Camper slide-out system
AssigneeActuant Corporation
InventorJames Kunz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slide-out system for a recreational vehicle has a slide block that is form fit with a sliding connection to a track so as to vertically and laterally support a slide-out room relative to the stationary portion of the vehicle. The room is driven in and out by a rack and pinion drive and a synchronizing screw is provided at at least one end of the drive shaft so that two spaced apart slide-out units can be synchronized relative to one another and to ease disassembly of the shafts and motor drive unit.
Claims13
In a slide-out system to expand and contract the living space of a recreational vehicle by extending and retracting a slide-out room of the vehicle relative to a stationary portion of the vehicle, the slide-out system having a first member that is affixed to the stationary portion of the vehicle, a second member that is affixed to the slide-out room and is slidable relative to the first member, the second member being movable relative to the first member by a pinion that is journalled to the first member and meshes with a rack that is affixed to the second member, the improvement wherein a sliding connection is established between the second member and the first member by a slide block and a mating track, the track being open at one side so as to receive the slide block and the slide block extending into the track through the open side of the track, the slide block being made of a lubricious material that has a form fit with the track, the form fit permitting relative sliding movement between the slide block and the track in the direction of extension and retraction of the room and restraining against relative movement in directions perpendicular to the direction of extension and retraction, the slide block being affixed to one of the members and the track being affixed to the other of the members.
In a slide-out system to expand and contract the living space of a recreational vehicle by extending and retracting a slide-out room of the vehicle relative to a stationary portion of the vehicle, the slide-out system having at least two said slide units spaced apart with at least one shaft extending between the two slide units that drives a pinion of each slide unit, each said slide unit including a first member that is affixed to the stationary portion of the vehicle, a second member that is affixed to the slide-out room and is slidable relative to the first member, the second member being movable relative to the first member by said pinion, said pinion being journalled to the first member and meshing with a rack that is affixed to the second member, the improvement comprising a synchronizing mechanism having a screw coaxial with at least one of the shafts that attaches at least one of the pinions to the shaft and a jam nut for locking the angular position of the synchronizing screw to the at least one of the shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.