Trailer rear door frame with angled rear sill

• US 8,100,465 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Inventors: Wylezinski, Andrzej
• Primary Examiner(s): Fox, Charles A
• Application Number:
  US11/846,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 296/50, 296/51, 296/181, 296/181.3, 296/204, 296/209, 296/184.1, 293/102
• US Class Current: 296/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/445 the loading platform, when not in use, being stored under the load-transporting surface
• 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

Abstract

A rear frame of a trailer has an elongated horizontal sill having a closed cross-section which is rigid in bending and in torsion. The elongated horizontal sill is formed of a fantail and a base plate attached to an underside of the fantail. The base plate has front and rear sections that are not notched as notching of the sill can weaken it. The front section is horizontal and the rear section is angled upwardly relative to the horizontal front section at a predetermined angle of approximately 22 degrees. The angling of the base plate provides a specialized geometry for accommodating a tuck-under lift gate. The sill also has minimal vertical dimensions to aid in the non-interference with legs of the tuck-under lift gate.

Claims

1. A rear sill of a trailer comprising:

an elongated horizontal fantail; and

an elongated base plate attached to an underside of said fantail, said base plate having continuous front and rear sections said front section being horizontal and said rear section being angled upwardly relative to said horizontal front section at a predetermined angle,

wherein the fantail includes a vertical wall positioned between and coupled to a horizontal rear wall portion and a horizontal front wall portion of the fantail.

2. A rear sill of a trailer comprising:

an elongated horizontal fantail; and

an elongated base plate attached to an underside of said fantail, said base plate having continuous front and rear sections, said front section being horizontal and said rear section being angled upwardly relative to said horizontal front section at a predetermined angle,

wherein said fantail has a vertical rear wall having an upper end and a bottom edge, a vertical front wall having an upper end and a bottom edge, and a top wall which connects said upper ends of said rear and front walls, said bottom edges of said rear and front walls are offset from one another with said bottom edge of said rear wall being vertically higher than said bottom edge of said front wall, and

wherein the front section of the base plate is longer than the vertical front wall of the fantail.

3. A rear sill of a trailer comprising:

an elongated horizontal fantail; and

an elongated base plate attached to an underside of said fantail, said base plate having continuous front and rear sections, said front section being horizontal and said rear section being angled upwardly relative to said horizontal front section at a predetermined angle,

wherein said fantail has a vertical rear wall having an upper end and a bottom edge, a vertical front wall having an upper end and a bottom edge, and a top wall which connects said upper ends of said rear and front walls, said bottom edges of said rear and front walls are offset from one another with said bottom edge of said rear wall being vertically higher than said bottom edge of said front wall, and

wherein a horizontal distance between the front and rear vertical walls of the fantail is less than a vertical distance between the front section of the base plate and the rear wall portion of the top wall of the fantail.