Cargo Restraining System for Vehicles

Abstract

A cargo restraining system for use in a trunk or cargo area of a vehicle includes at least one restraining unit. The restraining unit comprises a bottom panel, a face panel, and a back panel. The bottom panel and the face panel are hingedly attached together along adjacent edges. The back panel is hingedly attached to face panel along the edge opposite that to which the bottom panel is hingedly attached. The restraining unit can be erected from a flat configuration wherein the three panels are substantially coplanar with each other to an upstanding operational or functional configuration. In the upstanding configuration, the bottom panel sits on a surface, the face panel is pivoted upwardly to extend vertically from the surface, and the back panel is hinged downwardly at an angle and its free edge is attached to the free edge of the bottom panel. The erected restraining unit thus forms a right triangular shape when viewed from an end. Additional like restraining units can be hingedly snapped together end-to-end to form a chain of restraining units. Hook-type fasteners can be formed on the underside of the bottom panel for securement to a carpeted surface or a non-slip coating can be provided for securement to a smooth surface. When in an upstanding configuration, one or more restraining units can be positioned on a vehicle surface adjacent to items of cargo such as boxes or grocery bags. A chain of restraining units can be formed into straight, curved, or serpentine shapes to conform to the footprint of cargo in a trunk or cargo space.

Claims

1. A cargo restraining system for vehicles comprising: a first panel having top, bottom, and side edges; a second panel having top, bottom, and side edges; a base; the first panel being attached to the base at its bottom edge with a hingeable attachment and extending upwardly at a first angle to the top edge of the first panel; the second panel being attached at its bottom edge to the base with a hingeable attachment and extending upwardly at a second angle to the top edge of the second panel; the top edges of the first and second panels being attached together with a hingeable attachment; at least one of the hingeable attachments being selectively detachable such that, upon detachment, the cargo restraining system can be folded to a substantially flat configuration for shipping and storage.

2. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first angle is a right angle.

3. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second angle is an acute angle.

4. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first panel and the second panel are generally rectangular in shape.

5. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base is generally rectangular in shape and wherein the first panel and the second panel are attached to the base along opposing edges of the base.

6. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 4 wherein the base is non-rectangular and has at least three edges and wherein a first set of first and second panels are attached to the base along a first edge and a second set of first and second panels are attached to the base along a second edge, the first set and second set forming and angle with respect to each other and the base spanning the space between the first and second sets of panels.

7. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising hook-type fasteners on the bottom of the base configured to grip and releasably hold the cargo restraining system on a carpeted surface.

8. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hook-type fasteners are formed on ribbons of material secured to the bottom of the base.

9. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hook-type fasteners are integrally formed with the base.

10. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a non-slip coating on the bottom of the base configured to resist sliding movement on a smooth surface.

11. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 10 wherein the non-slip coating comprises a rubberized material, a rubber sheet, a polymer sheet, a rubberized foam, or a jell.

12. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 wherein all of the hingeable attachments are selectively detachable.

13. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 12 wherein the hingeable attachments comprise snap-hinge attachments.

14. A cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 1 further comprising selectively detachable hinged attachment features along the side edges of the first panel such that the first panel on one system can be hingedly attached to the first panel of another system to form a selectively configurable chain of cargo restraining systems.

15. An erectable and collapsible restraining unit for use in a cargo restraining system for vehicles, the restraining unit comprising at least three panels having top and bottom edges and side edges, the panels being selectively hingedly attachable to each other along their edges in such a way that the at least three panels can be folded into a flat configuration for shipment and storage and folded into a functional configuration wherein at least one of the panels becomes a base and another one of the panels projects upwardly from the base to form an upstanding wall for restraining cargo.

16. An erectable and collapsible restraining unit for use in a cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 15 wherein two of the panels project upwardly from the base and form an angle with respect to each other when the unit is in the functional configuration.

17. An erectable and collapsible restraining unit for use in a cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 16 wherein the base is provided with hook-type fasteners on a bottom surface such that the unit can be placed on a carpeted surface and retained in position through interaction of the hook-type fasteners and the fabric of the carpeted surface.

18. An erectable and collapsible restraining unit for use in a cargo restraining system for vehicles as claimed in claim 16 wherein the base is provided with a non-slip coating on a bottom surface such that the unit can be placed on a smooth surface and retained in position through sliding friction between the smooth surface and the non-slip coating.

19. A method of restraining cargo on a surface of a vehicle for transport, the method comprising the steps of: erecting a cargo restraining unit from a flat storage configuration to an upstanding functional configuration; and releasably securing the cargo restraining unit to the surface of the vehicle adjacent the cargo to be restrained.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the surface of the vehicle is carpeted and wherein the cargo restraining unit is provided with hook-type fasteners on a bottom surface of a base, the releasably securing step comprising placing the cargo restraining unit on the surface of the vehicle with the hook-type fasteners engaging the carpet.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the surface of the vehicle is smooth and wherein the cargo restraining unit is provided with a non-slip coating on a bottom surface of a base, the releasably securing step comprising placing the cargo restraining unit on the surface of the vehicle with the non-slip coating engaging the surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected restraining unit of the cargo restraining system that exemplifies principles of the invention on one preferred embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing two erected restraining units hingedly attached together at their ends.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing two erected restraining units hingedly attached at their ends, adhered to a carpeted surface, and restraining cargo in the form of a box.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a restraining unit in its collapsed flat configuration for packaging, shipping, and storage.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the face panel of a restraining unit disconnected from other panels of the unit.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base panel of a restraining unit disconnected from other panels of the unit.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the back panel of a restraining unit disconnected from other panels of the unit.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of two restraining units hingedly connected at their ends with one unit pivoted 180 degrees to form a triangular cargo restraint.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of two restraining units hingedly connected at their ends and arranged in a co-linear orientation to form a long cargo restraint.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of two restraining units hingedly connected at their ends and pivoted to form an angled cargo restraint.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention for use on carpeted or smooth or non-carpeted surfaces.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the base of the embodiment of FIG. 11 showing hinge attachment locations for attaching face panels and back panels.

[0026] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bottom of the base of FIG. 12 showing a non-slip coating thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Reference will now be made in more detail to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 shows a single restraining unit of the system in its erected operational configuration for restraining cargo. The restraining unit 11 includes a base panel 12, a face panel 13, and a back panel 14, all of which are substantially rectangular in this exemplary embodiment. The face panel 13 is hingedly connected along its bottom edge to the front edge of the base panel 12 by means of snap hinges 16 and 17. The back panel 14 is hingedly connected along its bottom edge to the back edge of the base panel 12 by means of snap hinges 21 and 22 (FIG. 2). The top edges of the face panel and the back panel are hingedly connected together by means of snap hinges 18 and 19. This forms a right triangular restraining member with a face panel that extends vertically upwardly from the base panel and a back panel that extends at an angle from the top edge of the face panel to the back edge of the base panel.

[0028] Snap hinge barrels 23 and 24 are formed on one end of the face panel 13 and snap hinge pins 26 and 27 are formed on the other end of the face panel 13. These features allow two or more restraining units to be hingedly connected together at the ends of their face panels 13 to form a chain of restraining units, as detailed below. Snap hinges are known in the art. To form a hinged connection between panels, snap hinge barrels of one panel are urged with some force against the snap hinge pins of another panel. The snap hinge barrels expand slightly under the force to snap around corresponding snap hinge pins such that the panels become hingedly connected together. The panels can then be pivoted around the hinged connection to position the panels at a desired angle with respect to each other.

[0029] While snap hinges are illustrated in the preferred exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that other mechanisms of attaching panels together with a hinged connection may be substituted with equivalent results. Examples include hook-and-loop fasteners, live hinges, strips of fabric or other flexible material, traditional hinge pins slid through hinge barrels, and rubber flaps just to name a few. For purposes of this disclosure, the term snap hinge is intended to mean and include any type of fastening mechanism by which panels of restraining units can be connected together along their edges so that the panels can be hinged relative to one another.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates two restraining units of the invention with their face panels hingedly connected together at corresponding ends. To connect them, the snap hinge barrels at an end of one of the face panels are snapped onto the snap hinge pins on the opposite end of the other face panel as described above. In this figure, the two attached restraining units are pivoted relative to one another so that their face panels extend at a right angle. In such a configuration, the connected restraining units might be used, for example, to restrain a bottom corner of a box or other angularly shaped cargo.

[0031] Restraining such an angular object is illustrated in FIG. 3, which shows cargo in the form of a box 29 sitting on a carpeted surface 28 of a vehicle trunk or cargo area. Two restraining units 31 are configured with their face plates forming a right angle and the units are positioned on the carpeted surface abutting a bottom corner of the box. The underside of the bottom panels of the restraining units are provided in this particular example with hook-type fasteners 37 (FIG. 4) so that the restraining units stick firmly but removably by hook-and-loop adhesion to the carpeted surface. Of course, additional restraining units may be placed at other corners of the box or against sides of the box if desired. In such a scenario, the restraining units prevent the box from sliding or tipping over during transport and thereby constitute an embodiment of the cargo retaining system of the invention.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows a restraining unit 11 of the illustrated embodiment collapsed to its flat shipping and storage configuration with the front surface of the face panel facing downwardly. To collapse the restraining unit, the snap hinge connections 32, 33, 36, and 37 along the bottom edge of the back panel 13 and the back edge of the base panel 12 are pulled apart and separated. The panels of the restraining unit can then be pivoted along the remaining hinged connections until the panels are substantially co-planar to form the flat shipment and storage configuration shown in FIG. 4.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, a field of hook-type fasteners 37 is visible in FIG. 4 on the underside of the base panel 12. These hook-type fasteners may be formed on a strip of material adhered to the underside of the base panel. Preferably, however, they are integrally formed with the base panel itself through a process such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,845 of McVicker, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. When an erected restraining unit is placed on a carpeted surface with at least some looped fibers, such as the carpeted floor of a trunk or cargo area, a familiar hook-and-loop adhesion is formed. The adhesion holds the restraining unit firmly but removably in place on the carpeted surface. In this way one or multiple restraining units can be positioned on the surface as needed to restrain cargo thereon against sliding and tipping over during transport.

[0034] While hook-and-loop adhesion is preferred for removably securing restraining units to a carpeted surface, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to hook-and-loop adhesion or to use on carpeted surfaces only. Other mechanisms for removably securing restraining units in place may be substituted within the scope of the invention. For example, fabrics with small mushroom-shaped fibers are available that function much like hook-and-loop fasteners to adhere objects releasably together. Many singed synthetic fabrics exhibit this feature. Mechanical fasteners are also available that couple together by mechanical interference such as in the familiar Lego building blocks.

[0035] For use of the cargo restraint system on metal surfaces, the hook-type fasteners on the bottom of the base panel in the exemplary embodiment might be replaced with magnets. Or, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-13 and discussed in detail below, a rubberized or other non-slip surface coating might be applied to the bottom of a base for use on smooth or non-carpeted surfaces as well as carpeted surfaces. Thus, the discussion of hook-and-loop fasteners in the first exemplary embodiment should be understood to encompass these alternatives and any other system by which one object may be secured to another object in such a way that it resists sliding but can be removed when desired.

[0036] FIGS. 5-7 show the individual panels of a restraining unit disconnected from each other. The face panel 13 (FIG. 5) is generally rectangular and is formed with snap hinge barrels 51 along its top edge and snap hinge barrels 52 along its bottom edge. Snap hinge barrels 53 are formed along the left end of the face panel and snap hinge pins 54 are formed along the right end. With barrels along the left end and pins along the right end, a plurality of face panels can be hingedly connected end-to-end to form a chain. The base panel 12 (FIG. 6) is generally rectangular in this embodiment and is formed with snap hinge pins 38 and 39 along its front edge and snap hinge pins 41 and 42 along its back edge. The snap hinge barrels 52 of the face panel snap onto the snap hinge pins 38 and 39 of the base panel to connect the two panels hingedly together.

[0037] The back panel 14 (FIG. 7) is generally rectangular in shape and is formed with snap hinge pins 43 and 44 along its top edge and snap hinge barrels 46 and 47 along its bottom edge. The snap hinge barrels 46 and 47 can be snapped onto the snap hinge pins 41 and 42 along the back edge of the base panel 12 (FIG. 6) to connect these two panels hingedly together. The snap hinge barrels 51 of the face panel 13 (FIG. 5) snap onto the snap hinge pins 43 and 44 along the top edge of the back panel 14 to attach these panels hingedly together. When all of the snap hinge components are snapped together, the restraining unit is erected and in its operation configuration as shown in FIG. 1.

[0038] As mentioned, two or more restraining units can be hingedly connected together at the ends of their face panels to form a chain or chains of restraining units. The illustrative drawings show only two restraining units connected in this way, but it will be understood that additional units can be chained together to form a restraining system of a desired length. When two restraining units are hingedly connected, they can be pivoted along their hinged connection to form a desired configuration. FIG. 8, for example, shows two restraining units 11a and 11b hingedly connected together. Restraining unit 11a is pivoted 180 degrees with respect to restraining unit 11b so that their face plates are juxtaposed against one another. This forms a triangular restraining system that might, for example, be used as a chock to prevent rounded objects from moving during transport.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows two restraining units 11a and 11b hingedly connected together with restraining unit 11a pivoted zero (0) degrees with respect to restraining unit 11b. This forms a restraining system that is straight and twice as long as a single restraining unit. This configuration may be useful, for example, to restrain cargo that is long and narrow. Finally, FIG. 10 shows the units 11a and 11b hingedly connected together and pivoted to an arbitrary acute angle between zero (0) degrees and 180 degrees. From these three examples, it will be appreciated that a plurality of restraining units can be chained together end-to-end and that the resulting chain can be formed into virtually any shape from straight to arcuate to serpentine as needed to surround cargo and prevent it from sliding and tipping during transport.

[0040] FIGS. 11-13 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the present invention for use on smooth or non-carpeted surfaces as well as on carpeted surfaces. Such surfaces might include, for instance, a metal surface, the top surface of a rubber floor mat; the vinyl or leather surface of a seat or the metal bed of a truck. Many of the details such as the hinge barrels and hinge pins are the same as those of the prior embodiment, and those details will not be described again in detail. FIG. 11 shows a cargo restraining unit made up of a first restraining unit 61 and a second restraining unit 62. The first restraining unit 61 comprises a vertical face panel 69 and an angled back panel 71. Likewise, the second restraining unit 62 comprises a vertical face panel 69 and an angled back panel 73. The face panels 61 and 62 are hingedly connected together along hinge line 63 with snap hinges as described above. Face panel 69 is hingedly connected to back panel 71 along hinge line 74 and face panel 72 is hingedly connected to back panel 73 along hinge line 76.

[0041] Unlike the prior embodiment, the restraining units 61 and 62 in this embodiment are attached to a base 64. As shown in FIG. 12, base 64 is provided with a first group of snap hinge pins 66 and a second group of snap hinge pins 67. Restraining unit 61 is attached to base 64 by snapping its snap hinge barrels onto the hinge pins of the first group 66 of the base as shown at 83 and 87. Restraining unit 62 is attached to base 64 by snapping its snap hinge barrels onto the hinge pins of the second group 67 as shown at 84 and 86. In the illustrated embodiment, the snap hinge pins of group 66 are arranged at a right angle to the snap hinge pins of group 67. So, for this example, the restraining units 61 and 62 are arranged at right angles to each other. However, this is not a limitation of the invention and bases with variously angled snap hinge pins may be used and are within the scope of the invention.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 13, the bottom side of the base 64 is provided with an exposed surface made of a non-slip material 68. The material 68 may be any appropriate material such as a rubber sheet, a polymer sheet, a rubberized foam, a jell, or any other material that resists slipping on a surface. When placed on a surface, the non-slip material 68 resists sliding on the surface by creating sliding friction between the material 68 and the surface. Further, since the base spans the space between the front faces of two restraining units, most cargo restrained by the system rests on the base 64. This imparts weight to the base 64, further enhancing its non-slip properties. So, this embodiment of the invention may be used, for example, at the bottom corners of a box of cargo in the bed of a pickup truck, a rubber floor mat, or a leather seat to restrain the box and prevent it from sliding around during transport.

[0043] The invention has been described herein in the context of the example embodiments shown in the drawing figures and described above. However, these are only examples of how the broader invention may be carried out. The skilled artisan will recognize that a wide gamut of additions, deletions, and modifications, both subtle and gross, might be made to the illustrated examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the example panels of the illustrated embodiments are made of molded plastic, this is not a limitation of the invention as they can be made of any sufficiently rigid material such as paperboard, leather, and carbon composite. Furthermore, the snap hinge connection system of the example embodiments may be replaced with any connection system that allows the panels to be erected and collapsed as described above. Live hinges, traditional hinges with removable hinge pins, hook-and-loop strips, and rubber fins are some examples.