Manual override for slide-out room system having wall-mounted drive mechanism
View Patent ↗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. The apparatus includes a drive assembly supported by the side wall of the vehicle and a driven assembly driven by the drive assembly. The driven assembly is connected to a wall of the slide-out room such that the slide-out room moves with the driven assembly from the retracted position to the extended position in the drive direction and the driven assembly is movable in a transverse direction generally perpendicular to the drive direction relative to the wall of the slide-out room.
1. An apparatus for moving a slide-out room having a first and a second side opposite the first side, the slide-out room disposed in a side wall of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a first drive assembly that is supported by the side wall of the vehicle proximate the first side of the slide-out room and that includes a first motor;
a first driven assembly that is driven by the first drive assembly and that is connected to a first wall of the slide-out room; and
a first manual override allowing a user to operate the first drive assembly and thereby to move the slide-out room in the event of failure of the first motor;
a second drive assembly that is supported by the side wall of the vehicle proximate the second side of the slide-out room and that includes a second motor;
a second driven assembly that is driven by the second drive assembly and that is connected to a second wall of the slide-out room opposite the first wall of the slide-out room; and
a second manual override allowing a user to operate the second drive assembly and thereby to move the slide-out room in the event of failure of the second motor;
wherein the first manual override is located on the first side of the slide out room, the second manual override is located on the second side of the slide-out room, and the first and second manual overrides are independently operable.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the first drive assembly comprising a first shaft and a first drive gear on the first shaft.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the first manual override comprising a first override drive gear, a first override driven gear in mesh with the first override drive gear, and a first override drive head connected to the first override drive gear.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , the first override driven gear keyed to the first shaft of the first drive assembly.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the first override drive gear and the first override driven gear are helical gears.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first override drive gear has an axis of rotation perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the first override driven gear.
7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first override drive gear and the first override driven gear have a gear ratio of about 2:1.
8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first override drive head is a hex head.
9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first drive gear is a first pinion gear and the first driven assembly comprises a first rack in mesh with the first pinion gear.
10. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a first generally U-shaped housing supporting the first override drive gear.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a first support channel, the first drive assembly partially disposed in the first support channel and the first housing supported by the first support channel.
12. The apparatus of claim 4 , the second drive assembly comprising a second shaft and a second drive gear on the second shaft.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , the second manual override comprising a second override drive gear, a second override driven gear in mesh with the second override drive gear, and a second override drive head connected to the second override drive gear.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , the second override driven gear keyed to the second shaft of the second drive assembly.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the second drive gear is a second pinion gear and the second driven assembly comprises a second rack in mesh with the second pinion gear.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a second generally U-shaped housing supporting the second override drive gear.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a second support channel, the second drive assembly partially disposed in the second support channel and the second housing supported by the second support channel.