Vehicle rolling shutter with door-ajar and compartment light switch

• US 5,713,621 A
• Filed: 05/03/1996
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROM Acquisition Corporation (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: ROM Corporation (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Smith, Clayton, Krenkel, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Pike, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/643,253
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.1, 296/155, 160/10, 160/127, 160/133, 160/201, 160/310, 340/457, 340/547, 362/74, 362/80
• US Class Current: 296/186.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/08 of roller-blind type made of rigid elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments

Abstract

A vehicle rolling shutter system with magnetic door-ajar and compartment light switch. In combination with a vehicle, the rolling shutter system has a roller shutter, constructed of a number of interconnected links, for movement along guide rails positioned at opposing sides of an access opening to a cargo compartment of the vehicle. A lamp, for illuminating the cargo compartment, is positioned within the cargo compartment. An indicator lamp is positioned on a dashboard of the vehicle. The roller shutter has a lift bar which is mounted by mounting members to a lower portion of the roller shutter. The lift bar engages with strike blocks, positioned at opposing sides of the access opening to the cargo compartment, for retaining the roller shutter in a closed position. At least one of the strike blocks contains a magnetic switch element connected to the lamps. A magnet is positioned within a corresponding end of the lift bar, to cooperate with said magnetic switch and to keep the magnetic switch in an open position when the roller shutter is closed and the lift bar is engaged with the strike block. Disengaging the lift bar from the strike block, upon opening of the roller shutter, removes a magnetic field associated with the magnet from the proximity of the magnetic switch, thereby causing the magnetic switch to close, thus sending electrical current to the lamps for respectively illuminating the compartment and providing an indication that the door is ajar.

Claims

1. A rolling shutter system, in combination with a vehicle having a cargo compartment with an opening thereto, said system comprising:

a pair of opposed guide rails;

a roller shutter for movement along said guide rails and for covering said opening to said cargo compartment when in a closed position;

a lamp;

a lift bar mounted on said roller shutter proximate a lower edge of said roller shutter;

a catching member, fixedly positioned on said vehicle proximate a side edge of said cargo compartment, for engaging with said lift bar to retain said roller shutter in the closed position; and

a magnetic switch comprised of a switching element and a magnetic element, said magnetic element having a magnetic field, wherein one of said switching element and said magnetic element is positioned at said lift bar and another of said switching element and said magnetic element is located at said catching member, wherein said magnetic switch is operable to turn said lamp on when said roller shutter is in an opened position and to turn said lamp off when said roller shutter is in the closed position.

2. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamp is positioned within said compartment for providing illumination to said compartment.

3. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamp is positioned within an operator cab for providing a visual indication of the opened or closed position of said roller shutter.

4. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamp comprises a first lamp located in said storage compartment, said system further comprising:

a second lamp located in an operator cab;

a first relay for connecting said magnetic switch to said first lamp; and

a second relay for connecting said magnetic switch to said second lamp, wherein each said lamp is illuminated upon separation of said magnetic field from said switching element.

5. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

mounting structure for mounting said lift bar on said roller shutter, said mounting structure comprising a pivot block attached to the lift bar for pivoting between first and second positions; and

a spring members biasing said pivot block and attached lift bar to bring the lift bar into engagement with said catching member when said roller shutter is in the closed position.

6. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said catching member has a downwardly sloped portion terminating in an outwardly extending nose, and wherein said lift bar engages with said catching member beneath said nose.

7. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnetic field maintains said switching element in an open position when said roller shutter is in the closed position, and wherein said switching element closes when one of said switching element and said magnetic element is moved so that said switching element is not within said magnetic field.

8. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said magnetic element is located in said lift bar and said switching element is embedded within said catching member.

9. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lift bar is located proximate a lower portion of said roller shutter.

10. The rolling shutter system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said catching member is located proximate said lower portion of said roller shutter when said roller shutter is in the closed position.

11. A rolling shutter system, for covering an opening to an enclosed area, said system comprising:

a pair of opposed guide rails;

a roller shutter for movement along said guide rails and for covering said opening to said enclosed area when in a closed position;

an indicator;

a lift bar mounted on said roller shutter proximate a lower edge of said roller shutter;

a catching member, fixedly positioned proximate a side edge of said enclosed area, for engaging with said lift bar to retain said roller shutter in the closed position; and

a magnetic switch comprised of a switching element and a magnetic element, said magnetic element having a magnetic field, wherein one of said switching element and said magnetic element is positioned at said lift bar and another of said switching element and said magnetic element is located at said catching member, wherein said magnetic switch is operable to turn said indicator on when said roller shutter is in an opened position and to turn said indicator off when said roller shutter is in the closed position.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises an indicator lamp.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of the switching element and the magnetic element is in the lift bar and another of the switching element and the magnetic element is in the catching member.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the magnetic element comprises a magnet.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the magnetic element is in the lift bar and the switching element is in the catching member.

16. The system according to claim 11 further comprising a lamp inside the enclosed area and wherein the magnetic switch is operable to turn the lamp on when the roller shutter is in the opened position and to turn the lamp off when the roller shutter is in the closed position.

17. A rolling shutter system, in combination with a vehicle having a cargo compartment with an access opening defined by a periphery having side walls, said rolling shutter system comprising:

a pair of guide rails, each said guide rail of said pair being positioned on one of said side walls defining said opening to said cargo compartment of said vehicle, each said guide rail having a front plate exposed at an exterior of said vehicle;

a roller shutter, for movement along said guide rails, said roller shutter being comprised of a plurality of interconnected links and having an enlarged, lowermost link;

a lamp on said vehicle;

a pair of strike blocks, each said strike block being fixedly located on a respective one of said front plates of said guide rails, each said strike block having a downwardly sloped portion terminating in an outwardly protruding nose;

a magnetic switch element connected to said lamp and embedded in at least one of said strike blocks, said magnetic switch element opening when subjected to a magnetic field of at least a predetermined strength and closing when not subjected to a magnetic field of at least said predetermined strength;

a lift bar, comprised of an elongate rod member, having at least one end which is hollow;

an end cap, having a channel therein;

a magnet, having a magnetic field of at least said predetermined strength for opening said magnetic switch element, positioned in said channel of said end cap, wherein said end cap is positioned in said at least one hollow end of said lift bar; and

a pair of mounting members, mounted in spaced relationship on said enlarged, lowermost link of said roller shutter, each said mounting member comprising;

a rear surface fastened to said enlarged, lowermost link of said roller shutter and a pair of spaced-apart, opposing side panels;

a pivot block pivotally mounted at an upper portion thereof between said side panels of said mounting member, wherein said lift bar is retained by said mounting member at a lower portion of said pivot block; and

a spring clip, attached to said rear surface of said mounting member and engaging said pivot block, for resiliently biasing said lower portion of said pivot block towards said rear surface of said mounting member;

wherein said end of said lift bar has said magnet positioned therein and is oriented to cooperate with the at least one of said strike blocks having said magnetic switch element embedded therein, and wherein each said strike block engages said lift bar beneath said nose of each said strike block when said roller shutter is in a closed position, to thereby retain said roller shutter in the closed position, and wherein said lift bar is moveable against the biasing of said spring clips to pivot said pivot blocks outwardly to permit said lift bar to be lifted and moved outwardly about said nose of each said strike block to lift said roller shutter, and wherein said magnet in said lift bar maintains said magnetic switch element in an open position when said lift bar is engaged beneath said strike blocks, and wherein said magnetic switch element closes upon removal of said lift bar, containing said magnet, from engagement with said strike blocks, and wherein said closing of said magnetic switch element sends electric current to said lamp on said vehicle to thereby illuminate said lamp.