Slide out room with flush floor

• US 6,108,983 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1995
• 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): CALLO, LAURA ANTOINETTE
• Application Number:
  US08/992,308
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 52/67, 52/143, 296/26.02, 296/26.12, 296/26.13, 296/26.14, 296/165, 296/171, 296/172, 296/173, 296/175, 296/176
• 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

Abstract

A retractable room for mobile living quarters includes a floor which slides along the floor of the main living quarter when the retractable room is retracted therein, but drops into a position flush with the main floor when the retractable room is extended into its extended position. A linkage operates a riser mechanism to raise and lower the floors as the room is extended and retracted. The riser mechanism is operated by a lever which pivots in response to movement of the floor to a predetermined position relative to the main living quarters.

Claims

1. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame, a main floor supported by said frame, means extending from said main floor to define with said main floor a main living area, a retractable room mounted for movement from a retracted position retracted into the main living area to an extended position extended from said main living area to provide an auxiliary living area, said retractable room having walls and a movable floor movable along said main floor with the walls from a sliding position sliding upon said main floor to a flush position substantially flush with said main floor when the retractable room is in the extended position, retractable room support means mounted on said frame and engaging said retractable room to guide the latter for movement relative to said frame, linkage means operated by said retractable room support means and a riser mechanism mounted for movement with the retractable room for controlling movement of said movable floor relative to said main floor, said linkage means engaging said riser mechanism through a sliding connection to move said movable floor into said flush position as said retractable room is moved into said extended position, said riser mechanism is a riser plate mounted on said movable floor and has an obliquely extending slot extending obliquely with respect to the linkage means, said linkage means including an elongated member carrying a follower engaging said obliquely extending slot.

2. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1, wherein said riser plate includes means for restricting movement of the riser plate to a generally vertical direction.

3. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for restricting movement of the riser plate includes a generally vertically extending riser slot and a riser follower engaging said riser slot carried by said retractable room support means.

4. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable floor is rigidly secured to the walls of the retractable room and said riser mechanism is operated by said linkage means to lower the moveable floor and the walls of the retractable room into the flush position.

5. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retractable room support means is connected to the walls of the movable room and said movable floor is movable relative to the walls of the retractable room, said riser mechanism shifting said floor between said sliding and flush positions.

6. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linkage means includes an elongated member having one end engaging said riser mechanism and an opposite end, and a lever actuator pivotally connected to said opposite end for moving said elongated member relative to said riser mechanism.

7. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame a main floor supported by said frame, means extending from said main floor to define with said main floor a main living area, a retractable room mounted for movement from a retracted position retracted into the main living area to an extended position extended from said main living area to provide an auxiliary living area, said retractable room having walls and a movable floor movable along said main floor with the walls from a sliding position sliding upon said main floor to a flush position substantially flush with said main floor when the retractable room is in the extended position, retractable room support means mounted on said frame and engaging said retractable room to guide the latter for movement relative to said frame, linkage means operated by said retractable room support means and a riser mechanism mounted for movement with the retractable room for controlling movement of said movable floor relative to said main floor, said linkage means engaging said riser mechanism through a sliding connection to move said movable floor into said flush position as said retractable room is moved into said extended position, said riser mechanism is mounted for movement with said retractable room support means and defines a bore slidably receiving a connector and guiding said connector for movement in a generally vertical direction.

8. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 7, wherein said movable floor is rigidly connected to the walls of the retractable room, and said connector is secured to the retractable room for guiding movement of the latter in a generally vertical direction.

9. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 7, wherein said movable floor is movable relative to the walls of the retractable room, and said connector is secured to said floor for guiding movement of the latter relative to the walls of the retractable room in a generally vertical direction.

10. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 7, wherein said linkage means includes an elongated member having one end attached to said connector and an opposite end pivotally connected to a lever actuator, said lever actuator pivoting to move said connector relative to said retractable room support means through said elongated member when the movable floor moves between said sliding position and said flush position.

11. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 10, wherein said elongated member includes a flexible member extending between said lever actuator and said connector.

12. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 10, wherein said retractable room support means includes a pair of coaxial, relatively movable tubular members, said elongated member extending within said tubular members between said lever actuator and said connector.

13. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame, a main floor supported by said frame, means extending from said main floor to define with said main floor a main living area, a retractable room mounted for movement from a retracted position retraced into the main living area to an extended position extended from said main living area to provide an auxiliary living area, said retractable room having walls and a movable floor movable along said main floor with the walls from a sliding position sliding upon said main floor to a flush position substantially flush with said main floor when the retractable room is in the extended position, retractable room support means mounted on said frame and engaging said retractable room to guide the latter for movement relative to said frame, linkage means operated by said retractable room support means and a riser mechanism mounted for movement with the retractable room for controlling movement of said movable floor relative to said main floor, said linkage means engaging said riser mechanism through a sliding connection to move said movable floor into said flush position as said retractable room is moved into said extended position, said retractable room support means includes a pair of coaxial, relatively movable members, one of said members being slidably received within the other member and extending from an end of the other member to engage said retractable room, said linkage means including a lever pivotally mounted on said one member at a first pivot and connected to a linkage via a second pivot, said linkage engaging said riser mechanism for operating the latter, said other member preventing pivoting of said lever until said lever passes said end as the one member extends from the other member as the retractable room is extended, whereupon said lever pivots around said first pivot to operate said linkage means.

14. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 13, wherein said riser mechanism is a plate mounted on said movable floor, said plate having an obliquely extending slot extending obliquely with respect to the linkage means, said one end of said elongated member carrying a follower engaging said obliquely extending slot.

15. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 13, wherein said riser mechanism is mounted for movement with the walls of the retractable room and defines a bore slidably receiving a connector connected to said movable floor and guiding said connector for movement in a generally vertical direction.

16. Mobile living quarters as claimed in claim 13, wherein said linkage includes an elongated member connected to said riser mechanism such that the elongated member moves relative to said one member to thereby raise and lower said movable floor in response to operation of the linkage means.

17. Mobile living quarters comprising a frame, a main floor supported by said frame, means extending from said main floor to define with said main floor a main living area, a retractable room mounted for movement from a retracted position within the main living area to an extended position extended from said main living area to provide an auxiliary living area, said retractable room having walls and a movable floor movable along said main floor with the walls, from a sliding position sliding upon said main floor to a flush position substantially flush with said main floor when the retractable room is in the extended position, retractable room support means mounted on said frame and engaging said retractable room to guide the latter for movement relative to said frame, said retractable room support means includes a pair of coaxial, relatively movable tubular members, linkage means operated by said retractable room support means and a riser mechanism mounted for movement with the retractable room for controlling movement of said movable floor relative to said main floor, said linkage means including an elongated member having one end engaging said riser mechanism and an opposite end having a lever actuator for moving said elongated member relative to said riser mechanism, said linkage means further including a camming surface mounted on said retractable room support means and a cam follower engaging said camming surface as the floor is lowered into said flush position, said linkage means engaging said riser mechanism through a sliding connection to move said movable floor into said flush position as said retractable room is moved into said extended position, said lever actuator being mounted for sliding and pivotal movement relative to said tubular members, said tubular members including an axial extending slot and a track extending parallel to said slot, said linkage means including an elongated member pivotally connected to said lever actuator and including a portion extending through said slot, said follower being mounted on said portion, and a roller mounted on said portion and rolling along said track as the movable floor moves along said main floor.