Patent
The patent for the bedroom extension
In 2019, I received the patent for our bedroom extension from the German Patent Office in Munich.
It differs from conventional slide-outs in that it extends an enormous 1.20 meters. This not only creates an extension to the bed, but also an entire additional room. A bedroom in which you can spend a wonderful time when the bed footboard is folded down. For example, you can change your clothes here or stay there during bad wheather. It is also a great retreat for dogs, who will find a cozy place to sleep under thefolded-up bed footboard at night.
The German patent was canceled in 2020 and converted into a European patent. It covers 33 EU countries including the national patents of Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. It is listed under the number EP 3 424 776 B1.
The idea
My name is Ralf M. Uhlhorn. I have been driving a 6-meter van from a well-known brand for 15 years. During this time, I have already covered 248,000 kilometers. I have been all over Europe, from Scandinavia to the Western Sahara. I have personally experienced that you can get anywhere with a 6-meter van like this. Narrow city centers and car parking spaces are no obstacle. The maneuverability provided by the short wheelbase also offers only advantages. But the space inside is naturally limited. There is little room to move for 2 people at the same time, especially during bad weather. The transverse bed in the rear is narrow and 2 people have to climb over each other to reach the bed.
So I was looking for more living space in a 6m long vehicle. There was none, only bad compromises. So I had to invent the solution myself. I tinkered with it for a whole year.
In 2017, I applied for a patent for my solution, the bedroom extension, and in 2019 I received the patent. And now, after founding the company StarVan GmbH and after a year of development work on the vehicle, it is finally finished.
"Compact driving and generous living" is no longer a contradiction in terms.