NZ743956B - A ramp assembly for a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

ramp assembly for a vehicle comprising: a support adapted to be removably attached to a cargo tray of a vehicle or a trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray or a support which is ?xed to the vehicle wherein the support has two legs and a horizontal elongate member joining the legs and wherein the elongate member is positioned above the cargo tray when installed; and at least two ramps adapted to releasably engage with each other and with the support; the assembly is adapted such that when in use the support is attached to a cargo tray of a vehicle or a trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray and wherein the ramps are able to be stored transversely on top of or within the support and the assembly is also con?gured such that a user can remove the ramps from the support and use the ramps as a bridge for the vehicle or to assist with increasing the traction of the wheels of the vehicle. The use of ramps allows users to cross obstacles and enhance wheel traction and the transverse storage allows for full access to the cargo tray. Additionally the invention makes the loading and unloading of ATVs, motorbikes and the like onto cargo trays of vehicles less dangerous and time consuming than known ways of loading and unloading these vehicles.

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TITLE A ramp assembly for a vehicle.

FIELD OF INVENTION The invention generally relates to a ramp assembly for a vehicle. More particularly, but not exclusively the invention relates to a ramp assembly for a vehicle with a cargo tray.

BACKGROUND When driving in some conditions (e.g. sand, mud or snow, steep banks etc) vehicles can lose wheel traction and become stuck. Vehicles can also become stuck when obstacles such as streams or rivers are crossed. Additionally the loading and unloading of ATVs, motorbikes and the like onto cargo trays of vehicles can be dangerous and time consuming.

It is an object of a preferred form of the present invention to go at least some way towards addressing one or both of the above problems. While this is an object of a preferred embodiment, it should not be seen as a limitation on the scope of the invention as claimed. The object of the invention per se is simply to provide the public with a useful choice.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein; this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

The term “comprising” and derivatives thereof, eg “comprises”, if and when used herein in relation to a combination of features should not be taken as excluding the possibility that the combination may have further unspecified features. For example, a statement that an arrangement “comprises” certain parts does not mean that it cannot also, optionally, have additional parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an assembly for a vehicle comprising:  a support adapted to be removably attached to a cargo tray (e.g. a truck tray) of a vehicle or a trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray; and  at least two ramps adapted to releasably engage with each other (e.g. can be stacked or nested on each other etc) and with the support (e.g. can be stacked over the top of the support etc); the assembly is adapted such that when in use the support is attached to a cargo tray of a vehicle or a trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray and wherein the ramps are able to be stored on top of or within the support and the assembly is also configured such that a user can remove the ramps from the support and use the ramps as a bridge for the vehicle or to assist with increasing the traction of the wheels of the vehicle.

Preferably the ramps are stored on top of the support.

Preferably the ramps are stored within the support.

Preferably a first ramp is stored on top of a second ramp.

Preferably the support has two legs and a horizontal elongate member joining the legs and wherein the elongate member is positioned above the cargo tray when installed.

Preferably the legs of the support have angled wings.

Preferably the support has a lower cross member between the legs.

Preferably the legs of the support are attached to side walls of a cargo tray.

Preferably the legs of the support are attached to a floor of the cargo tray.

Preferably the support is attached to a headboard of a vehicle.

Preferably the ramps have a plurality of turret punched holes in them.

Preferably the ramps have been adapted to enhance traction.

Preferably the assembly has a ramp bar which is attached to a tail gate of the vehicle and the ramps are adapted such that they can releasably engage with the bar.

Preferably when at least one ramp is attached to the ramp bar it creates a support bridge between the cargo tray and the ground.

Preferably the assembly has a removable winch attached to the support.

Preferably the winch is remote controlled.

Preferably the assembly has a self-retracting safety line which is attached to the support when in use.

Preferably the assembly has a solar shower which is adapted to releasably engage with the support and ramps.

In another aspect there is provided a kit of parts suitable for forming the previously described assembly, the kit comprising the support and the ramps and optionally the  the ramp bar; and/or  the winch; and/or  the retractable safety line; and/or  the solar shower.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided the previously described assembly when in use with a vehicle.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided the previously described assembly when used to assist with loading and unloading an ATV or motorcycle onto the cargo tray.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the entirety of this disclosure, which includes the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying photos and drawings, of which: is side view of one embodiment of a ramp assembly installed on a vehicle with the ramps in a travelling or stored configuration; is a an end view of the ramp assembly; is a side view of the ramp assembly in which the ramps which have been removed from the support and are being used for traction enhancement; is an end view of a ramp assembly showing a ramp bar and support with the ramps removed; is a lower perspective view of a ramp assembly showing a support with the ramps removed and a remote controlled winch; is a top view of a removable self retracting safety line which forms part of a ramp assembly in some embodiments; is a side view of an ATV being loaded onto a vehicle using the ramp assembly; is a perspective view of the rear wheels of an ATV which has been loaded onto a vehicle using the ramp assembly; is a perspective view of the front wheel of an ATV which has been loaded onto a vehicle using the ramp assembly; is perspective view of a solar shower which forms part of a ramp assembly in some embodiments; is an end view of an alternative embodiment of a support which forms part of a ramp assembly; is an inner side view of the support shown in figure 11; is an end view of an alternative embodiment of a support which forms part of a ramp assembly; and is perspective view of the support shown in figure 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figures 1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of a ramp assembly 1 for a vehicle 2.

References to vehicle 2 throughout the specification relate to any type of vehicle 2 which has a cargo tray (or truck tray) 3 or flatbed at the rear of it i.e. a utility vehicle or pickup truck. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the assembly 1 can be used on trailers.

The assembly 1 has a support 4 which is mounted to the side walls of a cargo tray 3 (or a trailer) by bolts or the like. The support 4 is shaped like a bridge and has two legs at each side of the tray 3 and a horizontal elongate member joining the legs. As can be seen the legs have angled wings 5 which enhance strength and rigidity to the support 4 when it is used as an anchoring point when loading and unloading wheeled vehicles and machines (e.g. ATV vehicles, four wheeled vehicles, tractors, lawnmowers or motorcycles etc). The support 4 also has a cross bar 6 which helps protects the cab when a wheeled vehicle is loaded. The support 4 is preferably made from one piece however those skilled in the art will appreciate that it can be made from one than one part. In addition the support 4 is preferably made from folded welded metal construction although other suitable materials can be used.

When in the travelling configuration like shown in figures 1 and 2 located on top of the support 4 are two removable ramps 7, 8 which are plank like in shape and have at least two side walls and at least two end walls. The ramps 7, 8 can be attached or fastened to the support 4 by removable pins or the like however in some embodiments they need not be attached as they are shaped such that they releasably engage with the support 4 (e.g. by nesting over it). As shown the ramps 7, 8 are adapted such that they can be stacked both over the support 4 and one ramp 8 over the top of the other ramp 7. The ramps 7, 8 may be deployed singly or dually to bridge obstacles and provide traction (e.g. on steep banks, in slushy conditions etc) like that shown in figure 3. The ramps 7, 8 are preferably made from metal and preferably have turret punched (e.g. flanged) holes with their flanged side uppermost. The ramps 7, 8 also preferably have a profile of folds to provide strength and guiding barriers on their edges to keep wheeled vehicles and the vehicle 2 on track when in use. In some embodiments the ramps 7, 8 can have traction enhancing treads. The advantages of storing the ramps 7, 8 on top of the support 4 is that they do not take up room in the cargo tray 3 and are convenient to access. This is advantageous over other methods of storing ramps that may require extra attachment devices for storing the ramps in the cargo tray 3 during transport.

As shown in figure 4 the assembly 1 optionally has a ramp bar 9 which is fitted to the tailgate 10 of the vehicle 2. This provides a mounted structure to support the ramps 7, 8 when they are used to load wheeled vehicles onto the cargo tray 3. The ramps 7, 8 are preferably adapted such that they can releasably engage (e.g. clip on and off) with the bar 9. The bar 9 is preferably made from welded metal and is permanently attached to the tailgate although in some embodiments the bar 9 can be made from other suitable materials and can be removable.

The assembly 1 also optionally has a removable remote controlled electric winch 11 mounted (e.g. with quick release keyhole and pins or the like) to the support 4 like shown in figure 5. This winch 11 is attached to a wheeled vehicle when in use such that the wheeled vehicle can be loaded and unloaded unmanned. Alternatively, or in addition to an electric winch 11 the assembly 1 can also have a removable self retracting safety line 12 illustrated in figure 6 in which on end attaches to the support 2 (e.g. clips onto an aperture in the centre of the support 4) and the other clips to the front of a wheeled vehicle. The safety line 12 helps prevent the attached vehicle tipping over backwards during manned loading or unloading. Any suitable safety line 12 could be used e.g. climbing or industrial safety lines.

Figure 7 shows an ATV 13 being loaded onto the cargo tray 3 of a vehicle 2. As can be seen the ramps 7, 8 have been attached to the bar 9 and the safety line 12 has been attached to the ATV 13. Figure 8 shows the ATV 13 once loaded on the cargo tray 3.

The loaded ATV’s 13 rear wheels 14 are raised using a jack 15 allowing the ramp(s) 7, 8 to be placed against the front wheel 16 of ATV 13 like can be seen in figure 9. The jack 15 is then lowered placing the rear wheels on the ramps 7, 8. This spreads the load of the ATV 13 onto the ramps 7, 8 and away from the tailgate hinges and support cables.

The tailgate is left down for transport and the ATV 13 is secured by tie downs or the like.

The jack 15 is used again to raise the rear of the ATV 13 for unloading. However, in some embodiments (e.g. a single cab or extra cab vehicle) the cargo tray may be of sufficient length to allow the tailgate to close when an ATV 13 is loaded. In these embodiments there is no need to position the ramps 7, 8 under the ATM 13 to support the tail gate and the ramps 7, 8 can be stored as normal for travel.

In some embodiments the assembly 1 has a solar shower 17 like shown in figure 10.

The shower 17 comprises a solar shower water bag 18 and an adjustable hooked pole 19. One end of the pole releasably engages with the support 4 and the ramps 7, 8 (e.g. via angled apertures in them). It will be appreciated that other type of connections between the shower 17 and the support 4 and ramps 7, 8 are possible. In some embodiments the assembly can have more than one shower 17. When not in use the shower bags 18 nest transversely inside the top ramp 8 such that they receive the maximum amount of sun and are isolated from damage from items in the cargo tray.

In use if a user decides that he needs to enhance the traction of the wheels of his vehicle 2 (e.g. in sand, snow, mud or one a steep bank) or to bridge an obstacle such as a stream or uneven terrain he will get out of his vehicle 2 and remove the ramps 7, 8 from the support 4 and place them on the desired location on the ground in front or under the wheels and then use the ramps 7, 8 for traction or to bridge the obstacle in his vehicle 2 and once this has been done he can put the ramps 7, 8 back on top of the support 4.

When loading a wheeled vehicle such an ATV 13 a user attaches the winch 11 or safety line 12 if they are not already attached to the support 4 and opens the tail gate and attaches the ramps 7, 8 to the rail bar 9. The user then attaches the winch 11 or safety line 12 to the ATV 13 and loads the ATV 13 onto the cargo tray 3 (the ATV 13 can be loaded unmanned if winch is used). Once loaded the rear of the ATV 13 is jacked up so that the ramps 7, 8 can be removed from the bar and placed under the back wheels of the ATV 13 such that they abut against the front wheel of the ATV 13. The tailgate is left down for transport and the ATV 13 is secured by tie downs or the like. To remove the ATV 13 the process is reversed.

The previously described system and method of loading and unloading and ATV onto a cargo tray provides a much safer and more effective way than known ways of loading and unloading ATVs onto cargo trays.

If the user wishes to have a shower 17 he would attach one end of the adjustable hooked pole 19 to the solar bag 18 and then insert the other end into the angled apertures into the ramps 7, 8 and support 4 such that the shower 17 is above the vehicle out of the users way and can maximise the warmth from the sun.

Figures 11 and 12 show an alterative embodiment of a support 20. The legs 21 of the support extend down into a cargo tray and against the inner side walls of the cargo tray when in use. The support 20 is attached to the floor of a tray/deck with bolts 22 or the like such that the support 20 can be easily removed. Another reason for the legs 21 and support 20 described in this embodiment and previous embodiments attaching to the floor is so the sides of the deck can be lowered.

Figures 13 and 14 also show an alternative embodiment of a support 23 which can be used for a flatbed ute. This support 23 is fixed to a vehicle by welding to the headboard 24. It can be added to an existing headboard or configured into a new build. The support 23 can also have an angled leg 25 bolted to a tray/deck. The ramps as previously described hook onto a bar 26 on the tailgate. Preferably chains or wire rope etc (not shown) are used to secure the tailgate into a horizontal position to allow for loading and unloading of ATV etc.

It will be appreciated that the various parts of the assembly 1 can be produced in a range of different sizes. It will also be appreciated that the assembly 1 can be made in a number of different ways and can be made from a number of different materials.

It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the various embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and functioning of various embodiments of the invention, this disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail so long as the functioning of the invention is not adversely affected. For example the particular elements of the support 4, 20, 23, the ramps 7, 8, the rail bar 9, the winch 11, the safety line 12 and the shower 17 may vary dependent on the particular application for which it is used without variation in the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, although the preferred embodiments described herein are directed to a ramp assembly for a vehicle it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications can be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (19)

CLAIMS 1.:

1. A ramp assembly for a vehicle comprising:  a support adapted to be removably attached to a cargo tray of a vehicle or a 5 trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray wherein the support has two legs and a horizontal elongate member joining the legs and wherein the elongate member is positioned above the cargo tray when installed or a support which is fixed to the vehicle and has a horizontal elongate member and the elongate member is positioned above the cargo tray when installed; and 10  at least two ramps adapted to releasably engage with each other and with the support; the assembly is adapted such that when in use the support is attached to a cargo tray of a vehicle or a trailer or a cab of a vehicle with a cargo tray and wherein the ramps are able to be stored transversely on top of or within the support and the 15 assembly is also configured such that a user can remove the ramps from the support and use the ramps as a bridge for the vehicle or to assist with increasing the traction of the wheels of the vehicle.

2. A ramp assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ramps are stored on top of the 20 support.

3. A ramp assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ramps are stored within the support. 25

4. A ramp assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a first ramp is stored on top of a second ramp.

5. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legs have angled wings.

6. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support has a lower cross member between the legs.

7. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legs of the support are attached to side walls of a cargo tray.

8. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the legs of 5 the support are attached to a floor of the cargo tray.

9. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support is attached to a headboard of a vehicle.

10 10. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ramps have a plurality of turret punched holes in them.

11. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ramps have treads to enhance traction of the wheels of the vehicle.

12. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly has a ramp bar which is attached to a tail gate of the vehicle and the ramps are adapted such that they can releasably engage with the bar. 20

13. A ramp assembly according to claim 12, wherein in use when at least one ramp is attached to the ramp bar it creates a support bridge between the cargo tray and the ground.

14. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 25 assembly has a removable winch attached to the support.

15. A ramp assembly according to claim 14, wherein the winch is remote controlled.

16. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 30 assembly has a self-retracting safety line which is attached to the support when in use.

17. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly has a solar shower which is adapted to releasably engage with the support and ramps. 5

18. A ramp assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, when used to assist with loading and unloading an ATV or motorcycle onto the cargo tray.

19. A ramp assembly, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompany drawings.