Foldable ladder combination with truck cargo carrier
First Claim
1. In combination with a truck cargo carrier, said truck cargo carrier including an elongated approximately horizontal cargo bed elevated a substantial distance above ground level, and an elongated structural cargo enclosure extending upwardly from and substantially covering said cargo bed, said cargo bed having a rear end from which cargo is loaded into and unloaded from the cargo carrier, and said structural cargo enclosure having right and left side edges extending approximately vertically upward from adjacent the rear end of the cargo bed, and at least one rear door adjoining at least one of said vertical side edges for providing loading and unloading rear access to the structural cargo enclosure and cargo bed, the improvement which comprises:
- (a) a folding ladder disposed approximately vertically and including an elongated upper open ladder portion defining elevated dual hand rails, and an elongated lower ladder portion having rungs;
(b) the upper open ladder portion and the lower runged ladder portion both having upper and lower ends and right and left longitudinal edges;
(c) means pivotally connecting the upper end of the lower runged ladder portion to the lower end of the upper open ladder portion for pivotal movement about an approximately horizontal axis between a folded pivotal position for storage and an open pivotal position deployed for use;
(d) said upper open and lower runged ladder portions being configured so that the lower runged ladder portion nests in the upper open ladder portion between the dual hand rails thereof in the folded pivotal position;
(e) means for releasably retaining the lower runged ladder portion in the folded pivotal position;
(f) means for limiting the open pivotal position of the lower runged ladder portion; and
,(g) means for mounting the upper open ladder portion to the structural cargo enclosure for movement inboard and outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed at a position adjacent said juncture of the rear door and said one vertical side edge of the structural cargo enclosure, with the upper open ladder portion being disposed approximately vertically and with the lower end of the upper open ladder portion being disposed above but proximate to the same elevation as the cargo bed, whereby the folded ladder may be moved inboard of the rear end of the cargo bed to a stable stowed position and outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed to a stable position for pivotal deployment of the lower runged ladder portion, so as to facilitate access and egress by the user to and from the elevated cargo bed respecting ground level with the assistance of the elevated hand rails of the upper open ladder portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a compact folding ladder having a lower runged ladder portion, the upper end of which is pivotally connected on a horizontal axis to the lower end of a upper open dual hand-rail ladder portion whereby the lower ladder portion nests in the upper open ladder portion in the folded position and may be pivotally deployed therefrom for use. One longitudinal edge of the upper open ladder portion is pivotally mounted on a vertical pivot axis to the inboard lateral face of one of the rear edge vertical posts of a structural cargo enclosure above a cargo bed whereby the folded ladder may be pivoted forward to a stowed position and rearward to an operative position outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed thereby to facilitate deployment of the lower runged ladder portion to its open position for ladder access by the user from ground level to the rear end of the cargo bed, hence to the structural cargo enclosure.
87 Citations
9 Claims
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1. In combination with a truck cargo carrier, said truck cargo carrier including an elongated approximately horizontal cargo bed elevated a substantial distance above ground level, and an elongated structural cargo enclosure extending upwardly from and substantially covering said cargo bed, said cargo bed having a rear end from which cargo is loaded into and unloaded from the cargo carrier, and said structural cargo enclosure having right and left side edges extending approximately vertically upward from adjacent the rear end of the cargo bed, and at least one rear door adjoining at least one of said vertical side edges for providing loading and unloading rear access to the structural cargo enclosure and cargo bed, the improvement which comprises:
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(a) a folding ladder disposed approximately vertically and including an elongated upper open ladder portion defining elevated dual hand rails, and an elongated lower ladder portion having rungs; (b) the upper open ladder portion and the lower runged ladder portion both having upper and lower ends and right and left longitudinal edges; (c) means pivotally connecting the upper end of the lower runged ladder portion to the lower end of the upper open ladder portion for pivotal movement about an approximately horizontal axis between a folded pivotal position for storage and an open pivotal position deployed for use; (d) said upper open and lower runged ladder portions being configured so that the lower runged ladder portion nests in the upper open ladder portion between the dual hand rails thereof in the folded pivotal position; (e) means for releasably retaining the lower runged ladder portion in the folded pivotal position; (f) means for limiting the open pivotal position of the lower runged ladder portion; and
,(g) means for mounting the upper open ladder portion to the structural cargo enclosure for movement inboard and outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed at a position adjacent said juncture of the rear door and said one vertical side edge of the structural cargo enclosure, with the upper open ladder portion being disposed approximately vertically and with the lower end of the upper open ladder portion being disposed above but proximate to the same elevation as the cargo bed, whereby the folded ladder may be moved inboard of the rear end of the cargo bed to a stable stowed position and outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed to a stable position for pivotal deployment of the lower runged ladder portion, so as to facilitate access and egress by the user to and from the elevated cargo bed respecting ground level with the assistance of the elevated hand rails of the upper open ladder portion.
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2. In combination with a truck cargo carrier, said truck cargo carrier including an elongated approximately horizontal cargo bed elevated a substantial distance above ground level, and an elongated structural cargo enclosure extending upwardly from and substantially covering said cargo bed, said cargo bed having a rear end from which cargo is loaded into and unloaded from the cargo carrier, and said structural cargo enclosure having right and left side edges extending approximately vertically upward from adjacent the rear end of the cargo bed, and at least one rear door adjoining at least one of said vertical side edges for providing loading and unloading rear access to the structural cargo enclosure and cargo bed, the improvement which comprises:
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(a) a folding ladder disposed approximately vertically and including an upper open ladder portion having dual hand rails, and a lower ladder portion having rungs; (b) the upper open ladder portion and the lower runged ladder portion both having upper and lower ends and right and left longitudinal edges; (c) means pivotally connecting the upper end of the lower runged ladder portion to the lower end of the upper open ladder portion for pivotal movement about an approximately horizontal axis between a folded pivotal position for storage and an open pivotal position deployed for use; (d) said upper open and lower runged ladder portions being configured so that the lower runged ladder portion nests in the upper open ladder portion between the dual hand rails thereof in the folded pivotal position; (e) means for releasably retaining the lower runged ladder portion in the folded pivotal position; (f) means for limiting the open pivotal position of the lower runged ladder portion; and
,(g) means for mounting the upper open ladder portion to the structural cargo enclosure above the cargo bed and adjacent said juncture of the rear door with said one side edge of the structural cargo enclosure, with the upper open ladder portion being disposed approximately vertically and with the lower end of the upper open ladder portion being disposed above but proximate to the same elevation as the cargo bed; (h) said means for mounting the upper open ladder portion to the structural cargo enclosure comprising; (1) pivot means mounted to the structural cargo enclosure and defining an approximately vertical pivot axis; (2) support members connected to the upper open ladder portion at or adjacent one of said longitudinal edges thereof; and
,(3) means including said support members for pivotally mounting said upper open ladder portion to said pivot means, whereby the ladder in the folded position may be pivoted about said vertical pivot axis forwardly toward the cargo enclosure to a stable stowed position, and whereby the ladder in the folded position may be pivoted about said vertical pivot axis rearwardly away from the cargo enclosure to a stable position outboard of the rear end of the cargo bed to facilitate the lower runged ladder portion to in turn be pivoted about said horizontal pivot axis and deployed to its open position, for ladder across by the user from ground level to said elevated cargo bed. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification