Mudguards or mudflaps are used primarily behind single or dual rear-wheeled truck and trailer vehicles, particularly heavy duty class 6, 7, and 8. Typically, the mudflap assemblies have the ability to flex in horizontal and vertical directions in order to withstand forces placed upon them during normal operation. Some mudguard mounting structures comprise a single piece of spring-like bar stock bent in a shape for supporting the mudguards and for flexing in all directions.
Other mounting assemblies for mudflaps use a rigid hanger assembly and resiliently bias the hanger assembly to a seat which is attached to a vehicle. In such assemblies, devices are often provided for restraining rotational movement of the hanger assembly with respect to the seat so that the mudflap always remains in its vertical orientation. If the hanger rotates so that the flap moves toward the wheels, the wheels may prematurely wear the mudflap away. If the hanger rotates in an opposite direction, the effectiveness of the mudflap may be diminished.
Mudflap brackets having a horizontal tube with a longitudinal mudflap mounting flange on its underside are known. Such brackets comprise a vehicle frame-mounted plate having bolts or studs of a predetermined, fixed separation, often selected to match existing manufacturer provided apertures in the vehicle frame. A proximate end of the horizontal tube is held against the frame-mounted plate, generally in an abutting relationship, by the bias of an elongate spring residing in the tube, the spring connected at one end to the frame-mounted plate and at the other end to the tube, at a location on the tube distal from the vehicle frame.
The abutting relationship of the horizontal tube and mounting plate to the frame-mounted plate may result in misalignment of the tube, which occurs when the tube is struck or subjected to the forces experienced by the vehicle traveling down the road. The bias of the elongate spring may not overcome the misalignment by itself. Corners or edges between the mounting plate, or tube, and the frame-mounted plate catch or hang up on each other, preventing realignment of the tube. Furthermore, such devices can be expensive to manufacture and replace, and are difficult to install and assemble.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds