Vehicle tiedown systems and methods of use

• US 7,959,389 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thumper Fabrication LLC
• Original Assignee: Paul John Fischer
• Inventors: Fischer, Paul John
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDON, STEPHEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/055,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 410/2, 410/3, 410/4, 410/7, 410/9, 410/10, 410/11, 410/12, 410/19, 410/20, 410/22, 410/23, 410/30, 410/80, 211/20, 211/22, 224/403, 224/404, 224/42.38, 224/547, 224/553, 224/570, 248/500, 248/503
• US Class Current: 410/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/07 for carrying road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/077 Wheel cradles, chocks, or wells

Abstract

Tiedown systems and methods to attach a vehicle to a support floor. The tiedown system may include a wheel cage configured to be attached to the support floor and to receive a wheel of the vehicle. The tiedown system may also include a locking assembly comprising a pivoting lever arm and an engagement member attached to the lever arm. The lever arm may be pivotal between an unlocked position to attach the engagement member to the vehicle, and a locked position that causes the engagement member to exert a force on the vehicle to maintain the wheel of the vehicle in the wheel cage.

Claims

1. A tiedown system to attach a vehicle to a support floor, the tiedown system comprising:

a wheel cage configured to be attached to the support floor and to receive a wheel of the vehicle; and

a locking assembly separate from the wheel cage, comprising a base configured to be attached to the support floor at a separate location than the wheel cage, a lever arm pivotally attached to the base, and an engagement member attached to the lever arm and arranged such that the engagement member exerts a force on the vehicle to maintain the wheel of the vehicle in the wheel cage when the lever arm is in a locked position;

wherein a first angle between the lever arm and the base in an unlocked position is greater than a second angle between the lever arm and the base in the locked position;

wherein the lever arm includes a first end pivotally attached to the base, a second end opposite from the first end, and an interior section positioned between the first and second ends, the interior section being in an overlapping arrangement with the base when the lever arm is in the locked position and being spaced away from the base when the lever arm is in an unlocked position.

2. The tiedown system of claim 1, wherein the engagement member is pivotally attached to the lever arm between the first and second ends.

3. The tiedown system of claim 1, wherein the lever arm further comprises a locking mechanism with a pin that moves along a longitudinal axis of the lever arm such that the pin engages the base when the lever arm is in the locked position to maintain the lever arm in the locked position and moves along the longitudinal axis away from the base to allow the lever arm to be pivoted to an unlocked position.

4. The tiedown system of claim 1, wherein the engagement member includes an elongated shape with a hooked end configured to attach to the vehicle when the lever arm is in the locked position.

5. The tiedown system of claim 1, further comprising a U-shaped locking assembly bracket that attaches to the support floor and includes a slot sized to receive the base of the locking assembly such that the base and the locking assembly bracket are positioned in an overlapping arrangement that attaches the locking assembly to the support floor.

6. The tiedown system of claim 5, further comprising a U-shaped wheel cage bracket that attaches to the support floor and includes a wheel cage bracket slot sized to receive the wheel cage such that the wheel cage and the wheel cage bracket are positioned in an overlapping arrangement that attaches the wheel cage to the support floor.

7. The tiedown system of claim 6, wherein the slots of the locking assembly bracket and the wheel cage bracket each include openings that face towards each other when the brackets are attached to the support floor.

8. The tiedown system of claim 1, further comprising a second wheel cage attached to the support floor and configured to receive a second wheel of the vehicle.

9. A tiedown system to attach a vehicle to a support floor, the tiedown system comprising:

a wheel cage configured to be attached to the support floor and to receive a wheel of the vehicle; and

a locking assembly configured to be attached to the support floor at a separate location than the wheel cage, the locking assembly including a base, a pivoting lever arm with a first end attached to the base and an opposing second end, and an elongated engagement member that extends outward from the lever arm at a point that is closer to the first end than the second end, the locking assembly movable between an unlocked position to be operatively connected to the vehicle and a locked position to exert a force on the vehicle to maintain the wheel in the wheel cage;

wherein a first distance between the second end and the support floor in the unlocked position is greater than a second distance between the second end and the support floor in the locked position.

10. The tiedown system of claim 9, further comprising a wheel cage bracket to attach the wheel cage to the support floor and a locking assembly bracket to attach the locking assembly to the support floor, the wheel cage bracket and locking assembly bracket each including a two-ply construction to each form a gap when attached to the support floor.

11. The tiedown system of claim 10, wherein one of the wheel cage bracket and the locking assembly bracket including a slot that includes a cross-sectional shape with a narrow upper section positioned away from the support floor and a wider lower section positioned at the support floor.

12. The tiedown system of claim 9, wherein the engagement member includes a first end pivotally attached to the lever arm and a second end with a hook sized to attach with the vehicle.