Moveable vehicular storage box

• US 4,635,992 A
• Filed: 10/26/1984
• Issued: 01/13/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gale Hawkins, Hamilton, Gene, Lynn R. Potthast
• Original Assignee: Gale Hawkins, Hamilton, Gene, Lynn R. Potthast
• Inventors: Hamilton, Gene, Potthast, Lynn R., Hawkins, Gale
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stormer, Russell D.
• Application Number:
  US06/665,440
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.6, 296/37.1, 296/37.5, 224/273, 224/310, 312/DIG. 33, 312/276, 312/323, 280/769, 217/57, 160/118
• US Class Current: 296/37.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/06 for tools or spare parts for vehicle roof parts B60J7/20; for spare wheels B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/00 Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 312/902 Carrying case

Abstract

A storage box is suspended on side rails in such a manner that it can be slid along the length of the cargo compartment of a conventional pickup truck bed, conventional pickup truck bed with a camper shell or a cargo van. The storage box can be easily opened from the front or rear of the cargo bed. The top panel can be completely removed from the storage box while it is held in a confined space with limited headroom.

Claims

1. A storage container for vehicles having a cargo compartment having limited headroom and defined by opposite sloping side walls, a front wall a roof and a floor, said storage container comprising:

(a) Side rail means attached to said opposite side walls in parallel relationship one to the other; and

(b) A front panel, rear panel, left and right side panels and bottom panels of conforming size and shape to define a storage box which can be slid from a storage position in close proximity to the front wall of the cargo compartment to the rear of said cargo compartment; and

(c) Mounting means attached to said storage box and slideably engaged with said side rails; and

(d) A top panel; and

(e) Top panel mounting means for removeable engagement of said top panel with the storage box and for holding said top panel in a position of nonengagement with the sloping side walls and the roof of the cargo compartment when so removed.

2. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said top panel further comprises:

(a) top plate;

(b) two side collars attached to said top plate and extending downwardly in parallel spaced relationship with the side panels of the storage box; and

(c) two side arms disposed in parallel spaced relationship between the side collars and the side panels and rotatably pinned at one end to the side collars, and rotatably pinned at the other end to the side panels in a position wherein the end of the side arms attached to the side collars will fall outside of the front or rear panel of the storage box when the side arms are rotated 180°

about the ends pinned to the side panels in an upwardly direction away from the storage box.

3. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said storage box further comprises:

first and second top plates, each spanning from side panel to side panel for being supported thereon and each covering a separate portion of the opening defined by the front, rear and side panels of the storage box, with the first top plate hinged at the top of either the front or rear panel, and the second top plate hinged to the side of the first top plate opposite the side of the first top plate hinged to the front or rear panel.

4. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said storage box further comprises:

(a) first and second left top plates and first and second right top plates each spanning from front panel to rear panel for being supported thereon and each covering a separate portion of the opening defined by the front, rear, left and right side panels of the storage box,

with the first left and first right top plates being hinged to the top of their respective left side panel and right side panel,

and the second left and second right top plates hinged the first left plat and first right plate respectively so that the second left and right plates may be folded over onto the first left and right plates respectively, or drawn upwardly from the hinged side of said second left and right plates when the first left and first right plates are rotated outwardly from the storage box.

5. The storage container of claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprises:

locking means for fixing the position of the storage box at a plurality of different positions along the length of the cargo compartment spanned by said side rails means.