Vehicle Cargo Container and Lift Frame Assembly with Inflatable Bag-Assisted Lift Frame for Vehicle

Abstract

Lift frames for a vehicle in this disclosure may include a frame body on a top portion of a frame, the frame body extending from a first end to a second end; a lift mechanism moveable with respect to the first end of the frame body, the lift mechanism comprising: a lift body having a first end and a second end, a lifting surface on the first end of the lift body and the second end of the lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the first end of the frame body, wherein the lifting surface is positioned to engage an underside of a cargo container when placed on an upper side of the frame body; and an inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a platform positioned on the frame beneath the lift body, wherein the inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a mounting surface attached to the lift body; and a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the inflatable air bag. Such lift frames may include one or more such lift mechanisms associated with the compressed air source and the lift frames may be used to load and unload cargo containers locked and supported by the lift frames in transit and unlocked and detached from the lift frames when delivered in an easy and safe manner.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle, comprising:
 (a) attaching a lift frame to a rear of a vehicle, wherein the lift frame comprises
 a frame body on a top portion of a frame, the frame body extending from a first end to a second end; 
 a lift mechanism moveable with respect to the first end of the frame body, the lift mechanism comprising:
 a lift body having a first end and a second end, a lifting surface on the first end of the lift body and the second end of the lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the first end of the frame body, wherein the lifting surface is positioned to engage an underside of the cargo container when placed on an upper side of the frame body; and 
 an inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a platform positioned on the frame beneath the lift body, wherein the inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a mounting surface attached to the lift body; and 
 
 a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the inflatable air bag; 
   (b) backing the vehicle and the attached lift frame under the cargo container, wherein the cargo container is supported on a plurality of support legs, and the cargo container having a first end and a second end;   (c) inflating the inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air to lift the first end of the cargo container such that an underside of the cargo container contacts the lifting surface;   (d) removing the support legs;   (e) deflating the inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air; and   (f) locking the cargo container to the frame body.   
     
     
         40 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 39 , wherein the cargo container comprises a base having recesses therein, and removing the support legs comprises lifting the support legs and stowing them in the recesses in the base of the cargo container. 
     
     
         41 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 39 , wherein the lift frame further comprises a second lift mechanism moveable with respect to the second end of the frame body, the second lift mechanism comprising: a second lift body having a first end and a second end, a second lifting surface on the second end of the second lift body and the first end of the second lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the second end of the frame body, wherein the second lifting surface is positioned to engage the underside of the cargo container when placed on the upper side of the frame body; and a second inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a second platform positioned on the frame beneath the second lift body, wherein the second inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a second mounting surface attached to the second lift body; and wherein the source of compressed air is also in fluid communication with the second inflatable air bag and the method further comprises after step (b) and before step (f),
 (g) inflating the second inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air to lift the second end of the cargo container such that the underside of the cargo container contacts the second lifting surface; and   (h) deflating the second inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air.   
     
     
         42 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 41 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are inflated in steps (c) and (g) simultaneously. 
     
     
         43 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 42 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are deflated in steps (e) and (h) simultaneously. 
     
     
         44 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 41 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are deflated in steps (e) and (h) simultaneously. 
     
     
         45 . The method of loading a cargo container on a lift frame of a vehicle to create a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly attached to a vehicle according to  claim 41 , wherein the cargo container comprises a base having a plurality of recesses therein for receiving the plurality of support legs, and wherein removing the support legs comprises lifting the support legs located on the first end of the cargo container and stowing them in the recesses located in the base at the first end of the cargo container when the first inflatable bag is inflated, and lifting the support legs located on the second end of the cargo container and stowing them in the recesses located in the base at the second end of the cargo container when the second inflatable bag is inflated. 
     
     
         46 . A method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, comprising:
 (a) unlocking the cargo container from a frame body of the lift frame, the frame body positioned on a top portion of a frame, wherein the frame body extends from a first end to a second end, and the cargo container has a first end and a second end;   (b) inflating an inflatable air bag using a source of compressed air in fluid communication with the inflatable air bag to lift the first end of the cargo container off the frame, wherein the lift frame comprises
 the frame and the frame body; 
 a lift mechanism moveable with respect to the first end of the frame body, the lift mechanism comprising: 
 a lift body having a first end and a second end, a lifting surface on the first end of the lift body and the second end of the lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the first end of the frame body, wherein the lifting surface is positioned to engage an underside of the cargo container positioned on an upper side of the frame body and wherein when the first end of the cargo container is lifted it contacts the lifting surface; and 
 the inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a platform positioned on the frame beneath the lift body, wherein the inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a mounting surface attached to the lift body; 
   (c) positioning a plurality of support legs of the cargo container in a support position;   (d) deflating the inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air; and   (e) driving the vehicle attached to the frame away from the cargo container in the support position.   
     
     
         47 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 46 , wherein the plurality of support legs are positioned in the support position by removing the support legs from recesses in a base of the cargo container and adjustably moving them into the support position. 
     
     
         48 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 46 , wherein the lift frame further comprises a second lift mechanism moveable with respect to the second end of the frame body, the second lift mechanism comprising: a second lift body having a first end and a second end, a second lifting surface on the second end of the second lift body and the first end of the second lift body being positioned so as to be movable with respect to the second end of the frame body, wherein the second lifting surface is positioned to engage the underside of the cargo container positioned on the upper side of the frame body; and a second inflatable air bag having an upper side and a lower side and mounted on the lower side to a second platform positioned on the frame beneath the second lift body, wherein the second inflatable air bag is connected on the upper side thereof to a second mounting surface attached to the second lift body; and the source of compressed air is also in fluid communication with the second inflatable air bag, and the method further comprises after step (a) and before step (e),
 (f) inflating the second inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air to lift the second end of the cargo container such that the underside of the cargo container contacts the second lifting surface; and   (g) deflating the second inflatable air bag using the source of compressed air.   
     
     
         49 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 48 , wherein the plurality of support legs are positioned in the support position by first moving the support legs from first recesses in a base of the cargo container located at the first end of the cargo container and adjustably moving the support legs from the first recesses into the support position while the first inflatable air bag is inflated and then moving the support legs from second recesses in the base of the cargo container located at the second end of the cargo container and adjustably moving the support legs from the second recesses into the support position while the second inflatable air bag is inflated. 
     
     
         50 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 48 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are simultaneously inflated during steps (b) and (f). 
     
     
         51 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 50 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are simultaneously deflated during steps (d) and (g). 
     
     
         52 . The method of unloading a cargo container from a lift frame of a vehicle cargo container and lift frame assembly so as to detach the vehicle cargo container from the lift frame, according to  claim 48 , wherein the first and the second inflatable air bags are simultaneously deflated during steps (d) and (g).