CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/044,481, abandoned, filed on Jan. 11, 2002, entitled "Sliding Mechanisms and Systems," published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/056329, which is a divisional of Ser. No. 09/448,410 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,523, filed on Nov. 23, 1999, entitled "Sliding Mechanisms and Systems," and the disclosures of both are incorporated herein by reference.
A slide-out drive member controllably moves a slide-out section that is associated with a vehicle, such as a recreational vehicle, from a retracted position to an extended position. The slide-out drive member includes an inner driven member with embedded teeth with tips that are preferably substantially flush with a bottom surface of the inner driven member; and an outer member that houses the inner driven member along with a gear mechanism that engages with the teeth in the inner driven member to drive the inner driven member, thereby driving the slide-out section. The present slide-out tube overcomes the deficiencies of conventional slide-out tubes by driving the slide-out section in a smooth, uniform, even manner while providing a low profile.
