Abstract:
The present invention provides a slide-out mechanism that adjusts the elevation of a slide-out room relative to the main body of a vehicle. In one preferred embodiment, the slide-out mechanisms includes an acme screw elevator on a telescoping support arm below the slide-out room. As the slide-out room extends or retracts, the acme screw elevator increases or decreases the height of the slide-out room so as to allow full retraction within the vehicle body and complete level extension.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/493,291, entitled Slide Mechanism With Elevation Adjustment, filed Aug. 7, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Application 60/566,738, entitled Slide Mechanism With Elevation Adjustment, filed Apr. 30, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 

   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   This invention relates broadly to slide-out rooms. More particularly, this invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting the elevation of a slide-out room typically used in travel trailers, fifth wheel travel trailers, motor homes, and other recreational travel vehicles. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In order to increase the available interior space of a motorized or towable vehicle such as a motor home or trailer, these vehicles have been designed to include slide-out rooms. When the vehicle is in transit, the slide-out room is retracted and stored in the vehicle&#39;s interior with the exterior wall of the slide-out room approximately flush with the vehicle&#39;s exterior. As a result, there is typically adequate space within the vehicle&#39;s interior to accommodate users in transit and remain within the standard width limitations imposed upon a vehicle. When the vehicle is parked and leveled, the slide-out room is then slid outward through an opening formed in a sidewall of the vehicle thereby, increasing the internal accommodations. 
   Typically, slide-out rooms include a floor section, a roof section, a first sidewall section, a second sidewall section, and a third sidewall section. In the retracted position, the roof section and the first and second sidewall section are concealed from exterior view, and the third sidewall section forms a portion of the vehicle&#39;s sidewall. At the same time, the floor section of the slide-out room typically rests above a floor section of a fixed room and may form a portion of the usable interior floor during vehicle transit. Similarly, the roof section of the slide-out room may define the interior ceiling of that part of the vehicle during transit. The proximal ends of the roof section, first sidewall section, and second sidewall section, include stop walls. As used herein, “proximal” refers to the portion towards the vehicle body and “distal” refers to the portion away from the vehicle body. The stop walls form an L-shaped configuration with the respective roof section, first sidewall section and second sidewall section. The stop walls engage the inner surface of a respective sidewall section of the fixed room when the slide-out room is fully extended, and thereby limit the travel of the slide-out room. 
   In the early phases of slide-out room design, the floor of the slide-out room would slide back and forth over the top of the interior vehicle floor. With these early designs, however, there would then always exist a step differential between the vehicle floor and the slide-out room floor, even when the slide-out room was fully extended. To some users, this type of design was inconvenient or unsightly. 
   As a result, later slide-out rooms were designed so that the slide-out room floor would become flush with the interior vehicle floor once the slide-out room was fully extended out from the vehicle. These designs become known as flush floor designs and examples of these designs can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,637,794, 6,598,354, and 5,577,351, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
   However, even these later flush floor slide-out designs have not perfected the goal of achieving a flush floor configuration. For example, some existing flush floor slide-out designs are too complicated or cause excessive wear of parts over time. As a result, there is a continuing desire in the industry to find yet a better and more efficient way of achieving a flush floor configuration. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to overcome the limitations of the prior art and provide an improved way of achieving a flush floor configuration in a vehicle slide-out. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide-out mechanism that adjusts the elevation of a slide-out room. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide-out room that reduces its height when extended. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a slide-out room having a floor substantially level with a main floor of the vehicle body when in an extended position. 
   To achieve these and other objects not specifically numerated here, the present invention provides a slide-out mechanism that adjusts the elevation of a slide-out room relative to the main body of a vehicle. In one preferred embodiment, the slide-out mechanisms includes an acme screw elevator on a telescoping support arm below the slide-out room. As the slide-out room extends or retracts, the acme screw elevator increases or decreases the height of the slide-out room so as to allow full retraction within the vehicle body and complete level extension. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIGS. 1-3  illustrates a side view of a slide-out mechanism according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a bottom plan view of a slide-out arm according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of an acme screw and sprocket according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of a slide-out roller according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of the acme screw and sprocket of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of the slide-out roller of  FIG. 7 ; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of the acme screw and sprocket of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of a motorized acme screw according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate a side view of a slide-out arm according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 14  illustrates a side view of the motorized acme screw of  FIG. 11 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1-10  illustrate a preferred embodiment of the elevation adjusting slide-out mechanism  100  according to the present invention. The elevation adjusting slide-out mechanism  100  includes a slide-out arm  109  that moves a distal portion of the slide-out room  102  upwards and downwards. 
   More specifically, a threaded sprocket  118  at an outer end of the slide-out arm  109  engages the thread of an acme screw  122  that is ultimately fixed to the floor  116  of a slide-out room  102 . As a moving member  112  of the slide-out arm  109  is extended or retracted, it causes the sprocket  118  to rotate, moving the acme screw  122 , and thus a portion of the slide-out room  102 , upwards or downwards. 
     FIGS. 1-3  illustrate the elevation adjusting slide-out mechanism  100  within a vehicle in a retracted, partially extended and fully extended position, respectfully. As seen in  FIG. 1 , the slide-out room  102  rests on the main floor  110  of the vehicle body when in a fully retracted position. When the slide-out room  102  begins to extend from the vehicle, the elevation of the outer end of the slide-out is decreased, tilting the slide-out room  102  at an angle, as seen in  FIG. 2 . As the slide-out room  102  moves to a fully extended position in  FIG. 3 , an angled portion  166   a  of the slide-out room floor  116  lowers the elevation of the inner end of slide-out room  102 . Thus, in a fully extended position, the slide-out room floor  116  is both even and level with the main vehicle floor  110 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the slide-out arm  109  which comprises a moving member  112  that telescopes into and out of a nonmoving member  108 . The nonmoving member  108  is fixed to the body of the vehicle, allowing moving member  112  to extend out from the vehicle. The distal end of the moving member  112  includes a mounting bracket  120  which rotatably mounts an acme sprocket  118 . 
   Both moving member  112  and nonmoving member  108  are preferably composed of tubes, channels, or similar cavity-bearing shapes. Within both members  112  and  108  is a chain  124  having ends anchored at points  125  and  126  within the nonmoving member  108 . The chain  124  further engages the acme sprocket  118  at the outer end of the moving member  112  and an idler sprocket  128  at the inner end of the moving member  112 . As the moving member  112  telescopes out of the nonmoving member  108 , the chain  124  causes the idler sprocket  128  and acme sprocket  118  to rotate. 
   As best seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  8 , and  10 , the acme sprocket  118  engages a matching thread on the acme screw  122 . The acme screw  122  mounts (non-rotatably) within acme screw bracket  130  which, in turn, is attached to the underside of the slide-out room floor  116 . Thus, as the acme sprocket  118  rotates, it moves the acme screw  122  along the matching thread, ultimately moving the acme screw  122  and bracket  130  and floor  116  upward or downward. 
   For example,  FIG. 10  illustrates the acme screw  122  and acme sprocket  118  when the slide-out room  102  is in a completely retracted position. Note that the acme sprocket  118  is positioned near the lower end of the acme screw  122 . 
     FIG. 8  illustrates the acme screw  122  and acme sprocket  118  when the slide-out room  102  is partially extended. The slide-out arm  109  (i.e. the moving member  112  and nonmoving member  108 ) maintains a constant vertical position during the extension and retraction process, allowing the acme screw  122  to vertically move relative to the slide-out arm  109  and thus the vehicle. In the partially extended position, the acme screw  122  moves vertically lower relative to the acme sprocket  118 . 
     FIG. 6  shows the acme screw  122  and acme sprocket  118  when the slide-out room  102  is fully extended. The acme sprocket  118  is positioned near the top end of the acme screw  122 , ultimately supporting the distal end of the slide-out room  102  at a lower vertical position. 
   The acme screw bracket  130  includes a hinged region  130   a  which mounts to the underside of the slide-out room floor  116 . In this respect, the acme screw  122  maintains a substantially vertical position despite the angled position of the floor  116  during the extension process. 
   As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 ,  7 , and  9 , a roller  114  is positioned at the lower edge of the slide-out room opening, supporting some of the weight from the slide-out room. As the slide-out room  102  extends from the vehicle, its distal end moves lower, allowing the full weight of the slide-out room  102  to rest on the roller  114 , best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 9 . The slide-out room floor  116  includes an angled region  116   a , seen best in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , that lowers the elevation of the proximal end of the slide-out room  102  when the slide-out room  102  reaches the fully extended position. This arrangement allows the proximal end of the slide-out room  102  to achieve the same elevation as the distal end of the slide-out room  102  when in a fully extended position. In other words, the angled region  116   a  allows the slide-out room floor  116  to achieve substantially the same elevation as the main floor  110  of the vehicle. 
   In operation, the moving member  112  of the slide-out arm  109  begins to extend from the nonmoving member  108 , pulling the slide-out room  102  from the vehicle. As the moving member extends, the chain  124  within the slide-out arm  109  moves against the acme sprocket  118  causing the acme sprocket  118  to rotate. The rotating acme sprocket  118  causes the acme screw  122  to move downward through the center of the acme sprocket  118 , lowering the height of the distal end of the slide-out room  102 . The hinged region  130   a  of the acme screw bracket  130  flexes as the angle of the slide-out room floor  116  increases. As the slide-out room  102  reaches its fully extended position, the roller  114  meets the ramped portion  116   a  of the slide-out room floor  116 , allowing the proximal end of the slide-out room to lower to an elevation substantially similar to the distal end and the main floor  110  of the vehicle. 
   The slide-out room  102  may be retracted by a similar but opposite procedure. The moving member  112  moves towards the vehicle while the acme sprocket  118  moves the acme screw  122  and thus the distal end of the slide-out room upward. The ramped portion  116   a  of slide-out room floor  116  moves over the roller  114 , elevating the slide-out room  102  to an increased height. The retraction is complete once the slide-out room  102  moves to a position within the vehicle, best seen in  FIG. 1 . 
   The slide-out mechanism  100  may be positioned either above or below the slide-out room  102 . Additionally, drive belts and other flexible elements may be used in place of the chain  124 . Further, the slide-out arm  109  may be slidably coupled to the inside or outside of the nonmoving member  108 . 
   A typical slide-out room  102  may have one to three or more of theses assemblies, depending on the size and nature of the slide-out room. All of the assemblies are typically driven by a common drive. 
     FIGS. 11-14  illustrate another preferred embodiment of the present invention, similar to the preferred embodiment described previously in this application. The present embodiment differs in that it includes a motor  160  to change the elevation of the distal end of the slide-out room. 
   The mounting bracket  120  at the end of the moving member  112  includes a “captured” acme nut  154 . Unlike the previously described embodiment, the acme nut  154  is prevented from rotating by the mounting bracket  120 . The acme nut  154  includes an inner thread matching and engaging an acme screw  122 . 
   The acme screw  122  is rotatably mounted within acme mounting bracket  130 . At the lower portion of the acme screw mounting bracket  130  is a gear box  158  which is coupled to the acme screw  122  and the motor  160 . The gear box  158  translates the rotational motion  160  of the motor  160  at 90 degrees to the acme screw  122 . 
   In operation, the preferred embodiment of  FIGS. 11-14  functions similarly to the previously described embodiment. However, as the slide-out room extends from or retracts to the vehicle, the motor  160  engages the gear box  158 , causing acme screw  122  to rotate. Since the acme nut  154  is prevented from rotating, the turning acme screw  122  moves upward or downward through the acme nut  154 . In this respect, the acme screw  122  ultimately adjusts the height of the distal end of the slide-out room through the hingedly connected acme screw mounting bracket  130 , similarly to the previous embodiment. 
   One difference with this embodiment, however, is that there is no mechanical linkage that automatically synchronizes the raising and lower of the distal end with the extension and retraction of the movable member  112 . The synchronization can be performed electronically with a controller or can be performed manually by the user. 
   Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.