Patent Abstract:
An extensible room for travel trailers having a floor, walls, and roof section is arranged for sideward movement into and out of an opening in one of the trailer walls, the extensible room is suspended from overhead telescopic supporting frames and a drive assembly for moving the extensible room is provided.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention: 
     This invention relates to travel trailers of the type towed by a car or truck and having extensible rooms. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art: 
     Prior trailers have used a variety of expanding rooms or sections. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,509 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,910. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 2,877,509 an extensible trailer section is disclosed having movable side walls containing a pair of cantilevers which extend as the side walls move to support the room extension on the main body of the trailer. 
     Applicant&#39;s device has a movable room extension supported by overhead telescopically extensible support frames from which the room extension hangs. A self-contained drive assembly extends and retracts the room with respect to the trailer. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,910 a platform for extensible rooms is disclosed consisting of a support structure which is positioned so that a room section can be rolled out and positioned to provide a flat floor transition between the main trailer and the room extension. 
     Applicant&#39;s trailer has a totally self-supporting extensible room driven by an overhead motor and threaded shaft assembly which allows the room to be extended or retracted without the need for secondary support means under the room extension. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An extensible trailer room comprises walls, a floor, and a roof supported by overhead telescopically extensible frame members which move the extensible room into and out of the main trailer body. The overhead extensible frames comprise a pair of hollow elongated body members telescopically engaged. A motor driven threaded shaft is mounted on one of the hollow elongated body members, the shaft being threadably engaged in a fixed nut on the other of the hollow elongated body members. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel trailer with the extensible room in extended position; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged cutaway view of the support and drive mechanism of the device; and 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the support and drive assembly on line 3--3 of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the form of the invention chosen for illustration and as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, a travel trailer 10 having a floor, side and end walls 11 and a roof 12 has an opening 13 in a side wall 11 in which a room extension 14 is positioned for movement into and out of the trailer. The room extension 14 has a pair of sidewalls 15, a roof portion 16, a floor 17 and an end support wall 18. Said end support wall 18 has a frame 19 secured to the edges thereof. 
     By referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the travel trailer 10 has a metal frame formed of longitudinally extending box frame members 20 spaced vertically by a plurality of vertical box frame members 21. An elongated transversely positioned telescopically arranged support frame having members 22 and 23 is located on the upper box frame members 20 and angularly positioned brace frames 24 extend between the support frame member 23 and the box frame members 20. The outer end of the telescopic frame member 22 is attached by a bracket 25 to the frame 19 on the end wall 18 of the extensible room 14. 
     In order that the extensible room 14 may be moved into and out of the opening 13 in the travel trailer 10, a nut 26 is fixed to the telescopic frame member 23 and a threaded shaft 27 is engaged therein. The shaft 27 is positioned in parallel relation to the telescopic support frames 22 and 23 and has one end coupled to a gear box and motor 28 mounted on the telescopic frame member 22 and adjacent one end thereof. A stop member is located on the other end of the threaded shaft 27. The telescopic frame member 23, the brace frames 24 and the box frames 20 of the trailer 10 thus form a fixed support frame for the room extension 14 which is movably suspended therefrom by the frame 19 and the telescopic frame member 23. The end wall 18 and the side walls 15 of the room extension 14 are supported by the frame 19 and the floor 17 is attached to the walls 15 and 18. 
     In order that the room extension 14 will move into and out of the trailer 10 without undue friction, rollers 29 and 30 are positioned partially in recesses in the wall 11 and the floor of the trailer defining the opening 13 and engage the floor 17 of the room extension 14 from below and at its sides. The rollers 29 also help support the room extension 14. 
     In FIG. 3 of the drawings, a third roller 31 is shown mounted on the box frame 20 above the opening 13 where it supports the telescopic frame member 22 as it moves thereover. 
     Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that a weather closure 32 is positioned across the top of the opening 13 for engagement with the frame 19 and the upper portion of the end wall 18 of the room extension 14. 
     In use the gear box and motor 28 are activated by connection to a power source, not shown, to revolve the threaded shaft 27, which by engagement with the nut 26 will move the telescopic frame member 22 in the telescopic frame member 23. The room extension 14 is thus moved into or out of the travel trailer sidewall 11 where it closes the opening 13 in either retracted or extended position. 
     It will thus be seen that an extensible room for a travel trailer has been disclosed which can be easily and quickly extended to increase the available living space within the travel trailer and that the room extension is fully supported on the travel trailer requiring no additional support structure.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4