Claims:We claim,
1. A transport vehicle floor 100 with a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights, the vehicle includes a covered body having, a horizontal bottom wall, a vertical front wall and two vertical side walls, a top wall covering the vertical front wall and the two vertical side walls, the vehicle floor 100 comprising:
at least one chequered plate 102 disposed on the horizontal bottom wall;
a plurality of first ribs 104 of first predetermined design installed above the at least one chequered plate 102; wherein the plurality of first ribs 104 of first predetermined design is enclosed within a first frame portion 106;
at least one first bed 112 having a first predetermined pattern of perforations mounted above the first frame portion 106;
a plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design mounted over the at least one first bed; wherein the plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design is enclosed within a second frame portion 110;
at least one second bed 114 having a second predetermined pattern of perforations mounted above the second frame portion 110; and
a plurality of locating pins 116 configured to pass through the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed 112 and the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114 simultaneously.
2. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first frame portion 106 includes a first predetermined height/thickness “h”.
3. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second frame portion 110 includes a second predetermined height/thickness “H”.
4. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of locating pins 116 includes:
a first portion “FP” of first predetermined length and first predetermined diameter;
a second portion “SP” of second predetermined length and second predetermined diameter; wherein the second portion is eccentric/offset compared to the first portion of the locating pin; and
a third portion “TP” of third predetermined length and third predetermined diameter; wherein the third portion is eccentric/offset compared to the second portion of the locating pin.
5. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of locating pins 116 is located around the cargo to lock the cargo in a predetermined position of the vehicle floor.
6. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second portion “SP” of the locating pin 116 is configured to pass through the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114.
7. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third portion “TP” of the locating pin 116 is configured to pass through the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed 112.
8. The transport vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed 112 and the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114 is configured to drain fluid and remove dust from the vehicle floor and the cargo.
9. A method 600 of providing a vehicle floor 100 with a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights, the method comprising steps of:
placing at least one chequered plate 102 on the horizontal bottom wall;
installing a plurality of first ribs 112 of first predetermined design above the at least one chequered plate 102; wherein the plurality of first ribs 112 of first predetermined design is enclosed within a first frame portion 106;
mounting at least one first bed 112 having a first predetermined pattern of perforations above the first frame portion 106;
mounting a plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design over the at least one first bed 112; wherein the plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design is enclosed within a second frame portion 110;
installing at least one second bed 114 having a second predetermined pattern of perforations above the second frame portion 110; and
providing a plurality of locating pins 116 configured to pass through the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed 112 and the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114 simultaneously.
10. The method of providing a vehicle floor with a locking mechanism as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of locating pins 116 is located around the cargo to lock the cargo in a predetermined position of the vehicle floor.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to vehicles for transporting goods, luggage, finished goods, and the like. More particularly but not exclusively, to a vehicle having a pin palletized vehicle bed floor with a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights.
BACKGROUND
[002] Conventionally containers, vans, or trucks are used for transporting cargo, luggage, finished goods or several other objects from a manufacturing plant to a desired location. When carrying such cargo, luggage or other goods in the conventional trucks, the cargo or goods may get damaged during transit, if they are free to move around in the cargo area. Also, goods which are not secured to the truck bed are subjected to damage or loss if the truck is driven over rough terrain, or maneuvered vigorously (particularly if the truck changes speed or direction rapidly) enough to dislocate the goods from their resting places on the truck bed.
[003] It is known in the art that providing matting or liners for the truck beds reduces the damage to the cargo, but such matting or liners have various disadvantages. They may not be readily adaptable to fit in different size beds, they may not effectively prevent movement of the cargo placed thereon, and they may not allow easy loading and unloading in the cargo area.
[004] Further, water (fluid) and/or dust can cause a major damage to the cargo and the packages in open type trucks, and containers. The most obvious source of potentially damaging water and the like is from rain and snow which precipitate directly into the open and unprotected bed. Though this problem is lesser in enclosed trucks, yet the rain water, ground water, dust and snow may get into such vehicles and the cargo enclosures by various means such as on the packages themselves, the clothing and shoes of loaders, through open doors during loading and unloading, and the like.
[005] Configuring a truck floor without providing drainage amplifies the damage or corrosion to the cargo and the packed goods due to the contact of water and/or dust on the packages. If drainage openings are provided of conventional sort, they are susceptible to back passage of water from the road and the like from the underside of the truck. Additionally, such drainage openings often clog.
[006] Therefore, there exists a need for a vehicle having a pin palletized vehicle bed floor with a locking mechanism to transport cargo or freight. further, there exists a need for the vehicle bed floor construction which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks with rugged yet inexpensive floor construction, protects the cargo from liquid and dust, seal out dust and rain water from underfloor or road infiltration, and prevent package and cargo sliding and dislocation, thereby preventing damage to the cargo and the package.
OBJECTS
[007] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a transport vehicle having a pin palletized vehicle bed floor for transporting cargo or freights.
[008] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism for pin palletized vehicle bed floor for transporting cargo or freights.
[009] Yet another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a plurality of eccentric locating pins to lock the cargo or freight to the transport vehicle bed floor.
[0010] Still another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a method of providing a pin palletized vehicle bed floor and a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights.
[0011] These and other objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0012] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a pin palletized vehicle bed floor for a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor of a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0015] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a portion of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor of a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts a front view of a locating pin, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts a top view of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of a method of providing a pin palletized vehicle bed floor and a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0020] The embodiments herein achieve a transport vehicle having a pin palletized vehicle bed floor for transporting cargo or freights. Further, the embodiments herein achieve a locking mechanism for pin palletized vehicle bed floor for transporting cargo or freights. Furthermore, the embodiments herein achieve locking mechanism having a plurality of eccentric locating pins to lock the cargo or freight to the transport vehicle bed floor. Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0021] FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a pin palletized vehicle bed floor for a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 is used for transporting cargo or freight. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, a transport vehicle having a covered body is considered. The transport vehicle includes a horizontal bottom wall, a vertical front wall, two vertical side walls and a top cover for covering the vertical front wall and the two vertical side walls.
[0022] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100. In an embodiment, the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 includes at least one chequered plate 102, a plurality of first ribs 104, a first frame portion 106, a plurality of second ribs 108, a second frame portion 110, at least one first bed 112, at least one second bed 114, and a plurality of locating pins 116.
[0023] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the at least one chequered plate 102. In an embodiment, the at least one chequered plate 102 is installed on the bottom wall of the transport vehicle. In an embodiment, the at least one chequered plate 102 is a type of metal stock with a regular pattern of raised diamonds or lines on one side, with the reverse side being featureless.
[0024] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the plurality of first ribs 104. In an embodiment, the plurality of first ribs 104 is mounted above the at least one chequered plate 102. In an embodiment, the plurality of first ribs 104 is located on the chequered plate 102 in a first predetermined design. In an embodiment, the first predetermined design may have plurality of first ribs 104 placed parallely at a predetermined angle. For example, the plurality of first ribs 104 may have a cross-section of 20mm x 5mm. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of first ribs having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings.
[0025] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor of a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the first frame portion 106. In an embodiment, the first frame portion 106 encloses the plurality of first ribs 104. In an embodiment, the first frame portion 106 includes a predetermined thickness/height “h”. For example, in an embodiment, the predetermined thickness/height “h” may range from 15mm-25mm and includes a cross-section of 20mm x 5mm. In an embodiment, the plurality of first ribs 104 is welded to the first frame portion 106. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of first frame portion having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings.
[0026] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the at least one first bed 112. In an embodiment, the at least one first bed 112 is mounted above the first frame portion 106. In an embodiment, the at least one first bed 112 includes a first predetermined pattern of perforations. In an embodiment, the first predetermined pattern of perforations includes plurality of perforations aligned to at predetermined angle. For example in an embodiment, the first predetermined pattern of perforations may include perforations aligned at 15 Degree and 45 degree as shown in FIG. 5. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of predetermined pattern on the first bed and having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting any locating pin as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings. In an embodiment, the first predetermined pattern includes perforations of a predetermined diameter. For example, the diameter of the perforation may range from 15mm-25mm. In an embodiment, the at least one first bed 112 includes a thickness ranging from 2mm-6mm.
[0027] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a portion of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor of a transport vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the plurality of second ribs 108. In an embodiment, the plurality of second ribs 108 is mounted above the at least one first bed 112. In an embodiment, the plurality of second ribs 104 is located above the at least one first bed 112 in a second predetermined design. In an embodiment, the second predetermined design may have plurality of second ribs 108 placed parallely at a predetermined angle. For example, the plurality of second ribs 108 may have a cross-section of 65mm x 4mm. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of second ribs having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings.
[0028] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the second frame portion 110. In an embodiment, the second frame portion 110 encloses the plurality of second ribs 108. In an embodiment, the second frame includes a predetermined thickness/height “H”. For example, in an embodiment, the predetermined thickness/height “H” may range from 60mm-70mm and includes a cross-section of 65mm x 45mm. In an embodiment, the plurality of second ribs 108 is welded to the second frame portion 110. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of second frame portion having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings.
[0029] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having the at least one second bed 114. In an embodiment, the at least one second bed 114 is mounted above the second frame portion 110. In an embodiment, the at least one second bed 114 includes a second predetermined pattern of perforations. In an embodiment, the second predetermined pattern of perforations includes plurality of perforations aligned to at predetermined angle. For example in an embodiment, the second predetermined pattern of perforations may include perforations aligned at 15 Degree and 45 degree as shown in FIG. 5. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide any type of predetermined pattern on the second bed and having any cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of supporting any locating pin as can be deduced from this description and corresponding drawings. In an embodiment, the second predetermined pattern of perforations may be similar or equal to the first predetermined pattern of perforations. In an embodiment, the first predetermined pattern of perforations and the second predetermined pattern of perforations are aligned parallely in the same plane. In an embodiment, the second predetermined pattern includes perforations of a predetermined diameter. For example, the diameter of the perforation may range from 20mm-30mm. In an embodiment, the at least one second bed 114 includes a thickness ranging from 2mm-7mm.
[0030] FIG. 4 depicts a front view of a locating pin, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the transport vehicle includes the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 having a locking mechanism. In an embodiment, the locking mechanism includes a plurality of locating pins 116. In an embodiment, the locating pin 116 includes a first portion of first predetermined length and first predetermined diameter, a second portion of second predetermined length and second predetermined diameter. In an embodiment, the second portion is eccentric/offset compared to the first portion of the locating pin, and a third portion of third predetermined length and third predetermined diameter. The third portion is eccentric/offset compared to the second portion of the locating pin. For example in an embodiment, the first predetermined length may ranges from 600mm-800mm and first predetermined diameter may range from 28mm-35mm. Similarly the second predetermined length may range from 60mm-80mm and second predetermined diameter may range from 22mm-28mm. Further, the third predetermined length may range from 10mm-20mm and third predetermined diameter may range from 10mm-16mm. In an embodiment, the plurality of locating pins 116 is located around the cargo to lock the cargo in a predetermined position of the vehicle floor.
[0031] In an embodiment, the second portion of the locating pin is configured to pass through the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114. Similarly, the third portion of the locating pin is configured to pass through the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed.
[0032] FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of a method of providing a pin palletized vehicle bed floor and a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a method 600 of providing a vehicle floor 100 with a locking mechanism for transporting cargo or freights includes, at step 602, placing at least one chequered plate 102 on the horizontal bottom wall. At step 604, the method includes installing a plurality of first ribs 112 of first predetermined design above the at least one chequered plate 102; wherein the plurality of first ribs 112 of first predetermined design is enclosed within a first frame portion 106. At step 606, the method includes mounting at least one first bed 112 having a first predetermined pattern of perforations above the first frame portion 106. At step 608, the method includes mounting a plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design over the at least one first bed 112, wherein the plurality of second ribs 108 of second predetermined design is enclosed within a second frame portion 110. At step 610, the method includes installing at least one second bed 114 having a second predetermined pattern of perforations above the second frame portion 110. At step 612, the method includes providing a plurality of locating pins 116 configured to pass through the first predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one first bed 112 and the second predetermined pattern of perforations defined in the at least one second bed 114 simultaneously.
[0033] In an embodiment, the transport vehicle may include a plurality of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100. In an embodiment, the plurality of the pin palletized vehicle bed floor 100 may be disposed in the form of racks (not shown) which are stacked one above the other.
[0034] The technical advantages provided by the embodiments herein includes avoiding finished goods (FG) skid movement and falling of the materials during transportation, avoid dust particle contact to the metal skids at the time of transportation, avoid misplacement and transit damage to the materials, avoid rain water contact with skid and stagnation of water on truck bed to protect from oxidation, dilapidation and corrosion, and avoid transit damage of FG materials.
[0035] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.