Hideaway Door for Truck Beds

This invention pertains to disclosure document No. 269727 filed Dec. 20, 1991 known as the "Space Saver Lock Door" which utilizes existing, available space under an installed existing pickup truck tool box, for the purpose of additional truck tool box type storage.

It is a most frustrating situation to have several pieces of heavy expensive equipment in the back of your truck at lunch time and everyone is headed in to the restaurant--everyone but you, that is . . . Why is this? Because your truck tool box is too small for the sledge, 20' chain and 30 ton air jack. So you get out, go around and again begin your job of moving equipment from the back of the truck to the cab floor board. You see, we somehow feel safer is our thousand dollar air jack is on the floor of a locked cab in full sight rather than underneath out trustworty truck tool box and for good reason. Ask any journeyman carpenter whether he has had anything stolen out of the back of his truck and the answer will be a resounding yes. What was it stolen? Because there is not enough room to lock it up. With the present invention these items will slide beneath the truck tool box with room for many more items. That's storage. That's lock up power. All for a fraction of the price. What's more, with the flick of a key you can open the hideaway door and remove it instantly. With it's tin, rectangular shape, you can store it anywhere including inside the cab behind the seat. Alternatively, it may be fastened to the truck bed or tool box by linking arms.

The hideaway door will eventually work it's way into the market place and remain a stable, very creative and useful product--as long as they continue making truck tool boxes with a void space underneath. Why is there void space? Because we all need the full length of bed when hauling a load of 4'.times.8' plywood to the job site and who wants to unload a full, in line, truck tool box for a short haul? Nobody. Thus the need remains for this style truck tool box and as long as in demand, the hideaway door will be in demand too.

The hideaway door provides previously unused available space preexisting under an installed truck tool box, with lock up capabilities through minimal means of additional hardware rather than additional bulky tool boxes.

I have invented the hideaway door out of necessity, thus it is designed to provide less expensive additional lock up capacity for consumers without adding costly additional tool boxes. This invention will retail at less than half the cost of current truck tool boxes while supplying, in most instances, more total lock up volume capacity than said existing truck tool box. This is a pleasant surprise for even the most discriminating minds.

Prior art was not found on anything remotely resembling this invention. The following referenced classifications were searched without success: 70/DIG65 70/DIG34 70/164 224/42.42 224/273 224/328 296/37.6 312/DIG33

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the invention to provide additional truck tool box capacity without bulky additions, and without shortening the length and utility of truck bed.

Another object is to provide variant styles of invention, i.e. the door may be hinged from the bed or truck to swing upwardly, or hinged from the tool box of truck to swing downwardly.

A further object of the invention is to provide variant models for consumer preference; model one with one latch or fastener mounted to said tool box or bed, (depending on style) for quick convenient accessibility, to be positioned in the top center portion of said tool box or bed, and another style with equally positioned latches or fasteners mounted to said tool box or bed, (depending on style) for optimal security, to be positioned in the respective top left and right corners of said tool box. Said models may be inverted for proper perspective.

Another object is to provide a more cost effective means for consumers to affording available lockup storage with a minimal amount of additional tool boxes or hardware.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instant remove/replace feature giving optimum performance of truck bed at a moments notice.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a low profile hinge/latch configuration design, (depending on style) to fit between the ribs in the said bed for easy glide of materials over top of installed hinge/latch portion, when the door member hinge/latch portion is removed.

Another object is to provide an optional tray on inside wall of said door member for more convenient additional storage.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a series of hideaway doors to accommodate every pickup truck manufactured.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with a pickup truck with a tool box, and of the present invention mounted thereto, including a pair of latches and key ways indicated at the top edge of the door member, which is hinged at the bottom edge of the door member;

FIG. 2 is an open door view of a door member of the present invention mounted in a truck bed with a latch and key way adjacent the top edge of the door portion and break away hinge joint at the bottom portion of the door member;

FIG. 2-A is an enlarged view of the hinge portion of the door member in the area enclosed in a circle on FIG. 2 taken in the direction indicated by the line 2-A--2-A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a plurality of tables comprising a series of four charts that illustrate four models of the present invention and the various truck models that each model will fit showing the wide diversity of truck models that may be fitted by the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a the present invention with a hinge portion near its bottom edge and a key way and latch near its top edge and illustrating a preferred embodiment of an interior pocket for additional storage on the interior of the door member;

FIG. 4-A is an enlarged view of the hinge portion of the door member in the area enclosed in a circle on FIG. 4 taken in the direction indicated by the line 4-A--4-A of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portions of a hinge mechanism to be located at the top edge of the door member and a portion of a cooperating latch mechanism for the bottom edge portion of the door latch member, said latch being illustrated in the truck bed area.

FIG. 1 is a view from the rear end of a miniature pickup truck bed 1 in which wells 2 are indicated on the side of the bed which. The number 3 indicates an installed tool box in the bed of the truck. Extending vertically from a location near the bottom of the tool box 3 to the truck bed is a door member 4, which may be hinged at its top edge 6 to the tool box or at bottom edge 7 to the truck bed so that it may be extended outward horizontally and swung closed to a vertical position with its bottom edge adjacent the truck bed where the door member 4 may be latched and locked so that only a key-way may be seen.

In FIG. 1 the truck bed 1 is shown as ridged. This allows the latch and lock mechanism to be disposed in between adjacent ridges where it will not interfere with the usage of the upper portion of surface of the truck bed and allow loading or unloading (wide sheet material, for example) into the space beneath the tool box 3 when the door 4 is open or removed as will be described later.

It will be seen from FIG. 1 that the present invention thus provides a convenient way to lock tools or other items in the space beneath the installed tool chest 3. Thus the owner of a valuable tool may go to lunch with the other members of his crew knowing that his tool is locked in a secure and hidden place.

For this reason the door member 4 is made of a reasonably rigid material, such as metal or rigid plastic to provide the security of the space it encloses. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1 the door member 4 is hinged at its bottom edge and the numerals 5 indicate a latch and lock mechanism to secure the door member 4 to the tool chest 3 which is also securely mounted to the truck. The door member 4 may also be hinged at its top edge 6 with one or more latch and lock mechanisms disposed near the top edge adjacent a vertical side of the tool chest 3, as preferred by the user. In this form the truck bed and its ridges are clear for free loading and unloading of cargo even in the space beneath the tool chest 3.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1, 2, and 5 the door member is hinged at its bottom edge 7. It may be desirable to use detachably hinge in order to be able to remove the door member 4 from the truck bed to prevent interference with loading or unloading operations. In this care the door member 4 may be placed in the cab of the truck until it is to be mounted to enclose the storage space beneath the tool chest 3. In FIG. 2 and 2A a form a detachable hinge is shown and includes a hinge strap 8 and another hinge strap 9. The strap 9 has an aperture 12 there-through so that a curved portion of the strap 8 may be passed through the aperture 12 and the two straps 8 and 9 may act like a hinge. Obviously many other forms of detachable hinges are available and can be used in the present invention. The form shown in the drawings has simplicity as its advantage. It is of course cost effective if that is a consideration in the manufacture and sale of the present invention. If it is desired that this door member 4 remain affixed, the hinge may be of the fixed type and a pair of transversely spaced, pivotally mounted straps may be mounted between the two hinged members so that this door member 4 will remain attached and not be subject to being misplaced.

FIG. 4 illustrates another variant feature of the invention which some users will desire. The door member 4 is provided with an internal pocket by securing a pocket wall 13 to the interior of the door member 4 to provide an additional storage space next to the door member 4. When the door member is closed against the space beneath the tool chest 3 a storage space adjacent the door is provided for appropriate items, and such items have the security that the latch and lock add to the construction.

In summation it is believed that the present invention provides a number of features that are advantageous is a truck having an installed tool chest without adding a substantial number of parts or substantial weight to the truck. Further, the invention adds usefulness to the truck without adding a lot of cost to be borne by the truck user.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated, but includes other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims, together with modifications, substitution of equivalents, and the like, to the extent that such would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill.