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US 12,742,501 B1Granted
Slide seal for corners
AssigneeTrim-Lok, Inc.
InventorKelly Klein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slide seal for an RV to seal the space in between the corner of a slide-out room of the RV and a wall of the RV, the slide seal having a base to fasten to the wall, a flap seal extending from the base at one end, a bulb seal extending perpendicular to the base at an opposite end, a horn extending from the bulb seal, curving upwardly from the bulb seal and away from the flap seal, and a notch created through the flap seal and the base to create two sections of the base and flap seal so that the first section of the flap seal and base can be bent at approximately a 90 degree angle relative to the second section of the flap seal and base to fit into the corner space in between the slide-out room and the RV wall.
Claims20
A seal for sealing a space between a corner of slide-out room and a wall of a recreational vehicle, the seal comprising:
- a) a base having a front end, a back end opposite the front end, a first lateral side adjacent to the front end and the back end, a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side and adjacent to the front end and the back end, a first surface adjacent to the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the front end, and the back end, and a second surface opposite the first surface and adjacent to the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the front end, and the back end;
- b) a bulb seal attached to the base at the back end adjacent to the first surface;
- c) a flap seal attached to the base at the front end, the flap seal comprising a proximal end attached to the base, a free end opposite the proximal end, a first lateral end adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, and a second lateral end opposite the first lateral end and adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, wherein the flap seal and the base are coplanar, wherein the base defines a notch in between the first lateral side and the second lateral side that extends from the front end of the base substantially to the back end of the base, wherein the notch has a width of about 0.75 inch to about 2.5 inch, and wherein the flap seal defines a slit in between the first lateral end of the flap seal and the second lateral end of the flap seal, the slit extending from the notch through the free end of the flap seal, wherein the notch is configured to allow the base to bend 90 degrees at the notch, wherein the slit has a width of 0.50 inch or less;
- and
- d) a gap in between the bulb seal and the base, wherein the gap is configured to receive the flap seal without lifting up the bulb seal.
2 more elements
A seal for sealing a space between a corner of slide-out room and a wall of a recreational vehicle, the seal comprising:
- a) a base having a front end, a back end opposite the front end, a first lateral side adjacent to the front end and the back end, a second lateral side opposite the first lateral side and adjacent to the front end and the back end, a first surface adjacent to the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the front end, and the back end, and a second surface opposite the first surface and adjacent to the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the front end, and the back end;
- b) a bulb seal attached to the base at the back end adjacent to the first surface;
- c) a flap seal attached to the base at the front end, the flap seal comprising a proximal end attached to the base, a free end opposite the proximal end, a first lateral end adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, and a second lateral end opposite the first lateral end and adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, wherein the base defines a notch in between the first lateral side of the base and the second lateral side of the base that extends from the front end towards the back end, and wherein the flap seal defines a slit in between the first lateral end of the flap seal and the second lateral end of the flap seal, leading to the notch, the slit extending from the notch through the free end, wherein the notch is configured to allow the base to bend 90 degrees at the notch, wherein the notch has a width at the front end of the base and the slit has a width extending along the flap seal, wherein the width of the notch is greater than the width of the slit;
- and
- d) a gap in between the bulb seal and the base, wherein the gap is configured to receive the flap seal without lifting up the bulb seal when the base is bent at 90 degrees.
2 more elements
A method of sealing a corner space between a slide-out room and a wall of a recreational vehicle, comprising:
- a) providing a seal comprising a base, a bulb seal attached to the base, a flap seal attached to the base opposite the bulb seal, a gap in between the bulb seal and the base, a notch defined in the base dividing the base into a first base portion and a second base portion, and a slit defined in the flap seal dividing the flap seal into a first flap seal portion, and a second flap seal portion, wherein each base portion comprises a front end, a back end opposite the front end, a lateral side adjacent to the front end and the back end, a medial side opposite the lateral side and adjacent to the front end and the back end, a first surface adjacent to the lateral side, the medial side, the front end, and the back end, and a second surface opposite the first surface and adjacent to the lateral side, the medial side, the front end, and the back end, wherein the bulb seal is attached to each base portion at the respective back ends adjacent to the first surfaces, wherein each flap seal portion is attached to the base at the front end, the flap seal comprising a proximal end attached to the base, a free end opposite the proximal end, a lateral end adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, and a medial end opposite the lateral end and adjacent to the proximal end and the free end, wherein the notch extends substantially from the front end towards the back end of each base portion, wherein the slit extends substantially from the notch through the free end of each flap seal portion, and wherein the notch has a width at the front end that is greater than a width of the slit;
- b) fastening the first base portion onto a first portion of a corner of a wall with a first fastener;
- c) bending the seal at the notch so that the second base portion is perpendicular to the first base portion;
- d) sliding one of the first flap seal portion or the second flap seal portion under the bulb seal into the gap defined by the bulb seal and the base without lifting the bulb seal;
- e) aligning the second base portion with a second portion of the corner of the wall;
- and
- f) fastening the second base portion to the second portion of the corner of the wall with a second fastener.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.