Sealing mechanism for slide out room

• US 5,894,698 A
• Filed: 10/23/1997
• Issued: 04/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lippert Components Manufacturing (LCI Industries)
• Original Assignee: James E. Dewald Jr, Martin P. Mcmanus, Patrick W. Mcmanus
• Inventors: McManus, Patrick W., McManus, Martin P., Dewald, James E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US08/956,673
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 52/67, 52/71, 52/64, 296/26, 296/171
• US Class Current: 52/67
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3431 with only one level of nesting

Abstract

Mobile living quarters, such as manufactured housing or a recreational vehicle, is provided with a structure defining a main living quarters and a slide out room which is extended from the main living quarters when the unit is used, and is retracted into the main living quarters when the unit is to be transported. An actuation mechanism extends and retracts the slide out room, and a pivot mechanism is used to tilt the slide out room slightly in one direction when the slide out room is drawn into the main living area to thereby compress a seal between a sealing area on the slide out room and a sealing surface on the structure defining the main living quarters. When the slide out room is moved to the extended position, the slide out room is tilted in the opposite direction to thereby compress a second seal between another sealing area and a sealing surface.

Claims

1. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame, structure mounted on said frame defining a main living area, a retractable room moveable relative to said main living area between a retracted position retracted into the main living area and an extended position extended from the main living to provide an auxiliary living area, a seal between said retractable room and said structure, and an actuating device moving said retractable room between said retracted and extended positions, said actuating device including a pivot mechanism pivoting said retractable room relative to said structure in response to movement of said retractable room into one of said positions to thereby compress said seal between said retractable room and said structure.

2. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retractable room includes a flange projecting outwardly from said auxiliary living area defining a sealing surface, said structure including a sealing area, said seal being mounted between said sealing surface and said sealing area whereby upon pivoting of said retractable room relative to said structure said seal is compressed between said sealing surface and said sealing area.

3. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1 wherein said retractable room includes a pair of flanges projecting outwardly from said auxiliary living area and spaced apart along the direction of movement of said retractable room, each of said flanges defining a sealing surface engageable with a corresponding sealing area on said structure, said seal being mounted between one of said sealing surfaces and its corresponding sealing area, and a sealing member mounted between the other sealing surface and the other sealing area, said pivot mechanism pivoting said retractable room in one direction as the retractable room is moved into the retracted position to compress the seal between said one sealing surface and its corresponding sealing area and pivoting said retractable room in the opposite direction to compress the sealing member between the other sealing surface and the other sealing area as the retractable room is moved into the extended position.

4. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 2, wherein said seal is compressed between said sealing surface and said sealing area as the retractable room is moved into the retracted position.

5. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 2, wherein said actuating device includes a pair of coaxial, extensible members, one of said coaxial members being mounted on said frame, the other coaxial member being secured to the retractable room, said pivot mechanism including a pivot connection between said other coaxial member and said retractable room.

6. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pivot mechanism includes a stop assembly, said retractable room being movable relative to the stop assembly, said stop assembly engaging said retractable room as the retractable room is moved into said retracted position whereby movement of the retractable room after engagement with the stop member pivots the retractable room relative to said frame about said pivot connection to cause said sealing surface to compress the seal against the sealing area.

7. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 6, wherein said stop assembly includes an elongated member having an end, said elongated member being secured to said one coaxial member and projecting beyond an end of the one coaxial member, said other coaxial member extending from said end of the one coaxial member, said retractable room engaging the end of the elongated member when moved to a predetermined position by movement of said other coaxial member toward said one coaxial member to thereby pivot said retractable room upon movement of the retractable room past the predetermined position.

8. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 5, said retractable room includes a pair of flanges projecting outwardly from said auxiliary living area and spaced apart along the direction of movement of said retractable room, each of said flanges defining a sealing surface engageable with a corresponding sealing area on said structure, said seal being mounted between one of said sealing surfaces and its corresponding sealing area, and a sealing member mounted between the other sealing surface and the other sealing area, said pivot mechanism pivoting said retractable room in one direction as the retractable room is moved into the retracted position to compress the seal between said one sealing surface and its corresponding sealing area and pivoting said retractable room in the opposite direction to compress the sealing member between the other sealing surface and the other sealing area as the retractable room is moved into the extended position, said pivot mechanism including a stop assembly controlling pivoting of said retractable room.

9. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 8, wherein said stop assembly includes a control member pivotally connected to said retractable room.

10. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 9, wherein said control member is slidably mounted on said frame.

11. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 10, wherein said stop assembly includes a pair of stops carried on the control member, one of said stops engaging a stop surface fixed relative to said frame to pivot said retractable room in said one direction as the retractable room is moved into the retracted position, the other stop engaging another stop surface fixed relative to said frame to pivot said retractable room in said other direction as the retractable room is moved into the extended position.

12. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 11, including a resilient member attached to each of said pair of stop surfaces resiliently engaging said stops.

13. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control member is slidably mounted on said one extendible member, said stop surfaces being mounted on said other extendible member.

14. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 8, wherein said stop assembly includes a pair of stop surfaces mounted on said one coaxial member, a pair of stops carried by the other coaxial member, one of said stops engaging a corresponding one of the stop surfaces upon movement of the slide out room toward the retracted position, the other of said stops engaging the other stop surface upon movement of the slide out room to the extended position, and a control member slidably mounted on said other coaxial member, said control member pivoting said slide out room in said one direction upon engagement of said one stop with said one stop surface and in said other direction upon engagement of the other stop with the other stop surface.

15. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 14, wherein a pivot member pivotally connects said control member with the retractable room.

16. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 15, wherein an actuator is mounted on said one coaxial member, said fluid actuator having an actuating rod connected to said control member.

17. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 14, wherein said control member includes a bracket slidably mounted on said other coaxial member through a pin and slot connection to permit said bracket to slide relative to the other coaxial member.

18. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 14, wherein said stop surfaces are defined on axially spaced, outwardly projecting extensions projecting from the other coaxial member.

19. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 18, wherein said one coaxial member includes a longitudinally extending aperture, one of said extensions extending through said aperture to engage the other coaxial member.

20. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 14, wherein a support member is mounted on said one coaxial member, said stops being supported by said support member and projecting axially with respect to said coaxial members.

21. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 20, wherein said stops are adjustably mounted on said support member.

22. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 20, wherein said stop surfaces are defined on axially spaced, outwardly projecting extensions projecting from the other coaxial member, said support member extending between said extensions.

23. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame, structure mounted on said frame defining a main living area, a retractable room moveable relative to said main living area between a retracted position retracted into the main living area and an extended position extended from the main living to provide an auxiliary living area, a seal between said retractable room and said structure, an actuating device moving said retractable room between said retracted and extended positions, and pivot means for pivoting said retractable room relative to said structure as said retractable room is moved into one of said positions.

24. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 23, wherein said pivot means pivots said retractable room in one direction as said retractable room is moved into said extended position and in the opposite direction as the retractable room is moved into the retracted position.

25. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 23, wherein said actuating device includes a pair of coaxial, extensible members, one of said pair of extensible members being mounted on said frame, the other of said pair of extensible members being secured to the retractable room, said pivot means including a pivot connecting the retractable room to the other extensible member.

26. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 25, wherein said pivot means includes a control mechanism pivoting said retractable room about said pivot.