Truck bed liner with hingedly affixed divider

• US 6,015,178 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackwood Industries Trust
• Original Assignee: Brian Haack
• Inventors: Haack, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): HOGE, GARY CHAPMAN
• Application Number:
  US08/870,334
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 296/39.2
• US Class Current: 296/39.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/01 Liners for load platforms or load compartments

Abstract

The present invention is a truck bed liner having two side walls, a front wall, a bottom, and a rear wall, the bottom further having an integrated liner incorporated into it. The divider is formed by either molding or cutting slots on three sides of the liner bottom. The fourth side is molded or cut into a living hinge. The living hinge allows the unattached portion of the truck bed liner bottom to move freely about the hinge. The side walls of the truck bed liner include receiving channels into which the hinged dividers are locked into place. A latch is molded into and extends from the lower aspect of each sidewall at a point in which when the divider is placed into its horizontal position, will hold it in place. In operation, an operator can position the hinged divider to a 90° position with respect to the bottom and lock it into the receiving channels found on the side walls. Once locked into position, a compartment is created on each side of the raised wall. When compartmentalization is no longer needed, the hinged portion of the liner can be removed from the side wall channels and placed into a horizontal position, being locked into position by the latches.

Claims

1. A truck bed liner of the type generally having a front wall, two side walls, a bottom, and a back wall which is an integral part of the liner or, alternatively, a separate piece affixed to a tailgate, the improvement comprising:

a divider hingedly affixed to the liner; and

divider securing means,

whereby, the integrated divider can be positioned and secured with the divider securing means to compartmentalize the truck bed.

2. The truck bed liner of claim 1 wherein the integrated divider is located in the bottom of the truck bed liner.

3. The truck bed liner of claim 1, wherein the integrated divider is molded into the truck liner and has three free edges and a fourth edge comprising a hinge means to fix the divider to the liner.

4. The truck bed liner claim 3, wherein the hinge means further comprises a living hinge.

5. The truck bed liner of claim 1 wherein the integrated divider is cut into the liner after the liner is manufactured.

6. The truck bed liner of claim 5, wherein the integrated divider is cut into the truck liner bottom and has three free edges and a fourth edge comprising a hinge means to fix the divider to the liner.

7. The truck bed liner of claim 1 wherein the divider securing means further comprises at least two protrusions extending outwardly from each side wall of the liner at a predetermined point in the side walls such that they maintain the divider in a 90°

angle when the divider is in a raised position, said protrusions being spaced apart from one another along the horizontal axis a sufficient distance such that the divider can be positioned between them.

8. The truck bed liner of claim 1 further comprising horizontally divided locking means to maintain the divider in a horizontal position when the divider is not in a raised position.

9. The truck bed liner of claim 1 wherein the integrated divider is molded into one sidewall of the liner.

10. The truck bed liner of claim 1 wherein the integrated divider is cut into one of the liner side walls after the liner.

11. A truck bed liner of the type generally having a front wall, two side walls, a bottom, and a back wall which is an integral part of the liner or, alternatively, a separate piece affixed to a tailgate, the improvement comprising:

at least one divider hingedly affixed to the liner; and

divider securing means corresponding in number to the number of integrated dividers,

whereby, at least one integrated divider can be positioned and secured with the corresponding divider securing means thereby compartmentalizing the truck bed.

12. The truck bed liner of claim 11 wherein at least one integrated divider is located in the bottom of the truck bed liner.

13. The truck bed liner of claim 11, wherein the at least one integrated divider is molded into the truck liner bottom and further has three free edges and a fourth edge having a hinge means to fix the integrated divider to the liner.

14. The truck bed liner of claim 13, wherein the hinge means further comprises a living hinge.

15. The truck bed liner of claim 11, where the at least one integrated divider is cut into the bottom of the liner after the liner is manufactured.

16. The truck bed liner of claim 11 wherein the divider securing means further comprise at least two protrusions extending outwardly from each side wall of the liner, said protrusions being based apart from one another along the horizontal axis, a sufficient distance such that the hingedly affixed dividers can be positioned between them and located at a point in the side walls adjacent to the living hinge corresponding to a divider.

17. The improved liner of claim 11 further comprising horizontal divider locking means corresponding in number to the number of integrated dividers.

18. At least one integrated divider of claim 11 wherein the divider is molded into one side wall of the liner.

19. The improved liner of claim 11 wherein at least one integrated dividers are cut into one of the liner side walls after the liner is manufactured.