Patent Application
20230358070
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The disclosure relates to awning devices and more particularly pertains to a new awning device for protecting a worker from sun or rain while loading or unloading a tractor trailer. The device includes an awning frame that is pivotally disposed on a tractor trailer such that the awning frame is positionable in a deployed position or a stored position. The device includes an awning that is rotatably disposed on the tractor trailer which extends outwardly from a roof of the tractor trailer when the awning frame is in the deployed position thereby protecting a worker from sun or rain while the worker is loading or unloading the tractor trailer.
The prior art relates to awning devices including an awning mounted to a sidewall of a camper and which includes a plurality of legs, a plurality of springs and plurality of tension lines attached to the springs. The prior art discloses a retractable awning device that includes a housing attached to a sidewall of a structure, an awning frame that includes a pair of first members extending outwardly the housing, a pair of second members each extending between respective first members and the sidewall of the structure and an awning attached to an intersection between the first members and the second members which extends outwardly from the housing. The prior art discloses a retractable awning device that includes a pair of first members each extending away from a sidewall of a recreational vehicle, a spool rotatably mounted to the sidewall, an awning wrapped around the spool and a pair of telescopic members each extending between the first members and the sidewall. The prior art discloses a retractable awning device that includes a case that is mounted to a sidewall of a camper and an awning that is stored within the case. The prior art discloses an awning device that includes a plurality of support members each coupled to a front end of a camper and a rigid shell that is hingedly attached to the front end such that the rigid shell is positionable between a deployed position and a stored position.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tractor trailer that has at least one door which is hingedly coupled to the tractor trailer for accessing an interior of the tractor trailer. An awning frame is movably disposed on the tractor trailer such that the awning frame extends around the at least one door and the awning frame is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position. An awning is rotatably coupled to the awning frame and the awning is positioned in an extended position when the awning frame is positioned in the deployed position having the awning extending away from the tractor trailer to cover a worker when the worker is loading or unloading the tractor trailer. Conversely, the awning is positioned in a retracted position when the awning frame is in the stored position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
An awning frame 30 is movably disposed on the tractor trailer 12 such that the awning frame 30 extends around the at least one door 14 and the awning frame 30 is positionable in a stored position or a deployed position. The awning frame 30 comprises a pair of sidelong members 32 that each has a first end 34, a second end 36 and a rear surface 38 extending between the first end 34 and the second end 36. Each of the sidelong members 32 is elongated between the first end 34 and the second end 36, and the first end 34 of each of the sidelong members 32 is hingedly coupled to the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12 at a respective one of a pair of first pivot points 40. Each of the first pivot points 40 is positioned at an intersection between the floor 20 of the tractor trailer 12 and a respective one of the first lateral side 22 and the second lateral side 24 of the outer wall 16 of the tractor trailer 12.
Each of the sidelong members 32 extends upwardly along the respective first lateral side 22 and the second lateral side 24 when the awning frame 30 is in the stored position, and each of the sidelong members 32 angles rearwardly away from the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12 when the awning frame 30 is in the deployed position. The rear surface 38 of each of the sidelong members 32 has a groove 42 extending between the first end 34 and the second end 36, and each of the sidelong members 32 has an engagement 44 that is positioned in the groove 42. The engagement 44 on each of the sidelong members 32 is positioned between the first end 34 and the second end 36.
The awning frame 30 includes a pair of support members 46 that each has a primary end 48, a secondary end 50 and a bottom surface 52 extending between the primary end 48 and the secondary end 50. The bottom surface 52 of each of the support members 46 has a slot 54 angling toward the primary end 48 and the slot 54 on each of the support members 46 is positioned adjacent to the primary end 48. The secondary end 50 of each of the support members 46 is hingedly coupled to a respective one of a pair of second pivot points 56 and each of the second pivot points 56 is positioned on the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12. Furthermore, each of the second pivot points 56 is aligned with a respective one of the first lateral side 22 and the second lateral side 24 of the outer wall 16 of the tractor trailer 12, and each of the second pivot points 56 is positioned between a respective one of the first pivot points 40 and the roof 18 of the tractor trailer 12.
The slot 54 in the bottom surface 52 of each of the support members 46 receives the engagement 44 on a respective one of the sidelong members 32 when the awning frame 30 is in the deployed position. In this way the sidelong members 32 are retained in an orientation angling away from the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12. Conversely, each of the support members 46 lies against the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12 when the awning frame 30 is in the stored position. Each of the support members 46 is positioned in the groove 42 in a respective one of the sidelong members 32 when the awning frame 30 is in the stored position.
An awning 58 is provided and the awning 58 is rotatably coupled to the awning frame 30. The awning 58 is positioned in an extended position when the awning frame 30 is positioned in the deployed position having the awning 58 extending away from the tractor trailer 12. In this way the awning 58 can cover a worker 60 when the worker 60 is loading or unloading the tractor trailer 12. Thus, the awning 58 facilitates shade for the worker 60 when the worker 60 is loading or unloading the tractor trailer 12 on a sunny day and the awning 58 facilitates the worker 60 to be dry when the worker 60 is loading or unloading the tractor trailer 12 in the rain. The awning 58 is positioned in a retracted position when the awning frame 30 is in the stored position.
The awning 58 comprises a spool 62 that has a first end 64 and a second end 66, and each of the first end 64 and the second end 66 of the spool 62 is rotatably coupled to a respective one of the sidelong members 32 at a coupling point 68 located adjacent to the second end 36 of the respective sidelong member 32. The spool 62 is biased to rotate in a first direction and the spool 62 is rotatable in a second direction. As is most clearly shown in
The awning 58 includes a canopy 72 that is attached to the spool 62, the canopy 72 has a distal edge 74 with respect to the spool 62 and the distal edge 74 is coupled to the rear end 26 of the tractor trailer 12 at a point that is aligned with the roof 18 of the tractor trailer 12. The canopy 72 is wrapped around the spool 62 when the spool 62 rotates in the first direction and the spool 62 rotates in the first direction when the awning frame 30 is positioned in the stored position. Conversely, the canopy 72 is drawn off of the spool 62 when the spool 62 rotates in the second direction. The spool 62 rotates in the second direction when the awning frame 30 is positioned in the deployed position having the canopy 72 angling downwardly between the roof 18 of the tractor trailer 12 and the spool 62. In this way the canopy 72 facilitates precipitation to run off the canopy 72 when the awning frame 30 is in the deployed position.
As is most clearly shown in
In an alternative embodiment 81 as is most clearly shown in
In an alternative embodiment 82 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the awning frame 30 is urged into the deployed position and each of the support members 46 is positioned such that the slot 54 in each of the support members 46 receives the engagement 44 on the respective sidelong member. In this way the awning frame 30 is retained in the deployed position such that the canopy 72 extends between the tractor trailer 12 and the spool 62. Thus, the canopy 72 facilitates the worker 60 to be shaded or protected from precipitation while the worker 60 is loading or unloading the tractor trailer 12. Each of the support members 46 is disengaged from the engagement 44 on the respective sidelong member 32 thereby facilitating the spool 62 to be biased to rotate in the first direction and subsequently urge the awning frame 30 into the stored position. In this way the awning frame 30 and the awning 58 are stored to facilitate the tractor trailer 12 to be transported as it would normally be.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
