Modular rail and accessory system
AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation
InventorsJason Dabel, Yuyol Lee, Brian Balicki, Geoffrey Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accessory attachment system includes a channel element arranged to receive one or more repositionable accessories. A pivotally mounted spring-based clasp with a hook element engages a lower lip of the channel element. Restraint cooperating elements such as protrusions or recesses of an accessory are configured to cooperate with laterally spaced accessory motion restraints such as recesses or protrusions of the channel element to inhibit lateral movement and rotation of an accessory body. An accessory including laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements and a pivotally mounted spring-biased clasp, as well as an attachment method, are further provided.
Claims22
An accessory attachment system comprising:
- a channel element comprising a rear wall, a shelf extending forward relative to the rear wall, a lower lip extending generally downward from a leading edge of the shelf, and a plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints located above the shelf;
- and
- an accessory arranged to be repositioned relative to the channel element, the accessory including an accessory body configured to be received by the channel element, wherein the accessory body comprises at least one restraint cooperating element and a pivotally mounted spring-biased clasp including a hook element configured to engage the lower lip when the accessory body is received by the channel element;
- wherein the at least one restraint cooperating element is configured to cooperate with one or more accessory motion restraints of the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints to inhibit lateral movement and rotation of the accessory body relative to the channel element when the accessory body is received by the channel element;
- and
- wherein the accessory attachment system comprises one of the following features (a) or (b):
- (a) the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of apertures or recesses defined in the channel element, and the at least one restraint cooperating element comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the accessory body and arranged to be received by multiple apertures or recesses of the plurality of apertures or recesses;
- or
- (b) the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the channel element, and the at least one restraint cooperating element comprises multiple laterally spaced apertures or recesses defined in the accessory body and arranged to receive multiple protrusions of the plurality of protrusions.
An accessory configured for repositionable attachment to a channel element that includes a rear wall, a shelf extending forward from the rear wall, a lower lip extending generally downward from a leading edge of the shelf, and a plurality of accessory motion restraints which are laterally spaced in relation to one another and located above the shelf, the accessory comprising:
- an accessory body configured to be received by the channel element, wherein the accessory body comprises multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements and a pivotally mounted spring-biased clasp that includes a hook element configured to engage the lower lip when the accessory body is received by the channel element;
- wherein the multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements are configured to cooperate with multiple accessory motion restraints of the plurality of accessory motion restraints to inhibit lateral movement and rotation of the accessory body relative to the channel element when the accessory body is received by the channel element;
- and
- wherein the accessory comprises at least one of the following features (a) or (b):
- (a) the plurality of accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of apertures or recesses defined in the channel element, and the multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements comprise multiple laterally spaced protrusions extending from a surface of the accessory body and arranged to be received by multiple apertures or recesses of the plurality of apertures or recesses;
- or
- (b) the plurality of accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the channel element, and the multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements comprise multiple apertures or recesses defined in the accessory body and arranged to receive multiple protrusions of the plurality of protrusions.
A method for removably attaching an accessory to a channel element including a rear wall, a shelf extending forward relative to the rear wall, a lower lip extending generally downward from a leading edge of the shelf, and a plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints which are laterally spaced in relation to one another and located above the shelf, the accessory including multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements, an accessory body, and a pivotally mounted spring-biased clasp including a hook element, the method comprising:
- actuating the pivotally mounted spring-biased clasp to expand a gap between the hook element and the accessory body;
- tilting an upper portion of the accessory body forward and registering the multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements with multiple accessory motion restraints of the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints;
- and
- tilting a lower portion of the accessory body forward to cause the hook element to engage the lower lip and to cause the multiple laterally spaced restraint cooperating elements to engage the multiple accessory motion restraints;
- wherein one of the following features (a) or (b) is provided:
- (a) the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of apertures or recesses defined in the channel element, and the at least one restraint cooperating element comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the accessory body and arranged to be received by multiple apertures or recesses of the plurality of apertures or recesses;
- or
- (b) the plurality of laterally spaced accessory motion restraints comprises a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the channel element, and the at least one restraint cooperating element comprises multiple laterally spaced apertures or recesses defined in the accessory body and arranged to receive multiple protrusions of the plurality of protrusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.