Abstract:
A cargo retention system is provided that allows the operator of a vehicle removably and securely fasten a cargo module to a vehicle. A guide is provided for aligning the cargo module within the retention system and aiding in the securing of the cargo to the vehicle.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a system for removably fastening a cargo module to a utility vehicle. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   All terrain vehicles or “ATVs” are receiving increasing attention for use in non-recreational applications. These vehicles are capable of stably traveling over difficult terrain, such as sandy or broken ground, while carrying a significant load of equipment, making them an excellent choice for off-road transportation. The relatively simple construction of the ATV also provides a reliable, low maintenance vehicle. These features have traditionally made the ATV a popular choice among outdoor enthusiasts who have used the vehicle for various sports and leisure activities. However, these features also make the vehicle very useful for reconnaissance, border patrol, search and rescue, remote firefighting, and other non-recreational applications. 
   ATVs are frequently outfitted with cargo racks for use in transporting objects used by the recreational ATV user. Most of these racks are rather simple platforms or metal bar arrangements without the capability of securely carrying significant loads. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a system for removably fastening the cargo module to a vehicle. The system satisfies the need to securely and removably attach significant loads to a utility vehicle. More particularly, the present invention provides a system for removably attaching such loads as a large cargo box or toolbox, a stretcher, a fluid tank with a pump, or other modules which may be useful in non-recreational or recreational applications for ATVs. 
   One embodiment of the cargo system of the present invention includes an elongate guide carried by a vehicle with a guide lock located inside of the guide. A cargo module with a cargo lock which is configured to engage the guide lock can be rested on the guide and slid until the two locks engage each other. When the two locks are engaged, a retaining member can be inserted through a hole in the guide to ensure that the cargo module is retained on the guide. 
   A second embodiment includes an elongate guide carried by the vehicle for mounting and supporting the cargo module, the guide having two opposing elongate sidewalls. A guide lock is located inside of the guide. At least one sidewall has a hole for receiving a retaining member. The cargo module has a cargo lock and is configured to slide atop the guide walls with the cargo lock retained inside of the guide until the cargo lock engages the guide lock. The sidewall hole is located such that when the guide lock is engaged with the cargo lock, a retaining member may be inserted through the hole to prevent the cargo lock from disengaging from the guide lock thereby securing the cargo module to the vehicle. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the description of embodiments illustrated by the following accompanying drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle with a cargo module mounted thereon. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle side of the system. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a vehicle with a cargo module mounted thereon wherein the cargo module is a stretcher. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with a cargo module mounted on the guide. 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section of a portion of a guide and cargo module of the invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross section of a guide and a cargo module of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cargo lock of the invention. 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a guide lock of the invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a plan view showing a guide, cargo module, guide lock, cargo lock, and retaining member of the invention. 
       FIG. 8A  is a plan view of an alternative arrangement guide lock and cargo lock of the invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a cross section of a portion of another embodiment of a guide and cargo module of the invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a cross section of another embodiment of a guide and cargo module of the invention. 
       FIG. 11  is a cross section of a portion of a third embodiment of a guide and cargo module of the invention. 
       FIG. 12  is a cross section of a third embodiment of a guide and cargo module of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of embodiments of the present invention will be given numerical designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. 
   It is noted that an all terrain vehicle (ATV) is merely an example vehicle with which the cargo system of the present invention may be used. Although the present invention will be shown and described in the context of an ATV, the invention can also be employed for other utility and recreational vehicles including ATV&#39;s with more than four wheels, snowmobiles, tracked vehicles, personal watercraft, boats, motorcycles, and other utility or recreation vehicles in a manner that would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. 
   Turning now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle with a cargo module mounted thereon. The vehicle in this example is an ATV  10 . The ATV  10  includes a chassis  12  carrying a straddle type seat  14 . The seat  14  is sufficiently narrow to be straddled by a vehicle rider. The ATV  10  has a left front wheel (not visible in  FIG. 1 ), a right front wheel  16 , a left rear wheel (not visible in  FIG. 1 ) and a right rear wheel  18 . The ATV  10  also includes an engine  22  that is carried by chassis  12 . The engine  22  is preferably coupled to at least some wheels of the ATV  10  via a drive train for propelling the ATV  10 . The engine  22  may be used to power each rear wheel, and in some cases, also each front wheel. The ATV  10  also includes a left and right foot rest  38  extending from each side of the chassis, of which only the right foot rest can be seen in  FIG. 1 . The ATV  10  also includes a member  40  that can be used to steer the ATV  10 . The ATV  10  has a rack  100  attached to the vehicle. Attached to the rack  100  is a guide  110  with two sidewalls  105 . There are holes  140  through the sidewall  105  through which a retaining member  130  may be passed to secure the cargo module  170  to the guide  110 . The retaining member could be a simple pin, a cotter key, or other retaining member known in the art. The retaining member could also be a lock or be fitted with a lock mechanism to provide added security for the cargo module. A cable or wire  160  may be used to secure the retaining member  130  to the guide when the retaining member is not engaged with the sidewall hole  140 . While the cargo module is shown as a large box, it should be understood that the module could be a stretcher, a toolbox, a water tank with pump, or any other module of suitable size and usefulness. While the guide  110  is shown a being oriented from front to back of the vehicle  10 , it should be understood that the guide  110  could be oriented in any direction relative to the vehicle  10 . 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle side of the system.  FIG. 2  shows a rack  100  with a guide  110  in more detail. A guide lock  120  is shown in the bottom of the guide, though it is understood that the guide lock could be on one or both of the sidewalls  105 , the bottom  108 , or any combination of the bottom  108  or sidewalls  105  of the guide ( FIGS. 8 and 8A ). The guide lock is shown as a tab configuration, although the guide lock could be configured in any fashion, for example, as a loop  120 ′ ( FIG. 7A ), hole, hook or any locking engagement mechanism as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The guides  110  shown in  FIG. 2  are shown as being attached to the top surface of the rack  100 . This is but one exemplary embodiment of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. For example, the rack could be a collection of metal rods, a platform as shown, or any other cargo rack as is known in the art. The guides may be installed above the rack as shown, at the same level as the rack, below the rack, or at any configuration useful to the particular application.  FIG. 2  also shows the sidewalls  105 , the retaining member  130 , the sidewall holes  140 , and the retaining member cable  160 . 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a vehicle with a cargo module mounted thereon wherein the cargo module is a stretcher. A portion of the cargo module  210  is cut away to show a guide  110 , a retaining member  130 , and a cable or wire  160 . As stated previously, the invention is not limited to any particular type of vehicle or cargo module. 
     FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention with a cargo module mounted on the guide.  FIG. 4  shows a more detailed view of a cargo module  170  mounted to guides  110 . A guide lock  120  is engaged with a cargo lock (not shown) beneath the cargo module  170 . The retaining member  130  has been inserted through the hole  140  to prevent the cargo lock (not shown) from disengaging with the guide lock  120 . 
     FIG. 5  is a cross section of a portion of a guide and a cargo module of the invention. The cargo module  170  has a cargo lock  124  attached to or integral with the cargo module  170 . In this embodiment of the invention, the cargo lock  124  is a loop which is inserted in the direction of the arrow under the guide lock  120 , in this embodiment a tab. Once the cargo lock  124  and the guide lock  120  are so engaged, the retaining member  130  (not shown) can be inserted through the hole  140  in the guide  110  to ensure that the cargo lock  124  does not become disengaged from the guide lock  120 . 
     FIG. 6  is a cross section of the guide and a cargo module of the invention taken along axis line  6  as indicated on  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  shows a cargo module  170  fully fastened to a vehicle as in an embodiment of the invention. Cargo locks  124  are engaged with guide locks  120 . A retaining member  130  has been inserted through a hole  140  in a guide  110  which is attached to a rack  100 . As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , it is very easy for the operator to rest a cargo module  170  on a guide  110 . When placed in such a position with a cargo lock  124  between the sidewalls of a guide  110 , the cargo lock  124  and guide sidewalls  105  cooperate to provide lateral alignment between the cargo module  170  and the guides  110 . The operator may then simply slide the cargo module  170  along the guides  110  in the sliding direction generally indicated by arrow A shown in  FIG. 5  until the cargo lock  124  engages with a guide lock  120 . The engagement of the cargo lock  124  with the guide lock  120  provides for front-to-back alignment of the cargo module  170  with the rack  100  such that the retaining member  130  may be inserted through the hole  140  without the need for further operator alignment of the cargo module  170  with the rack  100 . Thus, the guide  110  in cooperation with the cargo lock  124  and the guide lock  120  provide front-to-back and side-to-side alignment for the cargo module  170  with the rack  100 . This superior positioning system allows the operator to rest the weight of the cargo module  170  on the guides  110  rather than having to support the load while aligning the fastening means as is typical in prior art cargo mounting devices. This alignment function, in addition to the simple fastening function of the invention, provides for superior mounting of heavy loads required in non-recreational applications of utility vehicles. It is contemplated that an equivalent system could be constructed by placing the guide  110  and guide lock  120  on the cargo module  170  and the cargo lock  124  on the vehicle and fastening the cargo module  170  to the vehicle  10  with similar alignment and ease of use benefits. 
     FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cargo lock of the invention.  FIG. 7  shows the bottom of a cargo module  170 . One possible embodiment of a cargo lock  124  is shown as a loop. As discussed earlier, this lock could be a loop, a tab, a hook, a hole, or any mechanism known to those skilled in the art. 
     FIG. 8  is a plan view showing the guide, cargo module, guide lock, cargo lock, and retaining member of the invention.  FIG. 8  shows an embodiment of the invention wherein a cargo lock  124  and a guide lock  120  are engaged and a retaining member  130  is in place. This view clearly shows how the guide  110 , the cargo lock  124 , the guide lock  120 , and the retaining member  130  may cooperate to securely fasten the cargo module  170  to the rack  100 . 
     FIG. 9  is a cross section of a portion of another embodiment of the guide and cargo module of the invention. In  FIG. 9 , a cargo lock is represented by element  224  in a tab configuration. In this embodiment, the cargo lock  224  engages with a guide lock  120 , also a tab, in the fashion described earlier. The retaining member  130  (not shown) may again be inserted through a hole  140  in a guide  110  to ensure that the cargo lock  224  remains engaged with the guide lock  120  and the cargo module  170  is thus securely fastened to the rack  100 . 
     FIG. 10  is a cross section of another embodiment of the guide and cargo module of the invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the cargo lock  224  is a tab. The embodiment in  FIG. 10  is shown with the cargo module  170  securely fastened to the rack  100 . This is accomplished by cargo locks  224  engaging with guide locks  120 . Once so engaged, a retaining member  130  is inserted through a hole  140  in a guide  110  to ensure that the cargo lock  224  remains engaged with the guide lock  120 . Again, the cargo locks  224  and guide locks  120  may be tabs, hooks, loops, or any mechanism known in the art which can create such an interlocking connection. 
     FIG. 11  is a cross section of a portion of a third embodiment of the guide and cargo module of the invention. The guide lock  320  in  FIG. 11  is a hole in the bottom of the guide. The cargo lock  324 , in this embodiment a tab, is inserted through the guide lock  320  in the direction of the arrow. 
     FIG. 12  is a cross section of a third embodiment of the guide and cargo module of the invention.  FIG. 12  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 11  with the fastening system securely engaged. In this embodiment, a cargo module  170  is fastened to a rack  100  by engaging a cargo lock  324  with a guide lock  320  by sliding the cargo module  170  along the guide  110  until the locks engage. Once so engaged, a retaining member  130  is inserted through a hole  140  in the guide  110  to ensure that the cargo lock  324  is not disengaged from the guide lock  320 . 
   In an embodiment of the invention not shown in the figures, a beam may be affixed to or integral with the bottom of a cargo module  170  configured such that when the cargo module  170  is placed on a guide  110 , the beam rests within the guide  110 . The cargo lock may be attached to the beam rather than directly to the cargo module  170 . This embodiment makes it simpler for the cargo lock to be a hole as in  FIG. 12 , which will be engaged with a guide lock when the beam is placed within the guide. It may be advantageous for the cargo lock to be a simple hole in that when the cargo module  170  is not engaged with the vehicle, the cargo module could have no projections which may become obstacles to normal use of the cargo module. 
   It is to be understood that the described embodiments of the invention are illustrative only, and that modifications thereof may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not regarded as limited to the disclosed embodiments but only as defined by the appended claims herein.