Pickup truck chest liner assembly

• US 5,137,322 A
• Filed: 11/27/1989
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skyco Resources Limited
• Original Assignee: Skyco Resources Limited
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOGE, GARY CHAPMAN
• Application Number:
  US07/441,537
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 296/39.1, 296/39.2, 296/37.6, 224/42.42
• US Class Current: 296/39.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/01 Liners for load platforms or load compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/00 Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like

Abstract

An assembly for installation into the bed of a pickup truck consisting of a cargo chest and a liner insert combination is described. The assembly is adapted to be inserted into the bed of the pickup truck to provide a secure cargo chest and a protective lining. The assembly is adapted to receive one or more chest lids hingedly and lockably attached to provide security and protection for the cargo in storage within the chest. The cargo chest liner insert assembly, in one embodiment, is adapted for a cargo chest lid which opens as one piece from the front of the chest assembly, and in other embodiments for cargo chest lids which hinge at the center for chest access from the sides of the pickup truck. In still another embodiment, the assembly is adapted to include cargo compartments in the opposed wheel well extensions. The upper perimeter flange of insert assembly can be adapted to provide an over the rail or an under the rail truck bed border. The assemblies in each embodiment are further adapted to ensure nestability for consolidated storage and shipment by providing inwardly sloped walls and rounded corner radii. The assembly also provides a tailgate liner piece.

Claims

1. An insert for a pickup truck vehicle having a truck bed including a floor, a front wall, opposed side walls whose upper margins are defined by a downward extending bed rail, opposed wheel wells and a tailgate border opening, said insert comprising:

a unitarily formed insert having a protective liner portion and a storage chest portion, said liner and chest portions being connected therebetween by a supporting surface;

said protective liner portion comprising a floor, an upper front wall, a lower front wall, opposed wheel well enclosures and a tailgate border opening;

said storage chest portion comprising a bottom, opposed side walls, a front wall substantially narrower than the width between the truck bed side walls and a rear wall substantially lower than the chest front wall;

said chest walls rising up at an angle greater than perpendicular from said bottom to form a compartment lip defined by an outward extending surface;

said storage chest of the unitary insert being joined to the protective liner portion below an elevation defined by the downward extending bed rail;

said supporting surface of the unitarily formed insert being further joined to the storage chest portion about the outward extending lip of said chest;

said supporting surface including a channel, said channel being in communication with said lip of said chest;

said supporting surface further comprising opposed flat surfaces traversing said joining of the supporting surface to the protective liner portion to said channel, such that said surface and said storage chest extend in width substantially the distance defined by the length between the opposed side walls at the front wall of said truck bed.

2. An insert as described in claim 1 wherein;

said chest includes a drain and plug for water removal and retention.

3. An insert as described in claim 1 wherein;

said protective liner side walls and front walls includes an upper margin extending over the truck bed rails.

4. An inset assembly for a pickup truck vehicle having a truck bed including a floor, a front wall, opposed side walls whose upper margins are defined by downward extending rails, opposed wheel wells and tailgate border opening, said insert assembly comprising:

a unitarily formed liner body including a protective liner portion a storage chest portion and a supporting surface; and

a chest lid hingedly attached and lockably secured to said liner body;

said protective liner portion of said liner body comprising a floor, an upper front wall, a lower front wall, opposed side walls, opposed wheel well enclosures and a tailgate border opening;

said storage chest portion of said liner body comprising a bottom, opposed side walls, a front wall substantially narrower than the width of the truck bed front wall and rear wall substantially lower than the chest front wall;

said chest walls rising up at an angle greater than perpendicular from the chest bottom to form a chest lip defined by an outward extending surface;

said liner and chest portions of said liner body being joined therebetween by a support surface, said support surface being disposed at below an elevation defined by the downward extent of the bed rails to traverse to the outward extending chest lip;

said support surface further comprising a channel contiguously associated with the opposed sides and front lips of the storage chest; and

said chest lid having a width substantially less than the distance defined by the front walls between the opposed truck bed side walls, and an engaged downward extending lip about said chest lid.

5. An insert assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein;

the storage chest lid is lockably secured to the liner body above the lower front wall of the liner portion at the right and left recesses formed along the rear of the support surface where said surface communicates with the outward extending lip of the chest.

6. An insert assembly as in claim 4 where the distance traversed by the supporting surfaces between the liner side walls and the outward extending lip of the storage chest are predetermined to accept the vertical members of a protective roll-bar assembly.

7. An insert assembly as described in claims 4 where the storage chest lid communicates with the outward extending lip of the storage chest.

8. An insert assembly as described in claim 4 where the storage chest lid lip extends downward to reside within the channel formed in the supporting surface.

9. An insert assembly as described in claim 4 where the storage chest lid includes an auxiliary light to illuminate the storage chest.