CA2203336A1 - Cargo box - Google Patents
Cargo boxInfo
- Publication number
- CA2203336A1 CA2203336A1 CA 2203336 CA2203336A CA2203336A1 CA 2203336 A1 CA2203336 A1 CA 2203336A1 CA 2203336 CA2203336 CA 2203336 CA 2203336 A CA2203336 A CA 2203336A CA 2203336 A1 CA2203336 A1 CA 2203336A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- lid
- dry box
- false bottom
- access door
- enclosure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R9/00—Supplementary fittings on vehicle exterior for carrying loads, e.g. luggage, sports gear or the like
Abstract
A cargo box of the type suitable for mounting in the cargo bed of a pickup truck or on the back of a truck, van, or recreational vehicle, includes a open-topped enclosure having a back wall, a bottom, two side walls, and at least one vertically disposed front access door and a lid for completely and tightly closing the top of the enclosure. A false bottom is provided, which, when set in its operative position and the lid in place atop the enclosure, bounds two interior storage spaces, the first space between the bottom and the false bottom and the second space between the lid and the false bottom. The lid provides access to the first space and the vertically disposed front access door provides access to both interior storage spaces.
Description
CARGO BOX
Field of the Invention This present invention relates to a cargo box of the type suitable for mounting in the cargo bed of a pickup truck or on the backs of trucks, vans, or recreational vehicles.
Background of the Invention Although there are several makes and models of cargo boxes of the above type (herein referred to as "dry boxes", because they are intended to be weather-resistant and to keep their contents dry) available on the market, none have the combination of both top and front access with adjustable interior space volume. Those dry boxes without adequate compartmentalisation of the interior storage space are susceptible to the problem that the stored objects can move about as the vehicle moves, resulting in the scattering of those objects throughout the storage space and potentially resulting in damage to the stored objects.
For smaller objects to be stored in the dry box, its volume should be small - this can be accomplished by dividing the interior space into two or more compartments. But for larger stored objects, one may wish to employ the entirety of the interior space of the dry box. Prior designs have not successfully addressed these ostensibly conflicting objectives.
Summary of the Invention It would be advantageous if the dry box contained a removable false bottom to efficiently utilise all the available interior storage space and to provide at the user's option, smaller storage spaces to limit the motion of smaller objects placed in the dry box as the vehicle moves. It would be particularly advantageous if the dry box were equipped with front access doors to allow the user to remove stored objects from the dry box directly from the back of the vehicle rather than lifting objects out of the top of the dry box. The front access doors also permit access to the storage space contained under the false bottom without necessitating the removal of the false bottom.
According to the invention, there is provided a dry box with a removable shelf constituting a false bottom, comprising an outer housing provided with a lid hydraulically connected to the back of the housing and provided with at least one hingedly connected vertically disposed access door. When set in its operative position, the false bottom bounds two spaces, one being a space between the bottom of the housing and the false bottom, further enclosed by the sides of the housing, and the other between the lid and the false bottom. The removable false bottom is of such proportions as to fit snugly against the interior surface of the back wall of the housing when placed in its storage position, or alternatively could rest on the true bottom.
Two or more such removable shelves can be provided if desired.
The vertical access door facilitates access to both levels of storage space, above and below the false bottom in its operative position (or all levels, if two or more removable shelves are provided). The lid and access doors, opened in conjunction or separately, provide further and better access to the upper level of storage space when the false bottom is in use, and further and better access to the entire interior storage space when the false bottom is not in use.
Two or more vertical access doors may be provided if desired, mating with one another to provide, when closed, a coplanar door assembly completely and tightly closing the dry box, but individually selectably openable to give access to give access to selected portions of the interior storage space.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention below.
Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a false bottomed dry box embodying the present invention, with the lid up and the main door open, Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, with the lid down and the doors closed, Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a schematic front elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, with the lid up and the main door open, Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of the dry box of Figure 1 with the lid partially up, the main door partially open, and the sub-access door open, Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the false bottom of the dry box of Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of another false bottomed dry box embodying the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 shows an embodiment, generally indicated by numeral 10, of the false bottomed dry box especially suitable for use in the cargo bed of a pickup truck (not shown). The dry box 10 may be mounted in the cargo bed of the pickup truck and preferably oriented so that the direction indicated by reference letter A in Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7 is toward the front of the truck. However, in the following, the "front" of the dry box 10 as installed is to be understood to face in a direction opposite to direction A. The embodiment described is made from aluminum checker plate material unless otherwise specified. Materials such as wood, fiberglass, plastic, or steel may also be used to construct embodiments of the invention, but aluminum checker plate is preferred.
The dry box 10 is generally comprised of a rectangular bottom 12, a rectangular back wall 14 perpendicularly welded to the back edge of the bottom 12, a pair of opposed identical side walls 18 welded to the bottom 12 and to the back 14, a top in the form of a lid 16 hingedly connected to the back wall 14, and a front access door 22 hingedly connected to the front edge of bottom 12 by a hinge 38. A portion of the main front access door 22 is separately hingedly connected by a portion of hinge 38 to the bottom 12 to form a sub-access door 24.
The side walls 18 may be rectangular or trapezoidal.
If it is desirable that the lid 16 slope when closed so as to encourage drainage of water from the top of the lid 16 or for aesthetic reasons, trapezoidal side walls 18 as illustrated in Figure 3 may be used.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, along the front edge of each side walls 18 is welded a front side panel 23 and along the front edge of the bottom 12 is welded a front bottom panel 25. Conventional weather sealing (not shown) is affixed to the exterior face of front side panels 23 and the front bottom panel 25 to seal the dry box when the main front access door 22 is closed against the front side panels 23 and the bottom panel 25. Conventional latches 27 are provided on each side of the main front access door 22 to enable the main front access door 22 to be held in a closed position.
The lid 16 is provided with a downwardly extending lip 26 along the length of each edge of the lid 16. Conventional weather sealing (not shown) is attached around the periphery of the interior surface of the lid 16 just inside the lip 26. The upper edges of the side walls 18, the back wall 14, and the front access door 22 are bent over to form a surface (not shown) to sealingly engage the weather sealing attached to the lid 16 when the lid 16 is closed. The lid 16 may be locked in closed position by a conventional lock and hasp (not shown) or latches (not shown).
A pair of parallel sub-access door latches 28 are affixed on the interior surface of the main access door 22 to secure the sub-access door 24 in the closed position. A lip (not shown) is attached to the interior of the main front access door 20 around the opening for the sub-access door 24 to prevent the sub-access door 24 from opening inward and to provide a surface for mounting conventional weather sealing to seal the sub-access door 24 when the sub-access door 24 is closed.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, one or two hydraulic lift assists 30 may be attached to the interior surfaces of the lid 16 and back wall 14 to assist in raising or lower the lid 16 and to hold it in an open position for access to the interior of the dry box 10 as illustrated in Figure 1.
As illustrated in Figure 6, a removable shelf or false bottom 20 is provided so that storage space above the false bottom 20 is accessible from above via the lid 16 or the main front access door 22 and the storage space below the false bottom 20 is accessible via the main front access door 22. The false bottom 20 is supported by the side walls 18 using any type of suitable shelf support arrangement of conventional design (not shown) to provide support for the false bottom 20. For example, angle iron (not shown) may be bolted or welded to the side walls 18 to provide support for the false bottom 20. As illustrated in Figure 6, the false bottom 20 is may be provided with notches 32 to accommodate the hydraulic lift assists 30 so that the false bottom may be stored against the interior surface of the back wall 14 when not needed.
Optionally and within the discretion of the designer, one or more additional shelves (not shown) may be provided in addition to the false bottom 20, the false bottom 20 then being in effect the uppermost shelf. The term "false bottom" then designates the shelf visible from above when the lid 16 is opened.
The interior of the main access door 22 may optionally be provided with a pair of parallel braces 34, on either side of the sub-access door 24, to stiffen the main access door 22.
Illustrated in Figure 7 is another embodiment of the false bottomed dry box 10 suitable for mounting upon the back of recreational vehicles having a recess in the rear of the body overhanging the rear bumper. To accommodate installation upon such vehicles, the side walls 18 in this embodiment have a shape selected so that the back wall 14 slopes upward toward the rear of the vehicle. As in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-6, a false bottom 20 and a vertical access door 22 are provided, although in this embodiment two access doors 22 are attached with vertical hinges 39 to front panels 23. If the dry box 10, in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, has a width similar to that of the recreational vehicle, a tail light 36 may be attached to each of the front panels 23 for safety reasons.
Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.
Field of the Invention This present invention relates to a cargo box of the type suitable for mounting in the cargo bed of a pickup truck or on the backs of trucks, vans, or recreational vehicles.
Background of the Invention Although there are several makes and models of cargo boxes of the above type (herein referred to as "dry boxes", because they are intended to be weather-resistant and to keep their contents dry) available on the market, none have the combination of both top and front access with adjustable interior space volume. Those dry boxes without adequate compartmentalisation of the interior storage space are susceptible to the problem that the stored objects can move about as the vehicle moves, resulting in the scattering of those objects throughout the storage space and potentially resulting in damage to the stored objects.
For smaller objects to be stored in the dry box, its volume should be small - this can be accomplished by dividing the interior space into two or more compartments. But for larger stored objects, one may wish to employ the entirety of the interior space of the dry box. Prior designs have not successfully addressed these ostensibly conflicting objectives.
Summary of the Invention It would be advantageous if the dry box contained a removable false bottom to efficiently utilise all the available interior storage space and to provide at the user's option, smaller storage spaces to limit the motion of smaller objects placed in the dry box as the vehicle moves. It would be particularly advantageous if the dry box were equipped with front access doors to allow the user to remove stored objects from the dry box directly from the back of the vehicle rather than lifting objects out of the top of the dry box. The front access doors also permit access to the storage space contained under the false bottom without necessitating the removal of the false bottom.
According to the invention, there is provided a dry box with a removable shelf constituting a false bottom, comprising an outer housing provided with a lid hydraulically connected to the back of the housing and provided with at least one hingedly connected vertically disposed access door. When set in its operative position, the false bottom bounds two spaces, one being a space between the bottom of the housing and the false bottom, further enclosed by the sides of the housing, and the other between the lid and the false bottom. The removable false bottom is of such proportions as to fit snugly against the interior surface of the back wall of the housing when placed in its storage position, or alternatively could rest on the true bottom.
Two or more such removable shelves can be provided if desired.
The vertical access door facilitates access to both levels of storage space, above and below the false bottom in its operative position (or all levels, if two or more removable shelves are provided). The lid and access doors, opened in conjunction or separately, provide further and better access to the upper level of storage space when the false bottom is in use, and further and better access to the entire interior storage space when the false bottom is not in use.
Two or more vertical access doors may be provided if desired, mating with one another to provide, when closed, a coplanar door assembly completely and tightly closing the dry box, but individually selectably openable to give access to give access to selected portions of the interior storage space.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention below.
Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a false bottomed dry box embodying the present invention, with the lid up and the main door open, Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, with the lid down and the doors closed, Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a schematic front elevation view of the dry box of Figure 1, with the lid up and the main door open, Figure 5 is a schematic side elevation of the dry box of Figure 1 with the lid partially up, the main door partially open, and the sub-access door open, Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the false bottom of the dry box of Figure 1, and Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of another false bottomed dry box embodying the present invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 shows an embodiment, generally indicated by numeral 10, of the false bottomed dry box especially suitable for use in the cargo bed of a pickup truck (not shown). The dry box 10 may be mounted in the cargo bed of the pickup truck and preferably oriented so that the direction indicated by reference letter A in Figures 1, 3, 5, and 7 is toward the front of the truck. However, in the following, the "front" of the dry box 10 as installed is to be understood to face in a direction opposite to direction A. The embodiment described is made from aluminum checker plate material unless otherwise specified. Materials such as wood, fiberglass, plastic, or steel may also be used to construct embodiments of the invention, but aluminum checker plate is preferred.
The dry box 10 is generally comprised of a rectangular bottom 12, a rectangular back wall 14 perpendicularly welded to the back edge of the bottom 12, a pair of opposed identical side walls 18 welded to the bottom 12 and to the back 14, a top in the form of a lid 16 hingedly connected to the back wall 14, and a front access door 22 hingedly connected to the front edge of bottom 12 by a hinge 38. A portion of the main front access door 22 is separately hingedly connected by a portion of hinge 38 to the bottom 12 to form a sub-access door 24.
The side walls 18 may be rectangular or trapezoidal.
If it is desirable that the lid 16 slope when closed so as to encourage drainage of water from the top of the lid 16 or for aesthetic reasons, trapezoidal side walls 18 as illustrated in Figure 3 may be used.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, along the front edge of each side walls 18 is welded a front side panel 23 and along the front edge of the bottom 12 is welded a front bottom panel 25. Conventional weather sealing (not shown) is affixed to the exterior face of front side panels 23 and the front bottom panel 25 to seal the dry box when the main front access door 22 is closed against the front side panels 23 and the bottom panel 25. Conventional latches 27 are provided on each side of the main front access door 22 to enable the main front access door 22 to be held in a closed position.
The lid 16 is provided with a downwardly extending lip 26 along the length of each edge of the lid 16. Conventional weather sealing (not shown) is attached around the periphery of the interior surface of the lid 16 just inside the lip 26. The upper edges of the side walls 18, the back wall 14, and the front access door 22 are bent over to form a surface (not shown) to sealingly engage the weather sealing attached to the lid 16 when the lid 16 is closed. The lid 16 may be locked in closed position by a conventional lock and hasp (not shown) or latches (not shown).
A pair of parallel sub-access door latches 28 are affixed on the interior surface of the main access door 22 to secure the sub-access door 24 in the closed position. A lip (not shown) is attached to the interior of the main front access door 20 around the opening for the sub-access door 24 to prevent the sub-access door 24 from opening inward and to provide a surface for mounting conventional weather sealing to seal the sub-access door 24 when the sub-access door 24 is closed.
As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, one or two hydraulic lift assists 30 may be attached to the interior surfaces of the lid 16 and back wall 14 to assist in raising or lower the lid 16 and to hold it in an open position for access to the interior of the dry box 10 as illustrated in Figure 1.
As illustrated in Figure 6, a removable shelf or false bottom 20 is provided so that storage space above the false bottom 20 is accessible from above via the lid 16 or the main front access door 22 and the storage space below the false bottom 20 is accessible via the main front access door 22. The false bottom 20 is supported by the side walls 18 using any type of suitable shelf support arrangement of conventional design (not shown) to provide support for the false bottom 20. For example, angle iron (not shown) may be bolted or welded to the side walls 18 to provide support for the false bottom 20. As illustrated in Figure 6, the false bottom 20 is may be provided with notches 32 to accommodate the hydraulic lift assists 30 so that the false bottom may be stored against the interior surface of the back wall 14 when not needed.
Optionally and within the discretion of the designer, one or more additional shelves (not shown) may be provided in addition to the false bottom 20, the false bottom 20 then being in effect the uppermost shelf. The term "false bottom" then designates the shelf visible from above when the lid 16 is opened.
The interior of the main access door 22 may optionally be provided with a pair of parallel braces 34, on either side of the sub-access door 24, to stiffen the main access door 22.
Illustrated in Figure 7 is another embodiment of the false bottomed dry box 10 suitable for mounting upon the back of recreational vehicles having a recess in the rear of the body overhanging the rear bumper. To accommodate installation upon such vehicles, the side walls 18 in this embodiment have a shape selected so that the back wall 14 slopes upward toward the rear of the vehicle. As in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-6, a false bottom 20 and a vertical access door 22 are provided, although in this embodiment two access doors 22 are attached with vertical hinges 39 to front panels 23. If the dry box 10, in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, has a width similar to that of the recreational vehicle, a tail light 36 may be attached to each of the front panels 23 for safety reasons.
Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.
Claims (11)
1. A dry box, comprising:
a open-topped enclosure having a back wall, a bottom, two side walls, and at least one vertically disposed front access door;
a lid for completely and tightly closing the top of the enclosure; and a false bottom, which, when set in its operative position and the lid in place atop the enclosure, bounds two interior storage spaces, the first space between the bottom and the false bottom and the second space between the lid and the false bottom, whereby the lid provides access to the first space and the vertically disposed front access door provides access to both interior storage spaces.
a open-topped enclosure having a back wall, a bottom, two side walls, and at least one vertically disposed front access door;
a lid for completely and tightly closing the top of the enclosure; and a false bottom, which, when set in its operative position and the lid in place atop the enclosure, bounds two interior storage spaces, the first space between the bottom and the false bottom and the second space between the lid and the false bottom, whereby the lid provides access to the first space and the vertically disposed front access door provides access to both interior storage spaces.
2. The dry box as defined in claim 1, wherein the vertically disposed front access door comprises at least two vertical access doors, mating with one another so as to provide, when closed and the lid in place atop the enclosure, a coplanar door assembly completely and tightly closing the dry box, but individually selectably openable to give access to selected portions of the interior storage spaces.
3. The dry box as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the coplanar door assembly is hingedly connected to the bottom.
4. The dry box as defined in claim 2 or 3, wherein each vertical access door is hingedly connected to the bottom.
5. The dry box as defined in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the removable false bottom fits snugly against an interior surface of the enclosure.
6. The dry box as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable false bottom fits snugly against the interior surface of the back wall for storage.
7. The dry box as defined in claim 5, wherein the removable false bottom fits snugly against the bottom for storage.
8. The dry box as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lid is hingedly connected to the back wall.
9. The dry box as defined in claim 8, additionally comprising at least one hydraulic lift assist connecting the back wall to the lid for facilitating the opening and closing of the lid and maintaining the lid in an open position.
10. The dry box as defined in any one of claims 1 to 9 additionally comprising at least one removable shelf in addition to the false bottom, whereby the vertical access door also provides access to the interior space between the bottom and the additional removable shelf when the additional removable shelf is in operative position.
11. The dry box as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein:
the bottom and the back wall are rectangular;
the side walls are two substantially identical quadrilaterals;
the lid is rectangular, each of its edges having a downwardly extending lip; and each vertically disposed front access door is rectangular in shape.
the bottom and the back wall are rectangular;
the side walls are two substantially identical quadrilaterals;
the lid is rectangular, each of its edges having a downwardly extending lip; and each vertically disposed front access door is rectangular in shape.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2203336 CA2203336A1 (en) | 1997-04-22 | 1997-04-22 | Cargo box |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2203336 CA2203336A1 (en) | 1997-04-22 | 1997-04-22 | Cargo box |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2203336A1 true CA2203336A1 (en) | 1998-10-22 |
Family
ID=4160487
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2203336 Abandoned CA2203336A1 (en) | 1997-04-22 | 1997-04-22 | Cargo box |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2203336A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109677319A (en) * | 2018-12-29 | 2019-04-26 | 东莞市永强汽车制造有限公司 | A kind of tank truck combined operation cabin |
| WO2019113146A1 (en) * | 2017-12-05 | 2019-06-13 | Rocco Salviola | Joist mounted container |
-
1997
- 1997-04-22 CA CA 2203336 patent/CA2203336A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2019113146A1 (en) * | 2017-12-05 | 2019-06-13 | Rocco Salviola | Joist mounted container |
| US10683669B2 (en) | 2017-12-05 | 2020-06-16 | Rocco Salviola | Substrate mounted container |
| US11002024B2 (en) | 2017-12-05 | 2021-05-11 | Rocco Salviola | Storage container |
| CN109677319A (en) * | 2018-12-29 | 2019-04-26 | 东莞市永强汽车制造有限公司 | A kind of tank truck combined operation cabin |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |