Slide-Out Room System Having Wall-Mounted Drive Mechanisms
AssigneeActuant Corporation
InventorCraig J. Kreil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction. The apparatus includes a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle and a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly. The driven assembly is connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction and the driven assembly is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction relative to the wall of the slide-out room. The room is extended and retracted horizontally and moved between upper and lower positions vertically in a square Z or square h pattern.
Claims24
An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle;
- and
- a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly generally horizontally from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction, and 2) the driven assembly is movable in a generally vertical direction transverse to the drive direction relative to the wall of the vehicle;
- wherein the driven assembly is moved in said generally vertical direction from an upper position to a lower position prior to the slide-out room reaching a fully extended lower position.
A flush floor slide-out room operating mechanism in which in moving from full retraction at an upper level to full extension at a lower level the slide-out room is adapted to be stopped at a partially extended position at the upper level, and while the extension is stopped the room is lowered to the lower level, following which the room is further extended at the lower level.
An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle;
- and
- a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly generally horizontally from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction, and 2) the driven assembly is movable in a generally vertical direction transverse to the drive direction relative to the wall of the vehicle;
- wherein the driven assembly is moved in said generally vertical direction from an upper position at full retraction to a lower position at full extension.
A method of moving a slide-out room of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
- extending the slide-out room from a fully retracted position at an upper level to an extended position at the upper level;
- stopping extension of the slide-out room at the extended position at the upper level;
- lowering the slide-out room at the extended position from the upper level to a lower level and terminating lowering at the lower level;
- extending the slide-out room at the lower level to a fully extended position at the lower level;
- and
- stopping extension of the slide-out room at a fully extended position at the lower level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.