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US 7,568,732 B2Granted
Folding roll-over protective structure
AssigneeFull Vision, Inc.
InventorKenneth G. Schlup, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A folding roll-over protective structure has hinges that may be attached weld-free to the folding legs of the structure. Selectively removable locking pins may be used to lock the structure in its fully upright use position or a collapsed folded position. Strategically located cushions within the hinges take up slack in the system to minimize rattling when the structure is locked in its use position.
Claims34
A folding roll-over protective structure comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having a front inner section spanning the leg respective portion inside the same and being supported by opposite front and rear wall portions of the respective leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having a rear outer section disposed outside of the respective leg portion behind the rear wall portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate.
5 more elements
A folding roll-over protective structure comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having an inner section spanning the leg portion inside the same and being supported by opposite wall portions of the leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having an outer section disposed outside of the leg portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate,
- said inner section having at least one projection received within a hole in one of said wall portions,
- said outer section having at least one projection received within a hole in the opposite wall portion.
7 more elements
A folding roll-over protective structure comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having an inner section spanning the leg portion inside the same and being supported by opposite wall portions of the leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having an outer section disposed outside of the leg portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate,
- said inner section of said at least one hinge plate having a locking hole disposed to be mutually aligned with a locking hole in the other hinge plate of said at least one hinge and with corresponding locking holes in the upper and lower leg portions to which the at least one hinge is attached when the structure is in the use position, whereby to permit locking of the structure in the use position by a locking member received within the aligned locking holes of the leg portions and the hinge plates.
6 more elements
In combination with a motorized riding vehicle, a folding roll-over protective structure mounted on said vehicle and comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having a front inner section spanning the leg portion inside the same and being supported by opposite front and rear wall portions of the leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having a rear outer section disposed outside of the leg portion behind the rear wall portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate.
5 more elements
In combination with a motorized riding vehicle, a folding roll-over protective structure mounted on said vehicle and comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having an inner section spanning the leg portion inside the same and being supported by opposite wall portions of the leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having an outer section disposed outside of the leg portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate,
- said inner section having at least one projection received within a hole in one of said wall portions,
- said outer section having at least one projection received within a hole in the opposite wall portion.
7 more elements
In combination with a motorized riding vehicle, a folding roll-over protective structure mounted on said vehicle and comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, tubular, upright legs,
- each of said legs including a lower portion and an upper portion;
- a transverse member interconnecting the upper portions of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising an upright lower hinge plate on the lower portion of a leg and an upright upper hinge plate on the upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates having an inner section spanning the leg portion inside the same and being supported by opposite wall portions of the leg portion,
- said at least one hinge plate further having an outer section disposed outside of the leg portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate,
- said inner section of said at least one hinge plate having a locking hole disposed to be mutually aligned with a locking hole in the other hinge plate of said at least one hinge and with corresponding locking holes in the upper and lower leg portions to which the at least one hinge is attached when the structure is in the use position, whereby to permit locking of the structure in the use position by a locking member received within the aligned locking holes of the leg portions and the hinge plates.
6 more elements
A folding roll-over protective structure comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, upright legs;
- a transverse member interconnecting upper ends of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising a lower hinge plate on a lower portion of a leg and an upper hinge plate on an upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates being bolted to its leg portion,
- each of said legs being tubular,
- each of said leg portions having a pair of opposed front and rear walls,
- said at least one hinge plate spanning said front and rear walls and being supported thereby,
- said at least one hinge plate having a front inner section disposed inside of and bolted to the corresponding leg portion and a rear outer section disposed outside of the corresponding leg portion behind said rear wall and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate of the at least one hinge.
7 more elements
A folding roll-over protective structure comprising:
- a pair of laterally spaced apart, upright legs;
- a transverse member interconnecting upper ends of said legs;
- and
- a hinge on each leg permitting the structure to fold between a use position and a folded position,
- at least one of said hinges comprising a lower hinge plate on a lower portion of a leg and an upper hinge plate on an upper portion of a leg,
- at least one of said hinge plates being bolted to its leg portion,
- each of said legs being tubular,
- said at least one hinge plate having an inner section disposed inside of and bolted to the corresponding leg portion and an outer section disposed outside of the corresponding leg portion and pivotally connected to the other hinge plate of the at least one hinge,
- each of said leg portions having a pair of opposed walls,
- said at least one hinge plate spanning said walls and being supported thereby,
- said inner section having at least one tab received within a hole in one of said walls,
- said outer section having at least one tab received within a hole in the opposite wall.
9 more elements
A hinge assembly adapted for attachment to upper and lower tubular leg portions of a roll-over protective structure to render the structure capable of being folded between a use position and a folded position, said hinge assembly comprising:
- a lower hinge plate for the lower leg portion;
- an upper hinge plate for the upper leg portion;
- and
- a coupling pivotally interconnecting said plates for relative pivoting movement about an axis transverse to the planes of the plates,
- each of said plates comprising a flat body having an outer peripheral edge,
- said edge being configured to present at least one forwardly projecting front projection disposed for reception within a front locating hole in a forward wall portion of a tubular leg portion and at least one forwardly projecting rear projection disposed for reception within a rear locating hole in a rear wall portion of the tubular leg portion.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.