Cargo organizer system

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a cargo organizer system and liner for use with a truck bed. The liner system is formed of molded plastic and includes sidewalls disposed with cargo bins for the storage of tools, containers and various other objects or materials. Each sidewall includes a flat support surface for supporting objects thereon above the liner floor. The system includes means for partitioning the cargo area such that multiple types of cargo may be separated as desired.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a truck bed liner that has utility as a protective covering for the truck bed as well as a bed liner that includes at least one compartmentalized storage bin formed therein for disposing tools, lunch boxes or other equipment and materials as desired.

With reference to FIG. 1, the bed liner and cargo organizer system includes a molded plastic liner portion dimensioned to be received into and operative to cover a portion of the truck bed. The liner portion protects the truck bed from damage or defacing when loading, unloading or transporting cargo. Additionally, the liner portion is also operative to preserve the truck bed against corrosion due to exposure.

The liner portion includes a floor and two elongated sidewalls . Each sidewall is preferably formed integral to and extends upwardly from the floor to a flat, shelf-like top end which provides a flat surface for supporting items in a plane above and parallel to the floor .

Each sidewall portion includes a wheel well cover having a width that extends perpendicularly toward a centerline C of the floor and terminates at a wheel well sidewall which is parallel to a sidewall of the truck bed.

The sidewalls also include proximal and distal ends that extend perpendicularly toward the centerline C of the floor . The proximal and distal ends cooperate with the wheel well cover to form cargo bins .

The liner portion also includes a pair of spaced apart end panel portions wherein one of the end panel portions extends along the wheel well. The pair of end panel portions extend upwardly from the floor and inwardly from each of the pair of side walls to define a cargo bin . The cargo bin includes an open side toward the centerline of the floor such that cargo can be easily fitted into the cargo bin area by pushing or sliding the object across the floor through the open side.

As briefly described above, each sidewall includes a top end that provides a substantially flat support surface positioned above and parallel to the floor . It is appreciated that the top end of each sidewall may be used to support items at a raised position above the floor of the liner . In this manner, a user may position tools, sheet materials or other items at a readily accessible position above the floor such that reaching over the sidewall and down into the truck bed to obtain possession of an item may be avoided.

With reference to FIG. 2, at least one containment member is selectably attachable to the open side of each cargo bin for retaining items therein against movement toward the centerline C of the floor . The containment member may be formed of a molded plastic panel that is disposable at the open side of each cargo bin via a conventional fastening means which illustratively include hinge and latch assemblies or complementary tongue and groove engagement means. The containment member may also be formed of mesh netting and/or natural or synthetic fabric materials. In such case, each containment member will include a fastening means along a portion of its peripheral edge for engaging a complementary fastening means disposed at the open side of each cargo bin .

The fastening means may be any conventional fastening means that allows the user to selectably engage and disengage the containment member as desired but otherwise remains fastened at the open side of the cargo bin .

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the floor of the liner portion includes at least one recessed portion adapted to receive a partition mounting member . The partition mounting member includes a plurality of apertures for receiving complementary mounting fasteners disposed on a partition to be attached thereto. The fasteners disposed on the partition may be provided in the form of spring-loaded clips which compress and expand upon insertion into the apertures for ease of assembly. Suitable clips are manufactured by Teledyne Technologies Inc. The clips are fixedly mounted to the bottoms of the partitions which are thereafter engaged with the apertures to section off portions of the truck bed.

With reference to FIG. 4, the partition mounting member preferably includes through holes to permit a user to fixedly attach the partition mounting member within the recessed portion with a conventional fastening means such as a bolt. The recessed portions are dimensioned to receive the partition mounting members in a manner such that the top surface of the mounting members are substantially even with the plane of the floor .

Preferably, each partition mounting member includes a metal strip having a flat outer surface with a pair of flanges extending from the bottom of two sidewalls thereof. The metal strip is received in a backing plate having a flat bottom surface and U-shaped arms to receive the flanges of the metal strip therein. The backing plate is used to distribute the forces generated from the loading of cargo against the partitions mounted in the partition mounting members . FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a partition mounting member ′ for receiving a partition such that the cargo area of the liner portion may be sectioned off.

From the foregoing, a liner system for truck beds is provided that can be utilized with pickup trucks, SUVs, vans and the like. The partition mounting members provided permit a user to install partitions for dividing portions of the cargo space. Preferably, the sidewalls of the liner system include recesses similar to those disposed in the floor whereby partition mounting members can be disposed therein for partitioning portions of the sidewall for cargo bins in a fashion similar to that described above for partitioning off sections of the floor .

Having described the inventive cargo organizer and liner system for a truck bed, it is appreciated that many modifications thereto may become apparent to one of skill in the art without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the inventive truck bed liner disposed in a pickup truck as according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an object being disposed in a cargo bin of the cargo organizer system as according to the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates the cargo organizer system as according to the invention and an enlarged view of a cargo bin disposed with an object;

FIG. 4 illustrates a partition mounting member disposed in a recess formed in the floor of the cargo liner system; and

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a partition mounting member.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/422,997 filed Nov. 1, 2002.

CLAIMS

1. A liner system for a truck having a truck bed and a pair of wheel wells, said system comprising: a molded plastic liner portion dimensioned to be received into and operative to cover a portion of the truck bed, said liner having: a floor and a pair of side walls, said side walls extending upwardly from said floor, said floor having a longitudinal centerline, said liner further having a pair of spaced apart end panel portions, one of said panel portions extending along said wheel well, said pair of panel portions extending upwardly from said floor and inwardly from each of said pair of side walls to define a cargo bin having an open side; and at least one containment member selectably attachable to said cargo bin extending across said open side, said containment member operative to restrain objects contained within said cargo bin from movement toward the centerline of the floor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the floor further comprises at least one recessed portion adapted to receive a partition mounting member.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said partition mounting member includes a plurality of apertures for receiving complementary mounting fasteners disposed on a partition.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein another of said pair of panel portions at distal ends of said two sidewalls forms a front wall adjacent a passenger compartment of the truck.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one containment member is formed of a mesh netting material.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said cargo bins is adapted to receive a cooler.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein said partition mounting member has a top surface extending at or below the floor.

8. A liner system for a truck having a truck bed and a pair of wheel wells, said system comprising: a molded plastic liner portion dimensioned to be received into and operative to cover a portion of the truck bed, said liner having: a floor and a pair of side walls, said side walls extending upwardly from said floor, said floor having a longitudinal centerline, said liner further having a pair of spaced apart end panel portions, one of said end panel portions extending along said wheel well, said pair of panel portions extending upwardly from said floor and inwardly from each of said pair of side walls to define a cargo bin having an open side; at least one containment member selectably attachable to said cargo bin extending across said open side, said containment member operative to restrain objects contained within said cargo bin from movement toward the centerline of the floor; and at least one recessed portion adapted to receive a partition mounting member having a plurality of apertures for receiving complementary mounting fasteners disposed on a partition.

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