Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – End gates
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-24
2003-09-09
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
End gates
C296S057100, C296S060000, C292SDIG002, C292SDIG007
Reexamination Certificate
active
06616207
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a utility vehicle which has a load-carrying platform with side plates and a carrier gate, and is suitable for carrying goods on roads in rough terrains.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 5A and 5B
showing a general four-wheeled utility vehicle disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open publication No. Sho 63-202579, the four-wheeled utility vehicle has a body frame
10
of a metal, four wheels, i.e., two front wheels
2
and two rear wheels
3
, suspended from the body frame
10
, a driving unit including an engine, mounted on the body frame
10
, a driver's seat
4
and a load-carrying platform
5
′. The four-wheeled utility vehicle is often provided with wide tires suitable for traveling on rough roads. A cabin frame
20
is disposed in front of the load-carrying platform
5
′ so as to cover the front, rear, right and left sides of the driver's seat
4
. The cabin frame
20
protects the driver. A roof or a hood, not shown, can be attached to the cabin frame
20
. Generally, the utility vehicle is not provided with any side door beside the driver's seat
4
and is not provided with any windshield because the maximum traveling speed, i.e., the upper limit of traveling ability, of the utility vehicle is low and the driver must be able to get on and off the utility vehicle easily for efficient work.
The load-carrying platform
5
′ has side plates
70
′ set on the opposite sides thereof, and a gate
80
′ hinged on the rear end thereof to hold cargo thereon. The gate
80
′ can be turned for opening and closing on a laterally extending support rod, not shown, to which a lower portion of the gate
80
′ is supported. The gate
80
′ is opened by turning the same backward on the support rod to facilitate loading cargo on the load-carrying platform
5
′ and is closed by turning the same forward on the support rod to hold cargo on the load-carrying platform
5
′. The gate
80
′ is kept closed with locking pins
84
′ as shown in FIG.
6
. When the gate
80
′ is closed, a locking bar
82
′ attached to the side of the gate
80
′ enters a groove
72
a
′ formed in a bracket
72
′ attached to the rear end of the side plate
70
′. The locking pin
84
′ is inserted in holes formed in the bracket
72
′ to retain the locking bar
82
′ in the groove
72
a
′ of the bracket
72
′. The gate
80
′ is unable to turn backward on the support rod and to open unless the locking pin
84
′ is pulled out of the holes of the bracket
72
′ to release the locking bar
82
′ from the bracket
72
′.
The gate capable of being kept closed by the locking pin is simple in construction and inexpensive. However, the driver, i.e., the operator, needs to grip the locking pin to pull out the same from the holes of the bracket to open the gate and to insert the locking pin in the holes of the bracket to close the gate. These operations take time and are troublesome, and reduces the efficiency of cargo carrying work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a utility vehicle having a load-carrying platform provided with a gate that is simple in construction and can be easily opened and closed.
According to the present invention, a utility vehicle has a load-carrying platform; a pair of side plates disposed on opposite sides of the load-carrying platform; a gate disposed on a rear end of the load-carrying platform, the gate being supported on and swingable about a laterally extending support rod for opening and closing; a pair of gate locking bolts mounted on the gate each capable of engaging the side plate to hold the gate in the closed state, wherein the gate locking bolt is axially movable in lateral directions between a locking position where a head portion thereof projects laterally outward from a side end of the gate and engages the side plate and a retracted position where the head portion thereof is separated from the side plate, wherein the gate locking bolt is biased toward the locking position by a spring, and wherein the gate locking bolt is capable of being urged toward the retracted position by the side plate that engages the head portion of the gate locking bolt just before the gate is joined to the side plates when the gate is turned to be closed; and a pair of handles each connected to the gate locking bolt, wherein the gate locking bolt is capable of being moved to the retracted position by operating the handle.
Unless otherwise specified, the words “front”, “rear”, “right” and “left” are used herein to signify position or direction with respect to the direction of forward travel of the utility vehicle, and the words “lateral” and “outer” are used to signify the right/left side portions of the utility vehicle. The words “lateral”, “back-and-forth (longitudinal)”, “vertical” and “horizontal” are not used in strict sense and is used to signify being substantially lateral, being substantially back-and-forth (longitudinal), being substantially vertical and being substantially horizontal.
The gate of the utility vehicle of the present invention can be opened and closed in the following manner.
When opening the gate, the handles are operated to move the gate locking bolts to their retracted positions, and then the gate is turned on the support rod to open the same. The gate locking bolt can be easily moved to the retracted position against the resilience of the spring. Any troublesome operations, such as pulling locking pins or turning screws are not needed.
When closing the gate, the gate is turned on the support rod to set the gate in a vertical position. When the gate is opened and the handle is released, the gate locking bolt is biased laterally outward by the spring. The head portions of the gate locking bolts project outward from the opposite ends of the gate. When the gate is turned toward the closed position, the head portion of the gate locking bolt comes into engagement with the side plate. Before the gate is completely closed, the gate locking bolt is urged toward the retracted position by the side plate, and then the gate locking bolt is moved to the locking position by the spring. The gate locking bolt engages the side plate upon the arrival of the gate at the closed position to lock the gate at the closed position. The gate locking bolt is moved toward the retracted position against the resilience of the spring just before the gate is closed completely. Therefore, although the gate must be pressed with some force, the gate can be easily closed by a single closing action.
The gate locking bolt can be easily moved toward the retracted position by the side plate when the head portion of the gate locking bolt is beveled properly, and the gate can be easily supported for turning on the support rod. Therefore, the gate of the utility vehicle is simple in construction, durable and suitable for the load-carrying platform of the utility vehicle.
Preferably, the gate has opposite end portions each restrains a portion of the side plate where the gate locking bolt is engaged nearby from laterally moving away from the gate locking bolt.
When the load-carrying platform is fully loaded with cargo, the side plates of the load-carrying platform are liable to be tilted forcibly outward. If the side plates are tilted excessively, it is possible that the side plates are disengaged from the gate locking bolts. Since the portions of the side plates in engagement with the gate locking bolts are restrained from moving away from the gate locking bolts by the opposite end portions of the gate, the side plates cannot be disengaged from the gate locking bolts. Consequently, the gate and the side plates are connected steadily, cooperate to prevent the dislocation and deformation thereof. As a result, cargo can be stably held on the load-carrying platform.
Preferably, the utility vehicle furth
Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Pedder Dennis H.
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