Vehicle recovery board

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a vehicle recovery board having a rectangular body with a flat topside surface and an inclined front portion of the underside surface. The flat topside surface does not have a ramp front section. The flat topside surface provides a surface at a constant angle to allow a tire to move on and along without providing an initial steep slope to gain traction. The vehicle recovery board also includes features that improve tire traction and dislodge water, sand and other material from the tread of tires. The vehicle recovery board of the present invention also has ground engagement teeth on the underside of the board to reduce slippage of the board during use.

Claims

1. A vehicle recovery board having a rectangular body with a flat topside surface and an underside surface with an inclined front portion, and a removable base configured for attachment to the underside surface and adapted to be used to join two recovery boards end to end; wherein the topside surface has one or more longitudinal grooves spaced apart by one or more ridges and each of the one or more ridges has a plurality of upwardly-extending studs positioned along a length of the board, wherein the inclined front portion of the underside surface is directed upwards towards the topside surface near the front end, wherein the inclined front portion has one or more downwardly extending projections that are engageable with a ground surface and assist in maintaining a position of the vehicle recovery board as a vehicle rolls along the vehicle recovery board, and wherein in use, the topside surface, the inclined front portion of the underside surface, the longitudinal grooves, the one or more ridges, the upwardly-extending studs and the downwardly extending projections cooperate together to provide traction to a tire rolling along the topside surface while at the same time facilitate positioning of the vehicle recovery board to allow the tire to roll thereon.

2. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inclined front portion of the underside surface is a straight flat surface, a stepped surface and or a curved surface.

3. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inclination of the front portion of the underside surface can extend partway along the length of the board or a full length of the board so that the board has an appearance of an inverted wedge.

4. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front underside portion is convex relative to the flat topside surface.

5. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein a degree of inclination or a shape of a curve of the front underside portion enables the board to be positioned next to or partially beneath a tire enabling the tire to move along the topside surface which is at a constant angle for a length of the board.

6. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more grooves have a wave-like shape.

7. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two or more ridges and there are a plurality of studs along the outer ridges to provide grip to a tire over the entire topside surface.

8. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the studs are shaped projections and are located in different orientations on the board.

9. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the topside surface has one or more ridges and one or more cleats extending across at least one of the ridges, said cleats are raised lugs that provide additional grip for a tire.

10. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 9, wherein there are one or more wave-like grooves and a plurality of wave-like ridges, each of the one or more cleats can be orientated differently with respect to a longitudinal axis of the recovery board.

11. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 10, wherein the arrangement of the one or more of the wave-like grooves, the plurality of wave-like ridges, the plurality of studs and cleats provides the topside surface that enables the vehicle tire to gain traction.

12. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 9, wherein there are a plurality of cleats along a front section of the recovery board; wherein a shape, placement position, orientation and number of the cleats provides an uneven surface for a tire to gain traction.

13. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cleats are spaced from each other to allow different parts of the tire to gain traction and cater for different tire sizes and tread patterns.

14. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 9, wherein there are a plurality of cleats and the cleats on adjacent ridges are not aligned with each other so as not to weaken the board in any particular area and maximize an opportunity to provide traction for the tire.

15. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 9, wherein adjacent each of the one or more cleats, there is a transverse channel across the respective ridge, said transverse channel is positioned after the respective cleat with reference to the front end of the recovery board.

16. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the underside of the recovery board has a plurality of ground engagement teeth to reduce slippage of the board when a tire attempts to gain traction on the topside surface of the board.

17. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of ground engagement teeth have a chevron shape or a Y-like shape.

18. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle recovery board can be used as a shovel to remove sand and the like from around a tire.

19. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 18, wherein there are hand grips at a rear end and or along one or both longitudinal sides of the board; said hand grips are shaped and positioned to facilitate the shoveling action.

20. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removable base has a square or cross shape so that the vehicle recovery board can fit within the underside of the board.

21. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 20, wherein the removable base can attach to a rear end of each board via a pin and slot arrangement.

22. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 20, wherein the removable base when positioned within the board can be used to support a jack or other similar lifting device.

23. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recovery boards are shaped so that they can be stacked during storage or transport.

24. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recovery board is made of glass reinforced nylon or polypropylene.

25. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recovery board is made of glass reinforced nylon and has the features of a flat topside surface, an inclined or curved front portion of the underside surface; a plurality of longitudinal grooves spaced apart by ridges each of which have a plurality of studs positioned along a length of the board; a plurality of cleats and adjacent transverse channels; a plurality of ground engagement teeth on the underside of the board; one or more hand grips at a rear end and along one or both longitudinal sides of the board and a removable base.

26. A vehicle recovery board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recovery board is made of polypropylene and has the features of a flat topside surface, an inclined or curved front portion of the underside surface; a plurality of longitudinal grooves spaced apart by ridges each of which have a plurality of studs positioned along a length of the board; a plurality of ground engagement teeth on the underside of the board; and one or more hand grips at a rear end and along one or both longitudinal sides of the board.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the first preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front side diagrammatic view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a top rear side diagrammatic view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 is a rear view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is a top diagrammatic view of the first preferred embodiment of the recovery board and

(9) FIG. 8 is a partial view of the cleats and transverse channel of the recovery board shown in FIG. 7;

(10) FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are a diagrammatic views of the underside of the recovery board of the first preferred embodiment with and without a removable base respectively;

(11) FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic view of the recovery board of the first preferred embodiment with the removable base attached to the rear end of the recovery board and

(12) FIG. 12 is a partial view of the pin attachment arrangement of the removable base;

(13) FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic view of an extended platform formed by two recovery boards connected together with the removable base;

(14) FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic view of the recovery board of the first preferred embodiment showing a plurality of slots at the rear end and

(15) FIG. 15 is a partial view of the slots for the attachment of the removable base;

(16) FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic perspective view of two recovery boards of the first preferred embodiment nesting or stacked together;

(17) FIG. 17 is a side view of two recovery boards of the of the first preferred embodiment nesting or stacked together;

(18) FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic view of the recovery board of the first preferred embodiment positioned adjacent a vehicle wheel and

(19) FIG. 19 is an expanded view of the positioning of the recovery board adjacent the vehicle wheel;

(20) FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic view of a prior art recovery board positioned adjacent a vehicle wheel and

(21) FIG. 21 is an expanded view of the prior art recovery board positioned proximal to the vehicle wheel;

(22) FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic plan view of a second preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(23) FIG. 23 is a top front view of the recovery board shown in FIG. 22;

(24) FIG. 24 is a top rear view of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board as shown in FIG. 22;

(25) FIG. 25 is a side view of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(26) FIG. 26 is a rear view of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(27) FIG. 27 is a front view of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(28) FIG. 28 is a diagrammatic view of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board wherein

(29) FIG. 29 is an expanded view of a rear handle;

(30) FIG. 30 is an expanded view of a side handle;

(31) FIG. 31 is an expanded view of a cleat, and

(32) FIG. 32 is an expanded view of star shaped studs on the topside surface;

(33) FIG. 33 is a diagrammatic view of the underside of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board in a nesting or stacked arrangement whereas

(34) FIG. 34 is an expanded view of the Y-shaped ground engagement teeth;

(35) FIG. 35 and FIG. 36 are perspective and side diagrammatic views respectively of the second preferred embodiment of the recovery board in a nesting or stacked arrangement;

(36) FIG. 37 is a diagrammatic plan view of a third preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(37) FIG. 38 is a top rear view of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(38) FIG. 39 is a top front view of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(39) FIG. 40 is a side view of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(40) FIG. 41 is a rear view of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(41) FIG. 42 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the recovery board;

(42) FIG. 43 is a diagrammatic view of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board wherein

(43) FIG. 44 is an expanded view of the rear handle;

(44) FIG. 45 is an expanded view of the side handle and

(45) FIG. 46 is expanded view of the star shaped studs projecting from the topside surface of the recovery board;

(46) FIG. 47 is a diagrammatic view of the underside of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board in a nesting or stacked arrangement and

(47) FIG. 48 is an expanded view of the Y-shaped ground engagement teeth; and

(48) FIG. 49 and FIG. 50 are perspective and side diagrammatic views respectively of the third preferred embodiment of the recovery board in a nesting or stacked arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(49) The recovery board of the present invention was developed from considering the problem of damaged studs caused by spinning wheels attempting to gain traction on the prior art recovery boards. An illustrative comparison of a prior art recovery board and the recovery board of the present invention is made in the FIGS. 18 to 21 where they are inserted at the same angle with the same amount of material removed from in front of the tire prior to positioning.

(50) FIGS. 20 and 21 diagrammatically show that there is a steep angle formed by a front ramp when a wheel is to climb onto the recovery board. In the illustrative example shown in FIG. 21, there is shown a gradient of 48° which the wheel must climb before the gradient eases off after it passes the ramp portion. In contrast, the recovery board of the present invention has no front ramp and as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the wheel must climb a constant gradient of 36° to gain traction. With the recovery board of the present invention, the vehicle recovery board can be positioned so that a tire can gain traction on the front of the board as soon as the wheel turns.

(51) In FIG. 1, there is shown a first preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board 10. The vehicle recovery board 10 is substantially rectangular in shape and is made as a one-piece article. The vehicle recovery board 10 is made of glass reinforced nylon and formed to provide maximum strength per weight of material.

(52) The vehicle recovery board 10 is also shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 where different views are presented. The vehicle recovery board 10 has a topside surface 11 and an underside surface 12. With particular reference to FIG. 4, the vehicle recovery board 10 shows a relatively flat topside surface 11 and an underside surface 12 that has a rear flat underside section 13 and an inclined front underside section 14. The inclined front underside section 14 rises to meet the topside surface 11 at the front end 15. Different embodiments can include one or a series of curves, steps or straight section(s). The rear end 16 of the vehicle recovery board 10 has a series of five slots 17 which are used for the attachment of the removable base 45.

(53) The topside surface 11 has two longitudinal wave shaped grooves 21 and a short straight longitudinally-disposed groove 22. The grooves 21, 22 are spaced apart by ridges 23. The ridges 23 have a plurality of upwardly projecting studs 24 spaced apart thereon. There is also a series of studs 24 adjacent the front end 15. The series of studs 24 adjacent the front end 15 are orientated differently to maximise traction of tires with different tread and tires of different size. The studs 24 include an upright wall 25 with two supports 26.

(54) The topside surface 11 also includes a series of cleats 28 near the front end 15. In total there are 9 cleats on the topside surface 11. More particularly there are a series of three cleats 28 spaced apart along each of the ridges 23. Each of the three cleats 28 spaced along a ridge 23 is orientated differently to facilitate the grip of tires with different tread patterns and wheels of different size. Each of the cleats 28 comprise a reinforced wall 29 extending across the respective ridge 23. The cleats 28 are aligned so that a sloped face 30 of the wall 29 is proximal to the front end 15 and an upright face 31 faces away from the front end 15. Each of the cleats has a transverse channel 34 adjacent the upright face 31 and extending between the grooves 21 or between the grooves 21 and the side of the vehicle recovery board 10. Each of the transverse channels 34 are deeper towards their ends. The arrangement of the cleat 28 adjacent the transverse channel 34 provides additional traction to tires and dislodge sand, water and other material from the tread of tires to improve tire traction. Sand, water and other materials can be dislodged from the tread of tires by their interaction with the cleat wall 29 and pass into the transverse channel 34 and grooves 21, 22.

(55) Along each side of the vehicle recovery board there is a hand grip 39 and two apertures 40. There is also a hand grip 41 adjacent the rear end 16. The hand grips 39, 41 are used when the vehicle recovery board 10 is turned upside down and used as a shovel to remove sand and other material from around a tire. The apertures 40 are used to tie down a single or nested vehicle recovery boards 10 during transport or storage. The apertures 40 can also be used to anchor the vehicle recovery board 10 in position during use.

(56) The underside 12 is further shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The underside 12 has a series of Y-shaped ground engagement teeth 44 projecting outwardly. The ground engagement teeth 44 serve to limit movement or slippage of the vehicle recovery board 10 during use. There is also a removable base 45 attached to the underside 12. The removable base 45 is substantially square with a series of five pins 46 extending outwardly from two opposite sides. The removable base 45 has an underside lattice structure. The removable base 45 in FIG. 9 is shown with its plan flat surface upward, facilitating the use of a high lift jack when the base is fitted to board allowing the board to distribute the jack load over a larger area. The recovery board 10 shown in FIG. 10 shows the underside 12 without the removable base 45.

(57) The removable base has two possible functions. The first function is when the base 45 is fitted into the underside of the recovery board 10. In this position the upward flat surface allows for the multidirectional use as a support base for a jack or similar lifting device. The base in conjunction with the recovery board allows for an increased surface area for weight distribution and varying orientations. The recovery board in this orientation provides stability on soft surfaces. The second function is when the section is removed from the underside of the recovery board and used as a connector for two recovery boards. This function extends the vehicle recovery distance. The connection points are at the rear handle end of each recover board and use a pin and slot arrangement for connection. With the lattice-like structure (for tire grip and additional strength) facing upwards the base fits into the rear end of each recovery board.

(58) With reference to FIGS. 11 to 15, there is shown the use of the removable base 45 to connect two vehicle recovery boards 10. The pins 46 of the removable base 45 are inserted into complementary slots 17 on the rear end 16 of the vehicle recovery board 10. In this way two vehicle recovery boards 10 are connected together, rear end to rear end, to form an extended platform 49. The removable base 45 has a lattice structure that keeps weight to a minimum, allows water, sand or other materials to pass therethrough without disrupting the connection and serve as a location indicator by way of sound and drive feel when the vehicle passes over.

(59) FIGS. 16 and 17 diagrammatically show the nesting of two vehicle recovery boards 10. The ability of the vehicle recovery boards 10 to nest or stack is useful for transporting and storage.

(60) FIGS. 22 to 36 show a second preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board and FIGS. 37 to 50 show a third preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board. Both the second and third preferred embodiments of the vehicle recovery board are alternate versions of the vehicle recovery board. Neither the second preferred embodiment or the third preferred embodiment have a removable base or a short longitudinally disposed groove as shown in the first preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board. As well the studs of the second and third preferred embodiments of the vehicle recovery board are different in shape, but they could have the same shape as the first preferred embodiment of the recovery board while the studs of the first preferred embodiment could have the shape of the studs of the second and third preferred embodiments.

(61) The second and third preferred embodiments of the vehicle recovery board are made of polypropylene and tend to be thicker than the vehicle recovery board of the first preferred embodiment to maintain the required strength. The second preferred embodiment of the recovery board is preferably 1110 mm×314 mm whereas the recovery board of the third embodiment is preferably 930 mm×290 mm.

(62) With reference to FIGS. 22 to 36, there is shown a second preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board 51. The vehicle recovery board 51 has a topside surface 52 with longitudinal wave-like grooves 53, spaced apart ridges 54 and studs 55 extending upwardly from the ridges 54. The studs 55 have a five arm star shape. The topside surface 52 also has a series of three cleats 57 positioned near the front end 58 and spaced apart along the middle ridge 54. There are no transverse channels associated with the cleats 57. The second preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board 51 has two apertures 59 on each side of the vehicle recovery board 51. The second preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board 51 has a hand grip 60 on each side of the vehicle recovery board 51 and a hand grip 61 adjacent the rear end 63 of the vehicle recovery board 51.

(63) As with the recovery board of the first preferred embodiment, the topside surface 52 is relatively flat while the underside surface 65 has a flat section 66 and an inclined section 67. The underside 65 has a series of Y-shaped ground engagement teeth 79. FIGS. 33, 35 and 36 show the nesting or stacking of two vehicle recovery boards 51.

(64) With reference to the third preferred embodiment of the vehicle recovery board, there is shown a vehicle recovery board 70 in FIGS. 37 to 50. The vehicle recovery board 70 is very similar to the vehicle recovery board 51 in having a topside surface 71 with two longitudinal wave-like grooves 72 and spaced apart ridges 73. The topside surface 71 does not have any cleats. The vehicle recovery board 70 has a series of five arm star shaped studs 74, side hand grips 75 and a rear hand grip 76. The vehicle recovery board 70 has a front end 77 and a rear end 78. The underside 80 has a series of Y-shaped ground engagement teeth 81. FIGS. 47, 49 and 50 show the nesting or stacking of two vehicle recovery boards 70.

(65) In use, the vehicle recovery board of the preferred embodiments can be used to assist a vehicle to exit from a sand trap where the continual spinning of the wheels finds no traction and digs a deeper hole until the wheels are buried up to the axle. The present vehicle recovery board can be used as a shovel to remove the sand from around the tire. The vehicle recovery board is held by the rear and side hand grips to use the front portion as a shovel. The sand around the tire is removed so that the vehicle recovery board can be positioned adjacent the tread of the tire, so that when the wheel turns the tire engages with the vehicle recovery board.

(66) With the vehicle recovery board in place, the driver slowly accelerates the vehicle to allow the tires to engage the studs and the cleats on the topside surface without causing the wheels to spin. The weight of the vehicle on the vehicle recovery board forces the ground engagement teeth on the underside of the vehicle recovery board to engage thereby reducing slippage of the board as the wheel moves along the vehicle recovery board.

(67) In the situation where support is required over a longer distance, two vehicle recovery boards can be joined together using the removable base to form an extended platform. If it is necessary to lift the chassis of the vehicle, the removable base positioned within the board can be used as a support for a high lift jack. The board provides a greater surface area to spread the load rather than have it concentrated on the base only.

Advantages

(68) The vehicle recovery board of one or more of the preferred embodiments provides the advantage of providing a flat top surface on which a vehicle wheel can gain traction without negotiating a steep gradient. The vehicle recovery board of the present invention provides an improved board and easier method move a vehicle from a sand trap.

(69) The vehicle recovery board of the present invention has features that improve tire traction and dislodge water, sand and other material from the tread of tires. The vehicle recovery board of the present invention also has ground engagement teeth on the underside of the board to reduce slippage of the board during use.

(70) The vehicle recovery board of the first preferred embodiment has a removable base which can be used to join two recovery boards together to form an extended platform which is useful where support is required over a longer distance. The removable base can also be used as a support for a jack or other lifting apparatus when used in conjunction with the recovery board.

(71) The shape of the vehicle recovery board of the present invention also allows it to be used as a shovel to remove sand and other material from around the tire.

Variations

(72) It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

(73) Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word “comprise” and variations of that word such as “comprises” and “comprising”, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.