Information
-
Patent Grant
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6406232
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Patent Number
6,406,232
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Date Filed
Monday, February 12, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, June 18, 200222 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 410 129
- 410 132
- 410 141
- 410 142
- 410 100
- 410 118
- 410 140
- 296 241
- 160 2901
- 248 268
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A retractable cargo cover arrangement (10) for the interior of the cargo hold (200) of a freight carrier wherein the cover arrangement (10) includes a generally elongated rectangular cover member (20) fabricated from a sheet of waterproof material (21) and having an upper end affixed to, and wrapped around, a spring loaded retraction cylinder (22) and a lower end affixed to an elongated dowel (24) in a window shade fashion; wherein, the arrangement further includes a first pair of brackets (30), (40) for suspending the upper portion of the cover member (20) in the upper portion of the cargo hold (200) and a second pair of brackets (60) (70) for releasably engaging the lower portion of the cover member (20) in the lower portion of the cargo hold (200) to prevent water damage to the cargo (100) contained within the cargo hold (200).
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of protective cover arrangements for cargo in general and in particular to an internally mounted retractable cargo cover panel that will protect the contents of a freight truck or trailer.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,785,694; 4,901,895; 5,491,021 and 5,829,818, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse protective cover arrangements for the exterior of a truck, semi-trailer or the like.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical internally mounted protective arrangement that will prevent moisture or debris from being deposited onto the cargo contained within the cargo hold of a freight transporting vehicle.
As most freight handlers are all too well aware, millions of dollars of damage a year are incurred by cargo due to water that seeps into and/or is blown into the cargo hold of freight carriers in the normal course of transporting cargo from one location to another.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among freight handlers for a new and improved protective cover arrangement that is quick and easy to install and use, and which will virtually eliminate the possibility that cargo will suffer water damage during transport; and, the provision of such an arrangement is the stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the retractable cargo cover arrangement that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a retractable cover unit and a retention unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the retractable cover unit is an oversized version of a retractable window shade and includes a generally elongated rectangular cover member fabricated from waterproof material and having an upper end affixed to, and wound around, a spring loaded retraction cylinder having a pair of mounting stubs and a lower end affixed to an elongated dowel likewise provided with a pair of mounting stubs.
In addition, the retention unit includes a first pair of upper bracket members adapted to releasably engage the mounting stubs on the spring loaded retraction cylinder and a second pair of lower bracket members adapted to releasably engage the mounting stubs on the elongated dowel when the cover member is fully retracted (relative to the spring loaded retraction cylinder) to provide a waterproof barrier between the cargo contained within the cargo hold and the cargo hold opening.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other attributes of the invention will become more clear upon a thorough study of the following description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the retractable cargo cover arrangement disposed in the cargo hold of a freight carrier;
FIG. 2
is an isolated perspective view of the retractable cover unit partially engaged with the upper portion of the retention unit;
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view of one side of the upper end of the cover unit with one side of the upper portion of the retention unit;
FIG. 4
is an exploded perspective view of the other side of the upper end of the cover unit with one side of the upper portion of the retention unit;
FIG. 5
is an exploded view of the cover unit;
FIG. 6
is an end view of the lower portion of the protective cover arrangement;
FIG. 7
shows the engagement of one side of the lower portion of the cover unit with one side of the lower portion of the retention unit; and
FIG. 8
shows the engagement of the other side of the lower portion of the cover unit with the other side of the lower portion of the retention unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As can be seen by reference to the drawings, and in particular to
FIG. 1
, the retractable cargo cover arrangement that forms the basis of the present invention is designated generally by the reference number
10
. The arrangement
10
comprises in general a retractable cover unit
11
and a retention unit
12
. These units will now be described in seriatim fashion.
As can best be seen by reference to
FIGS. 2 and 5
, the retractable cover unit
11
comprises a generally elongated rectangular flexible cover member
20
fabricated from a sheet of waterproof material
21
wherein the upper end of the cover member
20
is wound around a spring loaded retraction cylinder
22
identical in construction to a conventional retractable window shade arrangement wherein the opposite ends of the retraction cylinder
22
are proved with aligned outwardly projecting fixed mounting stubs
23
.
In addition, as shown in
FIGS. 5
,
7
, and
8
, the lower end of the cover member
20
is secured to an elongated dowel
24
whose opposite ends are provided with a fixed mounting stub
23
′ and a retractable mounting stub
25
respectively for reasons that will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification.
Returning once more to
FIG. 5
, it can be seen that the cover unit
11
may also comprise an elongated hollow cylindrical housing member
26
dimensioned to receive the cover member
20
and provided with an elongated slit
27
that will allow all of the cover member
20
with the exception of the dowel
24
on the lower end of the cover member
20
to be retracted within the housing member
26
in a well recognized fashion while still maintaining a uniform exterior diameter as the cover member
20
unrolls from within the interior of the housing member
26
.
As can also be seen by references to
FIG. 5
, as well as
FIGS. 1
,
2
, and
6
, the lower end of the cover member
20
is further provided with a strap element
28
that can be used to initiate the withdrawal and retraction of the window shade style cover member
20
from within the housing member
26
.
Turning now to
FIGS. 1 through 4
, it can be seen that the upper portion of the retention unit
12
comprises a first pair of generally U-shaped bracket members
30
and
40
each having apertured flanges
31
and
41
which are dimensioned to receive conventional fastening means
50
for securing the bracket members
30
,
40
to the upper portion of the interior sidewalls
201
of a cargo hold
200
.
In addition, one of the bracket members
30
is provided with an elongated slot
32
which extends upwardly form the midpoint of the bracket member
30
into the upper leg
33
of the generally U-shaped configuration of the bracket member
30
; and, the other bracket member
40
is provided with a centrally disposed slot
44
whereby the slots
32
and
44
are both dimensioned to receive the stationary mounting stubs
23
on the upper portion of the cover member
20
in a well recognized fashion.
Turning now to
FIGS. 7 and 8
, it can be seen that the lower portion of the retention unit
12
includes a pair of generally rectangular lower bracket members
60
and
70
fixedly secured by conventional fastening means
50
to the interior walls
201
of a cargo hold wherein one of the lower bracket members
70
has a centrally disposed slot
74
dimensioned to receive the retractable mounting stub
25
on the elongated dowel
24
and the other lower bracket member
60
has an elongated tapered slot
62
which extends upwardly from the bottom of the mounting bracket
60
and is dimensioned to receive the fixed mounting stub
23
′ on the other end of the elongated dowel
24
.
By now it should be appreciated that the retractable cargo cover arrangement
10
that forms the basis of the present invention can be quickly and easily installed in the cargo hold
200
of a freight carrier to form a secondary interior barrier that will prevent water that seeps into or is blown into the interior of the cargo hold past the cargo hold door
204
from being deposited on the cargo
100
that is stored behind the retractable cargo cover arrangement
10
.
Although only an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A retractable cargo cover arrangement for the interior of the cargo hold of a freight carrier to prevent water from being deposited onto the contents of the cargo hold, wherein the arrangement comprises:a cover unit including an elongated rectangular cover member fabricated from a sheet of waterproof material and having an upper end wrapped around a spring loaded retraction cylinder having opposite ends provided with fixed mounting stubs and having a lower end secured to an elongated dowel; and a retention unit including first means for releasably suspending the spring loaded retraction cylinder from the upper portion of the cargo hold adjacent a cargo hold opening; and second means for releasably engaging the elongated dowel adjacent to the lower portion of the cargo hold proximate the cargo hold opening.
- 2. The arrangement as in claim 1, wherein the lower end of the cover member is further provided with a strap element.
- 3. The arrangement as in claim 2, wherein the cover unit further includes:an elongated hollow cylindrical housing member dimensioned to receive at least a substantial portion of said cover member and provided with an elongated slit that allows said substantial portion of the cover member to be withdrawn and retracted relative to the cylindrical housing member.
- 4. The arrangement as in claim 2, wherein said first means comprises:a first pair of generally U-shaped upper bracket members fixedly secured at opposed locations on the upper portion of the interior of the cargo hold wherein both of said first pair of bracket members is adapted to releasably engage the mounting stubs on the opposite end of the spring loaded retractable cylinder.
- 5. The arrangement as in claim 4, wherein said second means comprises:a second pair of lower mounting brackets fixedly secured at opposed locations on the lower portion of the interior of the cargo hold wherein both of said lower pairs of mounting brackets are adapted to releasably engage the opposite ends of the elongated dowel.
- 6. The arrangement as in claim 5, wherein the opposite ends of the elongated dowel are provided with a fixed mounting stub and a retractable mounting stub.
- 7. The arrangement as in claim 6, wherein at least one bracket in both the first and second pair of brackets is provided with a central opening dimensioned to receive a selected one of said mounting stubs.
- 8. The arrangement as in claim 6, wherein at least one bracket in both the first and second pair of brackets is provided with an elongated vertically disposed slot dimensioned to receive a selected one of said mounting stubs.
- 9. The arrangement as in claim 7, wherein at least one bracket in both the first and second pair of brackets is provided with an elongated vertically disposed slot dimensioned to receive a selected one of said mounting stubs.
US Referenced Citations (26)