Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier attached to the front or rear end of vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-09
2001-07-17
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier attached to the front or rear end of vehicle
C224S495000, C224S509000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06260752
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates generally to carriers for supporting equipment externally on a vehicle.
2. Prior Art
Equipment too large for being carried inside a vehicle, such as wheelchairs, bicycles, and cargo holders, may be supported on carriers attached to the rear of the vehicle. Some carriers are bolted directly to the vehicle, and others are attached to a conventional trailer hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,717 to Joder shows an equipment carrier including a horizontal arm with a proximal end for being attached to a trailer hitch on a vehicle. The arm is articulated at two positions for pivoting away from the vehicle's tailgate or backdoor. It is specifically made for carrying bicycles, which must be manually lifted onto the carrier. U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,564 to Bianchini shows an equipment carrier with a platform connected by hinged arms that move through an arc. The arms deploy to a position far behind the vehicle, so that they cannot be deployed when the vehicle is parked closely in front of another vehicle. The arms are retracted to an almost vertical position, so that the carrier is not suitable for carrying a cargo holder, because the cargo holder would be lifted so high that it would block the rear window of the vehicle. Further, it requires a powerful electric winch, which is very expensive. U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,120 to Bartelt et al. shows another equipment carrier with an articulated arm. U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,983 to Tomososki shows a cargo holder and carrier for attaching to a trailer hitch. The cargo holder cannot be removed from the carrier. U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,361 to Peterson shows an equipment carrier with an electric screw actuator, which is powerful but very expensive. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,528 to Johnson shows a rear mounted cargo holder for vehicles. It includes four retractable legs with wheels on the lower ends. The legs are individually operated, so that they are easily set to incorrect lengths by mistake, especially over uneven ground. U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,218 to Boyer shows another equipment carrier with an expensive screw actuator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,129 to Eisenberg et al. shows an equipment carrier with a spring-loaded pivoting arm which is limited to relatively light loads. Equipment carriers sold under the trademark “PIGGYBACK” by VenturCraft, and “DOTX” by Dotronix are cargo holders mounted on articulated arms, but they must be manually lifted onto and off the arms. Once removed from the arms, the cargo holders must be carried by hand. Because prior art equipment carriers protrude far behind the vehicle, the driver cannot accurately judge the clearance behind them when backing up, so that they can be easily damaged.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, objects of the external equipment carrier with a cargo holder for a vehicle are:
to carry a large and heavy cargo holder outside a vehicle;
to provide a collapsible cargo holder;
to lower and raise the cargo holder very easily on and off the ground;
to lower and raise the cargo holder with or without electrical power;
to support the cargo holder in position without a locking or braking system;
to be pivotable away from the rear of the vehicle to avoid blocking the tailgate or rear door;
to enable a driver to see behind and below the cargo holder when backing up;
to be compact, so that no extra space is needed for loading and unloading the equipment when
the vehicle is parked in front of another vehicle;
to enable the cargo holder to be easily transported once it is on the ground; and
to be inexpensive.
Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An external equipment carrier with a cargo holder includes an arm with a front end for being attached to a trailer hitch on a vehicle. A manual scissors jack and a vertical guide rail are connected to the back of the arm. The top of the jack is slidable along the guide rail. A cargo holder is removably carried on a support bar at the top of the jack, and can be raised or lowered by operating the jack. The arm is articulated for retracting the cargo holder to a stowed position behind the vehicle, and pivoting the cargo holder to an extended position away from the tailgate or rear door of the vehicle. The cargo holder includes retractable legs with wheels. In another embodiment, the cargo holder is supported on a foldable platform attached to the top of the jack. In another embodiment, the jack is comprised of a screw jack connected to a rear end of a hinged arm with a front end for being attached to a trailer hitch. The arm is hinged about a transverse axis, so that the jack can be lowered to allow the opening of a rear door on the vehicle. In another embodiment, the cargo holder is comprised of a platform with a hook to connect to the support member on the equipment carrier.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1817056 (1931-08-01), Belgard
patent: 4400129 (1983-08-01), Eisenberg et al.
patent: 4695218 (1987-09-01), Boyer
patent: 4744590 (1988-05-01), Chesney
patent: 4844528 (1989-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5011361 (1991-04-01), Peterson
patent: 5033662 (1991-07-01), Godin
patent: 5038983 (1991-08-01), Tomososki
patent: 5090335 (1992-02-01), Russel
patent: 5114120 (1992-05-01), Bartelt et al.
patent: 5433357 (1995-07-01), Alliff
patent: 5456564 (1995-10-01), Bianchini
patent: 5664717 (1997-09-01), Joder
patent: 5765868 (1998-06-01), Ventrone et al.
patent: 5799962 (1998-09-01), Barnhart
patent: 6105843 (2000-08-01), Dollesin
patent: 2142587 (1985-01-01), None
Brochure for “Piggyback Pod” cargo box by USA VenturCraft Corp. 2 sheets, No Date Given.
P. 28 of the Apr. 1998 issue of Truck Trend magazine showing the “Duratrunk”, the “Piggyback Pod”, and the “DOTX” cargo boxes.
Lo Jack
Vidovich Gregory M.
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