Dolly assemblies including locking assemblies for locking child dolly carousels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787456-B2
Application number	US-202117330830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	May 26, 2021
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A dolly assembly includes a parent dolly including a support frame that defines a truck-receiving volume. A child dolly includes a support frame that is sized to be received within the truck-receiving volume. The child dolly includes a child dolly carousel. The parent dolly and the child dolly together include a locking assembly including a locking arm that prevents rotation of the child dolly carousel in a locked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dolly assembly, comprising:
a parent dolly comprising a support frame that defines a truck-receiving volume;
a child dolly comprising a support frame that is sized to be received within the truck-receiving volume, the child dolly comprising a child dolly carousel;
wherein the parent dolly and the child dolly together comprise a locking assembly comprising a locking arm that prevents rotation of the child dolly carousel in a locked position, the locking arm directly engaging the child dolly carousel in the locked position.

2. The dolly assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locking assembly comprises the locking arm that is rotatably mounted to the support frame of the child dolly at a pivot location.

3. The dolly assembly of claim 2 , wherein the locking arm comprises a contact portion and an interlock portion, the pivot location located between the contact portion and the interlock portion.

4. The dolly assembly of claim 3 , wherein the contact portion is heavier than the interlock portion such that the locking arm is biased by gravity toward the locked position.

5. The dolly assembly of claim 4 , wherein the locking assembly comprises a ramp that is mounted to the support frame of the parent dolly, the ramp located such that the contact portion of the locking arm engages a sloped portion of the ramp to raise the contact portion toward an unlocked position.

6. The dolly assembly of claim 5 , wherein, in the locked position, a free end of the interlock portion engages the child dolly carousel within a notch in the child dolly carousel.

7. The dolly assembly of claim 6 , wherein, in the unlocked position, the free end of the interlock portion moves away from the notch.

8. The dolly assembly of claim 1 , wherein the child dolly comprises a rack assembly that is mounted upon the child dolly carousel, the rack assembly rotating along with the child dolly carousel between a first position and a second position.

9. A method of preventing rotation of a child dolly carousel of a child dolly using a locking assembly, the method comprising:
moving the child dolly out of a truck receiving volume of a parent dolly; and
as the child dolly is being removed from the truck-receiving volume, a locking arm of the locking assembly automatically engaging the child dolly carousel thereby preventing rotation of the child dolly carousel while the child dolly is removed from the truck-receiving volume;
wherein the locking assembly comprises the locking arm that is rotatably mounted to a support frame of the child dolly at a pivot location.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the locking arm comprises a contact portion and an interlock portion, the pivot location located between the contact portion and the interlock portion.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the contact portion is heavier than the interlock portion such that the locking arm is biased by gravity toward the a locked position.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising moving the child dolly back into the truck-receiving volume, the locking assembly comprising a ramp that is mounted to a support frame of the parent dolly, the ramp located such that the contact portion of the locking arm engaging a sloped portion of the ramp thereby raising the contact portion toward an unlocked position as the child dolly is moved into the truck-receiving volume.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein, in the locked position, a free end of the interlock portion engaging the child dolly carousel within a notch in the child dolly carousel.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein, in the unlocked position, the free end of the interlock portion moving away from the notch.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the child dolly comprises a rack assembly that is mounted upon the child dolly carousel.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising rotating the rack assembly along with the child dolly carousel between a first position and a second position.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Boggs Ethan R

Classifications

• B62B3/16 Primary

  vertically stackable · CPC title

• B62B3/005

  Details of storage means, e.g. drawers, bins or racks · CPC title

• B62B3/02

  involving parts being adjustable, collapsible, attachable, detachable or convertible · CPC title

• B62B5/0026

  Propulsion aids · CPC title

• B62B2203/071

  turning around a vertical pivot axis · CPC title