Abstract:
Detachable Clearance Wands are disclosed. The wands provide a driver of a large vehicle having slideout compartments with a clear dimension for the extension length of the slideout. The wands are attachable to the vehicle&#39;s side prior to parking it to provide the extension length without risk of damage to the slideout. The wands are length-adjustable so that they can be configured for any length slideout. In an alternate embodiment, the wands are comprised of several pieces of wand material interconnected to one another, such that the wand can be collapsed for consolidation and storage when not in use.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/176,114, filed Jul. 6, 2005, status: now pending. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates generally to automobile accessories and, more specifically, to Detachable Clearance Wands. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   Recreational Vehicles (“RV&#39;s”) have become increasingly popular means of vacationing for many modern families. As the RV design has evolved, many features previously only available in a brick-and-mortar house have now become standard and optional features in RV&#39;s, including hardwood flooring, granite countertops, satellite communications, and many others. 
   Another aspect of the RV evolution is that they have become larger and larger. Because there is a limitation on width of the RV (i.e. so that they can still be driven over the road) the conventional RV could only be enlarged by making it longer and longer. One fairly recent advancement was that of the “slide-out.”  FIG. 1A  depicts an RV having a conventional slide-out. 
     FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a conventional RV  10  having its slide-out compartment  18  retracted;  FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of that conventional RV  10  with the slide-out compartment  18  extended. The RV  10  has one or more panels  14  dispersed on the sidewall  12  of the RV  10 . Once the RV  10  has been parked in its camping location, the slide-out compartment  18  is extended outwardly for an extension length  20 . The effect of adding a slide-out compartment  18  to a conventional RV was to add additional interior width without exceeding the over-the-road width of the RV  10 . The slide-out feature has become so popular that RV&#39;s are now being offered with as many as four individual slide-out compartments  18  incorporated into them. 
   The problem with the slide-out compartment  18  is that they tend to make positioning the RV  10  quite a bit more difficult in many campgrounds. The problem relates to obstructions on the sides of the campground space. It is common for there to be one or more utility hookup posts  16  between each of the spaces. At these posts  16 , the RV can connect to the various utilities provided by the campground to their tenants, such as electrical power, water, cable television, etc. The specific problem is that it is difficult for the RV driver to really know how far the slide-out compartment  18  will extend (i.e. the extension length  20 ). What happens is that the driver parks the RV  10  where he or she believes there will be sufficient spacing; then they test extend the slide-out compartment  18  to see whether or not it strikes the post  16  when fully extended. If it looks like there is insufficient space, the driver must reenter the RV  10 , retract the slide-out  18 , reposition the RV  10 , and then re-extend the slide-out  18 . This can be a very cumbersome process, particularly where there are numerous obstructions and more than one slide-out. 
   What is needed is a device and method that permits the RV driver to park the RV  10  once, and not be in fear of the slide-out compartment  18  impinging upon external obstructions. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide Detachable Clearance Wands and a method for their use. The wands should provide a driver of a vehicle equipped with slideout compartments with a clear dimension for the extension length of the slideout. The wands should be attachable to a side of the vehicle prior to parking it to provide the extension length without risk of damage to the slideout. The wands should be length-adjustable so that they can be configured for any length slideout. In an alternate embodiment, the wands should be comprised of several pieces of wand material interconnected to one another, such that the wand can be collapsed for consolidation and storage when not in use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are perspective views of a conventional RV having a slide-out compartment; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional RV having a pair of clearance wands of the present invention attached to it; 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are perspective views of the clearance wand of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting the method for adjusting the clearance wand of FIGS.  2  and  3 A/ 3 B; 
       FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting the method for use of the clearance wands of FIGS.  2  and  3 A/ 3 B; and 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  are perspective views of an embodiment of a collapsible clearance wand of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide Detachable Clearance Wands. 
   The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a conventional RV  10  having a pair of clearance wands  22 A and  22 B of the present invention attached to it. The clearance wands (generically referred to as  22 ) are attached to the sidewall  12  of the RV  10  in the vicinity of the slide-out panel  14 . The purpose of the wand  22  is to provide the RV driver with an indicator, visible in the rear view mirrors of the RV, as to how much space must be left between the RV  10  sidewall  12  and any obstructions around the campsite. 
   Here, the first clearance wand  22 A is attached to the sidewall  12  just ahead of the slideout panel  14 , and the second clearance wand  22 B is attached to the sidewall  12  just behind of the slideout panel  14 . The driver may prefer to position the wands  22  at the corners of the RV  10 , depending upon where and how many slideout compartments there are. 
   Because the driver need only avoid striking anything with the wands  22  when parking, the use of the wands  22  during the parking process will ensure that the slideout compartment will not be too close to obstructions to be extended; furthermore, the driver will be able to have perfect positioning without the need to dismount, then mount, then dismount again. If we now turn to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , we can examine the structural features of this embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B  are perspective views of the clearance wand  22  of  FIG. 2 . In this version, the wand  22  comprises a suction cup base  24 , defined by a suction cup  25  for temporary attachment to the fiberglass wall of the RV, and a socket  27  extending opposite therefrom. 
   A wand member  26  is insertable into the socket  27  so that it is securely held therein. The wand member  26  is preferably made from a lightweight, yet fairly rigid material, such as thin-walled PVC or other material having like properties. The wand member  26  needs to be rigid enough so that it can be up to approximately forty-eight inches long (extending horizontally) without buckling, bending or sagging unacceptably. 
   In order that the tip of the wand  22  is easily visible to the RV driver, there will be a brightly-colored cap  28  attached to the distal end of the wand member  26 . The cap  28  may also be tape applied to the end of the wand member  26 . The cap  28  or tape is removable so that the length of the wand member  26  can be tried down until the clearance length  30  (the overall length of the suction cup base  24 , wand member  26  and cap  28  fully assembled) is equal to or greater than the extension length of the slideout compartment (see  FIG. 1B ). If we now turn to  FIG. 4 , we can examine the best way for customizing the wands for a particular vehicle configuration. 
     FIG. 4  is a flowchart depicting the method  32  for adjusting the clearance wand of FIGS.  2  and  3 A/ 3 B. First, the extension length of the slideout compartment must be determined (L E )  100 . Next, the clearance length (L C ) is determined  102  by adding a Safety Factor to the extension length (L E ). The wand member(s) are then cut to length  104  such that the clearance wand(s) are equal to the (L C ). The clearance wand(s) are then assembled  106 , and the wand(s) are then ready for service  108 . This method must be repeated only once for each clearance wand; it is only necessary that the individual clearance wands be used in the same location on the RV every time that the RV is parked (or at least for the same slideout). Now turning to  FIG. 5  so that we can examine the method for use of the length-adjusted wand(s). 
     FIG. 5  is a flowchart depicting the method for use of the clearance wands of FIGS.  2  and  3 A/ 3 B. After arriving at the camp site  110 , the driver need only dismount briefly to attach the clearance wands  112  to the sidewall of the RV. This can usually be done upon initial arrival at the entrance to the campground, since the driver will many time dismount in order to check in with the rental office. 
   The driver then parks the RV using the clearance wands to ensure that there is adequate clearance on the side(s) for the slideout(s)  114 . At this point, the slideout(s) are safely in the retracted or stowed position. The driver can then safely extend the slideout compartments  116  safely and without fear of striking any exterior obstruction. Once all slideouts are extended, the clearance wands can be removed and stowed  118  for future use. Finally turning to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , we can see another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B  are perspective views of an embodiment of a collapsible clearance wand  22 . The wand  22  is actually comprised of several wand elements  26 A- 26 C that can be assembled together in order to form a completed wand member  26 . In this version, there are one, two or more connecting elements (e.g.  32 A,  32 B) that are unions between a pair of adjoining wand elements  26 A- 26 C. The inner diameter of the connecting elements  32 A,  32 B are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the wand elements  26 A- 26 C so that an end of a wand element (e.g.  26 A) will fit into each end of the connecting elements (e.g.  32 A). 
   In order to prevent the loss of any of the connecting elements  32 A,  32 B, one end may be pre-assembled and bonded to one end of a wand element  26 A- 26 C. In another non-depicted version, the connecting elements  32 A,  32 B are actually integrated into the wand elements  26 A- 26 C, whereby the wand elements have an enlarged end that is configured to receive the end of an adjacent wand element within it. 
   Also depicted here is an alternate embodiment of the suction cup  25 . In this version, the suction cup base  24  is larger in size to prevent a secure attachment to the side of the vehicle, and further, a releasing tab  34  is provided to ease removal of the wand  22  from the vehicle. The releasing tab  34  extends outwardly adjacent to the outer edge of the suction cup base  24  in such a way so that it is easily grasped and pulled. Pulling on the releasing tab  34  will cause that section of the suction cup base  24  to be pulled away from the vehicle&#39;s side, thereby breaking the suction between the base  24  and the vehicle. 
   The cap  28  of the original embodiment has been integrated into a colored section  28 A at one end of one of the wand elements  26 A. This colored section  28 A may be created by a permanently attached cap, by colored tape, by paint, or some other coating at the end of the element  26 A. In any event, the length of the colored portion will be longer than is the cap  28  to account for a portion of it being cut off during the sizing process previously-described. Alternatively, the user could cut back one of the other wand elements  26 B,  26 C in order to shorten the length of the clearance wand  22 —this way none of the colored portion would be discarded. In the version depicted here, furthermore, element  26 A is made from a thinner-walled material than are the other elements  26 B,  26 C to make the cutting process simpler. Elements  26 B and  26 C have a thicker wall to provide greater rigidity over the length of the assembled wand  22 . 
   When fully assembled, the wand  22  will be as depicted in  FIG. 6B . The diameter of the wand elements  26 A- 26 C is in scale with the length of the wand  22  and wand elements  26 A- 26 C (as compared with the demonstration view depicted above in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  which are provided as such to aid in the basic understanding of the invention). 
   Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.