Rail system

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a rail system for retrofitting a foldable bed into a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Beds occupy a large area within a vehicle, and therefore foldable beds are often utilised in vans or campervans in order to maximise the available space when the bed is not in use. In an unfolded condition the foldable bed acts as a bed, and in a folded condition the foldable bed can act as a seat. Such foldable beds are often referred to as “rock and roll” beds.

The foldable beds can be mounted to a rail system which has been fitted to the floor of the vehicle. The rails enable the foldable bed to be moved around the vehicle, in order to efficiently utilise the space within the vehicle. However, the installation of current rail systems can be difficult and time consuming. At least four rails are sometimes required, and ensuring precise alignment of the rails can be problematic. Current rail systems with fewer than four rails require large rails to provide sufficient stability. These large rails protrude upwardly from the floor of the vehicle, thereby using up space within the vehicle and presenting a trip hazard.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided a rail system for retrofitting a foldable bed into a vehicle, the system comprising: the foldable bed; a base for fastening to the floor of the vehicle, the base comprising first and second rails, and a rigid connecting part, the connecting part being connectable to the first rail and the second rail; a support for the foldable bed, wherein a first part of the support is movable along the length of the first rail and the second part of the support is movable along the length of the second rail; and a locking mechanism configured to selectively secure the support in position along the length of the first and second rails.

The connecting part may be arranged such that, when the base is fastened to the floor of the vehicle, the connecting part extends upwardly from the floor of the vehicle to a lesser extent than the first and second rails. The connecting part may be a rigid planar plate. The plate may have a thickness of up to 5 mm. The plate may have a thickness of at least 2.5 mm.

The base may be arranged to extend upwardly from the floor of the vehicle up to 40 mm, when the base is fastened to the floor. The base may be arranged to extend upwardly from the floor of the vehicle by at least 20 mm, when the base is fastened to the floor.

The spacing between the first and second rails may be at least 400 mm, when the connecting part is connected to the rails. The spacing between the first and second rails may be up to 1000 mm, when the connecting part is connected to the rails.

The connecting part may be a metal plate. The connecting part may be connected to the lower end of the first and second rails. The connecting part may be welded to the first and second rails.

The first and second parts of the support may each include at least one roller module and a support part, the support part being fastenable to the at least one roller module. The first and second rails may each define a channel and the at least one roller module may be locatable in the channel. The channel may include a lip on either side of the channel such that the channel has a reduced size opening relative to the remainder of the channel, thereby retaining the at least one roller module within the channel.

The first and second rails each may each include a slot, the slot being shaped to enable the at least one roller module to be removed from and inserted into the respective rail.

The at least one roller module includes one or more roller bearings. The at least one roller module may include a body, with roller bearings being mounted to opposing sides of the body. The body may include a mounting point for fastening the at least one roller module to the support part.

The support part may include a gusset plate.

The first and second rails may be made from steel.

The rail system might include no more than two rails.

The rail system may further comprise a flooring panel. The flooring panel may include first and second openings for locating the first and second rails respectively. The flooring panel may be arranged to lie over the connecting part.

The flooring panel may be dimensioned to be substantially level with the upper end of the first and second rails, when the flooring panel lies over the connecting part.

The locking mechanism may include an actuator, the actuator being mounted to the support and being configured to selectively engage with the base in response to a user input. The actuator may include a stop which is configured to selectively engage with a hole in at least one of the first and second rails in response to the user input. The actuator may include a handle which is coupled to the stop, and wherein the handle is actuatable to urge the stop towards or away from the hole.

The foldable bed may include at least three hinged bed panels. Possibly, the foldable bed includes at least four hinged bed panels. The foldable bed may be configured to transition between a folded condition and an unfolded condition, and wherein in the folded condition the foldable bed is arranged as a seat, and in the unfolded condition the foldable bed is arranged as a bed.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided a rail system for retrofitting a foldable bed into a vehicle; the system comprising: a base for fastening to the floor of the vehicle, the base comprising first and second rails, and a rigid connecting part, the connecting part being connectable to the first rail and the second rail; a support for the foldable bed, wherein a first part of the support is movable along the length of the first rail and the second part of the support is movable along the length of the second rail; and a locking mechanism configured to selectively secure the support in position along the length of the first and second rails.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided a vehicle incorporating the rail system of any of the preceding paragraphs. The vehicle may be a van or a campervan.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided a method of installing the rail system of any of the preceding paragraphs into a vehicle.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided examples as claimed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 A is a side view of a first example foldable bed in a folded condition;

FIG. 1 B is a side view of the first example foldable bed in an unfolded condition;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a second example foldable bed in a folded condition;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the second example foldable bed in an unfolded condition; FIG. 3A is a side view of a third example foldable bed in a folded condition;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the third example foldable bed in an unfolded condition;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a rail system for retrofitting a foldable bed into a vehicle; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a base of the rail system of Fig. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting part of the base of the rail system of Fig. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a rail of the base of the rail system of Fig. 4;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the rail of Fig. 7, when the rail is mounted to a surface;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a roller module of the rail system;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the roller module of Fig. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first part of a support of the rail system;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a gusset plate;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a flooring panel; FIG. 14A is a cross sectional view showing the rail system in an unlocked condition; and

FIG. 14B is a cross sectional view showing the rail system in a locked condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1A shows a side view of a first example foldable bed 100 mounted to a rail system 50 within a vehicle (vehicle not shown). The first foldable bed 100 is shown in a folded condition in Fig. 1A. In the folded condition the first foldable bed 100 is arranged as a seat. The rail system 50 includes rails 52 and a support 54. The support 54 can be moved along the length of the rails 52.

The first example foldable bed 100 includes first, second and third bed panels 110, 120, 130, a plurality of hinges 150 and also a telescopic slide 160. The telescopic slide 160 includes a plurality of rails which are movable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction, with one of the rails being guided by another rail. In this example the telescopic slide 160 is mounted to the support 54. As shown in FIG. 1A, the first bed panel 110 is hingedly connected to the support 54 and the second bed panel 120. The second bed panel 120 is hingedly connected to the first and third bed panels 110, 130. The third bed panel 130 is hingedly connected to the second bed panel 120 and connected to the telescopic slide 160.

In use, when the third bed panel 130 is pulled or pushed by a user, for instance along the arrow 10 of Fig. 1A, the foldable bed 100 transitions to an unfolded condition. The first foldable bed 100 is shown in the unfolded condition in Fig. 1 B. The first foldable bed 100 may include one or more latches (not shown) for securing the foldable bed 100 in the folded and/or the unfolded condition.

Fig. 2A shows a side view of a second example foldable bed 200 mounted to the rail system 50. The second foldable bed 200 is shown in a folded condition in Fig. 2A. The second foldable bed 200 is similar to the first example foldable bed, but includes a further fourth bed panel 240.

In this example the first bed panel 210 is hingedly connected to the second bed panel 220 and the fourth bed panel 240, and the fourth bed panel 240 is connected to the support 54. In other examples, the first bed panel 210 could be hingedly connected to the support 54 rather than the fourth bed panel 240. Fig. 2B shows the second foldable bed 200 in an unfolded condition. The second foldable bed 200 can be pulled or pushed, for instance along arrow 20 of Fig. 2A, to transition from a folded condition to an unfolded condition.

Fig. 3A shows a side view of a third example foldable bed 300 mounted to the rail system 50. The third foldable bed 300 is shown in a folded condition in Fig. 2A. The third foldable bed 300 includes first, second and third bed panels 310, 320, 330, which are each hingedly attached to the support 54 via hinges 150. In the folded condition the first and second bed panels 310, 320 are in a substantially vertical orientation, and the third bed panel 330 is in a substantially horizontal orientation. In the folded condition, the third foldable bed 300 is arranged as a seat.

To unfold the third foldable bed 300, the third bed panel 330 is rotated substantially 180 degrees, and the first and second bed panels 310, 320 are rotated by substantially 90 degrees in opposing directions, as illustrated by the arrows 31, 32, 33 in Fig. 3A. The rotation of the third bed panel 330 provides a space for the second bed panel 320 to rotate into. The third foldable bed 300 is shown in an unfolded condition in Fig. 3B. In the unfolded condition the first, second and third bed panels 310, 320, 330 are in a substantially horizontal orientation.

The above foldable beds 100, 200, 300 are merely provided as examples. In some examples, the foldable beds could include a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) to facilitate the folding and/or unfolding of the bed. One end of the pneumatic cylinder may be attached to the support 54 of the rail system 50, and the other end may be attached to one or more of the bed panels.

Fig. 4 illustrates an example rail system 500 for retrofitting a foldable bed, such as the foldable beds 100, 200, 300 of Figs 1A to 3B, into a vehicle (vehicle not shown). The rail system 500 includes a support 550 for the foldable bed, and a base 540 for fastening to the floor of the vehicle.

The base 540 of the rail system 500 is shown in Fig. 5. The base 540 includes a plurality of mounting points 542 for securing the base 540 to the floor of the vehicle. The floor of the vehicle includes the portion of the vehicle chassis underneath the body of the vehicle, and may also include one or more floor panels installed during the original manufacture of the vehicle, such as a metal floor panel. In some examples, the base 540 is for fastening to the floor of a van or campervan. More particularly, the base 540 may be for fastening to the floor of the rear section of the van or campervan. The rear section of the van or campervan is for transporting goods and/or people, and is located behind the driving compartment of the van or campervan. The base 540 may be fastened to the chassis of the van or campervan. In this example the mounting points 542 of the base 540 include an aperture for receiving a fastener such as a bolt, to enable the base 540 to be secured to the floor of the vehicle.

In some examples, the base 540 is arranged to extend upwardly from the floor of the vehicle by between 20 mm and 40 mm, such as 30 mm, when the base 540 is fastened to the floor of the vehicle. The upward direction is parallel to the vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to the plane of the floor of the vehicle.

The base 540 includes first and second rails 510, 520 and a connecting part 530. The connecting part 530 is shown best in Figs. 5 and 6. The connecting part 530 is rigid, and is connectable to the first and second rails 510, 520. The connecting part 530 can be considered as a brace or a substrate. The connecting part 530 ensures a fixed spacing between the first and second rails 510, 520, when connected to the first and second rails 510, 520. In this example, the mounting points 542 of the base 540 are included in the connecting part 530, but in other examples the mounting points 542 may be included in the first and second rails 510, 520.

As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the connecting part 530 is arranged such that, when the base 540 is fastened to the floor of the vehicle, the connecting part 530 extends upwardly from the floor to a lesser extent than the first and second rails 510, 520. In other words, the connecting part 530 lies in-line with or below the first and second rails 510, 520, when the base 540 is fastened to the floor of the vehicle. As shown best in Fig. 5, the section of the connecting part 530 located between the first and second rails 510, 520 is of reduced height relative to the first and second rails 510, 520. The section of the connecting part 530 located between the first and second rails 510, 520 may be less than half the height of the first and second rails 510, 520 In this example, the connecting part 530 is in the form of a rigid planar plate. Furthermore, in this example, the rigid planar plate is substantially rectangular, with the mounting points 542 being provided at each corner of the substantially rectangular plate. The rigid planar plate may have a thickness of between 2.5 mm and 5 mm, such as 3 mm. The rigid planar plate may be a metal plate, such as a sheet of steel. The connecting part 530 may include one or more cut-out sections 532 to reduce the weight of the connecting part 530. The connecting part 530 may cover only a portion of the floor of the van when the connecting part 530 is fastened to the floor of the van.

In this example, the connecting part 530 is connected to the first and second rails 510, 520 by welding. However, in other examples the connecting part 530 may be connected to the first and second rails 510, 520 using fasteners such as bolts, or the connecting part 530 may be integrally formed with the first and second rails 510, 520. In this example, the connecting part 530 is connected to the lower end of the first and second rails 510, 520, where the lower end is the end of the rails closest to the floor of the vehicle when the rail system is installed. As shown in Fig. 6, the connecting part 530 may also include a plurality of apertures 534 for receiving corresponding projections 524 on the first and second rails 510, 520, to facilitate the fastening of the rails 510, 520 to the connecting part 530. The projections 524 are shown on the second rail 520 in Fig. 7.

The second rail 520 is illustrated in in perspective view in Fig. 7. In this example rail system 500, the second rail 520 is a mirror copy of the first rail 510. The first and second rails 510, 520 are elongate, and the base 540 is arranged such that the first and second rails 510, 520 are parallel to each other when connected to the connecting part 530. Furthermore, when connected to the connecting part 530, the spacing between the first and second rails 510, 520 may be between 400 mm and 1000 mm. More preferably, the spacing between the first and second rails 510, 520 may be between 600 mm and 800 mm, such as 730 mm. The spacing between the first and second rails 510, 520 referred to herein is the distance between the centre of the first rail 510 and the centre of the second rail 520.

The first and second rails 510, 520 may each be between 1500 mm and 3000 mm in length, such as 2180 mm. The first and second rails 510, 520 may each be between 20 mm and 40 mm in height, such as 30 mm. The height dimension is parallel to the vertical axis, the vertical axis being perpendicular to the plane of the floor of the vehicle. The first and second rails 510, 520 may be made from steel, such as sheet steel.

As shown best in Fig. 4, a first part 551 of the support 550 is movable along the length of the first rail 510, and the second part 552 of the support 550 is movable along the length of the second rail 520. Thus, the support 550 is movable relative to the base 540. In this example, the first and second parts 551 , 552 of the support 550 each include at least one roller module 570 and a support part 580. The support part 580 is fastenable to the at least one roller module 570. The support part 580 may be removably fastenable to the at least one roller module 570, for instance using a bolt. The first and second parts 551, 552 of the support 550 may each include two roller modules 570 fastened to a single support part 580. The roller modules 570 are hidden from view in Fig. 4, but an example roller module 570 is shown separately in Figs. 9, 10, 14A and 14B.

In this example, the first and second rails 510, 520 each define a channel 560 for locating the roller modules 570 of the support 550. The channel 560 of the second rail 520 is shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 8, and an example roller module 570 is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The channel 560 includes a lip 562 on either side of the channel 560 such that the channel 560 has a reduced size opening 564 relative to the remainder of the channel 560. The opening 564 is elongate. The lips 562 ensure the at least one roller module 570 is retained within the channel 560 during use, and also provide the reduced size elongate opening 564, which allows the at least one roller module 570 to connect to the remainder of the support 550. In this example, the connecting part 530 provides a lower wall for the channels 560 defined by the first and second rails 510, 520, as best shown in Fig. 8. In other examples, the lower wall may be provided by the first and second rails 510, 520.

Fig. 9 is a rear view of an example roller module 570 of the first part 551 of the support 550, and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the roller module 570. The roller module 570 is for rolling along the length of the channel 560. The roller module 570 includes one or more roller bearings 572, which facilitate the movement of the roller module 570 along the channel 560. Furthermore, in this example, the roller module 570 includes a body 574, with roller bearings 572 being mounted to opposing sides of the body 574. The spaced roller bearings 572 provide increased stability. As shown in the plan view of Fig. 10, the roller module 570 may include two pairs of roller bearings 572. Each pair of roller bearings 572 are connected by an axle 578 extending through the body 574. In this example, the roller module includes four roller bearings 574 in total.

The roller module 570 further includes one or more mounting points 576 for fastening the roller module 570 to the support part 580 of the first support 551 . In this example, the mounting points are apertures 576 for receiving a fastener such as a bolt.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7, the first and second rails 510, 520 each include a slot 516, 526, which is shaped to enable the roller modules 570 to be removed from and inserted into the respective rail 510, 520. The slot 516, 526 is wider than the elongate opening 564 of the respective rail 510, 520. The roller modules 570 are wider than the elongate openings 564, but narrower than the slots 516, 526. In this example, the slots 516, 526 are provided in the upper face of the respective rail 510, 520, adjacent to the longitudinal end of the respective rail 510, 520. The slots 516, 526 enable the roller modules 570 to more readily be serviced or replaced.

Fig. 11 illustrates an example support part 580 of the first part 551 of the support 550. The support part 580 is in the form of an elongate plate, with one more mounting points 582 for fastening the support part 580 to the at least one roller module 570 of the first part 551. In this example the mounting points 582 are provided on a flange 584 at the lower end in use of the support part 580. The mounting points 582 may be in the form of apertures for receiving a fastener such as a bolt. The support part 580 may be made from a metal plate, such as sheet steel.

In this example, the flange 584 of the support part 580 further includes a hole 588 for enabling a stop 612 of a locking mechanism 600 to pass through the flange 584. The hole 588, the stop 612 and the locking mechanism 600 are described in further detail in relation to Figs. 14A and 14B below.

In the example of Fig. 4, the support part 580 of the second part 552 of the support 550 is a mirror copy of the support part 580 of the first part 551 of the support 550. When the support parts 580 of the first and second parts 551 , 552 of the support 550 are fastened to the respective roller 570 modules within the respective channels 560, the length dimensions of the support parts 580 are substantially parallel with the length dimensions of the first and second rails 510, 520, as illustrated for instance in Fig. 4.

In some examples, the support part 580 includes one or more gusset plates 586. The gusset plates 586 can be mounted to the side of the support part to provide further stability for the foldable bed on the support 550.

As shown in the example of Fig. 4, the support 550 includes one or more beams 554 extending between the support parts 580 of the first and second parts 551 , 552 of the support 550. The one or more beams 554 provide further stability for the foldable bed when mounted to the support 550. The support 550 may further include a mounting frame 556 to assist with securing the foldable bed (such as the foldable beds 100, 200, and 300 of Figs. 1A to 3B) to the support 550.

The rail system 500 may further include a flooring panel 590, as shown in Fig. 13. The flooring panel 590 includes first and second elongate openings 591, 592 for locating the first and second rails 510, 520 respectively. The flooring panel 590 may be dimensioned such that when the flooring panel 590 lies over the connecting part 530, the upper surface of the flooring panel 590 is substantially level with the upper end of the first and second rails 510, 520. The flooring panel 590 may be between 4 mm and 20 mm thick, such as 12 mm. The flooring panel may be made from a wooden material, such as plywood.

The rail system 500 further comprises a locking mechanism 600, as illustrated in the cross-sectional views of Figs. 14A and 14B. The locking mechanism 600 is configured to selectively secure the support 500 in position along the length of the first and second rails 510, 520. Fig. 14A shows the rail system 500 in an unlocked configuration, and Fig. 14B shows the rail system 500 in a locked configuration.

Fig. 14A shows the roller module 570 fastened to the support part 580 of the second part 552 of the support 550. In this example, the roller module 570 is fastened to the support part 580 using a bolt 579. In some examples, the bolt 579 may be welded to the roller module 570. One or more collars or washers may be provided around the bolt 579 to further secure the joint between the roller module 570 and the support part 580. The locking mechanism 600 includes an actuator 610. The actuator 610 is mounted to the support 500, and is configured to selectively engage with the base 540 in response to a user input. The actuator 610 can be considered as a latch.

The actuator 610 includes a stop 612, which is configured to selectively engage with a hole 528 in at least one of the first and second rails 510, 520 in response to the user input. The stop 612 may be a retractable shaft. In the example of Figs. 14A and 14B, the stop 612 is configured to selectively engage with one or more holes 528 in the second rail 520. The stop 612 is shown engaged with a hole 528 (i.e., inserted into the hole 528) of the second rail 520 in Fig. 14B. The stop 612 is disengaged with the hole 528 in Fig. 14A, and therefore the second part 552 of the support 550 is not secured in position along the second rail 520. The holes 528 spaced along the length of the second rail 520 are also shown in Figs. 5 and 7. In this example, the holes 520 in the second rail 520 extend through one of the lips 562 of the second rail 520. Similarly to the second rail 520, the first rail 510 also includes a plurality of holes in this example. The holes in the first rail 510 are not labelled in the Figures, to improve the clarity of the Figures.

In this example, a hole 588, shown in Fig. 11 , is provided in the flange 584 of the support part 580, to enable the stop 612 to pass through the flange 584. The hole 588 in the flange 584 of the support part is alignable with the holes 528 spaced along the length of the second rail 520, when the support part 580 is mounted to the roller module 570.

Once the stop 612 of the actuator 610 has been inserted into the hole 528 in the second rail 520, the stop 612 prevents movement second part 552 of the support 550 relative to the base 540. The inner walls of the hole 528 act as an abutment surface to prevent movement of the stop 612 along the length of the second rail 520.

In the example of Figs. 14A and 14B, the actuator 610 includes a handle 614 which is coupled to the stop 612. The handle 614 is actuatable by a user to urge the stop 612 towards or away from the hole 528. In this example, the handle 614 is actuatable by rotation of the handle by a user. Rotation of the handle 614 in a first direction causes the stop 612 to be urged towards the hole 528, and rotation in a second opposite direction causes the stop 612 to be retracted from the hole 528. Fig. 14B illustrates the handle 614 after being rotated in the first direction, such that the stop 612 is inserted in the hole 528.

In some examples, the actuator 610 is actuatable to resiliently urge the stop 612 towards the hole 528. In other words, in some examples the stop 612 is spring-loaded. This feature is useful when the actuator 610 is actuated to urge the stop 612 towards the hole 528, but the stop 612 is not aligned with one of the holes 528 in the second rail 520 during actuation. In this case, the stop 612 is resiliently biased against the lip 562 of the second rail 520, until the stop 612 is aligned with the hole 528 by moving the second part 552 of the support 550 along the length of the second rail 520. The stop 612 would therefore automatically insert into one of the holes 528 of the second rail 520 when the stop 612 passes over one of the holes 528, once the actuator has been actuated to urge the stop 612 towards the hole 528.

In some examples, the locking mechanism 600 includes a further actuator (not shown). The further actuator is similar to the actuator 610 of Figs. 14A and 14B, but the further actuator is mounted to the support part 580 of the first part 551 of the support 510. The stop of the further actuator engages with holes in the first rail 510.

The method of installing/retrofitting the rail system 500 into a vehicle firstly includes fastening the base 540 to the floor of the vehicle. In this example, the base 540 is fastened to the floor of the vehicle using bolts through the mounting points 542 in the connecting part 530. The flooring panel 590 may then be placed over the base 540, with the first and second rails 510, 520 being located in the elongate openings 592 in the flooring panel 590. In some examples, insulation material may be provided between the flooring panel 590 and the base 540.

The roller modules 570 may be pre-installed inside the first and second rails 510, 520, or the roller modules 570 may be inserted into the first and second rails via the respective slots 516, 526. The support parts 580 of the first and second parts 551, 552 of the support 550 can then be fastened to the roller modules 570. The first part 551 of the support 550 is then movable along the length of the first rail 510, and the second part 552 of the support 550 is movable along the length of the second rail 520. A foldable bed, such as the foldable beds 100, 200, 300 of Figs 1A to 3B, may then be fastened to the support 550. The foldable bed can be fastened to the support 550 using one or more fasteners such as bolts.

To secure the support 550 in position along the length of the first and second rails 510, 520, the locking mechanism 600 is used. The locking mechanism 600 may be mounted to the support part 580 before or after the support parts 580 are fastened to the roller modules 570.

There is thus described a rail system 500 with a number of advantages. The rail system 500 enables a foldable bed to be smoothly and securely moved within the vehicle. The rigid connecting part 530 reinforces the first and second rails 510, 520, thereby allowing smaller rails to be used. Smaller rails save space within the vehicle, and reduce the risk of a user of the vehicle tripping over the rails. Further, the rigid connecting part 530 provides a fixed spacing between the rails, which simplifies the installation of the rail system. The rail system 500 is easy to operate and can also readily be repaired.

The term ‘comprise’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y. If it is intended to use ‘comprise’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context by referring to “comprising only one”, “comprises no more than”, or by using “consisting”.

In this description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of features or functions in relation to an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term ‘example’ or ‘for example’ or ‘can’ or ‘may’ in the text denotes, whether explicitly stated or not, that such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and that they can be, but are not necessarily, present in some of or all other examples. Thus ‘example’, ‘for example’, ‘can’ or ‘may’ refers to a particular instance in a class of examples. A property of the instance can be a property of only that instance or a property of the class or a property of a sub-class of the class that includes some but not all of the instances in the class. It is therefore implicitly disclosed that a feature described with reference to one example but not with reference to another example, can where possible be used in that other example as part of a working combination but does not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

Although examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, the first and second rails 510, 520, the support parts 580, the connecting part 580, the flooring panel 590 and/or other parts of the rail system could be differently shaped or be made from different materials. The locking mechanism 600 could operate in a different manner. The parts may be fastened or connected to one another in a different manner. The first and second parts of the support could slide, rather than roll, along the length of the respective first and second rails 510, 520.

Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described above. In some examples, the rail system 500 includes the foldable bed, in other examples the foldable bed may be provided separately.

Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not.

Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

The term ‘a’ or ‘the’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising a/the Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y unless the context clearly indicates the contrary. If it is intended to use ‘a’ or ‘the’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context. In some circumstances the use of ‘at least one’ or ‘one or more’ may be used to emphasis an inclusive meaning but the absence of these terms should not be taken to infer any exclusive meaning.

The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or (combination of features) itself and also to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). The equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. The equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.

In this description, reference has been made to various examples using adjectives or adjectival phrases to describe characteristics of the examples. Such a description of a characteristic in relation to an example indicates that the characteristic is present in some examples exactly as described and is present in other examples substantially as described.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features believed to be of importance it should be understood that the applicant may seek protection via the claims in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not emphasis has been placed thereon. l/we claim: