AU2007201785B2

AU2007201785B2 - A Vehicle Tray Mounting System

Info

Publication number: AU2007201785B2
Application number: AU2007201785A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Wayne Peter Jackson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-04-23
Filing date: 2007-04-23
Publication date: 2009-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2027-04-23
Also published as: AU2007201785A1

Description

1 A Vehicle Tray Mounting System Field of the Invention. 5 This invention is directed to a vehicle tray or something similar that can be mounted to a vehicle in a better manner than hitherto achieved. As an example, the vehicle tray can be mounted using rubber mountings which are positioned in a particular manner between the tray and a vehicle chassis. The invention will be described with reference to a particular type of vehicle which, at least in Australia, is known as a "utility" or 10 sometimes "ute". However, it is not considered that the invention should be limited only to a mounting system for utilities and the mounting system may also be useful for other types of trays, platforms, and the like that may be attached to a vehicle chassis. Background Art. 15 Utility vehicles (commonly known at least in Australia as "utes"), are extremely versatile and are quite popular. These vehicles typically comprise a front driver's area (known as a cabin or "cab"). Behind the cabin is a pair of spaced parallel chassis rails and the rear wheels mounted underneath the rear end of the chassis rails. There are 20 also front and rear transverse chassis rails. Figure 1 illustrates a typically utility vehicle. This enables the vehicle to be provided with a range of different "trays" which are mounted behind the cabin and to the chassis rails. These trays can be made of steel or 25 aluminium and typically comprise a flat bottom wall, and sidewalls that are usually pivotally mounted such that they can drop down. A rear wall (usually known as a tailgate) is mostly provided and can also drop down. These trays can be modified in various manners. For instance, electricians often have a completely enclosed tray for security and weather proofing. A large range of accessories can be attached to the tray 30 including various types of structural frame members to enable ladders etc to be attached, and various types of lifting mechanisms and the like. The trays are strong enough to enable a load to be carried by the tray.

2 These trays are traditionally fixed to the chassis rails using mountings such as bolts (typically U bolts), or pedestal mounts. This traditional fixing method can lead to some disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it is desirable that the chassis rails can 5 flex as the vehicle is being driven to absorb forces and to provide a better ride for the vehicle. It is found that a rigid tray bolted to the chassis rails can reduce the amount of flex and therefore can result in a rougher ride. Another disadvantage is that any jolts on the chassis rails are transmitted directly to 10 the tray because the tray is rigidly mounted relative to the chassis rails and this can cause damage to the load on the tray or undesirable movement of the load on the tray. Indeed, it is known under rough riding conditions for the tray to become partially detached from the chassis rails by excessive twisting between the chassis rails and the 15 tray. This can cause a dangerous situation. Another disadvantage with the rigid attachment of the tray to the vehicle is that sudden braking of the vehicle (especially when the tray is loaded) can create extremely large forward forces on the mountings that hold the tray to the chassis rails 20 and this can cause premature cracking or weakening which can cause a dangerous situation to occur. Similarly, sudden acceleration of the vehicle can create extremely large rearward forces on the tray mountings. Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to attach a vehicle tray to 25 the chassis rails in a different manner. There would also be an advantage if it were possible to have an attachment system that could accommodate forward and rearward forces on the tray as well as sideways forces and vertical (up-and-down) forces. There would be an advantage if such an attachment system could be provided which was relatively discreet and therefore did not unnecessarily raise the level of the tray. 30 It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

3 Object of the Invention. It is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle tray mounting system which may 5 overcome at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantage or provide a useful or commercial choice. In one form, the invention resides in a vehicle tray mounting system for mounting a vehicle tray to at least one chassis member, the mounting system providing shock 10 absorbing properties, the mounting system comprising (a) a first mounting member oriented along an axis which is in line with the axis of the mounting member, (b) a second mounting member oriented along an axis which is transverse with the axis of the mounting member, and (c) a third mounting member oriented along an axis which is substantially vertical to the axis of the chassis member. 15 It is found that this "three axis" type mounting system provides good shock isolation between the tray and the chassis member (vehicle chassis) along three axes which are typically perpendicular relative to each other. Thus, the tray does not need to be bolted to the chassis but is mounted via the mounting system. Forward movement, 20 rearward movement, sideways movement and up-and-down movement can be contained and controlled by the mounting system. As mentioned previously, it is not considered that the invention should be limited to (a) any particular type of vehicle unless the context requires otherwise and (b) any 25 particular type of tray unless the context requires otherwise. Thus, the invention may be suitable for fuel tankers, water tankers, milk tankers, as well as utility vehicles and the like. The mounting system can allow the vehicle chassis to flex as it is supposed to do and 30 therefore may provide a better ride to the vehicle. The mounting system can reduce movement of any load supported by the tray as the tray can be "isolated" from some of the forces transmitted through the chassis. Sudden braking of the vehicle can result in the forward force on the tray being somewhat absorbed by parts of the mounting 4 system. Similarly, sudden acceleration of the vehicle can result in a rearward force on the tray being somewhat absorbed by parts of the mounting system. Vertical motion (e.g. up-and-down motion) can also be at least partially absorbed by the mounting system. 5 It is found that the mounting system can securely mount the tray relative to the chassis rails and there is very little likelihood of the tray becoming loose from the chassis. The vehicle tray will typically comprise a substantially rectangular and mainly flat 10 tray, and it is considered that many already available commercial trays may be suitable. These trays may be formed from metal, aluminium, and the like and usually have a length of between 2-4 m and a width of between 1 .5-3 m. A base steel framework is usually provided on which the tray platform is attached. 15 The vehicle tray can be mounted to at least one chassis member, and in most cases the chassis member will comprise a vehicle chassis rail. As most vehicles contain at least two spaced apart parallel chassis rails, it is considered that the vehicle tray will be attached to a least two of the chassis rails. 20 The chassis rails will usually comprise elongate metal members which are typically formed from steel. These metal chassis members can have various profiles including a substantially C shaped profile, or a box section, or a different type of tubular section, or an inverted U shaped cross-section or a Z shaped cross-section and the like. It is envisaged that for most cases, the vehicle tray mounting system of the present 25 invention will be used with commercially available chassis rails and in most cases will be used with commercially available utility vehicles and commercially available trays. The chassis member (chassis rail) will typically have a length of between 1 .5-4 m although this can vary. For instance, a lorry may have longer chassis rails. 30 The vehicle tray will mostly comprise a single vehicle tray although there may be circumstances where the vehicle may have a number of trays attached to the chassis.

5 The mounting system needs to be designed and needs to be of a type to provide shock absorbing properties. Thus, it is envisaged that the mounting system will comprise a resilient member or parts having resilient components. The resilient member may comprise a rubber, an artificial rubber (e.g. neoprene), certain types of resilient plastic 5 materials including urethanes, nylons, composite materials, laminate materials, filled materials and the like. The mounting system may comprise an assembly of parts which may comprise a resilient member and non-resilient end caps. The end caps may be metal end caps. 10 Alternatively, the shock absorbing properties may be provided using some form of spring such as a helical spring. It is envisaged that the mounting system may comprise a composite of a resilient (e.g. rubber) member and a spring member. There may be circumstances where the mounting system may comprise partially or entirely of a ram such as a pneumatic ram or a hydraulic ram. These may comprise double 15 acting rams. It is however preferred that the mounting system can provide shock absorbing properties in at least two directions, and this may comprise compression/extension as one direction, and "twisting" as the other direction. Therefore, it is envisaged that it 20 will be most preferred that the mounting system comprises a resilient means such as rubber or something similar. The mounting system is designed to provide shock absorbing properties along three axes which may conveniently be known as the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. 25 It is envisaged that separate members will be provided to provide the shock absorbing properties with a separate member being used to provide shock absorbing properties along a particular axis. However, it is envisaged that a composite member may be manufactured that may enable shock absorbing properties to be provided in more than 30 one axis. For instance, a composite member may be provided to provide shock absorbing properties along the X axis and the Y axis etc. In most cases, it is envisaged that there will be a least one separate member for each 6 axis and preferably more than one member for at least the "up-and-down" (vertical) axis. This is because this particular member can also function to support the load on the tray and therefore it may be necessary to have a plurality of mounting members between the chassis and the tray that can support the weight of the tray and provide 5 vertical (up-and-down) shock absorbing properties. This member can be called the "third" mounting member for the sake of convenience only. The first mounting member provides shock absorbing properties generally in line with the axis of the mounting member, and in most cases, the mounting member will be the 10 vehicle chassis rails and therefore the first mounting member will provide shock absorbing properties generally in line with the longitudinal axis of the chassis rail. The first mounting member can be positioned at any suitable place, but it is considered advantageous that the first mounting member is positioned generally below the tray such that it does not project from the side of the tray and become a 15 possible striking or snagging hazard. For the same reason, it is also considered advantageous that the second and the third mounting members are also positioning generally below and within the confines of the tray. 20 In most cases, the first, second and third mounting members will be positioned between the chassis rails and the bottom of the tray. For most vehicles, the chassis will comprise longitudinal chassis rails and a front and 25 rear transverse chassis rail which is sometimes known as the "cross member". It is considered convenient for the first mounting member to be attached to, or relative to a transverse chassis rail and also to part of the tray. 30 The bottom of the tray typically comprises some form of metal framework and it is considered convenient for the first mounting member to be attached to, or relative to the metal framework of the tray.

7 If desired, some form of bracket or other type of mounting assistance may be provided. Each mounting member may comprise a solid resilient member and the solid resilient 5 member may be substantially cylindrical in cross-section. The member may have a diameter of between 2-20 cm but for most circumstances it is envisaged that the member will have a diameter of between 3-10 cm. The length of the member may vary and, in respect of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, the length does not affect the distance between the top of the tray and the ground and 10 therefore the length may be more variable. However, it is envisaged that the length will be between 2-20 cm. In respect of the third mounting member, if the mounting member is positioned directly between the chassis rail and the bottom of the tray, it is considered desirable that the length of the mounting member is not excessive and therefore it is considered that the third mounting member may have a length of 15 between 3-10 cm. However, it is possible for the third mounting member to be larger and longer in which case it may be desirable to attach the third mounting member in some form of "recessed" area such that the height of the tray is not become unacceptable. 20 The first mounting member may be mounted on the rear transverse chassis rail and on the front transverse chassis rail however there may be circumstances where the first mounting member can be mounted elsewhere. It is envisaged, that a pair of first mounting members may be provided on the rear transverse chassis rail and a pair of first mounting members may be provided on the front transverse chassis rail. 25 The first mounting member can therefore provide "front and back" shock absorbing properties to the tray. The second mounting member can provide shock absorbing properties transverse to 30 the axes of the chassis rail and can provide "sideways" shock absorbing properties to the tray. The second mounting member may be substantially as described above and may also be mounted to, or relative to the transverse chassis rails. Again, it is envisaged that at least one, and preferably to of these second mounting members will 8 be provided on the rear transverse chassis rail and the front transverse chassis rail. The third mounting member can provide shock absorbing properties in the "up-and down" direction on the tray. As the third mounting member can also be used to 5 support the weight of the tray + any load on the tray, it is preferred that a plurality of these mounting members is arranged between the tray and the vehicle chassis to provide balancing of the load. Thus, it is envisaged that between 5-20 third mounting members may be provided. These mounting members may be positioned on the rear and front transverse chassis rail and/or on the longitudinal chassis rails. 10 Mounting members at other angles may also be added or substituted. Thus, while it is considered desirable that the third mounting member is positioned in a substantially vertical member, there may be circumstances where the third mounting member can be positioned at some inclined angle if there is an advantage in doing so. 15 The system may be such that between 5 and 20 third mounting members are provided and preferably about 10 third mounting members are provided. The system may be such that between 2 and 6 first mounting members are provided 20 and preferably about four first mounting members are provided. The system may be such that between 2 and 6 second mounting members are provided and preferably about four second mounting members are provided. 25 The vehicle tray mounting system may be such that the vehicle comprises longitudinal chassis rails and transverse chassis rails and the first and second mounting members are supported by the transverse chassis rails and at least some of the third mounting members are supported by the transverse chassis rails. 30 In a broad form, the invention resides in a vehicle tray mounting system comprising resilient members mounted between the tray and the vehicle, the resilient members providing shock isolation in a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a vertical direction.

9 Brief Description of the Drawings. An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following 5 drawings in which:. Figure 1. Illustrates a typical utility vehicle which is well-known at least in Australia. Figure 2. Illustrates how the tray is mounted to the chassis using mounting members positioned in three different directions. 10 Figure 3. Illustrates the view of figure 2 from the other side. Figure 4. Illustrates a view of one of the third mounting members. Best Mode. 15 Referring to the illustrations and initially to figure 1, there is illustrated a typical and conventional utility vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 comprises a driver's cabin 11, and a rear tray 12. Rear tray 12 is attached relative to the bottom chassis 13 of the vehicle. Referring to figures 2 - 4, there is illustrated close up views of how tray 12 is attached 20 to the chassis 13 in a "shock isolating" manner. Referring initially to these figures, the bottom of tray 12 comprises a steel box section framework 14, and parts of framework 14 are illustrated in each figures 2 - 4. Also illustrated in figure 2 are parts of the longitudinal chassis rails 15 and a 25 transverse chassis rail 16 . The tray is attached to the chassis rails, and particularly to the transverse chassis rails 16 using a particular type of mounting arrangement. The mounting arrangement comprises three different types of mounting members which can conveniently be 30 called a first mounting member, a second mounting member and a third mounting member. Referring initially to the third mounting member, the mounting arrangement 10 comprises a plurality (typically about 10) of third mounting members 17 which comprise a cylindrical solid rubber member having a diameter of 50 mm , a height of 35 mm, a load rating of 140 kg and providing a 6 mm deflection (that is the third mounting member 17 can be squashed by 6 mm). These mounting members sit 5 perfectly on the chassis rail with no overhang. The mounting member is designed to stretch to 16 mm before it separates from the steel end caps 18. Mounting member 17 is bolted to a bracket 19 which is welded to the framework 14 of tray 12. The lower end of mounting member 17 contains a bolt 20 (illustrated in 10 figure 2) which extends through a mounting hole in rails 16. Mounting member 17 is positioned vertically and therefore functions to absorb "up-and-down" motion between the chassis and the tray. It is envisaged that there will be about 10 third mounting members 17 between the 15 chassis and the tray. The mounting arrangement further comprises a first mounting member 21 which is similar to mounting member 17 described immediately above except that the orientation is in line with the longitudinal chassis rails 15. The first mounting 20 member 21 has one end connected to a bracket 22 (see figure 3) which is attached to part of the tray framework 14. The other end of first mounting member 21 is bolted to a bracket 23 which is welded or otherwise attached to transverse chassis rails 16. In the particular embodiment, the transverse chassis rails 16 have two first mounting 25 members 21. The vehicle chassis will have a transverse chassis rail 16 at a forward part (typically immediately behind the cabin 11) and another transverse chassis rail at the rear end of the vehicle and each transverse chassis rail will have two first mounting members 21. 30 The first mounting members 21 absorb "front and back" motion. The mounting arrangement further comprises a second mounting member 25 which is similar to mounting member 17 except that the orientation of the second mounting 11 member is transverse to the longitudinal axes of the vehicle, or in line with the transverse chassis rail 16 (see for instance figure 4). The second mounting member is bolted at one end to bracket 26 (see figure 4) which is attached to chassis rail 16 and is bolted at the other end to bracket 27 which is welded to the bottom framework 14 of 5 tray 12. It is envisaged that there will be a pair of second mounting members on chassis rail 16. The second mounting members absorb "side to side" motion. 10 The system according to the invention can provide better attachment of the vehicle tray to a vehicle. As an example, many Fords and many small Japanese and European trucks have a long wheelbase which may be up to 4 m, and the chassis rails have a C section which is designed to twist considerably in normal operation and more so on rough roads. If the tray is rigidly mounted to the chassis rails (e.g. the conventional 15 system), the tray can stop the chassis from flexing and this can result in the mountings between the tray and the chassis becoming damaged or even completely failing. The system according to the invention can isolate the tray from the chassis in a cost effective manner and in a very reliable manner, with a. low maintenance and with no metal to metal contact. The system can stop the tray from moving from side to side as 20 well as from the front to the back and also up-and-down. The resilient members can be purchased commercially and are usually rated to a particular load bearing ability. Thus, the type of resilient member and the number of resilient members can be calculated depending on the weight of the tray + the 25 maximum load and the rating of the particular resilient member. In most cases, a resilient member having a diameter 50 mm, and a height of 35 mm and a load bearing of 140 kg is suitable. As an example, a typical utility vehicle (with no tray) has a weight of about 2700 kg. The tray has a weight of approximately 300 kg and therefore the total is approximately 3000 kg. The vehicle is rated to carry about 1000 30 kg of load as the legal limit. With a safety margin of 35% this makes approximately 1400 kg. As a typical conventional vehicle chassis can have 10 factory mounting holes, a resilient mount can be attached to each hole making approximately 140 kg per mount. A commercial resilient member (with a rating of 140 kg or larger) can then be 12 purchased and fitted between the chassis and the tray. A commercially available resilient member is designed to stretch about 16 mm, and is designed to "bend" (deflect) by about 6 mm. Such a resilient member can also be used to prevent forward and rearward movement of the tray and side to side movement. 5 Ten such resilient members can be mounted underneath the tray and will deflect the tray by maximum of 6 mm and each resilient member will require 22 kg of load to deflect by 6 mm. Thus, using 10 vertical resilient members enables about 1670 kg of force to be accommodated to move the tray 6 mm in a forward/rearward direction or a 10 side to side direction. More specifically, the tray sits on the 10 resilient members, and the resilient members sit flat on the chassis and are positioned vertically. When the 140 Kg of weight is placed on one said resilient member, this produces a compression of about 6 mm. A 15 side force (shear) of about 20 kg will deflect the same resilient member by about 6 mm. The first and the second mounting members have a higher (durometer) rating. They are approximately 350 kg rating in a vertical position and will deflect about 6 mm with a 350 kg load. To calculate it simply, 10 mounts in a shear situation will be 200 kg. Four mounts in a compression situation will be 1400 kg and four mounts in a 20 shear conditions will be 80 kg. Therefore, 14 mounts in a shear conditions will be 280 kg and four mounts in compression will be 1400 kg which is a total of 1680 kg. The force of 1680 kg to deflect the tray by 6 mm is basically in any direction other than up-and-down. To move the tray 10 or 12 mm would require double the above force which means that the tray is very stable but still allows the chassis to flex over 25 its entire length. Throughout the specification and the claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but 30 not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Throughout the specification and claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to 13 the value for the range qualified by the terms. Any embodiment of the invention is meant to be illustrative only and is not meant to be limiting to the invention . Therefore, it should be appreciated that various other 5 changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle tray mounting system for mounting a vehicle tray to at least one chassis member, the mounting system providing shock absorbing properties, 5 the mounting system comprising (a) a first mounting member oriented along an axis which is in line with a first axis of the chassis member, (b) a second mounting member oriented along an axis which is transverse with the first axis of the chassis member, and (c) a plurality of third mounting members oriented along an axis which is substantially vertical to the first axis of the chassis 10 member, wherein the vehicle comprises longitudinal chassis rails and transverse chassis rails and the first and second mounting members are supported by the transverse chassis rails and at least some of the third mounting members are supported by the transverse chassis rails. 15

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one mounting member comprises a resilient member.

3. The system as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each mounting member comprises a resilient member. 20

4. The system as claimed in any one of claims I to 3, wherein each mounting member comprises a rubber.

5. The system as claimed in any one of claims I to 4, wherein each mounting 25 member is cylindrical and has a diameter of between 2-10 cm and a height of between 2-20 cm.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein between 5 and 20 third mounting 30 members are provided and preferably about 10 third mounting members are provided.

7. The system as claimed in any one of claims I to 6, wherein between 2 and 6 15 first mounting members are provided and preferably about four first mounting members are provided.

8. The system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein between 2 and 6 5 second mounting members are provided and preferably about four second mounting members are provided.

9. A vehicle comprising a tray and a system as claimed in any one of the 10 preceding claims.

10. A vehicle tray mounting system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 15