Retractable room actuation assembly for recreational vehicle

Abstract

A slide-out or retractable room for a mobile living quarters, such as a recreational vehicle, is provided with actuating assemblies mounted on opposite side walls of the slide-out room and the adjacent wall of the main living area. The actuating assemblies include a pair of parallel gear racks mounted on the side wall, which are engaged by pinions rotated by torque shafts mounted on the main living quarters. Each torque shaft is rotated by a separate motor. A roller engages a bearing surface on the lower portion of the gear racks. Accordingly, the slide-out room is extended and retracted by rotating the torque shafts to cause the gear racks and the attached slide-out room to extend and retract. The weight of the slide-out room is supported by the rollers, thereby supporting the slide-out room off of the floor of the main living quarters as it extends and retracts.

1 . An assembly cooperable with a slide out room for extending and retracting the slide out room in an opening in a structure, the assembly comprising:
 an upper rack securable to a side wall of the slide out room;   a lower rack securable to the side wall of the slide out room;   a pair of removable assembly straps connected between the upper rack and the lower rack, at least one of the assembly straps having a projecting flange that projects beyond the upper and lower racks, wherein the projecting flange is configured to engage a front wall of the slide out room to position the upper and lower racks laterally with respect to the slide out room;   a lower bearing block securable to the structure; and   a torque shaft rotatably supported by the lower bearing block, the torque shaft including an upper pinion configured to engage the upper rack and a lower pinion configured to engage the lower rack,   wherein the lower bearing block is engageable with a floor of the slide out room to position the upper and lower racks vertically with respect to the slide out room.   
     
     
         2 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower rack comprises a locating flange that projects therefrom and is engageable with a lower side of the floor of the slide out room. 
     
     
         3 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cover positioned over and covering the torque shaft, the cover including a connecting flange attachable to the structure. 
     
     
         4 . An assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the cover is U-shaped. 
     
     
         5 . An assembly according to  claim 3 , further comprising a vertically extending bulb seal coupled with the cover. 
     
     
         6 . An assembly according to  claim 5 , further comprising an extension member securable on a front wall of the slide out room, the extension member being positioned to engage the bulb seal when the slide out room is retracted. 
     
     
         7 . An assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the extension member is configured to cover the connecting flange when the slide out room is retracted. 
     
     
         8 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the torque shaft comprises circumferentially spaced splines, and wherein the upper pinion and the lower pinion each comprises grooves that receive the circumferentially spaced splines. 
     
     
         9 . An assembly according to  claim 8 , further comprising an electric motor engaging and driving the torque shaft. 
     
     
         10 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising an electric motor engaging and driving the torque shaft. 
     
     
         11 . An assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the lower bearing block, wherein the lower rack includes a bearing surface engaging the roller. 
     
     
         12 . An assembly cooperable with a slide out room for extending and retracting the slide out room in an opening in a structure, the assembly comprising:
 an upper rack securable to a side wall of the slide out room;   a lower rack securable to the side wall of the slide out room;   a lower bearing block securable to the structure;   a torque shaft rotatably supported by the lower bearing block, the torque shaft including an upper pinion configured to engage the upper rack and a lower pinion configured to engage the lower rack; and   a first roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the lower bearing block, wherein the lower rack includes a bearing surface engaging the first roller.   
     
     
         13 . An assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising a second roller rotatably mounted on a spindle connected to the upper bearing block, wherein the upper rack includes a bearing surface engaging the second roller. 
     
     
         14 . An assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the first roller comprises a shaped cross section, and wherein the bearing surface of the lower rack is shaped complementary to the shaped cross section of the roller. 
     
     
         15 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the shaped cross section is a v-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         16 . An assembly according to  claim 12 , further comprising a cover positioned over and covering the torque shaft, the cover including a connecting flange attachable to the structure. 
     
     
         17 . An assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the cover is U-shaped. 
     
     
         18 . An assembly according to  claim 16 , further comprising a vertically extending bulb seal coupled with the cover. 
     
     
         19 . An assembly according to  claim 18 , further comprising an extension member securable on a front wall of the slide out room, the extension member being positioned to engage the bulb seal when the slide out room is retracted. 
     
     
         20 . An assembly according to  claim 19 , wherein the extension member is configured to cover the connecting flange when the slide out room is retracted.