Pickup truck mounted toolbox

• US 10,000,165 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TBX Products
• Original Assignee: Iii, Thomas Inard Reed
• Inventors: Reed, III, Thomas Inard
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggenspack, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/245,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20160362070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 224404, D124141, D12423
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/14 the object being a workshop for servicing, for maintenance, or for carrying workmen during work lifting devices for movable platforms or cabins for workmen B66F11/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/06 for tools or spare parts for vehicle roof parts B60J7/20; for spare wheels B62D

Abstract

A pickup truck toolbox can be mounted to the bed side rails by a variety of interchangeable feet rather than arms and may sit above the bed, thus allowing use of the full volume of the bed, for example for 4′×8′ sheets of building material. It may have a rear view tunnel through it either top or bottom, whereby the driver may use normally the rear view mirror, and may have a Liddy light valley across the top, whereby the brake light will remain visible. A bed light or rear view camera may be employed as well. A fairing may be employed to improve fuel efficiency.

Claims

1. A storage box for use on a pickup truck having a bed, the bed having two side rails separated by a bed width, the side rails having side rail tops defining a bed height and a bed volume, the pickup truck also having a cab profile and a cab height, a rear view mirror, and a third brake light, the storage box comprising:

a body having a top surface, a first and second bottom surface of the box each having a respective one of two footless bottom ends, a storage box height, a storage box width, and the two footless bottom ends disposed separated from one another by such bed width;

the two footless bottom ends of the box being dimensioned and configured to mount to such side rail tops, whereby;

the storage box takes up no space between such bed side rails within such bed volume;

a rear view tunnel passing through the body, the rear view tunnel located between the two bottom surfaces of the box and the two footless bottom ends of the box, the rear view tunnel rising above such bed height so as to be dimensioned and configured to allow usage of such rear view mirror.

2. The storage box of claim 1, wherein the storage box is further dimensioned and configured to match such cab profile of such pickup truck, whereby aerodynamic drag of the storage box is minimized.

3. The storage box of claim 2, the pickup truck further having a power output for an auxiliary brake light, further comprising:

a third brake light visibility feature, wherein the third brake light visibility feature further comprises;

an electrical connector to such power output, and at least one auxiliary brake light attached to the storage box and powered by the electrical connector.

4. The storage box of claim 3, further comprising:

a storage-box-to-cab fairing extending from the storage box to the cab.

5. The storage box of claim 4, further comprising:

a rear-view camera upon the body, the rear-view camera disposed so as to have a field of view similar to such rear view mirror.

6. The storage box of claim 5, further comprising:

at least two side-mounted hatches, each side-hatch mounted vertically on the body and dimensioned and configured to swing open horizontally without causing any opening of the top surface.

7. The storage box of claim 6, further comprising:

a door latch on each side-mounted hatch.

8. The storage box of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one removable shelf disposed within the body.

9. The storage box of claim 8, further comprising:

a bed illumination light attached to the storage box and disposed so as to illuminate such bed of such pickup truck,

the bed illumination light also being attached and powered by the electrical connector.

10. The storage box of claim 9, further comprising:

a rear-view camera upon the body, the rear-view camera disposed so as to have a field of view similar to such rear view mirror, whereby the storage box has a rear-view camera, the bed illumination light, and the auxiliary brake light, and these three components are combined in a single housing.

11. The storage box of claim 2, further comprising:

a third brake light visibility feature, wherein the third brake light visibility feature further comprises;

a channel across the top surface, the channel dimensioned and configured to allow such third brake light of such pickup truck to be visible despite the presence of the storage box.

12. The storage box of claim 1, wherein the top surface further comprises:

a lifting top hatch.

13. A storage box for use on a pickup truck of a make/model having a bed, the bed having two side rails separated by a bed width, the side rails having side rail tops defining a bed height and a bed volume, the pickup truck also having a cab profile and a cab height, a rear view mirror, and a third brake light, the storage box comprising:

a body having a top surface, a first and second bottom surface of the box each having a respective one of two bottom ends, a storage box height, a storage box width, and two bottom ends disposed separated from one another by such bed width;

the two bottom ends of the box each having a plurality of feet dimensioned and configured to mount to such side rail tops, whereby;

the storage box takes up no space between such bed side rails within such bed volume;

a rear view tunnel passing through the body, the rear view tunnel located between the two bottom surfaces of the box and thus also between the two bottom ends of the box and the plurality of feet, the rear view tunnel rising above such bed height so as to be dimensioned and configured to allow usage of such rear view mirror.

14. The storage box of claim 13, wherein the feet further comprise:

multiple sets of interchangeable feet, each set of interchangeable feet being adapted, dimensioned and configured to mechanically engage to one such make/model of such pickup truck.