GB2298829A

GB2298829A - Barrier installed in a vehicle and secured by clamps

Info

Publication number: GB2298829A
Application number: GB9500684A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas Simon Sharpe
Original assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Current assignee: ATHAG Ltd
Priority date: 1995-01-13
Filing date: 1995-01-13
Publication date: 1996-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2015-01-13
Also published as: GB2298829B; GB9500684D0

Abstract

A barrier 10 in a vehicle 12 comprises an outline frame 14 arranged adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle and fixing clamps 19. The fixing clamps 19 attach to a transverse bar 40 which is normally used to locate a rear seat of the vehicle. The rear seat is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier 10. The fixing clamps have jaws 23, 24 which clamp the bar 40 therebetween. In another aspect of the invention, a clamp 19 for fixing a barrier 10 in a vehicle 12 comprises first and second jaws 23, 24 for clamping the bar 40 therebetween. The second jaw 24 is mounted on the first jaw 23.

Description

A BARRIER INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE The invention relates to a barrier installed in a vehicle and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a barrier separating the passenger compartment from an animal or cargo carrying compartment of the vehicle.

There is increasing concern over safety in vehicles and it is well known that the traditional dog guard commonly used in vehicles has frequently been installed to provide protection against forwardly moving cargo such as heavy packages and tools. For many years we have designed and produced barriers of considerable strength with robust fixing means for attaching the barriers to the vehicle and such barriers are the subject of several granted patents and pending patent applications. With the ever increasing safety requirements and increasing demand for stronger barriers, particularly strong and reliable fixing means are needed. However, coupled with that is the fact that any such improved fixing means to be straightforward to use as many purchases of barriers are members of the public who like to install such barriers themselves.

An object of the present invention is to provide a barrier in a vehicle and which has improved fixing means.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a barrier installed in a vehicle, the barrier having an edge arranged adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle and fixing means by which the barrier is attached to location means on the vehicle adjacent the interior surface, the location means comprising a fixture normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle, which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, and the fixing means comprising a clamp having jaws which clamp the fixture therebetween.

Such a fixing arrangement provides a particularly strong but easy to use fixing for the barrier.

Preferably, the fixture is normally used to attach a seat to the interior of the vehicle, the seat being removed to enable the barrier to be installed. In such a case, the seat may be a rear passenger seat of the vehicle.

Conveniently, the interior surface may comprise a floor of the vehicle.

One of the jaws of the clamp is preferably mounted on the barrier and the second jaw is mounted on the first said jaw for movement relative thereto to effect clamping.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a clamp for fixing a barrier in a vehicle, the clamp comprising first and second jaws for clamping therebetween a fixture in the vehicle normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, the second jaw being mounted on the first jaw.

The mounting for the second jaw may be provided by means of an aperture or recess in the first jaw which receives part of the second jaw.

A clamping force may be provided by jaw closing means such as a screw threaded fastener which interconnects the jaws. Preferably, the said fixture may be disposed between the closing means and the mounting for the second jaw. The clamping force applied to the jaws may cause parts of the jaws spaced from the fixture to be urged against each other.

Preferably, the fixture is arranged beneath or behind a plane containing the interior surface of the vehicle. In such a case, at least one of the jaws of the clamping means is shaped to project beneath or behind said plane for cooperation with the fixture. The shaped jaw may be the aforesaid second jaw which is pivotally mounted on the first jaw.

The said edge of the barrier may have a plurality of the said fixing means spaced apart thereon.

The barrier may also be attached to the vehicle interior by devices spaced from the said fixing means. In such a case, the fixing means may be arranged to attach the barrier to the floor of the vehicle and the said devices may be arranged to attach the barrier to sides of the vehicle, for example via seat belt mountings.

Height adjustment means may be provided on the barrier.

The height adjustment means may take the form of at least one screw-operated jack arranged to react against the vehicle to enable the barrier to be raised or lowered. In such a case, the jack may be arranged adjacent an edge of the barrier positioned near the floor of the vehicle to enable the jack to react against the floor.

A barrier in accordance with the invention will now be described be way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 is an elevation of the barrier in position within a vehicle looking from the rear of the vehicle Fig 2 is a perspective view showing a fixing clamp for securing the barrier to a location in the vehicle floor, the clamp being shown exploded and Fig 3 is a longitudinal cross-section through the vehicle floor on line III - III in Fig 1 showing the clamp being used to secure the barrier in position.

In Fig 1, the barrier, indicated generally at 10, is fitted inside a vehicle 12. It will be noted that the barrier 10 comprises a wire mesh 13 within an outline frame 14 which is contoured to follow substantially the shape of the vehicle interior in the region at which the barrier is located. The barrier 10 has vertical reinforcing tubes 15 and a horizontal reinforcing tube 16.

The barrier 10 has a lower edge indicated generally at 17. The lower edge includes a metal plate 18 which extends between the outline frame defining the lower edge 17 and the lower edge of the mesh 13 which is attached to the upper margin of the plate 18.

The barrier 10 is provided with four lower fixing clamps 19 and two screw-jacks 20 which enable the vertical position of the barrier 10 to be adjusted slightly. Side fixings 22 are also provided for the barrier 10 towards its upper end and comprise brackets which attach to seat belt mountings (not shown) in the vehicle.

The fixing clamps 19 will now be described in detail with reference to figures 2 and 3.

Each clamp comprises upper and lower jaws 23, 24 (constituting the aforesaid first and second jaws respectively). The upper jaw 23 is formed from a strip of metal which is bent through slightly less than 90e to provide an upwardly projecting arm 25 having a screw threaded boss 26 welded to its upper end as viewed in Fig 2. The jaw 23 includes a horizontal arm 27 which is formed with a rectangular aperture 28. The horizontal arm 27 has a portion 29 of reduced width at its free end formed with a clearance aperture 30 for a clamping bolt 32. The clamping bolt 32 has a hand knob 33 to enable the bolt 32 to be rotated manually.

The lower jaw 24 is joggle-shaped having first and second parallel sections 34, 35 and an inclined intermediate section 36. The section 34 has a screw-threaded boss 37 thereon and is formed with an aperture 38 through which the bolt 32 can pass and screw into the boss 37.

In use, the section 35 of the jaw 24 passes freely through the aperture 28 so as to take up the position shown in Fig 3 with the intermediate section 36 lying within the aperture 28 and the section 35 lying against the arm 27 of the jaw 23. In that position, a space 39 is defined between the jaws 23, 24. The clamp is manoeuvred around a transverse bar 40 which extends between walls of pocket member 42 secured by bolts (not shown) to a floor panel 43 of the vehicle. The pocket member 42 sits in a recess 41 in the floor panel 43.

As shown in Fig 3, the bar 40 then lies in the space 39 and the apertures 30, 38 of the jaws 23, 24 are in axial alignment to enable the clamping bolt 32 to pass through the jaw 23 and to be screwed into the boss 37 of the lower jaw 24. The bolt 33 is tightened so that the lower jaw 24 effectively pivots on the bar 40 thereby pressing the jaw section 35 against the arm 27 as the jaws 23, 24 are drawn towards each other to grip the bar 40 therebetween.

With the jaws 23, 24 gripping the bar 40, the barrier 10 is placed in position and bolts 45 are passed through apertures 45, 46 respectively in the plate 18 and arms 25 and screwed into the bosses 26 on the arms 25. The jacks 20 (which react against the floor panel 43) can then be adjusted slightly in known manner so as to ensure alignment of the fixings 22 with the seat belt mountings, upward movement of the barrier causing the jaws 23, 24 to pivot slightly around the bar 40. Once the fixings 22 have been secured, the bolts 33 and 45 are finally tightened securely to clamp the bars 40 and to ensure firm fixing of the barrier 10 to the arms 25.

The transverse bars 40 may normally be used as anchors for rear seats in the vehicle which are removed to provide a large animal or cargo carrying compartment behind forward seats (not shown) of the vehicle. The forward seats may be driver and passenger seats or may be a further set of seats behind the driver and passenger seats. The jaw 24 is shaped so that section 34 thereof lies below a plane P containing the floor panel 43.

The clamping arrangement shown is particularly easy to install without using special tools, does not require the drilling of holes in the vehicle and yet is particularly robust providing extremely firm fixing for the barrier 10.

Claims

1. A barrier installed in a vehicle, the barrier having an edge arranged adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle and fixing means by which the barrier is attached to location means on the vehicle adjacent the interior surface, the location means comprising a fixture normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle, which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, and the fixing means comprising a clamp having jaws which clamp the fixture therebetween.

2. A barrier according to Claim 1 in which the fixture is normally used to attach a seat to the interior of the vehicle, the seat being removed to enable the barrier to be installed.

3. A barrier according to Claim 2 in which the seat is a rear passenger seat of the vehicle.

4. A barrier according to Claim 1, 2 or 3 in which one of the jaws of the clamp is mounted on the barrier and the second jaw is mounted on the first said jaw for movement relative thereto to effect clamping.

5. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the interior surface comprises a floor of the vehicle.

6. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which said edge of the barrier has a plurality of the said fixing means spaced apart thereon.

7. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the barrier is also attached to the vehicle interior by devices spaced from the said fixing means.

8. A barrier according to Claim 7 in which the fixing means is arranged to attach the barrier to the floor of the vehicle and the said devices are arranged to attach the barrier to sides of the vehicle.

9. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which height adjustment means is provided on the barrier.

10. A barrier according to Claim 9 in which the height adjustment means takes the form of at least one screwoperated jack arranged to react against the vehicle to enable the barrier to be raised or lowered.

11. A barrier according to Claim 10 the jack is arranged adjacent an edge of the barrier positioned near the floor of the vehicle to enable the jack to react against the floor.

12. A clamp for fixing a barrier in a vehicle, the clamp comprising first and second jaws for clamping therebetween a fixture in the vehicle normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, the second jaw being mounted on the first jaw.

13. A clamp according to Claim 12 in which the mounting for the second jaw is provided by means of an aperture or recess in the first jaw which receives part of the second jaw.

14. A clamp according to Claim 12 or 13 in which a clamping force is provided by jaw closing means such as a screw threaded fastener.

15. A clamp according to Claim 14 in which the said fixture is disposed in use, between the jaw closing means and the mounting for the second jaw.

16. A clamp according to Claim 14 or 15 in which clamping force applied to the jaws causes parts of the jaws spaced from the fixture to be urged against each other.

17. A clamp according to any of Claims 12 to 16 in which the fixture is arranged, in use, beneath or behind a plane containing an interior surface of the vehicle.

18. A clamp according to Claim 17 in which at least one of the jaws of the clamp is shaped to project beneath or behind said plane for co-operation with the fixture.

19. A clamp according to Claim 18 in which the shaped jaw is the second jaw which is pivotally mounted on the first jaw.

20. A clamp according to any of Claims 12 to 19 on a barrier of the kind set out in any of Claims 1 to 11 to enable the barrier to be fixed in the vehicle.

21. A barrier installed in a vehicle and constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A barrier for installation in a vehicle, the barrier having thereon a clamp for fixing the barrier in the vehicle, the clamp being constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A clamp for fixing a barrier in a vehicle, the clamp being constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A barrier installed in a vehicle, the barrier having an edge arranged adjacent an interior surface of the vehicle and fixing means by which the barrier is attached to location means on the vehicle adjacent the interior surface, the location means comprising a fixture normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle, which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, and the fixing means comprising a clamp having jaws which clamp the fixture therebetween.

12. A barrier for installation in a vehicle, the barrier having thereon a clamp for fixing the barrier in the vehicle, the clamp comprising first and second jaws for clamping therebetween a fixture in the vehicle normally used to locate an interior fitment of the vehicle which fitment is removed to facilitate installation of the barrier, the second jaw being mounted on the first jaw.

13. A barrier according to Claim 12 in which the mounting for the second jaw is provided by means of an aperture or recess in the first jaw which receives part of the second jaw.

14. A barrier according to Claim 12 or 13 in which a clamping force is provided by jaw closing means such as a screw threaded fastener.

15. A barrier according to Claim 14 in which the said fixture is disposed in use, between the jaw closing means and the mounting for the second jaw.

16. A barrier according to Claim 14 or 15 in which clamping force applied to the jaws causes parts of the jaws spaced from the fixture to be urged against each other.

17. A barrier according to any of Claims 12 to 16 in which the fixture is arranged, in use, beneath or behind a plane containing an interior surface of the vehicle.

18. A barrier according to Claim 17 in which at least one of the jaws of the clamp is shaped to project beneath or behind said plane for co-operation with the fixture.

19. A barrier according to Claim 18 in which the shaped jaw is the second jaw which is pivotally mounted on the first jaw.

20. A barrier according to any of Claims 12 to 19 on a barrier of the kind set out in any of Claims 1 to 11 to enable the barrier to be fixed in the vehicle.