Abstract:
An elongated lockable rainproof storage container for use transversely at the forward end of a bed of a pickup truck ahead of typical wheel wells to store and protect tools or other valuable personal items. The container has a horizontal bottom to rest on the bed floor, a first vertical rear wall and two vertical end walls fixed relative to the bottom, and a vertically extending fourth wall facing the pickup tailgate. These four walls are of equal height and support in sealed relationship a top rainproof container closure. An elongated rectangular swingable panel forming a large portion of the fourth wall is connected along its lower long edge to the container bottom by an elongated continuous flexible waterproof plastic hinge permitting the panel to swing about ninety degrees inwardly from a vertical wall position to a horizontal floor position lying atop the container bottom where it provides a load supporting upper surface parallel to the bed floor. When the closure is opened or removed and the panel swung down to its horizontal position almost the entire inner area of the container becomes a usable vertically unobstructed storage area supplemental to the area between the container and the tailgate to facilitate hauling large crates, boxes, lumber or sheets of building material. In the vertical position of the swingable panel its opposite ends are held in waterproof sealing engagement with jambs extending inwardly from the container end walls. The container may be of sufficient size to allow the jamb spacing to correspond to wheel well spacing. A sill member extends across the container bottom between the jambs and supports in close relationship, via the elongated hinge, the bottom edge of the swingable panel. The ends of the elongated waterproof hinge and lower ends of seals along the jambs cooperate to assure watertight seals along the bottom and ends of the swingable panel when it is secured in its vertical position. The proximity of the edge of the swingable panel and the sill member substantially conceal the elongated hinge and protect it from damage and wear when the panel is in its horizontal position.

Description:
[0001]    This invention relates to a lockable waterproof tool storage box for use in a land or marine vehicle, i.e., a pickup truck. Such a box in the front end of a pickup bed has, in addition to a conventional closeable top opening, a foldable wall panel facing the pickup tailgate and foldable to a horizontal position to provide, with the top closure open, an increased laterally accessible upwardly unobstructed space within the truck bed including connected areas inside and outside of the box and particularly suited to accommodate large horizontally and/or vertically extending objects such as standard sheets of building materials or major appliances.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Users of pickup trucks have long felt the need for a secure waterproof storage space in addition to space within the truck cab for tools or other valuable objects. It has become a common practice to secure a large box across the front end of the bed ahead of typical wheel wells to store and protect tools or other valuable personal items. Such boxes are usually at least as high as the sides of the bed and either rest on the bed floor or are suspended with end portions resting atop the bed sides. These boxes have a variety of top opening configurations. Although some suspended configurations have a space to slide a few large sheets of building material into the bed with the sheets extending beneath the suspended box, the stack height for such material is limited and the areal bed floor space occupied by such storage boxes substantially reduces the continuous bed floor spaces that is accessible vertically or from overhead. Much of this lost vertically accessible floor space has been regained with various configurations of boxes which can be folded while remaining within the truck bed. However, such folded configurations when closed for storage pose many sealing problems not only with respect to preventing entry of falling rain, but also with respect to excluding entry of standing water in a pickup bed which is poorly drained.  
         BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention uses a box having essentially a floor, three vertical waterproof rear and end walls relatively fixed perpendicularly with respect to the floor, a fourth wall having a front panel portion hinged to the floor at its lower edge to swing between a first position perpendicular to the container floor and a second position parallel to the container floor. The box has an openable and/or removable closure to prevent entry of rain into the area within the four vertical walls and which upon being opened or removed permits vertically unobstructed access to the box interior. The invention is particularly concerned with securing continuous waterproof sealing along the side and bottom edges of the foldable or swinging wall panel when it is in its closed vertical first position.  
           [0004]    An object of the invention is to provide, in a strong watertight lightweight storage box for a pickup bed, a strong vertical wall panel hinged along the bottom edge of the panel to the box floor with a continuous watertight piano type living hinge enabling the wall panel to swing from a vertical position to a horizontal position.  
           [0005]    Another object of the invention is to provide a watertight seal at the vertical edges and along the bottom of a vertical front wall panel of a pickup truck bed box wherein the wall panel may swing from a vertical position to a horizontal position within the box atop the box floor.  
           [0006]    A further object of the invention is to provide a watertight seal for a movable vertical front wall panel of a pickup bed box wherein the seal is subject to minimum effect on its sealing properties during use involving wall panel movement in a hostile environment of dust, dirt, mud, rain and snow. Preferably the sealing surfaces of resilient sealing elements at the sides of the folding panel are protected to avoid collecting such contaminants during use or the sealing element surfaces and are provided with self cleaning means to assure optimum sealing on moving the folding panel to its closed vertical position.  
           [0007]    The sealing structure at the ends of the front panel preferably utilize portions of the front panel which are not upwardly exposed dirt collecting surfaces when the panel is in use in its open horizontal position. This aids in preventing contamination of the seals or compromising seal integrity when the panel is moved to its vertical sealed position without having to take special care to clean the panel surface.  
           [0008]    Another object of the invention is to provide a sealed hinge at the bottom edge of a wall panel of a pickup bed storage box which is strong and protected from physical abuse during loading and unloading of objects or material located partially or entirely within the box while the hinged wall panel is in a horizontal open position.  
           [0009]    Another object of the invention is to provide separate physical support for the hinged panel in its vertical position to reduced the vertical physical load imposed by the panel on the continuous hinge during use of the tool box.  
           [0010]    A still further object of the invention is to provide strong securing structure to fasten and seal a hinged vertical wall panel of a pickup truck bed box to adjacent vertical box end walls and to the bottom of the box to minimize physical abuse of the panel seals during use when only the box top is open.  
           [0011]    Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively large size watertight storage box for a bed of a pickup truck and having at least one vertical wall panel portion which is movable from a sealed box forming position to a secondary position to provide horizontal access to at least most of the floor area of the box to supplement areas of the bed floor outside of the box to accommodate more or larger building materials or objects.  
           [0012]    Another object of the present invention is to assure that the width of supplemental storage area made accessible within a box extending transversely of the truck bed is at least as wide as the space between the wheel wells in the pickup truck in which the box is being used.  
           [0013]    Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental storage box for the bed of a pickup truck which has a raisable lid which can be kept open or raised while driving the pickup and which has minimum interference with rearward vision from within the pickup cab.  
           [0014]    Another object of the invention is to provide a pickup bed storage box with a vertically openable lid which can be raised to a vertical position generally parallel to the rear window of the pickup and which is at least partially transparent to provide minimum interference with rearward vision from within the pickup cab.  
           [0015]    Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental watertight storage box for the bed of a pickup truck which has a movable or removable sealed lid and a movable sealed wall enabling the interior area of the box to be added to the external area to provide greater vertically unobstructed usable space within the pickup bed.  
           [0016]    Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental watertight storage box for the bed of a pickup truck which is openable to provide a vertically unobstructed walk-in floor area having a non-skid walking surface.  
           [0017]    It is also an object of the invention to provide an all weather waterproof storage box having an openable vertical door panel with pressure equalization between the inside and outside of the box as external environmental conditions such as sun, shade, temperature, rain and wind change and effect such equalization at a protected location near the top of the box to prevent pressure differentials from affecting the integrity of waterproof sealing strips around openable door and lid parts.  
           [0018]    Another object of the invention is to eliminate the need for bridging strength in a sealed storage box because no large bottom floor portions of the box are suspended above the supporting vehicle surfaces.  
           [0019]    This invention provides a sealable waterproof storage container having a plurality of sides enclosing a waterproof storage area with the sides defining a peripheral edge of a top access opening into the storage area. A flat closure for the top access opening is opened by removal or by pivoted movement and is provided with a depending drainage lip or rail and is sealed to the container around the top access opening. Preferably the sides include a flat bottom and a flat vertical rigid panel having a straight horizontally extending elongated bottom edge at the bottom of said storage area. The panel is hinged to the container bottom by means of a continuous waterproof one-piece plastic hinge extending the length of the panel&#39;s bottom edge and supporting the panel for swinging movement between its vertical position and a horizontal position to provide a further access opening into the container interior. The top edge of the panel defines part of the peripheral edge of the top access opening. The panel has two opposite side edges extending vertically between respective ends of the bottom edge and the top edge of the panel. The container has first and second rigidly supported structures extending along the respective panel side edges when the panel is in its vertical position. At each of the panel side edges there is a clampable sealing structure comprising a compressible waterproof sealing strip between the panel side edge and the rigidly supported structure, each sealing strip being in sealing engagement with a respective end of said waterproof hinge to completely seal the side and bottom edges of the panel when the panel is in its vertical position. A tight seal along these edges is attained by means of a clamping mechanism for simultaneously exerting clamping forces on each of the side sealing structures when the panel is in its vertical position to maintain a continuous waterproof seal around the sides and along the waterproof hinge at the bottom of said panel from one end of said top panel edge to the other end of said top panel edge. The seals around the top closure and around the vertical panel prevent entry of water and foreign contaminants into said storage container when said clamping forces are exerted on the panel in its vertical position and the closure is secured over the access opening.  
           [0020]    The above and other objects and features of the invention may be achieved by providing a hinged front wall panel of a pickup truck storage box which is foldable from a vertical sealed box forming position to a horizontal position within the box atop the bottom of the box. This front wall panel has a horizontal bottom edge connected along its entire length to the box floor by a waterproof continuous or living hinge which is externally unexposed when the front panel is in its vertical or erect position. The box has end walls provided with inwardly extending vertical jambs against which the ends of the front panel are clamped when the box is closed and sealed. Sealing means in the form of vertical resilient strips in jambs for the front panel are provided along the end edges of the front panel between the panel and stationary portions of the box. These strips cooperate with the waterproof hinge in a mutually engaging sealing relationship to completely seal the box at the end and bottom peripheral edges of the front panel.  
           [0021]    The front panel structure, the waterproof hinge and the jambs are of sufficient strength to enable the panel to be strongly secured by suitable clamping means to maintain the physical integrity of the box and preserve its watertight integrity during use of the box when the panel is in its vertical position. This may include hinge structures of additional strength outside and beyond the sealed areas around the panel to aid in pivotably supporting the panel. When the panel is in its horizontal position the jambs are kept from moving relative to the floor and other box walls and from moving relative to each other by structural features of the box floor and walls so that the structural integrity of the box is independent of the position of the front panel.  
           [0022]    The top or lid closure of the box is movable from a closed position in which it is sealed watertight against the top rectangular perimeter of the edges of the four vertical box walls to an open position in which it may be hinged at the rear wall or to which it may be removed and remotely stored.  
           [0023]    The sealing structure at the ends of the front panel preferably utilize portions of the front panel which are not upwardly exposed dirt collecting surfaces when the panel is in use in its horizontal position. This aids in preventing contamination of the seals or compromising seal integrity when the panel is moved to its vertical sealed position without having to take special care to clean the panel surface.  
           [0024]    The continuous hinge at the lower edge of the front panel may be a continuous extruded, rolled and suitably formed plastic member of uniform cross section with a thin narrow strong flexible fatigue-resistant central longitudinal portion enabling a right angle bend with a very small radius of curvature between two parallel heavier longitudinally extending strip portions suitably configured for convenient attachment to the panel and to the box floor, respectively, by suitable adhesive, clamping, plastic welding or other suitable attachment means. If the box is molded of plastic material, one or both of the relatively hinged strip portions of the hinge may be formed by being integrally molded into or integrally with appropriate portions of the box. One strip may be molded into or integrally with the panel allowing the panel to be attached to the box by suitable attachment of the other strip to the floor of the box. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a closed storage box of the invention in the front end of a pickup truck., the box having an openable top and an inwardly and downwardly swingable front wall door panel which is openable to an open horizontal position atop the box floor.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with the box removed from the truck and the closure lid of the box removed and showing draw type latches holding the door panel closed and illustrating a detachable ramp to be used as a loading aid.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2A is a perspective view looking into the box of FIG. 2 from the rear and illustrating the detachable ramp of FIG. 2 in a stored position where it assists the latches to bar opening of the door panel. FIG. 2B is a partial perspective view looking into the left front corner of the box with the door omitted from its supporting hinge and showing door sealing and hinging details.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the front hinged door panel of the box swung down to an open position inside the box to lie atop the floor of the box.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the left end of a pickup box and provides reference for the description of FIGS.  5 - 10 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 is a vertical section at line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4 in a plane perpendicular to the door panel hinge axis at the lower end of the door jamb at one end of the door panel to illustrate multiple door edge sealing strips having segments in sealing relationship with one end of the hinged edge of a continuous plastic piano-type hinge door panel hinge while the door is in its open position.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5A is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a section of a piano hinge covered with a flexible waterproof sealing membrane which extends the length of the lower door edge.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a section similar to FIG. 5 but with the door in its closed position.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a section on line  7 - 7  of FIG. 4 in a horizontal plane parallel to the box floor and illustrating multiple door edge sealing strips within a door jamb when the box door is in its open position.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 is a section similar to FIG. 7 in a horizontal plane parallel to the box floor and illustrating the configuration of multiple door edge sealing strips within a door jamb and sealed against a door edge when the door is in its closed position.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 is a vertical section on line  9 - 9  of FIG. 4 with the doorjamb and door partially cut away to show a lever actuated draw type latching mechanism for supporting and securing the door in a closed position.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 10 is a top view of FIG. 4 further illustrating the draw type door latch mechanism.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative box embodiment with the door arranged in an outwardly opened horizontal position with the top of the door coplanar with the top face of the box floor.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 11A is an enlarged front view of the left end of the pickup box embodiment of FIG. 11 and provides reference basis for the description of the section views of FIGS.  12 - 16  and of the partial tup view of FIG. 17.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 12 is a vertical section at line  12 - 12  of FIG. 11A in a plane perpendicular to the door panel hinge axis at the lower end of the door jamb at one end of the door panel to illustrate a door edge sealing strip in sealing relationship with one end of the hinged edge of a continuous plastic piano-type door panel hinge while the door is in the outwardly open position of FIG. 11.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 13 is a section similar to FIG. 12 but with the door in its closed position.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 14 is a section on line  14 - 14  of FIG. 11A in a horizontal plane parallel to the box floor and illustrating a door edge sealing strip within a door jamb when the box door is in its open position of FIG. 11.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 15 is a section similar to FIG. 14 in a horizontal plane parallel to the box floor and illustrating the configuration of a door edge sealing strips within a door jamb and sealed against a door edge when the door is moved from the outside position of FIG. 11 to its closed position.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 16 is a vertical section on line  16 - 16  of FIG. 1A with the doorjamb and door partially cut away to show a lever actuated draw type latching mechanism located within the storage box for pulling the door inwardly against the front wall of the box and securing it a closed vertical position.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 17 is a top view of FIG. 111A and further illustrating the draw type door latch mechanism located within the box.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 18 is a view of the underside of box lid of FIG. 1 and showing a continuous sealing strip embedded in a retaining groove in the lid and protruding from the inner face of the lid in a planar rectangular pattern to form a waterproof seal against the tops of the door and other walls of the box of FIGS.  1 - 10  when the lid is fastened shut.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 19 is a section on line  19 - 19  of FIG. 18 showing a section of the lid seal for engaging the top of the left box end wall.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 20 is a section on line  20 - 20  of FIG. 18 showing a section of the lid seal for engaging the top of the rear box end wall and showing a clamping overhang at the rear edge of the lid to fit around a lid retaining horizontal rail extending along the top of the outer rear box wall face.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an alternative box embodiment in a pickup truck bed but showing a multi-pane window in an open box lid which is hinged to the upper edge of the rear box wall and extends parallel to and behind a rear window of the pickup cab to enable rearward visibility from the cab.  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 22 is a view of the underside of box lid of FIG. 21 and showing a continuous sealing strip embedded in a retaining groove in the lid and protruding from the inner face of the lid in a rectangular pattern to form a waterproof seal against the tops of the door and other walls of the box of FIG. 21 when the lid is fastened shut.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 23 is a section on line  23 - 23  of FIG. 22 showing the protruding sealing strip and the mounting of the edge of one window pane.  
         [0051]    [0051]FIG. 24 is a section on line  24 - 24  of FIG. 22 illustrating one of multiple hinge connections along the rear box wall between the lid and rear box wall and a section of the sealing strip extending along the top rear wall of the box.  
         [0052]    FIGS.  25 - 27  illustrate three alternative embodiments of the invention in which a storage box is secured to a bedliner floor which is in turn secured to a truck bed floor, each box being provided with quick-releasable fastening devices. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0053]    All of the following descriptions relating to structures at one end of the storage boxes are representative of mirror image structures at the other end of the boxes which are symmetrical about a vertical front to rear center planes.  
         [0054]    [0054]FIG. 1 illustrates a storage box  10  located in a conventional pickup truck  1  at the forward end of a pickup truck bed  3  on the bed floor  4  between the bed side rails  5  and ahead of the wheel wells  6  near the front end wall  7  of the truck bed. The box  10  provides for safe and environmentally protected storage of tools or other valuable objects. The box has a sealed waterproof protective drop-on closure  12  secured to the box at the level of the tops of the side rails  5  and front bed wall  7  just below the pickup cab window  8  to prevent rain or other contaminants from entering the box  10 . A front wall  13  forming part of the box  10  includes a sealed front door panel  14  hinged at its lower edge to swing rearwardly into the box  10  when the closure  12  is opened or removed.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the protective closure  12  removed and more completely showing, in addition to front wall  13 , two parallel left and right end walls  15  and  16  spaced from but parallel to the truck bed sides  5  and a rear wall  17  near and parallel to the front end wall  7  of the truck bed. These box walls enclose and extending upwardly from the bottom wall or floor  18  of the box. FIGS. 2 and 2A show an external horizontal extension  18 X coplanar with the box bottom  18  and along the bottom of the rear wall  17 . This extension may be provided to keep the rear wall  17  spaced a sufficient distance from the front end wall  7  of the truck bed  3  to provide a storage space between the box  10  and bed wall  7  for the lid  12  when the lid is removed from the box  10 .  
         [0056]    The hinged door panel section  14  of the front wall  13  is hinged and connected along its bottom edge to a sill structure  19  on the floor bottom wall  18  of the box to provide means for swinging the door panel  14  from the position of FIG. 2 downwardly and rearwardly into the box atop the box floor  18  to the door position as seen in FIG. 3. A flat filler member  20  shown in FIG. 3 may be laid between the door and rear wall to level the bottom interior of the box  10 .  
         [0057]    The door  14  is pivotably supported, secured and sealed along its entire lower edge near the front edge of the box floor  18  by means including a sill strip  21  secured to the box floor and a sealing waterproof continuous or living piano-type hinge member  22  having a hinge point axis  22 X and pivotably interconnecting the bottom edge face of door  14  along its entire length to a vertical rear face portion of the sill strip  21  in a relationship described in connection with FIGS. 2B, 5 and  6 . The hinge  22  includes two thin relatively hinged flat relatively foldable continuous strips  24  and  25  of uniform thickness interconnected for relative 90 degree movement by a continuous thinner web  27  extending the length of the hinge. In the closed position of door  14 , strips  24  and  25  are parallel and side by side as seen in FIG. 5 with the web  27  extending in about a 180 degree arc. In the open position of door  14 , strips  24  and  25  are perpendicular to each other as seen in FIGS. 2B and 6 with the web  27  extending in about a 90 degree arc. The door&#39;s hinge axis  22 X is at or near the center of curvature of the hinge web  27 . The strips  24  and  25  are connected to the door and sill members respectively by means of suitable adhesive, clamping, plastic welding or other suitable attachment means to achieve the desired relative 90 degree angular movement.  
         [0058]    Although the hinge strip  22  is preferably made of a one-piece member of strong durable relatively inexpensive water impermeable plastic material, similar sealing can be obtained along the bottom edge of the door using a similar thin strong mechanical piano-type hinge  22 A covered with a suitably attached water impermeable membrane  22 B providing a waterproof surface as seen in FIGS. 5A and 6A.  
         [0059]    At opposite end of the box front wall  13  left and right door jamb structures  31  and  32  extend inwardly toward each other to provide anchoring support and sealing means for opposite ends of the door  14  when it is in its closed erect vertical position. The jambs  31  and  32  have forward vertical members  31 A and  32 A against the rear of faces of which the front faces of the opposite door ends are in sealed abutment. The jambs  31  and  32  also have rear vertical members  31 B and  32 B close to and also in sealed relationship to end faces of the opposite door ends. The jambs  31  and  32  are provided with sealing means which extend the entire vertical heights of the door ends and which are in sealing relationship by direct engagement, or by intermediate sealing means. with the sealing surfaces of the hinge at the bottom corners of the door  14  so that there is a continuous waterproof seal down each edge and across the bottom of the door when it is closed.  
         [0060]    The principal door supporting and clamping means to hold the door  14  in its closed sealed position includes a draw type latch mechanism  40  secured to each of the jamb members  31 A and  32 A which is constructed to clamp the door  14  against these jamb members. These latch mechanisms are described in detail in the descriptions of FIGS. 4, 9 and  10  below.  
         [0061]    Another means for retaining the box door  14  in a tightly sealed relationship in the front wall  13  is a ramp  41  shown in one position as a loading aid in front of the box in FIG. 2 and as a locking bar within the box holding the door closed as seen in FIG. 2A. The ramp  41  seen in front of the box  10  in FIG. 2 is provided to facilitate moving articles into the box when the door is in the horizontal position of FIG. 3. When the door is in the FIG. 3 position the ramp  41  may be removably secured to the box  10  by means of detachable fasteners  41 F connectable between the ramp  41  and the box floor  18 . The ramp  41  has a wedge shape cross section and at least at its thickest longitudinal side has a length equal to the distance between the box end walls  15  and  16 . As seen in FIG. 2A, these box end walls have inclined ramp retaining members  42  and  43  with downwardly and forwardly inclined front surfaces which allow the opposite ends of ramp  41  to be wedged between the retaining members  42  and  43  and the jamb members  31 B and  32 B to retain the door  14  in the closed position of FIGS. 2 and 2A.  
         [0062]    Each latch mechanism  40  has a door retaining and supporting toggle member  45  with a flat blade-like lever portion  46  resting atop a respective jam member  31 A or  32 A and the door  14  and a hook portion  47  engaging a recess at the rear face of the door  14 . The lever portion fits in notches  48  in the top edges of jamb member  31 A and the door  14  so that no portion of the latch mechanism is higher than the top edges of the box sides. Entrance of water into the box through these notches when the door and lid are closed is prevented by an overhanging drip rail from the lid extending to a level below the notches. The notches provide means for equalizing pressure between the inside of the box and the outside environment as the environmental conditions change.  
         [0063]    Although the notches  48  do not provide an absolute barrier to entrance of water into the box, they are a practical deterrent to minimize entry of water. For a more absolute waterproof barrier, the lever portions  46  may be sealed to fill any voids around them in the notches  48 . To keep the box watertight but enable pressure equalization, one or more round holes a few inches in diameter may be made in the more protected rear box wall  17  and closed with air pervious and water impervious membrane material to prevent large changes in temperature from affecting the integrity of the box seals. A material like expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) laminates may be selected to meet expected environmental conditions. Suitable perforated round plates may be added on both sides of the material for physical protection.  
         [0064]    The toggle member  45  is pivotably connected at the end opposite to the hook portion  47  at a swingable pivot axis  50  on a latch actuating lever member  51  which in turn is pivotably supported at a fixed pivot axis  52  on a stationary latch bracket  53  secured to the respective jamb member. The portion of the upper end of the lever  51  between the axes  50  and  52  forms a toggle member which cooperates with the retaining toggle member  45  to form an over-center toggle structure to hold the door closed when the hook  47  is engaged behind the door and the actuating lever  51  is in the position of FIG. 9 and retained there by any suitable means. When the lid  12  is open or removed the lever  51  may be swung clockwise through an arc which will move the pivot axis  50  up and around the stationary pivot  52  allowing the hook  47  to be released from behind the door. The pivot axis  50  is held down by lever  51  in the configuration of FIG. 9 which in turn causes the hook  47  at the opposite end of toggle member  45  to exert an upward supporting force on the door  14 . The lower end of the lever may form a hasp receiving a staple  54  through which can be passed a suitable locking device. Alternatively the actuating lever may be held against movement enabling door release by having an overhanging portion of the lid preventing swinging of the lever when the lid is closed and preferably locked.  
         [0065]    The jamb members  31  and  32  are each stepped along their vertical length to provide a corner or recess facing the interior of the box  10  to accommodate and hold, by any suitable configuration of the jamb cross section, vertically extending resilient sealing strips  60  and  61  against which is clamped the outer vertical edge of the door panel when closed to form a vertical watertight seal. The lower end of the strips  60  and  61  are bent to extend horizontally toward each other with short segments  60 A and  61 A respectively lying above and resting in contact with the ends of the hinge fold at the rear of the lower ends of the inside faces of the jamb members  31  and  32 .  
         [0066]    For clearer illustration of the relationships of the hinge, sealing and door jamb structure at each end of the door see FIG. 2B which is a view looking into the lower left corner of the box with the door  14  omitted, only for the purpose of illustration, from its closed position atop the hinge strip  24 . The jamb members  31 A- 31 B and  32 A- 32 B are provided with cooperating recesses or notches along the height of the closed door position to form a grooved retaining means to accommodate the respective vertical resilient closed cell compressible sealing strip  60  or  61  of tough durable water impervious foam plastic mater and having round cross section. The strip should remain resilient throughout a wide range of expected environmental temperatures. A protruding portion of about one quarter of each strip  60  or  61  extends outside the retaining groove into an area to be engaged by the front vertical door edge when it is moved to the closed door position. During such movement the door edge compresses the strip  60  or  61  and essentially pushes it into the groove substantially reducing its volume by about 25 percent.  
         [0067]    At the bottom end of strip  60  or  61  the horizontal portion  60 A or  61 A, with a length of about several diameters from the jamb member  31 B or  32 B, lies in a horizontal recess or groove in the jamb member  31 A or  32 A and has a semicylindrical portion extending or protruding from the groove to likewise be engaged by the lower front corner face of the door  14  when moved to its closed position. Each of these horizontally extending seal strip portion  60 A or  61 A overlies and is in cooperating sealing relationship with an end of the web  27  at the top of the hinge  22 . When the door  14  is closed the seal strip portion is compressed into its retaining groove means and downwardly with increased pressure on the end of the hinge to assure complete continuous sealing along the sides and bottom of the closed door. A suitable flexible adhesive seal may also be used to bond the surfaces of the seal strips and the hinge  22  without interfering with swinging movement of the panel  14  between its open and closed positions.  
         [0068]    Although a single vertical sealing stip  60  is shown in FIG. 2B at one side of the door opening and a like strip  61  is used at the opposite side of the door, it is preferred that additional parallel sealing strips be used at each side of the door  14  as shown at  62  in FIGS.  5 - 8  and  10  as described below. The strip  62  is embedded and retained in a vertical central groove in the side of jamb member  31 B and has a lower end bent to extend horizontally forwardly to contact and be in cooperative sealing relationship with the folded top end portion of the hinge  22 . The strip  62  has a dynamic sliding sealing relationship with the door end as the latter slides past and in contact with the strip  62  to its closed position in clamped sealing abutment with the sealing strip  60 .  
         [0069]    [0069]FIG. 4 is a front view of the doorjamb at left end of the front wall  13  of the Box shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the sections thereon show the loci for the sections of FIGS.  5 - 9  depicting details of sealing means, hinging means and securing means for the door panel  14  in its closed and open positions.  
         [0070]    In the erect closed door position of FIG. 2 the door, hinge and sealing components assume a relationship with respect to the left jamb structure  31  of FIG. 4 as see in FIGS. 6 and 8. In the open door position of FIG. 3 the door, hinge and sealing components assume a relationship with respect to the left jamb structure  31  of FIG. 4 as see in FIGS. 5 and 7.  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 6 shows a section through the hinge member  22  with the hinge point axis  22 X near the right angle junction of the edges of the two hinged strips  24  and  25 , strip  24  being secured by suitable means to the bottom surface of the vertically extending closed door panel  14  and strip  25  being secured by suitable means to the rear vertical surface of the small sill member  21 . The height of sill  21  and width of hinge strips  24  and  25  are essentially equal to the thickness of the door panel  14 . The hinge point axis  22 X extends longitudinally adjacent the upper rear corner of the sill member  21  at the center of curvature of the narrow longitudinally extending hinge web portion  27  which has a reduced thickness extending through an angle of about 90 degrees as seen in FIG. 6 to facilitate bending of the hinge  22 .  
         [0072]    [0072]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but shows the panel  14  in the position it assumes when swung downwardly and rearwardly into the box  10  from its position in FIG. 2 through an angle of ninety degrees about the hinge point axis  22 X to lie atop the bottom of the box  10 . During this swinging movement the hinge point axis  22 X remains adjacent the upper rear longitudinally extending corner of the sill member  21  and still at the center of curvature of the narrow longitudinally extending portion of the hinge which is of reduced thickness. This swinging movement of the panel  14  brings the faces of the hinge strips  24  and  25  into abutment and the web portion of the hinge member  22  which has a reduced thickness is wrapped further to extending through an angle of about 180 degrees around the hinge point axis  22 X.  
         [0073]    In FIGS. 3 and 5 the upper surfaces of the open door panel  14  and of the sill member  21  are coplanar and the hinge, although slightly exposed as seen most clearly in FIG. 5, nevertheless remains just below these coplanar upper surfaces and is unlikely to be damaged by objects sliding across the tiny gap between the sill member  21  and the panel  14 .  
         [0074]    An alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS.  11 - 17  differs from that of FIGS.  1 - 10  by having the front door panel  114  swing outwardly from its erect position to a horizontal position outside the storage box  110 . Part which are identical have the same reference numbers whereas similar parts have 100 added to the reference number.  
         [0075]    The function and structure of the latching mechanism  50  to hold the door closed and sealed remains the same in FIG. 11 a  and the related sections referenced therein as in FIG. 4 and the related sections referenced therein. However, in this modified embodiment the latch mechanism  50  is mounted on the inside of an inner jamb member  131 A of the doorjamb  131  as seen in FIGS. 11, 11A,  16  and  17 .  
         [0076]    In FIGS. 11, 11A,  12  and  13  it is seen that there is no sill member and the door panel  114  is hinged directly to the front edge of the box bottom or floor  118 .  
         [0077]    The door panel  114  is supported and retained in its closed position in sealing relationship in the front box wall  113  between door jam strictures  131  and  132 . The closed door panel lies between and in sealing relationship with the front narrow door jamb members  131 B and  132 B. The closed door abuts in sealing relationship the front faces of the wider door jamb member  131 A and  132 A.  
         [0078]    In FIGS. 12, 13,  14  and  15  a single sealing strip  160  is shown with a lower short horizontal bent end  160 A and it is retained in a recess in the corner between jamb members  131 B and  131 A for sealing against the door and against the closed end of the hinge. This combination of parts and sealing functions is essentially the same as achieved with the sealing strip  60 - 60 A in the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6,  7  and  8  respectively. This sealing combination may also include a second sealing strip generally parallel to the strip  160 - 160 A in the same relationship that strip  61 - 61 A has to the strip  60 - 60 A and to the continuous hinge  22  in FIGS.  5 - 10 .  
         [0079]    The lower or under side of the box closure  12  for FIGS.  1 - 10  is  
         [0080]    shown in FIG. 18 where a continuous sealing strip  12 S is held embedded in a retaining groove in the lid and protruding from the inner face of the lid in a planar rectangular pattern to form a waterproof seal against the tops of the door and other walls of the box of FIGS.  1 - 10  when the lid is downwardly clamped in its closed position and fastened shut.  
         [0081]    [0081]FIG. 19 is a section on line  19 - 19  of FIG. 18 showing the lid seal  12 S close to a peripheral lid drip rail portion  12 R for engaging the top of the left box end wall  15 . Along the rear of the lid  12  the drip rail  12 R is provided with a horizontally inwardly directed rail extension  12 RX which is intended to underlie the outer rail  17 R along the top edge of the rear wall  17  as seen in FIGS. 2 and 2A. The lid is secured to the box  10  by sliding the lid rail extension  12 RX under the rear wall outer rail  17 R and pulling the lid  12  forward to a position where the spacer blocks  12 B at the inside front corners of the lid  12  drop over the front edges of the end walls  15  and  16  to assure that the front portion of drip rail  12 R will be immediately in front of the latch mechanisms  40  when the lid is closed and secured with the sealing strip  12 S pressed into engagement around its periphery with the top edge portions of the box walls  13 - 17 . Suitable lockable lid fasteners  12 F retain the lid  12  in sealed relationship on the box  10 .  
         [0082]    Another embodiment of the invention for use in the truck  1  is shown in FIGS.  21 - 24 . FIG. 21 is a perspective view of this alternative box  210  located at the front end of the pickup truck bed  3  and shown with a multi-window panes  213  in an open box lid  212  which is hinged to the upper edge of the rear box wall  217  and extends parallel to and behind a rear window  8  of the pickup cab. This windowed lid  212  is provided with releasable latchable lid props  225  at each end of the box  210  to secure the lid  212  in a vertical position parallel to the cab windows  8  when desired during use of the truck  1 . The windowed lid  212  enables rearward visibility from the cab.  
         [0083]    [0083]FIG. 22 is a view of the underside of box lid of FIG. 21 and showing a continuous sealing strip  212 S embedded in a retaining groove in the lid and protruding from the inner face of the lid in a rectangular pattern to form a waterproof seal against the tops of the door panel  214  and other walls  215  and  216  of the box of FIGS.  21 - 24  when the lid is fastened shut.  
         [0084]    [0084]FIG. 23 is a section on line  23 - 23  of FIG. 22 showing the protruding sealing strip  212 S where it lies just inside the depending drip rail  212 R to engage the top flat edge of the left end wall  215  of the box  210 . This relationship of the sealing strip  212 S and drip rail  212 R in the section of FIG. 23 is also used along the right end wall  216 . At the front of the lid the spacer blocks  212 B, functioning in the manner of the blocks  12 B of FIG. 18, at the inside front corners of the lid  212  drop over the front edges of the end walls  215  and  216  to assure that the portion of drip rail  212 R extending along the front edge of the lid  212  will be immediately in front of the latch mechanisms  40 , and keep the latch mechanisms  40  in their latching positions, when the lid is closed and secured with the sealing strip  212 S pressed into engagement at the front and sides of the lid  212  with the top flat edge portions of the door panel  214  and box end walls  215 - 216 .  
         [0085]    [0085]FIG. 24 is a section on line  24 - 24  of FIG. 22 illustrating one of multiple hinge connections  212 H along the rear box wall  217  between the lid  212  and rear box wall. The rear wall  217  has a beveled top edge which is inclined downwardly and outwardly just below a complimentary depending beveled rear edge of the lid  212 . Along these beveled edges the sealing strip  212 S is located in a groove in the beveled lid edge. Beveling these rear edges contributes to draining water between these edges to the outside of the box  210 .  
         [0086]    The window panes  213  of the lid  212  are held at their edges by any suitable sealed framing structure  213 F. The panes  213  of the lid  212  are made of a tough strong transparent durable scratch resistant plastic such as polycarbonate, preferably supported by means of the lid framing and of a thickness enabling a user to stand anywhere on the closed box lid  212 .  
         [0087]    [0087]FIG. 25 is a front view of the lower right front corner of a box installed in a bedliner  230  (shown only in part) in a truck bed floor  235  (shown only in part) and illustrating one of several quick-releasable adjustable draw latches  240  at the bottom of an end wall of the box  210  at each of its four box corners for anchoring the box to the bedliner and truck.  
         [0088]    [0088]FIG. 26 is a front view of the lower right front corner of a modified box installation in a bedliner  231  (shown only in part) in a truck bed floor  235  (shown only in part) and illustrating one of several quick-releasable adjustable draw latches  240  at the bottom of a front or rear wall of the box at each of its four box corners for anchoring the box to the bedliner and truck.  
         [0089]    [0089]FIG. 27 is a front view of the lower right front corner of a modified box installation in a bedliner  232  (shown only in part) in a truck bed floor  235  (shown only in part) and illustrating one of several releasable adjustable draw latches  240  at the bottom of a front or rear wall of the box at each of its four box corners for anchoring the box to the truck bedliner and for anchoring the bedliner to a truck bed where all anchoring devices are installed with fasteners which need not pass completely through the bedliner.  
         [0090]    The box  210  partially shown in FIGS.  25 - 27  may be constructed in accordance with the previously described embodiments. Multiple attachment or fastening means for securing the bedliner on the truck bed with its flat bottom resting on the truck bed, and manually operable quick release attachment or fastening means for securing said container to the bedliner are located in close proximate pairs at a plurality of locations spaced around the bottom of the container. This minimizes flexing of the bedliner floor when the truck bounces on rough terrain. The draw latch assembly  240  used in each of FIGS. 25, 26 and  27  is the same commercially available latch and reference to FIGS. 25 and 26 provides front and side views of the latch assembly  240 . The adjustable length hooked latching rod  247  is threaded in a rod guide  248  and is locked in the guide to fix the position of the hook in an adjusted position by a jamb nut  249 . The latching rod  247  and guide  248  are pivoted with a moving pin  250  pivotably carried by an operating lever  251 . The lever  251  is pivoted on a stationary pin  252  in a base housing bracket  253  which is secured to an end wall of the box in the manner seen in FIG. 25 or to a front or back wall of the box in the manner shown in FIG. 26. Although the threaded rod of the latching hook  247  is rotatable in the rod guide  248 , the tip  257  of the hook  247  in each of FIGS. 25 and 26 is oriented to move in the plane of swinging movement of the latching rod whereby the tip may be latched in an aperture or recess  264  in the side of one of the bedliner ribs  260  as in FIG. 25 or in the aperture of an eye-bolt  265  or other transversely extending hookable structure having an access aperture facing in the direction of the parallel corrugated grooves between adjacent bedliner ribs in the bottom of the bedliner. The quick release latching assembly means  240  includes a manually operable portion carried by the container and a releasable latching structure engaging anchoring bedliner portions within ribs of the bedliner bottom.  
         [0091]    In both embodiments of FIGS. 25 and 26 the latching rod is held in latching position by over-center movement of the moving pin  250  closer to the box wall than the stationary pin  252  If desired a padlockable hasp can be mounted on the base housing  253  and extending through a slot in the operating lever  251  in a manner similar to the hasp arrangement shown for the latch assembly  40  previously described.  
         [0092]    When using a bedliner it is necessary to anchor the bedliner to the truck bed. It is common practice to secure the rails of the bedliner to the rails of the truck bed by a variety of fastening means well known but not shown. However since the present storage box is intended for quick attachment and detachment relative to the truck bed floor  235 , it can be attached at the floor  235  near its four box corners to along with the bedliner by the eyebolts  265  as shown in FIG. 26.  
         [0093]    It is preferable to attach the bedliner to the box near the bottom four corners of the box and to the truck bed near these four bottom box corners by fastening means formed integrally with the bedliner to avoid defacing the bedliner and comprising its waterproof integrity as by drilling. The bedliner has a waterproof bottom and the fastening means are installed to perform their securing functions without affecting the waterproof integrity of the bottom of the bedliner. Accordingly, the attaching means shown in FIG. 27 may be used. The bedliner  232  has integrally formed threaded fasteners each of which anchor it to the truck bed  235  by a respective bolt  270  and integrally molded eye-fasteners  275  beneath the top surface of the bedliner  232  and between adjacent bedliner ribs  260 . Each eye-fastener  275  is h is releasably engaged by a latching hook  247  of the respective latching assembly  240 .  
         [0094]    Other variations within the scope of this invention will be apparent from the described embodiments and it is intended that the present descriptions be illustrative of the inventive features encompassed by the appended claims.