SINGLE FORCE STRUT FOR DUAL SIDED CARGO BOX

摘要

Method and arrangement for providing and controlling operation of a dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle. A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box is provided and which has a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations. The bottom portion is adapted to be mounted to a carrying vehicle and the lid portion is manufactured from a semi-flexible material sufficiently pliable to permit two opposite end regions thereof to be at different relative distances from the bottom portion of the cargo box during transition between the open and closed configurations. A pair of spring-biased struts are also provided, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, and one each of the pair of spring-biased struts being located at the two opposite end regions of the cargo box. An expansively directed force is imposed on the lid portion, utilizing the pair of spring-biased struts, across a substantial entirety of travel of the lid portion during operator induced movement from the closed configuration to the open configuration and thereby assisting the operator to smoothly open the cargo box.

主权项

1. A dual sided opening roof mount cargo box for a carrying vehicle comprising:
a dual sided opening roof mount cargo box having a lid portion releasably hinge-connected at two lateral sides to a bottom portion of the cargo box for alternate pivotation at each of the two lateral sides between open and closed configurations, the bottom portion being adapted to be mounted to a carrying vehicle; a pair of spring-biased struts, each operatively interposed between the lid portion and the bottom portion of the cargo box, and one each of the pair of spring-biased struts being located at two opposite end regions of the cargo box; and each of the pair of spring-biased struts comprising two arms operatively interconnected for pivotation relative to one another through a delimited range of motion, the two arms having a biasing spring operatively interposed therebetween, the biasing spring configured to operatively influence the two arms during transition between first and second strut orientations that respectively correspond to closed and open configurations of the cargo box, wherein the biasing springs and arms of the pair of struts are configured to deliver an assisting force that urges the cargo box into the open configuration, wherein the assisting force has a greater magnitude when operating in proximity of the open configuration of the cargo box than when operating in proximity of the closed configuration of the cargo box.