REMORQUE DE TRANSPORT PLIANTE

FOLDABLE TRANSPORTATION TRAILER

Abrégé français

Une remorque de transport pliable est capable d'être pliée à deux endroits séparés pour permettre à la remorque pliée de prendre une position verticale derrière le véhicule la traînant lorsqu'elle n'est pas en utilisation, ce qui donne à la remorque une empreinte très minimale dans son état compact. De cette manière, lorsqu'elle est compacte et pliée, la remorque passe d'une longueur allongée d'environ 20 pi (~609 cm) à une longueur de 3 pi (~91 cm) en forme compacte.

Abrégé anglais

A foldable transportation trailer able to be folded in two
separate locations to enable the folded trailer to assume a
vertical position behind the vehicle towing it, when not in use,
thus providing a substantially minimal footprint to the trailer
in its compacted state. In this manner, when compacted and
folded, the trailer reduces from an elongated length of
approximately 20 feet, to a length of 3 feet when compacted.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A foldable transportation trailer comprising:
a trailer bed pivotably foldable in at least two locations thereon, the
trailer bed further
comprising a rear trailer bed portion, middle trailer bed portion and a front
trailer bed
portion, the front trailer bed portion having a first pivot arm pivotably
connected thereto
and the middle trailer bed portion having a second pivot arm pivotably
connected
thereto, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm further being pivotably
connected to
one another;
at least one hydraulic piston having a first end connected to the middle
trailer bed
portion and a second end connected to at least one of the first pivot arm and
the second
pivot arm; ,
whereby, the rear trailer bed portion can be folded over and compacted to
reside on the
middle trailer bed portion, wherein the compacted rear trailer bed portion and
the middle
trailer bed are pivotably foldable about a hinge pivot connected to each of
the front
trailer bed portion and the middle trailer bed portion to reside against the
front trailer bed
portion so that the foldable transportation trailer is operable to assume a
substantially
vertical position when desired behind a towing vehicle; and
a trailer hitch for attaching the foldable transportation trailer to the
towing vehicle, the
foldable transportation trailer having a substantially minimal footprint of
three feet in
length behind the towing vehicle.
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2. A method of manufacturing a foldable transportation trailer comprising:
providing a trailer bed having a rear trailer bed portion, middle trailer bed
portion and a
front trailer bed portion that is pivotably foldable in at least two locations
thereon;
providing the front trailer bed portion with a first pivot arm pivotably
connected thereto
and providing the middle trailer bed portion with a second pivot arm pivotably
connected
thereto;
pivotably connecting the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm to one
another;
providing at least one hydraulic piston having a first end connected to the
middle trailer
bed portion and a second end connected to at least one of the first pivot arm
and the
second pivot arm;
providing the rear trailer bed portion to be operably able to be folded over
and
compacted to reside on the middle trailer bed portion, the compacted rear
trailer bed
portion and the middle trailer bed being pivotably foldable about a hinge
pivot connected
to each of the front trailer bed portion and the middle trailer bed portion to
reside against
the front trailer bed portion so that the foldable transportation trailer is
operable to
assume a substantially vertical position when desired behind a towing vehicle;
and
providing a trailer hitch for attaching the trailer bed to the towing vehicle
so that the
foldable transportation trailer possesses a substantially minimal footprint of
three feet in
length behind the towing vehicle.
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Description

FOLDABLE TRANSPORTATION TRAILER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a foldable transportation trailer, and,
more particularly, to a foldable transportation trailer which is
operably able to be folded in two separate locations to enable
the folded trailer to assume a vertical position behind the
vehicle towing it, when not in use, thus providing a
substantially minimal footprint to the trailer in its compacted
state.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known that trailers can be used to transport, for
example, a personal vehicle or other similar transportation
vehicles/equipment behind a motor coach or any other large tow
vehicle.
However, such trailers/trailer beds typically can be up to 20
feet or more in length, and thus, especially when not in use,
can take up a larger footprint than is desired. For example,
many camp grounds will not allow coaches/tow vehicles when they
are towing such a trailer as these can take up too much room.
It would be beneficial to provide an improved foldable
transportation trailer which is operably able to be folded to
assume a vertical position behind the vehicle towing it, so that
when folded it only takes up approximately three feet of length
behind the motor coach/vehicle.
Further, it would be advantageous to provide an improved
foldable transportation trailer which is operably able to be
folded in two separate locations to enable the folded trailer to
assume a vertical position behind the vehicle towing it, when
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not in use, thus providing a substantially minimal footprint to
the trailer. To this end, the present invention effectively
addresses these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides the advantage of an improved
foldable transportation trailer which is operably able to be
folded to assume a vertical position behind the vehicle towing
it, so that when folded it only takes up, for example,
approximately three feet of length behind the motor
coach/vehicle.
The present invention also provides the advantage of an improved
foldable transportation trailer which is operably able to be
folded in two separate locations to enable the folded trailer to
assume a vertical position behind the vehicle towing it, when
not in use, thus providing a substantially minimal footprint to
the trailer.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention,
there is disclosed a foldable transportation trailer comprising
a trailer bed pivotably foldable in at least two locations
thereon so as to assume a substantially vertical position when
desired behind a towing vehicle; and a trailer hitch for
attaching the trailer bed to the towing vehicle.
According to another broad aspect of the present invention,
there is provided foldable transportation trailer comprising a
foldable transportation trailer comprising a trailer bed
pivotably foldable in at least two locations thereon so as to
assume a substantially vertical position when desired behind a
towing vehicle, the trailer bed further comprising a rear
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trailer bed portion, middle trailer bed portion and a front
trailer bed portion; and a trailer hitch for attaching the
trailer bed to the towing vehicle.
According to another broad aspect of the present invention,
there is disclosed a method of manufacturing a foldable
transportation trailer comprising providing a trailer bed
pivotably foldable in at least two locations thereon so as to
assume a substantially vertical position when desired behind a
towing vehicle; and providing a trailer hitch for attaching the
trailer bed to the towing vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The embodiments of the present invention will now be described
by reference to the following figures, in which identical
reference numerals in different figures indicate identical
elements and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the foldable transportation
trailer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of the foldable transportation trailer
shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment of the foldable
transportation trailer shown in Figures 1 and 2, illustrating
the rear trailer bed portion beginning to be folded, and then
ultimately folded, unto the middle trailer bed portion;
Figure 4 is a side view of an embodiment of the rear pivot point
which is utilized to enable the rear trailer bed portion to fold
over when desired unto the middle trailer bed portion;
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Figure 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the front hydraulic
extending piston;
Figure 6 is a side view of the compacted trailer bed portion and
the middle trailer bed portion about to be further folded over
unto the front trailer bed portion to assume a substantially
vertical position; and
Figure 7 is a side view of the fully compacted trailer bed
portion assuming a substantially vertical position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will be described for the purposes of illustration
only in connection with certain embodiments. However, it is to
be understood that other objects and advantages of the present
invention will be made apparent by the following description of
the drawings according to the present invention. While a
preferred embodiment is disclosed, this is not intended to be
limiting. Rather, the general principles set forth herein are
considered to be merely illustrative of the scope of the present
invention and it is to be further understood that numerous
changes may be made without straying from the scope of the
present invention.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown the foldable
transportation trailer 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment, the length of
such a trailer will be approximately 20 feet long, though it
would be understood by one skilled in the art that this length
could be varied.
In an exemplary embodiment, the trailer 1 comprises at least a
trailer bed 3, wheel hubs 5 for accommodating wheels (not
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shown), a front hydraulic extending piston 7, and a trailer
hitch 9.
With reference to Figure 2, it can be seen that the trailer bed
further comprises a rear trailer bed portion 13, a middle
trailer bed portion 15 and a front trailer bed portion 17.
Figure 3 illustrates how the trailer bed can begin to compact.
In Figure 3, it can be seen that rear trailer bed portion 13, by
means of rear pivot point 11, begins to move to a compacting
position, to first achieve position B shown in Figure 3, then to
ultimately assume position C shown in Figure 3, whereby the rear
trailer bed portion 13 assumes a rested and folded position on
top of middle trailer bed portion 15. Figure 4 illustrates the
rear pivot point 11, which is integrated with pivot arm 12 that
is integrally connected to middle trailer bed portion 15.
With reference to Figure 5, there can be seen the
interconnection between middle trailer bed portion 15 and front
trailer bed portion 17. In this Figure, these portions are
joined and interconnected by front hydraulic extending piston 7
having an extendable and retractable rod portion 21, which is
connected to middle trailer bed portion 15, and has an opposite
end thereof 22 connected to front trailer bed portion 17.
Pivotable arms 23 are integrated with this opposite end 22. In
compacting the trailer, after the first step of the rear trailer
bed portion 13 assuming a rested and folded position on top of
middle trailer bed portion 15 (as shown in Figure 3) the next
step in compacting the trailer involves (as shown in Figure 6)
the fully compacted rear trailer bed portion 13 and middle
trailer bed portion 15 being pivotably movable about hinge pivot
19, which is interconnected between front trailer bed portion 17
and middle trailer bed portion 15, whereby when front hydraulic
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extending piston 7 is actuated, retractable rod portion 21
retracts, thus bringing the interconnected and fully compacted
rear trailer bed portion 13 and middle trailer bed portion 15 to
reside against the front trailer bed portion 17 in a
substantially vertical position, as shown in Figure 7. Once the
trailer is in a substantially vertical position, it can be
locked and secured hydraulically, or by other conventional
means, as would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.
It will also be apparent to those skilled in this -art that
various modifications and variations may be made to the
embodiments disclosed herein. Other embodiments consistent with
the present invention will become apparent from consideration of
the specification and the practice of the invention disclosed
therein.
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Dessin représentatif