Abstract:
A running board storage box that is designed to be mounted in conjunction with a land vehicle where the running board storage box can be used as a step to facilitate entry and exit through an access door of the vehicle. A door assembly is pivotally mounted on the front edge of the storage box. The back of the storage box includes a gusset accommodation structure in the form of an attachment which is removably mounted within a slot formed within the back.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The field of this invention relates to storage boxes and more particularly to a storage box that is designed to be mounted as a running board on a land vehicle.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Personal land vehicles can be characterized as automobiles, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles. Automobiles, at the present time, do not normally include a running board. A running board, however, is commonly included in conjunction with pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles. A running board generally constitutes no more than a step that is located just below the access door(s) on each side of the land vehicle which can be utilized by a human when entering and exiting the land vehicle. The running board is to provide for an immediate location for a user&#39;s feet prior to entering the land vehicle after stepping off the ground and when exiting the vehicle prior to stepping on the ground.  
           [0005]    Most pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles are raised some distance off the ground. Therefore, for a human to enter or exit such a land vehicle requires an initial step of a distance of approximately eighteen inches. This is a significant large step for most people, and it is for this reason that most people prefer to use running boards to break up that eighteen inch distance to be no greater than about twelve inches.  
           [0006]    In connection with pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles, it is desirable to include as much storage space as possible. Storage space is always desirable for the storing of tools in connection with one&#39;s job, or elongated members such is commonly used in conjunction with certain sports, such as skis for skiing. Normally, a running board is designed to be constructed of metal, fiberglass or plastic and function as only a step. However, in the past, it has been known to incorporate some type of a storage container in conjunction with a running board thereby obtaining of additional storage space in conjunction with the land vehicle that heretofore was not possible.  
           [0007]    Some vehicles are constructed to make it difficult to mount a storage box type of running board in conjunction with the vehicle. The reason that it is difficult is that there are metallic brace members known as gussets that are mounted between the frame and the chasis of the land vehicle underneath the passenger compartment. In order to utilize a storage box and maximize the storage facility within the storage box, the storage box has to be designed to accommodate these gussets. A gusset comprises no more than a thin plate which is welded between the chassis and the frame. Typically, the thickness of the gusset will be no more than a quarter to one-half inch. It is the protrusion of that gusset in an outward direction that makes it difficult for the mounting of a storage box in conjunction with a land vehicle.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a running board storage box designed to be mounted on a vehicle where the storage box has a housing which has an internal chamber which is designed to receive articles to be stowed. The housing has a front edge and a back where the back is spaced opposite the front edge. A door assembly is mounted on the front edge with the purpose of the door assembly to provide access into the internal chamber and also to close off the internal chamber when access is not required. The back is to include gusset accommodation structure that is designed to accommodate a gusset mounted on the vehicle.  
           [0009]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by defining the gusset accommodation structure as a first slot formed within the housing.  
           [0010]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the first slot to include an L-shaped attachment to be mounted within the slot. The attachment has a second slot with the gusset to lie within the second slot.  
           [0011]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the second slot having a closed bottom which is angularly disposed relative to the back of the housing.  
           [0012]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where a previous embodiment is modified by the attachment having a flange which surrounds the second slot with the flange to abut against the housing.  
           [0013]    A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by the flange incorporating a resilient seal located between the flange and the housing in order to provide a water tight connection between the attachment and the housing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a pair of running board storage boxes of the present invention being mounted in conjunction with a typical land vehicle being shown in phantom;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a front view of a single running board storage box of this invention showing the running board storage box in the closed position where the running board storage box can be used as a step when entering and exiting the land vehicle;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the running board storage box of the present invention taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the gusset attachment for the running board storage box of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown in phantom lines a typical land vehicle  10 . The land vehicle  10  has an enclosing body or chassis  12 . Normally, the chasis  12  will be constructed of sheet material, generally metal. Included within the chasis  12  are a plurality of access doors  14 . The chasis  12  is mounted on a supporting frame  16 . It is common that there is included between the chassis  12  and the frame  16  a plurality of strengthening brackets, known as gussets  18 . Typically, there are a pair of gussets located in a spaced apart manner with a typical pair arrangement being shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0020]    Mounted on the chassis  12  are a plurality of front mounting brackets  20 . The front mounting brackets  20  are fixedly mounted by bolt fasteners  22  to the chassis  12 . The location of the brackets  20  is near the access doors  14 . Also mounted on the chassis  12  are a plurality of rear mounting brackets  24 . Again, there will be a plurality of the rear mounting brackets  24  with these brackets  24  also being fixedly mounted on the chassis  12  by means of bolt fasteners  26 .  
         [0021]    An L-shaped bracket  28  is fixedly mounted to the top  30  of a housing  32  of a storage box  34 . A single L-shaped bracket  28  is fixedly mounted to a single front mounting bracket  20  by means of a bolt fastener  36 . In referring specifically to FIG. 2, it can be seen that there are five in number of the bolt fasteners  36  for the single storage box  34 . The storage box  34  shown in FIG. 2 is the storage box that is located on the left side of the land vehicle  10 . It is to-be understood that there is a similar storage box  36  located on the right side of the land vehicle  10  with the storage box  36  being reversely positioned relative to storage box  34 .  
         [0022]    The rear mounting brackets  24  are to be each fixedly mounted by a bolt fastener  40  to the back  42  of the housing  32 . The housing  32  includes an internal chamber  44 . It is within internal chamber  44  that articles (not shown) are to be stored. The front edge  46  of the housing  32  is to have mounted thereon a door assembly  48 . The door assembly  48  is to be pivotally movable between and open position and a closed position with the closed position being shown in FIG. 3. The door assembly  48  is for the purpose of providing access into the internal chamber  44  and also for enclosing the internal chamber  44  when such is desired. The door assembly forms no specific part of this invention other than it being a part of the storage box  38  and for that reason the door assembly  48  is not discussed in detail.  
         [0023]    The back  42  includes a pair of first slots  50  with the first slots  50  being located in a spacing equal to the spacing between a pair of gussets  18 . Normally, in conjunction with certain types of land vehicles  10 , there is only a single pair of gussets  18  on each side of the vehicle  10 . An L-shaped attachment  52  is to be mounted in conjunction with each first slot  50 . The L-shaped attachments  52  are identical and each include a second slot  54  which has an angled bottom  56 . The angled bottom  56  will normally assume a forty-five degree angle relative to the top  30  and also to the back  42 . The L-shaped attachment  52  is completely enclosed and is formed as a single piece. Completely surrounding the second slot  54  is a flange  58 . The flange  58  is mounted on both legs of the L-shaped attachment  52 . Located against the under side of the flange  58  is a resilient seal  60 . The L-shaped attachment  52  is to be mounted within a first slot  50  and will function to close off first slot  50  not to permit the entry of any foreign material or water into the internal chamber  44  through the first slot  50 . At the same time, the forward edge  62  of a gusset  18  is to be located within a second slot  54  and abut against the angled bottom  56 . The forward edge  62  may be slightly spaced from the angled bottom  56 . The resilient seal  60  forms a snug contactual relationship with both the top  30  and the back  42  forming a water tight and dust tight seal preventing water and dust from entering into the internal chamber  44 .  
         [0024]    It may be that no separate securing arrangement is necessary for the L-shaped attachments  52  relative to the housing  32  with the attachments  52  being held in position merely by abutting against its respective gusset  18 . However, it is also to be within the scope of this invention that some form of securement, such as welding or some other type of fastener arrangement, may be required to secure each of the attachments  52  onto the housing  32 .  
         [0025]    The housing  32  is basically rectangular in configuration and generally will be several feet in length. The interior chamber  44  will normally be between six to ten inches in height and about eighteen inches deep. The length of the storage box  34  may be as great as six or eight feet.  
         [0026]    It is to be understood that the purpose of the attachments  52  is to prevent seepage of any rain water or any other type of water into the internal chamber  44 . Internal chamber  44  can be used to store articles such as fishing equipment, first aid kits, jumper cables, motor fluids, snow chains, emergency tools, water containers or numerous other types of articles. For hunters and military personnel, guns and ammunition could be stored within the internal chamber  44 . The potential use of the internal chamber  44  is to keep the articles safe and dry but also to keep valuables out of view.  
         [0027]    For some installations the gusset  18  may be squared and not triangularly shaped. In such an instance, the bottom  56  will not be angled but would comprise an L-shaped slot  54 . Also, it is considered to be within the scope of this invention to use an attachment  52  for a wider gusset such as a four to six inch wide protrusion. In such an instance, the slot  54  would have to be four to six inches wide.