Pickup truck bed portable tie-down apparatus

• US 6,350,089 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Versi-Tie, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tekraft Industries Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tekavec, Terence V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Stephen T.
• Application Number:
  US09/539,048
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 410/101, 410/102, 410/104, 410/106, 410/110, 410/116, 241/29.B, 241/15.K, 242/65.CD, 248/499, 248/231.41, 248/231.61
• US Class Current: 410/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/0807 Attachment points

Abstract

A pickup truck bed portable tie-down apparatus for providing tie down points in an associated pickup bed includes a pair of cooperating clamping plate members held together by a set of bolt fasteners. One of the cooperating clamping plate members includes a set of threaded holes and the other is provided with a set of clearance holes so that the bolt fasteners can be selectively tightened to bring the plate members together into a cooperating clamping relationship onto the flange of an associated pickup truck bed. At least one of the cooperating clamping plate members carries one or more integral eyelets or hooks for connection of the subject pickup up truck bed portable tie-down apparatus to cargo straps or the like. The eyelets are embossed to provide strength at the eyelet and to minimize sharp edges that may cut into cargo ropes or straps. An outwardly extending flange area on one of the clamping plate members enables the device to be loosely connected in place anywhere along the edge of a pickup truck bed rail.

Claims

1. A portable tie-down apparatus for selective clamping onto an associated flange area formed around an outer perimeter of an associated pickup truck bed, the portable tie-down apparatus comprising:

a face plate member contoured to selectively engage a first surface of the associated flange area;

a backing plate member including an engagement portion oriented to contact a second surface of the associated flange area opposite said first surface when the face plate member and the backing plate member are selectively brought into an assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area;

at least one connecting member integrally formed on the face plate member, the at least one connecting member adapting the portable tie-down apparatus for selective connection with an associated cargo securing member holding cargo in the associated pickup truck bed; and

,

at least one fastener operable to cause relative clamping movement between the face plate member and the backing plate member to bring the face plate member and the backing plate member into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

2. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the face plate member includes:

a substantially planar main body portion contoured to selectively engage said first surface of the associated flange area; and

,

a top lip portion extending from a top edge of the substantially planar main body portion in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the main body portion, the top lip portion contacting a third surface of the associated flange area to prevent relative movement between the face plate member and the associated flange area enabling loose connection of the portable tie-down apparatus on the associated flange area prior to said relative clamping movement between the face plate member and the backing plate member to said assembled clamped relationship.

3. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the face plate member further includes:

a bottom lip portion extending from a bottom edge of the substantially planar main body portion in said first direction substantially perpendicular to the main body portion, the bottom lip portion contacting the backing plate member when the face plate member and the backing plate member are brought into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

4. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 3 wherein:

the bottom lip portion and the backing plate member contact at an interface when the face plate member and the backing plate member are brought into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

5. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said interface defines a pivot area between the face plate member and the backing plate member when the at least one fastener is operated to cause said relative clamping movement between the face plate member and the backing plate member.

6. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one fastener is operative to loosely connect the face plate member with the backing plate member prior to movement of the face plate member and the backing plate member into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

7. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

the backing plate member is substantially planar; and

,

the engagement portion of the backing plate member includes an edge of the substantially planar backing plate member.

8. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one fastener includes a plurality of threaded fasteners.

9. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one connecting member includes at least one eyelet integrally formed with the face plate member.

10. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one eyelet integrally formed with the face plate member includes a pair of eyelets extending in opposite directions from opposite sides of said face plate member.

11. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the backing plate member further includes:

a lower foot member extending from a bottom edge of the backing plate member, the lower foot member contacting the face plate member when the backing plate member and the face plate member are brought into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

12. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the engagement portion of the backing plate member carries a strip of resilient material adapted to provide a high friction interface between the backing plate member and said second surface of the associated flange area.

13. The portable tie-down apparatus for selective clamping onto an associated flange area formed around an outer perimeter of an associated pickup truck bed, the portable tie-down apparatus comprising:

a face plate member adapted to selectively engage a first surface of the associated flange area;

a backing plate member adapted to selectively engage a second surface of the associated flange area opposite said first surface when the face plate member and the backing plate member are selectively brought into an assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area;

at least one tie-down connection area integral with the face plate member; and

,

at least one fastener operable to cause relative clamping movement between the face plate member and the backing plate member to bring the face plate member and the backing plate member into said assembled clamped relationship on said associated flange area.

14. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the at least one fastener includes:

a plurality of stainless steel threaded fasteners; and

,

a plurality of nuts attached to said backing plate member.

15. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the at least one tie-down connection area includes at least one embossed eyelet integrally formed with the face plate member.

16. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the at least one embossed eyelet integrally formed with the face plate member includes a pair of embossed eyelets extending in opposite directions from opposite sides of said face plate member.

17. The portable tie-down apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the face plate member and the backing plate member are formed of stamped metal.