Spring-biased strut for a cargo box

• US 9,682,660 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• 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: Bove, Vincent, Viklund, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LARSON, JUSTIN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US15/204,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 224328, 16286, 16333, 16339, 16284, 16290, 16291, 16312, 16239, 49279, 49333, 49386
• 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 characterised by the type of wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle includes 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. A spring-biased strut is operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box and located at an end region of the cargo box. The spring-biased strut includes two arms operatively interconnected for pivotation relative to one another and a biasing spring operatively interposed therebetween. The spring-biased strut is configured to control an assisting force to have a substantially zero magnitude when the lid portion is in the closed configuration.

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 spring-biased strut operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, the spring-biased strut being located at an end region of the cargo box; and

the spring-biased strut 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 spring-biased strut 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 spring-biased strut 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 spring-biased strut 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 spring-biased strut 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, further comprising a second spring-biased strut located at an opposite end region of the cargo box.

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 spring-biased strut operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, the spring-biased strut being located at an end region of the cargo box;

controlling an assisting force via the spring-biased strut 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 strut; and

controlling the assisting force via the spring-biased strut 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 spring-biased strut 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.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising controlling the assisting force via the spring-biased strut 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 a second spring-biased strut is located at an opposite end region of the cargo box.

11. A roof mounted cargo box, comprising:

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

a spring-biased strut operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, wherein the spring-biased strut is located at an end region of the cargo box,

wherein the spring-biased strut comprises two arms operatively interconnected,

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

wherein the spring-biased strut 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 a delimited range of motion of the two arms, and

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

12. The roof mounted cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the spring-biased strut 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 roof mounted cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the spring-biased strut 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 roof mounted cargo box as recited in claim 11, wherein the lid portion is made from a semi-flexible material.

15. The roof mounted cargo box as recited in claim 11, further comprising a second spring-biased strut located at an opposite end region of the cargo box.