AU592235B2

AU592235B2 - Load restraint net

Info

Publication number: AU592235B2
Application number: AU80531/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Smith E. Purdy
Original assignee: Tecsyn Canada Ltd
Current assignee: Polytech Netting Industries Inc
Priority date: 1986-11-06
Filing date: 1987-10-30
Publication date: 1990-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2007-10-30
Also published as: GB2196907B; SE463142B; KR880006077A; FR2606343A1; IT8783432A0; CA1289112C; AU8053187A; DE3725694A1; SE8703059D0; GB8716760D0; FR2606343B1; GB2196907A; SE8703059L; JPS63121545A

Description

S F Ref: 42304 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int Class o 0 a "a 0 .9 0 0 Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority:

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Related Art: 09 0 a *0 a.

Cr~t t 4 of Applicant: Address for Service: Tecsyn Canada Limited 23 Smith Street Box 730 St. Catherines Onatario

CANADA

Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia 1~ 0 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: Load Restraint Net The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us 5845/3 ii t& t vts

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-2- FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a load restraint net particularly intended to be mounted in the trunk of a car vehicle or rear of a station wagon vehicle to restrain loads such as luggage, baggage, bags, groceries etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Loads, especially shopping bags, which are placed in the trunk of a vehicle are not restrained from moving and tipping during displacement of the vehicle. One present method of holding down these bags is to rest them against adjacent heavier loads. Often, however such other loads are not always available resulting in the contents of the bags falling out whenever a sharp turn or stop is effected.

OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages.

There is disclosed herein in combination with a rear portion of a vehicle having mounting points therein, a load restraint net adapted to be attached to said n~ounting points to engage and restrain load placed in said rear portion, said net comprising: a meshed fabric; icord engaging the peripheral open spaces of said meshed fabric; and attachment means at predetermined locations along the periphery of said meshed fabric for securing said net to said mounting points in said rear portion, the location of said mounting points in said rear portion being such as to define a load receiving area when said net is attached in said rear portion; said net displaying resiliency so that said area may be extended to receive loads therewithin and to retract thereon to restrain said loads in position in said area.

There is further disclosed herein in combination with a trunk of a vehicle including a rear lamp panel, wheel wells and a floor, and mounting points in said trunk, a load restraint net comprising: a substantially rectangular meshed fabric; an elastic cord engaging the peripheral open spaces of said meshed fabric; and attachment means at the four corners of said meshed fabric Sadapted to be secured to said mounting points in said trunk, the location /13641 I rrr r a

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I *C pF 1 .4 -3of said mounting points being such as to provide a load receiving area when said net is attached to said mounting points; said cord providing resiliency so that said area may be extended to receive loads therein and said fabric retracted thereon to hold said loads in position in said area.

In one preferred form of the invention, the cord is elastic and is the element which provides the resiliency to the net.

In another form of the invention, the fabric has a rectangular contour with the area of the fabric being greater than the area defined by the contour. In one alternative, the mounting points are located on the floor of the trunk so that the net will have a hold down effect on the loads. In another alternative, the mounting points are located on the rear lamp panel of the vehicle and on wheel wells in the trunk.

In another form of the invention, the fabric has a trapezoidal configuration, with its lower shorter side resting on the floor of the trunk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by 20 way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the rear portion of a station wagon vehicle and a load restraint net made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the attachment means 25 of the net secured to a mounting point; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the trunk of a car vehicle and a net made in accordance with the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a load restraint net made in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of the trunk of a vehicle showing the location of mounting points therein.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figs 1 and 2, there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention wherein the trunk section of a vehicle, such as that of a station wagon, has a floor 10 to which are secured four mounting points (three of which are shown as) 12, 14, 16.

.44 *4* 3641 4 A net 20 made in accordance with the present invention is shown extending over the floor resting on a series of loads 21 (represented here as shopping bags). The net comprises a meshed fabric 22 having a rectangular contour 24, the contour area being smaller than the total surface area of the fabric so as to adopt the configuration shown. In this embodiment, the contour 24 is defined by a cord which is continuous passing through the open peripheral spaces of the fabric. The free ends of the cord are sewn together in 4 one of the two opposite fold over band portions 25 of the net. The corners of the peripheral cord 24 displays loops 26 which are formed by sewings 28. A i snap hook 30 is attached to each loop 26 and is engageable with the crossbar portion 32 of the anchor element 12 representing the mounting point on the floor of the trunk.

Referring to figure 3, a net 20 similar to net 20 but without fold over side portions is shown in 1 20 the trunk of another v&iicle. In this embodiment, two mounting points 32 and 34 are provided on the inside surface of the rear lamp panel 36 of the vehicle to which the two rear hooks 30 of the net are to be mounted. Two other mounting points 37 are provided on the wheel wells (one of which is shown as 38) for connection with the front two hooks 30 of the net. The mounting points on wheel wells 38 may consist of holes

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fi 5 provided on the seam extension 39 of the wheel wells and located at a certain distance from the floor of the trunk. With the arrangement of figure 3, the net has a hold-down effect on the baggages in a manner similar to the net 20 of figure 1.

Referring to figs 4 and 5, another embodiment of a net in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The net 40 has a trapezoidal shape with the shorter side thereof extending along the floor of the trunk. Mounting points 42 are provided on the inside wall of the rear lamp panel 43 in a manner similar to that illustrated in figure 3. In this embodiment, the net has a side restraining effect on the bags 44 securing the bags to rest against the rear panel. This is achieved by locating the lower mounting points 50 closer to the floor 46 of the trunk 48 (see fig 5)on the seam extension 52 of the wheel wells 54.

The fabric of the net of the present invention as well as the fold-over portions 25 are preferably made of a black colour-fast synthetic material NYLONt.m. to ensure no leaching of dyed ions.

In one form of the invention, the cord should have a core of polyester yarn and a cover of black colour-fast multi-filament polypropylene or NYLONt.m.

material. This material should also be capable of meeting a given pulling strength and of resisting to r 1 r

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*0 low temperatures.

All the components of the load restraint net of the present invention must be flame resistant. The flammability specifications are those required determined for automobiles, trucks or the like; for example, the burn rate must be under 4 inches per minute.

Also, all components must meet a 4 to 5 level of crocking which means no rub marks or leaching of color.

The net of the present invention, when used in a station wagon, must a refrain articles up to 2000 lb impact.

10 Although the invention has been described with reference to specific forms, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that it may be refined and modified in various ways. For example, the resiliency of the net could be obtained from the meshed fabric instead of the cord as described above. The present invention may also be used for similar J13 applications: for example, the net assembly may be installed across the rear inside of mini-vans where it prevents the contents from falling out when the rear door is opened. The assembly may also be installed in the cargo box of light body trucks where it is mounted on the inside of the box as pocket restraint nets. It is therefore wished to have it understood that the present invention should not be limited in interpretation except by the terms of the following claims.

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Claims

1. In combination with rear portion of a vehicle having mounting points therein, a load restraint net adapted to be attached to said mounting points to engage and restrain load placed in said rear portion, said net comprising; a meshed fabric; =w cord engaging the peripheral open spaces of said meshed fabric; and attachment means at predetermined locations along the periphery of said meshed fabric for securing said net I to said mounting points in said rear portion, the j location of said mounting points in said rear portion j being such as to define a load receiving area when I .said net is attached in said rear portion; said net displaying resiliency so that said area may be extended to receive loads therewithin and to retract thereon to restrain said loads in position in said area.

2. A net as defined in claim 1, wherein said cord is elastic and provides the resiliency in said net.

3. A net as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, hwierein said cord is continuous along the periphery of -8- said meshed fabric; said attachment means being defined by loops formed in said cord at said predetermined locations.

4. A net as def ined in claim 1, wherein said cord and said fabric are colour-fast. A net as defined in claim 1, wherein said cord and said fabric are flame resistant. S6. A net as defined in claim 1, wherein said meshed fabric has a rectangular contour, the area of ter r t 4 said fabric being greater than the area defined by said contour.

47. A net *as defined in claim 1, wherein said rear portion consists of a trunk; said meshed fabric 6, nl having a trapezoidal contour, /$h4 .=ongsx side thereof extending along the floor of said trunk. 8. A net as defined in claim 7, wherein said mounting points comprise two anchor points provided in ii a rear lamp panel of said trunk and -two anchor points provided on said floor. 9. A net as defined in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said mounting points comprise two anchor points provided in a rear lamp panel of said rear portion and F two anchor points respectively provided on wheel wells in said rear portion. A net as defined in claim 6, wherein said mounting points consist of four anchor points on the of said rear portion. NT O 1 -9 11. In combination with a trunk of a vehicle including a rear lamp panel, wheel wells and a floor, and mounting points in said trunk, a load restraint net comprising: a substantially rectangular meshed fabric; an elastic cord engaging the peripheral open spaces of said meshed fabric; and attachment means at the four corners of said meshed fabric adapted to be secured to said mounting points in said trunk, the location of said mounting points being such as to provide a load receiving area when said net is attached to said mounting points; said cord providing resiliency so that said area may be extended to receive loads therein and said fabric retracted thereon to hold said loads in position in said area. 12. In combination with a rear portion of a vehicle having mounting points therein, a load restraint net substantially as hereinberore f8 described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 13. In combination with a trunk of a vehicle including a rear lamp 1. T panel, wheel wells and a floor, and mounting points in said trunk, a load restraint net substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this ELEVENTH day of JULY 1989 Tecsyn Canada Limited SPRUSON FERGUSON AUL 42? JLH/13641 .ZZ 7