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US 9,505,364 B1Granted
Vehicle guard system
AssigneeCurt Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJohn M. Schulzetenberg, Shane T. Piper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guard apparatus for mounting on a vehicle may comprise a guard structure comprising a plurality of bars joined together and having a major plane, a guard mounting structure configured to mount the guard structure to the vehicle in a manner permitting movement of the major plane of the guard structure between a first position and a second position, and a guard securing structure configured to secure the guard structure in the first position and release the guard structure to move toward the second position. The guard securing structure may be configured to secure the guard structure in the first position using magnetic attraction force.
Claims23
A guard apparatus for mounting on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a guard structure comprising a plurality of bars joined together, the guard structure having opposite ends for positioning adjacent to opposite sides of the front end of the vehicle, the guard structure having a top and a bottom, the guard structure having a major plane;
- a guard mounting structure configured to mount the guard structure to the vehicle in a manner permitting movement of the major plane of the guard structure between a first position and a second position;
- and
- a guard securing structure configured to secure the guard structure in the first position and release the guard structure to move toward the second position, the guard securing structure being configured to secure the guard structure in the first position using magnetic attraction force.
1 more element
A guard apparatus for mounting on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a guard structure comprising a plurality of bars joined together, the guard structure having opposite ends for positioning adjacent to opposite sides of the front end of the vehicle, the guard structure having a top and a bottom, the guard structure having a major plane;
- a guard mounting structure configured to mount the guard structure to the vehicle in a manner permitting movement of the major plane of the guard structure between a first position and a second position, the guard mounting structure including a first portion configured to mount on the vehicle and a second portion mounted on the guard structure, the second portion being pivotally mounted on the first portion to pivot about a pivot axis;
- and
- a guard securing structure configured to secure the guard structure in the first position using magnetic attraction force and release the magnetic attraction force to permit the guard structure to move toward the second position, the guard securing structure including a magnetic element with a magnetic surface mounted on one of the first and second portions and a magnetically-receptive element with a magnetically receptive surface mounted on an other one of the first and second portions;
- and
- wherein the magnetic element and the magnetically-receptive element are positioned on the portions of the guard mounting structure such that pivoting of the guard structure toward the first position moves the magnetic surface of the magnetic element toward and into abutment with the magnetically-receptive surface of the magnetically-receptive element.
3 more elements
A guard apparatus for mounting on a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a guard structure comprising a plurality of bars joined together, the guard structure having opposite ends for positioning adjacent to opposite sides of the front end of the vehicle, the guard structure having a top and a bottom, the guard structure having a major plane;
- a guard mounting structure configured to mount the guard structure to the vehicle in a manner permitting movement of the major plane of the guard structure between a first position and a second position, the guard mounting structure including a first portion configured to mount on the vehicle and a second portion mounted on the guard structure, the second portion being pivotally mounted on the first portion to pivot about a pivot axis;
- and
- a guard securing structure configured to secure the guard structure in the first position using magnetic attraction force and release the magnetic attraction force to permit the guard structure to move toward the second position, the guard securing structure including a magnetic element with a magnetic surface mounted on one of the first and second portions and a magnetically-receptive element with a magnetically receptive surface mounted on an other one of the first and second portions;
- wherein the magnetic surface of the magnetic element and the magnetically-receptive surface of the magnetically-receptive element form a stop limiting pivot movement of the guard structure at the first position of the guard structure;
- and
- wherein a position of at least one of the magnetic element and the magnetically-receptive element on the guard mounting structure is adjustable to facilitate abutment of the magnetic surface against the magnetically-receptive surface.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.