Flat floor slide out apparatus for expandable rooms

An expandable floor structure, including a first floor and a second floor which are relatively movable between expanded and retracted positions, the second floor being disposed above said first floor in the retracted positions, and an apparatus for causing relative movement between the first and second floors such that the first floor is flush with the second floor in the expanded position, that apparatus comprising:

• an outer rail connected to the first floor and extending longitudinally,
• an inner rail connected to the second floor and slidably mounted along the outer rail,
• a drive wheel connected to the outer rail and having a surface which engages the inner rail to cause sliding of the inner rail with respect to the outer rail,
• an inclined surface on the outer rail which extends laterally outward and is dimensioned so as to receive an end portion of the inner rail and thereby permit the inner rail to pivot about the drive wheel as the inner rail slides with respect to the outer rail.

A vehicle having a slide out room structure therein to selectively expand the internal accommodation of that vehicle, said room structure including a first portion and a second portion slidably nested within said first portion when said room structure is in retracted positions, each of said first and second portions having a roof section, side and end wall sections and a floor section, the floor section of said second portion being spaced above the floor section of said first portion when said room structure is in the retracted positions, and including means for moving said second portion relative to said first portion to define an expanded position of said room structure wherein the floor section of said first portion and the floor section of said second portion are disposed on the same horizontal plane, that means comprising:

• at least first and second sets of telescoping tubular support members mounted beneath said room structure, each set including a inner tube and an outer tube,
• said first and second sets of tubular support members being spaced apart, aligned longitudinally along the line of expansion and retraction of said room structure and connected by a cross shaft element,
• one end of each of said inner tubes being connected adjacent said side wall section of said second portion and the other end of each of those tubes having a rotatable wheel element attached thereto and being mounted for sliding movement within one of said outer tubes,
• rack and pinion drive means provided on each of said sets of tubular support members, including a toothed drive wheel fixedly mounted at one end of each of said outer tubes and a plurality of spaced slots along each of said inner tubes for receiving the teeth of said drive wheel,
• said cross shaft joining each of said drive wheels to provide rotational force thereto,
• at least one drive motor connected to said cross shaft,
• an inclined ramp means formed on the interior of each of said outer tubes for receiving said wheel element,
• said inclined ramp means extending laterally out of said outer tube and being disposed along the length of said outer tube such that when said wheel element slides along said inclined ramp means said inner tube pivots about said drive wheel,
• a sloped end region provided on the side of the floor section of said first portion toward which said second portion moves in expansion of said room structure, and
• a carrier means mounted beneath the floor section of said second portion for supporting said second portion at least in part on said first portion when said room structure is in the retracted positions and for facilitating movement of the floor section of said second portion up and down said sloped end region.