Vehicle restraint systems and methods
AssigneeAssa Abloy Entrance Systems AB
InventorsL. Blake Whitley, Jordan Ball
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are vehicle restraint systems for releasably securing a vehicle having a RIG bar to a loading dock. The vehicle restraint systems can include a vehicle engagement member, such as a restraint hook, that is configured to engage RIG bars having a variety of geometries, including conventional RIG bars having a square cross-sectional area and modified RIG bars having more complex geometries. The engagement member can include an engagement region having a scallop feature configured to provide clearance for the RIG bars during engagement.
Claims18
A vehicle restraint system, comprising:
- a carriage assembly movably coupled to a face of a loading dock, the carriage assembly including—
- a frame;
- and
- a restraint hook having a shank portion and a bend portion extending upwardly from a distal end of the shank portion, the shank portion and the bend portion together defining an engagement region, wherein the restraint hook is pivotally coupled to the frame at a proximal end of the shank portion and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein in the raised position, the engagement region is positioned to engage a rear impact guard bar of a vehicle positioned at the loading dock,
- wherein the shank portion has an upper surface extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and wherein the upper surface includes a scallop feature positioned within the engagement region.
A vehicle restraint system for engaging a rear impact guard bar of a vehicle positioned at a loading dock, the vehicle restraint system comprising:
- a carriage assembly movably mountable to a face of the loading dock, the carriage assembly including—
- a frame having a first side plate and a second side plate parallel to and spaced apart from the first side plate;
- and
- an engagement member having—
- a body with a proximal end and a distal end, and
- a protrusion extending upwardly toward the distal end of the body, wherein the engagement member is rotatably coupled to the frame toward the proximal end of the body and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position,
- wherein in the raised position, the engagement member is configured to engage a rear impact guard bar of a vehicle positioned at the loading dock,
- wherein the body further includes an upper surface having a first surface portion proximate the proximal end and a second surface portion proximate the distal end, wherein the first surface portion defines a plane and the second surface portion defines a recess extending inwardly from the plane, and wherein the recess and the protrusion together define an engagement region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.