Slide out drive assembly for enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9556940-B2
Application number	US-201514603674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2011
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A drive assembly for a slide out in an expandable enclosure, the drive assembly comprising a beam attachable to the slide out, the beam having a first row of teeth and a second row of teeth thereon, the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth extending parallel to each other on opposite sides of the beam wherein the teeth in the first row of teeth are offset relative to the teeth in the second row of teeth and a drive gear having a first gear wheel engagable with the first row of teeth and a second gear wheel engagable with the second row of teeth, and an actuator coupled to the beam to selectively extend and retract the beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive assembly for a slide out in an expandable enclosure, the drive assembly comprising:
a beam attachable to the slide out, the beam having a first row of teeth extending along on a first side of the beam and a second row of teeth extending along an opposing second side of the beam, the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth extending parallel to each other on the opposing first and second sides of the beam, wherein the teeth in the first row of teeth are offset relative to the teeth in the second row of teeth; and
a drive gear having a first gear wheel engagable with the first row of teeth and a second gear wheel engagable with the second row of teeth; and
an actuator coupled to the beam to selectively extend and retract the beam.

2. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive gear includes a support wheel located between the first and second gear wheels, the support wheel extending radially outward to contact the beam between the first row of gear teeth and the second row of gear teeth.

3. The drive assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first gear wheel, second gear wheel, and support wheel are mounted on a hub, the first gear wheel and second gear wheel being rotatably fixed to the hub, while the support wheel is freely rotatable thereon.

4. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first row of gear teeth and the second row of gear teeth are offset by one and one half teeth.

5. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beam defines a groove between the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth, the groove extending parallel to the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth.

6. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beam includes a pair of side flanges extending laterally outward from a central portion, wherein the first row of teeth is stamped into one of the flanges and the second row of teeth is stamped into the other of the flanges.

7. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a motor coupled to the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel.

8. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes an electronic cylinder having an extendable end coupled to the beam.

9. The drive assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bracket mounted on an end of the beam, wherein the bracket attaches to the slide out.

10. A rack used in connection With a slide out drive assembly, the rack comprising: a beam having a pair of laterally extending flanges, each flange having a row of teeth stamped along a side thereof.

11. The rack of claim 10 , wherein the teeth in one row of teeth are offset relative to the other row of teeth.

12. The rack of claim 11 , wherein the teeth are offset by a distance of one and one half teeth.

13. The rack of claim 11 further comprising a first gear wheel operatively engaging the first row of teeth and a second gear wheel operatively engaging the second row of teeth, wherein the teeth formed in the first and second rows are spaced a distance corresponding to two teeth on the respective first and second gear wheel.

14. The rack of claim 11 further comprising a central portion formed by a pair of center flanges extending upward from inward extremities of the laterally extending flanges. and the center flanges being joined together.

15. The rack of claim 14 , wherein a joint formed by the center flanges defines a groove between the laterally extending flanges.

16. An expandable enclosure comprising:
an enclosure;
a slide out extendable from the enclosure;
a drive assembly including a beam having a first row of teeth extending along on a first side of the beam and a second row of teeth extending along an opposing second side of the beam, the first row of teeth and the opposing second row of teeth extending parallel to each other and laterally spaced from each other by a central portion of the beam, wherein the beam is configured to attach to the slide out;
a drive gear including a first gear wheel and a second gear wheel respectively engageable with the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth, and a support wheel located between the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel, the support wheel configured to contact the beam between the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth; and
an actuator operatively connected to the beam to extend or retract the slide out.

17. The slide out assembly of claim 16 , further comprising a hub, the first gear wheel and second gear wheel being rotatably fixed to the hub.

18. The slide out assembly of claim 17 , wherein the hub includes a first stub shaft extending axially outward therefrom.

19. The slide out assembly of claim 17 further comprising:
a second drive assembly including a beam having a first row of teeth and a second row of teeth extending parallel to each other and laterally spaced from each other by a central portion, wherein the beam is configured to attach to the slide out; a drive gear including a first gear wheel and a second gear wheel respectively engageable with the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth, and a support wheel located between the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel, the support wheel configured to contact the beam between the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth, wherein the first gear wheel and second gear wheel are rotatably fixed to a second hub having a second stub shaft extending axially outward from the hub toward the first stub shaft; and a cross member connecting the first stub shaft to the second stub shaft.

Assignees

• Norco Ind Inc

Inventors

• Garceau Bernard F

Classifications

• Y10T74/19963

  Spur · CPC title

• Y10T29/49622

  Vehicular structural member making · CPC title

• F16H55/26

  Racks · CPC title

• F16H19/04 Primary

  comprising a rack · CPC title

• B60P3/34

  the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement ({B60P3/38} takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06) · CPC title