Abstract:
A cargo box for a vehicle having a support bar to which are attached a first side hollow tube and a second side hollow tube. On the bottom of a box are connected a first hollow tube and a second hollow tube. A first rod releasably connects the first side hollow tube and the first hollow tube while a second rod releasably connects the second side hollow tube and the second hollow tube. In a first option, a middle hollow tube accommodates a hitch so that a vehicle can be towed behind the vehicle, preferably a recreational vehicle, to which the support bar is attached. Another option, elevates the box.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to a container for storing cargo on a vehicle, especially a recreational vehicle.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Numerous patents have been granted for cargo containers for a vehicle.  
         [0005]     In the Two-wheeled Vehicle Carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,903, two tubular members can be adjustably slid into two receivers. The only means disclosed for attaching tubular members the angle iron that will be nearer the automotive vehicle to hold the wheels of the two-wheeled vehicle is rigid affixing by “welding, or the like.” 
         [0006]     The container of U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,662 is attached at a fixed, elevated position to two rails that slide into receivers.  
         [0007]     Although employing only one rail, the carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,002 is also elevated above the position at which the rail enters the receiver.  
         [0008]     The Utility Rack of U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,234 has a platform that is elevated by two L-shaped rails above the point at which such rails enter receivers that are secured to a mounting plate to be bolted to the frame of a vehicle.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,636 applies to a rack which is rigidly attached to arms which have several holes on an end intended to be placed into brackets or receivers on a vehicle so that the distance of the rack from the vehicle can be adjusted.  
         [0010]     The box of U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,304 does not appear to be able to have its distance from the vehicle adjusted but does have an elevated support, that does appears—at least in the embodiment of  FIG. 11 —to be vertically adjustable, for the box.  
         [0011]     A box in the design of U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,702 is screwed or bolted to a frame which has its distance from the vehicle adjusted in basically the same manned as does U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,636.  
         [0012]     Moreover, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,937 employs the same structure as that discussed above for U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,702.  
         [0013]     The platform of U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,869 utilizes a U-shaped bracket adjustably to connect such platform to a drawbar.  
         [0014]     The platform for the box in U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,341 is elevated somewhat, although it does not appear to be vertically adjustable.  
         [0015]     And the platform of U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,184 uses the same structure as that described for U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,869.  
         [0016]     The cargo carrier of U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,451 is similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,341.  
         [0017]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,343 covers a device having a platform attached, “by welding, gluing, using fasteners, and the like,” with a uniquely designed connector and base member to an adapter which fits into a receiver on a vehicle and adjusts the distance between the platform and the vehicle in the same manner as do U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,636 and 5,586,702.  
         [0018]     The cargo compartment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,290 is apparently attached at a fixed point to a tubular member  1870  that, in the preferred embodiment, slides into a section  1870  and can be retained (with a pin) only at the point at which the cargo compartment is closest to the vehicle to which the overall unit is attached.  
         [0019]     The mount of U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,088 is apparently vertically, but not horizontally, adjustable.  
         [0020]     The device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,983 has a folding platform that is placed atop an L-shape member with the other end of the L-shaped member being inserted into a receiver on a vehicle and utilized to adjust the distance between the platform and the vehicle in the same manner as do U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,636; 5,586,702; and 6,390,343; the height of the platform also appears to be adjustable. Such horizontal and vertical adjustment appears also to be much the same as that for the Utility Holder of U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,639.  
         [0021]     In the carrier rack of United States patent application publication no. US 2001/0030216 the rack has three mounting bars which fit into three receivers. The central receiver extends perpendicularly to a hollow tube that is to be attached to a towing vehicle. The two outside receivers each has a stem projecting perpendicularly to the receivers; each stem is slid into one of the open ends of the hollow tube.  
         [0022]     For the cargo carrier of United States patent no. US 2002/0005423, a hitch receiver bar runs perpendicular to three receivers which are mounted perpendicularly to the bar. The receivers may each be either a “sleeve . . . or a boss.” 
         [0023]     The cargo carrier of United States patent application publication no. US 2003/0155390 has smaller tubes of a connection frame which slide into larger tubes of a carrier frame, but the tubes only lock in a position with the carrier frame near the vehicle.  
         [0024]     For United States patent application publication no. US 2004/0011837, two tubes project outwardly from the sides of a receiver box. Each tube has attached to it an upwardly oriented circular accessory receiver.  
         [0025]     And U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,938,399; 5,699,985; and 5,853,278 as well as United States patent application publication nos. US 2001/0030216 and US 2003/0173387 all have some form of hitch oriented toward the rear of the carrier so that another device may be connected behind such carrier.  
         [0026]     None of the preceding patents or applications, however, possess a hollow tubes or receivers on the bottom of the cargo box for receiving tubes that also fit into hollow tubes or receivers attached to a support bar that is bolted, welded, or otherwise fixedly attached to a vehicle. Nor do such patents or applications seem to have tube that are adjustable at either end, i.e., the end fitting into a receiver attached to the vehicle and the end near the cargo box.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     The present Cargo Box for a Vehicle comprises a support bar for fixed connection, preferably by bolting or welding, to a vehicle, preferably a recreational vehicle. Attached to the support bar are two side hollow tubes or receivers and a middle hollow tube or receiver.  
         [0028]     Connected to the bottom of a box are two hollow tubes or receivers. A first rod connects a first side hollow tube to a first hollow tube on the bottom of the box. Similarly, a second rod connects a second side hollow tube to a first hollow tube on the bottom of the box. At least one end of each rod, and preferably both ends, can be locked at different selected positions in the side hollow tube or the tube on the bottom of the box.  
         [0029]     Optionally, a middle hollow tube is employed. Either a first end of any type of hitch known in the art may be inserted into the middle hollow tube or a first end of a third rod is inserted into the tube. The second end of the third rod is connected to any type of hitch that is known in the art, preferably a hollow tube with apertures in each side.  
         [0030]     Preferably, each hollow tube, each side hollow tube, each rod, and the middle hollow tube have a square cross section.  
         [0031]     Optionally, the second end of each side hollow tube is oriented substantially vertically; and a first end of an auxiliary rod for association with each side hollow tube has a vertical channel which can be placed around the second end of a side hollow tube selectively locked along the substantially vertical second end of the side hollow tube. With such an option, the second ends of the auxiliary rods are placed into the tubes on the bottom of the box. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0032]      FIG. 1  portrays the basic Cargo Box for a Vehicle.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  shows the optional third rod.  
         [0034]      FIG. 3  depicts the optional substantially vertical second end of a rod. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]     The present invention is a cargo box  1  which can be mounted at varying distances from the rear of a vehicle, especially a motor home, trailer, or other recreational vehicle.  
         [0036]     As seen in  FIG. 1 , two hollow tubes  2 ,  3  are attached to the bottom  4  of the box  1 . The first tube  2  has an aperture  5  in each side  6  of the first tube  2  near the rear  7  of the first tube  2  with such apertures  5  being aligned with one another. Also, the first tube  2  has dimensions selected to allow the first tube  2  to accommodate a first rod  8  which has one or more apertures  9  in each side  10  of the first rod  8  near the rear  11  of the first rod  8 , with such apertures  9  being aligned with one another, and also two or more apertures  12  in each side  10  of the first rod  8  commencing near the front  13  of the first rod  8 , with the apertures  9 ,  12  being organized into pairs  14  having a first member  15  of each pair  14  located on a first side  16  of the first rod  8  and aligned with the second member  17  of the pair  14 , which second member  17  is located on a second side  18  of the first rod  8 . Similarly, the second tube  3  has an aperture  19  in each side  20  of the second tube  3  near the rear  21  of the second tube  3  with such apertures  19  being aligned with one another; and the second tube  3  has dimensions selected to allow the second tube  3  to accommodate a second rod  22  which has one or more apertures  23  in each side  24  of the second rod  22  near the rear  25  of the second rod  22 , with such apertures  23  being aligned with one another, and also two or more apertures  26  in each side  24  of the second rod  22  commencing near the front  27  of the second rod  22 , with the apertures  23 ,  26  being organized into pairs  28  having a first member  29  of each pair  28  located on a first side  30  of the second rod  22  and aligned with the second member  31  of the pair  28 , which second member  31  is located on a second side  32  of the second rod  22 .  
         [0037]     A support bar  33  is available for connection (preferably, by bolting or welding) to the rear of the recreational vehicle. A first side hollow tube  34 ; a second side hollow tube  35 , and, preferably, a middle hollow tube  36 ; are attached to the support bar  33 , preferably to the bottom  37  of such support bar  33 . The first side hollow tube  34  contains an aperture  38  in each side  39  of the first side tube  34  with such apertures  38  being aligned with one another, and the second side hollow tube  35  has an aperture  40  in each side  41  of the second side tube  35  with such apertures  40  being aligned with one another. And, when the middle hollow tube  36  is employed, the middle hollow tube  36  possesses an aperture  42  in each side  43  of the middle hollow tube  36  with such apertures  42  being aligned with one another. The first side tube  34  has dimensions selected to allow the first side tube  34  to accommodate the first rod  8 , and the second side tube  35  has dimensions selected to allow the second side tube  35  to accommodate the second rod  22 . The middle hollow tube  36  is selected to have dimensions to accommodate either a hitch that is well known in the art or a front end  44  of a third rod  45  having its rear end  46  releasably connectable to any type of hitch that is known in the art, preferably, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a hollow shaft  47  having aligned paired apertures  48  so that a pin can be inserted through apertures  42 ,  43 , and  48  to retain the hollow shaft  47  within the middle tube  36 . (Preferably, when a hitch is accommodated by the middle hollow tube  36 , such hitch also has apertures to facilitate retention by the middle hollow tube  36 .) Thus, a trailer can be pulled behind the vehicle even when the cargo box  1  is in place.  
         [0038]     In operation, a rear end  11  of the first rod  8  is inserted into the first tube  2  such that the apertures  5  are aligned with the apertures  9 . Then a receiver pin is placed through the aligned apertures  5 ,  9  for the first tube  2  and for the first rod  8 . Additionally, a front end  13  of the first rod  8  is inserted into the first side hollow tube  34  such that a selected pair  14  of the apertures  12  is aligned with the apertures  38  in the first side hollow tube  34 . Similarly, a rear end  25  of the second rod  22  is inserted into the second tube  3  such that the apertures  19  are aligned with the apertures  23 . Then a receiver pin is placed through the aligned apertures  19 ,  23  for the second tube  3  and for the second rod  22 . Additionally, a front end  27  of the second rod  22  is inserted into the second side hollow tube  35  such that a selected pair  28  of the apertures  26  is aligned with the apertures  40  in the second side tube  35 . The selection of the pairs  14 ,  28  naturally determines the distance that the box  1  is located from the recreational vehicle. Preferably, of course, a user will select such pairs  14 ,  28  that the first rod  8  and the second rod  22  will be parallel to one another. (One of ordinary skill in the art will certainly recognized that multiple pairs of apertures could exist in the tubes  2 ,  3  and side hollow tubes  34 ,  35  with only a single pair of apertures in each end of the rods  8 ,  22  and that, rather than having a pair of apertures, the rods  8 ,  22  could be solid with a channel in lieu of two paired apertures.)  
         [0039]     Optionally, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , each rod  8 ,  22  is bent so that the rear end  11 ,  25  of each rod  8 ,  22  is oriented substantially vertically. A first extension rod  49  is constructed the same as the rear end  11  of the unbent first rod  8 , as described above, except that the front end  50  contains a channel (or apertures)  51  so that such front end  50  can slide along the substantially vertical rear end  11  of the first rod  8 . Paired, aligned apertures  52  exist in the sides  53 ,  54  of the first extension rod  49  intersecting the channel  51  so that a pin can be inserted through apertures  52  and into apertures  9  of the first rod  8  in order to lock the first extension rod  49  at a vertical location. Similarly, a second extension rod  55  is constructed the same as the rear end  25  of the unbent second rod  22 , as described above, except that the front end  56  contains a channel (or apertures)  57  so that such front end  56  can slide along the substantially vertical rear end  25  of the second rod  22 . Paired, aligned apertures  58  exist in the sides  59 ,  60  of the second extension rod  55  intersecting the channel  57  so that a pin can be inserted through apertures  58  and into apertures  23  of the second rod  22  in order releasably to lock the second extension rod  55  at a vertical location.  
         [0040]     Preferably, each hollow tube  2 ,  3 ; each side hollow tube  34 ,  35 ,  45 ; each rod  8 ,  22 ; the middle hollow tube  36 ; and each extension rod  49 ,  55  has a square cross section.  
         [0041]     As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.