Vehicle restraints with activated catches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9272854-B2
Application number	US-201414174583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Vehicle restraints with activated catches are disclosed. An example vehicle restraint includes a main body mountable at a loading dock and to move vertically relative to the loading dock. A barrier is movable relative to the main body to selectively block and release a RIG of a vehicle, where the barrier is selectively movable to a first blocking position to block the RIG, a stored position to release the RIG, and an intermediate position between the first blocking position and the stored position. A pawl is movable relative to the barrier between an activated position and a released position. A stop is carried by the main body and a pawl actuator is coupled to at least one of the main body and the barrier. The pawl actuator has a contact surface to engage the RIG, where the contact surface is movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the barrier. The contact surface moves between the raised position and the lowered position in response to relative movement between the RIG and the barrier while the contact surface is in engagement with the RIG. Movement of the contact surface from the raised position to the lowered position is to cause the pawl to move from the released position to the activated position. The pawl is spaced apart from the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position while the pawl is in the released position and the pawl to engage the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position while the pawl is in the activated position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle restraint to engage a RIG (rear impact guard) of a vehicle at a loading dock, the vehicle restraint comprising:
a main body mountable at the loading dock to move vertically relative to the loading dock;
a barrier movable relative to the main body to selectively block and release the RIG of the vehicle, the barrier being selectively movable to a first blocking position to block the RIG, a stored position to release the RIG, and an intermediate position between the first blocking position and the stored position;
a pawl movable relative to the barrier between an activated position and a released position;
a stop carried by the main body; and
a pawl actuator coupled to at least one of the main body and the barrier, the pawl actuator being movable relative to the pawl, the pawl actuator having a contact surface to engage the RIG, the contact surface being movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the barrier, the contact surface to move between the raised position and the lowered position in response to relative movement between the RIG and the barrier and while the contact surface is in engagement with the RIG, movement of the contact surface from the raised position to the lowered position to cause the pawl to move from the released position to the activated position, the pawl being spaced apart from the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is in the released position, the pawl to engage the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is in the activated position.

2. A vehicle restraint to engage a RIG (rear impact guard) of a vehicle at a loading dock, the vehicle restraint comprising:
a main body mountable at the loading dock to move vertically relative to the loading dock;
a barrier movable relative to the main body to selectively block and release the RIG of the vehicle, the barrier being selectively movable to a first blocking position to block the RIG, a stored position to release the RIG, and an intermediate position between the first blocking position and the stored position;
a pawl movable relative to the barrier between an activated position and a released position;
a stop carried by the main body; and
a pawl actuator coupled to at least one of the main body and the barrier, the pawl actuator having a contact surface to engage the RIG, the contact surface being movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the barrier, the contact surface of the pawl actuator to rotate relative to the barrier between the raised position and the lowered position in response to relative movement between the RIG and the barrier while the contact surface is in engagement with the RIG, movement of the contact surface from the raised position to the lowered position to cause the pawl to rotate relative to the barrier between the released position and the activated position, and as the pawl and the contact surface rotate, respectively, to the activated position and the lowered position the pawl and the contact surface rotate in opposite rotational directions, the pawl being spaced apart from the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is at the released position, the pawl to engage the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is at the activated position.

3. The vehicle restraint of claim 1 , wherein the pawl and the pawl actuator are each rotatable about an axis defined by the barrier.

4. The vehicle restraint of claim 1 , wherein the pawl actuator includes an upper end to rotate downward relative to the main body in response to the contact surface moving to the lowered position.

5. The vehicle restraint of claim 4 , wherein the upper end of the pawl actuator is biased upward when the contact surface is disengaged from the RIG.

6. A vehicle restraint to engage a RIG (rear impact guard) of a vehicle at a loading dock, the vehicle restraint comprising:
a main body mountable at the loading dock to move vertically relative to the loading dock;
a barrier movable relative to the main body to selectively block and release the RIG of the vehicle, the barrier being selectively movable to a first blocking position to block the RIG, a stored position to release the RIG, and an intermediate position between the first blocking position and the stored position;
a pawl movable relative to the barrier between an activated position and a released position;
a stop carried by the main body; and
a pawl actuator coupled to at least one of the main body and the barrier, the pawl actuator having a contact surface to engage the RIG, the contact surface to move between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the barrier, the contact surface to move between the raised position and the lowered position in response to relative movement between the RIG and the barrier and while the contact surface is in engagement with the RIG, movement of the contact surface from the raised position to the lowered position to cause the pawl to move from the released position to the activated position, the pawl being spaced apart from the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is at the released position, the pawl to engage the stop when the barrier is at the intermediate position and while the pawl is at the activated position;
a sensor operatively coupled to at least one of the barrier, the pawl, or the pawl actuator, and
a signal generator in communication with the sensor, the signal generator to provide a first signal when the barrier is in the blocking position, the signal generator to provide a second signal when the barrier is in the intermediate position, and the signal generator to provide a third signal when the barrier is in the stored position, the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal being distinguishable from each other.

7. The vehicle restraint of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor to detect relative positioning between the barrier and the pawl actuator; and
a signal generator in communication with the sensor, the signal generator to provide a signal in response to the sensor detecting a predetermined position of the pawl actuator relative to the barrier.

8. The vehicle restraint of claim 1 , further comprising a pivotal link to couple the pawl to the pawl actuator.

9. A method to selectively block and release a vehicle at a loading dock, the method comprising:
moving a main body of a vehicle restraint downward relative to the loading dock;
raising a barrier of the vehicle restraint coupled to the main body from a stored position to a first blocking position relative to the main body to block a guard of the vehicle at the loading dock;
moving a pawl actuator of the vehicle restraint relative to a pawl in response to the guard engaging a contact surface of the pawl actuator such that engagement between the guard and the contact surface forces the contact surface in a downwardly direction;
moving the pawl relative to the barrier from a released position to an activated position in response to forcing the contact surface in the downward direction, the pawl being spaced apart from a stop on the main body when the pawl is in the released position;
maintaining a spaced-apart relationship between the pawl and the stop when the barrier is in the first blocking position and while the pawl is in the activated position;
moving the barrier to an intermediate position that is above the stored position and below the first blocking position;
establishing engagement between the pawl and the stop when the barrier is in the intermediate position and while the pawl is in the activated position;
releasing

Assignees

• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Lessard Kurt
• Cotton Timothy
• Brooks Andrew

Classifications

• B65G2207/40

  Safety features of loads, equipment or persons · CPC title

• B65G69/003 Primary

  Restraining movement of a vehicle at a loading station using means not being part of the vehicle · CPC title

• B65G69/28 Primary

  Loading ramps; Loading docks (as road or railway equipment B61B1/00, E01F1/00) · CPC title