Abstract:
An apparatus for retention and storage of removable vehicle doors can easily be inserted into a vehicle tow hitch receiver as an aftermarket accessory. The apparatus includes a tubular structure configured so that it can fold for storage, and is easily installed and removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver. The apparatus is configured with adjustable brackets so removable doors from different like vehicles can be accommodated. The apparatus is most desirable when an operator removes the removable doors and desires a safe method to store them while traveling. This device protects the doors from physical damage, and frees the interior space of the vehicle for other purposes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     NOT APPLICABLE  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     NOT APPLICABLE  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Operators of vehicles with removable doors have little space in the vehicle to store the doors while removed and traveling. Many of these vehicles have a trailer tow hitch that can be used to connect an apparatus for retaining and storing the doors while removed and traveling. This device could be stored in a folded position either in the vehicle tow hitch, or behind the rear seat of the vehicle. When the operator wishes to remove either the upper half, or both halves of combination doors, or the whole door of hard windowed doors, they can insert the apparatus into the vehicle tow hitch receiver, unfold it to the upright position, and safely store the removable doors. This device would protect the removable doors from physical damage, and free the interior space of the vehicle for other purposes.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     It is the principle object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for retention and storage of removable vehicle doors that can easily be inserted into a vehicle tow hitch receiver as an aftermarket accessory.  
         [0005]     It is also a principle object of the present invention that the apparatus be easily removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver.  
         [0006]     It is a further principle object of the present invention that it can be stored either in the vehicle tow hitch receiver or behind the rear seat of the vehicle.  
         [0007]     It is another principle object of the present invention that it has a mechanism to stabilize it in the vehicle tow hitch receiver.  
         [0008]     It is yet another principle object of the present invention that it folds into a low profile position while inserted into the vehicle tow hitch receiver.  
         [0009]     It is yet another principle object of the present invention that when removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver it can be folded into a low profile position for storage behind the vehicles rear seat.  
         [0010]     It is yet another principle object of the present invention that it retains and stores the removable upper and lower doors of combination type doors.  
         [0011]     It is a still further principle object of the present invention that it retains and stores the removable hard windowed type doors.  
         [0012]     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
         [0013]     To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an apparatus for retention and storage of removable vehicle doors that can be easily inserted into a vehicle tow hitch receiver as an aftermarket accessory, is comprised of four basic components. A tubular bar is configured so that it can be inserted and retained in a vehicle tow hitch receiver with a standard clevis pin (the hitch bar). The opposing end of the hitch bar is connected in a tee fashion to another horizontal tubular bar (the cross bar). At one end of the cross bar is a tubular bar attached at an approximate vertical right-angle (the hinge post). At the opposing end of the cross bar is another tubular bar attached at an approximate vertical right-angle (the latch post). The hinge post and latch post retain either both halves of combination doors, or the whole door of hard windowed doors, by using their hinges, pins or latch points. The hinge post and cross bar retain the upper half of combination doors when they are the only parts of the removable doors that have been removed from the vehicle.  
         [0014]     The hitch bar houses a mechanism that stabilizes the apparatus in the vehicle tow hitch receiver. Using the standard clevis pin mount as a pivot point, a threaded knob can be tightened and as a result a clamping force is applied within the vehicle tow hitch receiver.  
         [0015]     The apparatus is configured such that it can be easily removed for storage away from the vehicle or behind the vehicles rear seat by removing the standard clevis pin holding it in the vehicle tow hitch receiver. Using selected pivot points, the hinge post, and latch post can be folded down in alignment with the cross bar. With yet another pivot point, the hitch bar can also be folded in alignment with the cross bar when the apparatus is removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver.  
         [0016]     Each tubular component is held to its adjoining tubular component by plates that allow the joints to pivot. The plates form a sandwich with the tubular component in the middle, and are thru bolted to secure them and form a pivot point for folding purposes. Each pivoting joint is equipped with an easily removable pin so the joint can be manipulated and secured in either the upright or folded down position. The pivot joints are protected by shims between the plates and the tubular components to reduce friction and protect the surface finish.  
         [0017]     The hinge post is equipped with adjustable brackets that receive the hinge pins of the removable doors. Each bracket has slots to assure adjustability, and each bracket is equipped with plastic bushings to protect the door pins and painted surfaces of the removable doors. The upper hinge bracket is adjustable to conform to the different hinge positions likely found from each different vehicle.  
         [0018]     The latch post is quipped with a bracket that receives the latch mechanism of the removable doors. This bracket has slots to assure adjustability, and each bracket is quipped with adjustable “U” shaped bolts to accommodate the different latch positions likely found from each different vehicle.  
         [0019]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate at least one presently preferred embodiment of the invention. These drawings, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention but by no means are intended to be exhaustive of all of the possible manifestations of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the apparatus retaining and storing either both halves of removable combination doors, or the whole door of hard windowed removable vehicle doors. The apparatus is shown removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver for clarity.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the apparatus retaining and storing the upper halves of combination removable doors. The apparatus has been removed from the vehicle tow hitch receiver for clarity.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  shows the whole door and combination removable door configurations.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the apparatus in the upright position.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the apparatus in the upright position and from the opposite side from  FIG. 4 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the apparatus in the folded position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the apparatus in the folded position and from the opposite side from  FIG. 6 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the hitch bar assembly showing the mechanism used to stabilize the apparatus in the vehicle tow hitch receiver. Also shown are the plates, shims, bolts and pin used to attach the hitch bar to the cross bar.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the latch post showing the adjustable bracket and adjustable “U” bolts used to retain the latch points of the removable vehicle doors. Also shown are the plates, shims, bolts, and pin used to attach the latch bar to the cross bar.  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the hinge post showing the adjustable brackets used for retaining the hinge points of the removable vehicle doors. Also shown are the plates, shims, bolts, and pin used to attach the hinge bar to the cross bar.  
         [0030]      FIG. 11  is an exploded view of the upper hinge bracket of the hinge post showing the adjustable mechanism.  
         [0031]      FIG. 12  is an exploded view of the cross bar showing the adjustable brackets used for retaining the upper halves of removable combination doors. These brackets work in conjunction with the lower hinge bracket on the hinge post as shown in  FIG. 13  to retain the upper halves of removable doors.  
         [0032]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the upper half of removable combination doors as retained and stored by the apparatus. Components of the apparatus have been removed for clarity.  
         [0033]      FIG. 14  is a detailed view of the latch points of the removable vehicle doors and their relationship to the apparatus.  
         [0034]      FIG. 15  is a detailed view of the upper hinge points of the removable doors and their relationship to the apparatus.  
         [0035]      FIG. 16  is a detailed view of the lower hinge points of the removable doors and their relationship to the apparatus. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0036]     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of the explanation of the invention, which is not restricted to the specifics of the examples. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. The same numbers are assigned to the same components throughout the drawings and description.  
         [0037]     A presently preferred embodiment of the removable vehicle door retention and storage apparatus that can be easily inserted into a vehicle tow hitch receiver as shown in  FIG. 1  is represented generally by the number  30 . The embodiment shown for purposes of explaining the invention is for the trailer tow hitch of a Jeep vehicle with removable doors. However, the present invention can be provided for in other applications where other vehicles may have removable doors and a vehicle tow hitch.  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , removable doors  31  can be easily retained and stored by an apparatus  30  that can be easily inserted into a vehicle tow hitch receiver as an aftermarket accessory. Removable doors  31  can be whole doors with hard windows, or be made as combination doors with lower half  32  and upper half  33 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows the upper half of removable doors  33  retained and stored by an apparatus  30  that can be easily inserted in a vehicle tow hitch receiver as an aftermarket accessory.  
         [0040]      FIG. 3  shows the removable door  31 , as either a whole door with hard windows, or a combination door with lower half  32  and upper half  33  assembled together. It also shows the combination door as disassembled with lower half  32  and a upper half  33 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  show the assembly of the apparatus  30  from opposing views. The assembly starts with the hitch bar  1 , which is inserted into the vehicle tow hitch receiver and retained by a standard clevis pin through a retention hole  37 . The cross bar  2  is attached to the hitch bar  1  using bolts  17  and opposing plates  5 . The hinge post  3  and latch post  4  are attached to the cross bar  2  using bolts  17  and opposing plates  6 . Also attached to the cross bar  2  using bolts  17  are the half door brackets  8  and half door stop bracket  21 . Attached to the hinge post  3  using bolts  18  are the upper hinge bracket  9 , lower hinge bracket  11  and lower hinge half door stop bracket  12 . The upper hinge adjuster bracket  10  is attached to the upper hinge bracket  9  using a bolt  18 . This bolt  18  forms a pivot axis for the upper hinge adjuster bracket  10  which is clamped after adjustment by bolts  20 . Attached to the latch post  4  using bolts  18  is the latch bracket  7 . “U” bolts  15  are attached to the latch bracket  7  with adjustable hardware. A clevis pin  14  is used to lock the hitch bar  1 , the hinge post  3 , and the latch post  4  in either the upright or folded positions. The clevis pin  14  is tethered by a lanyard  23  which is fastened to the cross bar  2  and the latch post  4  by screws  22 . Decorative plugs  16  are used to seal the open ends of the hitch bar  1 , cross bar  2 , hinge post  3 , and latch post  4 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  show the folded assembly of the apparatus  30  from opposing views. The apparatus  30  has been folded at pivot points  34 ,  35  and  36  by removing the clevis pins  14  and re-inserting them in the folded position to secure the components.  
         [0043]      FIG. 8  shows an exploded view of the hitch bar assembly. Shown in this view is the hitch clamp  45  which stabilizes the apparatus  30  in the vehicle tow hitch receiver. The hitch clamp  45  is inserted into the hitch bar  1  and a clamping knob  13  is screwed into threaded insert  42  to retain the mechanism in the hitch bar  1 . When the apparatus  30  is inserted into the vehicle tow hitch receiver, the standard clevis pin forms a pivot axis  40 . By tightening the clamping knob  13 , a force is transferred through the pivot axis  40  to the contact points  41 , which stabilizes the apparatus  30  in the vehicle tow hitch receiver. A washer  43  is used under the clamping knob  13  to reduce friction and protect the surface finish. At the opposite end of the hitch bar  1  are the opposing plates  5  which are used for attachment to the cross bar  2 . Upon assembly, shims  44  are inserted between the plates  5  and the hitch bar  1  and cross bar  2  to reduce friction and protect the surface finish. Bolts  17  are used to secure the opposing plates  5  to the hitch bar  1  and cross bar  2  thru holes  45 . The clevis pin  14  inserts thru a hole  46  to prevent movement of the joint and allow for folding of the hitch bar  1  in alignment with the cross bar  2 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 9  shows an exploded view of the latch post assembly. At one end of the latch post  4  are the opposing plates  6  which are used for attachment to the cross bar  2 . Upon assembly, shims  51  are inserted between the plates  6  and the latch post  4  and cross bar  2  to reduce friction and protect the surface finish. Bolts  17  are used to secure the opposing plates  6  to the latch post  4 .and cross bar  2  thru holes  53 . The clevis pin  14  inserts in a hole  54  to prevent movement of the joint and allow for folding of the latch post  4  in alignment with the cross bar  2 . At the opposite end of the latch post  4  is the latch bracket  7 , which contains slots for adjustment relative to the latch post  4 . Attached to the latch bracket are “U” bolts  15  which are adjustable on the axis of their mounting holes  55  by use of opposing washers and nuts  52 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 10  shows an exploded view of the hinge post assembly. At one end of the hinge post  3  are the opposing plates  6  which are used for attachment to the cross bar  2 . Upon assembly, shims  51  are inserted between the plates  6  and the hinge post  4  and cross bar  2  to reduce friction and protect the surface finish. Bolts  17  are used to secure the opposing plates  6  to the hinge post  4  and cross bar  2  thru holes  63 . The clevis pin  14  inserts in a hole  64  to prevent movement of the joint and allow for folding of the hinge post  4  in alignment with the cross bar  2 . At the same end of the latch post  4  is the lower hinge bracket  11 . The lower hinge bracket  11  is sandwiched between the lower hinge bracket half door stop  12  when attached to the hinge post  3  using bolts  18 . Slots  61  in the lower hinge bracket  11  and slots  62  in lower hinge bracket half door stop  12  allow for adjustment relative to the hinge post  3 . Bushings  19  are inserted into the lower hinge bracket  11  in holes  65  ( 4   x ) and retained by spring clips  27  ( 4   x ). At the opposite end of the latch post is the upper hinge bracket  9  which is attached to the hinge post  3  by bolts  18 . Slots  60  in the upper hinge bracket  9  allow for adjustment relative to the hinge post  3 . The upper hinge adjuster bracket  10  is attached to the upper hinge bracket  9  by a bolt  18 . This bolt  18  forms a pivot axis for the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10  which is clamped after adjustment by bolts  20 . Bushings  19  are inserted into the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10  in holes  66  ( 2   x ) and retained by spring clips  27  ( 2   x ).  
         [0046]      FIG. 11  shows an exploded view of the upper hinge adjustment bracket assembly. The upper hinge bracket contains a threaded insert in a hole  72 , and when a bolt  18  is used to secure the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10  to the upper hinge bracket  9 , an axis of rotation  70  is formed. When the removable door hinge pins are inserted into the bushings  19  that are retained by the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10 , the bracket rotates about the axis  70  so the latch points at the rear of the removable doors can be aligned. Slots  71  in the upper hinge bracket  9  allow for rotation of the locking bolts  20  relative to the rotation axis  70  during the alignment. This alignment allows for the balanced adjustment of the latch bracket  7  in  FIG. 9 . Once the latch points are aligned, the locking bolts  20  are tightened to clamp the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10  to the upper hinge bracket  9  preventing further movement about the rotation axis  70 . The axis bolt  18  can then be tightened to provide further clamping action. Bushings  19  are inserted into the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10  in holes  66  ( 2   x ) and retained by spring clips  27  ( 2   x ).  
         [0047]      FIG. 12  shows an exploded view of part of the cross bar assembly. Close to one end of the cross bar  2  is the rear half door bracket  8 , which is attached to the cross bar  2  by bolts  17 . The half door stop bracket  21  is simultaneously attached the opposite side of the cross bar  2  by bolts  17 . Bushings  19  are inserted into the half door bracket  8  in holes  73  ( 2   x ) and retained by spring clips  27  ( 2   x ). At the opposite end of the cross bar  2  is the mid point half door bracket  8 , which is attached to the cross bar  2  by bolts  17 . Bushings  19  are inserted into the half door bracket  8  in holes  74  ( 2   x ) and retained by spring clips  27  ( 2   x ).  
         [0048]      FIG. 13  shows the retention and storage of the upper half  33  of a combination removable door by the apparatus  30 . The front pin  80  of the upper half door  33  is retained by a bushing  19  in the lower hinge bracket  11 . The lower hinge half door stop bracket  12  stops the pin  80  from inserting too far. The lower hinge bracket  11  has two lower bushings  19  in holes  83  that stabilize the half door pin  80 . The mid point pin  81  of the half door  33  is retained by a bushing  19  in a half door bracket  8 . The rear pin  82  of the half door  33  is also retained by a bushing  19  in a half door bracket  8 . The half door stop bracket  21  stops the rear pin  82  from inserting too far. These three pins, front  81 , mid  82 , and rear  83  are retained simultaneously by the apparatus  30  to stabilize the upper half door  33 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 14  shows a detailed view of the latch points  90  and  91  of the removable doors  31 . After proper adjustment of the latch points  90  and  91  as outlined in  FIG. 11 , the latch bracket  7  and “U” bolts  15  can be adjusted for proper latching.  
         [0050]      FIG. 15  shows a detailed view of the removable doors  31  as retained by the upper hinge adjustment bracket  10 . Hinge pins  100  and  101  are retained by bushings  19 .  
         [0051]      FIG. 16  shows a detailed view of the removable doors  31  as retained by the lower hinge bracket  11 . Hinge pins  110  and  111  are retained by bushings  19 .  
         [0052]     While at lease one presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.