Patent Publication Number: US-2016243976-A1

Title: Cargo load lock system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to cargo restraining devices, and more particularly, an improved cargo load lock system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Cargo load locks, sometimes called load bars, are basically telescoping bars or poles, having gripping feet at either end, and a ratcheting device for tightening the feet against two surfaces, usually trailer walls, floors, ceilings, or a combination thereof. These cargo load locks are typically utilized to brace cargo from shifting backward or forward in a trailer. The foot of a cargo load lock is usually square or rectangular, and has a rubberized gripping surface on one side. They are no larger than five or six inches on any side. However, if a cargo load lock is placed between freight and a vehicle wall, horizontally, the cargo may easily be punctured by the cargo load lock foot. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the disclosure relates to a cargo load lock system that utilizes a pallet that is coupled to a first end of a cargo load lock. The pallet may be a wooden pallet, a plastic pallet or the like. The cargo load lock may include an upper foot, a telescoping tubular pole, a gripping foot including a pair of forks, and a device for tightening the feet against a pair of surfaces. In an embodiment, the device for tightening the feet against a pair of surfaces is a ratcheting device. In an embodiment, a housing having a pair of forks will receive the gripping foot and a force from the cargo load lock system in an extended mode. The pair of forks will extend into a pallet to better secure cargo against a surface within a cargo carrier in order to keep the cargo in place. 
     The cargo load lock system further may include a plurality of nubs disposed on the sides of the gripping foot that correspond to a plurality of holes formed on the walls of the housing to accommodate the nubs. In another embodiment, the housing may have a plurality of flexible walls to encase the gripping foot. In another embodiment, the housing may be coupled to a fork plate with a pair of forks to extend into a pallet to better secure cargo against a surface within a cargo carrier in order to keep the cargo in place. 
     The cargo load lock system further may include a first end of a telescoping tubular pole being coupled to a fork plate with a pair of forks to extend into a pallet to better secure cargo against a surface within a cargo carrier in order to keep the cargo in place. In another embodiment, the pair of forks may be angled upwards or downwards along an x-axis of the pair of forks to better couple a pallet to the pair of forks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an environmental view of a cargo load lock system in operation, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a cargo load lock, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a cargo load lock in relation to a pallet and a piece of cargo; 
         FIGS. 4 to 9  illustrate various other embodiments and variations of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the various exemplary embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an environmental view of a cargo load lock system  100  in operation. The cargo load lock system is disposed inside of an interior portion  105  of a cargo truck  110 , trailer or the like. The cargo load lock system  100  includes a cargo load lock  150  used to secure cargo  142  disposed within the interior portion  105  of the cargo truck  110 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the cargo load lock  150 , according to an embodiment. As shown, the cargo load lock  150  includes an upper foot  120 , a telescoping tubular pole  130 , and a gripping foot  140  including a pair of forks  160 . The gripping foot  140  includes a vertical facing  142 . The vertical facing  142  may have a raised texture  142 A or the like to better secure a pallet  134 . The pair of forks  160  extend from a top edge  144  of the vertical facing  142 . A notch  165  is disposed between the pair of forks  160  to insure better penetration of the pair of forks  150  into the pallet  134 . 
     The upper foot  120  can have a flat surface  125  that may be in direct contact with an interior wall  122 A of an interior portion  105  of the cargo truck  110  or the trailer  110 A or the like. The flat surface  125  may also be in contact with an interior floor  122 B, an interior ceiling  122 C, or the like. The flat surface  125  may have a generally planar rectangular shape or the like. The telescoping tubular pole  130  may have a first end and a second end. The telescoping tubular pole  130  may be a telescoping tubular pole or the like. The upper foot  120  is be disposed on the first end of the telescoping tubular pole  130 . The telescoping tubular pole  130  may include a device for tightening  132  the upper foot  120  and the gripping foot  140  against a pallet  134  and the interior portion  105  of the cargo truck  110  or the trailer  110 A. The device for tightening  132  may be adapted to shorten or extend the length of the telescoping tubular pole  130  in a secure position. The gripping foot  140  may be coupled on the second end of the telescoping tubular pole  130 . The gripping foot  140  may secure the cargo  142  disposed within the interior portion  105  of the cargo truck  110  or the trailer  110 A. 
     The device for tightening  132  may be a ratcheting device  170  that may be adapted to shorten or extend the length of the telescoping tubular pole  130  in a secure position. The ratcheting device  170  may be disposed on the first portion  134  of the telescoping tubular pole  130 . The ratcheting device  170  may have a handle  172 , a gear  174 , a pawl  176  and a plurality of teeth  178 . The handle  172  may be pulled to adapt the ratcheting device  170  to shorten or extend the length of the telescoping tubular pole  130  and to secure the telescoping tubular pole  130  in place. The gripping foot  140  may have a vertical facing  142 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the cargo load lock  150  in relation to the pallet  134  and a piece of cargo  142 . The pallet  134  may be made of wood, plastic or the like. The cargo  142  may easily be punctured by a relatively smaller surface area of a traditional gripping foot. An advantage of the cargo load lock  150  is to provide a significantly greater surface area in contact with the cargo  142  than traditional cargo load lock devices, thereby better securing the cargo  142  within a cargo truck ( FIG. 1, 110 ) or trailer, or the like. 
     In order to utilize the cargo load lock system  100 , a user must understand how a typical wooden pallet  134  or the like is constructed. Lean an empty wooden pallet  134  against the cargo  142 . Position the pair of forks  140  on either side of a middle two by four of the empty wooden pallet  142 . The pair of forks  140  may be inserted between the slats of the pallet, thereby allowing a greater number of choices in placement (i.e., closer to the center of gravity of the cargo is relatively more stable than other locations of the pallet). The cargo load lock system  100  aligns the gripping foot  160  centrally over the middle two-by-four. The cargo load lock  150  is then tightened with the ratcheting device  170  against a wall of a trailer or a cargo truck or the like. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a gripping foot  240  of the cargo load lock, according to another embodiment. As shown, the gripping foot  240  includes an upper gripping foot portion  242  and a lower gripping foot portion  246 . The upper gripping foot portion includes the telescoping tubular pole  130  and a gripping foot  430 . The telescoping tubular pole  130  has a first end  420 A and the gripping foot  430  is coupled to the first end  420 A of the telescoping tubular pole  130 . The upper gripping foot portion  242  has a front facing  430 A which includes a rubberized gripping surface  432  disposed on the front facing  430 A. The lower gripping foot portion  246  includes a pair of forks  412  and a plurality of flexible walls  414 . The pair of forks  412  is disposed on a top edge  410 A. The lower gripping foot portion  246  can be inserted into the upper gripping foot portion  242 , which corresponds and fits into the upper gripping foot portion  242 . The lower gripping foot portion  246  may be kept in place by friction from the rubberized gripping surface  432 . The flexible walls  414  may envelope the gripping foot  430  in order to keep it in place. The gripping foot  430  may provide force from the telescoping tubular pole  420  to hold the housing  410  on the gripping foot  430  while the pair of forks  412  couple the pallet ( FIGS. 1 and 3, 134 ). 
       FIG. 5  illustrate a gripping foot  340  of the cargo load lock, according to yet another embodiment. As shown, the gripping foot  340  includes an upper gripping foot portion  342  and a lower gripping foot portion  346 . The upper gripping foot portion  342  includes the telescoping tubular pole  130  and a gripping foot  530 . The telescoping tubular pole  130  has a first end  520 A. The gripping foot  530  is coupled to the first end  520 A of the telescoping tubular pole  130 . The gripping foot  530  has a front facing  530 A which may include a rubberized gripping surface  532  disposed on the front facing  530 A. The gripping foot  530  may include a plurality of nubs  534  disposed on a plurality of sides  530 B. The lower gripping foot portion  346  includes a pair of forks  512  and a plurality of flexible side walls  514 . The pair of forks  512  are disposed on a top edge  530 C of the housing  510 . The side walls  514  include a plurality of holes  514 A that correspond to the nubs  534  disposed on the sides  530 B of the gripping foot  530 . The lower gripping foot portion  346  can be inserted into the upper gripping foot portion  342 , which corresponds and fits into the upper gripping foot portion  342 . The lower gripping foot portion  346  is kept in place by friction from the rubberized gripping surface  532  and the holes  514 A accommodating the nubs  534 . The flexible side walls  514  may facilitate the holes  514 A accommodating the nubs  534  and enveloping the gripping foot  530  in order to keep the gripping foot  530  in place. 
       FIG. 6  illustrate a lower gripping foot portion  636  which may be used in place of the lower gripping portion  246  ( FIG. 4 ), according to an embodiment. The lower gripping foot portion  636  includes a frame  605  and a fork plate  610 . The frame  605  can be made of flexible material such as rubber or the like. The fork plate  610  includes a planar base plate  612  and a pair of forks  614 . The planar base plate  612  may be coupled to a bottom  600 A of the frame  605 . More specifically, the planar base plate  612  may be molded around the bottom  600 A. The pair of forks  614  are disposed on a top edge  610 A of the fork plate  610  pointing away from the housing  600 . The planar base plate  612  and the fork plate  610  may be made of rigid material such as steel or the like. The lower gripping foot portion  646  can be inserted into the upper gripping foot portion  242 , which corresponds and fits into the upper gripping foot portion  242 . 
       FIG. 7  illustrate a frame  705  which may be used in place of the lower gripping foot portion  636  ( FIG. 6 ), according to an embodiment. The frame  705  includes a first wall  710 A, a second wall  710 B, a third wall  710 C and a fourth wall  710 D. The first wall  710 A and the second wall  710 B are made of flexible material such as rubber or the like. The third wall  710 C and the fourth wall  710 D are made of rigid material such as steel or the like. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a gripping foot  860 , according to another embodiment. The gripping foot  860  may be used in place of the gripping foot  160  ( FIG. 2 ). The gripping foot  860  includes a planar base plate  802  and a pair of forks  804 . The telescoping tubular pole  810  may have a first end  810 A. The planar base plate  802  may include a center portion  802 A which may be coupled to the first end  810 A of the telescoping tubular pole  130  ( FIG. 2 ). The pair of forks  804  may be disposed on a top edge  800 A of the fork plate  800  pointing away from the telescoping tubular pole  810 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a gripping foot  960 , according to another embodiment. The gripping foot  860  includes a housing  910  and a pair of forks  920 . The housing  910  may include a back side  910 A. The pair of forks  920  may be disposed on a top portion  920 A of the back side  910 A of the housing  910 . The pair of forks  920  may be angled upwards or downwards along an x-axis of the pair of forks  920  to better couple a wooden pallet ( FIG. 3, 210 ) to the pair of forks  920 . 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the various exemplary embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.