Jump bed base detachable floating hinge

[Berlingo2CV]

Has anyone come up with an idea/ design for making the folding bed base easily detachable so it can be lifted out before the main box unit? I know Gravity was doing this on his design but I can't work out how he made it secure yet easily detachable. Having to remove and reattach a piano hinge would be a pain!

[oilyrag]

Possibly consider the use of 'split' hinges, available in all manner of sizes - they slide apart leaving a pin on one plate and the corresponding tube on the other.
   

[lakeside]

Though I favour the split hinge; dependent on the layout a dowel on one piece mating with drill hole on a supporting leg works.

[Berlingo2CV]

I think I may have cracked it with an extra hinged piece that slots in vertically down the back of boot jump, is prevented from lifting by two bolts through the back with wingnuts behind. I have yet to build it , but mocked up a version with sellotape and tiny pieces ply today and I think it's going to work! Will post some pics when built!

[lakeside]

Split hinges works fine with my bed.

[Mr.Chips]

I saw this on Youtube, much the same as Berlingo2CV described: the relevant bit starts at about 0.58 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6HSpM80PCo

[Radders]

I've looked closely at the video and the plans, but I can't for the life of me see how the 'floatiing hinge' is set up. I'm having a blank mind day!! Anybody got an explanation/diagram please?

[Berlingo2CV]

I have made a floating hinge in the way of this video - it's basically a piece of ply that fits vertically into a slot made with two other pieces of ply bolted fixed to the back of the boot jump. So its a long small strip of ply with a larger one outside fixed to the back of the boot jump. The other piece of ply is attached by the yet another piano hinge to the folding bed base. Gravity should keep it in place, but I am going to fit a threaded knob from inside the box that goes through the box, the floating hinge and its surround to a captive nut (glued nut and washer) to stop it from accidentally lifting of sliding if we are moving the whole boot jump out of the car using the handles with two people. If just one person then I can easily remove the bolt and lift out the bed base as one unit and the boot jump as another so it's not too heavy / unwieldy. I forgot to photograph it earlier. Had to resort to using a piece of hardwood for the very short piece that is only a couple of centimetres long because I am using 12mm ply and I am worried that the screws from teh piano hinge could simply delaminate the ply. I'm about to make this piece for the third time and hope I get the measurements right this time. I'll try and photograph it.

[Berlingo2CV]

         And here are some pics. I have labelled the long piece of ply that is the floating hinge with FH

Also in the partially opened set if the seats were down
   

The securing bolt mentioned earlier is currently a nail, but it does stop the hinge from lifting when manoeuvring the bed base
   

When open there is a large gap around the piano hinges because I couldn't figure a way of getting it all to unfold without a gap, so I have cout down an earlier hardwood strip into a removable batten that just sits on top if the open hinge area to prevent clothing or the mattress from snagging. 

I have also built fold out braces that will align with the contour of the folded rear seats and offer better support so all of the weight does not go through the hinge, When not in use they will fold flush to the back of the unit. This last part has not been trialled because the car is 120 miles away and I only see it occasionally. Hoping I have got the measurements and angles right and that there is enough space to have added yet another piece of ply to the overall length. Also I have positioned them so that they align with a floor ridge (I hope) and not a trough!    

Getting there slowly! The workshop is not even at my house, but at a friends 3 miles away so I have to pack up all tools each time - hence the slow build!


Rob

[Berlingo2CV]

    Oops - here is the extra batten filing the gap around the hinges