment, an idler, tensioner, or take-up make be used to provide the desired tension in the flexible drive members 632, 638. The idler, tensioner, or take-up may be a sprocket, roller, and the like. It may be made from plastic, metal, composites, or any other suitable material. In another embodiment, the cross member 614 may be omitted so that the flexible drive members 632, 638 are in open view. Many additional configurations may be provided.

[0406] Referring to FIGS. 85–86, FIG. 85 shows a cut-away, assembled perspective view of the lifting assembly 630a. FIG. 86 shows an exploded perspective view of the lifting assembly 630a. The lifting assembly 630a is used in the following description as an example of the configuration, operation, and use of the lifting assemblies 630 in the system 12 shown in FIGS. 79–80. Accordingly, unless noted otherwise, the following description, features, etc. should be understood to equally apply to the lifting assemblies 630b, 630c, 630d. It should be noted that in the configuration of the lifting assembly 630a shown in FIGS. 85–86, the load bearing side 642 and the return side 644 have been reversed relative to the embodiment shown in FIG. 81. Also, the load bearing side 646 and the return side 648 of the flexible drive member 632 have also been reversed relative to the embodiment shown in FIG. 81.

[0407] As shown in FIG. 85, in one embodiment, the motor assembly 636 may be coupled to lifting assembly 630a using a mounting bracket 682. The mounting bracket 682 includes holes 684 which are configured to receive a fastener 686.) The mounting bracket 682 is configured so that the fasteners 686 may extend through the holes 684 and be received by the apertures 202 in the motor housing 198 to secure the motor housing 198 to the mounting bracket 682. In one embodiment, both the fasteners 686 and the apertures 202 may include corresponding threaded portions so that the fasteners may cooperate with the apertures to securely hold the mounting bracket 682 to the motor housing 198. It should be appreciated that many other ways may be used to couple the mounting bracket 682 to the motor housing 198 such as welding, brazing, etc.

[0408] The mounting bracket 682 also includes holes 688 which may be configured to receive a fastener 692. The guide member 618 may also include holes 694 which correspond to the holes 688 and are also configured to receive the fastener 692. Thus, the mounting bracket 682 may be coupled to the guide member 618 by positioning the fastener 692 in the holes 688 in the mounting bracket 682 and the holes 694 in the guide member 618. In this manner, the motor assembly 636 may be coupled to the guide member 618.

[0409] It should be appreciated that the motor assembly 636 may be coupled to the lifting assembly 630a in a number of suitable ways. For example, in another embodiment, the motor assembly 636 may be coupled to the cross member 614. This may be done by rotating the motor assembly 636 180 degrees from the configuration shown in FIG. 85 and along an axis defined by the drive sleeve 208 so that the apertures 202 are positioned lengthwise relative to the cross member 614. The apertures 202 may be configured to receive a fastener 686 which extends through holes in the cross member 614.

[0410] In other embodiments, the motor assembly 636 may be coupled to the side walls 16, 18, the ceiling 24 or any other suitable location. For example, another embodiment of the mounting bracket 682 may be provided which facilitates coupling the motor assembly 636 to the ceiling 24 and/or the first side wall 16. In yet another embodiment, the drive member 634 may be provided as two separate sections with the motor assembly 636 coupled to the ceiling 24 at a position between the two sections. Numerous additional configurations may also be used.

[0411] As shown in FIG. 85, a first end 680 of a drive shaft 670a extends outwardly from the upper end 624 of the lifting assembly 630a. The drive shaft 670a may be used to move the flexible drive members 616a, 632. The first end 680 of the drive shaft 670a may be received in the bore 210 defined by the drive sleeve 208 of the motor assembly 636. As shown in FIG. 85, the first end 680 of the drive shaft 670a is hexagonally shaped and sized to be received by the corresponding hexagonally shaped drive sleeve 208. In this manner, the drive sleeve 208 may engage the drive shaft 670a so that when the motor 160 is activated the drive shaft 670a rotates. The mounting bracket 682 includes an opening 696 through which the drive shaft 670a is positioned when the motor assembly 636 is coupled to the guide member 618. The opening 696 is sized to allow the drive shaft 670a to rotate freely therein.

[0412] Referring to FIG. 86, the lifting assembly 630a includes an upper group of components 676, a lower group of components 678, the moving assembly 650a, and the moving assembly 651a. The upper group of components 676 are shown separately in FIG. 87, and the lower group of components 678 are shown separately in FIG. 88. Also, the moving assemblies 650a, 651a are shown separately in FIGS. 89–90, respectively. The groups of components 676, 678 are referred to as such in order to facilitate description of the various components included as part of the lifting assembly 630a. Accordingly, it should be understood that the components provided in the upper group of components 676 or the lower group of components 678 may be located anywhere in the lifting assembly 630a and do not necessarily have to be located at the upper end 624 or the lower end 626 of the lifting assemblies 630.

[0413] In FIGS. 86–87, the upper group of components 676 includes the guide member 618, the cross member 614, and an upper drive mechanism 690. In this embodiment, the guide member 618 is coupled to the first side wall 16 so that the longitudinal direction of the guide member 618 is positioned vertically. The guide member 618 includes a first side 702, a second side 704, and a base 706. The first side 702 and the second side 704 extend outwardly from the base 706 in a direction that is away from the first side wall 16. In general, the first side 702 and the second side 704 are parallel to each other. Securing flange 708 and securing flange 710 extend from the first side 702 and the second side 704, respectively, towards each other to form a gap 712 between the flanges 702, 704. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 86–87, the securing flanges 708, 710 are generally parallel to the base 706. The combination of the first side 702, the second side 704, the base 706, and/or the securing flanges 708, 710 defines a channel 714 extending lengthwise through the guide member 618. In one embodiment, the guide member 618 may be configured to have a C shaped cross section (e.g., C-channel) which includes the channel 714. As shown in FIGS. 85–86, the channel may be sized and otherwise configured to receive the moving assemblies 650a, 651a to allow the moving assemblies 650a, 651a to move vertically inside the channel 714.

[0414] In one embodiment, the guide members 618 used in the various lifting assemblies 630 shown in FIG. 79 may be substantially similar or identical to each other. Thus, when the lifting assemblies 630 are assembled, the same guide member 618 may be used in the lifting assembly 630a as those used in the lifting assemblies 630b, 630c, 630d. However, in other embodiments, one configuration of the guide member 618 may be used for one lifting assembly 630 while another configuration may be used for another one of the lifting assemblies 630. Thus, the guide members 618 may be configured differently from each other depending on which lifting assembly 630 uses the guide member 618.

[0415] As shown in FIGS. 86–87, the guide member 618 includes a bushing protrusion 716 which defines a hole 718 used to receive a second end 720 of the drive shaft 670a. In this embodiment, the bushing protrusion 716 extends from the base 706 into the channel 714. This may be desirable to allow the base 706 to fit flush against the first side wall 16.

[0416] In one embodiment, the drive mechanism 690 includes the drive shaft 670a, a first sprocket 722, a second sprocket 724—the first and second sprockets may alternatively be referred to herein as a rotatable member, rotatable wheel, or toothed wheel—a first bearing 726, and a second bearing 728—the first and second bearings may alternatively be referred to herein as bushings, sleeves, or friction reducing members. The drive shaft 670a includes the hexagonally shaped first end 680, the cylindrical second end 720, and a cylindrical intermediate portion 730. The first bearing 726 and the second bearing 728 include an axial hole 732 and an axial hole 734, respectively. The drive shaft 670a is positioned to rotate on an axis which is perpendicular to the first side wall 16 of the vehicle 10.

[0417] The cylindrical second end 120 is sized and configured to be received in an axial hole 734 in the second bearing 728. The second bearing 728 is sized to be received in the hole 718 in the guide member 618. In one embodiment, the second bearing 728 is secured in the hole 718 by the friction between the second bearing 728 and the hole 718.

[0418] In one embodiment, the sprockets 722, 724 may be coupled to the intermediate portion 730 of the drive shaft 670a. This may be done in any of a number of suitable ways. For example, in one embodiment, the sprockets 722, 724 may be provided as a double sprocket which is coupled to the drive shaft 670 using a pin and hole arrangement. In another embodiment, the intermediate portion 730 may be hexagonally shaped and configured to cooperate with an axial hole in the double sprocket which is also hexagonally shaped. In yet another embodiment, the drive shaft 670a and the sprockets 722, 724 may be made as an integral piece. For example, the drive shaft 670a and the sprockets 722, 724 may be made as one integral piece using powdered metal.

[0419] In yet another embodiment, the intermediate portion 730 of the drive shaft 670a may include a raised portion having a diameter which is larger than the axial hole in the sprockets 722, 724. The first sprocket 722 may be configured to be positioned adjacent to one side of the raised portion and the second sprocket 724 may be configured to be positioned adjacent to the other side of the raised portion. The length of the raised portion may be adjusted to provide the desired distance between the sprockets 722, 724. The sprockets 722, 724 may be coupled to the drive shaft 670a using soldering, brazing, or any other suitable process. The sprockets 722, 724 used in this embodiment may be provided using conventional metal stamping techniques. Also, in another embodiment, the sprockets 722, 724 may be soldered or otherwise coupled to a drive sleeve having a raised portion. The drive sleeve may be configured to include a hexagonal bore which is used to receive a corresponding hexagonal drive shaft. The drive sleeve engaged with the hexagonal drive shaft may be used to form the drive shaft 670a as shown in FIGS. 86–87. Thus, in one embodiment, the drive shafts 670a, 670b, which engage the motor assembly 636 and the drive member 634, may be made using the drive sleeve and the drive shafts 670c, 670d may be made using a solid drive shaft 670.

[0420] With continued reference to FIGS. 86–87, the intermediate portion 730 of the drive shaft 670a may be configured to be positioned in the axial hole 732 of the first bearing 726. The first bearing 726 may be configured to be positioned in the recess defined by the bushing protrusion 736 in the cross member 614 so that the first end 680 extends through a hole 740 in the cross member 614. Thus, when assembled, the first end 680 may be positioned to be received by the drive sleeve 208 in the motor housing 198. The bearings 726, 728 may be any suitable bearing which reduces the friction as the drive shaft 670a rotates. For example, the bearings may be ball bearings, roller bearings, etc. In other embodiments, the bearings 726, 728 may be made from plastic, metal, composites, or any other suitable material. For example, the bearings 726, 728 may be plastic bushings sized to be received in the recess defined by the bushing protrusion 736 and in the hole 718 in the guide member 618. Many other embodiments may also be used.

[0421] When assembled, the drive mechanism 690 is supported at the upper end 624 of the lifting assembly 630a by the bushing protrusions 716, 736 and is used to vertically move the moving assembly 650a. In one embodiment, teeth 738 of the sprocket 722 are sized and configured to engage the flexible drive member 616 so that as the sprocket 722 is rotated, the moving assembly 650a may be moved vertically. In a similar fashion, the teeth 738 of the sprocket 724 are sized and configured to engage the flexible drive member 632 so that as the sprocket 724 is rotated, the moving assembly 650c in the lifting assembly 630c moves in unison with the moving assembly 650a. The first side 702 and the second side 704 of the guide member 618 each include a recess 742 through which the flexible drive member 632 travels when the lifting assembly 630 is assembled. Although in the embodiment shown, the flexible drive member 632 only travels through the recess 742 on the second side 704, the recess 742 in the first side 702 is provided so that the same guide member 618 may be used in any of the lifting assemblies 630. For example, when the guide member 618 is used in the lifting assembly 630c then the flexible drive member 632 travels through the recess 742 in the first side 702.

[0422] The drive shaft 670b may be configured similarly to the drive shaft 670a. The other drive shafts 670c, 670d may be provided without the first end 680 protruding through the hole 740 in the cross member 614 since these drive shafts 670c, 670d are not configured, in this embodiment, to engage a drive member 634 extending between the lifting assemblies 630c, 630d. It should be appreciated, however, that the drive shafts 670 may be configured in many suitable ways so long as the drive shafts 670 are capable of supporting and moving the moving assemblies 650.

[0423] It should be appreciated that the drive mechanism 690 and how the drive mechanism is coupled to the guide member 618 may be altered in a number of ways to provide additional embodiments. For example, in another embodiment, the guide member 618 may be configured to include two opposing holes which receive the drive shaft 670a. In this embodiment, the cross member 614 may be configured without the bushing protrusion 736 since the drive shaft 670 is supported entirely by the guide member 618. Also, the cross member 614 may be configured so that the first end section 662 and the second end section 664 do not extend over the face of the guide members 618. Rather, the cross member 614 may only be configured to extend between the guide members 618 and be used to cover the flexible drive member 632. Numerous additional embodiments may also be provided.

[0424] With continued reference to FIGS. 86–87, the cross member 614 may be configured to include a top or first side 746, a bottom or second side 748, and a front or face side 750. In this embodiment, the cross member 614 may have a U-shaped cross section to allow the cross member 614 to fit over the flexible drive member 632 and conceal it from view. In another embodiment, the cross member 614 may have a tubular cross section. In this embodiment, the flexible drive member 632 is inserted through the cross member 614 before being engaged with the sprockets 724 on the drive shafts 670a, 670c. Numerous additional embodiments may also be provided.

[0425] In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 86–87, the first end section 662 of the cross member 614 may be configured to include mounting flanges 744 which are used to couple the cross member 614 to the guide member 618. In one embodiment, the mounting flanges 744 may be formed by bending portions of the top side 746 and the bottom side 748 outward until the portions are perpendicular to the top side 746 and the bottom side 748. Holes 752 may be provided in the mounting flanges 744 which correspond to hole 754 in the guide member. A fastener 756 may be positioned in the corresponding holes 752, 754 to securely couple the cross member 614 to the guide member. Although the fastener 756 is shown as being threaded (e.g., bolt, screw, etc.), it should be understood that other embodiments of fasteners 756 may be used. In other embodiments, the cross member 614 may be coupled to the guide member 618 using welding, brazing, etc.

[0426] In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 86–87, a switch or sensor 758 may be coupled to the guide member 618 and be used to detect when the moving assemblies 650a, 651a have reached an upper limit. When the upper limit is reach, the switch 758 may be used to deactivate the motor 160. In one embodiment, the switch 758 may be a microswitch which,is used to shut off the power to the motor 160 when the microswitch is closed. The switch 758 may be positioned so that the moving member 622 from the moving assembly 651a, or, if only one moving assembly is used with the guide member 618, the moving member 620 contacts and closes the switch when the upper limit is reached.

[0427] The switch 758 may be coupled to the inside of the guide member 618 using fasteners 760 which extend through holes 762 in the securing flange 710. As shown in FIGS. 86–87, the guide member 618 includes two sets of holes 762 so that the switch 758 may be coupled to various vertical locations on the guide members 618. For example, in situations where only the lower bed 640 is being raised, it may be desirable to couple the switch 758 to the guide member 618 using the uppermost set of holes 762 since the upper bed 641 is not present and, thus, the lower bed 640 may be positioned closer to the ceiling 24. For those situations where both the lower bed 640 and the upper bed 641 are being used, it may be desirable to couple the proximity switch 758 to the guide member 618 using the lower set of holes 762 since additional space may be needed to accommodate both of the beds 640, 641.

[0428] Referring to FIGS. 86 and 88, the lower group of components 678 includes a switch or sensor 768, a yoke or tension adjusting assembly 764, and a guard 766. The switch 768 may be configured similarly to the switch 758 used at the upper end 624 of the lifting assembly 630a except that the switch 768 is used to detect when the moving assemblies 650a, 651a have reached a lower limit and deactivate the motor 160 accordingly. Holes 770 are provided in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 86, and 88 to couple the switch 768 to the inside of the guide member 618 in a manner similar to how the switch 758 is coupled to the guide member 618. It should be appreciated that multiple sets of the holes 770 may be provided to couple the switch 768 to different locations at the lower end 626 of the guide member 618. In another embodiment, the switches 758, 768 may be slidably coupled to the guide member 618 so that the upper limit and/or lower limit of movement of the moving assemblies 650 may be adjusted as desired.