Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
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PATENT
DCLO1 P-302
Express Mail No. EL027694907US
AUTOMATED HATCH OPENING DEVICE
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an opening device and, more particularly, to an
automated hatch opening device for a vehicle such as a trailer truck.
Trailer trucks used for transporting dry bulk products, such as ash, cement,
lime,
plastic resin, fertilizers, chemicals, and the like, typically include one or
more storage containers.
The bulk product is loaded into the respective containers through one or more
hatches provided
in the top of the container which must be opened and closed before and after
filling. A
conventional hatch includes a cover, which is pivotally mounted to the
container and secured in
a closed position over a fill opening of the container by hold down bolts. The
cover typically
includes a plurality of tabs or ears which are engaged by the respective hold
down bolts to close
and seal the cover over the fill opening. In order to open the hatch, each
hold down bolt must be
loosened and then disengaged from the tab. In a like manner, when the hatch is
closed, each
hold down bolt must be repositioned to engage a respective tab and tightened
down to assure an
effective seal between the cover and the container. Most hatches include four
or more hold
down bolts. It can be appreciated that the process of opening and closing a
conventional hatch is
time consuming.
Moreover, the driver of the trailer must exit the cab of the truck and scale
the side
of the truck and walk or crawl along the top of the container to reach the
hatch to unlock and
open the hatch before filling and then subsequently rescale the side of the
truck to close and lock
the hatch after the filling process is complete. Since these storage
containers are generally
rounded, this process may pose the risk of falling or other injuries to the
driver. Recently, the
danger in falling from the truck has prompted agencies to promulgate
regulations which require
bulk producers and delivery site owners to provide safety cages or platforms
which support the
driver while he/she opens an closes the hatch to reduce the risk of injury to
the driver. However,
these safety cages or platforms are expensive to install and maintain.
Consequently, there is a need for a hatch opening device that will eliminate
the
associated risks with the conventional method of opening and closing hatches
and will save time.
CA 02236661 2002-11-13
Moreover, there is a need for a hatch opening device that will reduce the
danger to the
driver without the increased cost associated with safety cages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a hatch
opening
and closing device for a vehicle comprising: a cover adapted to cover and seal
an opening
in the vehicle and to pivot between an open position and a closed position; at
least one
locking device adapted to move between an unlocked position and a locked
position, said
locking device being adapted to move from said unlocked position to said
locked position
when said cover is in said closed position and to lock said cover in said
closed position
and being adapted to move from said locked position to said unlocked position
to unlock
said cover to permit said cover to move from said closed position to said open
position,
and said cover being drivingly coupled to said locking device over a first
range of motion
of said locking device for movement therewith and decoupled from said locking
device
over a second range of motion of said locking device; and a driver assembly
moving said
locking device between said unlocked position and said locked position and
pivoting said
cover between said open position and said closed position, said driver
assembly releasably
coupling said cover to said locking device over said first range of motion,
said driver
assembly including a shaft, said shaft being coupled to said locking device
and releasably
coupled to said cover, said shaft pivoting said cover between said open
position and said
closed position when said shaft is coupled to said cover and rotating freely
from said cover
when said cover is decoupled from said shaft, and said shaft moving said
locking device
between said unlocked position and said locked position, wherein one of said
shaft and
said cover includes a stop and the other of said shaft and said cover includes
a pair
circumferentially disposed abutments, and said stop moving between said
abutments when
said cover is uncoupled from said shaft and engaging one of said abutments to
couple said
cover to said shaft.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
hatch
opening and closing device for a vehicle comprising: a cover adapted to cover
and seal an
opening in the vehicle and to pivot between an open position and a closed
position; and
at least one locking device adapted to move between an unlocked position and a
locked
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position, said locking device being adapted to move from said unlocked
position to said
locked position when said cover is in said closed position and to lock said
cover in said
closed position and being adapted to move from said locked position to said
unlocked
position to unlock said cover to permit said cover to move from said closed
position to
~:aid open position, and said cover being drivingly coupled to said locking
device over a
first range of motion of said locking device for movement therewith and
decoupled from
..aid locking device over a second range of motion of said locking device,
said locking
device including a locking member, said locking member being adapted to pivot
from an
engaging position, wherein said locking member locks said cover in said closed
position,
to a non-engaging position, wherein said locking member releases and allows
said cover to
move from said closed position to said open position when said locking member
moves from said locked position to said unlocked position, and said locking
member
engaging said cover when said locking member is in said engaging position to
lock said
cover in said closed position and disengages from said cover when said locking
device is
pivoted to said disengaging position.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a hatch
opening and closing device for a vehicle comprising: a cover; a rotatable
shaft journaled in
said cover, said shaft adapted to couple to and decouple from said cover
whereby said
shaft pivots said cover between an open position and a closed position when
said cover is
coupled to said shaft; at least one locking device coupled to said shaft, said
locking device
including a locking member, said locking member being pivoted by said shaft
between a
locked position and an unlocked position; and a driver coupled to said shaft,
said driver
rotating said shaft about a longitudinal axis whereby said shaft pivots said
locking member
from said locked position to said unlocked position and thereafter pivots said
cover from
said closed position to said open position when opening said cover and pivots
said cover
from said open position to said closed position and thereafter pivots said
locking member
from said unlocked position to said locked position.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided
a hatch
opening and closing device comprising: a shaft adapted to be rotatably mounted
on a
vehicle, said shaft including at least one collar mounted thereon, and said
collar including
a recess defining first and second abutments; a driver drivingly coupled to
said shaft to
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rotate said shaft about a longitudinal axis of said shaft; a cover having a
bracket, said shaft
journaled in said bracket, said bracket including a coupling member, said
coupling
member engaging one of said abutments to couple said cover to said shaft and
being
disengaged from said shaft to decouple said cover from said shaft; and at
least one locking
arm adapted to be pivotally mounted to the vehicle, said locking arm being
drivingly
coupled to said shaft and moving between a locked position wherein said
locking arm is
engaged with said cover and an unlocked position wherein said locking arm is
disengaged
from said cover.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and unique automated hatch
opening device which is specially suited for opening a hatch cover of a fill
opening in a
~rehicle so that bulk material can be loaded into the vehicle through the
opening quickly
and without the risks associated with manual opening and closing the hatch
cover.
In one form of the invention, a hatch opening and closing device for a vehicle
includes a cover, at least one locking device, and a driver. The cover is
adapted to cover
and seal an opening in a vehicle and to pivot between an open position, in
which the cover
seals the opening, and a closed position. The locking device is adapted to
move between
an unlocked position and a locked position and further adapted to move from
the unlocked
position to the locked position when the cover is in the closed position to
lock the cover in
the closed position.
Further, the locking device is adapted to move from the locked position to the
unlocked position to unlock the cover and to permit the cover to move from its
closed
position to its open position.
The cover is drivingly coupled to the locking device over a first range of
motion for
movement therewith and decoupled from the locking device over a second range
of
motion.
In one aspect, the hatch opening device includes a driver assembly. The driver
assembly moves the locking device between its unlocked and locked position and
pivots
the cover between its open and closed positions. Preferably, the driver
assembly releasably
couples the cover to the locking device over the first range of motion. In
another form, the
driver preferably includes a shaft which is coupled to the locking device and
which is
releasably coupled to the cover. The shaft pivots the cover between the open
position and
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the closed position when the shaft is coupled to the cover and rotates freely
from the cover
when the cover is uncoupled from the shaft. The shaft also pivots the locking
device
between the unlocked position and the locked position.
In a further aspect, the shaft or the cover includes a stop, and the other of
the shaft
and the cover includes a pair of circumferentially disposed abutments. The
stop moves
between the abutments when the cover is uncoupled from the shaft and engages
one of the
abutments to
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. . . i
couple the cover to the shaft. For example, the abutments may be defined by an
elongate recess,
and the stop may comprise a pin.
In another aspect, the cover of the hatch opening and closing device includes
a
flexible seal for sealing the cover over the opening of the vehicle when the
cover is in the closed
position. Preferably, the flexible seal comprises an inflatable bladder.
In another form of the invention, a hatch opening and closing device includes
a
shaft, a driver, a cover having a bracket, and at least one locking arm. The
shaft includes a
collar, which includes a recess defining first and second abutments. The
driver is coupled to the
shaft and rotates the shaft about a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The shaft
is journaled in the
bracket, which includes a coupling member which engages one of the abutments
to couple the
cover to the shaft and disengages from the abutments to decouple the cover
from the shaft. The
locking arm is preferably pivotally mounted to the vehicle and is drivingly
coupled to the shaft,
moving between a locked position wherein the locking arm is engaged with the
cover and an
unlocked position wherein the locking arm is disengaged from the cover.
In one aspect, the hatch opening and closing device includes a second locking
arm. The second locking arm is pivotally mounted to the vehicle and drivingly
coupled to the
shaft. The locking arms move between the locked position when the driver
rotates the shaft
about the longitudinal axis of the shaft wherein each of the locking arms is
engaged with the
cover and an unlocked position wherein the locking arms are disengaged from
the cover.
. In another aspect, the cover includes a pair of spaced, downwardly
projecting
flanges, with the inner one of the flanges extending into the opening of the
vehicle.
Furthermore, the cover may include a flexible seal for positioning between the
inner flange and
the opening of the vehicle to seal the opening. Preferably, the flexible seal
comprises an
inflatable bladder.
As will be understood from the foregoing, the hatch opening and closing device
of the present invention provides numerous advantages over the prior known
devices. The hatch
opening and closing device eliminates the risks associated with the driver of
the vehicle exiting
the vehicle and climbing on top of the vehicles' storage container to manually
open or close the
hatch cover. Furthermore, the hatch opening and closing device eliminates the
iterative steps
presently required to unlock and lock conventional hatch covers. The hatch
opening and closing
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CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
i
device is an automated device which permits the driver of the vehicle to
actuate the hatch
opening and closing device from the cab of the vehicle. The device also
includes a lost motion
mechanism enabling one operating mechanism to operate both a locking device
and the movable
cover in successive actions. These and other objects, advantages, purposes and
features of the
S invention will become more apparent from the study of the following
description taken in
conjunction with the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a trailer truck with a hatch opening device according to the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hatch opening device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the hatch opening device in a closed and locked
positioned;
Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 4 of the hatch device in a closed
and
unlocked position;
Fig. 6 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 4 of the hatch opening device in a
partially open position;
Fig. 7 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 4 of the hatch opening device in a
fully
open position;
Fig. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIA-XIIIA of Fig. 2 when
the
cover of the hatch opening device is in the closed and locked position shown
in Fig. 4;
Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 8A illustrating the hatch
device
in the closed and unlocked position shown in Fig. 5;
Fig. 8C is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 8A illustrating the hatch
opening
device in the partially open position shown in Fig. S;
Fig. 8D is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 8A illustrating the hatch
opening
device in the fully open position shown in Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a second embodiment of the hatch opening device according to the
present invention;
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CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
1.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the hatch opening device of Fig. 9 illustrating
the
hatch device in a closed and locked position;
Fig. 11 is a side elevation view of the hatch opening device of Fig. 9
illustrating
the hatch opening device in a closed and unlocked position;
Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the hatch opening device of Fig. 9 illustrating
the
hatch opening device in an unlocked and fully open position; and
Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taking along line XIII-XIII of Fig. 9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figs. 1-7, the numeral 10 generally designates an automated hatch
opening device according to the present invention which is suitable for
covering and sealing fill
openings 12 and 13 of a bulk transportation vehicle 14, such as a trailer
truck. In the illustrated
embodiment, vehicle 14 includes a pair of automated hatch opening devices 10
which are
respectively associated with openings 12 and l3 of vehicle 14. However, to
simplify the
description, reference hereinafter will be made to the automated hatch opening
device 10 which
is positioned over opening 12 of the vehicle. Further, it should be understood
that automated
hatch opening device 10 may be used on a vehicle having a single opening or
more than two
openings.
As best seen in Fig. 2, hatch opening device 10 includes a cover 15, which is
preferably reinforced by a plurality of ribs 15a, and a pair of locking or
hold down devices 16
and 17. Cover 15 extends over opening 12 of vehicle 14 and is secured and
locked in a closed
position by hold down devices 16 and 17, as will be more fully described
below. Cover 1 S is
pivotally mounted on vehicle 14 on a shaft 18 by a pair of bracket arms 20 and
22. Bracket arms
20 and 22 are adapted to engage and disengage from shaft 18 to permit cover 15
to be first
unlocked and then subseduently rotated from a closed position to an open
position as best
illustrated in Figs. 4-7, as will be more fully described below.
Cover 15 may comprise a metal cover or a molded part, such as cast urethane,
and
is sized to extend over opening 12. Cover 15 includes an imperforate base
member 26 and a first
downwardly depending, continuous, annular flange 27 which circumscribes
upwardly extending
lip or perimeter wall 12a of opening 12. Cover 15 further includes a second
downwardly
extending, continuous, annular flange 28 which is spaced radially inward of
flange
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f.. .
27 and extends into opening 12 and is substantially parallel with perimeter
wall 12a of opening
12. In this manner, when cover 15 is pivoted to the closed position (Fig. 4),
flanges 27 and 28
straddle upwardly extending perimeter wall 12a of opening 12.
To seal opening 12, cover 15 preferably includes a flexible seal, preferably
in the
form of an inflatable bladder 32, which is positioned between flange 28 and
perimeter wall 12a.
When cover 15 is closed, bladder 32 is inflated and seals the space between
flange 28 and
perimeter wall 12a to thereby seal opening 12. Preferably, bladder 32 is
inflated to a sufficient
pressure so that cover 15 remains sealed when vehicle 14 is off loaded. When
vehicles are off
loaded, the container is pressurized in order to assure that the contents in
the container is
completely discharged. Bladder 32, therefore, eliminates the need for
conventional hold down
bolts, which are labor intensive and time consuming to lock and unlock.
In the illustrated embodiment, bladder 32 comprises an inflatable tube which
is
inflated by an external supply of air or an incompressible fluid. The air is
delivered to bladder
32 via at least one supply or delivery tube or conduit 32a or, optionally, by
pair of supply or
deliver tubes 32a. Supply tube 32a extends through an opening 26a provided in
base member 26
to bladder 32 between flange 28 and peripheral wall 12a. More preferably,
supply tube 32a
extends to bladder 32 through an access opening or slot 28a provided in flange
28 as shown in
the illustrated embodiment in Fig. 3. Supply tube 32a is connected to the
external supply of air
by a coupler 34 which may be mounted to base member 26 of cover 15.
Preferably, opening 26a
of base member 26 is sealed either by coupler 34 or by a conventional seal
such as a grommet, as
will be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art. As described
above, supply tube 32a
is in communication with the external supply of air, which is preferably an on-
board air supply.
It can be understood that bladder 32 may be inflated using other fluids
including hydraulic fluids.
However, in its preferred embodiment, bladder 32 comprises a pneumatic bladder
which will
avoid the risk of contamination in the event that the bladder or supply tube
leaks.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 4-7, cover 15 further includes a pair of projecting
arms or
members 35 which extend radially outward from annular flange 27 and provide a
gripping or
bearing surface for hold down devices 16 and 17 as will be more fully
described below. In the
illustrated embodiment, projecting arms 35 comprise conventional angle
members, each having
one leg generally vertically oriented and the other leg generally horizontally
oriented. As seen in
Figs. 4-8, the generally horizontally oriented leg may be generally flush with
a top surface 26b of
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.. .
base member 26. However, it should be understood that other structural shapes
may be used for
projecting arms 35 and other arrangements may be constructed.
As best seen in Figs. 4-7, hold down devices 16 and 17 each include a pivotal
locking arm member 36 and a driver arm member or linkage 38. Locking arm
members 36 are
generally "F" shaped and pivotally mounted an one end to vehicle 14 by a
mounting bracket 40
and include a first projecting member 42 at its free end. First projecting
member 42 is adapted
to engage a respective projecting arm 35 of cover 15 when cover 15 is closed
so that hold down
devices 16 and 17 can lock and seal cover 15 over the respective opening 12.
Preferably,
projecting arms 35 are aligned and secured to opposed sides of cover 15 so
that hold down
devices 16 and 17 may work in unison and couple and decouple from projecting
arms 35
generally simultaneously. Each locking arm member 36 further includes a second
projecting
member 44 which is coupled to driver arm member 38. Driver arm members 38 are
pivotally
coupled at one end to second projecting member 44, which extends parallel to
member 42 but is
spaced therebelow, and pivotally coupled at their second end to an outwardly
projecting member
45, such as a tab or flange, which is mounted on shaft 18. In this manner,
when shaft 18 rotates
about its longitudinal axis 48, driver arm members 38 pivot locking arm
members 36 about
mounting brackets 40 between the locked position (Fig. 4) wherein projecting
members 42
engage projecting arms 35 to hold cover 15 over opening 12 and a first
unlocked position (Fig.
5) wherein projecting members 42 disengage from projecting arms 35 to permit
cover 15 to
open.
In order to permit shaft 18 to pivot hold down devices 16 and 17 from the
locked
position to the first unlocked position, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, without
pivoting cover 15, shaft
18 is journaled in brackets 20 and 22 of cover 15 to allow free rotation of
shaft 18 over discrete
ranges of motion thereby providing a "lost motion" device. However, to impart
rotation to
cover, each bracket 20, 22 includes at least one stop and, more preferably, a
pair of stops, such as
projecting drive pins 50a and 50b and 52a and 52b, respectively, which
selectively drivingly
couple cover 15 to drive shaft 18. It should be understood that a single stop
or more than two
stops may be used to achieve substantially similar results. As best seen in
Fig. 2, shaft 18
includes a central rod section 18a and a pair of spaced collars 54 and 56,
which are fixedly
mounted to rod section 18a. Each collar 54, 56 includes a pair of stops, such
as inwardly facing,
opposed elongate recesses or notches 58a, 58b and 60a (second notch of collar
56 not shown)
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CA 02236661 2002-11-13
which define circumferentially deposed abutments or side walls 59a, 59b, 59c,
and 59d.
Drive pins 50a and 50b and 52a and 52b extend into recesses 58a, 58b, and 60a
to couple
and decouple brackets 20 and 22 aced, therefore, cover 15 to and from shaft
18.
Hereinafter, reference will be made to collar 54 and pins 50a and 50b since
collar 56 and
pins 52a and 52b include similar configurations to collar 54 and pins 50a and
50b,
respectively, and operate in a like manner to collar 54 and pins 50a and 50b.
As best seen in Figs. 4 and 8A, when cover 15 is in the closed position and
hold
down devices 16 and 17 are in the locked position, drive pins 50a and 50b are
adjacent
side walls 59b and 59c of collar 54, respectively. In the illustrated
embodiment, drive pins
50a and to 50b are positioned one hundred and eighty degrees apart and
oriented in a
generally vertical alignment when cover 1 S is in the closed position.
However, it can be
appreciated that drive pins 50a and SOb (and drive pins 52a and 52b) may be
arranged in
non-vertical alignment and/or may be arranged on shaft rod 18a less than one
hundred and
eighty degrees apart. When rod 18a and collars 54 and 56 rotate in a clockwise
direction,
as viewed in Fig. 8A, drive pins 50a and 50b are drivingly decoupled from
shaft 18 and
remain essentially stationary, moving between the respective side walls of
collar 54.
Consequently, cover 15 remains in the closed position. Referring to Fig. 8B,
when shaft 18
is rotated such that hold down devices 16 and 17 are pivoted about mounting
bracket 40 to
the first unlocked position where projecting members 42 are disengaged from
projecting
axm 35, side walls 59a and 59d engage drive pins 50a and 50b. In this manner,
cover 15 is
drivingly coupled with shaft 18 and hold down devices 16 and 17. Further
rotation of shaft
18 induces cover 15 to pivot in unison with shaft 18 about mounting brackets
19a and 19b
to an open position and with hold down devices 16 and 17, which continue to
rotate,
moving from the first unlocked position to a second unlocked position (Fig.
6). As best
seen in Fig. 8D, cover 15 continues to rotate about brackets 19a and 19b until
shaft 18 has
completed slightly less than an approximately one-hundred-and-eighty degree
revolution
from its initial contact point (Fig. 8B) with drive pins 50a and 50b. In the
fully opened
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position (Figs. 7 and 8D), cover 15 is preferably pivoted approximately one
hundred and
eighty degrees from its generally horizontal closed position to a generally
horizontal open
position to avoid any interference with loading chutes or the like.
In a similar manner, when shaft 18 rotates in a counter clockwise direction as
viewed in Figs. 4-7, shaft 18 closes cover 15 and pivots hold down devices 16
and 17 from
their
8a
CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
~w
unlocked position to the locked position. It can be appreciated from Figs. 4-
7, when shaft 18
rotates in a counterclockwise direction, hold down devices 16 and 17 are first
pivoted about
their respective mounting brackets 40 from the second unlocked position to the
first unlocked
position. In this position, side walls 59c and 59b engage pins 50b and 50a,
respectively, to pivot
cover 15 from the fully opened position (Fig. 7) to the closed position shown
in Fig. 5. As shaft
18 continues to rotate, the shaft decouples from pins 50a and 50b and,
therefore, from cover 15.
Furthermore, as shaft 18 continues to rotate, shaft 18 continues to pivot hold
down devices 16
and 17 about their respective mounting brackets 40 until projecting members 42
are engaged
with projecting arms 35 of cover 15 to thereby lock and seal cover over
opening 12.
Preferably, shaft 18, which is part of a driver assembly, is rotated by a
driver,
such as a motor 65, which is mounted to the vehicle 26 by conventional
mounting bracket 67.
Motor 65 preferably comprises a twelve or twenty-four volt reversing electric
gear motor. It can
be understood that motor 65 is preferably powered by the vehicle battery.
Furthermore, motor
65 may be actuated by a manually operated switch which is accessible by the
operator in the cab
of the vehicle.
From the foregoing, it should be understood that automated hatch opening
device
10 permits the hatch of a vehicle to be opened and closed without requiring
the driver of the
vehicle to climb the vehicle or even exit the cab of the vehicle.
Consequently, the hatch opening
device of the present invention eliminates the risk of injury associated with
conventional hatch
covers, which require the driver to exit the truck and climb on top of the
vehicle to open the
hatch manually. The operation of hatch opening device 10 permits a common
drive shaft (18) to
pivot the hatch cover of a vehicle and pivot a pair of hold down devices
through a "lost motion"
action, which hold down devices lock and seal the hatch cover over a
respective fill opening of a
vehicle. Shaft 18 is selectively coupled and uncoupled from the hatch cover by
cooperating
stops in a manner such that shaft 18 may rotate independently of the cover to
operate the hold
down devices. In the preferred form, shaft 18 is coupled to cover 15 by a
plurality of drive pins
50a, 50b, 52a, 52b which engage corresponding abutments provided on shaft 18.
Drive pins 50a,
50b, 52a, and 52b couple hatch cover 15 to the drive shaft 18 and hold down
devices 16 and 17
over a discrete range of motion so that after hold down devices 16 and 17 are
pivoted and
disengaged from projecting arms 35 of cover 15, cover 15 may be then pivoted
and opened by
shaft 18.
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CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
~, ,
Referring to Figure 9, a second embodiment 110 of the hatch opening device is
illustrated. Hatch opening device 110 includes a cover 115 and a pair of
locking or hold down
devices I I 6 and 117. Cover I I 5 extends over opening 12' of vehicle 14' and
is secured and
locked in a closed position by hold down devices 116 and 117 as will be more
fully described
below. Cover 115 is pivotally mounted on vehicle 14' on a shaft 118 by a pair
bracket arms 120
and 122, which are journaled on shaft 118. Shaft I 18 is mounted to vehicle 14
by a pair of
spaced apart mounting brackets 118a and 118b and is journaled in brackets 118a
and 118b so
shaft 118 is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis 118C. Bracket arms 120
and 122 provide
stiffness to cover 115 and provide a fulcrum so that cover 115 can be rotated
from a closed
position to an unlocked position as best illustrated in Figures 10-12 by hold
down devices 116
and 117.
Cover 11 S may comprise a metal cover or a molded part such as cast urethane,
and is dimensioned to extend over opening 12' of vehicle 14'. Referring to
Fig. 9, cover 115
preferably includes an imperforate base member 126 and a first or outer
downwardly depending
continuous annular flange 127 which circumscribes outwardly extending lip or
perimeter wall
12a' of opening 12'. Cover 115 further includes a second or inner downwardly
extending
continuous annular flange 128 which is spaced radially inward of flange 127
and extends into
opening 12'. Annular flange 128 is substantially parallel with perimeter wall
12a' of opening
12'. In this manner when cover 115 is pivoted to the closed position (Figures
10 and 11),
flanges 127 and 128 straddle upwardly extending perimeter wall 12a' of opening
12'.
To seal opening 12', cover 115 preferably includes a flexible seal similar to
the
first embodiment, which preferably comprises an inflatable bladder 132 which
is positioned
between flange 128 and perimeter wall 12a'. When cover 115 is in the closed
position, bladder
132 is inflated and seals the space between flange 128 and perimeter wall 12a'
to thereby seal
opening 12'.
1n the illustrated embodiment, bladder 132 comprises an inflatable tube which
is
inflated by an external supply of air or an incompressible fluid. Air is
delivered to bladder 132
via at lease one supply or delivery tube a conduit 132a, which includes an air
inlet nozzle 132b,
which is positioned on upper surface 126b of base member 126. Supply tube 132a
extends
through an opening 126a provided in cover 15 and an opening 128a provided in
an inner annular
flange 128 and is connected to an external supply of air through nozzle 132b.
Preferably
CA 02236661 2002-11-13
opening 126a in cover 115 is seated either by a coupler (not shown) or by a
conventional
seal such as a grommet.
Annular wall 12a' further includes a pair of projecting members 135, which are
welded or otherwise secured to annular wall 12a' and extend outwardly from
annular wall
12a' to provide an engagement or bearing surface, such as a leg 135a. When
moved to their
respective locking positions, hold down devices 116 and 117 engage legs 135a
and thereby
lock cover 115 in its closed position . Preferably projecting members 135 are
aligned and
secured to opposite sides of annular wall 12a' so that hold down devices 116
and 117 may
work in unison and couple and decouple from projecting members 135 generally
simultaneously. In the illustrated embodiment, projecting arms 135 comprise
angle
members. However, it should be understood that projecting members 135 may
comprise
other members, including open ended tubular members or the like.
Refernng to Figs. 10-13, hold down devices 116 and 117 each include a driver
member or linkage 138 and a pivotal locking member 136 which is pivotally
mounted to
an end portion 138a of driver member or linkage 138 by a pin or shaft 139.
Locking
members 136 are generally "C" shaped and are pivotably mounted to cover 115 by
a pair
of spaced apart brackets 140a and 140b which are mounted to vehicle 14' on
cover 115.
Each locking arm member 136 includes a lower projecting member 142 at its free
end and
an upper transverse member 143, which is pivotally coupled at a lower portion
thereof to
bracket 140a by pin 141 and pivotally coupled at an upper portion thereof by
pin 139 to
driver arm member or linkage 138. Pins 141 extend transversely through locking
members
136 and through spaced apart brackets 140a and 140b to thereby pivotally mount
locking
members 136 to brackets 140a and 140b and cover 115. As best seen in Fig. 9,
opposed
end portions 138b of driver arms 138 are pivotably coupled by pins 144 to
projecting
members 145, which are fixedly mounted to shaft 118. As shaft 118 rotates
about its
longitudinal axis 118c, projecting members 145 rotate with shaft 118 and pull
on driver
arms 138. Since pins 141 are spaced from pins 139, when driver arms 138 pull
on locking
members 136, locking members 136 pivot about pins 141 from a locked position,
shown
in Figure 10, wherein lower projecting members 142 are engaged with projecting
members
135, to an unlocked position, shown in Figure 11, wherein lower projecting
members 142
a'-e disengaged from projecting members 135.
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CA 02236661 1998-OS-28
1
Again, referring to Figure 9, projecting members 145 may be secured to shaft
118
by mounting collars 145a. In this manner, when shaft 118 rotates about its
longitudinal axis
118c driver arms 138 pivot locking arm members 136 about pins 141 to disengage
locking arm
members 142 from projecting members 135, and further rotation of shaft 118
induces rotation of
cover 115 about shaft 118 to move cover 115 from a closed unlocked position to
the open,
unlocked position as shown in Figures 11 and 12.
>r
Similar to the first embodiment, shaft 118 is driven about its axis of
rotation 118c
by a motor 165, which is mounted to vehicle 14' by a mounting bracket 167.
Motor 165
preferably comprises a 12 or 24 volt reversing electric gear motor, and is
preferably powered by
the vehicle battery (not shown).
It should be understood from the foregoing that the closure of cover 115
follows a
similar reverse sequence described in reference to the opening of cover 115,
with the sequence
starting with motor 165 driving shaft 118 to rotate in a counter clockwise
direction, as viewed in
Fig. 10. Shaft 118 rotates projecting members 145 so that locking arms 138
rotate cover 115 to
its closed position. After cover 115 is pivoted to its closed position, driver
arms 138 pivot
locking arm members 136 about pins 141 to move lower projecting members 142
from their
unlocked positions to their locked positions shown in Figure 10 to engage
projecting members
135 and thereby lock cover 115 in its closed position.
While several forms of the invention have been shown and described, other
forms
will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be
understood that the
embodiment shown in the drawings and described above is merely for
illustrative purposes, and
is not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the
claims which follow
and are interpreted under the Doctrine of Equivalents.
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