Actuant Corporation

Kwikee Products Co., Inc.

James R Kunz

Brock E Ferguson

Benjamin James Boyce

Malcolm M Maccabee

An expandable vehicle has slide-out sections in which one or more cog tracks are driven by a modular cog wheel drive assembly to move the slide-out sections in and out. The cog tracks can be integrated into the structure of the slide-out sections, and the slide-out sections are supported against tipping down both upon extension and retraction by a cable system that exerts a counter-moment on them in both directions.

Integrated slide-out drive system

The invention provides an articulating mount for an in-vehicle video display. A support member mounts the display to a guide fixed to a vehicle wall. The guide has a pair of vertically spaced horizontal tracks on which a pair of carriages travel on slides or rollers. The carriages mount at pivots to the top and bottom of one end of the support member. At one end of the tracks are two swing arms that pivotally mount to the top and bottom of the support member at an intermediate location between its ends. The support member and display can thus articulate with respect to the guide by the carriages translating one end of the support member along the tracks and pivoting the other end of the support member out away from the plane of the tracks.

Articulating mount for an in-vehicle display

A mechanism for raising and lowering an appliance, such as a video display, in an interior of a vehicle has a carriage supporting the appliance that slides or rolls vertically up and down in tracks of a guide frame between stowed and elevated positions. A force assist manual lift or an automated lift can be used to raise (and lower) the appliance. The force assist lift can have one or more pivotally and over center mounted gas springs to assist raising the appliance. The automated lift can have a motor driving one or more cables, wound through sheaves, to raise and lower the appliance. The entire assembly is preferably concealed in a furniture quality container until it is raised through a top opening for use.

In-vehicle lift mechanism

A cargo slide-out for a vehicle includes a drawer slideable within a guide frame. Glides, such as rollers or sliders, are mounted to two sides of the drawer and to the associated sides of the guide frame so that at each side of the drawer at least one glide extends toward the guide frame and at least one extends toward the drawer. A sliding double-run track is disposed between the drawer and the guide frame at the two sides of the drawer. Sliding engagement of the tracks and glides connect the drawer to the guide frame and allow the drawer to slide out fully from the guide frame so that the user can access the back of the drawer. Preferably, the tracks each define a pair of v-shaped grooves and a pair of v-shaped rails matable with v-shaped surfaces of the glides.

Vehicle cargo slide-out

A compound motion travel lock secures a slide-out section of a vehicle in a retracted position. A lock arm moves in a compound pivoting and translating movement as a manual or power driven actuator provides a linear input to a cam pin and slot arrangement. The rotational input is converted to a linear force acting on the lock arm, which pivots out from a collapsed position by engagement of the cam pins in the cam slots. The pivoted out lock arm is then translated to an engaged position in which the lock arm clamps against an interior surface of the vehicle to retain the slide-out section retracted within the vehicle. When the lock arm is collapsed the slide-out section can be moved freely between retracted and extended positions.

Compound motion slide-out travel lock

The invention provides a vehicle with one or more slide-out sections and a compact operating mechanism for moving each slide-out section between extended and retracted positions. In one form, the vehicle has a primary slide-out section and a secondary slide-out section mounted to extend and retract relative to the primary slide-out section. In that case, the vehicle has at least two operating mechanism, at least one for each sliding section. Each operating mechanism has two slide modules, one module is mounted to the slide-out section and the other is mounted to a stationary part of the vehicle. One module includes a drive and the other includes a drive member, such as a drive screw, that interact to extend and retract the slide-out section. A track and glide arrangement can be used to facilitate relative sliding between the modules.

Vehicle slide-out operating mechanism

A clamp type travel lock secures a slide-out section of a vehicle in a retracted position. The travel lock is pivotally disposed in a pocket of the slide-out wall. An actuator of the travel lock is accessible from an interior side opening of the slide-out wall and a lock arm is extendible through an exterior side opening of the slide-out wall. Pivoting the travel lock from a stowed position extends the actuator and the lock arm through the respective interior and exterior side openings of the slide-out wall. The actuator can then be operated from an interior of the slide-out section to move the lock arm to clamp the lock arm against an interior surface of the exterior vehicle wall. When the travel lock is stowed within the slide-out wall the slide-out section can be moved between retracted and extended positions.

Slide-out travel lock

The invention provides a vehicle with one or more slide-out sections and a compact operating mechanism for moving each slide-out section between extended and retracted positions. In one form, the vehicle has a primary slide-out section and a secondary slide-out section mounted to extend and retract relative to the primary slide-out section. In that case, the vehicle has at least two operating mechanism, at least one for each sliding section. Each operating mechanism has two slide modules, one module is mounted the slide-out section and the other is mounted to a stationary part of the vehicle. One module includes a drive and the other includes a drive member, such as a drive screw, that interact to extend and retract the slide-out section. A track and glide arrangement can be used to facilitate relative sliding between the modules.

A slide-out system for a recreational vehicle has a slide block that is form fit with a sliding connection to a track so as to vertically and laterally support a slide-out room relative to the stationary portion of the vehicle. The room is driven in and out by a rack and pinion drive and a synchronizing screw is provided at at least one end of the drive shaft so that two spaced apart slide-out units can be synchronized relative to one another and to ease disassembly of the shafts and motor drive unit.

Camper slide-out system

A recreational vehicle has pivot out rooms across the hallway from one another, at least partially overlapping from side to side along the length of the vehicle and arranged so that when they are retracted they create a hallway that has generally parallel sides. A thrust bearing supports the weight of each pivot out room and the hinge axis is inside of the vehicle so as to move the seal flange of the pivot out room out away from the recreational vehicle wall so as not to destroy the seals upon opening and to create a seal upon opening. A cog drive can be used to drive the room in and out and bear some of the room weight.

Pivot out room for vehicle

An electronic slide-out room synchronization system is provided to synchronize multiple actuators of a slide-out room so that the slide-out room has accurate alignment during extension or retraction while further providing a proper seal at full extension or retraction. The system comprises two linear actuators such as lead screw mechanisms or hydraulic cylinders in communication with a controller activated by an activation or room switch located inside a recreational vehicle. The linear actuators, when signaled via the controller, move the slide-out room between a retracted position and an extended position. If the controller determines, by receiving signals from a sensor, that one of the linear actuators is moving faster or is extended or retracted further than the other linear actuator, the controller synchronizes the actuators so that they extend and retract in unison.

Electronic slide-out room synchronization system

The step assembly (,) includes a housing (,) which is mountable to a recreational vehicle, typically underneath the door of the vehicle. A pair of linkage arms (,) and (,) are rotatably coupled at their lower ends to each side of the housing (,). The step assembly (,) contains an upper tread assembly (,), a center tread assembly (,), and a lower tread assembly (,), respectively including an upper step (,), a center step (,), and a lower step (,). The upper ends of the linkage arms (,) and (,) are rotatably connected to the upper portion of the upper tread assembly (,). The center tread assembly (,) is slidably engaged with the upper tread assembly (,) through a slideway assembly (,). The lower tread assembly (,) has a lower tread pivot arm (,) which is rotatably coupled to the center tread assembly (,) by a pin (,) mounted on the center tread assembly. The lower step (,) has a lower face (,) that substantially closes off the housing (,) when the step assembly is in a fully retracted position, forming a continuation of the vehicle outer surface. A linear actuator (,) is connected to the housing (,) and one of the tread assemblies, in order to extend and retract the tread assembly relative to the housing (,).

Step assembly with concealed lower tread

An automatic leveling system for a vehicle includes four leveling jacks coupled to a vehicle and extendible into contact with the ground to stabilize the vehicle. A level sensor calculates the location of a plane defined by the chassis of the vehicle, and downloads the information regarding the location of the plane to an onboard computer. The computer calculates the difference between the present location of the chassis plane and a plane which is level. The computer determines which of the leveling jacks need to be extended, and the proportion of extension required by each jack to activate the jacks in unison to level the vehicle. The computer further determines the proportions of flow that are needed to actuate the jacks in unison. To achieve the desired proportional flow, solenoid valves in a manifold coupling the jacks to a source of fluid are operated at varying frequencies. The selected frequencies are determined by the computer and correspond to the percentage of extension required by each of the four jacks to move the chassis plane to a level position.

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Creswell, OR, United States of America

James R Kunz