Apparatus for providing convenience services to stationary vehicles

• US 6,482,080 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Convoy Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Idleaire Technologies Corporation (Convoy Solutions LLC)
• Inventors: Wilson, Arnold C., Badgett, J. T., Everhart, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Jiping
• Application Number:
  US09/838,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20010031618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 454/119, 454/159, 454/131, 454/132, 454/133, 454/128
• US Class Current: 454/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00257 Non-transportable devices, disposed outside the vehicle, e.g. on a parking
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/28 Liquid-handling installations specially adapted for fuelling stationary aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/80 Energy efficient operational measures, e.g. ground operations or mission management

Abstract

An apparatus for providing convenience services to a stationary vehicle independent of the vehicle'"'"'s electrical system. At least one conduit is attached to a housing for transferring the services to a supply panel. The supply panel includes a face on which the various controls and connectors associated with the supplied convenience services, such as heating, cooling, electrical power, compressed air, computer network communications, telephone, video, and television, are disposed. The supply panel is dimensioned to interface with the stationary vehicle through an opening in the vehicle, such as a window or service door, and includes means for providing a substantially airtight seal for climate control.

Claims

1. A service unit for providing a convenience service to a cab of a tractor trailer, comprising;

a housing;

a supply panel coupled to said housing and operable to attach to a cab of a tractor trailer, said supply panel providing conditioned air to said cab and providing at least one convenience service selected from the group consisting of radio signals, electrical power, telephone, computer network and video; and

an interactive control mounted in said supply panel and operable to activate said service unit and to obtain payment for use of said service unit.

2. The service unit of claim 1 wherein said housing contains an air conditioning unit.

3. The service unit of claim 1 wherein said supply panel provides at least one convenience service selected from the group consisting of:

compressed air, video signals, heated air, and cooled air.

4. The service unit of claim 1 further comprising means for attaching said supply panel to an opening in said cab.

5. The service unit of claim 4 further comprising a template,

said template disposed around said supply panel and dimensioned to substantially fit an opening in said cab.

6. The service unit of claim 5 further comprising a gasket for forming a substantially airtight seal between said opening and said template.

7. The service unit of claim 5 wherein said opening is a window in said cab.

8. The service unit of claim 1 further comprising a gasket being a pneumatic seal disposed around said panel perimeter, said pneumatic seal being inflatable to form an airtight seal with the said cab, wherein said supply panel is dimensioned to substantially fit a window of said cab and defining a perimeter.

9. The service unit of claim 8 wherein at least one intermediate sealing member is used to fill a gap between said pneumatic seal and said window.

10. A service unit of claim 8 wherein said supply panel includes a control for inflating and deflating said pneumatic seal.

11. The service unit of claim 1 further comprising a support for mounting said housing at a preselected height.

12. The service unit of claim 11 further comprising a weight supporting member for supporting said supply panel when said supply panel is not in use.

13. The service unit of claim 12 wherein said weight supporting member is a tether between said housing and said supply panel.

14. The service unit of claim 12 wherein said weight supporting member is a cradle for receiving said supply panel, said cradle located such that said conduit does not support said supply panel when said supply panel is not in use.

15. The service unit claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said service units are supported in a gantry extending across a plurality of tractor trailers.

16. The service unit claimed in claim 1 wherein said interactive control comprises a credit card reader mounted in said supply unit whereby said service unit can be activated by an operator within said cab.

17. The service unit claimed in claim 1 wherein said supply panel provides heated air, cooled air, alternating current electricity and telephone connection.

18. The service unit claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing recirculates air from within said cab through said supply panel.

19. A service unit of claim 1 further comprising a conduit operable to couple said housing and said supply panel.

20. A service unit of claim 19 wherein said conduit contains at least one air duct and at least one cable.

21. The service unit of claim 20 wherein said at least one air duct and said at least one cable are plenum-rated.

22. The service unit of claim 19 wherein said conduit is a flexible conduit.