US 12,623,583 B2Granted

Vehicle

AssigneeKawasaki Motors, Ltd.

InventorsShingo Kimoto, Teruaki Yamamoto, Shigeaki Uematsu, Yoshitsugu Shibasaki, Akihiro Ishii

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Abstract

A utility vehicle 100 is a vehicle, and includes a base 1, a cargo bed 2, a lift spring 3, and a lock 4. The lift spring 3 is located offset to one side with respect to the center of the cargo bed 2 in a vehicle width direction. The lock 4 includes a first lock 4A and a second lock 4B. The first lock 4A has a first striker 5A, a first hook 6A, and a lock spring 7. The second lock 4B has a second striker 5B and a second hook 6B. The second hook 6B is coupled to the first hook 6A so as to rotate integrally with the first hook 6A. When the cargo bed 2 transitions from a lifted state to a lowered state, the first hook 6A rotates in a reverse direction of a biasing direction against the elastic force of the lock spring 7 by contacting the first striker 5A, and thereafter, rotates in a forward direction which is the biasing direction by the elastic force of the lock spring 7 and is engaged with the first striker 5A. The second hook 6B rotates without contacting the second striker 5B by rotation of the first hook 6A in the reverse direction, and thereafter, rotates by rotation of the first hook 6A in the forward direction and is engaged with the second striker 5B.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A vehicle comprising:

a base;
a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base;
a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state;
and
a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base,
wherein the lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to a center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction,
the lock includes a first lock located offset to a side identical to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction,
the first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker,
the second lock has a second striker attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first striker is attached, and a second hook attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first hook is attached so as to rotate about the lock axis and engaged with the second striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state,
the second hook is coupled to the first hook so as to rotate integrally with the first hook, and
when the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state,
the first hook rotates in a reverse direction of the biasing direction against elastic force of the lock spring by contacting the first striker, and thereafter, rotates in a forward direction which is the biasing direction by the elastic force of the lock spring and is engaged with the first striker, and
the second hook rotates without contacting the second striker by rotation of the first hook in the reverse direction, and thereafter, rotates by rotation of the first hook in the forward direction and is engaged with the second striker.

10 more elements

A vehicle comprising:

a base;
a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base;
a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state;
and
a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base,
wherein the lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to a center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction,
the lock includes a first lock located offset to a side identical to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction,
the first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker,
the second lock has a second striker attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first striker is attached, and a second hook attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first hook is attached so as to rotate about the lock axis and engaged with the second striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state,
the second hook is coupled to the first hook so as to rotate integrally with the first hook,
the first hook has a body extending substantially parallel with a radial direction about the lock axis and a bent portion bent from the body, and
the first striker has a striker engagement surface with which the bent portion contacts in the lowered state and a curved surface guiding the first hook to the striker engagement surface.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.