Abstract:
A conspicuity reflector mounting assembly for mounting on a truck fender in an orientation perpendicular to a road surface in compliance with DOT regulations comprises a plate having a flat panel surface for mounting a conspicuity reflector, and a mounting assembly adapted to mount the plate to a fender-mounting post at an orientation perpendicular to a road surface. The conspicuity reflector can be mounted to the flat panel surface. A truck fender is shown having a conspicuity reflector mounting assembly mounted theron.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/123,559 filed Mar. 10, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to conspicuity mountings for a tractor or other similar vehicle. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a conspicuity plate mounting assembly for a vehicle fender. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a fender with a conspicuity plate assembly mounted thereto. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A recent U.S. Department of Transportation requirement states that all tractors built after Jul. 1, 1997, must use reflective material on rear fenders or horizontal hangers supporting mud flaps. Thus, many tractors on the road must be retrofit with such reflective material on the fenders or horizontal hangers. It is both desirable and required to attach the reflective material such that its reflective face is perpendicular to the road surface, not set at an angle. Thus, where reflective tape is merely added to the fender surface, it will not comply with the rule and the effective reflective surface will be decreased in direct proportion to the acuteness of the angle relative to the road surface. A simple, cost-effective solution for retrofitting existing tractors with reflective material as required by the Department of Transportation is needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a conspicuity plate assembly is adapted for mounting on and is mounted to a truck fender that has a generally arcuate shape about a fender axis and a relatively uniform width in the direction of the axis. The fender has an outer surface and is mounted at its outer surface to an elongated post, the post being parallel to the fender axis and having a length greater than the width of the fender. The post is adapted to mount the fender to a vehicle frame. 
     The conspicuity plate assembly comprises a conspicuity plate having a mounting surface of a length and height sufficient to mount a conspicuity reflector thereon, and a fastener adapted to mount the conspicuity plate to the mounting post. The conspicuity plate and fastener are further adapted to position the mounting surface of the conspicuity plate perpendicular to a road surface when the fender is mounted to the vehicle frame. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the conspicuity plate further comprises at least one mounting flange that cooperates with the fastener to secure the plate to the mounting post. The at least one mounting flange extends from a rear surface of the plate and has an aperture therethrough. The mounting flange is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the mounting post and be secured to the mounting-post by the fastener, which encircles the post and flange, passing through the opening in the flange. 
     In a further embodiment, the plate comprises multiple flanges, the flanges extending rearwardly from the mounting surface and being integrally formed with the plate. The flanges can be spaced rearwardly from the plate. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  are perspective views of three fender and conspicuity plate assemblies according to the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the conspicuity plate according to the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the conspicuity plate of FIGS. 4 and 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a rear view of the conspicuity plate of FIGS. 4-6; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the conspicuity plate of FIGS. 4-7 attached to a fender and mounting post mounted to a vehicle frame; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken through line  9 — 9  of FIG. 8; and 
     FIG. 10 is a rear view of a semi-tractor with conspicuity plates of FIGS. 4-7 mounted to a rear fender thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown generally in FIGS. 1-3, a conspicuity plate  10  is mounted to a fenders  56 ,  52 ,  54 , the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  typically include a curved leading portion  56 , a horizontal portion  58 , and a curved trailing portion  60 . The fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  are mounted to the vehicle frame  80  adjacent the tires  26  (see FIGS. 8 and 10) in a standard fashion. A mud flap  28  (See FIG. 10) can be mounted at the terminal edge of the trailing portion  60  of the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  to the rear of the tires. Further, a spray suppressant apparatus can be selectively mounted to the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54 . The fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  are described for use with a semi-tractor  24 , although it should be understood that the conspicuity plate  10  according to the invention can be employed on any vehicle with ground-engaging tires including semi-trailers, and trucks. 
     Each fender  50 ,  52 ,  54  includes a mounting bracket  62 , shown best in FIG. 2, for receiving the mounting post  70  and thereby securing the fender  50 ,  52 ,  54  to the semi-tractor. It is preferred that a pair of mounting brackets  62 , in spaced-apart relationship, define an opening for receiving the mounting post  70 . When the post  70  is within the opening of the mounting brackets  62 , a locking mechanism (not shown) retains the post  70  within the bracket  62 , preferably by means of a threaded screw through the mounting bracket  62  into the mounting post  70  or by a compression clamp mounted to and circumscribing the mounting post  70  and through the mounting bracket  62 , such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,003 to Antekeier, incorporated herein by reference. The conventional connection of the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  to the mounting post  70  provides a rigid connection of the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54  to the semi-tractor. To provide a reflective surface for safety, and to comply with rules enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation for all semi-tractors built after Jul. 1, 1997, it is necessary to provide a vertical surface for mounting a reflective material. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4-7, the conspicuity plate  10  includes a front panel  12  for mounting a conspicuity reflector  20 , the front panel  12  having a rear surface  14  from which extend mounting flanges  30 . Fasteners  40  cooperate with the flanges  30  to mount the conspicuity plate  10  to the mounting post  70 . 
     The flanges  30  of the conspicuity plate  10  are shown best in FIGS. 5-7 and are preferably formed integrally with the plate  10 . The flanges  30  includes an outwardly-arching extension  32  having an opening  34  formed in generally vertically-extending portion  36 . While the conspicuity plate  10  is shown preferably with four flanges  30 , it is contemplated that as few as two and as many as ten extensions can be used, depending on the length of the mounting post  70  and the width of the fenders  50 ,  52 ,  54 . Further, while the outwardly-arching extension  32  is shown to comprise a series of planar surfaces set at angles to each other to form an arch or concave surface, a similar structure can be reached by forming an arcuate extension from the rear surface  14  of the plate  10 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, with the conspicuity plate  10  installed on the mounting post  70 , the concave surface of the extension  32  abuts the mounting post  70 , which at least partially supports the conspicuity plate  10 . The fastener  40 , shown as a worn-drive clamp, secures the conspicuity plate  10  to the mounting post  70 . More preferably, fastener  40  is a swivel lock run drive clamp as manufactured by Ideal-Stant under the trade mark SNAPLOCK. 
     The fastener  40  circumscribes the mounting post  70  and extends through the opening  34  in the extension  32  of flange  30 . When the ends of the fastener  40  are secured together and tightened, the conspicuity plate  10  is secured to the mounting post  70  with the flange  30  encompassed by fastener  40 . The fastener  40  is tightened by driving the included screw  42 , thereby reducing the diameter of the fastener  40 , to hold the flange  30  into tight abutment against the mounting post  70 . Until the fastener  40  is fully tightened and the conspicuity plate  10  is secured tightly to the mounting post  70 , the angle of the front panel  12  relative to horizontal can be adjusted so that the front panel  12  can be made generally perpendicular to the road surface supporting the semi-tractor, whereby the effective cross-sectional area of reflective material is maximized. 
     The conspicuity reflector  20  is preferably reflective tape applied to the front panel  12 . Such reflective tape can be purchased from suppliers such as 3M, for example, under the trademarks SCOTCHCAL™ or SCOTCHLITE™. Any suitable conspicuity reflector  20  can be mounted to the front panel  12 , preferably by a pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
     Referring to FIGS. 8-10, the fender  50  is rigidly secured to a frame  80  of a semi-tractor  24  or other similar vehicle through a mounting post  70 . Customarily, the frame  80  is a substantially C-shaped member in cross section, and constitutes that portion of the semi-tractor chassis positioned at a point slightly inward of a set of wheels mounted to the semi-tractor. Further, as is customary, the mounting post  70  needed to mount the fender  50  to the frame  80  is positioned transversely to the longitudinal axis of the frame  80  and is rigidly secured to the frame  80 . In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, the post  70  is secured to the frame  80  by a post mounting bolt  72 , however the conspicuity plate  10  according to the invention can mount on a mounting post secured to the vehicle frame  80  by any one of a variety of fasteners. For example, as shown in U.S. patent to Lockwood et al., U.S. Pat No. 4,377,294, issued Mar. 22, 1983, incorporated herein by reference, a mounting rod is shown as a cylindrical tube having welded within the inner end thereof a mounting socket in the tube. The mounting rod is secured to the frame by a bolt extending through a hole in the frame and set into tight threaded engagement with the nut. Alternatively, it is contemplated that the mounting rod can be of the type disclosed in U.S. patent to Lea, U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,003, issued Nov. 25, 1975, incorporated herein by reference. The Lea patent shows a mounting rod as an elongated solid bar matingly engaging and rigidly secured to a top horizontal portion of the frame by a plurality of U-bolts. 
     While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.