Abstract:
A roller assembly for use with a slide-out room used in mobile homes, manufactured housing and recreational vehicles in which the assembly includes a roller journalled to a carrier. The carrier is mounted to a frame by an adjustable connection which allows a variation position of the carrier relative to the frame. The carrier is connected to the frame for articulated movement so as to allow the carrier and its roller to rock relative to the frame which is adapted for connection to either the slide-out room or the living area which forms a part of the mobile home, manufactured housing or recreational vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation of provisional application Ser. No. 60/307,818, filed Jul. 25, 2001. 
   This invention relates to a roller assembly for supporting a slide-out room providing auxiliary living space for portable living quarters as the slide out room is extended from and retracted into the main living quarters. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Mobile living quarters, such as recreational vehicles and manufactured housing, are commonly equipped with a slide-out room which can be retracted into the main living quarters in order to reduce the size of the living unit to that which can be accommodated to travel on public highways, and which may be extended from the main living quarters to provide an auxiliary living area when the unit is parked for use. Increasingly, such mobile living quarters have been provided with luxurious accommodations, such as carpeting, tile floors, and similar floor coverings. Of course, it is necessary that movement of the slide-out room as it is extended or retracted not damage such floor coverings. Furthermore, slide-out rooms must be maintained relatively level both during extension and retraction, and also when parked for use. If the slide-out room becomes out of alignment with the aperture in the main living quarters through which the slide-out room is extended and retracted, binding and other similar problems may result. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, a cylindrical roller assembly including a frame and a roller carrier on which a cylindrical roller is mounted is mounted on the frame via an adjustable connection to adjust the position of the roller relative to the frame. The roller carrier articulates with respect to the frame so that the roller can move relative both to the floor of the slide-out room and to the floor of the main living quarters as the slide-out room is extended and retracted. The roller is covered by a semi-rigid material that will not mark or otherwise damage the floor as the slide-out room is extended and retracted. Because of the articulating connection between the roller carrier and the frame, the roller can flex slightly relative to the floor of the main living quarters to accommodate any vibration, bumps or similar road shocks during transportation. Accordingly, the roller will not damage the floor as often occurs in prior art slide-out rooms in which the slide-out room is supported through a rigid connection. In such prior art arrangements, damage the floor of the main living quarters may result, particularly if the floor is a tile floor or a similar easily damaged material. The roller thus is also able to accommodate movement between carpeted and tiled sections of the floor when the slide-out room is extended and retracted. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view in perspective of the roller assembly made pursuant to the teachings of present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary cross-sectional view in through the mobile living quarters and slide-out room, the slide-out room being illustrated fully retracted within the main living quarters; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , but illustrating the room in its fully extended position; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view illustrating the floor of the mobile living quarters in its fully retracted position over the floor of the main living quarters, the roller assemblies according to the present invention being illustrated in dash lines; 
       FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , showing the floor in its extended position; 
       FIG. 6  is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines  6 — 6  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a view taken substantially along lines  7 — 7  of FIG.  5 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, a roller assembly made pursuant to the teachings of the present invention is generally indicated by the number  10 . Roller assembly  10  includes a frame  12  having ends  13  from which project flanges  14  carrying apertures  16  for attaching the frame  12  to the floor of the slide-out room or to the floor of the main living area of the transportable living quarters as will hereinafter be explained. Frame  12  further includes a longitudinal section  20  extending between ends  13 . At approximately the center of longitudinal section  20 , a nut  24  is secured to the longitudinal section  20  to provide a threaded opening therethrough. Nut  24  receives a threaded bolt  26  upon which a nut  28  is rotatably secured to act as a lock nut to secure the bolt  26  in a preselected position relative to the longitudinal section  20 . 
   The end of the bolt  26  is provided with a threaded aperture  30 , which receives screw  32 . The length of screw  32  and depth of the bore  30  are such that a relatively substantial clearance is provided between the head of the screw  32  and the end of the bolt  26 , as is most clearly illustrated in FIG.  6 . Screw  32  extends through an aperture  34  in longitudinal section  36  of a roller carrier generally indicated by the number  38 . Longitudinal section  36 , along with side flanges  40 , define a channel section of roller carrier  38  that receives an elongated cylindrical roller generally indicated by the numeral  42 . Roller  42  includes a spindle  44  having a polygonal cross-section on the opposite ends thereof which is non-rotatably received in correspondingly shaped openings  46  in end flanges  48  defining the opposite ends of the roller carrier  38 . Roller  42  further includes an elongated cylindrical body  50  that is mounted for rotation relative to the spindle  44  via appropriate internal bearings (not shown). The cylindrical body  50  includes an outer circumferential surface  52  upon which a semi-rigid pad  54  is mounted. The pad material  54  is resilient, and is made of a material that will not mark or mar the floor of the mobile living quarters as will hereinafter be explained. The cylindrical roller  42  is installed in the roller carrier  38  by installing the ends of the spindle  44  in the apertures  46 , after the carrier  38  itself has been installed on frame  12  by inserting the screw  32  into the threaded aperture  30 . Accordingly, because of the clearance between the end of screw  32  and the end of the bolt  26 , rocking or articulating motion of the carrier  38  carrying the roller  42  is permitted as is indicated by the arrows in FIG.  6 . 
   As is illustrated in  FIGS. 2-5 , the roller assemblies  10  are used to support a slide-out room generally indicated by the numeral  56  for movement from, and retraction into, the living area  58  of a transportable living quarters  60 , which may be, for example, manufactured housing or a recreational vehicle. Main living quarters  58  is defined by a lower floor  62  across which the slide-out room  56  slides when it extends and retracts. The slide-out room  56 , in addition to walls  64  and ceiling  66 , includes a floor  68  which slides over the floor  62  of the main living area. As can be seen in  FIGS. 2-5 , a pair of roller assemblies  10  indicated as  10   a  and  10   b  are mounted at opposite corners of the floor  68  of the slide-out room and roll along the floor  62  of the main living quarters as the slide-out room is extended and retracted. Further, additional roller assemblies  10 , indicated at  10   c  and  10   d , are installed adjacent the outer edge  70  of the floor  62  of the main living quarters and roll along the underside of the floor  68  of slide-out room  56  as it extends and retracts. Roller assembled  10   c  and  10   d  are inverted as compared to roller assemblies  10   a  and  10   b , so that the roller  52  faces upwardly to engage the underside of the floor of the slide out room. Otherwise, the rollers assemblies  10   c  and  10   d  are identical to the roller assemblies  10   a  and  10   b . To assure proper support of the floor, the roller assemblies  10   c  and  10   d  are off-set inwardly from the roller assemblies  10 A and  10   b . As can be most clearly seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , as the slide-out room  56  approaches its outer extension limit, the roller assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  which move with the slide-out room approach, but do not reach, the plane defined by the roller assemblies  10   c  and  10   d.    
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , each roller assembly  10   a  and  10   b  is installed on floor  68  by appropriate fasteners  70  installed through apertures  16  of flanges  14  to secure the latter on sub-floor members  72 . A relatively small access hole  74  is provided in main floor panel  68 A to enable a tool to be inserted through the aperture  74  to engage the bolt  26 . Accordingly, rotation of the bolt  26  expands or reduces the distance between the frame  12  and the roller carrier  38 , so that this distance may be readily adjusted, thereby adjusting the height of the floor  68  above the floor  62  of the main living quarters. Similarly, roller assemblies  10   c  and  10   d  are installed on sub-floor members  74  of the main floor  62 . The bolt  30  of roller assembly  10   c  may be accessed from below the floor of the main living quarters. As can be seen in  FIG. 7 , each of the bolts  30  can be adjusted to raise and lower their corresponding cylindrical rollers to thereby align and level the slide-out room so that the floor of the slide-out room will remain level and the slide-out room may be properly extended and retracted without binding. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , it is common in the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industry to provide premium floor coverings, such as tile  76 , as a floor covering for the floor  62  of the main living quarters. Commonly, a carpeted area adjoins the tiled area. Accordingly, the roller assemblies  10   a  and  10   b  must roll across both the carpeted and tiled areas all while keeping the slide-out room properly oriented with the opening through which it extends and retracts. Articulation of the rollers of the present invention with respect to the floors  62  and  68  facilitate this movement. Furthermore, in the retracted position, it is common that the rollers  10   a  and  10   b  will rest on the tile surface  76  for long periods of time during transport of the unit. Because the roller carrier  58  is permitted to articulate with respect to the frame  12 , the roller assembly automatically adjusts for any unevenness of the floors, as indicated by the slight difference in level of the tiles  76 ,  FIG. 6 , while still distributing the weight of the slide-out room across as many tiles as possible, which, of course, is a function of the length of the rollers included within the assemblies  10   a  and  10   c . Furthermore, again because the roller carrier  38  is permitted to articulate with respect to the frame  12  as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 6 , any road vibrations or bumps will be accommodated by this articulation, so that the tiles  74  will not be damaged or marred. However, appropriate care must be taken to not tighten the roller against the floor too tightly by operation of the bolt  26  when the room is leveled. 
   Although four of the floor assemblies are illustrated as supporting the slide-out room in the Figures, a greater or fewer number of roller assemblies  10  may be required. Furthermore, the roller assemblies mounted on the floor of the living area in which the slide-out room rolls as it is extended and retracted may be omitted when the slide-out room is supported by a suspension system which automatically maintains the height of the outer portion of the slide-out room as it extends and retracts.