Title: Method for installing a foldaway hand rail to a vehicle
Abstract: A bracket for pivotally mounting a handle adjacent to an opening of a vehicle includes a handle receiving portion adapted to receive an end of the handle, a pivot pin for pivotally mounting the end of the handle at the handle receiving portion, and at least one mounting hole or aperture. The handle receiving portion is configured to retain the end of the handle such that the handle is in an in use position or a stored position. The pivot pin extends downward from the handle receiving portion and includes a biasing member to bias the handle at either position. The mounting aperture is accessible for securing the bracket to a surface of the vehicle when the pivot pin and the handle are assembled to the bracket. The bracket and the handle thus may be mounted to the wall of the vehicle as a pre-assembled unit.
Patent Number: 7,007,366 Issued on 03/07/2006 to Eby
| Inventors:
|
Eby; Darren (Bristol, IN)
|
| Assignee:
|
ASC Industries, Inc. (Elkhart, IN)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
620831 |
| Filed:
|
July 16, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
29/436; 29/434; 29/525.02 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
B23P 11/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
29/434,436,525.01,525.02
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 1179286 | Apr., 1916 | Crimmel.
| |
| 1435110 | Nov., 1922 | Efford.
| |
| 1796344 | Mar., 1931 | Pleiss.
| |
| 2411448 | Nov., 1946 | McLean.
| |
| 2437647 | Mar., 1948 | McLean.
| |
| 3847336 | Nov., 1974 | Morris et al.
| |
| 3929228 | Dec., 1975 | Margolin et al.
| |
| 4029352 | Jun., 1977 | Evans.
| |
| 4261550 | Apr., 1981 | Gregory.
| |
| 4335862 | Jun., 1982 | Sherman.
| |
| 4720116 | Jan., 1988 | Williams et al.
| |
| 4823910 | Apr., 1989 | Day.
| |
| 4976455 | Dec., 1990 | Brammer, Sr. et al.
| |
| 5024420 | Jun., 1991 | Downing.
| |
| 5028029 | Jul., 1991 | Beck et al.
| |
| 5076547 | Dec., 1991 | Osterholm.
| |
| 5078276 | Jan., 1992 | Rogge et al.
| |
| 5116025 | May., 1992 | Kiniry.
| |
| D374581 | Oct., 1996 | Kiniry.
| |
| 6375146 | Apr., 2002 | Painchaud.
| |
| 6425572 | Jul., 2002 | Lehr.
| |
| 6843468 | Jan., 2005 | Marshall et al.
| |
| 2003/0029974 | Feb., 2003 | Marshall et al.
| |
Other References
Lend-A-Hand Installation Instructions, dated Apr. 11, 1996, Stromberg Carlson
Products, Inc.
|
Primary Examiner: Bryant; David P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Van Dyke, Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser.
No. 60/404,093, filed Aug. 16, 2002, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety.
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property right or privilege
is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for installing a foldaway hand rail to a surface of a vehicle comprising:
assembling a hand rail to at least one bracket, such that said hand rail is selectively
positionable in first and second positions relative to said at least one bracket,
said at least one bracket having a handle receiving portion and a pair of mounting
apertures, said mounting apertures being laterally offset from said handle receiving portion;
mounting said at least one bracket to the surface of the vehicle after said hand
rail is assembled to said at least one bracket, said mounting apertures being generally
vertically aligned when said bracket is mounted to the surface of the vehicle.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said hand rail is selectively pivotable between
said first and second positions.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one bracket comprises a pair
of brackets.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein assembling said hand rail to said pair of brackets
includes assembling said hand rail to said pair of brackets with a pivot pin extending
through an end of said hand rail at each of said pair of brackets.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein mounting said brackets to the surface of the
vehicle includes mounting each of said brackets to the surface of the vehicle with
at least one fastener inserted through at least one mounting aperture in said bracket,
said at least one mounting aperture being offset from said pivot pin.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving portion is offset toward one
side of said at least one bracket from a centerline of said at least one bracket
and said pair of mounting apertures are offset toward the other side of said at
least one bracket from said centerline.
7. A method for installing a foldaway hand rail to a surface of a vehicle comprising:
assembling a hand rail to at least one bracket, such that said hand rail is selectively
positionable in first and second positions relative to said at least one bracket;
mounting said at least one bracket to the surface of the vehicle after said hand
rail is assembled to said at least one bracket and irrespective of the position
of said hand rail relative to said at least one bracket.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said hand rail is selectively pivotable between
said first and second positions.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one bracket comprises a pair
of brackets.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein assembling said hand rail to said pair of
brackets includes assembling said hand rail to said pair of brackets with a pivot
pin extending through an end of said hand rail at each of said pair of brackets.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein mounting said brackets to the surface of
the vehicle includes mounting each of said brackets to the surface of the vehicle
with at least one fastener inserted through at least one mounting aperture in said
bracket, said at least one mounting aperture being offset from said pivot pin.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one bracket includes a receiving
portion for receiving an end of said hand rail, said receiving portion being offset
toward one side of said at least one bracket, said at least one bracket including
at least one mounting aperture offset toward the other side of said at least one bracket.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to assist handles or rails for recreational
vehicles and the like and, more particularly, to a foldaway assist handle or rail
assembly which is mountable to a side of a recreational vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Foldaway assist rails or handles are known and are mountable to a side of
a recreational vehicle or the like via securing brackets to the vehicle with suitable
fasteners. The handle or railing is foldable between a stored position, where the
handle is positioned along a side of the vehicle, and an in use position, where
the handle extends outwardly from the vehicle for a person to grasp the handle
as they are entering or leaving the recreational vehicle. The handle is pivotally
mounted to a pair of brackets via a pivot pin at each end of the handle. The brackets
are mounted or installed at the side of the vehicle. However, in order to install
the brackets to the vehicle, the handle assembly must be supplied as component
parts, particularly, the handle and pivot pins must be separate from the brackets,
in order to provide access to the mounting holes in the brackets for screwing,
bolting or otherwise fastening or securing the brackets to the wall or side of
the recreational vehicle. This is because the mounting holes are generally centered
on the bracket and the pivot pin is also generally centered on the bracket, such
that the pivot pin is aligned along the mounting holes and thus restricts or precludes
access to the fasteners inserted through the mounting holes. The handle must then
be assembled to the brackets after the brackets are installed at the vehicle. This
not only increases the number of steps to mount the handle, but the person installing
the handle assembly must make careful measurements to position the brackets at
the appropriate location on the vehicle surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to provide a folding or fold away assist rail
or handle assembly that can be mounted to a vehicle in an assembled state, in order
to ease installation of the brackets and handle assembly onto the targeted recreational
vehicle or the like.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a bracket for pivotally
mounting a handle or railing adjacent an opening of a vehicle includes a handle
receiving portion, a pivot pin and at least one mounting hole or aperture. The
handle receiving portion receives an end of the handle therein, while the pivot
pin pivotally mounts the end of the handle at the handle receiving portion. The
handle receiving portion is configured to retain the end of the handle such that
the handle is in an in use position or a folded or storage position. The pivot
pin includes a biasing member to bias the handle at either the in use position
or the storage position relative to the handle receiving portion. The pivot pin
extends downward from the handle receiving portion. The mounting apertures are
accessible for securing the bracket to a surface of the vehicle with the pivot
pin and handle assembled to the bracket. This may be accomplished by the mounting
apertures being offset relative to the pivot pin.
In one form, a handle receiving portion for receiving a handle in its outward
or in use position is offset toward one side from a centerline of the bracket,
while the at least one mounting aperture is offset toward the other side from the
centerline of the bracket, thereby providing clearance and access to the mounting
apertures for installation of the bracket to the surface of the vehicle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of attaching
or mounting a handle or railing to a surface of a vehicle includes assembling the
railing to at least one bracket, such that the railing is pivotally attached to
the at least one bracket, and then mounting the at least one bracket to the side
of the vehicle. The handle assembly, including the railing or handle and the at
least one bracket, is thus mounted to the side of the vehicle as an assembled unit.
Therefore, the present invention provides a handle assembly having a mounting
bracket for pivotally mounting a foldaway assist handrail or handle to a vehicle
which does not require the assembly to be supplied as separate components and does
not require disassembly of the handle assembly prior to installation of the brackets
on the vehicle. The handle assembly, which includes the handle, brackets and pivot
pins, may be preassembled and installed onto the wall or side of the vehicle as
a unit, since the mounting holes are accessible even when the handle and pivot
pins are assembled to the brackets.
These and other objects, advantages, features and purposes of this invention
will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction
with drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handrail mounted to a bracket on a vehicle
in accordance with the present invention, with the handrail in an in use position;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handrail of FIG. 1, with the handrail in
a stored position;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bracket of the present invention for use with
the handrail of FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the bracket of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted
therein, a foldaway handrail or handle assembly
10 is mountable to a side
or surface of a vehicle
12 (FIGS. 1 and 2) adjacent to a door or other opening
in the vehicle. The handle assembly
10 includes a pair of brackets
14
and a handrail or handle
16 pivotally mounted at each end to the brackets
14. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, handle
16 is selectively pivotable
between an in use position (FIG. 1), where the handle extends outwardly from the
side of the vehicle, and a foldaway or stored position (FIG. 2), where the handle
is folded along the side of the vehicle, as is known in the art. The brackets
14
are mountable to the side of the vehicle
12 with the handrail pivotally
mounted to the brackets, such that the handrail assembly
10 is mountable
to the vehicle as a pre-assembled unit.
Handle
16 is pivotally mounted at each end to a respective bracket
14 via a pivot pin or bolt
18. The pivot pin
18 extends through
the end of the handle and is retained at one end by a cap member or top cap
20
on an upper portion of the end of the handle. The top cap
20 may be curved
to mate with the generally cylindrical shape of the handle to limit rotation of
the top cap relative to the handle. The bracket
14 includes a handle receiving
portion
22 at an upper end thereof and a mounting plate
24 along
a rear surface or engaging surface of the bracket. The handle receiving portion
22 includes a U-shaped channel or receiving portion
22a,
22b
for receiving the end of the handle in each of the two positions, as can be
seen in FIG. 3. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the U-shaped portion
22a
receives the end of the handle
16 when the handle is in the in use position,
while the U-shaped portion
22b receives the end of the handle
16
when the handle is in the storage or fold away position.
The pivot pin
18 extends from the top cap
20 through the handle
16 and through the handle receiving portion
22 to pivotally retain
the end of the handle to the respective bracket
14. The pivot pin
18
includes a biasing member or spring
26 positioned below the handle receiving
portion
22 which functions to bias or pull the pin
18 and handle
end downward into the particular U-shaped portion
22a,
22b
of the handle receiving portion
22. The pivot pin
18 is inserted
through a floor portion or retaining plate or structure
27 (FIG. 3), and
the biasing member
26 engages a lower portion of the plate or structure
to retain the handle
16 at the bracket and to bias the handle
16
into the appropriate U-shaped portion
22a,
22b. Pivotal
movement of the handle between the folded or storage position and the in use position
is accomplished by lifting upward at the handle to pull the ends of the handle
upward out of the U-shaped handle receiving portions of the brackets, and pivoting
the handle
16 until the ends of the handle generally align with the other
U-shaped handle receiving portions of the brackets. The handle then may be lowered
down, such that the ends of the handle are lowered into the other U-shaped handle
receiving portions and biased therein by the springs
26 of the respective
brackets
14.
As shown in FIG. 4, the pivot pin
18 and biasing member
26 extend
downward from the handle receiving portion
22 and generally along the mounting
plate
24 of the bracket
14. The mounting plate
24 includes
one or more mounting holes or apertures
28 through the mounting plate for
receiving suitable fasteners (not shown) therethrough. As can be seen in FIG. 4,
the apertures
28 are positioned toward one side
14a of the
bracket
14, so as not to align with the pivot pin
18. This provides
easy access to the mounting holes to facilitate fastening or mounting the bracket
to the vehicle with suitable fasteners without disassembly of the handle assembly
or removal of the pivot pin from the bracket. In the illustrated embodiment, the
mounting holes
28 are at least partially offset toward the one side
14a
of the bracket
14 from a centerline
14c of the bracket
14, while the handle receiving portion
22a for holding the
handle in its in use position is at least partially offset from the centerline
14c of the bracket
14 toward the other side
14b
of the bracket, in order to provide clearance and access to the mounting holes
28, while minimizing the overall width of the bracket
14.
Therefore, the present invention provides a bracket for a foldaway handle
assembly which may be easily mounted to a surface of a vehicle without requiring
disassembly of the handle from the bracket prior to the installation. The handle
assembly thus may be pre-assembled and installed to the vehicle as a single unit,
such that further assembly of the handle to the brackets is not required after
the brackets have been installed to the vehicle.
Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be
carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which
is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted
according to the principles of patent law.
*
