Rear impact guard

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566923-B2
Application number	US-201514645095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A rear impact guard configured to be coupled to a rear end of a trailer includes (i) a bumper support member having an upper end configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer, and (ii) a horizontal bumper mounted at a lower end of the bumper support member. The bumper support member includes a hollow, generally triangular prism member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rear impact guard configured to be coupled to a rear end of a trailer, comprising:
a bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer; and
a horizontal bumper mounted at a lower end of the bumper support member,
wherein the bumper support member includes a hollow, generally triangular prism member,
wherein the triangular hollow prism member includes first and second generally triangle-shaped faces, a vertical member, a horizontal member, and an angled member, and wherein the vertical, horizontal and angled members are each positioned between and coupled to outer edges of the first and second triangular-shaped faces.

2. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each triangular-shaped face includes a first bottom edge and the vertical member includes a second bottom edge generally perpendicular to the first bottom edge, and wherein a top surface of the horizontal bumper is coupled to the first and second bottom edges of the triangular hollow prism member.

3. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein each triangular-shaped face includes a generally triangular-shaped aperture, and wherein the horizontal member and the angled member each include an aperture.

4. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein the vertical member extends vertically above the horizontal member.

5. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein a first distance between a forward-most portion of each triangular-shaped face is less than a second distance between outer edges of the horizontal member.

6. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein a bottom edge of the angled member is coupled to a front wall of the horizontal bumper and wherein the horizontal bumper is generally tube-shaped.

7. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein an angle between the vertical member and each triangular-shaped face is less than 90 degrees.

8. The rear impact guard of claim 7 , wherein the angle is approximately 87 degrees.

9. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein the first triangular-shaped face, the second triangular-shaped face, and the vertical member cooperate to define a one-piece component.

10. The rear impact guard of claim 9 , wherein the horizontal member and the angled member cooperate to define a one-piece component.

11. The rear impact guard of claim 1 , wherein the bumper support member is a first bumper support member, and wherein the rear impact guard further includes a second bumper support member spaced-apart from the first bumper support member.

12. The rear impact guard of claim 11 , further comprising a third bumper support member.

13. The rear impact guard of claim 12 , further comprising a floor assembly, a first support base associated with the first bumper support member, a second support base associated with the second bumper support member, and a third support base associated with the third bumper support member, and wherein each of the support bases is positioned between its respective bumper support member and the floor assembly.

14. The rear impact guard of claim 13 , further comprising a fourth bumper support member and a fourth support base associated with the fourth bumper support member, and wherein the first and second bumper support members are positioned to the left of a longitudinal axis of the trailer and the third and fourth bumper support members are positioned to the right of a longitudinal axis of the trailer when viewed from the rear.

15. The rear impact guard of claim 14 , wherein the floor assembly includes a pair of spaced apart slide rails extending generally perpendicular to and forwardly away from the bumper, and a plurality of spaced apart cross members positioned over and generally perpendicular to the pair of slide rails, and wherein the first support base and the fourth support base each include a cover, the first and fourth bumper support members and associated first and fourth support bases being positioned outboard of the slide rails, and wherein the second and third support bases include a cutout, each cutouts being positioned below the associated slide rail.

16. The rear impact guard of claim 15 , wherein first and fourth support bases comprise a first continuous member having a first lower surface including at one end a generally upstanding first front arm and at an opposing end a first rear arm extending at an angle generally upwardly and away from the first lower surface and wherein in the cover is an upside down U-shaped cover positioned between the first front arm and the first rear arm downwardly toward the first lower surface; and wherein the second and third support bases comprise a second continuous member having a second lower surface including at one end a generally upstanding second front arm and at an opposing end a second rear arm extending at an angle generally upwardly and away from the second lower surface, the second rear arm including the cutout.

17. A rear impact guard configured to be coupled to a rear end of a trailer, comprising:
a first bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer;
a second bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer;
a third bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer;
a fourth bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer;
a horizontal bumper mounted at a lower end of the bumper support members;
a floor assembly including:
a pair of spaced apart slide rails extending generally perpendicular to and forwardly away from the bumper, and
a plurality of spaced apart cross members positioned over and generally perpendicular to the pair of slide rails;

a first support base associated with the first bumper support member;
a second support base associated with the second bumper support member;
a third support base associated with the third bumper support member;
a fourth support base associated with the fourth bumper support member;
wherein the bumper support members are spaced-apart from each other,
wherein each bumper support member includes a hollow, generally triangular prism member,
wherein each of the support bases is positioned between its respective bumper support member and the floor assembly,
wherein the first and second bumper support members are positioned to the left of a longitudinal axis of the trailer and the third and fourth bumper support members are positioned to the right of the longitudinal axis of the trailer when viewed from the rear,
wherein the first support base and the fourth support base each include a cover, the first and fourth bumper support members and associated first and fourth support bases being positioned outboard of the slide rails, and
wherein the second support base and the third support base each include a cutout, each cutout being positioned below the associated slide rail.

18. A rear impact guard configured to be coupled to a rear end of a trailer, comprising:
a bumper support member configured to be coupled to the rear end of the trailer; and
a horizontal bumper mounted at a lower end of the bumper support member,
wherein the bumper support member includes a hollow, generally triangular prism member,
wherein the bumper support member includes a first face, a second face spaced-apart from the first face, and a vertical member positioned between and coupled to the first and second faces,
wherein a lower edge of the vertical member and a lower edge of each of the first and second faces is coupled to the horizontal bumper, wherein the first face and the second ar

Assignees

• Wabash National Lp

Inventors

• Wylezinski Andrzej
• Belcher Brian C

Classifications

• B60R19/24 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles · 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

• B60R19/023

  Details · CPC title