Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-06
2001-02-13
Vanaman, Frank (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S851000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186527
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a mechanism for securing a mud flap to a vehicle; and more particularly, to a mechanism that facilitates the installation of a mud flap to a vehicle that requires only one person to install the mud flap, using only one tool, and not requiring any specialized types or forms of mud flaps.
Mud flaps are commonly hung behind tires of motor vehicles to prevent, in part, the throwing of mud, water, stones, gravel or other objects back into the windshields of vehicles following behind. State laws require that mud flaps be used on trucks, tractors and trailers; and the state laws often define certain guidelines for the size and positioning of the mud flaps with respect to the vehicle and with respect to the road.
Often times, when such heavy vehicles are being driven in reverse, the mud flaps will be caught between the rotating rear wheels of the heavy vehicle and an object such as a mound of dirt or a curb, causing the mud flap to be torn or pulled out from the mud flap retainer system mounted to the underside of the heavy vehicle. Accordingly, when this happens, a mud flap will have to be re-installed soon thereafter so as to avoid violating any of the State guidelines. Many conventional mud flap retainer assemblies require specialized mud flaps. For example, mud flap assemblies shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,624 to Aber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,568 to Hollon and U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,094 to Haddox require the mud flaps to include holes or apertures for receiving corresponding studs or projections extending from the mud flap retainers. Therefore, when such specialized mud flaps are torn or ripped from their respective retainer assemblies, the holes in the mud flaps will often be ripped out or damaged, thereby ruining the ability for that mud flap to be reattached to the retainer assembly. Therefore, to re-hang the damaged mud flap the driver or technician will have to cut away the portions of the mud flaps with the damaged holes and then punch new holes into the mud flap. Otherwise, a new mud flap will need to be installed.
Other conventional mud flap assemblies, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,727 to Rock and U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,667 to Manning require the mud flaps to have upper ends terminating in specialized bosses or lugs so as to be retained within correspondingly shaped channels or grooves in the retainer assembly. Accordingly, if such mud flaps were torn from the retainer assemblies, often times the bosses or lugs on the upper end of the mud flap will be damaged, thereby ruining the use of that mud flap within the specialized retainer assembly. Because of the specialized design of such mud flaps, the driver will seldom be able to repair the damaged portions, thereby requiring the use of a new mud flap.
Still other known mud flap retainer assemblies fail to facilitate the quick and simple re-installation of a new or damaged mud flap to the mud flap retainer assembly by a single individual. Accordingly, there is a need for a mud flap retainer assembly which allows a single person to install a mud flap to the retainer assembly, using a minimal amount of tools and requiring a minimal amount of time. There is also a need for a mud flap retainer assembly which allows the use of non-specialized mud flaps, and also allows ripped or damaged mud flaps to be easily re-installed.
SUMMARY
The mud flap retainer system of the present invention comprises a mud flap retainer member; a plurality of threaded studs extending substantially horizontally and rearward from the rear face of the mud flap retainer member and positioned between the top and bottom ends of the mud flap retainer member; a plurality of nuts, sized for being threaded onto the threaded studs; and a plurality of coupling shoes. Each coupling shoe includes a bore extending substantially horizontally therethrough for receiving a corresponding one of the threaded studs. Thus the shoes can be positioned on the retainer member by sliding threaded studs through the bores. By holding the mud flap between the retainer member and the shoes, and below the threaded studs, and by threading the nuts onto the ends of the threaded studs extending through the rear opening of the bores, the shoes arc caused to be pressed towards the retainer member, which in turn, causes mud flap to be retained between the retainer member and the shoes.
The shoes preferably include a projection extending forward from the forward face of the coupling shoe and positioned above the bore. The projection is adapted to abut the rear face of the stationary member, thereby providing a fulcrum for the coupling shoe when the nuts are tightened on the studs extending through the bores. Preferably, each coupling shoe also includes at least one tooth extending forward from the forward face of the coupling shoe below the bore, where the tooth is adapted to grip a mud flap positioned between the mud flap retainer member and the coupling shoe when the nuts are tightened onto the studs extending through the bores. Preferably, the nuts are capped nuts so as to protect the threads of the studs.
Accordingly, a mud flap may be easily installed onto the mud flap retainer assembly by a single individual according to the following steps: first, the individual will position a first one of the coupling shoes onto the retainer member so that a first one of the threaded studs is received in a forward opening of the bore extending through the coupling shoe, and will slide the first coupling shoe forward along the first threaded stud until a portion of the first threaded stud protrudes through the rear opening of the bore; next, the individual will thread a nut onto the portion of the first threaded stud protruding through the rear opening of the bore; finally, while holding a first portion of the mud flap with one hand, below the first threaded stud and between the rear face of the mud flap retainer member and the forward face of the first coupling shoe, the individual uses the other hand to tighten the nut with a wrench, thereby pressing the first portion of the mud flap between the mud flap retainer member and the forward face of the first coupling shoe. Once the first portion of the mud flap is retained, the individual will easily position a second one of the coupling shoes onto a second one of the threaded studs as above, threading a nut on the portion of the second threaded stud protruding through the rear opening of the bore, and while using one hand to hold a second portion of the mud flap below the second threaded stud, between the rear face of the mud flap retainer member and the forward face of the second coupling shoe, using the other hand to tighten the nut on the second threaded stud with the wrench, thereby pressing the second portion of the mud flap between the mud flap retainer member and the forward face of the first coupling shoe.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mud flap retainer assembly and a method for using the mud flap retainer assembly that requires only one person to install the mud flap to the retainer assembly and allows the use of non-specialized mud flaps or even mud flaps that have been damaged or ton. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2012921 (1935-08-01), Bahr
patent: 2755484 (1956-07-01), Hotz
patent: 3158386 (1964-11-01), Tillinghast et al.
patent: 3219363 (1965-11-01), Dalsey et al.
patent: 3285624 (1966-11-01), Aber et al.
patent: 3684312 (1972-08-01), Evans
patent: 3700260 (1972-10-01), Moore et al.
patent: 3726544 (1973-04-01), Miller
patent: 3899193 (1975-08-01), Evans
patent: 4043568 (1977-08-01), Hollon
patent: 4326727 (1982-04-01), Rock
patent: 4487422 (1984-12-01), Turunen
patent: 4505010 (1985-03-01), Arenhold
patent: 4572532 (1986-02-01), Early et al.
patent: 4923215 (1990-05-01), Williams
patent: 5026094 (1991-06-01), Haddox
patent: 5044667 (1991-09-01), Manning
patent: 5048868 (1991-09-01), Arenhold
patent: 585093
Ewing Michael D.
Monhollen Garry
Thompson Hine & Flory LLP
Vanaman Frank
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