Pickup truck cargo-restraint system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518693-B2
Application number	US-201715807807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A cargo-restraint system includes a cargo-restraint apparatus and an anchor plate disposed on a sidewall of a pickup-truck box. The cargo-restraint apparatus includes a spool supported for rotation within a housing, and a strap wound on the spool and extendable and retractable relative to the housing. A strap-return mechanism rotationally biases the spool in a return direction of the strap. A ratchet assembly is supported by the housing and is configured to resist rotation of the spool in the return direction when engaged and to permit rotation when disengaged. The housing is configured to connect with the anchor plate to secure the cargo-restraint apparatus to the box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo-restraint apparatus comprising:
a housing defining an opening;
a shaft extending through the housing and rotatable relative to the housing;
a spool supported on the shaft within the housing, the spool being rotationally fixed to the shaft and rotatable within the housing via the shaft;
a strap extendable through the opening and including a fix end attached to the spool and a free end adapted to attach to an object, the strap being wound on the spool such that the spool rotates in a first direction when the strap is extended and rotates in a second direction when the strap is retracted;
a strap-return mechanism including a biasing member having a first portion fixed to the housing and a second portion fixed to the shaft, wherein the biasing member urges the shaft in the second direction to retract the strap onto the spool;
a ratchet assembly disposed in the housing and including a gear fixed to the shaft and a pawl fixed to the housing, the pawl being biased to engage with the gear, wherein the gear and the pawl are configured to mesh when the gear is rotated in the first direction to resist rotation of the shaft and inhibit extension of the strap and configured to not mesh when the gear is rotated in the second direction to permit rotation of the shaft in the second direction; and
a release actuator connected to the pawl and configured to disengage the pawl from the gear when actuated, wherein the strap-return mechanism automatically retracts the strap when the release actuator is actuated.

2. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

3. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the spring is a spiral spring.

4. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a cleat adapted to be received within a mounting plate.

5. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pawl is biased such that friction force between the pawl and the gear resists rotation of the shaft in the second direction.

6. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gear defines teeth that are curved in the first direction.

7. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pawl is pivotally mounted to the housing and has a tip configured to mesh with the teeth of the gear, wherein the arm pawl is pivotal between a first position in which the tip is meshed with the teeth and a second position in which the tip is not meshed with the teeth.

8. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a spring acting between the housing and the pawl to bias the pawl into the first position.

9. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the ratchet assembly further includes a pin extending through the pawl and mounted to the housing, and, wherein the release actuator is configured to rotate the pawl about the pin, wherein the pin extends through the pawl between the tip and the release actuator.

10. The cargo-restraint apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a handle fixed to a portion of the spool that is external to the housing.

11. A cargo-restraint system of a pickup-truck box including opposing sidewalls, the cargo-restraint system comprising:
an anchor plate supported on one of the sidewalls of the box and defining an opening; and
a tie-down including:
a spool housing having a cleat adapted to be received within the opening to secure the housing to the anchor plate,
a shaft extending through the housing and rotatable relative to the housing,
a spool supported on the shaft within the housing, the spool being rotationally fixed to the shaft and rotatable within the housing via the shaft,
a strap including a fix end attached to the spool and a free end adapted to attach to the box, wherein the spool is rotatable in a first direction to release a portion of the strap and is rotatable in a second direction to retract the strap,
a strap-return mechanism including a biasing member having a first portion fixed to the housing and a second portion fixed to the shaft, wherein the biasing member urges the shaft in the second direction to retract the strap onto the spool,
a ratchet assembly disposed in the housing and including a gear fixed to the shaft and a pawl fixed to the housing, the pawl being biased to engage with the gear, wherein the gear and the pawl are configured to mesh when the gear is rotated in the first direction to resist rotation of the shaft and inhibit extension of the strap and configured to not mesh when the gear is rotated in the second direction to permit rotation of the shaft in the second direction, and
a release actuator connected to the pawl and configured to disengage the pawl from the gear when actuated, wherein the strap-return mechanism automatically retracts the strap when the release actuator is actuated.

12. The cargo-restraint system of claim 11 further comprising a second anchor plate disposed in the other of the sidewalls, wherein the free end is connectable to the second anchor plate to secure the strap over cargo disposed between the anchor plate and the second anchor plate.

13. The cargo-restraint system of claim 11 , wherein the cleat includes a head and a neck, and wherein the opening defines an insertion portion sized to receive the head therethrough and a locking portion that is sized to receive the neck, wherein the locking portion is narrower than head to prevent removal of the cleat.

14. The cargo-restraint system of claim 13 further comprising a locking tab extending from a same side of the housing as the cleat and configured to engage with an edge portion of the opening to retain the cleat in the locking portion of the opening.

15. The cargo-restraint system of claim 11 , wherein the pawl is biased such that friction force between the pawl and the gear resist rotation of the shaft in the second direction.

16. The cargo-restraint system of claim 11 , wherein the biasing member is a spring.

17. The cargo-restraint system of claim 16 , wherein the pawl is pivotally mounted to the housing and has a tip configured to mesh with teeth of the gear, wherein the pawl is pivotal between a first position in which the tip is meshed with the teeth and a second position in which the tip is not meshed with the teeth.

18. An automatically retractable spool-type tie-down for use with a pickup truck, the tie-down comprising:
a housing attachable to a sidewall of a pickup-truck box;
a spring-loaded spool supported for rotation within the housing and biased in a return direction;
a strap wound on the spool and extendable from the housing to secure cargo;
a ratchet assembly supported by the housing and configured to resist rotation of the spool to maintain extension of the strap when engaged and to permit rotation in the return direction when disengaged to automatically recoil the strap; and
a spiral spring having a first end fixed to the housing and a second end fixed to the spool, wherein the spring biases the spool in the return direction.

19. The tie-down of claim 18 , wherein the ratchet assembly includes a gear fixed on the spool and a pawl assembly engageable to lock the gear to the housing.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Moua Jimmy
• Hagedorn Gregory
• Line Johnathan Andrew

Classifications

• B60P7/0853 Primary

  Tools for manipulating straps or tighteners · CPC title

• B60P7/0846 Primary

  winding up or storing of straps · CPC title