One-Piece Fiberglass Slide-Room Shell for RVs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slide-room configurations in recreational vehicles are prone to water leakage due to gaps between panel members and the vehicle opening, and they suffer from manufacturing variances leading to fitment issues and labor-intensive painting processes.
Innovation Solution
A slide-room with a one-piece, unitary fiberglass shell construction that includes an end wall, ceiling, floor, and flange, formed without fasteners, where the flange extends beyond the corners of the shell, providing a smooth, flat surface for improved sealing and aesthetics, and a method using a mold with mandrels and resin transfer molding to create the shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional multi-component slide-room construction is used, then assembly flexibility is improved, but water leakage increases due to gaps between panel members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate components (end wall, side walls, floor, ceiling, and flange) into a single integrated one-piece shell structure. This eliminates the gaps and joints between separate panel members that cause water leakage, while maintaining the functional flexibility of the slide-room assembly through the integrated design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-component slide-room construction is used, then manufacturing adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to variances leading to fitment issues
Solution Approach 1:
By combining all components into a single molded shell, the patent eliminates manufacturing variances that occur when assembling multiple separate parts. The one-piece construction ensures consistent dimensions and fitment, while the molding process can still accommodate different slide-room configurations through mold design flexibility.
3Device complexity
If conventional multi-component slide-room construction is used, then structural complexity is reduced for easier assembly, but painting complexity increases due to surface irregularities and separate components
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated one-piece shell provides a smooth, continuous surface that eliminates the need for complex masking and painting operations around joints, flanges, and panel edges. The simplified geometry reduces painting complexity while the modular slide-room design maintains assembly flexibility.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate flange components are used, then installation flexibility is improved, but fit and finish deteriorates due to surface irregularities
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is integrated as part of the one-piece shell structure, eliminating gaps and surface irregularities between separate flange components and the main body. This provides a smooth, continuous finish while the flange geometry can be optimized for different installation configurations through the molding process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces water leakage, improves the fit and finish of the slide-room, and simplifies the painting process by eliminating surface irregularities and separate flange components, resulting in cost savings and enhanced aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
A vacuum is drawn on the preform
Implementation Method 2
resin is introduced into the mold so that it flows over and through the preform
Implementation Method 3
The resin is allowed to cure to form a fiberglass shell
Data Source
AI summary
A slide-room for installation in a recreational vehicle or other structure is disclosed. The slide-room comprises a shell, which can be constructed from fiberglass. The shell comprises an end wall, a ceiling, a floor, two opposing side walls, and a flange extending from the end wall, wherein the end wall, the ceiling, the floor, the side walls and the flange comprise a one-piece, unitary construction. Also disclosed are methods for molding composite components, such as slide-room. In one specific implementation, the shell for a slide-room is formed from fiberglass using a vacuum assisted resin transfer process.