Abstract:
A storage caddy has a slidable drawer on which items are stored. Items are presented for removal when the drawer is slid from the shell of the caddy. Items stored in a caddy with a hinged drawer, can be removed by breaking the drawer at the hinge to drop the item toward the ground for convenient and safe removal. A set of golf clubs stored in the caddy in the bed of a pickup truck are slid from the shell on the drawer. The horizontal plane of the drawer is then broken at the hinge and the bottom of the golf bag moves toward the ground. The golf bag can then be easily lifted onto the shoulder or rolled away. The caddy positions heavy items for easy removal preventing undue stress or injury on those retrieving items from the caddy.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Golf is a sport that can be enjoyed by almost everyone. Carrying and transporting a golf bag loaded with heavy clubs, however, can be burdensome for some golfers. A golf bag with wheels prevents the golfer from having to carry the loaded bag over a shoulder, but the bag still must be lifted from the ground into or out of the trunk of a car, or the back of a vehicle. Placing golf clubs in the bed of a pick-up truck requires that the bag be either hoisted over the sides of the bed or at least lifted to the level of an open tailgate. A golf bag stored in the trunk of a car or the back of a van or sports utility vehicle (SUV) requires one to reach into the vehicle to remove it lifting with the back instead of properly lifting with the legs. A means by which a golf bag, or any heavy object, can be loaded into a vehicle, especially into the bed of a pick-up truck, without having to lift the object from the ground into the vehicle would prevent undue stress on bones, joints and muscles. Further, a means by which a golf bag can be presented to the golfer without the golfer having to reach into the vehicle and lift improperly can reduce back strain. Finally, perhaps such a means could also make accessible a sport or activity that may be restricted to those who are limited physically.  
           [0002]    Storage racks and tool trays that fit into the bed of a pick-up have been described (U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,971 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,976 B1). Often these tool racks incorporate drawers that slide out of the bed of the truck (U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,437, U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,694 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,154). These references do not however describe a storage unit for a pickup that lowers a stored object to the ground for easy removal. Likewise, various golf bag storage devices which have been described for storing golf bags in or on golf carts (U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,070) or in mini-vans or sport utility vehicles (U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,583 B1) require that the bag be lifted out of the storage device.  
           [0003]    The need remains for a storage device which presents a stored item to a user and/or lowers the stored item, such as a golf bag, from the vehicle in which it is stored to the ground to prevent one from having to lift the item into and out of the vehicle. Since tools and sporting equipment, especially golf clubs, are expensive, it would be an added advantage if this storage device, or caddy, is lockable and secure.  
           [0004]    All patents, patent applications, provisional patent applications and publications referred to or cited herein, are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the extent they are not inconsistent with the explicit teachings of the specification.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The subject invention involves a storage caddy with a slidable drawer that positions items for convenient removal. A hinged drawer in the caddy allows an item to be lowered to the ground for easy, safe removal. The storage caddy of the subject invention has an outer shell which slidably receives the tray or drawer. A preferred embodiment of the caddy is used for securing and storing golf bags in the bed of a pick-up truck. A golf bag laid on a hinged drawer can be secured within the lockable shell which is bolted to the truck bed. To remove the golf bag from the storage caddy, the drawer is slid from the shell, presenting the bag to the golfer. To further facilitate removal of the bag from the truck, the drawer can be broken at the hinge. The end of the bag on the broken drawer moves toward the ground, thus it is not necessary to awkwardly lift the bag from the bed of the pick-up. The caddy of the subject invention is useful for those with limited mobility and can prevent muscle strain or joint injury. Further, the shell and the drawer of the storage caddy of the subject invention can be lockably engaged to provide a secure storage area. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the slidable storage caddy of the subject invention mounted on a pick-up truck bed.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 1 with the slidable tray extended.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 1 with the slidable tray in its broken position.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention mounted on the bed of a pick-up truck where the storage caddy is loaded with two golf bags and the slidable drawer is extended.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 4 with the slidable drawer extended and in the broken position.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 shows a swivel base for mounting the storage caddy of the subject invention in a minivan or SUV.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 shows another preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention stowed and mounted in a minivan.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 7 swivelled to make the drawer front accessible.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 9 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 8 with the slidable drawer extended.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 10 shows the embodiment of the storage caddy in FIG. 9 with the slidable drawer extended and in the broken position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 11 shows another preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention for mounting to the rear of a vehicle using a universal receiving hitch. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    The subject invention involves a universal storage caddy which presents the stored items to a user for safe and convenient removal. A preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention is shown generally at  10  in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the caddy is shown mounted to the bed of a pick-up truck. Other embodiments, for example the embodiments shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 11, can be configured to be used in or on other vehicles. The present description of any preferred embodiments should therefore not be used to limit the scope of this universal storage caddy.  
         [0018]    The storage caddy of the subject invention has an outer shell  12  which slidably receives a drawer. The shell  12  can be made of wood, metal or plastic. A primary object of the subject invention is to provide a secure storage area for sporting equipment. Thus, a shell of metal or a resilient, reinforced plastic is desirable. A metal shell would provide superior theft protection but may be heavy and subject to rust. An aluminum shell, however, is lightweight, durable and resistant to break-ins. A plastic shell is lightweight, durable and resistant to rust.  
         [0019]    To further provide a secure storage unit, the shell preferably is affixed to the vehicle in which it is being transported. For example, the shell  12  of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, is affixed to the bed  14  of a pick-up truck. The shell can be affixed by any appropriate attachment means including bolting, welding or strapping the shell to the vehicle. The shell can be constructed of one or more pieces. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the shell is constructed of two pieces, an upper section  16  and a lower section  18 . The lower section  18  of the shell is secured to the truck by bolting it directly to the bed  14 . When the shell is affixed in this manner the bolt heads are not accessible from outside the shell and thus are protected from tampering. Other mounting means are likewise applicable to secure the shell to the vehicle carrying it including, but not limited to, flanges integrally formed from the shell or independent of the shell, as well as mounting plates, or modified mounting surfaces. The shell can also be affixed to a vehicle by its side or its top.  
         [0020]    The upper section  16  of the shell of a preferred embodiment is releasably attached to the lower section  18 . The releasable top  16  facilitates installation of the caddy allowing the lower section  18  to be affixed, for example, to the bed  14  of the truck without interference or confinement by the upper section  16 . The upper and lower sections can be adjoined by any means. For example, the upper and lower sections can be bolted to one another through flanges on each piece. It would be apparent that internal flanges are not accessible from the outside of the caddy and provide a secure storage unit. Alternatively, the sections can be configured to slidably connect to one another.  
         [0021]    To further provide a secure caddy, the face  20  of the hinged drawer lockably engages the edges of the shell&#39;s upper section  16  and lower section  18  to create an enclosed storage unit. A locking system which locks the face  20  to the shell  12  can be any type including, but not limited to, conventional paddle locks  22  and padlocks. A handle  24  allows the user to slide the drawer into and out of the shell. The handle  24  can be part of the locking system.  
         [0022]    In the exemplified embodiment; the shell is a rectangular box with the upper section  16 , a lid or top, covering the base of the box, or lower section  18 . The box or shell has two elongated sides,  26  and  28 , a front end  30  and a back end  32 . The drawer face  20  serves as the front end  30  of the shell. The drawer slides into and out of the box parallel to sides  26  and  28 . The shell however can be any shape which can receive a sliding drawer. For example, the edges of the exemplified box can be rounded so the shell might take on a more cylindrical shape.  
         [0023]    The shell  12  slidably receives a drawer  34 . The drawer slides freely into and out of the shell. The drawer can slide by friction along the bottom of the shell. Tracks and bearings on the shell and drawer can also be provided to assist in movement of the drawer. The drawer drawn from the shell presents stored items directly to a user. To further facilitate removal of items from the storage caddy, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the drawer  34  is hinged (FIG. 2). When the hinge is broken, the face of the drawer  20  drops away from the shell (FIG. 3). In the exemplified embodiment, the drawer is configured to hold golf bags  35   a  and  35   b  (FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). Thus, the drawer  34  has a bottom or tray  36  with sides  38  to support the bags. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a storage area  40  is positioned near the back end of the drawer to store golf balls, tees or shoes. If desired, the storage area  40  can be covered and locked to provide an additional locked compartment for the storage caddy.  
         [0024]    The drawer  34  breaks at the hinge  42  into a front section  44  and a rear section  46 . The hinge  42  can be any mechanism that allows the drawer sections to move so that they are at right angles to one another. A simple piano hinge allows the front section  44  to move from a position that is horizontal, and collinear, with the drawer rear section  46  to a position that is vertical, and perpendicular, to the rear section. A locking mechanism or latch can be used to lock the hinge  42  keeping both sections of the drawer horizontal.  
         [0025]    The drawer of the exemplified embodiment is configured to hold two golf bags. A strap  48  holds the golf bags  35   a  and  35   b  onto the drawer  34 . The drawer however can be customized and configured to hold a variety of items. While deep sides  38  may not be necessary to store flatter items such as tools, the tray  36  could be fitted with special clamps or adapters to hold the tools. It is important to note, that it is not necessary to reach into the vehicle to retrieve whatever is carried in the storage caddy of the subject invention. The subject caddy presents these items to the user on the drawer. Further, items stored in the subject caddies can be safely lowered to the ground in embodiments with hinged drawers. A gas canister, for example, need not be dangerously lifted from a truck, but the bottom of the canister can be controllably lowered to the ground so it can be moved by a dolly. A strap  50  serves as a handle to raise and lower the front section  44  of the drawer in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.  
         [0026]    Another preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention is shown in FIGS.  6 - 10 . This embodiment is configured for use in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) or van. The shell  12  is mounted to the vehicle with a swivel base which allows the shell to be rotated to expose the drawer face  20 . It would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that a number of swivel mechanisms would allow such movement. A preferred swivel base  52 , however, is shown in FIG. 6. The subject swivel base comprises a simple L-shaped track. The track has one leg  54 , another leg  56  and a bend  58  separating the legs. Pins on the bottom of the shell engage and are guided by the track. The front end  30  of the shell must be pushed toward the rear end  32  along the one leg  54  of the L until the pin reaches the bend  58  of the L. The front end  30  of the shell can then be swivelled to reveal the drawer face  20  as the shell  12  is slid toward the front of the vehicle along the other leg  56  of the L.  
         [0027]    Another preferred embodiment of the storage caddy of the subject invention is shown in FIG. 11. This embodiment is configured to be secured to the back of a vehicle which has a universal receiving hitch. A frame  60  is attached to a tongue  62  which is received by the receiving hitch  64  on the vehicle. The frame  60  can be any configuration which adequately supports the shell  12 . In the exemplified embodiment, the frame  60  comprises parallel supports  66  under the long sides  26 ,  28  of the shell. The drawer face  20  of a storage caddy mounted to a vehicle in such a manner is readily accessible and the drawer can slide freely for the removal of stored items.  
         [0028]    In use, the drawer  34  is pulled horizontally from the shell  12 . The drawer  34  is broken at the hinge  42 . An item, such as a golf bag, is placed against the front section  44  of the tray  36 , with the bottom of the item resting on the drawer front  20 . The front section  44  is then lifted and the hinge  42  is locked so that the front section  44  and rear section  46  are in the same plane. The drawer  34  is slid back into the shell  12 . In a preferred embodiment, the drawer front  20  engages and is locked to the shell  12  to provide a secure enclosure. To remove the item from the storage caddy, the drawer is unlocked and slid from the shell  12 . The hinge is broken dropping the bottom of the bag to the ground. The golf bag can then be wheeled away or easily hoisted on the shoulder.  
         [0029]    It is understood that the foregoing examples are merely illustrative of the present invention. Certain modifications of the articles and/or methods employed may be made and still achieve the objectives of the inventions. Such modifications are contemplated as within the scope of the claimed invention.