Abstract:
A cargo restraint apparatus restrains the movement of a cargo of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a frame assembly, a spool, an elongated strap, a biasing member, a locking mechanism, and an adjustment apparatus. The frame assembly is connected to the vehicle. The spool is rotatably mounted on the frame assembly. The elongated strap has a first end connected to the spool and a second end attached to the vehicle with the elongated strap positioned over the cargo. The elongated strap is adapted to be wound about and withdrawn from the spool. The biasing member biases the spool in a strap winding position. The locking mechanism locks the spool at a selected position to prevent withdrawal of the elongated strap from the spool. The adjustment apparatus is attached to the elongated strap for cinching the elongated strap into a taut condition to restrain movement of the cargo.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/656,008, filed Feb. 24, 2005, the contents of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The present invention relates generally to a cargo restraint apparatus for securing cargo, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved cargo restraint apparatus having a locking mechanism.  
         [0005]     2. Brief Description of the Related Art  
         [0006]     Straps, belts, ropes, cables, and other devices have generally been used to secure a cargo to a vehicle. The conventional practice has been to employ tie-down straps or elastic cords having a hook at each end to secure the cargo to a variety of vehicles, such as a truck bed, a golf cart, or a sport-utility-vehicle (“SUV”) cargo compartment. Other securing devices, such as seat belts, employ a retractable strap apparatus with an elongated strap positionable about individuals in the vehicle.  
         [0007]     One type of retractable strap apparatus employed as a seat belt and adapted to be used as a cargo restraint is known as an emergency locking retractor (ELR). The ELR is constructed to allow the elongated strap to freely extend or rewind. The ELR locks only in response to vehicle motion or when the elongated strap is pulled quickly. After the tension is released, the elongated strap can again be pulled out gradually.  
         [0008]     To this end, a need exists for a cargo restraint apparatus for use with a vehicle that permits the cargo to be efficiently and effectively secured. It is to such a cargo restraint apparatus that the present invention is directed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a truck bed carrying a cargo which is secured in position by a pair of cargo restraint apparatuses constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective representation of a cargo restraint apparatus shown constructed in accordance with the present invention in an extended position.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the cargo restraint apparatus of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the principal portion of an automatic locking retractor.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the retractor of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of another embodiment of a cargo restraint apparatus. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction, experiments, exemplary data, and/or the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
         [0016]     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a pair of cargo restraint apparatuses  10  and  12  constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown employed in a truck bed  14  of a vehicle  15  to support a motorcycle  16  in an upright position. It should be understood that though a truck bed  14  is shown supporting the motorcycle  16 , any suitable mounting surface or any suitable mounting surface of a vehicle, including a trailer, may be used to secure and transport the motorcycle  16 . In addition, though a motorcycle  16  is shown as the object being transported by the vehicle  15 , it should be understood that the cargo restraint apparatus  10  is not limited to use with a vehicle, but may be used to secure cargo, loads, or other equipment to other structures, such as shelving, all-terrain vehicles (ATV&#39;s), and lumber, for example, in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0017]     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-5 , the cargo restraint apparatus  10  includes a retractor assembly  20  and a strap assembly  22 . The retractor assembly  20  includes a frame assembly  26 , a biasing assembly  28 , and a locking mechanism  30 . The retractor assembly  20  is housed in a housing  31 . The housing  31  may be constructed from plastic, metal, or any other such material.  
         [0018]     The retractor assembly  20  may be any commercially available automatic locking retractor, commonly known in the art as an ALR, an example as shown in  FIG. 4 . The ALR is well-known in the field of seat belt safety, thus no further description is believed necessary to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make an ALR. A suitable retractor assembly  20  for the cargo restraint apparatus  10  is commercially available from such manufacturers as, for example, TRW Automotive, Autoliv Inc., or Key Safety Systems, Inc. However, it should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that other automatic retractor assemblies may be used in accordance with the present invention. The ALR is constructed so that the strap assembly  22  is allowed to be extended out initially, but is locked when the extension action stops and tension is again applied.  
         [0019]     The frame assembly  26  includes a frame  32 , a shaft  34 , and a spool  36 . The frame  32  has a front end  38 , a rear end  40 , a first side  42 , and a second side  44 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the rear end  40  of the frame  32  is provided with an opening  46  which allows the frame  32  of the frame assembly  26  to be mounted to a vehicle permanently by a threaded nut and bolt arrangement (not shown) or to be mounted with a snap hook  47  allowing for a quick connection and disconnection of the frame assembly  26  from a portion of the vehicle or other support member. It should be understood that any suitable attachment of the frame  32  to the vehicle may be used. The frame  32  is preferably constructed from stainless steel, but may also be constructed from a polymeric material or another suitable, rigid material.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the shaft  34  of the frame assembly  26  has a first end (not shown), a second end (not shown), and an elongated opening (not shown) extending therebetween. The shaft  34  may be constructed from any rigid, durable material, such as steel, or a polymer, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The shaft  34  is positioned between the front end  38  and the rear end  40  of the frame  32 .  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIGS. 2-5 , the spool  36  of the frame assembly  26  has a first end  50 , a second end  52 , and an elongated tubular hub portion  54  extending therebetween. The spool  36  is positioned between the first side  42  and the second side  44  of the frame  32  so as to be rotatably mounted on the shaft  34 . Each end  50  and  52  of the spool  36  has a ratchet  60  having teeth  62  formed on an outer periphery thereof.  
         [0022]     The biasing assembly  28  includes a spring (not shown), and a spring cover  64 . The spring is operably connected to the shaft  34  so that it rotates in the same direction as the shaft  34  is moved. The spring is positioned in a coiled, stored position.  
         [0023]     The locking mechanism  30  includes a pawl  66  hinged on the first and second sides  42  and  44  of the frame  32 . The locking mechanism  30  of the retractor assembly  20  permits retraction of the strap assembly  22  even when the retractor assembly  20  is in a locked condition. In the locked condition, the pawl  66  of the locking mechanism  30  engages teeth  62  of the ratchet  60  of the spool  36  of the retractor assembly  20  preventing the strap assembly  22  from being withdrawn.  
         [0024]     The strap assembly  22  includes an elongated strap  70 , a strap tensioning assembly  72 , and a fastener  74 . The elongated strap  70  may be composed of any natural or synthetic material strong enough to be used in the present invention. The elongated strap  70  has a first end  76  and a second end  78 . A portion of the first end  76  of the elongated strap  70  is operably connected to the spool  36  of the retractor assembly  20 . The elongated strap  70  is adapted to be wound about and withdrawn from the spool  36  of the retractor assembly  20 . Once the webbing is rewound, it cannot be pulled out any longer. The elongated strap  70  of the strap assembly  22  is unspooled a distance before the point of first lock. Preferably, in one embodiment, so as to not be limiting, eighteen-twenty-two (18-22) inches of webbing is initially pulled out from the spool  36  of the retractor assembly  22  before the retractor assembly  22  will lock. However, it should be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that the length of webbing initially pulled out from the spool may vary depending on how the webbing is positioned on the spool.  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the strap tensioning assembly  72  has a buckle or inline adjuster  80  slidingly attached to the elongated strap  70 . The buckle  80  may also be an over-center buckle or other such buckle commonly used with straps to produce a relatively high tension to prevent cargo from shifting. A portion of the second end  78  of the elongated strap  70  is provided with a first handle  82  to facilitate tightening of the elongated strap  70  about a load. The buckle  80  is also provided with a second handle  84  to loosen the elongated strap  70  from about the load. An extension strap  86  is attached to the buckle  80  and is attached to the fastener  74  for attaching the elongated strap  70  to an object, vehicle  15 , or load. The fastener  74  is shown to be a hook with a general S-configuration. However, any such fastener may be used such as a snap link, clip, or the like to attach the retractor assembly  20  to an existing anchor point.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , another embodiment of a cargo restraint apparatus  10   a  is shown. The cargo restraint apparatus  10   a  is substantially similar to the cargo restraint apparatus  10 . That is, the cargo restraint apparatus  10   a  includes a retractor assembly  20   a  and a strap assembly  22   a  substantially similar to the retractor assembly  20  and the strap assembly  22 . A pawl  66   a  of a locking mechanism  30  of the retractor assembly  20   a  has a lever  90  extending from a housing  31   a . The lever  90  enables the pawl  66   a  of the locking mechanism  30   a  to be manually pivoted between a locking position and an unlocking position. In the locking position, the pawl  66   a  of the locking mechanism  30   a  engages teeth  62   a  of the ratchet (wheel)  60   a  of a spool  36   a  of the retractor assembly  20   a  preventing an elongated strap  70   a  of the strap assembly  22   a  from being withdrawn. In the unlocking position, the lever  90  manually disengages the pawl  66   a  from the teeth  62   a  of the ratchet  60   a  so that the elongated strap  70   a  of the strap assembly  22   a  may be retracted into the retractor assembly  20   a  and the housing  31   a.    
         [0027]     Further, an outer biasing member  92  is connected to a shaft  34   a  of the retractor assembly  20   a . The outer biasing member  92  may be a knob, switch, dial, handle, or the like. The outer biasing member  92  enables a user to manually retract the elongated strap  70   a  of the strap assembly  22   a  so as to tighten the strap assembly  22  thereby further securing the cargo to the vehicle  15 . The outer biasing member  92  may be manual or automatic.  
         [0028]     In use, the retractor assembly  20  is connected to the vehicle  15 . The elongated strap  70  is withdrawn from the retractor assembly  20  and positioned about the cargo. The locking mechanism  30  of the retractor assembly  20  keeps the elongated strap  70  of the strap assembly  22  from being pulled out farther until the elongated strap  70  is fully retracted. Thus, if the elongated strap  70  of the strap assembly  22  is retracted slightly after having been extended out to an arbitrary length, further withdrawal of the elongated strap  70  is automatically prevented. The locking mechanism  30  of the retractor assembly  20  acts as a ratchet, winding in slack and preventing further extension of the elongated strap  70 . This action of the retractor assembly  20  maintains cargo in a secured position during transportation because the retractor assembly  20  only allows for tightening of the elongated strap  70  of the strap assembly  22  about the cargo, thereby, decreasing damage to the cargo as well as injury to an individual unloading or loading cargo. The fastener  74  of the strap assembly  22  is then attached to the cargo or the vehicle  15 . The elongated strap  70  is tightened about the load with the first handle  82 .  
         [0029]     To remove the elongated strap  70  from the cargo, the second handle  84  is grasped and pulled sharply in a direction generally away from the retractor assembly  20 , thus releasing the tension on and creating slack in the elongated strap  70 . The slack in the elongated strap  70  allows the fastener  74  to be unattached from the cargo or the vehicle  15 .  
         [0030]     From the above description, it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims.