Slide-out room system having wall-mounted drive mechanisms with brake

1. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction of the slide-out room, the apparatus comprising:

a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle at one side of the aperture, the drive assembly including a prime mover having a brake engagable to inhibit unintentional movement of the slide-out room; and

a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room at a side of the slide-out room adjacent said one side of the aperture such that the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room;

wherein the drive assembly includes a rotatable pinion driven by the prime mover and the driven assembly includes a rack driven by the pinion and the drive assembly includes a drive support rotatably supporting the pinion, and the drive support engages the rack to inhibit the rack from disengaging the pinion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the brake is a dynamic brake that is automatically engaged when the prime mover is de-energized.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the prime mover further includes a rotary encoder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle at a side of the aperture opposite from said one side, the second drive assembly including a prime mover having a brake engagable to inhibit unintentional movement of the slide-out room at said opposite side of the aperture; and

a second driven assembly driven by the second drive assembly, the second driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room at a side of the slide-out room adjacent said opposite side of the aperture such that the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room.

5. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction of the slide-out room, the apparatus comprising:

a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle, the drive assembly including a drive support that engages the driven assembly to inhibit the driven assembly from disengaging the drive assembly and a prime mover having a dynamic brake that is automatically engagable when the prime mover is de-energized; and

a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room, and 2) the driven assembly is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room relative to the wall of the slide-out room.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the prime mover further includes a rotary encoder.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the drive assembly includes a rotatable pinion driven by the prime mover and the driven assembly includes a rack driven by the pinion.

8. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction of the slide-out room, the apparatus comprising:

a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle, the drive assembly including a prime mover having a dynamic brake being automatically engagable when the prime mover is de-energized; and

a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room, and 2) the driven assembly is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room relative to the wall of the slide-out room;

wherein the drive assembly includes a rotatable pinion driven by the prime mover and the driven assembly includes a rack driven by the pinion; and

wherein the drive assembly includes a drive support rotatably supporting the pinion, and the drive support engages the rack to inhibit the rack from disengaging the pinion.

9. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction of the slide-out room, the apparatus comprising:

a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle, the drive assembly including a prime mover having a dynamic brake being automatically engagable when the prime mover is de-energized; and

a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly, the driven assembly being connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room, and 2) the driven assembly is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room relative to the wall of the slide-out room;

wherein the drive assembly includes a rotatable pinion driven by the prime mover and the driven assembly includes a rack driven by the pinion; and

wherein the driven assembly further includes:

a room engaging bracket connected to the slide-out room; and

a pin-in-slot connection connecting the rack and the room engaging bracket, the pin-in-slot connection including:

a slot elongated in the transverse direction;

a pin received in the slot, the pin being movable in the transverse direction in the slot to permit the rack to move in the transverse direction as the slide-out room moves in the drive direction of the slide-out room.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the pin extends in an elevation direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room and the transverse direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the drive assembly includes a drive support rotatably supporting the pinion, and the drive support engages the rack to inhibit the rack from disengaging the pinion.

12. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the drive assembly, the driven assembly, and the slide-out room are movable in an elevation direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room and the transverse direction.

13. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room disposed in an aperture of a side wall of a vehicle from a retracted position to an extended position in a drive direction of the slide-out room, the apparatus comprising:

a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle and including:

a drive support;

a prime mover supported by the drive support, the prime mover including a brake engagable to inhibit unintentional movement of the slide-out room;

a pinion rotatably supported by the drive support and driven by the prime mover;

a driven assembly supported by a wall of the slide-out room and including:

a room engaging bracket connected to the slide-out room; and

a rack connected to the room engaging bracket and driven by the pinion such that 1) the slide-out room moves with the rack from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction of the slide-out room, and 2) the rack is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction of the slide-out room relative to the wall of the slide-out room; and

wherein the drive support engages the rack to inhibit the rack from disengaging the pinion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the brake is a dynamic brake that is automatically engaged when the prime mover is de-energized.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the prime mover further includes a rotary encoder.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the driven assembly further includes a pin-in-slot connection connecting the rack and the room engaging bracket, the pin-in-slot connection including:

a slot elongated in the transverse direction;

a pin received in the slot, the pin being movable in the transverse direction in the slot to permit the rack to move in the transverse direction as the slide-out room moves in the drive direction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the pin extends in an elevation direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction and the transverse direction.