The invention has particular application to cargo barriers for use in four wheel drive recreational vehicles and more particularly to cargo barriers arranged for the protection or separation of portable refrigerators (or fridges) , for example, those sold under the names "Engel" or "Waeco", from other cargo in such vehicles. Typically, such fridges are mounted in the cargo compartment of the vehicle on a "fridge slide" which in turn is securely mounted in the cargo compartment and provides a mechanism whereby the fridge can slide in and out of the cargo compartment for easy access. A cargo barrier is required not so much to protect the fridge from damage as to protect it from interference from other cargo which might jamb the fridge or the fridge slide thereby preventing the fridge sliding out of the cargo compartment in the fridge slide for access and to keep a suitable heat exchange space around the fridge. Advantageously, a suitable cargo barrier above the fridge allows cargo space above that barrier to be filled while a cargo barrier beside the fridge allows cargo to be stored almost up to the side of the fridge .

While suitable cargo barriers have been developed for separating portable fridges from the remainder of the cargo space, there needs to be a large number of different cargo barriers because there are a large number of different sized fridges in a large number of brands requiring different fridge slides and requiring different sized and shaped spaces in a vehicle. In that respect, fridges can range in size from 20 litres to 100 litres and possible larger which results in a situation where an undesirably large number of cargo barriers have to be kept in stock or they have to be more or less built to order. Typically, such cargo barriers comprise two spaced apart side wall panels, an inner wall panel and a roof panel with all four panels incorporating connecting lugs arranged such that the roof panel and the end wall panel can be bolted to the two side wall panels to hold them together whereby the cargo barrier when erected in the vehicle extends about the two side walls and end wall of the fridge and the lid or roof of the fridge. In some cases, the inner end wall of the fridge may not be required.

The present invention is aimed at providing a system of constructing, assembling or erecting cargo barriers, especially cargo barriers for portable fridges, which alleviates the aforementioned problem. The invention is also aimed at providing cargo barriers and components constructed according to the system. The system achieves the desired result by providing a plurality of different sized barrier panels from which panels can be selected and connected together to form a particular sized cargo barrier.

With the foregoing in view, the invention in one aspect resides broadly in a method of constructing, assembling or erecting cargo barriers including: providing a plurality of different sized and/or different shaped side wall panels adapted to be secured to a floor or other foundation, for example, the floor of a vehicle or the roof of a storage cabinet in a vehicle, or a fridge slide; providing a plurality of different sized and/or different shaped roof panels adapted to be secured to selected ones of said plurality of side wall panels; providing a plurality of releasable connectors adapted to connect selected ones of said roof panels to any of said wall panels so as to form a cargo barrier having two spaced apart side walls and a roof panel therebetween; selecting at least two side wall panels from said plurality of different sized and/or different shaped wall panels and a roof panel from said different sized and/or different shaped roof panels and at least two of said releasable connectors; standing said selected side wall panels in spaced apart relationship and connecting said roof panel to each of said spaced apart side wall panels by way of at least one of said selected connectors to form a cargo barrier adapted to extend about two opposite sides and top of an article to be connected. The method may also include providing a plurality of side wall extension panels adapted to be secured to any of said side wall panels to form selected extended side wall panels, selecting two side wall extension panels from a plurality of side wall extension panels and securing said side wall extension panels to said selected extended side wall panels respectively and instead of connecting said roof panel to said side wall panels, connecting it to said selected extended side wall panels by way of connection to said side wall extension panels to form a higher cargo barrier adapted to protect a higher article to be protected.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a system or method of constructing, assembling or erecting a cargo barrier including : selecting two side wall panels to cooperate with a particular item to be protected from a plurality of different sized side wall panels adapted to be secured to a floor or other foundation on opposite sides of an article to be protected; selecting a roof panel to cooperate with the item to be protected from a plurality of different sized roof panels adapted to be secured to selected ones of said plurality of side wall panels ; selecting at least two releasable connectors from a plurality of releasable connectors adapted to connect any of said roof panels to any of said side wall panels or said extended side wall panels; arranging said selected side wall panels in spaced apart relationship on opposite sides of the article to be protected and connecting said selected roof panel to said selected side wall panels by way of said releasable connectors so as to form a cargo barrier having two spaced apart side walls and a roof panel extending therebetween.

The system may also include selecting two side wall extension panels from a plurality of side wall extension panels adapted to be secured to any of said side wall panels to form selected extended side wall panels, and securing said side wall extension panels to said selected extended side wall panels respectively and instead of connecting said roof panel to said side wall panels, connecting it to said selected extended side wall panels by way of connection to said side wall extension panels to form a higher cargo barrier adapted to protect a higher article to be protected.

In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a system or method of constructing, assembling or erecting a cargo barrier including: selecting two side wall panels from a plurality of different sized side wall panels adapted to be secured to a floor or other foundation on opposite sides of an article to be protected; selecting two side wall extension panels from a plurality of side wall extension panels adapted to be secured to any of said side wall panels, and securing said side wall extension panels to said selected side wall panels respectively to form extended side wall panels adapted to cooperate with the item to be protected; selecting a roof panel to cooperate with the item to be protected from a plurality of different sized roof panels adapted to be secured to selected ones of said plurality of side wall panels or extended side wall panels; selecting at least two releasable connectors from a plurality of releasable connectors adapted to connect any of said roof panels to any of said side wall panels or said extended side wall panels; arranging said selected side wall panels in spaced apart relationship and connecting said selected roof panel to said extended side wall panels by way of said releasable connectors so as to form a cargo barrier having two spaced apart extended side walls and a roof panel extending therebetween to form a cargo barrier adapted to extend about the side walls and top of the article to be protected.

Preferably, said method includes selecting a rear wall panel from a plurality of different sized and/or different shaped rear wall panels and connecting said selected rear wall panel to the two spaced apart side walls using at least two more releasable connectors preferably selected from the plurality of releasable connectors .

In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a cargo barrier including: two spaced apart side wall panels adapted to be secured to a floor or other foundation on opposite sides of an article to be protected; side wall extension panels secured to said side wall panels respectively to form spaced apart upwardly extended side wall panels; and a roof panel secured to said spaced apart extended side wall panels by at least two releasable connectors to form a cargo barrier adapted to extend about the side walls and top of the article to be protected.

In still yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a kit of parts for constructing, assembling or erecting a cargo barrier including: two spaced apart side wall panels adapted to be secured to a floor or other foundation on opposite sides of an article to be protected; two side wall extension panels adapted to be secured to said side wall panels respectively to form spaced apart upwardly extended side wall panels; and a roof panel adapted to be secured to said spaced apart extended side wall panels by at least two releasable connectors to form a cargo barrier adapted to extend about the side walls and top of the article to be protected.

Preferably, said cargo barrier includes a rear wall adapted to be connected to the two side walls using at least two more releasable connectors preferably selected from the plurality of releasable connectors.

Preferably, said releasable connectors are adapted to clamp onto the edge portion of any of said side wall panels and the edge portion of said rear wall panels and the edge portion of said roof panels. In a preferred form, where the panels are of wire frame construction with a perimeter wire, it is preferred that the releasable connectors be adapted to clamp onto the perimeter wire. In such form, it is also preferred that the releasable connectors be adapted to clamp the perimeter wires of adjacent panels in spaced apart relationship with the perimeter wires to be connected generally lying in a plane diagonal to the planes of the two panels being joined. However, in other forms of the invention the releasable connectors can be arranged so that the roof panel lies in the same plane as the perimeter wires of the two side wall panels or that the perimeter wire at one end of the roof panel lies in the plane of one side wall panel and the perimeter wire at the other end lies in the same plane as the opposite side wall panel and similarly for the rear wall panel when included. Such arrangements allow for the height, width and length of the space within the cargo barrier to be increased or decreased to some extent by the arrangement of the releasable connectors between panels. In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a cargo barrier constructed in accordance with the method or system previously described.

In still yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a holding device for holding two wire frame panels together, the device including an outer half and a complementary inner half, said outer half having two perimeter wire engagement portions for engaging the perimeter wires of the two panels to be held together respectively and two spaced apart outer face engagement portions extending outwards from said perimeter wire engagement portions at a predetermined inclination for engaging the outer faces of the two panels adjacent the respective perimeter wires respectively and said inner half having two perimeter wire engagement portions for engaging the perimeter wires of the two panels to be held together respectively and two spaced apart inner face engagement portions extending outwards from said perimeter wire engagement portions respectively for engaging the respective inner faces of the two panels adjacent the perimeter wires respectively, and means for securing said inner and outer halves together so as to hold the two panels together with the two perimeter wires between the inner and outer perimeter wire engagement portions.

Preferably, said inner and outer halves are shaped to engage the respective perimeter wires such that the outer face engagement portion and the inner face engagement portion clamp at least one wire extending inwards from the perimeter wire therebetween while at the same time they two halves clamp the perimeter wires between the two perimeter wire engagement portions.

Preferably, said perimeter wire engagement portions of said outer half and said inner half are arranged to engage the perimeter wires about substantially more than half the circumference of the respective wires. Preferably, the two perimeter wire engagement portions are spaced apart by a predetermined distance selected so as to hold the two perimeter wires to be held together and apart at a predetermined distance. In a preferred form, the inner and outer halves include a centre portion between said perimeter wire engagement portions and two spaced apart bolt holes are provided in the centre portion of the outer half while complementary aligned threaded holes are provided in the centre portion of the inner half for receiving bolts therein.

In still yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a cargo barrier including a plurality of wire frame panels wherein at least two of said panels are connected using a holding device as previously described.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a photograph showing a prior art cargo barrier around a large low portable fridge mounted on a fridge slide with one side panel and the roof panel clearly visible

Fig. 2a is a photograph of a prototype cargo barrier according to the present invention with the side wall panels set with the extension panels positioned for a high portable fridge ;

Fig. 2b is another photograph of the prototype cargo barrier illustrated in Fig. 2a around a high portable fridge;

Fig. 3 is a photograph of the prototype cargo barrier shown in Fig. 2a with the extension panels set for a lower fridge;

Fig. 4 is a close up photograph of a holding device or clamp used to hold the side panels and roof panel together from the outside;

Fig. 5 is a close up photograph of the holding device or clamp shown in Fig. 4 from the inside;

Fig. 6a is an elevation of the bottom side wall panel of the prototype cargo barrier shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6b is a plan of the bottom side wall panel of Fig 6a;

Fig. 6c is an end elevation of the bottom side wall panel of Fig. 6a

Fig. 7a is an elevation of the side wall height extension panel for adding to the bottom side wall panel of Fig. 6a to form the side wall panel of the cargo barrier shown in Fig.2;

Fig. 7b is a plan of the side wall height extension panel of Fig. 6a;

Fig. 8a is an elevation of a bottom side wall panel for a larger cargo barrier than the one shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 8b is a plan of the bottom side wall panel of Fig. 8a;

Fig. 8c is an end elevation of the bottom side wall panel of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a sectional end elevation through a corner between the roof panel and one side panel showing one of the clamps which can be seen in Fig. 2 securing the two panels together;

Fig 10 is a plan of the outside clamp half shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional end elevation of the outside clamp half of Fig 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan of the inside half of the clamp shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a sectional end elevation of the inside clamp half of Fig 12.

The cargo barrier 10 illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises two spaced apart side wall panels 11 (on the right-hand side) and 12 (on the left-hand side) , a roof panel 13 and a forward end panel 14 which are connected so as to effectively form a cage. Two spaced apart pockets 16 and 17 are provided on the outside of the right side wall panel 11.

The cargo barrier or cage 10 extends about a fridge 18 which is mounted on a fridge slide 19 which in turn rests on a storage cabinet 20 fitted in the cargo compartment 21 of a four-wheel- drive wagon 22 and is secured thereto. The cargo barrier is also secured to the storage cabinet 20 by screws 24 which passed through holes 25 formed in lugs 26 which extend outwards from the two side panels 11 and 12 respectively as can be seen in Fig.l. The side wall panels each comprise a relatively heavy perimeter wire and a plurality of spaced apart lighter intersecting latitudinal and longitudinal wires 27 and 28 which in the case of the vertical panels constitute horizontal and vertical wires respectively. The side wall panels 11 and 12 and the forward end panel 14 each have two spaced apart lugs 31 and 32 extending inwards at an upwardly inclined angle of about 45 degrees from the upper portion of the respective perimeter wires 11a and 12a towards the roof panel 13 which in turn has complementary lugs 33 and 34 extending downwardly and outwardly from its perimeter wire on each side to overlap the corresponding lugs on the side panels and the forward end panel. The overlapping lugs have aligned holes 36 therein through which bolts 37 pass for securing the roof panel in a horizontal position relative to the side wall panels and the end wall panel which are all vertical at least in their upper portions. Each of the side wall pockets is formed by fastening a flexible nylon net to the outside of the right side wall panel and for that purpose, two pairs of spaced apart vertical fixing plates 38 and 39 and a horizontal plate are welded to selected wires of the panel and each pair is arranged for a net pocket with complementary net plates 41, 42 and 43 respectively to be secured thereto by bolts extending through aligned holes therein.

It will be appreciated that the cargo barrier 10 just described has a fixed size and the separate panels can only be used with a very limited number of fridges, for example, the roof panel of the cargo barrier 10 could be used with a fridge having the same plan dimensions but not one which is higher.

The present invention provides a system whereby significantly more panels can be used with a greater number of fridges as will now be described. The prototype fridge 110 shown in Fig. 2 is the same as the prior art fridge 10 in many respects and consequently the same reference numbers will be used as far as possible to refer to corresponding items except prefaced by a "1". As can be seen in Fig. 2, the prototype cargo barrier 110 has been constructed for a the same length fridge as the one shown in Fig. 2 with the side wall panels 111 and 112 being the same length as before. However, shorter panels can be provided for shorter fridges wherein side wall panel 111 would have only one pair of spaced apart vertical fixing plates 138 and 139 and one horizontal plate for affixing one side wall pocket as can be seen in Fig.6a. Side wall panels for larger fridges have two pairs of vertical plates and two horizontal plates as can be seen in Fig. 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 2a and 2b, the side wall panels each comprise spaced apart bottom side panels 111 and 112 respectively and a side wall upper extension panel 160 on each side extending upwards from the bottom panels 111 and 112 respectively and each extension panel is fastened to its bottom panel via fixing plates 151 and 152 provided on the bottom panel and complementary plates 161 and 162 (shown for a long fridge in Figs 2 and 3 and a short fridge in Fig. 7) and on the extension panel with the plates of the bottom panel having a series of spaced apart holes adapted to align with a complementary series of holes in the plates of the extension panel such that the extension panel can be fastened to the bottom panel to provide a composite side wall panel of any one of a number of heights by aligning different holes and securing the two panels together by bolts or the like. The forward end panel is provided with an extension panel as well which operates in the same manner. If desired, greater adjustment may be achieved by providing series of holes in a Vernier arrangement. Advantageously, the extension panels for each side are identical so that one extension panel or one stock item can be used with either a right hand side or a left hand side bottom panel. The ability to create side walls of different heights can be seen by way of comparison of Fig.2a and Fig.3 in which a lower wall is achieved than the one in Fig 2a using the same components .

The roof panel 113 is secured to the spaced apart side panels 111 and 112 as well as the forward end panel 114 by holding devices or clamps 171 which grip the adjacent perimeter wires of the upper wall extension panel and the respective side wall panels and forward end wall extension panel. In that respect, as can be seen in Figs. 9 to 13, the clamps 171 each comprise an outer clamp half 172 and an outer clamp halfl73 which are secured together by two spaced apart bolts 174 (not shown) . The term "clamp half" is used here in to refer to the two mating parts of the clamp which together grip the perimeter wires even though those parts may not constitute proper geometric halves. The outer clamp half 172 is formed from steel plate although it could be formed from aluminium plate or malted of a plastics material if desired and comprises a central portion from which to wing portions 176 and 177 extend on opposite sides. Advantageously, the centre portion is arranged to form a spacer between the perimeter wires to be gripped and the wing portions are arranged to engage the outer faces of the panels to be connected. As can be seen in Fig. 9, the outer clamp half as to spaced apart half cylindrical recesses 178 and 179 formed therein which are adapted to receive therein approximately a portion of the outer half of the perimeter wire of each of the panels being joined while the inner half has two complementary recesses 181 and 182 formed therein for engaging the inner cylindrical face of the respective perimeter wires whereby when the two halves are clamped together they lock the perimeter wires in the respective recesses 178 and 179 thereby holding them together and apart so that they lie in a plane at approximately 45° to the horizontal roof panel and the vertical wall panel. The two clamp are held together by the two spaced apart bolts 174, the head of which engages in the head recess 183 in the outer clamp half and the threat of which engages with the threaded hole 184 in the inner clamp half.

It will be appreciated that the wing portions 176 and 177 of the outer clamp half engage with the outer face of the side wall panel 113 and the roof panel 114 respectively while the rounded outer ends 186 and 187 of the inner clamp half engage with the perimeter wire of the respective panels 113 and 114 thereby holding them at right angles and those panels in turn holding the clamp 171 in position at 45° to both panels. However, if desired, the wing portions could be formed at a different inclination to the centre portion 175 with extended end portions 186 and 187 so that the two clamp halves would hold the two panels at a different desired angle.

In use, it will be appreciated that the clamps 171 can be employed to hold the side panels and the forward end panel together to form the vertical walls of the cargo barrier and to hold the roof panel to the side wall panels whether they be bottom side wall panels or the extension panels. Additionally, the clamps 171 allow side wall panels, forward and wall panels and roof panels to be provided without fastening lugs which in turn allows extension panels to be fastened to bottom wall panels to increase the height of the cargo barrier.

The foregoing description has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention and many modifications it and variations which will be apparent person skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and defined by the following claims .