Sliding platform for a pick-up truck

A sliding platform is mounted on low friction rollers to cooperate with a stationary frame to produce an extending platform for the cargo area of a suitable vehicle. The stationary frame may be fastened in the cargo area of a motor vehicle by means of specially shaped bolts which attach the stationary frame to the front wall of the cargo area. The forward end of the stationary frame is therefore held in place by means of only two fastening bolts. The rearward portion of the stationary frame is located and held in place by two jackscrews which serve to engage the two opposing walls of the cargo bay.A spring loaded handle is used to unlatch the sliding platform and allow it to be slid on said stationary frame to an extended position. The spring loaded handle may be pulled out from its nested position to provide better access and gripping of the handle.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a sliding platform which is installed in the cargo bay of a modern pick up truck. The sliding platform enables the user to slide the platform rearwardly and gain access to items stored at the front of the cargo bay.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Sliding platforms for cargo bays of pick up trucks have been known and used for some time (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,158 dated Apr. 25, 1989). Some of these devices are extremely cumbersome and difficult to install. Others require the installation of special brackets to hold the sliding apparatus in place in the cargo bay. These brackets may be difficult to install and present unwanted intrusion into the cargo bay when the sliding platform apparatus is removed. Other installations require partial disassembly of the sliding apparatus when it is desired to remove or install the sliding platform from the cargo bay. It is especially difficult to remove or install the sliding platform when standard bolts and nuts are used to hold the sliding apparatus in place in the cargo bay. It is first necessary to provide holes in the box of the pick up vehicle at points (which may be almost inaccessible) in the front and/or bottom of the cargo box, and then one must gain access to threaded ends of the mounting bolts which must protrude through the front and bottom of the cargo box in order to fasten or unfasten the sliding platform apparatus in the cargo area. This means that someone must gain access to the area where the mounting bolts protrude.

It must be remembered that if the sliding platform is to be installed and removed on a regular basis, that installation procedure is important.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This sliding platform of this invention makes use of fasteners which do not require the disassembly of any part of the sliding apparatus in order to install the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings,FIG. 1shows an elevational view of a motor vehicle10having the sliding platform12mounted in the rear cargo space of the vehicle10. The sliding platform comprises a sliding frame14to which the flat top16is fastened and is shown protruding from the rear of the cargo bay in its extended position.

FIG. 2shows the same vehicle10in a plan view. Here platform or table16is shown in its extended position and the stationary frame18is shown mounted in cargo area20of vehicle10.

FIG. 3shows the sliding table components in an exploded perspective view. A stationary frame18is shown having side channel members22,24to which cross pieces26,28and30are attached to form a unitary structure.

The side channels22and24are each supplied with low friction bearings32and34at the rear of the frame18for carrying the sliding frame14thereon. A pair of stabilizing channels36and38are securely fastened to the channels22and24respectively as shown inFIG. 3.

Sliding frame14comprises a pair of angle members40and42to which are attached the cross pieces44,46and48. A pair of low friction bearings51(one of which are shown) are mounted at the front of member14.

Lastly, a table top16is fastened to sliding frame14. The top16may be fastened by gluing or screwing to the sliding frame14.

A latching member50is provided to lock the sliding member14in place on member18when the device of this invention is in its forward position. Here a handle52is provided on the end of shaft54in such a manner that it is nestled in a “rest” position close to cross member44. Shaft54is spring loaded to maintain the handle52in this “rest” position.

When it is desired to roll the member14into its extended position, handle52is grasped and pulled so as to move away from cross member44to compress spring56. Shaft54moves axially in cross pieces44,46and48and also in link60of latch50. Link60is pivotally connected to link62by pivot pin64. Link62is pivotally connected to plunger66which passes through guide member68. Plunger66is spring loaded by spring70to cause shaft end72to protrude from member40as far as possible. The end72of plunger66will engage hole74in channel member22of stationary frame18, if the sliding frame14is in its forward position.

Referring now toFIGS. 4 and 5, the rear stabilizers for frame18will be described.

Attached to channels24and26are a pair of channel members36and38. Members36and38are usually attached to members24and26by welding, but other methods may be employed as long as the members36and38are securely fastened to the frame members24and26.

A jackscrew member110is arranged to combine with one of the channels36or38to locate the bottom frame member18. Jackscrew110has a pair of threaded head members112,120and114and122which slidably fit into tube124at the ends thereof. Nuts126,128permit the distance between heads112and114to be increased or decreased. Heads112and114are provided with captive plastic washers116and118at each end thereof.

In order to install the sliding platform12in the cargo bay of a pick-up vehicle, the device12is located in the cargo bay of a pick-up truck at the desired position for installation.

Jackscrew members110are installed with the head112captured in the channel36as shown inFIG. 4. The second jackscrew member is installed in channel38in the same manner. The lengths of the jackscrew members110are adjusted to temporarily locate frame18in a desirable position for installation. It is noted that the adjustable jackscrews110are provided to press against walls20of the cargo bay and thus stabilize the rearward portion of frame member18against any horizontal shifting.

When the rearward portion of frame member18is stabilized, the bolts88may be installed to stabilize the front of the frame member18.

The frame member18has been placed in the desired position for installation, and that will mean that horizontal angle member30is resting against front wall20of the cargo bay. (SeeFIGS. 6 and 7.) With the rear portion of frame18held against horizontal shifting by members110, holes86are drilled in the wall20of the cargo bay. The holes84and86are the same size and are intended to be large enough to provide clearance for the installation of bolt members88. Bolt members88are L shaped and the unthreaded portion82of bolt88is inserted into the two holes84and86and then bolt88is twisted through a right angle to the position shown inFIG. 7. Nut90is then advanced to secure the member30against wall20. A second bolt member88is installed in the second hole in angle member30and front wall20of the cargo bay to complete the installation of the front of frame18in the cargo bay.

It is now necessary to return to jackscrews110to provide the final adjustment and tightening of the devices110installed in frame member18to provide its permanent location. The two jackscrews are tightened and locked in position by lock nuts126and128. This holds the rear of frame18in a state of compression between the walls of cargo bay20.

Each head112,114is provided with a captive plastic washer116,118to provide a smooth installation of members110in the walls20of the channels36,38of frame18and cargo bay.

The main advantage of the present invention is that the installation of the sliding platform is such a simple operation when compared to the prior art models.

First it is easy to accurately drill the clearance holes such as86in the front wall of the cargo bay20using the clearance holes84already provided in cross member30as a drilling guide.

Next, because of the peculiar shape of bolts80, there is no need of having a service person trying to gain access to the area of the cargo bay on the side opposite the device12of this invention to install the fastening devices for the installation of device12to the cargo bay20. The use of the stabilizers such as110on each side of frame18permits the speedy stabilization of the frame18in the cargo bay of the vehicle.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 9, which show the locking portion of latch50in section, here shaft54which is slidably mounted in link60and is rotated to draw plunger66to the left as shown inFIG. 8. Plunger66is spring loaded by spring70to urge plunger66to the right. Plunger66passes through guide68and through hole90in angle40.

When shaft54returns to its rest position as shown inFIG. 9, as determined by spring70, the end72of plunger66passes through hole74in stationary frame member22. This locks the upper frame16into stationary frame member18.

What are the advantages of this construction? This sliding platform may be installed permanently in the cargo bay of a vehicle by drilling only two holes in the front wall of the cargo bay. The use of L shaped bolts secures the front of the stationary frame18to the front wall of the cargo bay. It will be found that the fastening devices do not require a second person to hold the end of the fastening device outside the cargo box. The use of the stabilizers in channels36and38permits the swift stabilization of frame18in the cargo bay to complete the installation.

Other prior art models require a bolt to be vertically passed through a member such as28and through a hole drilled in the floor of the cargo bay. This is clumsy and time consuming because:

First access must be gained to the area where the hole is to be drilled in the floor of the cargo bay. This usually requires that table top16be removed from sliding frame14to gain such access.

Next a hole must be accurately drilled in the floor of cargo bay20once access is gained to a member such as28. Then a bolt must be fed through member28and the floor of the cargo bay20. Someone has to gain access to the vertically extending bolt to thread a nut onto the bolt and tighten it.

Note that the holes such as86at the front of the cargo bay are quite easy to provide, because holes84and86are in close proximity once the stationary frame18has been properly set in cargo bay20of vehicle10.

Table top16must be removed from sliding frame14in prior art devices in order to install a bolt in the floor of cargo bay20. A hole must be drilled in the floor of the cargo bay and a bolt must be correctly installed to permanently fasten the stationary frame18to the cargo bay. This requires a second person to be present during the installation of stationary frame18which is both costly and time consuming.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that the modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the dependent claims.