Abstract:
A mounting bracket for a fire extinguisher which has a base configured for attachment to a vehicle or seat; an endcap pivotably mounted to the base, wherein the endcap includes at least one receptacle which is configured to accommodate a fire extinguisher tank; and a neck clamp configured to engage a bottle neck on a fire extinguisher.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for securing fire extinguishers in vehicles, and more particularly to a quick-release mounting bracket capable of securing fire extinguishers of different dimensions. 
     Many commercial vehicle cabs are required to be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher. Generally, federal and state regulations require the fire extinguisher to be easily accessible and securely mounted within the vehicle cab. The regulations also govern the size of the fire extinguisher required in the vehicle cab. Generally, vehicles that transport hazardous materials must have a larger fire extinguisher than those vehicles that do not transport hazardous materials. In addition, the mounting of the fire extinguisher must be secure for safety reasons such as to prevent jostling and puncture of the fire extinguisher. 
     There is a need, therefore, for a mounting bracket that can securely hold multiple sizes of fire extinguishers in a vehicle, and which allows a passenger to easily disengage the fire extinguisher in an emergency. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a fire extinguisher mounting bracket for use in a vehicle having a base configured for attachment to the vehicle, an endcap pivotably mounted to the base, wherein the endcap comprises at least one receptacle which is configured to accommodate a fire extinguisher tank, and a neck clamp configured to engage a bottle neck on a fire extinguisher. In one embodiment, the endcap has two receptacles, and the receptacle is selectable by pivoting the endcap. In another aspect, a fire extinguisher mounting bracket is provided wherein the neck clamp further comprises a collar and tension clip such that the collar urges the fire extinguisher towards the receptacle while the tension clip holds the bottle neck in place. 
     The above-described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a vehicle fire extinguisher mounting bracket that includes one or more of these advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned advantages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus incorporating features of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3 a    is a perspective view of the apparatus with the larger diameter receptacle positioned for engagement with a fire extinguisher. 
         FIG. 3 b    is a perspective view of the apparatus with the smaller diameter receptacle positioned for engagement with a fire extinguisher. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the apparatus from a different angle than  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the apparatus with the larger diameter receptacle positioned for engagement with a fire extinguisher, where the fire extinguisher is shown in broken lines and the extinguisher is being rotated away from the neck clamp. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the endcap and pin. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the invention is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present invention includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. 
     One type of a mounting bracket  10  for a fire extinguisher is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The mounting bracket  10  includes a base  12  that can be attached to a seat in a vehicle cab. The base  12  may also be attached to the floor, wall, or ceiling of the vehicle cab so long as the requirement of the laws and regulations governing the placement of the extinguisher are met. The base  12  may be constructed of metal, or plastic or any other suitable material. The base  12  includes an endcap  14  at one end. The endcap  14  is rotatably mounted to the base  12  as will be explained in more detail. At its other end, the base  12  includes an arm  16  that extends outward and comprises a neck clamp  18  (as best shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b   , the endcap  14  has two sides,  14   a  and  14   b . Side  14   a  has a receptacle  20  that has a diameter d 1  that is suited to accommodate larger fire extinguishers. Side  14   b  has a receptacle  22  that has a diameter d 2  that is suited to accommodate smaller diameter fire extinguishers. It is common in the transportation industry for one of two different sizes of fire extinguishers to be required, depending on the cargo. As can be appreciated, the endcap  14  can be rotated such that the side  14   a  can be engaged when a larger fire extinguisher is required and side  14   b  can be engaged when a smaller fire extinguisher is sufficient. It can also be appreciated that endcap  14  can include a variable sized receptacle (not shown) that can be adjusted to accommodate the tank diameter, by means of, for example, a sleeve or an adjustable clamp. 
       FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of the arm  16  and the neck clamp  18  attached to the arm. The neck clamp can include two pieces: a collar  24  and a clamp  26 . The collar  24  can be a u-shaped component made of metal or plastic or any suitable material. The clamp  26  is configured to receive the neck portion of a fire extinguisher. The clamp  26  is a tension clamp which operates such that when the neck of the fire extinguisher is pressed into the clamp  26 , the clamp is tensioned around the neck of the fire extinguisher. It can be appreciated that when the tank is seated in either receptacle  20  or  22  (as appropriate), the neck of the fire extinguisher will snap into clamp  26  and collar  24  will exert a spring force on the fire extinguisher pushing it towards the endcap  14  so as to limit the fore and aft movement of the fire extinguisher in the bracket  10 . The collar  26  receives the neck of the extinguisher and engages with a slot typically included on fire extinguishers (not shown) 
     The disengagement of the fire extinguisher from the bracket  10  is best shown in  FIG. 5 . The fire extinguisher is first disengaged from the neck clamp  18 . The user can simply pull the fire extinguisher neck out of the neck clamp. The fire extinguisher, which is still engaged with the receptacle  20  or  22  is then rotated away from the base  12 . The endcap  14 , as can be appreciated, is rotatable 360 degrees to allow for easy disengagement of the fire extinguisher from the bracket (and for easy selection of the appropriate receptacle). Once the fire extinguisher is rotated clear of the base  12 , it can be removed from the receptacle  20  or  22  and easily manipulated for use by the user. Re-engagement of the fire extinguisher with the bracket  10  reverses those steps. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 6 , the endcap  14  is attached to the base  12  with a pin  28  that allows the endcap to pivot or rotate with respect to the base  12  although it can be appreciated that any suitable fastener including a shoulder bolt may be used so long as the endcap  14  is able to pivot or rotate according to the objects of this invention. 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appended claims.