Automated RV landing gear

An automated landing gear for an RV with a dual action mechanism that allows an automatic extension tube and attached ground engaging foot to fully extend and retract in telescoping fashion within and out the bottom of an open ended outer tube mounted to an RV. A reversible motor rotates a vertical jack screw which engages a threaded jack nut to extend and retract an open ended inner tube out the bottom of the outer tube. The jack screw extends through a bearing and has a drive nut on its lower end. The drive nut is slidably encased by a drive tube that rotates in conjunction with the jack screw. Male threads on a lower end of the drive tube engage female threads within the automatic extension tube causing the automatic extension tube to extend and retract.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a landing gear such as would be found on a recreational vehicle (RV). The landing gear is designed to be automated with a motor to drive the landing gear. Further the present landing gear is provided with a dual action mechanism that allows the operator to fully extend the foot without having to manually pull a pin, extend the leg and reinsert the pin in the landing gear mechanism to achieve the necessary extension.

2. Description of the Related Art

The landing gear currently employed on most RVs is motorized. However, even the most common type of motorized landing gear still requires the operator to manually pull a pin out of the leg which allows the leg to slide or telescope downward to lengthen it and then reinsert the pin through aligned holes provided in the leg and the supporting portion of the landing gear before the motorized landing gear can be used to lower to the ground a foot that is attached to the leg.

This manual procedure is required because the landing gear does not have sufficient motorized retraction and extension length to fully retract to a height necessary for the RV to be ready to travel and also fully extend when the RV is to be set up for stationary use.

Manually pulling a pin, telescope the leg downward or upward and then reinsert the pin to hold the leg in the new position is inconvenient at best. This manual operation is particularly inconvenient when the weather is cold or wet because the person who is performing this operation must get down on their knees, sometimes in the mud, to accomplish the task. Also, the owners of RVs are often older individuals who may have had knee or hip replacement surgery which makes getting down on their knees to perform this manual operation difficult or painful.

The present invention addresses this need by providing a motorized landing gear that is fully extendable and retractable by motor driven power and does not require manual extension or retraction of the leg.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an automated landing gear for use on RVs, trailers or similar items. However, the invention is not limited to these uses. The automated landing gear is a dual action mechanism that allows the leg and attached foot to fully extend and fully retract without the need for manually extending or retracting the leg.

The invention employs a reversible motor that drives a vertical jack screw. The jack screw engages a female threaded jack nut which in turn extends or retracts an inner tube of the landing gear mechanism depending on the direction of rotation of the jack screw. An outer tube of the landing gear covers the jack screw and the jack nut, and the outer tube is open on its bottom end to allow an inner tube and an automatic extension tube to telescope within the outer tube and to telescope out the bottom end of the outer tube. The jack screw extends through a downwardly extending jack nut tube provided on the jack nut, then through a bearing retainer, a snap ring, a bearing, and a bearing holder before terminating on its lower end in a drive nut. The snap ring engages a circumferential groove provided externally in the downwardly extending jack nut tube provided on the jack nut to secure the bearing retainer to the jack nut. Bearing screws extend through screw openings provided in the bearing retainer and around the bearing and bearing holder to secure to threaded openings provided in the top of a drive tube.

The drive nut is encased within the drive tube so that the drive nut is free to move upward and downward within the drive tube, but so that the drive nut rotates the drive tube in conjunction with the turning of the jack screw. Thus, the drive tube moves up and down in conjunction with the drive nut, but the bearing also allows the drive tube to rotate in conjunction with the jack screw.

The lower end of the drive tube is provided with male threads that engage female threads provided internally within an automatic extension tube so that the male threads on the lower end of the drive tube cause the automatic extension tube to move upward or downward depending on the direction of rotation of the drive tube. The lower end of the automatic extension tube is provided with a bracket with an opening to which a foot for engaging the ground attaches by means of a pin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings and initially toFIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated an automated landing gear10that is constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention for use on RVs, trailers or similar items or equipment. Shown in outline is a mounting bracket11that mounts the automated landing gear10to the RV, trailer or other similar item on which it is to be employed. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these uses and may be used for any application for which it is suitable. The automated landing gear10is a dual action mechanism that allows an automatic extension tube12that serves as the supporting leg and an attached foot14to fully extend, as illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 5, and to fully retract, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4, without the need for manual extending or retracting.

Referring also toFIGS. 3 and 6, the invention employs a reversible motor16that drives a vertical jack screw18. The jack screw18engages a female threaded jack nut20which in turn extends or retracts an open ended inner tube22of the landing gear10depending on the direction of rotation of the jack screw18. The extension of the inner tube22is illustrated inFIG. 5by Arrow E. An outer tube24of the landing gear10covers the jack screw18and the jack nut20, and the outer tube24is open on its bottom end26to allow the inner tube22and automatic extension tube12to telescope within the outer tube24and to telescope out the bottom end26of the outer tube24, as will be more fully explained hereafter.

The jack screw18extends through a downwardly extending jack nut tube28provided on the jack nut20, then through a bearing retainer30, a snap ring32, a bearing34, and a bearing holder36before terminating on its lower end38in a drive nut40. The snap ring32engages a circumferential groove42provided externally in the downwardly extending jack nut tube28of the jack nut20to secure the bearing retainer30to the jack nut20. Bearing screws44extend through screw openings46provided in the bearing retainer30and around the bearing34and bearing holder36to secure to threaded openings48provided in a top50of a drive tube52.

The drive nut40is encased within the drive tube52so that the drive nut40is free to move upward and downward within the drive tube52, but so that the drive nut40rotates the drive tube52in conjunction with the turning of the jack screw18. Thus, the drive tube52moves up and down in conjunction with the drive nut40, but the bearing34also allows the drive tube52to rotate in conjunction with the jack screw18.

A lower end54of the drive tube52is provided with male threads56that engage female threads58provided internally within the automatic extension tube12so that the male threads56of the lower end54of the drive tube52cause the automatic extension tube12to move upward or downward depending on the direction of rotation of the drive tube52. The extension of the automatic extension tube12is illustrated inFIG. 5by Arrow E′. A lower end60of the automatic extension tube12is provided with a bracket62with a pin opening64to which the foot14that is designed for engaging the ground attaches by means of a pin66.