Spring-biased strut for dual sided cargo box

• US 9,387,811 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thule Sweden AB (Thule Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Thule Sweden AB (Thule Group AB)
• Inventors: Viklund, Mark, Bove, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): LARSON, JUSTIN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US14/815,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20150336512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 224/328, 162/86, 163/33, 163/39, 162/84, 162/90, 162/91, 163/12, 162/39, 492/79, 493/33, 493/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/055 Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. containers, boxes B60R9/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/12 pivotally mounted around an axis E05C3/045, E05C3/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/124 with latch under compression force between its pivot and the striker E05C3/122, E05C3/14, E05C3/16 and E05B65/0852 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1058 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/416 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/53 Type of wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Method and arrangement for providing and controlling operation of a dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle. A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box is provided and which has a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations. The bottom portion is adapted to be mounted to a carrying vehicle and the lid portion is manufactured from a semi-flexible material sufficiently pliable to permit two opposite end regions thereof to be at different relative distances from the bottom portion of the cargo box during transition between the open and closed configurations. A pair of spring-biased struts are also provided, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, and one each of the pair of spring-biased struts being located at the two opposite end regions of the cargo box. An expansively directed force is imposed on the lid portion, utilizing the pair of spring-biased struts, across a substantial entirety of travel of the lid portion during operator induced movement from the closed configuration to the open configuration and thereby assisting the operator to smoothly open the cargo box.

Claims

1. A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle comprising:

a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations, the bottom portion being adapted to be mounted to the carrying vehicle;

a pair of spring-biased struts, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, and one each of the pair of spring-biased struts being located at two opposite end regions of the cargo box; and

each of the pair of spring-biased struts comprising two arms operatively interconnected for pivotation relative to one another through a delimited range of motion, the two arms having a biasing spring operatively interposed therebetween, the biasing spring configured to operatively influence the two arms during transition between first and second strut orientations that respectively correspond to closed and open configurations of the cargo box, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control an assisting force that urges the cargo box into the open configuration to have a magnitude that substantially balances a weight of the lid portion thereby facilitating an operator'"'"'s even lifting of the lid portion across the delimited range of motion of the two arms,

wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force to have a substantially zero magnitude when the lid portion is in the closed configuration.

2. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force that urges the cargo box into the open configuration to have a magnitude that substantially balances the weight of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the closed configuration of the cargo box.

3. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force to have a magnitude that increases compared to that imposed across the range of motion of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the open configuration.

4. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 1, wherein the lid portion is made from a semi-flexible material.

5. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to perform in substantial unison, one with the other, during operator induced movement.

15. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 1, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to perform in substantial unison.

6. A method for operating a dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a dual sided opening roof mount cargo box having a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations, the bottom portion being adapted to be mounted to a carrying vehicle;

utilizing a pair of spring-biased struts, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, and one each of the pair of spring-biased struts being located at two opposite end regions of the cargo box;

controlling an assisting force via the pair of spring-biased struts to have a magnitude that substantially balances a weight of the lid portion thereby facilitating an operator'"'"'s even lifting of the lid portion across a delimited range of motion of the spring-biased struts; and

controlling the assisting force via the pair of spring-biased struts to have a substantially zero magnitude when the lid portion is in the closed configuration.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising controlling the assisting force via the pair of spring-biased struts to have a magnitude that substantially balances a weight of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the closed configuration of the cargo box.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising controlling the assisting force via the pair of spring-biased struts to have a magnitude that increases compared to that imposed across the range of motion of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the open configuration.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the lid portion is made from a semi-flexible material.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to perform in substantial unison, one with the other, during operator induced movement.

11. A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box, comprising:

a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations, wherein the bottom portion is adapted to be mounted to a carrying vehicle; and

a pair of spring-biased struts, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, wherein one each of the pair of spring-biased struts is located at opposite end regions of the cargo box,

wherein each of the pair of spring-biased struts comprises two arms operatively interconnected,

wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to transition between closed and open configurations of the cargo box,

wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control an assisting force that urges the cargo box into the open configuration to have a magnitude that substantially balances a weight of the lid portion across the delimited range of motion of the two arms, and

wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force to have a substantially zero magnitude when the lid portion is in the closed configuration.

12. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force to have a magnitude that substantially balances the weight of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the closed configuration of the cargo box.

13. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the pair of spring-biased struts is configured to control the assisting force to have a magnitude that increases compared to that imposed across the range of motion of the lid portion when operating in proximity of the open configuration.

14. The dual sided opening roof mount cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the lid portion is made from a semi-flexible material.