RETRACTABLE ROOM ACTUATION ASSEMBLY FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A slide-out or retractable room for a mobile living quarters, such as a recreational vehicle, is provided with actuating assemblies mounted on opposite side walls of the slide-out room and the adjacent wall of the main living area. The actuating assemblies include a pair of parallel gear racks mounted on the side wall, which are engaged by pinions rotated by torque shafts mounted on the main living quarters. Each torque shaft is rotated by a separate motor. A roller engages a bearing surface on the lower portion of the gear racks. Accordingly, the slide-out room is extended and retracted by rotating the torque shafts to cause the gear racks and the attached slide-out room to extend and retract. The weight of the slide-out room is supported by the rollers, thereby supporting the slide-out room off of the floor of the main living quarters as it extends and retracts.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/659,910 filed Oct. 22, 2019, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/152,843, filed Oct. 5, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,471,878, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/618,601, filed Jun. 9, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,093,219, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/942,446, filed Nov. 16, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,694,733, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/041,033, filed Sep. 30, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,193,291, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/495,500, filed Jun. 13, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,581,540, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/180,687, filed Jul. 12, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,317,250, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/683,332, filed Jan. 6, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,343, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/205,551, filed Jan. 21, 2009, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUNDThis invention relates to a slide-out or retractable room for mobile living quarters, such as a recreation vehicle.
Recreational vehicles, such as motor homes, fifth-wheel trailers, and travel trailers may be provided with a retractable or slide-out room for increasing the living space of the vehicle. The retractable or slide-out room is extended for use when the vehicle is parked and is retracted into the main living area of the vehicle when the vehicle is to be moved. Existing retractable or slide-out rooms can be time-consuming and difficult to install. Frequently, the operating mechanisms consist of many separate components that must be individually installed, connected and adjusted by highly-trained employees when the unit is assembled. After the vehicle is put into service, adjustments by the vehicle owner are often necessary. Furthermore, existing slide-out rooms require substantial space for mounting large electrical motors and hydraulic units that require the construction of expensive covers and thus reduce the overall space inside the vehicle. Such slide-out or retractable rooms are generally moved in and out of the vehicle across the floor of the main living area. Because the slide-out or retractable room is exposed to weather when extended, extension and retraction of the slide-out room causes staining and wear on the interior floor of the vehicle.
Generally, the physical size of the operating mechanism or slide-out room is large and bulky and somehow has to be hidden. Concealing the operating mechanism requires space either inside the vehicle, which lessens the living space, or under the vehicle, which lessen room for the mechanical systems such as storage tanks and axles. The object of any slide-out room is to add space, so a need exists for a slide mechanism that requires no interior or exterior space.
Generally, existing mechanisms for extending and retracting slide-out rooms employ powerful hydraulic or electro-mechanical systems that have a fixed amount of working stroke. When actuated, these powerful devices will push or pull the slide room until they run out of useable stroke. When obstructions, such as trees on the exterior or furniture and suitcases on the interior, are encountered before the wholly extended or wholly retracted position is attained, the actuation mechanism has more than enough power to overcome the obstruction and keep going. This can destroy the slide-out room, which is generally made from light weight wood or aluminum tube. Sadly, sometimes human beings are encountered, often resulting in injury or death. Therefore, it is desirable that obstructions be sensed and the actuation mechanism stopped.
Tolerances needed to construct slide-out rooms are large. Therefore, the side walls of the same slide-out room rarely have the same dimensions. When one side wall is deeper than the other side wall, only the shorter side wall can be adjusted to properly seal against the weather. An example is a slide room that has one side wall built incrementally longer than the other side wall. With a fixed stroke equal to the length of the shorter side wall, the longer side is unable to attain full stroke and properly seal. This permits moisture to enter the unit and cause extensive damage. Therefore, a need exists for a slide room mechanism that can independently sense and automatically adjust stroke to a sealed position on each side of the slide room.
All known prior art for slide room mechanisms attach the actuating mechanism to the unit. Sometimes the mechanism is mounted to the floor of the unit, or to the side wall, chassis or frame of the unit. After the actuating mechanism is mounted on the unit, the slide-out room is attached. Due to natural manufacturing tolerances, the opening to accept the slide-out room typically varies from unit to unit in both height and width, while the slide-out room itself also varies in height and width. However, the seal used to keep weather out of the unit is manufactured to a set dimension. Numerous adjustments up and down and left and right are required to center the slide-out room to the opening in the unit in order to provide a weather-tight seal when the room is extended and retracted. As the unit is used, normal road vibrations tend to cause the slide-out room to come out of adjustment, allowing moisture to enter the interior of the vehicle causing extensive damage. Therefore, a need exists for a slide room mechanism that requires no mechanical adjustment, both at installation and as it is used.
SUMMARYAccording to the present invention, actuating mechanisms are installed on opposite side walls of the slide-out room and the adjoining portions of the wall of the main living area through which the slide-out room extends and retracts. Each of the actuating assemblies include a pair of pinion gears mounted on a rotatable torque shaft, which are supported for rotation on the main living quarters adjacent to the aperture in the wall of the main living quarters through which the slide-out room extends and retracts. The two pinion gears rotate with a common shaft, and are meshed with the teeth of corresponding gear racks which are mounted on the adjacent side wall of the slide-out room. Rollers engage corresponding bearing surfaces defined on the racks to support the slide-out room as it extends and retracts and also to assure that the pinions remain meshed with the racks. In an optional embodiment of the invention, racks are provided with an inclined section, which permits the room to drop as it approaches the extended position to bring the floor of the slide-out room flush with the floor of the main living quarters, thereby eliminating the unsightly and inconvenient step-up between the slide-out room and the main living quarters.
These and other aspects and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings, a mobile living quarters, such as a recreational vehicle, is indicated generally at 10, and includes a side wall 12 (the remaining side walls of the vehicle 10 not being shown). Side wall 12 defines an aperture 14 through which a slide-out room generally indicated by the number 16 extends and retracts. Slide-out room 16 includes a front wall 18, two side walls 20, 22 extending from the front wall 18, a ceiling 24 and a floor 26.
Actuation assemblies 28, 30 are mounted on the side walls 20, 22 respectively, the actuation assembly 30 being a mirror image of the actuation assembly 28. As illustrated in
The column or cover 36 includes a generally u-shaped portion 44 that extends around the actuating components for the racks 32, 34, as will hereinafter be described. A flange 46 projects from the u-shaped portion 44 and is provided with apertures 48, which receive fasteners 49 used to attach the actuating assemblies to the side wall 12 adjacent to the aperture 14. In addition to concealing and protecting the actuation components, the column 36 trims up the edges of the aperture 14 and also carries a vertically extending bulb seal 50, which seals the unit when the retractable room is fully retracted into the main living area.
A splined torque shaft 52 extends substantially vertically in the cover of column 36 and is rotatably supported by a lower bearing block 54 and an upper bearing block (not shown). The upper and lower bearing blocks have been omitted from
A roller 64, having a substantially v-shaped cross section to define bearing faces 66, 68, is rotatably mounted on a spindle 70 projecting from bearing block 54. Rollers of other complex shapes may be used instead of v-shaped rollers illustrated, it only being necessary that the rollers be shaped to control the relative positions of the rack and the roller, and to permit the slide-out room to move relative to the unit. The racks 32, 34 are each provided with a horizontally extending bearing surface defined by angled bearing faces 72, 74. The bearing faces will, of course, be shaped complementary to the cross section of the roller. A hooked extension extends from the bearing block 54 into a longitudinally extending groove 78 (
An electric motor 82 is supported on the upper most end of the torque shaft 52 for rotating the latter. The motor 82 is a bi-directional motor, and rotates the shaft in one direction to extend the slide-out room from the main living quarters, and in the opposite direction to retract the slide-out into the main living quarters. The actuation assembly 30 on the opposite side wall 22 is a mirror image of the actuation assembly 28. Another motor identical to the motor 83 operates actuation assembly 30. Both motors are driven by a synchronizing drive control 90, as illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring now to
In operation, when the user desires to extend the slide-out room 16, the motors 82 are caused to turn in a direction turning the pinions 58, 60 to cause the racks, due to their engagement therewith, to be driven outwardly with respect to the main living quarters, thereby carrying the slide-out room with the rack. Rollers 64, due to their engagement with the rack 34, carry the weight of the slide-out room and maintain the floor 26 of the slide-out room raised above the floor of the main living quarters. Accordingly, damage to the floor of the main living quarters, common in the prior arts when slide-out rooms are extended or retracted, is avoided. Since, as described above, actuating assemblies 28, 30 are shipped as a unit to the manufacturing plant, assembly and adjustment of separate components is not necessary. The slide-out room 16 is retracted into the main living quarters by causing the motor 82 to turn in the reverse direction, thereby moving the racks 32, 34 into the main living quarters, carrying the slide-out room 16 with them.
As discussed above, prior art slide-out rooms require multiple adjustments to center the slide-out room in the opening in the unit in order to provide a weather-tight seal when the room is extended and retracted, and require periodic adjustments to re-center the slide-out room to compensate for normal road vibrations. In the present invention, the actuating assemblies 28, 30 are located vertically on their corresponding side walls 20, 22 by engagement of the flange 62 with the floor 26, and are located horizontally on their corresponding side walls 20, 22 by the flange 42 of the assembly straps 38, 40. The clearance between the slide-out room and the side of the aperture 14 is set by attachment of flange 62 to the side wall 12. Since the bulb seal 50 is attached to the column 36 when the actuating assemblies 28, 30 are manufactured and proper positioning of the actuating assemblies 28, 30 on their corresponding side walls is assured, no adjustment of the slide-out room after installation on the unit is required or possible.
Slide-out rooms tend to tip downward relative to the unit when extended, and this tipping must be resisted, requiring heavier and more powerful actuators than would otherwise be necessary. In the present invention, tipping forces are transmitted through upper rack 32 and pinion 60 to apply a twisting force to the torque shaft 52, which is resisted by the torsional stiffness of the torque shaft 52. The twisting forces are transmitted through the torque shaft 52 to the lower pinion 58 and the lower rack 34, to thereby apply a countervailing force to the lower portion of the slide-out room, thereby tending to right the slide-out room. Accordingly, the power required of the motor 82 remains relatively small compared to prior art actuating mechanisms.
Referring now to
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. An assembly cooperable with a slide out room for extending and retracting the slide out room in an opening in a structure, the assembly comprising:
- an upper rack securable to a side wall of the slide out room;
- a lower rack securable to the side wall of the slide out room;
- a pair of removable assembly straps connected between the upper rack and the lower rack, at least one of the assembly straps having a projecting flange that projects beyond the upper and lower racks, wherein the projecting flange is configured to engage a front wall of the slide out room to position the upper and lower racks laterally with respect to the slide out room;
- a lower bearing block securable to the structure; and
- a torque shaft rotatably supported by the lower bearing block, the torque shaft including an upper pinion configured to engage the upper rack and a lower pinion configured to engage the lower rack,
- wherein the lower bearing block is engageable with a floor of the slide out room to position the upper and lower racks vertically with respect to the slide out room.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower rack comprises a locating flange that projects therefrom and is engageable with a lower side of the floor of the slide out room.
3. An assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a cover positioned over and covering the torque shaft, the cover including a connecting flange attachable to the structure.
4. An assembly according to claim 3, wherein the cover is U-shaped.
5. An assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a vertically extending bulb seal coupled with the cover.
6. An assembly according to claim 5, further comprising an extension member securable on a front wall of the slide out room, the extension member being positioned to engage the bulb seal when the slide out room is retracted.
7. An assembly according to claim 6, wherein the extension member is configured to cover the connecting flange when the slide out room is retracted.
8. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the torque shaft comprises circumferentially spaced splines, and wherein the upper pinion and the lower pinion each comprises grooves that receive the circumferentially spaced splines.
9. An assembly according to claim 8, further comprising an electric motor engaging and driving the torque shaft.
10. An assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an electric motor engaging and driving the torque shaft.
11. An assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the lower bearing block, wherein the lower rack includes a bearing surface engaging the roller.
12. An assembly cooperable with a slide out room for extending and retracting the slide out room in an opening in a structure, the assembly comprising:
- an upper rack securable to a side wall of the slide out room;
- a lower rack securable to the side wall of the slide out room;
- a lower bearing block securable to the structure;
- a torque shaft rotatably supported by the lower bearing block, the torque shaft including an upper pinion configured to engage the upper rack and a lower pinion configured to engage the lower rack; and
- a first roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the lower bearing block, wherein the lower rack includes a bearing surface engaging the first roller.
13. An assembly according to claim 12, further comprising a second roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the upper bearing block, wherein the upper rack includes a bearing surface engaging the second roller.
14. An assembly according to claim 12, wherein the first roller comprises a shaped cross section, and wherein the bearing surface of the lower rack is shaped complementary to the shaped cross section of the roller.
15. An assembly according to claim 14, wherein the shaped cross section is a v-shaped cross section.
16. An assembly according to claim 12, further comprising a cover positioned over and covering the torque shaft, the cover including a connecting flange attachable to the structure.
17. An assembly according to claim 16, wherein the cover is U-shaped.
18. An assembly according to claim 16, further comprising a vertically extending bulb seal coupled with the cover.
19. An assembly according to claim 18, further comprising an extension member securable on a front wall of the slide out room, the extension member being positioned to engage the bulb seal when the slide out room is retracted.
20. An assembly according to claim 19, wherein the extension member is configured to cover the connecting flange when the slide out room is retracted.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 8, 2021
Publication Date: Sep 23, 2021
Inventors: Michael A. Schwindaman (Cassopolis, MI), Thomas J. Rogers (Cassopolis, MI), Michael W. Howard (Elkhart, IN)
Application Number: 17/341,608