Abstract:
A cargo platform system which can be uncoupled from a vehicle frame and lowered to a ground surface using a self-contained jack system after the vehicle has been removed from beneath the platform. The cargo platform system may comprise a sub-frame having deck-rails for attachment to a vehicle frame, a platform having deck-rails for removably coupling to the sub-frame, and a jack system comprising a first jack, a second jack, a third jack, and a fourth jack removably attached to a left front corner, a right front corner, a left rear corner, and a right rear corner respectively. All four jacks of the jack system are in communication together such that extension and retraction of the jacks are simultaneous and electric motors atop each jack are removable for storage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is related to and claims priority from prior provisional application Ser. No. 61/435,506, filed Jan. 24, 2011 which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of cargo loading and more specifically relates to load-n-go platform lift systems for use in loading and hauling cargo. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Pickup beds are used extensively in modern society to transport small amounts of cargo from one location to another. The cargo bed on a pickup is able to haul a considerable amount of cargo of varying shapes, but is less than ideal when the bed interior has less than a 4 foot unobstructed surface. Smaller vehicles such as all terrain vehicles (ATV&#39;s) or objects with a wider footprint often have to be hauled on a trailer towed behind a pickup. While some auto manufacturers have manufactured various types of “flatbeds” for pickups in the past, flatbeds for vehicles of one ton weight and under are usually aftermarket. These truck-beds allow the user greater versatility in hauling cargo of various sizes and shapes because the deck is situated above the tires which increases useable deck space. 
     While many pickup owners own or haul smaller second vehicles such as motorcycles or all terrain vehicles, only a portion of owners also have a trailer to be able to haul them with. The largest percentage of pickup owners have to either borrow or rent a trailer when the occasion arises to haul a second vehicle. Towing and backing a trailer requires added skills that the average car driver doesn&#39;t possess, and the time required for the trailer hookup process can be considerable as well. Commercial applications may need to situate cargo and/or equipment at locations that could be very difficult if not virtually impossible to back a trailer into. Many owners choose to eliminate many of these problems by loading and securing the second vehicle in the pickup&#39;s own cargo area which may be dangerous. 
     There are various methods of loading heavy items including second vehicles onto a pickup such as: using a forklift; an overhead hoist; or a ramp system. When loading a smaller wheeled second vehicle such as an ATV or a motorcycle, a ramp system is most commonly used. Caution must be exercised when using a ramp system because the ramps must be rated for the weight of the second vehicle and have a method of securing the top of the ramps to the edge of the bed or tailgate. In addition, the second vehicle&#39;s own propulsion system is used to move the weight of the second vehicle up the ramp and onto the bed, which creates its own set of hazards. Other cargos that are not self-propelled, such as tool boxes, generators, air compressors, may be wheeled, but may be very difficult to load by use of readily-available ramp systems. Many fatalities, injuries, and accidents using loading ramps are reported annually. Common factors contributing to accidents using ramps are: improperly securing the ramps; movement of the first vehicle during the loading process; improper spacing of the ramps; improper rating of the ramps; reduced capacity of ramps due to damage; and ramps being too short for the height of the deck being loaded which may cause the motorcycle or other vehicle to become high-centered. 
     Ramps for such purposes are usually also carried by the small vehicle and take up cargo space, being long and bulky in shape. Perfect carrying and securing methods for the ramps are not always found because the shape and size of the cargo to be hauled is not always known and the ramps must be loaded onto the first vehicle after the cargo is already in position. Improvements in loading options are desirable. 
     Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,811,044; 3,135,407; 6,217,053; 7,188,843; 3,541,598; and 6,546,312. This prior art is representative of loading means. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. 
     Ideally, a cargo platform loading and unloading system should be safe in use, providing quick loading and unloading, and reduced labor, and yet would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable cargo platform system to load and unload cargo and to avoid the above-mentioned problems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known cargo loading art, the present invention provides a novel cargo self-loading and hauling system. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide safety and speed in loading, transporting, and unloading various equipment and cargos. 
     The present invention as disclosed herein is an independently liftable cargo platform that easily secures to a pickup frame and is usable as a pickup flatbed. Cargo is placed onto the deck surface and secured while the platform is at ground level, then the platform is lifted to a height that allows a pickup to be positioned beneath, and the platform secured to the pickup frame. The cargo platform system may comprise: a sub-frame having deck-rails; a platform having platform-rails; a perimeter frame having a left front corner, a right front corner, a left rear corner, and a right rear corner; a top surface and a bottom surface; and a jack system comprising a first jack, a second jack, a third jack, and a fourth jack in preferred embodiments. 
     The deck-rails of the sub-frame are preferably removably connected to the vehicle frame and the platform-rails are coupled to the bottom side of the platform. The perimeter frame defines an outward edge of the platform and the platform with the platform rails is removably mountable to the sub-frame. The top surface of the platform comprises a planar surface such that a cargo is upwardly supported by the planar surface and the bottom surface of the platform is supported by the platform rails. The platform may also incorporate a fixed/removable front panel (headache rack), fixed/removable platform sides, and a hinged/removable tailgate in alternate embodiments. The first jack, the second jack, the third jack, and the fourth jack of the jack system are removably mounted to the left front corner, the right front corner, the left rear corner, and the right rear corner, respectively. 
     The cargo platform system may be independently powered using a power feed source which may be a 110 or 220 volt alternating voltage circuit or the system may be powered from the vehicle&#39;s 12 volt system as well in alternate embodiments. The first jack, the second jack, the third jack, and the fourth jack each comprise electric motors (may be master/slave) and are in communication together such that extendable or retractable operation is simultaneous between the first jack, the second jack, the third jack, and the fourth jack in the jack system. The perimeter frame further comprises mounts for the four jacks, which are affixed to the left front corner, the right front corner, the left rear corner, and the right rear corner respectively. The jacks at the left front corner and the right front are mounted either on a telescoping/sliding mounting system or may be mounted on a pivoting bracket mounting system such that the left front jack and the right front jack can be positioned so that they will not interfere with the removal of the hauling truck from underneath the loading platform. The simultaneous operation of the jacks allows the platform to be loaded and unloaded in a substantially level condition such that the vehicle is not stressed by such operations. In this way the present invention doesn&#39;t cause the vehicle&#39;s rear end to ‘squat’ and the front end to be raised, but rather loads the vehicle in a balanced fashion. This promotes longevity of the host vehicle and doesn&#39;t endanger the load by tilting it at an angle. 
     The jacks may be slideably removable from the perimeter of the platform and each jack is cylindrical in shape with the bottom of each jack level with the bottom of the platform and the top of each jack extending upward. Each jack is about 4 feet in height when in a retracted position and is each about 7 feet in height when in an extended position. The jack system is able to lower the platform into close proximity to a ground surface such that a ramp system may not be necessary to load heavy cargo. However, some low ground clearance vehicles/cargo may require short ramps 36″ or less to facilitate loading/unloading. These ramps are easily stowable between the platform and the sub-frame. A hinged tailgate may also double as a load/unload ramp. The rear edge of the platform may also be dropped or angled to form an integral ramp in the platform itself. Each jack in the system may comprise feet on the bottom surface of the extendable portion of each jack such that the jacks will not readily sink into a soft ground surface. Hard wheeled casters could be used at the bottom of the jack legs so that the platform could be rolled about on a hard surface. 
     The sub-frame preferably comprises mud flaps, brake lights, tail lights, turn signals, and backup lights in communication with the vehicle&#39;s operator controls and when the sub-frame is mounted onto the vehicle, the vehicle conforms to legal highway requirements without the platform mounted onto the sub-frame. The deck-rails comprise guide-locks for the platform-rails to be contact guided into a parallel planar relation to the deck-rails and the platform-rails are able to be coupled together with the guide-rails via the guide-locks using aligning orifices in the platform-rails. The sub-frame is designed such that it does not require alterations to the vehicle, and provides added strength to the vehicle&#39;s frame structure. 
     The top surface of the platform may comprise at least one wheel stop in certain embodiments so that a motorized second vehicle situated on the top surface of the platform is substantially prevented from contacting a rear exterior surface of a cabin of the vehicle caused by a relative motion of the second vehicle to the first vehicle. The wheel stop may hingedly rotate upwardly from a parallel planar position with the top surface of the platform to a perpendicular relationship with the top surface of the platform or may be a separate component of the cargo platform system in some embodiments. A front panel fixed or removably mountable to the front-forward portion of the platform may also be used to contain/prevent contact between the rear exterior surface of the cabin of the hauling vehicle and the cargo. The top surface of the platform comprises wooden planks in a preferred embodiment (ferrous or non-ferrous materials or the like may also be used) and the cargo platform system may be independently powered. 
     The electric motors of the jack system are preferably between 12 to 240 volts and may have a controller for raising or lowering the jack system. The electric motors of the jack system may be removable and storable when not in use. The cargo platform system is able to lift about 4,000 pounds (more or less) vertically to a user specified height and the cargo platform system is usable to support and lift the cargo on the platform from a ground-adjacent-position to an elevated position so that a host vehicle is able to be backed under the platform. The platform may then be lowered into contact with the sub-frame and secured for transport on the vehicle from one location to another. 
     A method of using a cargo platform system may comprise the steps of: uncoupling the platform from the vehicle; raising the platform for removal of the vehicle from beneath; lowering the platform to a ground surface; placing a cargo onto the platform; raising the platform using a jack system to a user defined height; backing a vehicle beneath the raised platform; lowering the platform onto the vehicle; coupling the platform to the vehicle; hauling the cargo from one location to another; uncoupling the platform from the vehicle; raising the platform for removal of the vehicle from beneath; and lowering the platform to a ground surface for cargo unloading. 
     Other applications for use with the present invention may include: ticket/vendor booths; complete work stations; and modular component systems. If the pickup truck came with a factory installed pickup bed or box, the bed/box once removed could be stored for later reinstallation at trade-in time, or it could be sold to help offset the cost of the Load-N-Go platform lift system. 
     The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a cargo platform system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and method(s) of use for the present invention, load-n-go platform lift systems, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view illustrating a cargo platform system according to an embodiment of the present invention with a type of cargo loaded and secured thereon. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a sub-frame of a cargo platform system according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a platform of a cargo platform system according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a jack system of a cargo platform system according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart illustrating a method of use for a cargo platform system according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     
    
    
     The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a cargo loading device and more particularly to a cargo loading and hauling system as used to improve safety, speed of loading and unloading, and to reduce labor. 
     Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference there is shown in  FIG. 1 , shows a perspective view illustrating cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention. Cargo platform system  100  of the present invention comprises platform  110  that is self-contained, designed to allow one person to independently pick up and transport excessively heavy (or light) loads. Cargo platform system  100  is designed to allow individuals to pick up and transport loads effectively eliminating the need for long, heavy ramps or other equipment. Cargo platform system  100  may comprise: a sub-frame  120  having deck-rails  122 ; platform  110  (having platform rails  112 ; perimeter frame  114  having left front corner  130 , right front corner  132 , left rear corner  134 , and right rear corner  136 ; top surface  116 ; bottom surface  118 ); and jack system  140  having first jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146  and fourth jack  148 . 
     Deck-rails  122  of sub-frame  120  are removably connected to vehicle frame  150  and platform-rails  112  are coupled to bottom surface  118  of platform  110  and are removably mountable to sub-frame  120  in preferred embodiments. Perimeter frame  114  defines an outward edge of platform  110  which may have planar top surface  116  usable to upwardly support a cargo. Bottom surface  118  of platform  110  may be supported by platform-rails  112  which provide a support for strengthening platform  110  (providing rigidity) and for mounting platform  110  to sub-frame  120  for transporting. 
     First jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  of jack system  140  are preferably (removably or non-removably) mounted to left front corner  130 , right front corner  132 , left rear corner  134 , and right rear corner  136 , respectively. First jack  142 , and second jack  144  may slide/telescope, or otherwise pivot to provide clearance for the rear wheels of the hauling vehicle  160 . Cargo platform system  100  may be independently powered from vehicle  160  or may use vehicle&#39;s  160  power (systems) to operate. Cargo platform system  100  is usable to support and lift cargo on platform  110  from a ground-adjacent-position to an elevated position such that vehicle  160  is able to be backed under platform  110 , platform  110  is lowered into contact with sub-frame  120 , and secured for transport on vehicle  160  from one location to another. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view illustrating sub-frame  120  of cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Sub-frame  120  may have mud flaps, brake lights, tail lights, turn signals, and backup lights so that vehicle  160  conforms to highway legal requirements (with or) without platform  110  mounted onto sub-frame  120 . Lights mounted onto sub-frame  120  are in communication with vehicle&#39;s  160  operator controls. Deck-rails  122  preferably comprise guide-locks  170  for platform-rails  112  such that platform-rails  112  are able to be contact guided into a parallel planar relation to deck-rails  122 . Deck-rails  122  and platform-rails  112  are able to be removably coupled together via guide-locks  170  and at least one matching orifice of platform-rails  112 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a perspective view illustrating platform  110  of cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Perimeter frame  114  further comprises mounts for first jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  which are affixed to left front corner  130 , right front corner  132 , left rear corner  134 , and right rear corner  136  respectively, as described previously. First jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  may be slideably removable from mounts  180  on perimeter of platform  110  in certain embodiments. 
     Top surface  116  of platform  110  may comprise at least one wheel stop  190  as shown in  FIG. 1  such that a cargo such as a second motorized vehicle situated on top surface  116  of platform  110  is prevented from contacting a rear exterior surface of cabin of vehicle  199  caused by a relative motion of second motorized vehicle in relation to platform  110  on vehicle  160 . Wheel stop  190  is hingedly rotatable upwardly from a nested position to a perpendicular relationship with top surface  116  of platform  110  such that a front wheel of second motorized vehicle may be substantially prevented from forward movement. A front panel fixed or removably mountable to the front-forward portion of platform  110  may also be used to contain/prevent contact between the rear exterior surface of the cabin of the hauling vehicle  160  and the cargo. Top surface  116  of platform  110  may comprise wooden planks in a preferred embodiment but may be plate steel or aluminum in other embodiments. Cargo platform system  100  is independently powered via a controller in communication with a powerer and powerer may be an alternating current source or via a vehicle  160  powered source. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a perspective view illustrating jack system  140  of cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIG. 1 . 
     Jack system  140  having first jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  each comprising electric motors  200  which are in communication together such that extendable or retractable operations are simultaneous. First jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  each comprise cylindrical profiles and are each about 4 feet in height when in a retracted position and about 7 feet in height when in an extended position. First jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148  also may comprise feet  210  on a bottom surface of an extendable portion such that they will not sink into a soft ground surface. Jack system  140  is able to lower platform  110  into close proximity to a ground surface such that a ramp system may not be necessary to load a heavy cargo. However, some low ground clearance vehicles/cargo may require short ramps 36″ or less to facilitate loading/unloading. These ramps are easily stowable between platform  110  and the sub-frame. A hinged tailgate may also double as a load/unload ramp. The rear edge of platform  110  may also be dropped or angled to form an integral ramp in the surface of platform  110  itself. Electric motors  200  of jack system  140  are between 12 to 240 volts and may be powered from a non-vehicle or vehicle  160  source. Electric motors  200  of jack system  140  also may have a remote controller for raising or lowering jack system  140 . Electric motors  200  of jack system  140  may be removable and storable when not in use. Cargo platform system  100  is able to lift about 4,000 pounds vertically to a user defined height. 
     Cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 , may be sold as kit  450  comprising the following parts: at least one sub-frame  120  comprising deck-rails  122 ; at least one platform  110 ; at least one jack system  140  comprising; first jack  142 , second jack  144 , third jack  146 , and fourth jack  148 ; at least one controller; and at least one set of user instructions. Cargo platform system  100  may be manufactured and provided for sale in a wide variety of sizes and shapes for a wide assortment of applications. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other kit contents or arrangements such as, for example, including more or less components, customized parts, different jack combinations and capacities, parts may be sold separately, etc., may be sufficient. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , showing a flowchart illustrating a method of use  500  for cargo platform system  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention of  FIGS. 1-4 . 
     Method of use  500  for cargo platform system  100  may comprise the steps of: step one  501  uncoupling platform  110  from vehicle  160 ; step two  502  raising platform  110  for removal of vehicle  160  from beneath platform  110 ; step three  503  lowering platform  110  to a ground surface; step four  504  placing a cargo onto platform  110 ; step five  505  raising platform  110  using jack system  140  to a user defined height; step six  506  backing vehicle  160  beneath raised platform  110 ; step seven  507  lowering platform  110  onto vehicle  160 ; step eight  508  coupling platform  110  to vehicle  160 ; step nine  509  hauling cargo from one location to another; step ten  510  uncoupling platform  110  from vehicle  160 ; step eleven  511  raising platform  110  for removal of vehicle  16  from beneath; and step twelve  512  lowering platform  110  to a ground surface for cargo unloading. Cargo may also be loaded/unloaded from a dock or loading platform, or even transferred from another vehicle&#39;s loading/hauling platform or loading/hauling surface. 
     It should be noted that step  501  is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method  500  are illustrated using dotted lines in  FIG. 5  so as to distinguish them from the other steps of method  500 . 
     It should be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. Upon reading this specification, it should be appreciated that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods of use arrangements such as, for example, different orders within above-mentioned list, elimination or addition of certain steps, including or excluding certain maintenance steps, etc., may be sufficient. 
     The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.