Trailer with conduit retainer

Details Trailer with conduit retainer Trailer with conduit retainer

1998-12-15

2001-08-07

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Body shell

C296S208000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06270150

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to trailers and more particularly to a trailer having a bracket insert that retains pneumatic, electrical, hydraulic or other conduits associated with the trailer.
Van-type trailers typically include a deck assembly supported by a sidewall structure, wheels and retractable front legs. The deck assembly often includes longitudinal floorboards and transverse cross-members, such as I-beams, extending between opposing bottom rails of the side walls. The deck transfers its load to the bottom rails, wheels and, depending on whether the trailer is coupled to a tractor or is free-standing, to tractor wheels or the front legs.
While flatbed trailers also often include a deck assembly with a floor and transverse cross members, they do not have a monocoque structure. Instead, the flatbed deck is typically supported by longitudinal beams supported by the wheels and retractable legs so that the load received by the deck is transferred to the wheels through the beams.
Trailers typically require conduits comprising or carrying electrical, pneumatic and/or other lines to various trailer systems. Accordingly, it has been known in the art to provide channeled cavities within the trailer's deck assembly to receive the various conduits and connectors. It has also been known to provide grommetted holes in I-beam cross members through which conduits are passed longitudinally along the trailer side. One specific example of a device that retains trailer conduits in a fixed position within a housing is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,948 to Ehrlich, incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses disadvantages of the prior art trailer constructions and methods.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved trailer having a conduit retainer.
This and other objects may be achieved by a trailer including a deck assembly with parallel longitudinal sides and a plurality of wheels supporting the floor. A bracket insert is releasably attached to the deck assembly and includes a retaining clip securing an elongated conduit. In one preferred embodiment, the deck includes a floor and a plurality of transverse I-beams. A plurality of bracket inserts rest on respective I-beams against a longitudinal side of the floor and are held in place by a Z-shaped member having one leg that extends between the floor and the I-beams and another leg that engages the bracket insert by a protrusion extending from the leg into a corresponding groove in each bracket insert.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3243201 (1966-03-01), Bock
patent: 3251069 (1966-05-01), Clark
patent: 4148113 (1979-04-01), Dvorachek
patent: 4518196 (1985-05-01), Forster et al.
patent: 4614838 (1986-09-01), Sandstrom
patent: 4703948 (1987-11-01), Ehrlich
patent: 4711060 (1987-12-01), Scherrer
patent: 5890757 (1999-04-01), Masterson et al.
patent: 1392940 (1975-05-01), None

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