Abstract:
A storage assembly is disclosed for a vehicle having an open bed defined by opposing sidewalls, a front wall and a rear tailgate. The storage assembly includes a tonneau cover that covers at least a portion of the open bed. The tonneau cover is movable between open and closed positions to provide selective access to the open bed. A plurality of brackets extend between the opposing sidewalls, the front wall and the rear tailgate. A storage bin is removably securable to the brackets. The storage bin creates a removable compartment within the open bed allowing items stored therein to be organized and removed as a group when desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND ART  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a storage container. In particular, this invention relates to a storage container which has adjustable storage areas and is supported by attachment brackets of a tonneau cover assembly.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Tonneau covers are becoming increasingly popular as an added option for pickup trucks. The tonneau cover overlies the cargo bed of the pickup truck to provide covered storage in the bed and also improve vehicle aerodynamics.  
           [0005]    Storage containers in multiple shapes and sizes are also increasing in popularity for pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, and the like. Storage containers allow for storage of items without the items being able to slide around, become damaged, or spill.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,559 B1 discloses a rigid tonneau cover. The tonneau cover is fabricated with an integral storage box. The integral storage box provides a smaller compartment to place items that it is desired to not have them shifting around. The tonneau cover with an integral storage box is, however, limited in its ability to organize the cargo bed of a pickup truck because it is not versatile. There are times when additional storage containers are needed. Further, there are times when storage containers of different sizes are needed for a particular task. Therefore, a need exists for a more versatile system for organizing a cargo bed of a pickup truck.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    A storage assembly is disclosed for a vehicle having an open bed defined by opposing sidewalls, a front wall and a rear tailgate. The storage assembly includes a tonneau cover that covers at least a portion of the open bed. The tonneau cover is movable between open and closed positions to provide selective access to the open bed. A plurality of brackets extend between the opposing sidewalls, the front wall and the rear tailgate. A storage bin is removably securable to the brackets. The storage bin creates a removable compartment within the open bed allowing items stored therein to be organized and removed as a group when desired. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    Advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pickup truck with the tonneau cover of the present invention illustrated in the closed position;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the pickup truck with the tonneau cover in an open position and providing access to a storage container secured within the cargo bed of the pickup truck;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pickup truck with an alternative tonneau cover of the present invention illustrated in the closed position;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the pickup truck of FIG. 3 with the tonneau cover in an open position and providing access to a storage container secured within the cargo bed of the pickup truck;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of the invention and a portion of an open bed of a pickup truck; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially cut away of two brackets incorporated into the alternative embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Referring to FIG. 1, a storage assembly  8  is generally illustrated. The storage assembly  8  generally includes a tonneau cover  10  having a plurality of panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  and a plurality of brackets  18 ,  20 ,  80 ,  82 . The panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are similar in design. Therefore, only one panel  12  will be described.  
         [0016]    The panel  12  is generally planar and includes front, rear, and two side edges  11 ,  13 ,  15 ,  17 . Furthermore, each edge  11 ,  13 ,  15 ,  17  includes a downward facing flange  19 ,  21 ,  23 ,  25 . The panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  can be made of any suitable material such as FRP or other known foam composite constructions.  
         [0017]    A pickup truck is generally shown at  22  in FIG. 1. The pickup truck  22  has a truck bed  24  generally extending from behind a passenger cab  26  of the pickup truck  22  and includes two opposed and generally parallel sidewalls  28 ,  30  interconnected and spaced apart by a fixed forward wall  32  and a movable rear tailgate  34 . The truck bed  24  is an open bed. Preferably, the panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are equally sized and have a width slightly greater than the width of a truck bed  24 . The combined length of the panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  are such that the truck bed  24  is fully covered by the tonneau cover  10  when in a closed position as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    Two of the plurality of brackets  18 ,  20 ,  80 ,  82  are side brackets  18 ,  20 . The side brackets  18 ,  20  are mirror images of each other and, thus, only the bracket  20  will be described.  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 2, the side bracket  20  is elongated and extends the length of wall  30 . The bracket  20  has a generally L-shaped cross section having a generally horizontal upper flange  36  and a generally vertical flange  38 . The corner between the flanges  36 ,  38  defines an upwardly extending guide  40 . Preferably, guide  40  and vertical flange  38  extend into the volume of the truck bed, i.e., inwardly of the walls  28 ,  30  of the pickup truck  22 . The guides  40  are positioned to receive the downward facing flanges  19 ,  21 ,  23 ,  25  of the panels  12 ,  14 ,  16 . The vertical flange  38  further includes an upwardly facing L-shaped flange  44  which extends the length of bracket  20 .  
         [0020]    Two of the plurality of brackets  18 ,  20 ,  80 ,  82  are cross car brackets  80 ,  82  that extend from sidewall  28  to sidewall  30  to provide support and a pivot for two of the panels, i.e., panels  12 ,  14 . The cross bar bracket  80  is generally rectangular in cross section. The cross car bracket  80  further has an identical L-shaped flange  44  as described on bracket  20 . The cross car bracket  82  has a similar shape and function as that of bracket  20 , including the L-shaped flange  44 .  
         [0021]    A storage bin or container  50  includes a generally rectangular shape which is formed from any suitable material such as a thermoset or thermoplastic resins. The storage container  50  includes a generally planar and rectangular bottom portion  60  defined by a peripheral edge  61 . Generally vertical sidewalls  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  extend upwardly from the peripheral edge  61  to a top portion  53 ,  55 ,  57 ,  59  respectfully defining a generally rectangular peripheral opening into the storage container  50 . The top portion  53 ,  55 ,  57 ,  59  of each vertical wall  53 ,  55 ,  57 ,  59 , includes an L-shaped flange  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  which generally extends the length of each of the walls  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58 . The flanges  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  define a support lip that extends perpendicularly from the wall  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  and projects downwardly for mating engagement with the upwardly facing L-shaped flanges  44  of the brackets  18  and  20 .  
         [0022]    Each storage container wall  52 ,  54  further has a plurality of ribs  70  equally spaced apart, which can be molded in or created by other means, for receiving and supporting one or more removable side panels  74  between the opposing walls  52 ,  54 . The removable side panel  74  allows for the customization of the storage container  50  by creating different sized storage areas therein.  
         [0023]    In operation, the tonneau cover  10  may be pivoted from the closed position of FIG. 1 to the open position of FIG. 2 exposing each bracket  18 ,  20 ,  80 ,  82  and the associated flanges  44 . The storage container  50  is then set into place, resting the flanges  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  of the storage container  50  against the flanges  44  of the brackets  18 ,  20 ,  80 ,  82  to hold the storage container  50  in place. The side panel  74  may then slide between a rib  70  located on the wall  52  and a correspondingly aligned rib  70  on the opposite wall  54  to adapt the holding capacity of the storage container  50  to a desired amount. It should be noted that all attachment flanges may not be necessary to the support and function of this design.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an alternative storage assembly  108  and tonneau cover  110  are shown. The tonneau cover  110  generally comprises two rigid panels  112 ,  114 , side brackets  118 ,  120 , front and rear cross car brackets  182 ,  184 , and a center bracket  185 . The two rigid panels  112 ,  114  are of similar function and design as panels  12 ,  14 ,  16  described above. The side brackets  118 ,  120  are mirror images of each other and are similar in function and design as brackets  18 ,  20 . The front and rear cross brackets  182 ,  184  are mirror images of each other and are similar in function and design as bracket  82 . Additionally, a center bracket  185  exists as a support and a pivot for each panel  112 ,  114 . The center bracket  185  is generally rectangular in cross section and extends from the forward wall  32  to the tailgate  34 . The center bracket  185  further has an upwardly facing L-shaped flange  124  extending perpendicularly from the bracket  185  towards each of the truck sidewalls  28 ,  30  and extends the length of the center bracket  185 .  
         [0025]    Referring to FIG. 4, the center mounted tonneau cover  10  may be pivoted from the closed position of FIG. 3 to the open position of FIG. 4 exposing each bracket  118 ,  120 ,  182 ,  184 ,  185  and the associated flanges  44 ,  124 . The storage container  50  is then set into place, resting the flanges  62 ,  64  of the storage container  50  against the flanges  44 ,  124  of the brackets  118 ,  182 ,  184 ,  185  to hold the storage container  50  in place. The side panel  74  may then slide between a rib located on the wall  52  and a correspondingly aligned rib  70  located on the wall  52  and a correspondingly aligned rib  70  on the opposite wall  54  to adapt the holding capacity of the storage container  50  to a desired amount. It should be noted that all attachment flanges may not be necessary to the support and function of this design.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein like elements are offset by one hundred from those described above, the storage assembly  208  includes a plurality of brackets  218 ,  220 ,  280 ,  282  that extend along and across the open bed  224 . The brackets  218 ,  220 ,  280 ,  282  are similar to those described above. The brackets  218 ,  220 ,  280 ,  282  do, however, include notches  286  therein. The notches  286  are cut into the brackets  218 ,  220 ,  280 ,  282  to allow the position of the cross car brackets  280  to be adjusted with respect to the side brackets  218 ,  220  and the cross car brackets  280 ,  282 . A longitudinal cross car or center bracket  285  includes notches  288  on the underside thereof allowing the center bracket  285  to extend over any cross car brackets  280 . The notches  286  receive tongues  289  that extend out of the ends of the cross car brackets  280 ,  282 ,  285 . The tongues  289  have a width less than a width of the notches  286 .  
         [0027]    In addition to the cross car brackets  280 ,  282 , there are partial cross car brackets  290 . The partial cross car brackets  290  extend from one edge of the open bed  224  to another cross car bracket  280 ,  282  or the center bracket  222 .  
         [0028]    The storage bins  250  may come in various sizes and depths. While some of the storage bins  250  may extend from the brackets  218 ,  220 ,  280 ,  282 ,  285  to a floor (not shown) of the open bed  224 , others may not. Further, some of the storage bins  250  may have individual bin covers  292  that may be secured thereto or extend out from the storage bin  250  through a living hinge.  
         [0029]    The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.  
         [0030]    Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.