TRAILER WITH REAR IMPACT GUARD

• US 20170050595A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STI Holdings Incorporated (Grand Perfecta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: STI Holdings Incorporated (Grand Perfecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Daniel Patrick, Smidler, Francis Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,771,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/24 Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/56 Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers; Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/08 Front or rear portions sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/04 Enclosed load compartments ; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains side curtains per se B60J5/065; tarpaulins per se B60J7/00, B60P7/04
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/06 Semi-trailers

Claims

1. A trailer comprising:

a front end provided for attachment to a truck;

a rear end spaced from the front end in a longitudinal direction to define a cargo area between the front and rear ends;

a frame including a rear bolster extending transversely to the longitudinal direction below a bottom rear edge of the cargo area; and

a rear impact guard including

a bumper positioned at the rear end of the trailer and spaced below the rear bolster,

a pair of outboard posts extending between the bumper and the rear bolster adjacent respective opposed distal ends of the bumper, and

at least one inboard post extending between the bumper and the rear bolster at a location laterally between the pair of outboard posts,

wherein each of the pair of outboard posts has a lower end that overlaps with a respective mounting bracket that protrudes upwardly toward the rear bolster from the bumper such that mounting holes of the outboard posts align with mounting holes of the mounting brackets, and

wherein each mounting bracket has a laterally-outboard panel that extends obliquely from the bumper in a direction with a laterally-outward component.

2. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each of the mounting brackets is welded to the bumper.

3. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each mounting bracket includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a laterally-outward panel connecting the forward and rearward panels, and each mounting bracket is open in a laterally-inward direction.

4. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each mounting bracket includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a laterally-outward panel connecting the forward and rearward panels, and wherein each of the forward, rearward, and laterally-outward panels includes at least one mounting hole.

5. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the bumper defines an axis that extends in a lateral direction of the trailer, perpendicular to a front-rear direction of the trailer, wherein the bumper has a hollow rectangular construction in a cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

6. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each of the mounting brackets wraps around both a front side and a top side of the bumper.

7. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the frame further includes

a pair of vertical rear frame posts extending upwardly from transversely-opposed distal ends of the rear bolster,

a pair of corner gussets secured, respectively, to the pair of rear frame posts immediately forwardly thereof, and

a pair of lateral reinforcement members secured, respectively, to inward-facing surfaces of the pair of corner gussets.

8. The trailer of claim 7, wherein each of the pair of lateral reinforcement members has an edge abutting and extending along the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset.

9. The trailer of claim 7, wherein each of the pair of lateral reinforcement members has a leg extending laterally inward from the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset to an inwardly-spaced connection point at which the lateral reinforcement member is secured to the rear bolster.

10. The trailer of claim 1, wherein an upper portion of each of the outboard posts is secured to the frame of the trailer solely with non-permanent, removable connections.

11. A trailer comprising:

a front end provided for attachment to a truck;

a rear end spaced in a longitudinal direction from the front end to define a cargo area between the front and rear ends;

a frame including

a rear bolster extending transversely to the longitudinal direction below a bottom rear edge of the cargo area,

a plurality of cross-members extending transversely to the longitudinal direction to define a floor structure, and

a pair of corner gussets extending forwardly from respective distal ends of the rear bolster; and

a rear impact guard including

a bumper positioned at the rear end of the trailer and spaced below the rear bolster,

a pair of outboard posts extending between the bumper and the rear bolster adjacent respective opposed distal ends of the bumper, each of the pair of outboard posts being secured at an upper end thereof to a corresponding one of the pair of corner gussets, and

at least one inboard post extending between the bumper and the rear bolster at a location between the pair of outboard posts,

wherein the pair of corner gussets are fortified with respective lateral reinforcement members, each of which is secured to an interior side of a corresponding one of the pair of corner gussets and each of which extends laterally-inboard from the corresponding corner gusset.

12. The trailer of claim 11, further comprising a pair of mounting brackets welded to the bumper at opposing distal ends of the bumper, each of the pair of mounting brackets protruding from the bumper in an upward direction, wherein each mounting bracket includes a forward panel, a rearward panel, and a laterally-outward panel connecting the forward and rearward panels, and each of the forward, rearward, and laterally-outward panels includes at least one mounting hole.

13. The trailer of claim 12, wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members is welded to at least one surface of the respective corner gusset.

14. The trailer of claim 11, wherein the lateral reinforcement members are secured, respectively, to inward-facing surfaces of the pair of corner gussets.

15. The trailer of claim 14, wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has an edge abutting and extending along the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset.

16. The trailer of claim 14, wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has a leg extending laterally inward from the inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset to an inwardly-spaced connection point at which the lateral reinforcement member is secured to the rear bolster.

17. The trailer of claim 11, wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has a leg extending laterally inward from the respective corner gusset to an inwardly-spaced connection point at which the lateral reinforcement member is secured to the rear bolster.

18. The trailer of claim 17, wherein each of the lateral reinforcement members has an additional leg elongated to extend along an inward-facing surface of the respective corner gusset.

19. The trailer of claim 11, wherein the frame further includes a pair of vertical rear frame posts extending upwardly from transversely-opposed distal ends of the rear bolster, and wherein the pair of corner gussets are secured, respectively, to the pair of rear frame posts immediately forwardly thereof.

20. The trailer of claim 11, wherein an upper portion of each of the outboard posts is secured to the frame of the trailer solely with non-permanent, removable connections.