Patent Application
20210253043
The present subject matter relates to a mobile trailer, and more particularly, to a mobile trailer to transport portable restrooms.
Portable restrooms are delivered to an event venue before commencement of the event and removed after conclusion of the event. If the event extends over a long duration, used portable restrooms may be replaced periodically during the event. Typically, during transit the portable restroom is loaded onto a trailer (or another carrier) and transported to/from the venue. During transit it is important that the portable restroom be secured to the trailer so that the portable restroom remains stationary on the trailer and also to avoid damage to the portable restroom and/or the trailer.
According to one aspect, a portable restroom trailer includes a frame, a substantially planar surface formed on the frame, and a tube secured to the frame. A securing member has a top portion and a post portion. The top portion of the securing member is disposed atop an extension portion of a portable restroom and the post portion of the securing member is disposed in the tube such that the extension portion is entrapped between the top portion and the planar surface.
According to another aspect, a method of securing a portable restroom to a trailer includes forming a substantially planar surface on a frame of trailer. The method further includes disposing a top portion of a securing member atop an extension portion of a portable restroom and disposing a post portion of the securing member in a tube secured to the frame, thereby entrapping the extension portion between the top portion and the planar surface.
Other aspects and advantages will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the attached drawings wherein like numerals designate like structures throughout the specification.
Referring to
The portable restroom trailer 100 includes a plurality of panels 108 disposed on the frame 102 that provide a planar surface on which to dispose items to be carried by the trailer 100. It should be appreciated that the number of panels shown in
In one embodiment, the panels 108 are disposed to provide a gap 110 therebetween that extends from a front portion 112 to a rear portion 114 of the trailer 100. Further, the gap 110 is generally disposed half-way between a right-side 116 and a left-side 118 of the trailer 100.
A plurality of spaced apart securing members or tie bars 120 are disposed apart along a perimeter 122 of the trailer 100 and along the gap 110. As shown in
In one embodiment, some tie bars 120, for example, tie bars 120a, 120d, 120e, 120g, 120h, 120k, 120m, 120n, 120q, and 120s have generally square top portions 122a (as shown in
To dispose a tie bar 120 on the trailer 100, the post portion 124 of such tie bar 120 is disposed in a corresponding tube 126 secured to the frame 100. Each tie bar 120 is movable within the tube 126 in which it is disposed between a seated position (shown in
Referring to
To secure the restroom 200 to the trailer 100, the restroom 200 is placed on the trailer 100 so that one or more of the tie bars 120 are aligned with corresponding extension portions 202 extending outwardly from the restroom 200. Each tie bar 120 aligned with an extension portion 202 is moved to the raised position so that the top portion 122 of such tie bar 120 extends beyond the extension portion 202. The restroom 200 is positioned so that the extension portion 202 is between the panel 108 and the top portion 122 of the raised tie bar 102. The tie bar 120 is then lowered toward the panel 108 such that the extension portion 202 is entrapped between the top portion 122 of the tie bar 120 and the panel 108, and thus, the frame 102.
In some embodiments, the tie bar 120 is removed from the tube 126 in which the tie bar 120 is disposed. The restroom 200 is then positioned on the panel 108 such that the extension portion 202 is adjacent the tube 126, the post portion 124 of the tie bar 120 is inserted into the tube 126, and the tie bar 120 is lowered until the top portion 122 of the tie bar rests on the extension portion 202.
Each tube 126 includes one or more orifices 204. After the extension portion 202 of the restroom 200 is entrapped between the tie bar 120 and the panel 108, a securing device such as a fastener (not shown), for example, a bolt, a screw, a zip tie, and the like, is inserted into one or more such orifice 204 and through a receiving orifice (not shown) in the post 124 of the tie bar 120 to fixedly secure the tie bar 120 to the panel 108. Securing the tie bar 120 to the tube 126 (and thus the frame 102) prevents movement of the restroom 200 secured thereby. It should be apparent, that if a zip tie or similar fastener is used, such zip tie may be passed through a first orifice 204 in the tube 126, a corresponding orifice in the post 124, and through a second orifice (not shown) in the tube 126 disposed opposite the first orifice and tied off.
Alternately, in some embodiments, each tube 126 includes a plurality of orifices and the securing device disposed in the post 124 of each tie bar 120 includes a spring-loaded pin or button spring 128 that is moveable between a depressed position and an extended position. When the pin 128 is pushed upon, the pin 128 is urged toward the interior of the post 124 and into the depressed position. When not pushed upon, the pin 128 is in the extended position and extends outwardly from the post 128. When the post 124 is inserted into the tube 126, the pin 128 is held in the depressed position by a wall of the post 124 until the pin 128 is aligned with one of the plurality of orifices. When so aligned, the pin 128 moves into the extended position and protrudes into the orifice. In such embodiment, to secure the extended portion 202 of the restroom 200, the top portion 122 of the tie bar 120 is aligned with the extended portion 202 as described above and the post 124 is pushed into the tube 126 until the pin 128 on the post 124 is aligned with and protrudes into the orifice of the tube 126. Thereafter, friction between the pin 128 and the orifice walls (not shown) holds the tie bar 120 in place and secures the extended portion 202 of the restroom 200.
Other ways of securing the tie bar 120 to the tube 126 will be apparent to one who has ordinary skill in the art may be used.
Referring to
A second pneumatic lift system 304 may be disposed proximate the wheels 106 and operated to lift or lower the trailer 100 relative to the wheels 106, and therefore the ground.
The trailer disclosed herein facilitates securing portable restrooms thereon so that, once secured by the tie bars, the portable restroom remains stationary during transport to a destination. Although the area of the planar surface of the trailer may determine a maximum number of portable restrooms that may be secured to the trailer and transported, it should be apparent that as few as one portable restroom may be secured to and transported using the trailer. Further, it should be apparent that upon arrival at the destination, a subset of portable restrooms disposed on the trailer may be unsecured and unloaded from the trailer by removing only those tie bars that secure such subset. That is, all of the portable restrooms on the trailer do not have to be unsecured to unload a fewer number of portable restrooms than the total number of portable restrooms disposed on the trailer.
Although the embodiments of the trailer are described herein for the secure transport of portable restrooms, it should be apparent to one who has ordinary skill in the art that any other object may be secured to a trailer as described herein by entrapping one or more portions of such object between the top portion of the tie bar and the frame of the trailer.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar references in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.
Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
The present application claims benefit of Meegan et al., U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/976,482, filed Feb. 14, 2020, and entitled “Portable Restroom Trailer.” The entire contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62976482 | Feb 2020 | US |
