Patent ID: 12252060

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular toFIGS.1through12thereof, a new cargo securing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral10will be described.

As best illustrated inFIGS.1through12, the cargo strap securing assembly10generally comprises pair of track anchors11that are each engageable to a cargo track12that is attached to a cargo trailer14. The cargo trailer14may be a flatbed trailer, a van trailer, a refrigerated trailer or any other type of trailer commonly employed for transporting cargo. Additionally, the cargo track12may be an E-track that is commonly employed in the commercial transportation industry. The cargo track12has a plurality of attachment holes16that are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along a full length of the cargo track12. Each of the plurality of attachment holes16has a bounding edge18and the bounding edge18has a forward side20and a rear side22. Additionally, each of the plurality of attachment holes16is elongated between the forward side20and the rear side22.

Each of the pair of track anchors11has a pair of engagement elements26that is integrated into the track anchors11. Each of the pair of track anchors11is insertable into a respective one of an adjacent pair of the attachment holes16in the cargo track12. In this way each of the engagement elements26in each of the pair of track anchors11receives the cargo track12for retaining each of the track anchors11in the respective engagement element26. Each of the track anchors11has a bottom side28, a front side30, a back side32and a top side34. The front side30of each of the track anchors11has a first portion36that is perpendicularly oriented with the bottom side28and a second portion38angling rearwardly between the first portion36and the top side34. Additionally, the top side34slopes downwardly between the second portion38and the back side32.

The back side32has a back slot40extending toward the front side30such that the back slot40defines a respective one of the engagement elements26. The back slot40is positioned closer to the bottom side28than the top side34and the back slot40insertably receives the rear side22of the bounding edge18of the respective pair of attachment holes16. The front side30of each of the track anchors11has a foot42extending forwardly from the first portion36of the front side30and the foot42is aligned with the bottom side28. The front side30of each of the track anchors11has a front slot44extending toward the back side32and the front slot44additionally extends through the foot42on the front side30. Each of the pair of track anchors11may comprise an E-track anchor that is commonly employed in conjunction with E-track cargo tracks.

A locking lever46is provided and the locking lever46is pivotally coupled between the pair of track anchors11. The locking lever46defines a respective one of the engagement elements26in each of the track anchors11. The locking lever46is biased into a locking condition for retaining the cargo track12in each of the engagement elements26. Conversely, the locking lever46is urgeable into an unlocked condition to facilitate the cargo track12to be removed from the engagement elements26.

The locking lever46includes a pair of locks48which each includes a first lobe50that is oriented at an angle with a second lobe52. The first lobe50associated with each of the locks48extends into the front slot44in the front side30of a respective one of the track anchors11. Furthermore, the first lobe50associated with each of the locks48is spaced above the foot42on the front side30of the respective track anchor24and the second lobe52associated with each of the track anchors11angles upwardly and forwardly on the front side30. A lower edge54of the first lobe50lies on a plane oriented parallel to a top surface56of the foot42when the locks48are in a locked position. In this way the forward side20of the bounding edge18of the respective attachment hole16can be positioned between the first lobe50and the foot42. The first lobe50angles upwardly from the foot42having the second lobe52being directed toward the second portion38of the front side30of the respective track anchor24when the locks48are in an unlocked position.

The locking lever46includes a pin58which extends through each of the anchor locks48and through the first lobe50associated with each of the locks48for pivotally retaining each of the locks48in the front slot44in the front side30of the respective track anchor24. The locking lever46includes a bar60which extends between the second lobe52associated with each of the locks48thereby facilitating the bar60to be manipulated to urge locks48into the unlocked position. The locking lever46includes a biasing member62that is wrapped around the pin58. The biasing member62biases the pin58to rotate in a first direction thereby biasing the locks48into the locked position. Conversely, the pin58is rotatable in a second direction when the bar60is urged upwardly to urge the locks48into the unlocked position.

A retainer64is coupled to and extends upwardly from the pair of track anchors11. The retainer64includes a lower panel66and a pair of outward panels68each angling toward each other from the lower panel66such that the retainer64defines a tunnel70which has a triangular shape. The lower panel66is bonded to the top side34of each of the pair of track anchors11such that the tunnel70is oriented to extend along an axis extending between the front side30and the back side32of each of the track anchors11. A D-ring72is provided which extends through the retainer64such that the D-ring72is attached to the pair of track anchors11. In this way a cargo strap74can be attached to the D-ring72for tightening the cargo strap74around cargo76that is positioned on the cargo trailer14to secure the cargo76on the cargo trailer14. The D-ring72has a first member78extending between opposing ends80of a second member82which is curved into a U-shape. Additionally, the first member78extends through the tunnel70defined by the pair of outward panels68of the retainer64thereby facilitating the cargo strap74to be attached to the second member82.

In an alternative embodiment84shown inFIG.5, a panel86is coupled to the top side34of each of the pair of track anchors11and a swivel88is rotatably integrated into the panel86. The swivel88includes a base90rotatably integrated into the panel86and a ring92extending away from the base90to facilitate the cargo strap74to be coupled to the ring92. In an alternative embodiment94shown inFIG.6, a panel96is coupled to the top side34of each of the pair of track anchors11and the panel96has a plurality of holes98each extending through the panel96. Each of the plurality of holes98has a bounding surface100that is threaded for accommodating a threaded fastener. In an alternative embodiment102shown inFIG.7, the retainer64is oriented such that the tunnel70defined by the pair of outward panels68of the retainer64is oriented to extend perpendicular to extending between the front side30and the back side32of the pair of track anchors11.

In use, the pair of track anchors11is each seated in the respective pair of the attachment holes16in in the cargo track12such that locking lever46secures the pair of track anchors11to the cargo track12. The cargo strap74is attached to the D-ring72and the cargo strap74is tightened over the cargo76for securing the cargo. Furthermore, employing the pair of track anchors11to secure the cargo strap74rather than employing a single track anchor, as is the common practice with cargo tracks, inhibits the pair of track anchors11from tipping laterally due to tension on the cargo strap74when the cargo strap extends laterally away from the D-ring72. In this way the cargo track12is inhibited from being bent or deformed by the lateral forces applied to the pair of track anchors11. As is most clearly shown inFIG.12, two or more of the pairs of track anchors11can be positioned at desired locations along the cargo track12to facilitate the cargo strap74to be routed through each D-ring72associated with each of the two or more of the pairs of track anchors11to facilitate a ratcheting mechanism104of the cargo strap74to be remotely located with respect to the cargo76. In this way the ratcheting mechanism104is easily accessible and can be manipulated in a manner that is unimpeded by the cargo76.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.