IP Library Granted Patent US 12,728,933
Granted Patent B2
US 12,728,933 · App. 18/541,883 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Access system for a container of goods

Inventor: Greg E. Berna (Lakewood, IL)
B62D33/04B60J5/0497
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,728,933
App. No.
18/541,883
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An access system for a container of goods, cargo or people having an access opening, a track and a plurality of load bearing panels. The panels are arranged in a flush orientation in a first plane to occlude the access opening. Each panel is individually moveable to a second plane then slidable along the second plane to enable access to the interior.

Claims (50)

1 . An access system for a container of goods comprising:

an access opening in a container of goods;

an upper track in the access opening;

a lower track in the access opening; and

a plurality of load bearing panels each independently moveable in a first direction along the upper and the lower tracks and independently moveable in a second direction along the upper and the lower tracks,

wherein the first direction and the second direction are generally perpendicular.

2 . The access system of claim 1 wherein each panel includes a weatherproofing.

3 . The access system of claim 1 wherein each panel includes a lock.

4 . The access system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of panels has a common lock.

5 . The access system of claim 1 wherein each panel is slidable along the upper track and the lower track.

6 . The access system of claim 5 wherein each panel is slidable using trolleys.

7 . The access system of claim 6 wherein the trolleys are omnidirectional trolleys.

8 . The access system of claim 1 wherein there are two access openings in the container.

9 . The access system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the panels has thereon one of a solar panel and an LED panel.

10 . The access system of claim 1 wherein the panels are moveable manually.

11 . The access system of claim 1 wherein the panels are moveable using a motor.

12 . The access system of claim 1 wherein the panels are moveable to access all portions of the access opening.

13 . A container for storing goods comprising:

a pair of end walls;

a top wall;

a bottom wall;

an interior;

at least one side wall having therein an access opening and having a plurality of load bearing panels in a first position along a first plane wherein the panels enclose the access opening; and

a track,

wherein each panel is independently moveable in the track from the first position to a second position in a second plane and moveable along the second plane to expose portions of the interior.

14 . The container of claim 13 wherein the access opening includes the entire side wall.

15 . The container of claim 13 wherein each panel is slidably movable in the track.

16 . The container of claim 13 wherein each panel is slidably movable in the track using trolleys.

17 . The container of claim 16 wherein the trolleys are omnidirectional trolleys.

18 . The container of claim 13 wherein the at least one side wall includes the pair of side walls.

19 . A container for holding cargo comprising:

a plurality of walls oriented to have an interior adapted to hold cargo;

an access opening in at least one of the plurality of walls for accessing the interior; and

a plurality of load bearing panels arranged in a flush orientation in first plane to occlude the access opening,

wherein each panel is individually moveable to a second plane using a track then slidable along the second plane to enable access to the interior.

20 . The container of claim 19 wherein each panel is slidable along the second plane using the track.

21 . The container of claim 19 wherein each panel is moveable to the second plane and slidable along the second plane using the track.

22 . The container of claim 21 wherein each panel is in communication with the track using a trolley.

23 . The container of claim 21 wherein the track has a first portion for moving each panel to the second plane and a second portion for sliding each panel along the second plane.

24 . The container of claim 19 wherein each panel is individually lockable and the plurality of panels is lockable as a group.

25 . The container of claim 19 wherein each panel is moveable manually.

26 . The container of claim 19 wherein each panel is movable using a motor.

27 . The container of claim 19 wherein the first plane and the second plane are generally parallel.

28 . The container of claim 19 wherein when an individual panel is slid along the second plane, the individual panel will overlap with at least one other panel that is still in the first plane.

29 . A container for holding cargo comprising:

a plurality of walls oriented to have an interior adapted to hold cargo;

an access opening in at least one of the plurality of walls for accessing the interior; and

a plurality of load bearing panels;

the container having a first configuration wherein the plurality of load bearing panels are positioned in a common first plane to occlude the access opening, a second configuration wherein at least one panel is positioned in a second plane allowing access to a portion of the access opening and a third configuration wherein all of the panels are removed from the access opening allowing access to the entire access opening;

wherein each panel is individually moveable from the first plane to the second plane using a track and slidable along the second plane to enable access to the interior.

Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250196940A1 · Jun 19, 2025
References Cited (64)
US 2494638A · Stine · 1950 [cited by applicant]
US 2974996A · Bitterman · 1961 [cited by examiner]
US 3042960A · Spork · 1962 [cited by applicant]
US 3302691A · Andrews et al. · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 3879799A · Williams · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 3910174A · Nelles · 1975 [cited by applicant]
US 4141106A · Dixon · 1979 [cited by applicant]
US 4401033A · Gerken · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 4454690A · Dixon · 1984 [cited by applicant]
US 4515815A · Kosikowski · 1985 [cited by applicant]
US 4837891A · Toma et al. · 1989 [cited by applicant]
US 4991257A · Eutebach · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5038534A · Pollock · 1991 [cited by applicant]
US 5181296A · Williams · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5230123A · Williams et al. · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 5406676A · Williams et al. · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 6079174A · Williams et al. · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6109641A · Guy · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6167937B1 · Williams · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6312040B1 · Shinohara · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 6393772B1 · McRoberts et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 8186747B2 · Bloodworth et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8468751B2 · Williams · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 9151107B2 · Kaczmarczyk et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9457970B1 · Zevenbergen et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9470028B2 · Header et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9511960B1 · Bradford · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9567168B1 · Tibbens et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9636983B2 · Hindman · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9738141B2 · Yamaguchi et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9777502B2 · Curlander et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10167146B2 · Johnston · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10183702B2 · Jaworski et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10185921B1 · Heller et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10207621B2 · Friemel et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10219447B1 · Decarli et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10241516B1 · Brady et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10273085B2 · Battles et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10279990B2 · Ronstadt · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10287732B1 · Warford · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10316572B2 · Leitmann et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10329763B2 · McCloud et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10449886B2 · Richardson · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10479419B2 · Storz et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10781629B2 · Haab et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10854067B1 · Giles · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20010033879A1 · Hunt et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 20060057249A1 · Bell et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20110219651A1 · Borreggine · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20170193008A1 · Kreft · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180155032A1 · Gil et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180247266A1 · Knapp et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190044999A1 · Ferguson et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190130349A1 · Ferguson et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190273963A1 · Jobanputra et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190337534A1 · Beckman et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200379938A1 · Poulsen et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200385207A1 · Godwin et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20220402530A1 · Beckman et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
CN 207158001U · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 108557286A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
DE 2044085A1 · 1972 [cited by applicant]
GB 1218235A · 1971 [cited by applicant]
International Design Awards (IDA), “Sideways Trucking Drive Thru Distribution”, Berna Architects and Design, https://fg.idesignawards.com/winners/zoom.php?eid=9-21501-18, 2018. [cited by applicant]