Abstract:
A storage bin for use in extended cab pickup trucks having a rear seating area. The storage bin is an opened topped rectangular box, with a removable divider that is specifically designed to fit in the space beneath the rear seat the extended cab pickup truck. The use of the storage bin allows the owner of the extended cab pickup truck to store valuable items, such as electronics gear or guns in a secure manner that is out of sight from individuals on the outside of the vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an improvement in the methods used to provide storage in the interior of pickup trucks. More specifically, to a method of providing a secure and separate storage compartment underneath the rear folding seats that are in common use with the extended cab pickup trucks that are in the marketplace today. 
     The sale of pickup trucks represents a large percentage of the total number of vehicles sold today. Of this percentage, an increasing number of extended cab pickup trucks are being sold. An extended cab pickup truck is one that has an additional amount of interior cab space located directly behind the driver&#39;s seat and in front of the rear wall of the vehicle&#39;s cab. This space is generally used for storage and often contains a relatively small folding seat used to seat children or when the need arises, smaller adults. 
     Pickup trucks have always presented problems to their owners in the storage of valuables within the vehicle as they contain no large areas within which items can be stored in a manner that conceals their presence from view such as the trunks of passenger cars. The use of extended cab pickup trucks does help to alleviate this problem as they provide an area to store personal property within the locked interior of the vehicle. However, the items stored in this manner are still highly visible through its windows to persons standing outside the vehicle. This situation can actually promote break-ins (either by picking the door locks or simply breaking one of the vehicle&#39;s windows) as the relatively easy access to valuable items within the pickup can be difficult for persons inclined to such activity to pass up. Therefore, the use of the extended area of the pickup&#39;s cab as a storage space can actually lead to unnecessary damage to the vehicle and costly repair bills to its owner. 
     Additionally, the use of the extended cab area of such pickup trucks often results in the items being stored in a chaotic and cluttered manner. Outside of the visibility issues this creates as described above, this manner of storage can also create two other problems for the vehicle&#39;s owner. The first of these is that the chaotic manner of storage can result in damage to the items being stored. A couple of examples of the types of problems encountered as a result of this are the stock of a shotgun can be gouged or scratched to a degree that it devalues it or electronic gear becoming damaged due to their constant contact with other items as the vehicle shifts in the vertical and horizontal axises as it travels over streets and highways. The second problem associated with the storage of personal items in the extended portion of the pickup cab is it tends to make items hard to locate in a timely manner making it difficult for the vehicle owner retrieve things from the storage place when needed. 
     Therefore, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide an apparatus which would allow the owner to store valuable items in the extended portion of an extended cab pickup in a manner so that they are not visible from the exterior of the vehicle, thereby lessening the chance loss of property and damage to the vehicle as a result of criminal break-ins. Additionally, that it would be desirable to provide such a storage mechanism that will protect the property from damage due to the constant motion of the vehicle. Finally, that it would also be desirable to provide such a storage mechanism that would allow the user to store valuables in a neat and organized manner allowing for their easy retrieval when needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which would allow the owner to store valuable items in the extended portion of an extended cab pickup in a manner so that they are not visible from the exterior of the vehicle, thereby lessening the chance loss of property and damage to the vehicle as a result of break-ins. 
     It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which will provide such a storage mechanism that protects the personal property stored within it from damage due to the constant motion of the vehicle as it travels over streets and highways. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to provide such an apparatus providing a storage mechanism that would allow the user to store valuables in a neat and organized manner allowing for their easy retrieval when needed. 
     These objectives are accomplished by the use of a storage bin that is an opened topped rectangular box that is specifically designed to fit in the space of the rear portion of an extended cab pickup truck that is formed by the folding down of the rear folding seat. The use of the storage bin allows the owner of the extended cab pickup truck to store valuable items, such as electronics gear or hunting rifles and shotguns, in a secure manner that is out of sight from individuals on the outside of the vehicle. Additionally, the present invention is large enough to store multiple rifles or shotguns and their associated cases in a secure manner. 
     The present invention is most commonly formed of a single piece of molded high impact plastic but can also be constructed from any other material that is suitable for the construction of these types of apparatuses. The use of the high impact plastic is very suitable for this application as it is easily shaped into the desired shape, it is strong and light weight providing a secure manner of containment for the stored items of personal property, and the color of the raw material used for its construction can be manipulated to match the interior color of the specific vehicle that it is used with. This color matching ability not only creates a more pleasing aesthetic, but also helps to conceal the presence of the storage bin thereby further lessening the chances of property loss or damage as a result of break ins. 
     Additionally, it is important to note that the present invention as illustrated is designed and constructed for use with late model full sized GENERAL MOTORS extended cab pickup trucks with an alternative embodiment shown for late model FORD extended cab pickup trucks. This illustration is employed for simplicity purposes and is not meant to imply that its use is limited to these specific vehicles. In fact, while the design of the rear seating area of the extended cab pickup trucks do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, it has been contemplated to provide a similar storage bin for use in other brands of full sized extended cab pickup trucks and also for use in mid-sized and small extended cab pickup trucks. 
     The present invention is an opened topped rectangular box made up of a bin floor forming the bottom of the storage space and is the surface upon which the personal property to be stored is most commonly placed. The most forward long side of the rectangle defined by the bin floor forms the point of attachment for the front wall of the invention and which extends upward at a ninety degree angle. Additionally, the rearward long side of the rectangle also forms the point of attachment for the rear wall which mirrors the form of the front wall and further acts to confine the interior space of the present invention. Finally, the short sides of the bin floor are similarly equipped with the side walls which extend upwards in the same manner as described above for the front and rear walls and serve to horizontally enclose the space inside of the invention. This manner of construction forms the opened topped form of the storage bin and, as previously stated, is most often formed from a single piece of high impact plastic resulting in a very strong and durable apparatus that is perfectly suited to the purposes for which it was designed. 
     The bin floor is also specially designed to accommodate the drive train tunnel that is an integral part of the cab floor of all rear wheel drive vehicles which is in turn the most common means of power delivery in pickup trucks. The drive train tunnel is an upwardly oriented extension of the cab floor providing space for the vehicle&#39;s drive train, such as the transmission and drive shaft, to pass the rear end and deliver the necessary power. To compensate for the drive train tunnel, the present invention is built with a tunnel channel which effectively mirrors the shape of the drive train tunnel and allows it to fit perfectly over the drive train tunnel and also to make the most efficient use of the available space. 
     The tunnel channel of the present invention is constructed by raising the bin floor at its center portion to a height that corresponds to the level of the upper portion of the vehicle&#39;s drive train tunnel. This is accomplished by the installation of two tunnel walls on the bin floor in positions so that they each enclose the sides of the drive train tunnel. The tunnel walls extend from their point of attachment to the bin floor in a diagonal manner towards the center line of the body of the present invention. The upper portion of the tunnel walls terminate at approximately the halfway point of the depth of the interior of the storage bin. The space remaining between the tunnel walls is then covered by the tunnel cover which seals off the lower portion of the interior of the invention through its, and the tunnel wall&#39;s, connection to the front and rear walls. An additional advantage provided to the present invention by the use of the tunnel channel is that it fits precisely over the vehicle&#39;s drive train tunnel which has the affect of locking it into the desired position and ensuring that the valuables contained therein are provided with a stable storage environment within the extended cab pickup truck. 
     The operation of the flip-up rear seat and the open top of the present invention function together to both seal off the storage bin when necessary and to provide easy access to its interior when desired. The present invention is designed to be positioned so that when the rear flip-up seat is placed in the down or horizontal orientation for seating purposes, the flip-up seat serves as a cover to the invention concealing its contents. Conversely, when the operator wishes to gain access to the interior of the invention, he simply raises the folding seat to its vertical orientation which exposes its interior. 
     Additionally, the mechanism employed to facilitate the raising and lowering of the flip-up seat is a pair of release latches located on the bottom surface of the outer and forward corners of the flip-up seat which lock the flip-up seat in the horizontal position. To raise the flip-up seat, these latches are released and the flip-up seat is then pivoted upwards to expose the present invention. To allow access to the seat the release latches the forward corners of the present invention which are equipped with release latch notches which allow the user to reach in and activate the seat release latches to raise the flip-up seat. 
     The interior of the present invention is also designed with a plurality of features that allow its space to be further divided to customize it for storage purposes. The features described here are for illustrative purposes and it should be noted that the present invention is capable of being internally configured in a wide variety of configurations that have not been discussed. The division of the internal space of the present invention is accomplished by the use of a space divider which is a wall-like feature that is positioned in the center of the invention in a manner so that it divides the space in a longitudinal fashion. The space divider is so positioned by the use of the center space bracket located at the central point of the tunnel cover and by the use of the two side spacer brackets located on the inside lower center portion of the side walls. These brackets contain notches that correspond in size to the width of the space divider. The installation of the space divider is then accomplished simply by fitting the appropriate portions of the space divider into the brackets. The use of the space divider (as illustrated or in any other configuration) allows the operator to customize the interior space of the invention to fit their needs. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention has also been contemplated in which the configuration of the storage bin is altered to function in a pickup truck that employs the use of a split seat design in the rearward portion of the cab. In this design, the rearward portion of the storage bin is lowered, in relation to its upper lip, to accommodate the manner in which the split rear seats in these vehicles fold up to expose the storage bin. That is to say, the rearward portion of the folding split seat lowers towards the floor of the cab during the folding process and the body of the invention is designed so that it does not interfere with this process. With the exception of this design change, this embodiment of the present invention functions in the exact same manner as that previously described and therefore provides the secure place for storage in the same convenient fashion. 
     For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be made to the drawings and the description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical interior of an extended cab pickup truck and illustrated as having the present invention properly installed therein. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the present invention as installed in an extended cab pickup truck which illustrates the manner in which the vehicle&#39;s flip-up seat is employed to close the open top of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the present invention as installed in an extended cab pickup truck which illustrates the manner in which the vehicle&#39;s flip-up seat is employed to expose the open top of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention illustrating its general manner of design and the orientation of its major components. 
     FIG. 5 is a top elevation view of the present invention detailing the position of its tunnel channel and the plurality of spacer brackets. 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the present invention illustrating the general configuration of the tunnel channel and the configuration and location of the release latch notches in the body of the invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the present invention illustrating the location of the side spacer brackets and the release latch notches. 
     FIG. 8 is top elevation view of the present invention illustrating it as being configured with the space divider and the mechanisms employed to secure it to the other components of the invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a typical interior of an alternative extended cab pickup truck and illustrating the use of an alternative embodiment of the present invention designed to operate with a split folding rear seat. 
     FIG. 10 is a top elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention which is designed to be used in extended cab pickup trucks that employ a split folding rear seat design and illustrating the present design feature that make this application possible. 
     FIG. 11 is a rear elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrating the manner in which the rear wall is modified to accommodate the split folding rear seat. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIG. 1, the storage bin  10  is designed to fit within an extended cab pickup&#39;s interior  12  in the space behind its front seat  14  and underneath its flip-up rear seat  20 . The design of the cab body  18  provides extra space behind the front seat  14  of pickup trucks which is used for extra seating and for interior storage not otherwise available in standard body pickup trucks. With this design, the cab body  18  is extended rearward to provide a large degree of cab floor  22  space upon which the present invention rests while properly positioned. Additionally, the cab body  18  of these types of vehicles is often equipped with a rear door  16  which provides a greater degree of access to the interior spaces, and therefore, to the present invention and the personal property stored therein. 
     The present invention is a rectangular open topped box being comprised of a centrally located bin floor  56  which is enclosed by a plurality of vertically oriented walls to form its open top construction through the bin opening  54 . The front and rear walls,  32  and  34 , form the walls of the invention along the long sides of its rectangular shape with the side walls  36  completing the box by forming the walls on the short sides of the rectangular box. This manner of construction allows the user easy access to the interior of the invention and to its contents through the bin opening  54 . 
     The cab floor  22  also provides the point of mounting for the tunnel channel  38  which is a centrally located intrusion into the interior space of the present invention. The tunnel channel  38  is a component of the invention designed to accommodate the vehicle&#39;s drive train tunnel  24 . The drive train tunnel  24  is a hump in the cab floor  22  which has the purpose of supplying space for the drive line components of the vehicle and so does intrude into the interior space of the cab body  18 . Therefore, the present invention is designed to accommodate this aspect of extended cab pickup trucks through the use of the tunnel channel  38 . 
     The body of the present invention also contains a plurality of other features that contribute to its design functions, one of which is that the front and rear walls,  32  and  34 , have a plurality of stiffening ridges  44  built into them which function to add a greater degree of lateral strength to the invention. This stiffening function is also augmented by the use of the bin lip  52  which is an outward extension of the upper surfaces of the front, rear, and side walls,  32 ,  34 , and  36 , and further enhances the overall rigidity of the structure of the present invention adding to its durability. 
     The flip-up rear seat  20  is mounted within the cab body  18  by the use of a pair of hinge mounts  28  which provide the point of pivotal attachment for the seat hinge members  26 . The seat hinge members  26  are the components of the vehicle to which the flip-up rear seat  20  is fixedly attached through the use of a plurality of hinge bolts  30 . The pivotal attachment of the seat hinge members  26  to the hinge mounts  28  allows them, and the attached flip-up rear seat  20 , to be rotated from the point at which the flip-up rear seat  20  is in the horizontal position for seating purposes where the seat back  48  is exposed or to close off the open top of the present invention to the point at which the flip-up rear seat  20  is in the vertical position giving access to the interior of the invention (the differences between these two positions and the operation of the flip-up rear seat  20  are further illustrated in FIGS.  2  and  3 ). 
     As previously stated, the present invention is placed within the cab body  18  in a position so that it is entirely within the space beneath the flip-up rear seat  20 . This positioning of the present invention, along with its opened top design, allows the flip-up rear seat  20  to not only provide additional seating for the vehicle&#39;s occupants, but also to operate as a defacto lid for the bin opening  54 . These FIGURES also illustrate the manner in which the form of the drive train tunnel  24  is compensated for by the form of the present invention. An additional function of the bin lip  52  is also illustrated by showing the manner in which it serves to engage the lower surface of the flip-up rear seat  20  when it is in the horizontal position. This engagement of the bin lip  52  ensures that the present invention will not slide forwards or rearwards during the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle in the course of its normal operations. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 also illustrate the manner in which the seat release latches  46  are employed to secure the flip-up rear seat  20  in the horizontal position to serve as a cover for the present invention or for additional seating for the vehicle&#39;s occupants. The present invention is also equipped with a pair of release latch notches  50  formed into the upper corner of the junctions of the front wall  32  and the two side walls  36 . The release latch notches  50  facilitate the release of the flip-up rear seat  20  by creating a gap at the point of location of the seat release latches  46  and allow the operator to raise and lower the flip-up rear seat  20  in the normal fashion without affecting the manner in which it operates to close off the bin opening  54  of the present invention. 
     Additionally, the present invention is equipped with features which serve to hold it in the proper location during the operation of the vehicle which are generally illustrated in FIGS. 4,  5 ,  6 ,  7 , and  8 . The first of these is located on the driver&#39;s side lower rear corner of the side wall  36  and which is comprised of a seat bracket notch  72 . The seat bracket notch  72  is an inwardly oriented depression in the side wall  36  witch is designed to fit over the flip-up rear seat&#39;s  20  seat bracket  28  when the invention is properly installed. The lower surface of the present invention is also equipped with a plurality of grip points  74  which are downwardly points that serve to engage the upper surface of the cab floor  22 . These design features ensure that the present invention is mounted securely within the desired position within the pickup&#39;s interior  12 . 
     The general form and manner of construction of the present invention are further illustrated in FIGS. 4,  5 ,  6 , and  7  which, as previously stated, is made up of a bin floor  56  being enclosed by vertically oriented front, rear, and side walls,  32 ,  34 , and  36 . Additionally, the lower center of the invention is equipped with a tunnel channel  38  constructed to accommodate the intrusion of the drive train tunnel  24 . The tunnel channel  38  of the present invention is constructed by raising the bin floor  56  at its center portion to a height that corresponds to the level of the upper portion of the vehicle&#39;s drive train tunnel  24 . This is accomplished by the installation of two tunnel walls  60  on the bin floor  56  in positions so that they each enclose the sides of the drive train tunnel  24 . The tunnel walls  60  extend from their point of attachment to the bin floor  56  in a diagonal manner towards the center line of the body of the present invention. The upper portion of the tunnel walls  60  terminate at approximately the halfway point of the depth of the interior of the invention. The space remaining between the tunnel walls  60  is then covered by the tunnel cover  58  which seals off the lower portion of the interior of the invention through its, and the tunnel wall&#39;s  60 , connection to the front and rear walls,  32  and  34 . 
     The upper surface of the tunnel cover  58  also serves as the point at which the center spacer bracket  40  which operates in conjunction with two side spacer brackets  42  located on the lower interior surface of the side walls  36 . These two features are employed with the use of the space divider  70  (illustrated in FIG. 8) to further compartmentalize the interior space of the present invention. The center spacer bracket  40  is made up of two center bracket walls  64  that are fixed to the surface of the tunnel cover  58  in a manner so that there is a center bracket notch  62  created. The width of the center bracket notch  62  corresponds to the width of the cross-section of the space divider  70 . Additionally, the side spacer brackets  42  are similarly constructed having two side bracket walls  68  fixed to the side walls  36  in a manner leaving side bracket notches  66  between them. These side bracket notches  66  also correspond in width to the width of the space divider  70 . Thus, the space divider  70  is employed by inserting the edges of the space divider  70  into the center spacer bracket  40  and the side spacer brackets  42  which hold it in a vertical orientation resulting in a divided interior of the present invention. 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 9,  10 , and  11 . These FIGURES illustrate that in its general manner of construction, the alternative storage bin  76  is very similar to the previous embodiment in that it is made up of a rectangular open topped box being comprised of a centrally located bin floor  56  which is enclosed by a plurality of vertically oriented walls to form its open top construction through the bin opening  54 . The front and rear walls,  32  and  34 , form the walls of the invention along the long sides of its rectangular shape with the side walls  36  completing the box by forming the walls on the short sides of the rectangular box. This manner of construction allows the user easy access to the interior of the invention and to its contents through the bin opening  54 . 
     The primary differences in this embodiment of the present invention stem from the fact that it is designed to be used in vehicles that employ a split back seat  78 . The typical split back seat  78  is made up of a single piece seat back  80  forming the back rest and a seating area comprising a larger  60  split seat  82  and a smaller  40  split seat  84 . When in the horizontal position, these two components function together to form a cover for this embodiment of the present invention is the same manner as with the last. However, these two components are capable of being independently folded into a vertical orientation to expose either small portions of the alternative storage bin  76  or its entirety. 
     The design differences incorporated into the alternative storage bin  76  are a result of the split design of the split back seat  78  and the manner in which the  60  and  40  split seats,  82  and  84 , are folded up to expose the invention. The split nature of the seating area requires the use of a center seat bracket  86  to support each component in the area of the division. This center seat bracket  86  is connected to the cab floor  22  in an area that is normally occupied by the body of the invention. To accommodate this design, the alternative storage bin  76  is configured with a center seat bracket notch  88  built into its rear wall  34 . The center seat bracket notch  88  is an inward extension of the rear wall  34  which protrudes into the bin floor  56  and effectively moves the rear wall  34  forward in the area that corresponds to the location of the center seat bracket  86 . This design feature allows this embodiment of the present invention to be properly positioned in a pickup truck that has a split back seat  76  configuration. 
     The other feature of the split back seat  76  that affects the design of the invention is the manner in which it is folded to expose the area below it. During the folding process, the rear surfaces of both the  60  and  40  split seats,  82  and  84 , move towards the cab floor  22  due to the design of their hinges. This downward movement necessitates a design modification in the rear portion of the alternative storage bin  76  so that it does not interfere with the motion of the  60  and  40  split seats,  82  and  84 . This is accomplished with the use of the seat accommodation depression  90  which is an area in the rearward portion of the invention in which the relative height of the side walls  36  and the rear wall  34  is lowered to make room for the lowering of the rear portion of the  60  and  40  split seats,  82  and  84 . Additionally, the side walls  36  are also equipped with an inward depression called the outer seat bracket notches  92  which accommodate the hinging mechanism employed to fasten the outside edges of the split back seat  78  to the cab floor  22 . Thus, the alternative storage bin  76  provides a secure storage mechanism for extended cab pickup trucks that employ a split back seat  78  design that functions in a substantially similar fashion as those which employ a solid folding rear seat configuration. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.