# US 10,864,895 B2 · Wheel chock and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,895 B2 - Document ID: US10864895B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/167,497 - Filed: 2016-05-27 - Published: 2016-09-22 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-29 - Assignees: 9172-9863 Quebec Inc. - Applicants: 9172-9863 Quebec Inc. - Inventors: Gregory Palmer; Daniel Grothe; Etienne Ayotte; Geatan Jette - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864895B2 ## CPC - B60T 3/00: Portable devices for preventing unwanted movement of vehicles, e.g. chocks - B60P 3/077: Wheel cradles, chocks, or wells - B64F 1/16: Pickets or ground anchors; Wheel chocks - B65G 69/005: {the means engaging at least one wheel of the vehicle} - B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES - B60P: VEHICLES ADAPTED FOR LOAD TRANSPORTATION OR TO TRANSPORT, TO CARRY, OR TO COMPRISE SPECIAL LOADS OR OBJECTS (vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00) - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract The wheel chock is designed use over a base plate to prevent a parked vehicle from moving away in an unauthorized or accidental manner in a departure direction. The wheel chock includes a monolithic main body having a bottom base portion and a tire-engaging bulge. It also includes a tire deformation cavity, made within the main body on the tire-facing side, which is located immediately below the tire-engaging bulge. Teeth are provided underneath the bottom base portion of the wheel chock to uninterruptedly engage at least one among corresponding teeth provided on the base plate in a positive latched engagement. The wheel chock has an improved resistance to rollover and tipping when the wheel is pressed forcefully against the wheel chock. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wheel chock for use over a ground-anchored base plate to prevent a parked vehicle from moving away in an unauthorized or accidental manner in a departure direction when the wheel chock is in a tire-blocking position on the base plate, the wheel chock having a tire-facing side to be positioned directly in front of a tire of a wheel of the parked vehicle, the tire including a resilient tire tread having an undeformed state when the tire tread is away from the wheel chock, and a deformed state when the tire tread is pressed forcefully against the wheel chock, the wheel chock including: a main body having a bottom base portion and a tire-engaging bulge, the tire-engaging bulge being located on the tire-facing side at a vertical position above the bottom base portion to engage the tire tread at a bulge engagement point when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position; a tire deformation cavity made within the main body on the tire-facing side of the wheel chock, the tire deformation cavity being located immediately below the tire-engaging bulge and extending from the tire-engaging bulge down to a bottom tire-engaging point on the bottom base portion, the tire deformation cavity receiving the deformed tire tread below the bulge engagement point when the tire tread is pressed onto the tire-engaging bulge in the deformed state, the tire deformation cavity having a depth that is at least about 30% of a tire sidewall height at a deepest location of the tire deformation cavity; and a plurality of spaced-apart and substantially downwardly-projecting teeth provided underneath the bottom base portion of the wheel chock to engage at least one among corresponding spaced-apart teeth provided on the base plate in a latched engagement when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position on the base plate; wherein the main body of the wheel chock has a monolithic construction; and wherein the wheel chock is sized such that the bulge is configured to engage on an upper portion of a lower leading quadrant of the wheel at the bulge engagement point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the tire deformation cavity defines a recessed tire-facing surface that is spaced apart from the tire tread when the tire tread initially contacts the tire-engaging bulge in the undeformed state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the main body of the wheel chock includes: a pair of spaced-apart and substantially vertically-extending side members, each side member having an edge on the tire-facing side; and at least one transversal frame member rigidly attached between the side members; wherein the recessed tire-facing surface is provided by the edges of the side members on the tire-facing side. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The wheel chock as defined in claim 3, wherein the two edges of the side members on the tire-facing side are symmetrically disposed with reference to the tire tread. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the tire-engaging bulge includes an upper surface portion and a bottom surface portion, the bottom surface portion being opposite the upper surface portion, the tire-engaging bulge projecting outwardly on the tire-facing side above the recessed tire-facing surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the recessed tire-facing surface has a curved shape at least in an upper half of the recessed tire-facing surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of a lower leading quadrant of the wheel has a lower boundary that is at a maximum vertical distance from a horizontal wheel centerline of about 15% of a diameter of the wheel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the deformed state of the tire tread corresponds to a maximum deformed state during which the tire tread is urged on the wheel chock immediately before a tire failure occurs, the wheel being prevented from rolling over the wheel chock. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the tire-engaging bulge has a rounded outer surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The wheel chock as defined in claim 9, wherein the latched engagement is maintained when the tire tread is at the maximum deformed state against the wheel chock to prevent the wheel chock from tipping when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the latched engagement when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position on the base plate is a positive latched engagement in which each tooth of the wheel chock engaging a corresponding tooth of the base plate shares a common horizontally-extending surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the teeth under the wheel chock each include a horizontally-extending surface to resist an upward lifting motion when the wheel chock is in a tire-blocking position on the base plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The wheel chock as defined in claim 1, wherein the wheel chock further includes a handle mounted on the main body of the wheel chock. ### Claim 14 A wheel chock for use over a ground-anchored base plate to prevent a parked vehicle from moving away in an unauthorized or accidental manner in a departure direction when the wheel chock is in a tire-blocking position on the base plate, the wheel chock having a tire-facing side to be positioned directly in front of a tire of a wheel of the parked vehicle, the tire including a resilient tire tread having an undeformed state when the tire tread is away from the wheel chock, and a deformed state when the tire tread is pressed forcefully against the wheel chock, the wheel chock including: a main body having a bottom base portion and a tire-engaging bulge, the tire-engaging bulge being located on the tire-facing side at a vertical position above the bottom base portion to engage the tire tread at a bulge engagement point when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position; a tire deformation cavity made within the main body on the tire-facing side of the wheel chock, the tire deformation cavity being located immediately below the tire-engaging bulge and extending from the tire-engaging bulge down to a bottom tire-engaging point on the bottom base portion, the tire deformation cavity receiving the deformed tire tread below the bulge engagement point when the tire tread is pressed onto the tire-engaging bulge in the deformed state; and a plurality of spaced-apart and substantially downwardly-projecting teeth provided underneath the bottom base portion of the wheel chock to engage at least one among corresponding spaced-apart teeth provided on the base plate in a latched engagement when the wheel chock is in the tire-blocking position on the base plate; wherein the main body of the wheel chock has a monolithic construction; wherein the wheel chock is sized such that the bulge is configured to engage on an upper portion of a lower leading quadrant of the wheel at the bulge engagement point; and wherein the bottom tire-engaging point is spaced apart from the tire tread when the tire tread initially contacts the tire-engaging bulge in the undeformed state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein the tire deformation cavity defines a recessed tire-facing surface that is spaced apart from the tire tread when the tire tread initially contacts the tire-engaging bulge in the undeformed state. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein the main body of the wheel chock includes: a pair of spaced-apart and substantially vertically-extending side members, each side member having an edge on the tire-facing side; and at least one transversal frame member rigidly attached between the side members; wherein the recessed tire-facing surface is provided by the edges of the side members on the tire-facing side. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The wheel chock as defined in claim 16, wherein the two edges of the side members on the tire-facing side are symmetrically disposed with reference to the tire tread. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein the tire-engaging bulge includes an upper surface portion and a bottom surface portion, the bottom surface portion being opposite the upper surface portion, the tire-engaging bulge projecting outwardly on the tire-facing side above the recessed tire-facing surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein the recessed tire-facing surface has a curved shape at least in an upper half of the recessed tire-facing surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The wheel chock as defined in claim 14, wherein the tire-engaging bulge has a rounded outer surface.