Abstract:
A truck bed or bedliner for a cargo carrier includes a transverse divider received in sidewall slots and a loop engaging a side of the divider to secure the divider in position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to structures for cargo areas for pick-up trucks, and more particularly to means in the form of dividers for partitioning the cargo space and means to anchor the dividers to a liner or a truck pick up box and means for covering a selected divided area. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Structures, such as liners, have been previously provided to protect the beds of pick-up trucks from the abrasive effects of using the truck to haul cargo. These liners have met with considerable commercial success in recent years. Such liners not only protect the bed of the truck, but enhance the appearance of the vehicle. When the vehicle is to be resold the liner can be removed to provide a bed which has the finish originally provided, or it can be replaced with another liner. 
     However, prior to my prior patent applications, no such structure has been provided with means to partition the cargo space into areas of selected sizes to accommodate different cargo, and to provide a means of maintaining the cargo in place as it is being transported by the vehicle. Further, the provision of means to cover selected divided cargo areas appears to be new. 
     Recently truck manufacturers have elected to construct the truck bed of plastic or similar material negating the need for a protective bed liner. A need remains to partition such truck beds into compartments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In one form of the present invention, a liner is provided which is intended to be used to protect a bed of a pick-up truck, and which includes partitioning means which permits the liner to be partitioned to accommodate cargos of various sizes. The partitioning means takes the form of dividers and slots or the like, formed in the liner to receive the dividers. The dividers can also be provided with slots to receive dividers to thereby provide a variety of configurations to accommodate cargos of sizes over a wide range. With the dividers locked in place, cargo can be placed in the cargo areas defined by the dividers and will be retained in place as the cargo is transported by the truck. 
     Means are provided to securely lock the divider to the bed of the pick-up truck or to the truck bed liner. 
     The present invention can also be in the form of the truck bed itself of a pick-up truck being provided with slots or similar means to accommodate dividers to divide the box into distinct cargo areas. 
     When the truck bed is provided with the slots to receive the dividers means are provided to lock the dividers to the truck bed. 
     A cover is provided which is adapted to fit over and cover selected cargo areas formed by the dividers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrating the liner in place in the bed of a pick-up truck; 
     FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the hinge used with the box shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of another portion of the hinge used with the box shown in FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 14 is an end view of preferred means for locking a divider in place; and 
     FIG. 15 is an elevational view of another preferred means for locking a divider in place. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred liner  10  of the present invention is illustrated as being intended for use in a pick-up truck bed. The liner  10  includes a floor  16 , sidewalls  18 , a forward end wall  20 , and a rearward end wall  22 . The liner  10  is preferably constructed of a heavy plastic or similar resilient, yet strong material. As is common, the liner  10  is molded or otherwise formed into a box-like configuration. Openings  23  are provided in the exterior portion of the sidewalls  18  to accommodate the wheel wells of the pick-up truck (not shown). 
     The sidewalls  18  of the liner  10  are provided with a plurality of inwardly facing, vertically extending slots  24  spaced along the interior length of the wall. The slots  24  on one of the sidewalls  18  are each aligned with a corresponding slot  24  on the opposite side wall  18  to removably receive a transversely extending divider  26 . A plurality of the dividers  26  are provided so that a number of pairs of slots  24  can be used to divide the liner  10  into a plurality of transversely extending cargo carrying areas (see, for example, FIG.  3 ). The end walls  20  and  22  are also provided with inwardly facing vertically extending slots  32 , similar in construction to the slots  24 , and which align with corresponding slots  32  on the opposite end wall. Dividers  38  can be provided to be received in the slots  32  to divide the liner  10  into elongated cargo carrying areas. The dividers  26  are also preferably provided with vertically extending slots  34  which receive the dividers  38  to further divide the cargo area into smaller areas to accommodate smaller cargo. 
     With reference to FIG. 2, a further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and includes a truck bed in the form of a one-piece, unitized box, generally indicated as  40 , fitted behind a conventional truck cab  41 . 
     The box  40  is preferably composed of a polymerizable material such as resilient and durable plastic. The box  40  may be formed as a single piece or may be two or more pieces welded together by heat or chemical treatment so as to form a one-piece box  40 . 
     The box  40  includes a pair of outer walls  80 , a front wall  84 , and a rear wall  82 . The rear wall  82  may be hinged to function as a door or tailgate. 
     The box  40 , in other respects, includes the elements of the liner  10  of FIG. 1, such as a floor  16 , side walls  18 , a forward end wall  20 , and a rearward end wall  22 . The box  40  further includes vertically extending slots  24  and  32 . 
     The advantages offered by the box  40  over a conventional pick-up box are manifold and include being resilient to dents, rust-resistant and lightweight. The box  40  may be fitted behind the cab  41  when the cab  41  is newly produced or may replace a damaged or undersized conventional pick-up box. 
     Illustrating again the liner  10  of the embodiment discussed initially, as shown in FIG. 3, the liner  10  of the present invention sits in the bed of the pick-up truck  42 , and utilizes dividers  26 ,  38  and slots  24 ,  32  and  34  to divide the bed of the truck  42  into cargo holding areas of different sizes to accommodate cargo of different sizes. 
     While the liners  10  and  40  have been described as including sidewalls  18  and end walls  20  and  22 , it should be realized that it may be desirable in some situations to provide the liner without either an end wall or a sidewall, or with portions of these walls removed. For instance, it may be desirable to provide the liners  10  or the box  40  without the end wall  22  to permit access to the interior of truck bed through the tailgate  54  commonly provided on such trucks. 
     Now referring to FIG. 4 for a description of another preferred embodiment of the present invention a liner  110  is shown therein as including slots  112  formed in sidewalls  114  of the liner  110  and slots  116  formed in a front wall  118  of the liner  110 . 
     Dividers  120  extend between the slots  112  to divide the interior of the liner  110  into compartments. Dividers  122  are provided to extend between the slots  116  and one of the dividers  120  to further divide the interior of the liner  110  into compartments. 
     As can best be seen in FIG. 5 a longitudinal divider  124  extends between the transverse dividers  120  and is mounted thereto by brackets  126  (FIG.  12 ). 
     As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 11 a box  128  is provided having a cover  130 . The box  128  is positioned between the divider  124  and the sidewall  114  with the cover  130  fastened to the divider  124  by hinge members  132 . The hinge member  132  are best seen in FIGS.  13 . 
     As best seen in FIGS. 8 and 9 the cover  130  and a sidewall  136  of the box  128  form a weather-tight seal in a conventional manner along the joint  138 . 
     As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 the dividers  120  are mounted in place by stop members  140  which are mounted to the bed  142  of the truck and have a pivotal portion  144  which can be rotated upwardly to the position shown in FIG. 7 to engage one of the sides of the divider  120  and to urge the other side of the divider  120  against the face forming the slot  116  to retain the dividers  120  in place and to prevent them from disengaging from the slots  116  as the truck is in use. 
     The pivotal portion  144  is shown (FIG. 6) to be in the form of an eyebolt having a transverse portion  146  which is pivotally retained by pivot blocks  148 . It is apparent that other means could be provided to prevent the dividers  120  from moving back and forth in the slots  116 . The portion  144  extends upwardly through an opening provided in the truck bed liner  110 . 
     A U-shaped member  149  (FIG. 6) or other similar stop member can be fastened by welding or the like to the sidewall  150  of the truck bed to engage the dividers  120  to aid in preventing movement of the dividers  120  in the slots  116 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 10 disclose an embodiment wherein the slot  116  is formed by spaced protrusions  150 . In such a construction an eyebolt  152  is provided which extends through holes  153  formed through the protrusions  150  and through the end of the divider  120  to lock the divider  120  in the slot  116 . A wing nut  154  or the like will retain the eyebolt  152  in the mounted position. Such an eyebolt  152  is provided at each end of each divider  120  to extend through the holes  153  formed in each protrusion  150 . 
     FIGS. 14 and 15 disclose other preferred means for fixing the dividers  120  in place by preventing them from moving transversely in the slots  116 . 
     In FIG. 14 the bed liner  112  is formed with a corner pocket  154  by a corner support  156  which provides the means to position an eyebolt  158  or the like to engage the face of the divider  120  to aid in retaining the divider  120  in place in the slot (not shown). 
     FIG. 15 discloses a metal plate  160  adapted to be welded or otherwise mounted directly to the truck bed  142 . The plate  160  is provided with a threaded opening  162  to receive an eyebolt (not shown) or the like. The plate  160  is positioned so that an eyebolt mounted in the hole  162  will engage the face of a divider  120  to maintain the divider  120  in the slot  116 . 
     It should be understood that while the various embodiments of the present invention have been described as being used with a truck bed liner with suitable modifications the invention can be used with just the truck bed without the liner. Truck beds are being formed today of plastic and other similar materials and with slots so that the need for a liner has been substantially reduced. But where metal truck beds are provided with pre-formed slots, the divider arrangement of the present invention can be used with the various fastening means which have been described being mounted directly to the bed of the truck. 
     Also although several embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it should be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art that many other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as expressed by the scope of the appended claims.