Dock bumper with integral lamp clearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427940-B2
Application number	US-202217888923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2022
Priority date	Aug 19, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A cargo vehicle includes a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport, and a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface. A rear structure of the cargo vehicle includes a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area, and a first light array is located in the rear cross member. A first dock bumper is placed directly over a first lamp of the first light array on a first lateral side of the rear cross member, the first dock bumper including a through hole accommodating the first lamp to visually mark a first outboard edge of the cargo vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo vehicle comprising:
a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface;
a rear structure including a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area;
a first light array located in the rear cross member; and
a first dock bumper placed directly over a first lamp of the first light array on a first lateral side of the rear cross member, wherein the first dock bumper includes a through hole accommodating the first lamp to visually mark a first outboard edge of the cargo vehicle,
wherein a concave recess in the first dock bumper converges toward the through hole, the concave recess providing line of sight to the first lamp from +/−45 degrees horizontal offset from directly rearward and +/−10 degrees vertical offset from directly rearward.

2. The cargo vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cargo vehicle is a dry van, a reefer, a flatbed, or a straight truck.

3. The cargo vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first lamp is within 6 inches of the first outboard edge.

4. The cargo vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the through hole in the first dock bumper has a circular cross-section.

5. A cargo vehicle comprising:
a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface;
a rear structure including a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area;
a first light array located in the rear cross member; and
a first dock bumper placed directly over a first lamp of the first light array on a first lateral side of the rear cross member, wherein the first dock bumper includes a through hole accommodating the first lamp to visually mark a first outboard edge of the cargo vehicle,
wherein the first light array includes at least second and third lamps positioned inboard of the first lamp and configured to provide taillight, braking, and turn indicator functions, and wherein the first lamp has a smaller rearview area than each of the second and third lamps.

6. A cargo vehicle comprising:
a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface;
a rear structure including a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area;
a first light array located in the rear cross member; and
a first dock bumper placed directly over a first lamp of the first light array on a first lateral side of the rear cross member, wherein the first dock bumper includes a through hole accommodating the first lamp to visually mark a first outboard edge of the cargo vehicle,
wherein the first lamp is mounted to a forward-facing interior side of the rear cross member, and the first dock bumper does not touch or support the first lamp.

7. The cargo vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a second dock bumper placed directly over a second lamp of a second light array on a second lateral side of the rear cross member, wherein the second dock bumper includes a through hole accommodating the second lamp to visually mark a second outboard edge of the cargo vehicle.

8. The cargo vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the first and second dock bumpers are mounted, respectively, directly above attachment points at which rear impact guard posts are attached to the rear cross member.

9. The cargo vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a vertical rear panel of the rear cross member that accommodates the first light array and the first dock bumper has a height of less than 10 inches.

10. The cargo vehicle of claim 9 , wherein a height of the first dock bumper is at least 33 percent of the height of the vertical rear panel of the rear cross member.

11. A cargo vehicle comprising:
a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface;
a rear structure including a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area;
a first dock bumper placed within 6 inches of a left outboard edge of the cargo vehicle;
a first clearance lamp positioned within an outer profile of the first dock bumper when viewed from the rear of the cargo vehicle;
a second dock bumper placed within 6 inches of a right outboard edge of the cargo vehicle;
a second clearance lamp positioned within an outer profile of the second dock bumper as viewed from the rear of the cargo vehicle; and
a rear impact guard extending downward from and mounted to the rear cross member, wherein the first and second dock bumpers are mounted, respectively, directly above mounting portions of the rear impact guard that are secured to the rear cross member,
wherein the rear cross member includes a vertical rear panel to which both the first and second dock bumpers are attached with respective first fasteners, and wherein the mounting portions of the rear impact guard are secured to the rear cross member with respective second fasteners that extend parallel to the first fasteners through the vertical rear panel.

12. The cargo vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a rear frame header spaced above the rear cross member, the rear frame header having no clearance lamps.

13. The cargo vehicle of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second dock bumpers has a height that is at least 33 percent of a height of a vertical rear panel of the rear cross member.

14. The cargo vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the first and second dock bumpers include respective through holes accommodating at least a portion of the respective first and second clearance lamps.

15. A cargo vehicle comprising:
a cargo area configured to receive a load of cargo for transport;
a plurality of wheels configured to support the cargo area above a road surface while the plurality of wheels roll along the road surface;
a rear structure including a rear cross member located at a rear edge of the cargo area;
a first dock bumper placed within 6 inches of a left outboard edge of the cargo vehicle;
a first clearance lamp positioned within an outer profile of the first dock bumper when viewed from the rear of the cargo vehicle;
a second dock bumper placed within 6 inches of a right outboard edge of the cargo vehicle;
a second clearance lamp positioned within an outer profile of the second dock bumper as viewed from the rear of the cargo vehicle; and
a rear impact guard extending downward from and mounted to the rear cross member, wherein the first and second dock bumpers are mounted, respectively, directly above mounting portions of the rear impact guard that are secured to the rear cross member,
wherein the first and second dock bumpers include respective through holes accommodating at least a portion of the respective first and second clearance lamps,
wherein a concave recess in the first dock bumper converges toward the through hole therein, the concave recess providing line of sight to the first clearance lamp from +/−45 degrees horizontal offset from directly rearward and +/−10 degrees vertical offset from directly rearward, and
wherein a concave recess in the second dock bumper converges toward the through hole therein, the concave recess providing line of sight to the first clearance lamp from +/−45 degrees horizontal offset from directly rearward and +/−10 degrees vertical offset from directly rearward.

Assignees

• Sti Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Moore Steven Paul

Classifications

• B65G69/001

  Buffers for vehicles at loading stations · CPC title

• B60R2019/026

  Buffers, i.e. bumpers of limited extent · CPC title

• B60R19/023 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• B60R19/56 Primary

  {Fittings damping bouncing force in truck collisions, e.g. bumpers;} Arrangements on high-riding vehicles, e.g. lorries, for preventing vehicles or objects from running thereunder · CPC title