Abstract:
A Collapsible Trailer is disclosed. Also disclosed is a trailer that is lightweight, but durable, and includes a set of detachable deck segments that can be assembled into a deck. The trailer further includes a suspension assembly that attaches to the deck once the deck is assembled or, alternatively, is permanently attached to one deck segment. The horizontal intra-deck segment support is provided by slidable rods that are extendable to bridge the intersection between a pair of adjacent segments. Each deck segment has a male edge and a female edge; the male edge can be inserted into the female edge to create an interlocking hinge-like structure to provide longitudinal stability along the special plane of the assembled deck. Furthermore, the deck and trailer can be assembled without the need for any tools or additional equipment. In all cases, the deck segments, when disassembled, stackable into a condensed deck stack.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation-in-art of application Ser. No. 10/150,601, filed May 17, 2002, now pending. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention relates generally to cargo hauling and, more specifically, to a Collapsible Trailer.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Cars and trucks have become a mainstay of the modern active lifestyle. Unfortunately, due to garaging space limitations, each family is only realistically capable of having two vehicles in any single household. As a result of this, each household must make a choice as to what species of vehicle to obtain, depending upon their particular needs and circumstances. In recent years, that choice has been the Sport Utility Vehicle or SUV&#39;s. While the SUV certainly has attempted to “bridge the gap” between the utility vehicle and the passenger vehicle, it has almost gone too far. Certainly, all SUV&#39;s have the capability and design to haul a substantial amount of cargo; the problem is that they are many times too nice for this application. As a result, the user must rent or borrow.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Collapsible Trailer. The trailer should be durable, and include a set of detachable deck segments that can be assembled into a deck. The trailer further should have a suspension assembly that attaches to the deck once the deck is assembled or, alternatively, is permanently attached to one deck segment. The horizontal intra-deck segment support should be provided by slidable rods that would be extendable to bridge the intersection between a pair of adjacent segments. Each deck segment should have a male edge and a female edge; the male edge can be insertible into the female edge to create an interlocking hinge-like structure to provide longitudinal stability along the special plane of the assembled deck. Furthermore, the deck and trailer should be able to be assembled without the need for any tools or additional equipment. In all cases, the deck segments, when disassembled, should be stackable into a condensed deck stack.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded top view of a sixth embodiment of the collapsible trailer of the parent application to the instant invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the collapsible trailer of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a deck segment of the trailer of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are partial perspective views of the deck segment of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the deck segment of  FIGS. 2-4 ; and  
         [0013]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are cutaway side views of the deck segments of  FIGS. 2-5 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Collapsible Trailer.  
         [0015]     The contents of the parent application to the instant application Ser. No. 10/150,601, is incorporated by reference.  
         [0016]     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]     This trailer embodiment  10 E comprises four or more deck segments  16 A formed substantially from aluminum, plastic or other high-strength, lightweight material. Some of the deck segments  16  in this embodiment further include a system of interlocking protrusions and sockets, namely, a pair of pegs  68  extending from one side of the segment, and a cooperatively designed pair of sockets  70  on the facing side of the adjacent segment  16 , such that when the deck is assembled, the pegs  68  fit into the sockets  70  to prevent twisting of the assembled deck (and to provide generally greater strength).  
         [0018]     The segments  16  are further defined by a center bore  78  down their length; this bore  78  is provided to accept the frame members to be discussed further below (i.e. the frame members are actually inserted into the deck segments). The frame in this embodiment  10 E comprises a first longitudinal strut  22 , a second longitudinal strut  26  and a hitch strut  80 . The hitch strut  80  terminates at its front end in the hitch socket  24 , and is designed to interlock with the first longitudinal strut  22  at its rear end. The first longitudinal strut  22  is essentially a hollow tube having a substantially round cross-section, and terminating in an engaging socket  74 . The engaging socket  74  is preferably a female threaded bore configured to accept an engaging peg  72  formed in the front end of the second longitudinal strut  26 . The engaging peg  72  is preferably a male threaded peg for engaging the engaging socket  74 . It should be understood that the peg  72  and socket  74  could be reversed (i.e. such that the socket  74  is formed in the second longitudinal strut  26 ).  
         [0019]     To assemble the trailer  10 E, therefore, one need simply assemble the segments such that the pegs  68  engage the sockets  70 ; insert the first and second longitudinal struts  22  and  26  into the (now-aligned) bores  78  and threadedly engage them tightly; attach the hitch strut  80  to the first longitudinal strut  22 ; and attach the suspension halves  18 E and axle  46  to the assembled deck. The suspension halves  18 E preferably attach to the sides of the center two segments  16 ; the axle  46  is attached between the two suspension halves  18 E (typically prior to the attachment of the halves  18 E to the deck). The order of assembly discussed herein is exemplary only; a number of factors may determine that other orders of assembly (and disassembly) of the trailer  10 E are used.  
         [0020]     Also shown in this  FIG. 17  are two tail light assemblies  76  displayed on the rear surface of the rear segment  16 ; these tail light assemblies  76  are preferably of the type that are very sleek in order to reduce their interference with the stacking of the segments  16  (when the trailer is disassembled).  
         [0021]     While the trailer of  FIG. 1  is extremely useful and durable (and, of course, collapsible), it can tend to be very challenging to assemble and disassemble. The cause of this is gauge of metal necessary for the structural members (the large longitudinal struts  22 ,  24  and  26 ). In order to eliminate these drawbacks, a seventh embodiment of the collapsible trailer of the present invention has been devised, and is depicted in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the collapsible trailer  14  of the present invention. Like its predecessors, this trailer  14  is composed of a plurality of deck segments  16  made from aluminum, plastic, or some combination of these or other durable and lightweight materials. Unlike most of its predecessors, this trailer  14  does not employ large structural members for load bearing. In this version, deck segments interlock with one another (the interlocked panels resist pulling apart), and then a pair of slidable rods  100  is slid from one segment and partially into the adjacent segment so that each rod  100  bridges the intersection between a pair of interlocked adjacent panels—one rod  100  is at each outer edge of each deck segment  16  (except for one of the two end segments).  
         [0023]     Once a rod  100  has been slid into its “bridging” position, the actuating handle  102  (which is what the user grasps to slide the rod  100 ), can be flipped down (rotated downwardly) until it is recessed into the handle pocket  104 . Being fitted into (and possibly clipped into) the handle pocket  104  will prevent the actuating handle  102  from moving and/or permitting the rod  100  to move out of its bridging position between the two panels. A segment  16  and its two rods  100  (and associated minor parts, if appropriate) comprise a “segment assembly” for future reference.  
         [0024]     The leading edge of the trailer deck  14  (where the trailer  10 F attaches to the vehicle for towing) has a hitch adapter  106 . The hitch adapter  106  interfaces with the first segment in the deck  14  by interlocking like any other segment  16  to the first segment  16 . This provides a finished look for the front of the trailer  10 F while making efficient use of the interlocking structure of the deck panels.  
         [0025]     The hitch adapter  106  may be either permanently bolted to the first deck segment (thereby creating a dedicated leading edge deck segment), or it might be detachable like any other deck segment  16 . The hitch adapter  106  has a receiver socket  108  extending forwardly. Like a receiver socket commonly used to mount a trailer hitch to the vehicle, the receiver socket  108  is used to mount a hitch strut, such as element  80  in  FIG. 1  to the socket  108 . The hitch strut  80  is detachable to provide a very compact, conveniently stowed assembly.  
         [0026]     A lighting adapter  110  is permanently or removably attached to the last segment  16  in the deck  14 . It has an edge configured to interface with the trailing edge of the last segment in the deck  14 . There are conventional trailer lights (stop, turn signal) lamps housed within the adapter  110  to provide the necessary safety lighting. The wiring for the lighting adapter is contained within individual segments  16 . As the segments  16  are assembled into a deck  14 , the wiring from one segment  16  is connected to the adjacent segment  16 , either by manually plugging them into each other, or through contact switches.  
         [0027]     A suspension assembly  18 F is attached to one deck segment  16 , usually with permanent fasteners. The assembly  18 F, however, is intended to be added to a typical deck segment (thereby converting that segment into a suspension segment). The suspension assembly  18 F will most preferably have wheels that fold towards the center of the suspension segment when storing the trailer  10 F in detached segments. Although not shown in this diagram, there will also very likely be a fender for each wheel to prevent the tires from throwing rocks up into following vehicles.  
         [0028]     In order to make the most efficient use of the deck segment mold (the most likely manufacturing approach), a single deck segment  16  could be cut into two pieces. The result would be two half-segments (one with a male edge and one with a female edge). These two half-segments could be used to create the hitch adapter  106  and lighting adapter  110 . Now turning to  FIG. 3 , we can examine additional specific design features of the segment  16  of this new trailer embodiment.  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a deck segment  16  of the trailer  10 F of  FIG. 2 . In its preferred form, the segments  16  will be molded from a durable material, such as plastic or fiber-reinforced plastic. Should additional strength be necessary, metal structure may be encased within the plastic molded part as well.  
         [0030]     The segment  16  is defined by a female edge  112  and a male edge  114  opposite thereto. The edges  112 ,  114  are specifically designed to interlock with one another to form a structure that looks somewhat like a hinge. When interlocked to an adjacent segment  16 , this “hinge” structure will prevent the segments  16  from being pulled apart. Additional detail regarding the hinge will be provided below in connection with  FIGS. 6A and 6B .  
         [0031]     The two side edges  116 A and  116 B include very important structure. The side edge  116 A and  116 B (generically  116 ) configuration and associated elements is what gives the segment assembly its rigidity and load-bearing strength at the intersection between two segment assemblies. There is a rod bore  120  aligned longitudinally along each side edge  116 . The bore  120  permits the slidable rod  100  to be slid along its length to engage or disengage the adjacent segment when assembling or disassembling the trailer.  
         [0032]     In order to provide additional rigidity to the assembled trailer, bore braces  124 A and  124 B (generically  124 ) are provided to extend outwardly from each side edge  116 . As should be apparent (and visible in  FIG. 2 ), the slidable bolt will be exposed in the gap between the bore braces  124  and the rod bore  120 . These exposed portions of slidable bolt will provide the user with ideal tie-down locations for securing loads to the assembled trailer.  FIGS. 4A and 4B  provide additional resolution to the functioning of the slidable bolt.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are partial perspective views of the deck segment  16  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . In each figure, the slidable rod  100  is shown in hidden lines so that its unique functionality can be clearly understood. As shown in  FIG. 4A , when the segments  16  are in storage (disassembled from the trailer), the slidable rod  100  will be found in the “stowed” position. In its stowed position, the entire length of the rod  100  resides within the confines of the longitudinal length of the segment  16 . This makes for a very compact, simple structure that is easily handled, even by the most inexperienced user.  
         [0034]      FIG. 4B  depicts the panel assembly with the slidable rod  100  in the “extended” position. When in the extended position, the rod  100  bridges the intersection between adjacent segments  16 , reaching midway between each segment  16 . Referencing  FIG. 2 , it becomes clear that a sort of “domino effect” occurs with the actuation of these rods  100 . As segments  16  are interconnected to one another and their rods  100  are slid to bridge the intersection, each subsequent segment&#39;s bolt will be slid until it reaches the bolt from the adjacent segment. As a result, all of the bolts are prevented from being disengaged from the extended position by the bolt right next to it in line. This “domino effect” provides structural security to the assembled trailer by making it virtually impossible for the trailer to become disassembled. Furthermore, when fully extended, the rods  100  are rotated so that the actuating handles  102  are captured within the handle pocket  104  of the adjacent segment  16 . Once captured within the pockets  104 , the actuating handles  102  provide additional resistance to the assembled deck pulling apart.  
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the deck segment  16  of  FIGS. 2-4 . As shown, the female edge  112  runs across virtually the entire transverse with of the segment  16 . Similarly, the male edge  114  runs across virtually the identical width of the opposing edge of the segment  16 . These two edges  112 ,  114  are configured so that one segment  16  interlocks with another segment  16 .  
         [0036]     The top surface of the segment may have the raised “dimples” shown here, or some other design that provides traction, skid-resistance and conceals scrapes and scratches. On the side edges, there are gaps  115  in between the portion of the segment  16  housing the rod bore  120 , and the two bore braces  124 A and  124 B. As discussed above, the rod is exposed within these gaps  115  to provide locations for tying cargo down to the trailer (or to assist in securely storing the segments). Finally turning to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , we can examine the unique interlocking design of these segments  16 .  
         [0037]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are cutaway side views of the deck segments  16  of  FIGS. 2-5 . The male edge  114  of each deck segment has a knuckle  117  extending from it. In actuality, to aide in the molding process (to avoid the need for “slides”), the knuckle  117  is actually staggered along the transverse width of the edge  114  (somewhat like a hinge), with alternating sections of the edge  114  looking exactly like depicted here, and the other alternating sections having a flat top surface. As can be clearly seen from  FIG. 3  above, the female edge  112  is cooperatively designed such that this alternating hinge-like design is mirrored by the female edge  112 .  
         [0038]     The knuckle  117  has a generally circular cross-section, but with opposing parallel flat surfaces  121  creating an angled top and bottom surface to the knuckle  117 . The knuckle  117  has the same thickness between these flat surfaces  121  as the mouth  123  of the female edge  112 . The mouth  123  opens to a transverse void  113  formed within the alternating sections of the female edge  112 .  
         [0039]     To engage or disengage two adjacent segments  16  to or from one another, the male-edge-sided deck segment  16  (on the left here) must be angled until the flat surfaces  121  are coplanar with the top and bottom surfaces  118  and  119 , respectively of the female-edge-sided deck segment  16  (on the right here). The knuckle  117  will then pass easily through the mouth  123  and into the transverse void  113 . Once in place, the male-edge-sided deck segment  16  is rotated in direction R until the top surface  118  of both segments  16  are flush with relation to one another. The shoulders  127 A and  127 B created at the transition in the knuckle  117  between a rounded portion and the flat surfaces  121 . These shoulders  127 A and  127 B interact with slight lips created at the mouth of the transverse void  113  to prevent the interlocked segments  16  from being pulled apart in the longitudinal direction. The sliding rods would then be placed in the extended position to retain the top surfaces  118  segments in a flush condition.  
         [0040]     To disassemble the interlocked hinge  126  (although it is not intended to operate like a hinge in normal conditions, only when assembling/disassembling the deck), the slidable rods are placed in the stowed position, allowing the panel on the left in this  FIG. 6B  to be rotated counter-clockwise until the flat surfaces  121  are aligned and parallel with the top and bottom surface  118 ,  119  of the segments  16 . The segments  16  can now be pulled apart.  
         [0041]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.