Abstract:
A cargo management system for a vehicle having a cargo area (e.g., pickup bed) may include various elements. For example, the system may include a rail attachable to the interior surface of the cargo box inner panel, at least one reinforcement plate positionable against the outer surface of the inner panel, and a plurality of fasteners for holding the rail to the inner panel backed by the reinforcement plate. The rail may have a rail portion and a body portion. The body portion is positioned through a slot formed in the bedliner and includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls connecting the base with the rail portion. Each reinforcement plate has apertures to accommodate multiple mechanical fasteners and reinforcement segments, which are attached by reinforcement segment bridges.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosed invention relates generally to cargo systems for vehicles. More particularly, the disclosed invention relates to a cargo management system for a vehicle including tie down elements and reinforcing back plates suitable for attachment to an existing cargo area. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cargo box inners or cargo boxes typically define an open-topped bed for use in hauling cargo of different dimensions behind the passenger cabin of a truck. Cargo boxes have thus also become known as pickup boxes, truck boxes, pickup truck boxes, and truck bed boxes. 
     A challenge to the maximum use of the cargo box is the tendency of stored cargo to shift during transportation. In response to this operators often use rope and tie-downs to prevent the movement of the cargo. The tie-downs are traditionally anchored at various places inside of the cargo box. 
     Often an after-market component, known tie-downs suffer from a number of difficulties. One such difficulty is the attachment of the tie-down to the pickup box. Since the tie-down only functions correctly if rigidly attached, they are often attached by welding, a method that is inconvenient for most installers. Another difficulty is the inflexibility of the tie-downs once attached. Not all cargo requires the same tie-down location and, as a result, operators are often frustrated by the fixed arrangement of known tie-downs. 
     In an effort to overcome the challenges of known tie-down arrangements rail systems have been attached to the inner walls of cargo boxes. An attachment cleat is fitted to the rail which can be positioned and re-positioned at different points on the rail. While overcoming the problems associated with fixed-position tie-down arrangements the known rail systems use a rail and mechanical fasteners for mechanically attaching the rail to the wall of the pickup box. These systems use multiple spacers for attachment to the rail back and a like multiple number of reinforcing plates to which the spacers are anchored. Nuts are used behind the reinforcing plates to which bolt fasteners are attached. Because of the great number of parts used and because of the limited operating space (usually less than 50 mm) and the lack of visibility created thereby, this arrangement also requires the removal of entire panels for installation, creating challenges for the installer. 
     To avoid the step of panel removal some of the rail systems provide rails that can be welded to the inner wall of the cargo box. While providing an alternative to the mechanical fastening system, its plurality of spacers and reinforcing plates, and the step of removing a panel for attachment access, welding requires the installer to have specialized equipment which is not always available. 
     It would therefore be desirable to provide a cargo box tie-down system that provides a rail for selectively positionable cleats that can be easily attached to the wall of the cargo box without the need for extensive panel removal while avoiding the requirement for welding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed invention provides an alternative arrangement to known cargo tie-down systems by providing a cargo management system for a vehicle having a cargo area such as a pickup bed, often with a bedliner. The arrangement of the disclosed invention includes a rail attachable to the interior surface of the cargo box inner panel, at least one reinforcement plate positionable against the outer surface of the inner panel, and a plurality of fasteners for holding the rail to the inner panel backed by the reinforcement plate. At least one cleat is fitted to the rail. The cleat can be moved and selectively positioned on the rail. 
     The rail has a rail portion and a body portion. The body portion is positioned through a slot formed in the bedliner and replaces the plural spacers of known technology. The body portion of the rail includes a base and a pair of opposed side walls connecting the base with the rail portion. This construction defines a hollow interior and enhances structural integrity without adding weight. To provide for additional strength to the rail the body portion preferably includes at least one interior wall between the base wall of the body portion and the rail portion and more preferably includes two such interior walls. 
     One or more reinforcement plates are used. Regardless of the number used, each reinforcement plate has apertures to accommodate multiple mechanical fasteners, thus eliminating the multiple reinforcement plates of known technology. More particularly, each reinforcement plate includes a plurality of reinforcement segments and reinforcement segment bridges. Each reinforcement segment is attached to an adjacent reinforcement segment by a reinforcement segment bridge. The bridge is narrower than the adjacent reinforcement segments, thus minimizing space and also providing the reinforcement plate with some flexibility for shaping to the surface of the inner panel. 
     The cargo management system of the disclosed invention offers several advantages over known technology. It is relatively easy to install without welding. The disclosed cargo management system has fewer parts than known technology and particularly eliminates the plural spacers for the rail and the plural reinforcement plates, both typically being provided with one spacer and one reinforcement plate per mechanical fastener. Because of the design of the elongated reinforcement plate of the disclosed invention the outer panel of the pickup bed does not have to be removed on installation. 
     Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle cargo area showing the cargo management system of the disclosed invention in place thereon; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cargo management system of the disclosed invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a portion of the rail of the cargo management system of the disclosed invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the back reinforcements of the cargo management system of the disclosed invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a portion of the cargo management system of the disclosed invention and a portion of the supporting wall of the cargo area of the vehicle, both shown in section; and 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the cargo management system of the disclosed invention and a portion of the supporting wall of the cargo area of the vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the accompanying figures, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components. In the following description, various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments. These specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a pickup box, generally illustrated as  10 , is shown. The pickup box  10  includes a conventional bedliner  12 . A cargo management system assembly  14  according to the disclosed invention is illustrated. 
     The pickup box  10  and the bedliner  12  as shown are for illustrative purposes only. It is to be understood that a great variety of shapes and sizes of both the pickup box  10  and the bedliner  12  are possible beyond those shown in  FIG. 1 . The cargo management system assembly  14  of the disclosed invention is highly adaptable for attachment to virtually any style or configuration of pickup box and bedliner. It may also be used in a pickup box without a bedliner. The cargo management system assembly  14  of the disclosed invention may also be adapted for use in other cargo-hauling areas in vehicles, such as inside SUVs or in passenger vehicles. The cargo management system assembly  14  may also find utility in other cargo-hauling forms of transport, including ships, trains and planes. 
     The cargo management system assembly  14  of the disclosed invention is illustrated in isolation in  FIG. 2  where the assembly  14  is illustrated in perspective view. The cargo management system assembly  14  includes a rail  16  and adjacent reinforcement plates  18  and  20 . The rail  16  is preferably composed of aluminum and is preferably formed from an extrusion process. The reinforcement plates  18  and  20  are preferably composed of steel and are preferably formed from a stamping process. However, other materials and methods of production of both the rail  16  and the reinforcement plates  18  and  20  may be employed. 
     A portion of the rail  16  is itself shown in isolation and in perspective view in  FIG. 3 . The reinforcement plates  18  and  20  are themselves shown in isolation and in perspective view in  FIG. 4 . 
     A plurality of mechanical fasteners  22  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) are provided for secure attachment of the rail  16  and the reinforcement plates  18  and  20 . The fasteners  22  may be of any known nut-and-bolt type of fasteners. The bolt portions of the fasteners  22  are selectively fitted through any of several apertures  24  formed through the rail  16  and through any of several apertures  26  formed in the reinforcement plates  18  and  20 . 
     Two or more cleats  28  and  28 ′, shown in  FIG. 2 , are movably attached to the rail  16 . The cleats  28  and  28 ′ may be moved to any location on the rail  16  and locked thereto as is known in the art. The cleats  28  and  28 ′ shown in  FIG. 2  are for illustrative purposes and are not intended as being limiting as any one of a great variety of cleats may be used with the disclosed invention. 
     The rail  16  has a rail portion  30  and a body portion  32 . The body portion  32  is positioned through an elongated slot formed in the bedliner  12 . This arrangement is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  and will be discussed below in conjunction therewith. 
     The rail portion  30  of the rail  16  includes a pair of spaced apart and opposed cleat-retaining edges  34  and  34 ′ which define a base channel  36  therebetween. A pair of opposed flanges  38  and  38 ′ extend outwardly from the rail portion  30 . 
     The body portion  32  of the rail  16  replaces the plural spacers used in known technology. The body portion  32  includes a base  40  and a pair of opposed side walls  42  and  42 ′ connecting the base  40  with the rail portion  30 . Additional spaced apart interior walls  44  and  44 ′ also connect the base  40  with the rail portion  30 . The bolt portion of the fastener  24  passes between the spaced apart interior walls  44  and  44 ′. The array of side walls  42  and  42 ′ and interior walls  44  and  44 ′ provide for a very lightweight yet very strong construction. 
     The reinforcement plates  18  and  20  are illustrated in isolation in perspective view in  FIG. 4 . With reference thereto, the reinforcement plates  18  and  20  are shown in a suggested configuration. Common to each configuration are reinforcement segments and reinforcement segment bridges. Using the reinforcement plate  18  as an example, the reinforcement plate  18  includes reinforcement segments  46 ,  46 ′,  46 ″ and  46 ′″ with each of these segments having the bolt-passing aperture  26  formed therein. The width of each of the reinforcement segments  46 ,  46 ′,  46 ″ and  46 ′″ may be varied with the objective being that the segments need to be wide enough to provide proper lateral support against the relevant panel. 
     Between the reinforcement segments  46  and  46 ′ is a bridge  48 , between the reinforcement segments  46 ′ and  46 ″ is a bridge  48 ′, and between the reinforcement segments  46 ″ and  46 ′″ is a bridge  48 ″. The bridges  48 ,  48 ′ and  48 ″ in conjunction with the reinforcement segments  46 ,  46 ′,  46 ″ and  46 ′″, provide a one-piece reinforcement plate  18 . This arrangement allows for easy assembly as will be discussed below. A greater or lesser number of reinforcement segments and bridges may be used without deviating from the spirit or scope of the disclosed invention. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the cargo management system assembly  14  in position on a pickup box.  FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view while  FIG. 6  is a sectional view. With reference to both of these figures, the cargo management assembly  14  is shown attached to a pickup box inner panel  50 . The inner panel  50  is attached to a fender  52 . The inner panel  50  and the fender  52  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as being limiting as other inner panel and fender configurations may be present in other pickup box designs. The cargo management system assembly  14  of the disclosed invention is highly adaptable for fixation to a broad variety of cargo area surfaces. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the bolt portion of a fastener  22  is fitted through the rail  16  approximately between the two interior walls  44  and  44 ′. The body portion  32  of the rail  16  extends through an opening or slot formed in the bed liner  12  such that the base  40  abuts the inner surface of the inner panel  50 . The reinforcement plate  18  (or  20 ) is positioned against the outer surface of the inner panel  50 . The fasteners  22  hold the cargo management system assembly  14  together against and in relation to the inner panel  50 . 
     The cargo management system of the disclosed invention has many advantages over known technology. One of these advantages is ease of assembly whereby only a few steps are required. These steps are as follows although variation of some of the steps is possible. 
     Step 1—Locate the position of the rail  16  on the bedliner  12  (if present) by attaching location paper to the selected location on the surface of the bedliner  12 . 
     Step 2—Drill pilot holes through the bedliner  12  and the inner panel  50 . 
     Step 3—Remove the bedliner  12 . 
     Step 4—Cut out the slot defined by the location paper. 
     Step 5—Drill a pilot hole through the inner panel  50 . 
     Step 6—Place a multi-stepped locator pin known in the art (not shown) through the rail  16  and through the pilot hole drilled in Step 5. 
     Step 7—Mark other fastener locations on the surface of the inner panel  50  through the apertures  24  using a marking pin. 
     Step 8—Drill holes into the inner panel  50  according to the marks made in Step 7. 
     Step 9—Return the bedliner  12  to the pickup box  10 . 
     Step 10—Remove the vehicle wheel, wheel arcliner and mud guard (not shown). 
     Step 11—Without removing the fender  52 , insert one of the reinforcement plates  18  or  20  between the fender  52  and the inner panel  50 . 
     Step 12—Fit the reinforcement plate  18  (or  20 ) to the multi-stepped locator pin. 
     Step 13—Install the bolt portions of the fasteners  22  through the apertures  24  on the rail  16  through the open apertures  24 . 
     Step 14—Remove the multi-stepped locator pin and insert the last fastener  22 . 
     The above procedures may be varied in any of several ways and are intended as providing general but not exhaustive assembly and attachment guidelines. Regardless, it is apparent from these few steps that the cargo management system of the disclosed invention can be installed with a minimum of difficulty and with little training. 
     The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.