Recreational vehicles with expandable room

• US 6,293,612 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Original Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Inventors: Crean, Johnnie Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENEVERT, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US09/595,144
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.1, 296/260.1, 296/26.12, 296/26.13, 296/156, 296/164, 296/165, 296/168, 296/171, 296/172, 296/173, 296/175, 296/176, 52/67
• US Class Current: 296/175
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/36 Auxiliary arrangements; Arrangements of living accommodation toilet or washing arrangements B60R15/00; Details

Abstract

A recreational vehicle having an expandable room wherein the room can be positioned in a retracted or deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the room expands inwardly into the main housing of the vehicle so as to enlarge the area of the room without displacing the fixtures and plumbing that are typically positioned adjacent an outer wall of the room. The room can be extended in conjunction with an exterior slide-out assembly wherein the deployed slide-out assembly creates a larger inner living space so as to accommodate the expanded room.

Claims

1. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels;

a plurality of outer walls mounted on the carriage assembly wherein the plurality of outer walls define an inner living space having a floor; and

a plurality of inner walls mounted within the inner living space defining an inner section, and wherein the inner walls are movable between a first configuration wherein the floor space of the inner section comprises a first area and a second configuration wherein the floor space of the inner section comprises a second area greater than the first area wherein the inner walls include a first and second wall that are positioned at an angle relative to each other wherein the angle between the first and second walls remains substantially the same in both the first and second configurations.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the inner section comprises a bathroom.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a toilet mounted within the bathroom and a doorway formed in one of the plurality of inner walls wherein the doorway is positioned so as to permit access and use of the toilet when the plurality of inner walls are in both the first configuration and the second configuration.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner walls comprise a plurality of fixed walls that are attached to each other and are fixedly mounted to the floor of the inner living space and a plurality of movable walls that are attached to each other and are slidably mounted adjacent the floor of the inner living space so that the movable walls can be moved with respect to the plurality of fixed walls between a retracted and a deployed configuration.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a slide-out section attached to a first one of the outer walls wherein the slide-out section can be positioned in a storage configuration and a deployed configuration and wherein the slide-out section, in the deployed configuration, increases the area of the inner living space.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a movement mechanism coupled with the slide-out section so as to be able to move the slide-out section between the storage configuration and the deployed configuration.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, further comprising a linking mechanism linking the slide-out section and the plurality of movable walls so that movement of the slide-out section between the deployed and retracted configurations results in corresponding movement of the movable walls of the inner section between the first and second configuration.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the linking mechanism comprises a rod coupled to the slide-out section and to the movable walls.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a motor home.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a travel trailer.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of rail tracks mounted on a surface of the inner walls wherein the inner walls can slide along the rail tracks.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the sliding movement of the inner walls can be manually activated.

13. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels;

a plurality of outer walls mounted on the carriage assembly wherein the plurality of outer walls define an inner living space having a floor;

a plurality of inner walls joined together so as to be maintained in a substantially fixed orientation to each other and mounted within the inner living space so as to enclose a first floor space wherein the first floor space can be enlarged by moving the inner walls from a retracted configuration into a deployed configuration wherein the inner walls are maintained in substantially the same fixed orientation to each other in both retracted and deployed configurations;

a slide-out section attached to a first one of the outer walls wherein the slide-out section can be positioned in a storage configuration and a deployed configuration and wherein the slide-out section, in the deployed configuration increases the area of the inner living space.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the first floor space defines a bathroom wherein the bathroom comprises a toilet mounted within the bathroom and a doorway formed in one of the plurality of inner walls wherein the doorway is positioned so as to permit access and use of the toilet when the plurality of inner walls are in both the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 wherein the slide-out section and the inner walls are coupled so that a horizontal movement of the slide-out section results in a substantially simultaneous horizontal movement of the inner walls so that the inner walls can be moved in tandem with the slide-out section.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 further comprising a connecting member having a first end and a second end wherein the first end of the connecting member is attached to one of the inner walls and the second end of the connecting member is attached to the slide-out section wherein the horizontal movement of the slide-out section exerts a first force on the connecting member causing the connecting member to exert a second force on the inner walls wherein the second force is sufficient to move the inner walls horizontally.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the connecting member comprises a rod structure.

18. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein one of the inner walls comprises an upper horizontal wall.

19. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the connecting member is movably attached to one of the inner walls in a manner so as to permit the connecting member to move independently of the inner walls for a predetermined distance upon application of the first force before the connecting member begins to exert the second force on the inner walls to move the inner walls.

20. The vehicle of claim 19 wherein the slide-out section in the deployed configuration is wider than the additional first floor space gained when the inner walls are in the deployed configuration.

21. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the first end of the connecting member is movably attached to one of the inner walls in a manner so as to permit the second end of the connecting member to move vertically for a predetermined distance.

22. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the horizontal movement of the slide-out section results in deployment of the slide-out section.

23. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the second force causes deployment of the inner walls.

24. A recreational vehicle comprising:

a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels;

a plurality of outer walls mounted on the carriage assembly wherein the plurality of outer walls define an inner living space having a floor;

a plurality of fixed walls and a plurality of movable walls mounted within the inner living space, wherein the plurality of fixed and movable walls define an inner section and wherein the plurality of movable walls are movable between a first configuration wherein the floor space of the inner section comprises a first area and a second configuration wherein the floor space of the inner section comprises a second area greater than the first area, wherein the movable walls include a first and second wall that are positioned at an angle relative to each other wherein the angle between the first and second walls remains substantially the same in both the first and second configurations.

25. The vehicle of claim 24 wherein the inner section comprises a bathroom.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, further comprising a toilet mounted within the bathroom and a doorway formed in one of the plurality of movable walls wherein the doorway is positioned so as to permit access and use of the toilet when the plurality of movable walls are in both the first configuration and the second configuration.

27. The vehicle of claim 24, wherein the plurality of movable walls are attached to each other and are slidably mounted adjacent the floor of the inner living space so that the movable walls can be moved with respect to the plurality of fixed walls between a retracted and a deployed configuration.

28. The vehicle of claim 24, further comprising a slide-out section attached to a first one of the outer walls wherein the slide-out section can be positioned in a storage configuration and a deployed configuration and wherein the slide-out section, in the deployed configuration, increases the area of the inner living space.

29. The vehicle of claim 28, further comprising a movement mechanism coupled with the slide-out section so as to be able to move the slide-out section between the storage configuration and the deployed configuration.

30. The vehicle of claim 29, further comprising a linking mechanism linking the slide-out section and the plurality of movable walls so that movement of the slide-out section between the deployed and retracted configurations results in corresponding movement of the movable walls of the inner section between the first and second configuration.

31. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the linking mechanism comprises a rod coupled to the slide-out section and to the movable walls.

32. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the vehicle comprises a motor home.

33. The vehicle of claim 30, wherein the vehicle comprises a travel trailer.