Expandable housing structure with accordion walls

Abstract

An accordion wall structure includes three primary components, namely two linkage systems and four wall panels. The linkage systems are adeptly positioned both at the upper and lower extremities of each wall panel. The composition of the linkage system is meticulously engineered, featuring gear sets and linkage bars that work in concert to ensure seamless functionality. A hydraulic component can be used for the propulsion of the first link and the subsequent rotation of the initial wall panel. During the rotation of the wall panels, the interconnected gearsets of the linkage systems are consistently aligned generally parallel to the main mount due to their linkage connection. The direct coupling between the gears and the panel ensures synchronous rotation between them. The gearsets of the linkage systems ensure a synchronized rotation of the gears. This coordinated rotation further translates into the simultaneous rotation of the adjacent wall panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main structure;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure;   side walls of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration; and   a linkage system interconnecting the plurality of wall panels, the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels.   
     
     
         2 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a second expansion section expandable outward in a second direction, different from the first direction, from the main structure, the second expansion section including a second set of side walls formed from a plurality of second wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The expandable structure of  claim 2 , further comprising a second linkage system interconnecting the plurality of second wall panels, the second linkage system including a second set of gear systems, each gear system of the second set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of second wall panels. 
     
     
         4 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , wherein each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear. 
     
     
         5 . The expandable structure of  claim 4 , wherein the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one. 
     
     
         6 . The expandable structure of  claim 4 , wherein the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes, each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The expandable structure of  claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of axial axes align into a single linear axis when the side wall is in the fully opened configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising linkages extending between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems. 
     
     
         9 . The expandable structure of  claim 8 , wherein the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state. 
     
     
         10 . The expandable structure of  claim 8 , wherein the linkages at least partially fit into recesses formed in the plurality of wall panels when the side walls are in the retracted configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The expandable structure of  claim 11 , wherein movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open. 
     
     
         13 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising an insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels, the insulation material filling a gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels with the side wall is in a fully opened configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The expandable structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover operable to cover a push arm disposed in a storage region of the expandable structure, the storage region receiving the plurality of wall panels in the retracted configuration, the cover operable to cover the push arm when the plurality of wall panels are in a fully opened configuration to form the side walls of the first expansion section. 
     
     
         15 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main structure;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure;   side walls of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration; and   a linkage system interconnecting the plurality of wall panels, the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels, wherein   each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear;   the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one; and   the first gear and the second gear of each of the gear systems of the set of gear systems are aligned along a plurality of axial axes, each of the plurality of axial axes are parallel during movement between the retracted configuration and a fully opened configuration.   
     
     
         16 . The expandable structure of  claim 15 , further comprising linkages extending between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems, wherein the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state and the linkages at least partially fit into recesses formed in the plurality of wall panels when the side walls are in the retracted configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The expandable structure of  claim 15 , further comprising a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration, wherein movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open. 
     
     
         18 . The expandable structure of  claim 15 , further comprising an insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels, the insulation material filling a gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels with the side wall is in a fully opened configuration. 
     
     
         19 . The expandable structure of  claim 15 , further comprising a cover operable to cover a push arm disposed in a storage region of the expandable structure, the storage region receiving the plurality of wall panels in the retracted configuration, the cover operable to cover the push arm when the plurality of wall panels are in a fully opened configuration to form the side walls of the first expansion section. 
     
     
         20 . An expandable structure comprising:
 a main structure;   a first expansion section, the first expansion section expandable outward in a first direction from the main structure;   side walls of the first expansion section formed from a plurality of wall panels storable in a stacked, accordion arrangement in a retracted configuration;   a push arm, the push arm operable to move an innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration; and   a linkage system interconnecting the plurality of wall panels, the linkage system including a set of gear systems, each gear system of the set of gear systems adjoining each abutting side faces of the plurality of wall panels, wherein:   the linkage system include linkages extend between adjacent ones of the set of gear systems;   the linkages extend outside of the wall panels when the side walls are in a fully opened state and the linkages at least partially fit into recesses formed in the plurality of wall panels when the side walls are in the retracted configuration;   each gear system of the set of gear systems includes a first gear having first teeth that engage with second teeth of a second gear;   the first gear is attached to a first one of the wall panels and the second gear is attached to a second one of the wall panels, the first one being adjacent the second one; and   movement of the innermost one of the wall panels from the retracted configuration to the fully opened configuration causes, via the linkage system, remaining ones of the plurality of wall panels to uniformly open.   
     
     
         21 . The expandable structure of  claim 20 , further comprising an insulation material disposed on one end of each of the plurality of wall panels, the insulation material filling a gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall panels with the side wall is in a fully opened configuration.