CARGO CARRIER HAVING A DOOR WITH A LIFT-ASSISTING HINGE APPARATUS
A cargo carrier incorporates at least one hinge assembly that permits the controlled opening and closing of the cargo carrier door. The hinge assembly includes a torsion bar that has one end fixed with respect to the cargo carrier floor and the other end fixed with respect to the door. One end of the torsion bar rotates with respect to the other end when the door is opened or closed. The door is of sufficient weight that controlled opening and closing of the door is not possible without the aid of the hinge assembly. The door is also allowed to open sufficiently such that the end of the door opposite the hinge can contact the ground thereby forming a ramp.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/911,841 filed Aug. 5, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe use of a door as a ramp that opens from the back of a transport device or trailer and utilizes struts and/or cables for support is known. Door and ramp combinations that are strong enough to hold the weight of vehicles are typically themselves very heavy, therefore requiring cables or other mechanisms to assist in the opening or closing of the door. In lightweight trailers, such as those that carry mowers, the weight of the ramp is often reduced by utilizing a permeable ramp that not only reduces the amount of material in the door to thereby reduce weight, but also allows air to travel through the door to lower the aerodynamic drag of the trailer while in motion. Such ramps are not suitable to use as a cargo carrier or enclosure door, due to the lack of sufficient protection for the cargo.
A cargo carrier, such as that used by a commercial shipper to transport loads over some distance, requires a method of unloading. Many cargo carriers, such as semi-tractor trailers, utilize loading docks at the cargo pickup and delivery points. In those instances, a ramp or other unloading device is not necessary because of the elevated nature of the loading dock. When delivering or picking up cargo with respect to small business or individuals, a loading dock is often not available. As such, lift gates are often attached to the back of a vehicle to allow the unloading of heavy cargo. A lift gate is normally a hydraulically operated mechanism that is powered from the electrical system of the vehicle to elevate or lower cargo between the vehicle floor and the ground. Other solutions include ramps that are stored beneath the truck body which are pulled out and then connected to the end of the truck, thereby allowing a ramped surface for the loading and unloading of cargo. As these ramps are typically positioned and stowed by hand, the weight of the ramp will limit the size and carrying capacity of the ramp, making these ramps also not suitable for use as a door for the truck or cargo carrier.
What is needed is a cargo carrier door and ramp combination that provides suitable protection for the enclosed cargo, yet can be lowered without the necessity of cables, struts, or hydraulics to counterbalance the weight of the door.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure includes a cargo carrier or enclosure having a floor and a number of walls. A door is mounted to the floor via a hinge assembly. The hinge assembly includes at least one torsion bar that has one end mounted in fixed relation to the cargo carrier floor and the other end mounted in fixed relation to the door. Opening the door loads the torsion bar to counterbalance the weight of the door. The door is able to be opened so that the end of the door away from the hinge assembly extends below the floor surface plane, thereby forming a ramp.
Further objects, embodiments, forms, benefits, aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure may be obtained from the description, drawings, and claims provided herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiment of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The examples set out herein illustrate one or more embodiments of the disclosure, and such examples are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to
In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, door 16 is shown as mounted to cargo carrier body 12 by one or more hinge assemblies 26.
Torsion bar or bars 28 may be constructed of a variety of known materials and alloys, e.g., spring steel, having length and diameters chosen to meet the requirements of the particular door or cargo carrier implementation. As a few non-limiting examples, a larger or heavier door, such as may be required for a large cargo carrier or to accommodate heavy ramp loads, may require multiple hinge assemblies 26, or longer or larger diameter torsion bars 28. A smaller cargo carrier, or a door that does not require a great deal of ramp strength, may be able to operate with only one hinge assembly, or with shorter or smaller diameter torsion bars or rods. It is important to implement a torsion bar or rod system that does not overstress the torsion bars, in order to avoid torsion bar breakage or loss of torsion force over time.
Door 16 and door 80 may be manufactured of a variety of materials suitable for the required ramp strength as well as being within the necessary weight range accommodated by hinge assemblies 26 and 62. In one embodiment, door 16 or door 80 may be a composite door that includes one or more laminated layers, e.g., lauan or other types of plywood, with or without internal supports, e.g., metal or wooden beams or braces, and with or without internal filler material, e.g., foam. The outer surface of the door may be coated with a non-slip material, e.g., rubber or glass-reinforced polyester.
While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes, modifications and equivalents that come within the spirit of the disclosure provided herein are desired to be protected. The articles “a”, “an”, “said” and “the” are not limited to a singular element, and may include one or more such elements.
Claims
1. A cargo carrier comprising:
- a body incorporating a floor and a plurality of walls; and
- a door disposed orthogonal to said floor and to at least one of said walls, said door coupled to said body via at least one hinge assembly, wherein said at least one hinge assembly comprises a torsion bar having a first end mounted to said body and having a second end mounted to said door such that the opening or closing of said door rotates said second end of said torsion bar with respect to said first end.
2. The cargo carrier of claim 1, wherein said hinge assembly permits said door to be opened such that the edge of said door distal to said hinge assembly extends below the plane of said floor thereby forming a ramp.
3. The cargo carrier of claim 1, wherein the weight of said door does not permit controlled opening or closing of said door without the assisting force of said torsion bar.
4. The cargo carrier of claim 1, wherein said hinge assembly further comprises a fastener cooperating with one of said first or second ends of said torsion bar to maintain said torsion bar in a pre-loaded condition when said door is in a closed position.
5. The cargo carrier of claim 1, wherein said hinge assembly further comprises a fastener cooperating with one of said first or second ends of said torsion bar to maintain said torsion bar in a pre-unloaded condition when said door is in a closed position.
6. The cargo carrier of claim 5, wherein said one of said first or second ends of said torsion bar are threaded and wherein said fastener is threaded onto said one of said first or second ends.
Type: Application
Filed: May 7, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2007
Inventors: Ryan Brenneman (White Pigeon, MI), Ryan Miller (Elkhart, IN), Steve Brenneman (Nappanee, IN), Evan Bontrager (Goshen, IN)
Application Number: 11/745,274
International Classification: B65D 25/00 (20060101);