Patent Application
20180017212
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The disclosure and prior art relates to debris collection devices and more particularly pertains to a new debris collection device for placement under tires of a vehicle.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of tracks. The tracks are separable, such that the tracks are positionable in parallel. Each track comprises a plurality of sections that is interlocking. Each section comprises a panel and a pair of sidewalls. The sidewalls are coupled singly to and extend substantially perpendicularly from opposing edges of the panel. A pair of stops is coupled singly to first ends of the tracks and defines a pair of catch areas. The stops are positioned to contact respective wheels of the vehicle as the vehicle is positioned on the tracks. The sections are interlocking such that the sections are positioned to form the tracks. Each track is configured to position a front and rear wheel of a vehicle, such that the vehicle is positioned over the tracks. The catch areas are configured to retain debris falling from the vehicle.
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
A pair of stops 22 is coupled singly to first ends 24 of the tracks 12, defining a pair of catch areas 26. The stops 22 are positioned to contact respective wheels of the vehicle as the vehicle is positioned on the tracks 12. Each stop 22 is coupled to a respective panel 16 and a respective pair of sidewalls 18. The stop 22 extends between the respective pair of sidewalls 18, such that the stop 22, the respective panel 16 and the respective pair of sidewalls 18 define a respective catch area 26. In one embodiment, the stop 22 is dimensionally taller than the respective pair of sidewalls 18, such that the stop 22 extends above the respective pair of sidewalls 18. In another embodiment, each track 12 comprises a pair of endcaps 28. Each endcap 28 is coupled to and extends between a respective stop 22 and a respective sidewall 18. In yet another embodiment, the endcaps 28 are arcuate.
Each track 12 comprises a ramp 30 that is coupled to and extends substantially coplanarly from a second end 32 of the track. The ramp 30 is positioned on the track 12 such that the ramp 30 is configured to facilitate rolling of the wheel onto the track. The ramp 30 also is configured to facilitate removal of debris collected within a respective catch area 26. In one embodiment, the ramp 30 is tapered, such that the ramp 30 is dimensionally thicker adjacent to the track 12 than distal from the track.
Each plurality of sections 14 comprises a forward segment 34, a rearward segment 36 and a plurality of medial segments 38. The forward segment 34 comprises a respective stop 22. The rearward segment 36 comprises a respective ramp 30. The plurality of medial segments 38 is positioned linearly between the forward segment 34 and the rearward segment 36. In one embodiment, the plurality of medial segments 38 comprises one medial segment 38.
The device 10 comprises a plurality of first couplers 40 and a plurality of second couplers 42. The plurality of first couplers 40 comprises first couplers 40 coupled singly to front ends 44 of each medial segment 38 and each rearward segment 36. In one embodiment, the first couplers 40 comprise tabs 46 that are coupled to and extend substantially coplanarly from the panel 16. The tabs 46 are positioned proximate to the opposing edges 20. The plurality of second couplers 42 comprises second couplers 42 coupled singly to rear ends 48 of each medial segment 38 and each forward segment 34. The second couplers 42 are complementary to the first couplers 40. Each second coupler 42 is positioned to couple to a respective first coupler 40 such that the plurality of sections 14 is interlocked to form the pair of tracks 12. In one embodiment, the second couplers 42 comprise slots 50 that are positioned in the panel 16.
In use, each second coupler 42 is positioned to couple to a respective first coupler 40 such that the plurality of sections 14 is interlocked to form the pair of tracks 12. Each track 12 is configured to position beneath a front and a rear wheel of a vehicle such that the vehicle is positioned over the tracks 12. The stops 22 are configured to contact respective wheels of the vehicle as the vehicle is positioned on the tracks 12. The catch areas 26 are configured to retain debris falling from the vehicle.
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.
