This invention is in the field of vehicles, primarily trucks, and in particular a forward folding grill guard for protecting the front end of the vehicle.
The front end of a vehicle typically includes a grill with openings to allow air to flow through into the radiator. These grills are typically not particularly robust and can be relatively easily damaged. Grill covers or protectors are therefore popular. These typically are fixed to the bumper or front end of the frame and extend upward to cover the grill and protect it from damage.
Such grill covers can interfere with maintenance and the like required to be performed on the vehicle. For example in large trucks such as highway tractors it is common to have a vehicle hood and grill combination that folds forward to open the engine compartment for access. In this case the common prior art grill guard must be removed to open the hood. It is also known to provide a grill guard that is attached to the bumper of the truck, and where the bumper is pivotally attached to the truck frame such that the grill guard and bumper can be folded forward together. The grill and bumper and frame must be structured to resist shock loading on the grill guard from contact with wild life or the like, and consequently the combination of bumper and grill guard is quite heavy and cumbersome, and not easily maneuvered.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a forward folding grill guard apparatus that overcomes problems in the prior art.
In a first embodiment the present invention provides a grill guard apparatus for attachment to a bumper of a vehicle to protect a grill of the vehicle. The apparatus comprises a grill guard adapted to be pivotally attached at a bottom portion thereof to the bumper about a substantially horizontal pivot axis such that the grill guard can pivot about the pivot axis from an upright raised position in front of the vehicle grill to a lowered position extending substantially horizontally forward from the bumper. The pivot axis is located vertically between top and bottom edges of the bumper and the grill guard is configured such that portions of the grill guard above the pivot axis bear against the bumper above the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the raised position, and such that portions of the grill guard below the pivot axis bear against the bumper below the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the lowered position and thereby support the grill guard in the lowered position. A lock mechanism is operative to maintain the grill guard in the raised position.
In a second embodiment the present invention provides a grill guard apparatus for a vehicle to protect a grill of the vehicle. The apparatus comprises a bumper attached to the front end of the vehicle such that same extends across the lower front portion of the vehicle below the grill. A grill guard is pivotally attached at a bottom portion thereof to the bumper about a substantially horizontal pivot axis located vertically between top and bottom edges of the bumper such that the grill guard can pivot about the pivot axis from an upright raised position in front of the vehicle grill to a lowered position extending substantially horizontally forward from the bumper. The grill guard is configured such that portions of the grill guard above the pivot axis bear against the bumper above the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the raised position, and such that portions of the grill guard below the pivot axis bear against the bumper below the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the lowered position and thereby support the grill guard in the lowered position. A lock mechanism is operative to maintain the grill guard in the raised position.
In a third embodiment the present invention provides a lock apparatus for locking a first member to a second member. The apparatus comprises a catch rod mounted to the first member and a latch mechanism mounted to the second member. The latch mechanism comprises a catch member and a rotatable handle configured such that when the handle is in an open position, the catch member is in an open position with a face of the catch member adjacent to the catch rod and a lip of the catch member is located on a side of the catch rod opposite to the latch mechanism, and configured such that when the handle is rotated to a locked position, the catch member moves toward the latch mechanism so that the lip engages the catch rod.
The present invention provides a bumper adapted to be rigidly attached to the front end of a vehicle frame such that same extends across the lower front portion of the vehicle, typically a large truck such as a highway tractor or the like. A grill guard is pivotally attached to the bumper about a substantially horizontal pivot axis that is located vertically about mid way between the top and bottom of the bumper. The pivot axis is conveniently provided by right and left pivot brackets welded to the bumper, with pins extending through the brackets and through the bottom ends of corresponding right and left vertical guard members.
The bottom ends of the vertical guard members and the pivot brackets are configured such that portions of the vertical guard members above the pivot axis bear against the bumper above the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the up vertical position in front of the vehicle grill, and such that portions of the vertical guard members below the pivot axis bear against the bumper below the pivot axis when the grill guard is in the lowered position extending horizontally forward from the bumper.
A lock mechanism is provided on the top of the bumper to engage the grill guard when in the vertical position to maintain the grill guard in that position. The grill guard, the bumper, and the pivotal connection between them are structured such that the grill guard is supported sufficiently in both the vertical and horizontal positions that the lock mechanism is not required to resist any rearward forces on the grill guard that would force the grill guard rearward toward the grill being protected. These rearward forces are resisted by the grill guard, the bumper, and the pivotal connection between them. The lock mechanism is only required to prevent the grill guard from pivoting forward, and no significant stress is exerted on the lock mechanism, and same can thus be relatively light and economical, and easily operated to release and engage. The lock mechanism can be provided by an over-centering latch to quickly and easily engage and disengage a catch member mounted on the bumper.
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
A grill guard 7 comprises right and left vertical guard members 9 and upper and lower horizontal guard members 11. The grill guard 7 is pivotally attached to the bumper 3 by pivot pins 13 extending through pivot holes defined by the brackets 5 and through corresponding pivot holes in the bottom ends of corresponding right and left vertical guard members 9 of the grill guard 7. The grill guard 7 can thus pivot about a horizontal pivot axis PA that is defined by the pivot pins 13 from the vertical raised position of
The bottom ends of the vertical guard members 9 and the pivot brackets 5 are configured and oriented with respect to the bumper 3 as schematically illustrated in
When the grill guard is lowered to the horizontal position of
A lock mechanism 21 is provided on the top of the bumper 3 to engage the grill guard 7 when in the vertical position of
The lock mechanism 21 in
Alternatively a latch can be used to provide the lock mechanism, such as is shown in
The block 47 is configured to conform to one of the horizontal guard members 11, and to be welded to the center of the lower horizontal guard member 11 as can be seen in
The latch 41 is configured as illustrated in
As the handle 45 is rotated the eccentric pin 46 moves up and over the rotational axis of the handle 45 at bolt 44, and then slightly down as illustrated in
When the grill guard is lowered to the horizontal position of
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/021,087, filed Jan. 15, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61021087 | Jan 2008 | US |