Abstract:
A combination toolbox and seating assembly is provided. The toolbox seating assembly is installed in the bed of a pickup truck, wherein the toolbox includes a hinged lid, and wherein a bench style seat may be stored within the lid of the toolbox when not in use, and may be positioned within the upper portion of the toolbox when in use to provide comfortable rearward seating within the bed of the truck.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to seats installed or positioned in pickup truck beds for outdoor activities, such as pre-game tailgating, hunting, and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination toolbox and seating arrangement that is installed in the bed of a pickup truck, wherein the toolbox includes a hinged lid, and wherein a bench style seat may be stored within the lid of the toolbox when not in use, and may be positioned within the upper portion of the toolbox when in use to provide comfortable seating within the bed of the truck. 
         [0002]    Heretofore, many different seating arrangements have been developed for use in the bed of a pickup truck. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,928 discloses a pickup truck bed seat assembly that includes a base member, which may be installed in the bed of a pickup truck, and a seat assembly that is removably attached to the base member. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,346 is directed to a pickup truck tailgate seating and entertainment system that mounts to an inside surface of a conventional pickup truck tailgate, and includes a seating arrangement in combination with a sound system, food container, umbrella holder, and a cover to protect the assembly when not in use. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,391 discloses a hinged tailgate assembly, which includes a seating arrangement in combination with a table. Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,932,408 describes an adjustable frame with a seat for a pickup truck bed, wherein the frame includes telescoping adjustment means to allow the frame to fit in a variety of sizes of pickup truck beds. U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,477 discloses a collapsible seating apparatus that is adapted to fit in the bed of a pickup truck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,493 is directed to an assembly for installation in the cargo compartment of a light pickup truck consisting of an inner cargo liner insert and rear facing seat combination with two armrests that are designed to cover the two wheelwells. 
         [0005]    None of the prior art, however, discloses a seating arrangement in combination with an installed toolbox, wherein the seat bench may be stored within the lid of the toolbox when not in use, and which utilizes the toolbox itself as the base of the seat when the bench seat is in use. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a bench seat for use in combination with a toolbox installed in the bed of a pickup truck is provided. The bench seat, when not in use, is removably stored in the lid of the toolbox, which allows a user to maintain access to the inside of the toolbox. In use, the bench seat may be removed from the lid of the toolbox and placed into the opening of the toolbox, so that a user can sit on the bench seat on top of the toolbox while the lid of the toolbox is open. 
         [0007]    In a first embodiment, the bench seat may include attachment means, such as snap fit means, on an upper side or an underside thereof, and the underside of the toolbox lid includes corresponding attachment means. This arrangement allows the bench seat to be removably attached to the underside of the toolbox lid. When a user desires to utilize the bench seat, he or she simply opens the lid of the toolbox, removes the bench seat from the underside of the toolbox lid, and places the bench seat directly into the opening of the toolbox. Pickup bed toolboxes that are installed in the bed of a pickup truck directly behind the cab are widely available and in use currently, and most such toolboxes include extended lips on either side thereof, which extend above the sides of the pickup truck bed. In one embodiment, the bench seat may be formed so that it is supported on either side by the extended lips, which maintain the position of the bench seat at the top of the toolbox for seating purposes. 
         [0008]    In a second embodiment, the bench seat may be attached to the toolbox by using a hinge means. Preferably, the toolbox lid and the bench seat each may pivot or rotate about a common rod, which serves as the hinge means for both components. 
         [0009]    This arrangement provides a rear-facing bench seat that is protected within the toolbox when not in use, and may be secured therein when the toolbox is locked. Additionally, the bench seat is available at all times, so that it may be used during outdoor events at a moment&#39;s notice, without having to plan ahead and pack seating means prior to the event. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bench seat that is removably attached to an underside of a toolbox that may be installed in a bed of a pickup truck; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bench seat that is positioned within an upper portion of a toolbox that may be installed in a bed of a pickup truck; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a bench seat that may be removably stored on an underside of a toolbox lid; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view along the lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 , showing a bench seat that is removably attached to an underside of a toolbox, and illustrates one embodiment of snap fit attachment means used for removable attachment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bench seat that is pivotally attached to a toolbox and a toolbox lid via hinge means, wherein the bench seat is in a storage position beneath an underside of the toolbox lid; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the embodiment of a bench seat shown in  FIG. 5 , wherein the bench seat is in a usable seating position disposed within an upper opening of toolbox; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a top cutaway view of the embodiment of a bench seat shown in  FIG. 5 , wherein the hinged bench seat is disposed beneath a closed toolbox lid in accordance with the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along the lines  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 , showing the hinged bench seat disposed within a closed toolbox lid; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , showing the hinged bench seat disposed within an open toolbox lid; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , showing the hinged bench seat disposed in a horizontal seating position while the toolbox lid is in an open position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The present invention includes, in a first embodiment, a bench seat  10  comprising a frame member  12  and a cushion member  14 . The bench seat is adapted for use in combination with a common toolbox  16  that is mounted or installed in the bed of a pickup truck. Such toolboxes  16  are widely used, and include a hinged lid  18  that typically includes a latch member and a locking means. The bench seat  10 , in this embodiment, may be removably stored within the underside of a lid  18  of a toolbox  16  when not in use, as shown in  FIG. 1 , which allows a user to have easy access to the inside of the toolbox  16 . For seating purposes, the bench seat  10  may be removed from the underside of the toolbox lid  18  and placed horizontally within and across an upper portion of the opening of the toolbox  16 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Preferably, snap fit attachment means  20  are positioned on an underside of the bench seat frame  12 , and correspond with snap fit attachment means  20  on the underside of the toolbox lid  18 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . It should be understood that other types of attachment means may be employed to hold the bench seat  10  on the underside of the toolbox lid  18  when the bench seat is not in use, and it is contemplated that the attachment means may be positioned on an upper portion of the bench seat frame member  12 , as well as the underside thereof, as shown. 
         [0022]    The frame  12  of the bench seat  10  may include optional features, such as cup holders  22  (as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ) or handles, in order to facilitate removal and replacement of the bench seat  10  into the storage position or the seating position. The frame  12  may be manufactured using any suitable material, including strong plastics or metal, and the cushions  14  may also be manufactured from any suitable material. Optionally, a second cushion member may also be attached to the underside of the lid  18 , which may serve as a backrest when the bench seat is in use, so long as the second cushion member does not interfere with the attachment means  20  between the bench seat  10  and the underside of the toolbox lid  18 . 
         [0023]    When a user desires to utilize the bench seat  10 , he or she simply opens the lid  18  of the toolbox  16 , removes the bench seat  10  from the underside of the toolbox lid  18 , and places the bench seat  10  directly into the opening at the top of the toolbox  16 . Pickup bed toolboxes  16  that are installed in the bed of a pickup truck directly behind the cab are widely available and in use currently, and most such toolboxes  16  include extended lips  24  on either side thereof, which extend above the sides of the pickup truck bed. In one embodiment, the bench seat  10  may be formed so that it is supported on either side by the extended lips  24 , which maintain the position of the bench seat  10  at the top of the toolbox  16  for seating purposes. 
         [0024]    It is contemplated that this embodiment of the bench seat assembly  10  may be sold as an aftermarket item, and may be installed into pre-existing toolbox lids  18  by simply installing the attachment means  20  to the underside of the toolbox lid  18 . The bench seat frame  12  is thus formed to fit into the opening of the existing toolbox  16  so that it is supported by the toolbox  16  itself when the lid  18  is in an open position. 
         [0025]    In a second embodiment, the bench seat  10  may be attached to the toolbox  16  by using a hinge means  26 . Preferably, the toolbox lid  18  and the bench seat  10  each may pivot or rotate about a common rod  28 , which serves as the hinge means for both components, as shown in  FIGS. 5-10 . In this embodiment, a latch means  30  is used to secure the free swinging side (non-hinged side) to the underside of the toolbox. It should be understood that other pivoting means or hinge assemblies may be employed, so long as the bench seat  10  may pivot between a storage position adjacent the underside of the toolbox lid  18  and a horizontal seating position within and across an upper, open portion of the toolbox  16  as shown. Optionally, the underside of the bench seat frame  12  in this embodiment may include pivoting supports  32  that are used when the bench seat  10  is in the seating position, where the supports  32  may pivot downwardly into a support position in contact with the toolbox  16  in order to support the weight of a person sitting on the bench seat  10 . Such supports may be slidable, pivoting, or fixed. 
         [0026]    It is further contemplated that the toolbox seat assembly may incorporate electrical or hydraulic means for opening the lid of the toolbox, positioning the hinged bench seat in a storage or seating position, and that a remote control could be incorporated to operate such a system. 
         [0027]    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. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.