Adjustable resilient seal with bendable bulb portions
View Patent ↗A resilient seal for mobile living quarters around a slide out room that includes a pair of attaching members extending along the inside and outside surfaces of the main living area wall at an aperture through which the slide out room moves and further includes a connecting member extending between the attaching members and along the edge of the wall defining the aperture. A wiper seal extends from the connecting member to flex against the walls of the slide out room, and the connecting member further includes an accordion pleat for adjusting the distance between the attaching members to thereby accommodate walls of different thicknesses.
1. A resilient seal for mobile living quarters having main living area walls defining a main living area, an aperture in one of said main living area walls slidably receiving a slide out room having slide out room walls defining auxiliary living space, said one main living area wall having an outside surface, an inside surface, and a transverse surface extending between the inside and outside surfaces, said transverse surface defining said aperture, said resilient seal having a pair of attaching members extending along said one main living area wall adjacent to said aperture, each said attaching member including a bulb portion integrally attached thereto by an offsetting member spacing said bulb portion from its corresponding attachment member and a connecting member extending between said attaching members and along said transverse surface, said connecting member including an adjuster for adjusting the distance between the attaching members, said adjuster includes an accordion pleat defined between first and second parallel score lines defining a pair of corresponding fold lines, and a third score line defining a third fold line between and extending parallel to said first and second score lines, each said attachment member includes a terminal end opposite said connecting member, said offsetting members extending from said terminal ends of said attachment member, said inner wall of each said bulb portion each includes a protrusion extending toward its corresponding attachment member, said protrusion on said bulb portion located oppositely to that of said offsetting member so that compression of said bulb portion toward its corresponding attachment member urges said protrusion to contact said attachment member.
2. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 1 , said connecting member includes a wiper seal extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom and adapted for engaging one of said slide out room walls.
3. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said slide out room is movable between fully extended and fully refracted positions and carries a pair of offset flanges projecting outwardly from said slide out room walls, one of said flanges engaging a corresponding one of said bulb portions when said slide out room is in the fully extended position, the other flange engaging the other bulb portion when said slide out room is in the fully retracted position.
4. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 1 , said attachment member includes an upstanding rib located opposite said offsetting member and extending toward said bulb portion, a terminal end on said rib being spaced from said attachment member, each said terminal end facing a corresponding inner wall of said bulb portion.
5. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 4 , said protrusion contacting said terminal end on said corresponding rib when said bulb portion is compressed toward its corresponding attachment member.
6. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 1 , said bulb portion pivotable about said offsetting member between a resting position and an installation position, said resting position defined by said protrusion relatively close to said attachment member, said installation position defined by said protrusion relatively far from said attachment member.
7. A resilient seal for living quarters having main living area walls defining a main living area, an aperture in one of said main living area walls slidably receiving a slide out room having slide out room walls defining auxiliary living space, said one main living area wall having an outside surface, an inside surface, and a transverse surface extending between the inside and outside surfaces, said transverse surface defining said aperture, said seal comprising;
a pair of attaching members extending along said one main living area wall adjacent to said aperture, each said attaching member including a bulb portion flexibly attached thereto by an offsetting member, said bulb portions including an outer arcuate portion facing away from its corresponding attaching member, said arcuate portion integrally connected to an inner wall being adjacent to and spaced from said mounting member, and said inner wall of each said bulb portion being substantially parallel to said mounting member for the majority of its length, said arcuate portion and said inner wall being integrally joined so that said bulb portions are hollow;
a connecting member extending between said attaching members and along said transverse surface, said connecting member including an adjuster for adjusting the distance between the attaching members, said adjuster includes an accordion pleat defined between first and second parallel score lines defining a pair of corresponding fold lines, and a third score line defining a third fold line between and extending parallel to said first and second score lines;
said bulb portion pivotable about said offsetting member between a resting position and an installation position, said resting position defined by said inner wall relatively close to said attachment member, said installation position defined by said inner wall relatively far from said attachment member.
8. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said connecting member includes a wiper seal extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom and adapted for engaging one of said slide out room walls.
9. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 7 , wherein attachment members include a terminal end opposite said connecting member, said offsetting members extending from said terminal ends of said attachment members, said attachment members including an upstanding rib extending toward said bulb portions, said ribs on said attachment members being spaced from said offsetting member, each said rib being located between a corresponding inner wall of said bulb portion and said attachment member.
10. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said inner walls of said bulb portions each include a protrusion extending toward corresponding ribs, said protrusion on said bulb portions located oppositely to that of said offsetting member so that compression of said bulb portion toward its corresponding attachment member urges said protrusion to contact said corresponding rib.
11. A resilient seal for mobile living quarters having main living area walls defining a main living area, an aperture in one of said main living area walls slidably receiving a slide out room having slide out room walls defining auxiliary living space, said one main living area wall having an outside surface, an inside surface, and a transverse surface extending between the inside and outside surfaces, said transverse surface defining said aperture, said seal being;
a unitary seal having opposing attachment members connected at a first terminal end by an adjuster, said attachment members and said adjuster formed from a relatively high durometer material, each of said attachment members having an offsetting member extending substantially perpendicularly at a second terminal end of said attachment member opposite said first terminal end, said offsetting member formed from a relatively low durometer and integrally connecting a bulb sealing portion of a substantially same durometer;
said bulb sealing portion including an outer arcuate portion facing away from its corresponding attachment member, said arcuate portion integrally connected to an inner wall being adjacent to and spaced from said attachment member, and said inner wall of each said bulb portion being substantially parallel to said attachment member for the majority of its length, said arcuate portion and said inner wall being integrally joined so that said bulb portions are hollow;
said bulb portion including a protrusion located between said inner wall and said arcuate portion at a point opposite said offsetting member, said attachment member having a rib extending substantially perpendicular therefrom toward said protrusion;
a wiper seal extending substantially coplanar to said attachment member and formed from a lower durometer material.
12. The seal of claim 11 , said wiper seal extending from said attachment member and located oppositely said first terminal end.
13. The seal of claim 11 , said bulb portion pivotable about said offsetting member between a resting position and an installation position, said resting position defined by said inner wall relatively close to said attachment member, said installation position defined by said inner wall relatively far from said attachment member.
14. The resilient seal as claimed in claim 11 , said wiper seal extending substantially perpendicularly from said connecting member and adapted for engaging one of said slide out room walls.