Seal System for RV Slide-Out Rooms with Foldable Locating Leg
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Solution Overview
Problem
Seals for slide out rooms in recreational vehicles are cumbersome due to non-standard wall thicknesses and uneven walls, requiring multiple seals in cut lengths for different widths, leading to inventory management issues and complex installation processes.
Innovation Solution
A seal system with a base, bulb portion, and locating leg that can be folded and coiled for easy storage and transportation, featuring offsetting members and a wiper for secure installation around rectangular openings, allowing for a water-resistant seal without additional installation steps and accommodating varying wall thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple seals in cut lengths are used to accommodate non-standard wall thicknesses and uneven walls, then the seal can fit various wall configurations, but inventory management becomes complex and installation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with an L-shaped configuration where the first leg accommodates the exterior wall surface and the second leg accommodates the interior wall surface, allowing a single seal design to universally fit various wall thicknesses and configurations. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple different seal types, simplifying inventory management while maintaining adaptability to non-standard wall conditions.
2Reliability
If C-channel seals are used to straddle the wall, then the seal can cover the opening, but the seal cannot be bent for coiling and must be shipped in cut lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is divided into two distinct legs: a first leg for the exterior wall surface and a second leg for the interior wall surface. This segmentation allows each leg to be optimized for its specific function while the entire seal can be manufactured as a continuous piece that can be bent and coiled for efficient shipping and storage, eliminating the need to ship pre-cut lengths.
3Strength
If the locating leg is positioned perpendicular to the base, then the seal provides structural support, but the seal cannot be coiled for storage and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The locating leg is designed to be movable between a first position (perpendicular to the base) that provides structural support during installation, and a second position (parallel to the base) that enables the seal to be coiled for storage and transportation. This dynamic positioning capability allows the seal to transition between functional states, maintaining strength when needed while enabling compact storage when not in use.
Data Source
AI summary
A seal useful in sealing slide out rooms used in recreational vehicles. The seal may be used singularly or in pairs to straddle a wall through which the opening is located. A bulb is attached to the base in a cantilevered manner over the base. The bulb has an outer arcuate portion that is integrally joined to opposing sidewall portions. The sidewall portions extend into an inner wall that defines an enclosed space within the bulb portion. The bulb portion may also have a protrusion that can touch the base. A wiper extends from the base substantially co-linearly to the base and opposite the offsetting member. A locating leg extending from the base is movable between a first position and a second position. The first position has the locating leg perpendicular to the base and the second position places the locating leg parallel to the base.