Abstract:
A slide out room is glidingly supported from a main structure by a flexible tension member defining first and second lengths, each length trained about a set of rotatable support members carried by the main structure such that the tension member supports the room from the rotatable support members in both its extended and retracted positions. A tensioner connected to the tension member is used to adjust the tension in the tension member. A leveler carried by the room includes a longitudinal adjustment member that engages the tension member, whereby the room may be leveled relative to the main structure by adjusting the adjustment member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation of and claims priority to provisional application 60/518,211, filed Nov. 7, 2003. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention disclosed herein relates to a slide out room for a mobile living quarters such as a recreational vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a method of shiftability supporting a slide out room. 
   2. Discussion of Background Art 
   In mobile living quarters such as recreational vehicles (RV&#39;s), it is desirable to be able to expand the usable living space within the RV. This is often accomplished by having one or more slide out rooms in the RV that shift through an opening in the main wall of the RV between a retracted position within the main body of the RV and an extended position protruding out of the main body. In so doing, two major obstacles that need to be addressed are supporting the slide out room in its extended and retracted positions and smoothly shifting the room between its extended and retracted positions. 
   One general method of supporting the room includes using tensioned cables carried by one of the slide out room or main body, the cables either supporting or supported by pulleys or sheaves carried by the other of the slide out room or main body. Examples of such pulley and cable systems include U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,171 (Young) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,462 (Freller). Although both of these disclosures use cables to support the slide out rooms as they shift between their extended and retracted positions, neither relies solely on the tension support of the cables against their sheaves to support the slide out room in both its extended and retracted positions and all its intermediate positions. For example, in Young, the cables are fixedly secured to the main body with anchors, thereby effectively supporting the room with the cables from the anchors. In order to shift the slide out room, the cables must be driven along an infinite loop defined by a set of sheaves. In Freller, the lower pulley rolls along a support track to help support the back end of the room in its retracted position and as it shifts to its extended position. In order to act as both a pulley and a roller, the cable is sandwiched within a groove between the guide rail and pulley. 
   It would be desirable to have a room that is supported solely by tensioned cables that are wound about a set of sheaves in order to facilitate smooth and easy shifting of the slide out room by a variety of actuation systems independent of the cable and sheave system. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention disclosed herein includes a slide out room in a main structure having a wall with the slide out room being shiftable through and opening in the wall between an extended position and a retracted position. A tensile member carried by the room is trained about a first pair and a second pair of guide members rotatably carried by the main structure to define a pair of reciprocal opposing paths of the tension members. The tensile member supports the room in its extended position and in its retracted position. The room is shiftable between its retracted and extended positions by the shifting of the tension members about the guide members. 
   In another aspect of the invention, a parallel motion stabilizer prevents the room from skewing by causing the opposite sides of the room to shift in parallel with each other as the room is shifted relative to the main frame. 
   In another aspect of the invention, a pair of tension members are trained about first and second pairs of guide members. One tension member supports the room in its extended position, and the other tension member supports the room in its retracted position. 
   An object of the invention is to provide a cable supported slide out room for use in a mobile living quarters. Another object of the invention is to provide a slide out room in which a minimum of one cable supports the room in both its extended and retracted position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric cut away view of a slide out room according to this invention in its extended position; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the room in its retracted position shown in fragmented form and as seen along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the room as shown in  FIG. 2  in its extended position; 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric detail of the leveler seen in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of the leveler; and 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the room shown in an intermediate position with an alternative embodiment of the cable support system. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, a slide out room  10  depicted if  FIGS. 1 through 3  is carried within a main structure  12  such that it can shift through an opening  14  in wall  16  of structure  12  between a retracted position generally within the interior space  18  of the main structure as seen in  FIG. 2  and an extended position projecting out of the main structure through the wall as seen in  FIG. 3 . Slide out room  10  includes a floor  20 , an outer end wall  22 , and sidewalls  24  and  26 , which collectively define an auxiliary space  28  within the slide out room. A window  30  in sidewall  24  is exposed when the slide out room is in its extended position. Slide out room  10  is glideably supported at each of its sidewalls  24 ,  26  by a parallel pair of tensioned cable fulcrum support systems, generally indicated by the number  32 . A room leveler mechanism  34  associated with each support system is used to adjust the level or angular relationship of room  10  with respect to main structure  12  as explained more fully herein below. A parallel motion stabilizer  60  is used to prevent skewing of room  10  with respect to main structure  12  by causing opposite sides of the room to shift in parallel with each other as the room is shifted between its retracted and extended positions. 
   Each tensioned cable fulcrum support system  32  includes a first pair of vertically offset sheaves  38   a ,  38   b  and a second pair of vertically offset sheaves  40   a ,  40   b  attached to and rotatably carried by main structure wall  16  within opening  14  adjacent sidewall  24 ,  26 . A third pair of guide sheaves  42   a ,  42   b  are attached to and rotatably carried by sidewall  24 ,  26 . A cable  44  is anchored to the sidewall with a fixed anchor  46  at one end and an adjustable tensioning anchor  48  at the other end of the cable. Tensioning anchor  48  may be any known adjusting device such as, for example, an eye hook threadedly carried by a bracket carried by the side wall. Support sheaves  38   a  and  40   a , guide sheave  42   a , and fixed anchor  46  are horizontally aligned along the sidewall near the top of slide out room  10  and parallel to the path of travel of the room between its extended and retracted positions. Support sheaves  38   b  and  40   b , guide sheave  42   b , and tensioning anchor  48  are similarly horizontally aligned along the sidewall near the bottom of slide out room  10 . Support sheaves  40   a  and  38   b  are vertically aligned, support sheaves  38   a  and  40   b  are vertically aligned, and guide sheaves  42   a ,  42   b  are vertically aligned adjacent to the end wall  22 . Cable  44  extends from anchor  46 , over sheave  40   a , under sheave  40   b , around guide sheaves  42   b  and  42   a , over sheave  38   a , then under sheave  38   b  to anchor  48 . Each cable  44  is maintained at a desired tension for supporting the room by adjusting tensioning anchor  48 . 
   At proper tension, room  10  may be completely supported solely by the pair of support systems  32  in any position between its extended and retracted position. In its extended position, room  10  is supported generally by the length of cable  44  in tension along the path from sheave  42   a , across sheaves  38   a  and  38   b , to anchor  48 . In its retracted position, room  10  is supported generally by the length of cable  44  in tension along the path from anchor  46 , across sheaves  40   a  and  40   b , to sheave  42   b . In this manner, the room may be entirely supported by the pair of tensioned cable fulcrum support systems  32  herein described. Although support sheaves  40   a, b  and  38   a, b  are preferably arranged with a maximum of vertical offset as depicted to cause the paths of the cables to crisscross, the tension member fulcrum support system would work with the pairs of sheaves approaching a limit of no vertical offset with the appropriate tension in the cables. 
   As room  10  is shifted between its extended and retracted positions, sheaves  42   a, b  move relative to main structure  12  with cable  44  moving across sheaves  38   a, b  and  40   a, b . The portion of the cable between sheaves  42   a  and  42   b  does not move with respect to room  10 . With each of the sheaves  42   a, b  and anchors  46 ,  48  located as near as practical to the outer and inner edges of sidewalls  24 ,  26 , the range of motion of the slide out room  10  between its extended and retracted positions may be maximized. 
   Room leveler  34  includes a bracket  50  which is carried by end wall  22  and which includes a threaded nut  52  through which a threaded guide bolt  54  is turned. Guide bolt  54  has a hollow center through which cable  44  passes. A cable stop  56  carried by cable  44  abuts guide bolt  54  below the guide bolt. Room  10  may be leveled by adjusting its angular disposition with respect to main structure  12  by moving guide bolt  54  up or down relative to bracket  50  as bolt head  55  is turned. By placing cable stop  56  directly beneath guide bolt  54 , the end wall  22  of room  10  is effectively supported by cable  44  in a desired vertical angle orientation, thereby allowing the room to be leveled as the section of cable between sheaves  42   a, b  is moved relative the room upon turning movement of guide bolt  54 . If, with the passage of time, cable  44  stretches beyond the point where room leveler  34  can not effectively adjust the room level, the tension in the entire cable may be increased by shortening the cable with tensioning anchor  48 . 
   Motion stabilizer  36  includes parallel rack gears  58   a ,  58   b  carried underneath opposite sides of room  10  below sidewalls  24  and  26 . Racks  58   a ,  58   b  extend along floor  20  between the tension anchors  48  and guide sheaves  42   a, b  generally parallel with the path of travel of the room between its extended and retracted positions. Pinion gears  60   a ,  60   b  are rotatably carried by main structure  12  in driving engagement with rack gears  58   a ,  58   b  and are linked with shaft  62  extending between the pinion gears. Pinion gears  60   a ,  60   b  are generally vertically aligned under sheaves  40   b  on both sides of the room in opening  14 . When room  10  is shifted between its extended and retracted positions, racks  58   a ,  58   b  engage pinions gears  60   a ,  60   b  respectively. Linkage shaft  62  prevents either pinion gear  60   a  or  60   b  from rotating at a different speed than the other pinion gear, which thereby equalizes the motion of both racks  58   a ,  58   b . In this manner, the room prevented from skewing with respect to main structure  12 . Although pinions  60   a ,  60   b  may act as an additional means of support for room  10 , they are not necessary for the support of the room. Alternative forms of a side-to-side motion stabilizer that do not also act to support the room could also be used. 
   To shift rom  10  between its extended and retracted positions, many known driving means could be adapted to push or pull the room between positions. For example, but not by means of limitation, room  10  could be manually pushed or pulled between its extended and retracted position with appropriately placed handles (not shown). A drive mechanism or motor could be attached to linkage shaft  62  to use the motion stabilizer  36  to engage pinion gears  60   a, b  to shift the room. Another possible drive mechanism could include mounting an extensible and retractable drive cylinder between the main structure  12  and room  10  to shift the room between its extended and retracted position. Another alternative might include using coordinated drive mechanisms to rotate support sheaves  38   a ,  38   b  and  40   a ,  40   b  in a coordinated manner to shift the room between its extended and retracted positions. In any event, the particular type of actuating mechanism used to shift room  10  between its extended and retracted position are generally independent of the tension support system described herein. 
   An alternative embodiment of the tension support system previously described herein is shown in  FIG. 6 . Parts with the same reference numerals as for the embodiment of  FIG. 1  are the same and have the same functions as previously described. Cable  44  used in  FIG. 1  is divided in  FIG. 6  into two cables  44   a ,  44   b . Cable  44   a  is trained about support sheaves  40   a ,  40   b  between a tensioning anchor  48   a  attached to sidewall  24 ,  26  and fixed anchor  46   a  attached also to the sidewalls. Cable  44   b  is trained about support sheaves  38   a ,  38   b  between a tensioning anchor  48   b  and fixed anchor  46   b , each attached to sidewalls  24 ,  26 . In this embodiment, because there is no room leveler acting on a single cable, the room may be leveled by simultaneously by extending one tensioning anchor  48   a , or  48   b , while retracting the other tensioning anchor. Room  10  will be supported by cables  44   a ,  44   b  as the room is moved between its extended and retracted positions in a manner similar to that already described for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
   The detailed description hereinbefore related is only meant to exemplify the invention to enable those skilled in the art to make and use it. The subject invention is not to be limited to the details given above for the preferred embodiment, but may be modified within the scope of the impending claims.