Side underride cable system for a trailer

• US 8,162,384 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabash National LP (Wabash National Corporation)
• Inventors: Giromini, Richard J., Baker, Leonard William, Ehrlich, Rodney P., Smidler, Francis S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B
• Application Number:
  US12/760,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20100264691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 296/180.4, 296/180.1, 296/181.5, 296/186.2, 280/432, 280/455.1, 280/477
• US Class Current: 296/180.4
• 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: B60R 19/565 on vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/168 Mud guards for utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/001 For commercial vehicles or tractor-trailer combinations, e.g. caravans
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/008 Side spoilers B62D35/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/02 Streamlining the undersurfaces B62D35/005, B62D35/007, B62D35/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/903 Airstream reactive vehicle or vehicle structure

Abstract

A side underride cable system configured to be coupled to a trailer includes a front mounting bracket assembly configured to be coupled to the trailer, a rear mounting bracket assembly configured to be coupled to the trailer at a location spaced-apart from the front mounting racket assembly, and a plurality of cables configured to extend at least partially along a length of each side of the trailer between the front mounting bracket assembly and the rear mounting bracket assembly.

Claims

1. A side underride cable system configured to be coupled to a trailer, comprising:

a first plurality of cables configured to be coupled to the trailer and to be positioned below a first side wall of the trailer to extend at least partially along a length of the first side wall of the trailer, each of the cables of the first plurality of cables being parallel to each other cable and to the first side wall of the trailer.

2. The side underride cable system of claim 1, further comprising (i) a first vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a front end of the trailer and (ii) a second vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a rear end of the trailer, wherein the first plurality of cables are coupled to and extend between the first and second vertical posts.

3. The side underride cable system of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of cables configured to be coupled to the trailer and to be positioned below a second side wall of the trailer to extend along a length of the second side wall of the trailer, each of the cables of the second plurality of cables being parallel to each other cable and to the second side wall of the trailer.

4. The side underride cable system of claim 3, further comprising (i) a first vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a front end of the trailer and (ii) a second vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a rear end of the trailer, (iii) a third vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent the front end of the trailer and (iv) a fourth vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent the rear end of the trailer, wherein the first plurality of cables are coupled to and extend between the first and second vertical posts and the second plurality of cables are coupled to and extend between the third and fourth vertical posts.

5. The side underride cable system of claim 4, further comprising (i) a first cross-brace coupled to and extending between the first and third vertical posts across a width of the trailer, and (ii) a second cross-brace coupled to and extending between the second and fourth vertical posts across the width of the trailer.

6. The side underride cable system of claim 5, further comprising a front plurality of cables extending across a front width of the trailer and a rear plurality of cables extending across a rear width of the trailer.

7. The side underride cable system of claim 6, wherein the first, second, front, and rear plurality of cables are coupled to each other, and further wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth vertical posts includes a plurality of curved cable guides such that each cable guide receives a cable therethrough in order to change the orientation of the cable by approximately 90 degrees.

8. The side underride cable system of claim 1, further comprising a turn buckle coupled to each cable of the first plurality of cables to allow a user to tension the cable.

9. The side underride cable system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of generally vertical cable supports configured to be coupled to and extend downwardly from the trailer, wherein each cable support includes a plurality of vertically-aligned apertures such that each cable of the first plurality of cables extends through one of the plurality of vertically-aligned apertures of each of the plurality of vertical cable supports.

10. A side underride cable system configured to be coupled to a trailer, comprising:

a first plurality of cables configured to be coupled to the trailer and to be positioned below a first side wall of the trailer to extend at least partially along a length of the first side wall of the trailer, each of the cables of the first plurality of cables being parallel to each other cable and to the first side wall of the trailer;

a first vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a front end of the trailer; and

a second vertical post configured to be coupled to the trailer to extend downwardly from the trailer adjacent a rear end of the trailer,

wherein each of the first and second vertical posts includes a plurality of cable guides such that each cable guide receives a cable therethrough in order to change the orientation of the cable by approximately 90 degrees.

11. The side underride cable system of claim 10, further comprising a side flange member coupled to each of the first and the second vertical posts, wherein the first plurality of cables is positioned below the side flange members.

12. The side underride cable system of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second vertical post includes a first end wall and a second end wall adjacent to and generally perpendicular to the first end wall, wherein one of the cable guides is coupled to and extends between the first and second end walls of each of the first and second vertical posts.

13. The side underride cable system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of cable guides is curved.