Patent ID: 8137045
Filing Date: 2012-03-20
Classification: B65F,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A bin tunnel for use with a truck box of a truck to load content into said truck box using a bin that is sized to fit into said bin tunnel, said bin tunnel comprising an outer portion being a front, a top and two sides and an inner portion with a lift mechanism mounted on an inner wall thereof, said inner wall being fixed, said outer portion being slidably supported on said truck box to enable said outer portion to be moved outward from said truck box to an open position of said bin tunnel and moved inward to a closed position of said bin tunnel in which said front is substantially flush with an outer side wall of said truck box, said outer portion of said bin tunnel being supported on said truck box independently of said sides, said sides being collapsible relative to said front, in said open position said bin tunnel having sufficient height, depth and width to receive said bin, a lower end of said bin tunnel being vertically supported by two slidable beams that slide in and out beneath a floor of said truck box as said bin tunnel slides in to said closed position and out to said open position respectively, said lift mechanism being constructed to removably connect to said bin and to raise said bin upward within the bin tunnel and tilt the bin to empty the contents of said bin into the truck box, a depth of said bin tunnel in said closed position being substantially less than fifty (50) percent of a depth of the bin tunnel in said open position, said sides being extended in said open position and retracted in said closed position.