The present application relates generally to rollback carriers and tow truck vehicles. In particular, the present application relates to headboards or cab protectors for such vehicles. One function of a headboard is to provide a barrier between the carrier load on a flat bed and a driver's compartment or cab. Another function of a headboard is to provide a mounting surface at or above the top of the truck or chassis cab to mount emergency flashing lights or other accessories.
Traditional headboards are built to accommodate chassis systems and cabs at specific heights. For a given height, the headboard may require modification to accommodate cutouts and to permit access depending on the options selected for a particular model or carrier. One source of complexity for headboards arises from adaptations to include screens in the upper opening of the headboard in cargo transport applications.
By way of example, conventional headboards may necessitate design, production, and use of many weldments to accommodate variations in chassis systems and cabs. Varying distances exist from the top of the chassis frame to the top of the chassis cab across chassis models. Further, additional weldments are needed in the form of spacers to increase the height of the headboard. Conventional headboards require a sizeable array of parts to ensure an appropriate design tailored to the cabs of various makes, models, and configurations of different vehicles. Different carrier bed designs or carrier beds having different capacities produce still additional variation in the distance between the carrier bed and the top of the cab assembly. The number of variations imposes challenges in correctly selecting the appropriate configuration of parts, especially when the chassis on which the headboard will be mounted has not yet been identified by a designer.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds