Upper coupler assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185403-A1
Application number	US-201514975012-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An upper coupler assembly for use with a trailer includes an apron assembly and a grid assembly coupled with the apron assembly. The apron assembly is arranged to engage a coupling of a vehicle to cause the coupling to be aligned with the grid assembly when the upper coupler is being coupled with the vehicle. The grid assembly couples the upper coupler assembly with the coupling of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An upper coupler assembly for use with a trailer, the upper coupler assembly comprising:
an apron assembly including a generally horizontal bottom plate configured to engage a coupling of a vehicle, a floor plate spaced apart from the bottom plate, and a plurality of dividers coupled with the bottom plate and coupled with the floor plate to support the floor plate above the bottom plate, and wherein each of the plurality of dividers includes an upright sidewall extending away from the bottom plate toward the floor plate, each upright sidewall includes a web section, a scalloped section, and a support section extending between the web section and the scalloped section, the dividers positioned to cause the web sections to be aligned with one another along a straight path, and the support sections of the plurality of dividers have varying lengths to cause the scalloped sections of the dividers to be arranged along a curved path.

2 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein each scalloped section includes a generally vertical upper surface, a generally vertical lower surface, and a curved scalloped surface extending between the upper surface and the lower surface.

3 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 2 , wherein the curved scalloped surface has a constant radius of curvature.

4 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 3 , wherein the radius of the curved scalloped surface is between about one inch and about five inches.

5 . The upper coupler assembly claim 1 , wherein the support section is coupled with the bottom plate and the scalloped section is engaged with the bottom plate without being directly coupled with the bottom plate.

6 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein each support section is formed to include at least one oval divider aperture that extends through the support section and the divider apertures are formed in the dividers to cause the oval divider apertures to be aligned with one another.

7 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 1 , further including a frame having a front plate and the web section of each upright sidewall is coupled to the front plate of the frame.

8 . An upper coupler assembly for use with a trailer, the upper coupler assembly comprising:
an apron assembly including a bottom plate, a floor plate spaced apart from the bottom plate, and a plurality of dividers coupled with the bottom plate and coupled with the floor plate, and wherein each of the plurality of dividers includes an upright sidewall extending away from the bottom plate toward the floor plate, each upright sidewall includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the first ends of the dividers aligned with one another along a straight path, and the plurality of dividers have varying lengths to cause the second ends of the dividers to be arranged along a curved path.

9 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of dividers includes a pair of first dividers having a first length, a pair of second dividers having a second length greater than the first length, and a pair of third dividers having a third length greater than the second length.

10 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 9 , wherein the pair of second dividers is located between the pair of third dividers and the pair of first dividers is located between the pair of second dividers.

11 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 8 , wherein the curved path has a constant radius of curvature.

12 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 11 , wherein the curved path has a radius between about two feet and about six feet.

13 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 8 , wherein the floor plate includes a lower surface facing the dividers, an upper surface spaced apart from the lower surface, and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the upper surface and the lower surface to form a plurality of weld apertures and each of the weld apertures is aligned with a corresponding one of the dividers.

14 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 13 , wherein each weld aperture is one of an oval, elliptical, or circular shape.

15 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 13 , wherein each divider includes the upright sidewall coupled to the bottom plate and an upper platform extending away generally perpendicularly from the upright sidewall and the upper coupler assembly further includes weld material located in each of the weld apertures to form fillet welds between the floor plate and the upper platform of the dividers to couple the floor plate with the plurality of dividers.

16 . An upper coupler assembly for use with a trailer, the upper coupler assembly comprising:
an apron assembly including a generally horizontal bottom plate, a floor plate spaced apart from the bottom plate, and a plurality of dividers coupled with the bottom plate and coupled with the floor plate to support the floor plate above the bottom plate, and a grid assembly including a grid plate, a cover assembly coupled to the grid plate and including (i) a U-shaped front cross-member located toward the apron assembly, (ii) a U-shaped rear cross-member spaced apart from the U-shaped front cross-member to define a main channel between the U-shaped front cross-member and the U-shaped rear cross-member, and (iii) a main panel extending between the U-shaped front cross-member and the U-shaped rear cross-member to close the main channel, a kingpin assembly positioned in the main channel and coupled to the grid plate, and a plurality of ribs positioned in the main channel, each rib extending between the U-shaped front cross-member and the U-shaped rear cross-member.

17 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 16 , wherein the kingpin assembly includes a platform, a kingpin spool extending downwardly from the platform through the grid plate, and a downwardly-opening reinforcement channel support coupled to the platform, the reinforcement channel support including a first side arm coupled to the platform along a length of the reinforcement channel support, a second side arm coupled to the platform along the length of the reinforcement channel support, a first end coupled to one of the ribs positioned in the main channel, and a second end spaced apart from the first end along the length of the reinforcement channel support and coupled to one of the ribs positioned in the main channel support.

18 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 16 , wherein each rib is formed to include a rib aperture that extends through the rib and each rib aperture is formed in a midsection of each rib to cause the rib apertures to be aligned with one another.

19 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 16 , wherein the grid plate includes a plate body and a joggled lip that extends away from the plate body toward the bottom plate of the apron assembly and the joggled lip overlaps the bottom plate of the apron assembly to cause the plate body to be generally aligned horizontally with the bottom plate of the apron assembly.

20 . The upper coupler assembly of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of dividers includes an upright sidewall extending away from the bottom plate toward the floor plate, each upright sidewall includes a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end, the first ends of the dividers aligned with one another along a straight path, and the plurality of dividers have varying lengths to cause the second ends of the dividers to be arranged along a curved path.

Assignees

• Wabash National Lp

Inventors

• Wylezinski Andrzej

Classifications

• B62D53/06 Primary

  Semi-trailers · CPC title

• B62D21/20

  trailer type, i.e. a frame specifically constructed for use in a non-powered vehicle · CPC title

• B62D53/0842

  King pins · CPC title