Abstract:
An improved fishing rod caddy that is removably mountable to the bed of a pickup truck is presented. The improved rod caddy securely holds fishing rods in a horizontal position in a pickup truck bed such that the rods are free from bending loads created by wind resistance and are protected from undue jostling, abrasion or marring during transport.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of fishing rod carriers intended for use with motor vehicles and more particularly, to a fishing rod caddy for supporting a plurality of fishing rods in a horizontal position in the bed of a pickup truck, where the rod caddy may be easily installed in the truck bed via a simple and easy to use mounting device which attaches the caddy to one of the walls of a pickup truck&#39;s bed. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     When a fisherman travels from his home to a lake, stream, beach or other place where he plans on fishing, one of his concerns is for the protection of his fishing equipment which includes his rods and reels. When a fishing rod is designed such that it may be broken down into multiple sections, then transport of the rod presents little difficulty. However, some styles of fishing rods are not designed to be broken down. Fly fishing rods for example are often designed as a “one-piece” rod as it is believed by many fisherman that a one-piece rod provides for a better feel while casting and fishing. Other types of rods, such as surf casting rods are inherently long. Surf casting rods are typically 12 to 14 feet in length and while surf casting rods are often designed as two-piece rods, their length even when broken down still present difficulties in transportation. 
     A wide variety of fishing rod holders have heretofore been designed for pickup trucks and other automobiles. With regard to pickup trucks, many of these devices are designed to be attached to the vehicle&#39;s front or rear bumper. Bumper mounted rod racks have several disadvantages. They typically employ a complicated, cumbersome attachment means for attaching to the bumper and each rod is typically held in a vertical or near vertical position creating substantial wind drag as well as jolting and bending of the rods which may lead to damage to the rods. 
     With regard to non-pickup truck passenger vehicles, i.e. cars, rods are frequently mounted to a roof rack. Roof racks too have inherent disadvantages. In particular, roof racks typically employ complicated mechanisms that allow the racks to attach to the rain gutter or window channel of the car. Roof racks are often time consuming to mount and remove. Although roof-rack style rod holders typically hold fishing rods in a horizontal position which respect to the roof of the car, the rods being mounted high up on the vehicle&#39;s roof are placed in the slipstream of the car and frequently accumulate excessive road grime during the journey from a fisherman&#39;s home to the place where he plans to fish. Roof racks being located on the top of a vehicle are also cumbersome to load and unload with fishing rods. Roof racks also subject the rods to the possibility of contacting low-hanging tree branches or other shrubbery adjacent to and over the roadway. 
     As discussed many fishing rod racks or holders which are removably attachable to vehicles exist in the art, all of which suffer from numerous drawbacks. With regard to pickup trucks, there exists a need in the art for a fishing rod caddy (or rack or holder) that is removably mountable to the bed of a pickup truck and which securely holds the rods in a horizontal position such that the rods will be free from bending loads created by wind resistance and otherwise free from undue jostling during transport. Ideally, the fishing rod caddy will also place the rods at a height in the bed that shelters the rods from the air slipstream created when the pickup truck is under way. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention improves upon the prior art by providing a fishing rod caddy (or rack or holder) that is removably mountable to the bed of a pickup truck and which securely holds the rods in a horizontal position such the rods are free from bending loads created by wind resistance and are protected from undue jostling during transport. The present invention fishing rod caddy places the rods within the bed of a pickup truck such that the rods are below the upper surface of the bed rails and therefore substantially removed from air slipstream created when the pickup truck is under way. 
     The present invention fishing rod caddy comprises a C-channel shaped main support member that rests upon the truck bed and stands the rod carrier up a predetermined distance above the floor of the truck bed. The rod carrier is of generally rectangular shape featuring opposing longitudinal framing members connected at their ends by opposing lateral framing members. Rod support members are located adjacent to the lateral framing members at the ends of the longitudinal framing members. Attached to each rod support member is a rod holder comprising a plurality of U-shaped cutouts for the support of multiple fishing rods. 
     The rods may be held in the U-shaped cutouts via straps with quick disconnect buckles. The fishing rod caddy described herein may also feature a bungee cord which bears against a front portion of the reels attached to the fishing rods to be carried and thereby bias the reels to a position substantially against the U-shaped rod supports adjacent to the reels. The fishing rod caddy attaches to one side of a pickup truck bed via a clamp means of which two embodiments are disclosed. 
     In one embodiment, the clamping means comprises a pair of L-shaped blocks that are configured to clamp to the wall of a pickup truck bed and to be removably attachable to both the sidewall and rod caddy. In an alternative embodiment, the clamping means comprises a C-clamp arrangement that is also configured to clamp to the wall of a pickup truck bed and is also removably attachable to the both the bed wall and the rod caddy. Both clamping means make use of an angled pin or protrusion which allows the clamping means to properly positioned on the rod caddy at an appropriate height for attachment to the bed wall of a pickup truck. 
     In a preferred installation, the fishing rod caddy is intended to be oriented longitudinally within a pickup truck bed such that the handle ends of the rods are located proximally to the cab of the pickup truck, and consequently the tip ends of the rods are located proximally to the tailgate of the truck. This orientation may be reversed if desired by a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fishing rod caddy of the present invention viewed from the rear end of a pickup truck bed. 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective detail view of the clamp assembly of the fishing rod caddy of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is a rear end view of the fishing rod caddy of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a rear detail view of the fishing rod caddy of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the fishing rod caddy of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a left side view of the fishing rod caddy of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the present invention fishing rod caddy  10  comprises a main support member  12 , a rod carrier  14  and clamping means  16  for engaging a side of a pickup truck bed. The main support member  12  is generally in the shape of a C-channel and features a base member  18 . Connected to one end of the base member  18  is an inboard or bedside vertical upright  20 . Connected to the opposite end of the base member  18  is an outboard or free standing vertical upright  22 . In one preferred embodiment, the main support member  12  is constructed from aluminum and is a unitary piece from formed aluminum bar stock. 
     The rod carrier  14  is of generally rectangular shape featuring opposing longitudinal framing members  28  connected at their ends by opposing lateral framing members  30 . Top plates  32  are located adjacent to the lateral framing members  30  and like span the distance between longitudinal framing members  28 . In one preferred embodiment, the rod carrier  14  is constructed from aluminum and its constituent parts may attached by welding as is known to those of skill in the art. Preferably, the welds are ground smooth and flush to create a pleasing appearance. 
     With reference to  FIG. 3A , located on top of each top plate  32  is a rod support member  34 . The rod support member features a plurality of u-shaped cutouts  36  for the support of multiple fishing rods, i.e. the two rod support members  34 , one on top of each top plate  32 , on opposing ends of the rod carrier  14 , are axially aligned such that a fishing rod placed in opposing U-shaped cutouts  36  will be aligned parallel with the longitudinal members  28  of the rod carrier  14 . The rod carrier  34  will preferably be made from a resilient material such as rubber or dense foam so as to protect the fishing rods from abrasion, marring, jostling or other damage that could be caused by sliding movement of the rods within the cutouts  36  of the rod support member  34 . 
     The rods are held in the U-shaped cutouts  36  via straps  38  with quick disconnect buckles  40 . The straps  38  may be made of standard web material with the buckles  40  being made of any suitable material with a non-marring plastic material being preferred. In an alternative embodiment, the rod support member  34  may comprise a band of cushioning material such as foam, soft rubber or the like, and may be substantially flat as opposed to having U-shaped cutouts. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 4 , the rod carrier  14  attaches to the main support at the inboard and outboard vertical uprights  20  and  22  via mechanical fasteners  48 . The uprights  20  and  22  are formed with holes that alight with holes on the longitudinal framing members  28 . Bolts passing through the holes attach the longitudinal framing members  28  to the vertical uprights  20  and  22 . With respect to the inboard vertical upright, the bolt is made secure by means of a nut. With respect to the outboard vertical upright, a T-handle  24  equipped with a threaded insert is provided. The T-handle may be rotated counter-clockwise (in accordance with standard threading convention) so as to loosen the connection between the rod carrier  14  and the main support member  12 . This allows the rod carrier  14  to be tilted at angle with respect to the pickup truck&#39;s bed if so desired by the user. Rotating the T-handle clockwise tightens the connection between the rod carrier  14  and the main support member  12  and effectively locks the rod carrier into the position (i.e. level or tilted) desired by the user. The adjustability of the rod carrier  14  is desirable so as to allow a user to slide objects underneath the caddy, or to position the stored rods in such a way as to facilitate packing a substantial amount of cargo in the pickup bed. 
     The bed side walls  58  of a pickup truck are typically of single wall unitary construction and comprise an exterior panel  60 , a top panel  62  and an inwardly facing flange  64 . The exterior panel  60  of the bed wall  58  will typically be vertical or at an angle from vertical and may also found be in the form of a compound curve. The top panel  62  of a pickup bed side wall is typically flat. To provide the bed wall with increased stiffness an inwardly facing stiffening flange  64  is formed with the bed wall. The inwardly facing stiffening flange  64  is often vertical as is shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . In the case of some vehicles, however, the stiffening flange  64  is formed with either an inwardly or more commonly an outwardly facing angle. 
     The present invention fishing rod caddy may be attached to a pickup truck via a means for clamping ( 49 A and  49 B) the inboard vertical upright  20  to the side wall  58  of a truck&#39;s bed. Two embodiments are disclosed for accomplishing this function. With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3A , a clamp block embodiment  49 A is shown. The clamp block embodiment  49 A of the clamping means comprises and L-shaped rail block  50 , a clamp block  52 , an angled protrusion  54  and a mechanical fastener  56 , which may comprise a bolt, nut and washer arrangement. The L-shaped rail block  50  is intended for use with truck bed side walls that have vertical stiffening flanges  65 . The L-shaped block features a flat, horizontal upper member  68  for mating with the top panel  62  of the bed side wall  58  and a flat vertical member  66  which abuts the bed wall&#39;s stiffening flange  64 . The rail block  50  also has a raised clamping surface  70 . The clamping surface  70  has sufficient height to clear the lip  74  of truck side wall stiffening flange  64 . 
     The angled protrusion  54  of the L-shaped rail block  50  extends upwardly at an angle with respect to the inboard vertical upright  20  and the inner surface  68  of the rail block. Measured from a reference plane normal to the inner surface  68  of the rail block, suitable angles for the protrusion  54  are within a range of about 10 degrees to 80 degrees with 45 degrees being preferred. 
     The clamp block  52  features a surface  72  which bears against the clamping surface  70  of the rail block  52 . The clamp block  52  also features a bed wall pressure surface  76  which bears against the stiffening flange  64  of the bed wall. The pressure surface  76  is raised to provide clearance for the lip  74  of the bed wall stiffener flange  64 . 
     The clamp block means  49 A for attaching the fishing rod caddy  10  to a bed wall  58  of a pickup truck functions as follows. The angled protrusion  54  of the L-shaped rail block  50  is slid through an angled clearance hole  78  in the inboard vertical upright  20 . The angled clearance hole  78  serves to locate the inboard vertical upright  20  with respect to the truck bed wall. The clamp block  52  is located against in inside of the bed wall stiffener flange  64  as shown in  FIG. 3A . A mechanical fastener  56  (which may be a bolt) is passed through clearance holes  80  located in the clamp block  52 , rail block  50  and the inboard vertical upright  20 . In the exemplary embodiment, the mechanical fastener is a bolt, nut and washer arrangement. The bolt is preferably inserted starting from the inboard vertical upright  20  so that when fully inserted the head of the bolt abuts the vertical upright  20 . The vertical upright  20 , rail block  50  and clamp block  52  are then secured by means of a nut threaded onto the end of the bolt. Tightening of the nut creates pressure between the clamp block  52 , the bed wall  58 , and rail block  50  and thereby causes the clamping means  49 A to securely attach the fishing rod caddy  10  to the bed of a pickup truck. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3B , an alternative clamping means  49 B is shown. The alternative clamping means comprises a channel section  82 . The channel section  82  is in the form of a C-channel having an upper flange  90  and lower flange  92 , the upper and lower flanges being interconnected by side web  94 . The inside surface of the upper flange  90  rests on the top surface  62  of the truck bed wall  58 . The web  94  of the channel section  82  is sufficiently deep such that the lower flange will fit underneath and extend inwardly of the bed wall stiffening flange  64 . The channel section  82  clamps to the inner surface of the top panel  62  of the bed wall via a C-clamp style screw  86 . The channel section  82  also features an angled protrusion  54  that interfaces with an angled clearance hole  78  in the inboard vertical upright  20 . The channel section  82  is fastened via a fastener  88  to the inboard vertical upright  20 . In the exemplary embodiment, the fastener is bolt, nut and washer arrangement. 
     Like clamping means  49 A, the angled protrusion  54  of the channel section block  82  extends upwardly at an angle with respect to the inboard vertical upright  20  and the web  94  of the channel section  82 . Measured from a reference plane normal to the web  94  of the channel section  82 , suitable angles for the protrusion  54  are within a range of about 10 degrees to 80 degrees with 45 degrees being preferred. 
     The alternative embodiment of the clamping means  49 B is particularly well-suited for use with pickup trucks where the bed wall stiffening flange  64  is not vertical but is angled either outwardly or inwardly from vertical. 
     In a preferred installation, the fishing rod caddy  10  is intended to be oriented longitudinally within a pickup truck bed such that the handle ends of the rods face the cab of the truck and consequently the tip ends of the rods face the tailgate of the truck. Assuming this orientation, when a fishing rod is placed within the caddy  10 , the handle of the rod will rest within the U-shaped cutout  36  with a portion of the handle extending outwardly from the top plate  32 , i.e. towards the cab wall of the truck. (See  FIG. 1 .) At the same time, the reel attached to the rod will be disposed inwardly of the top plate  32 . (See  FIG. 1 .) 
     In the above configuration, any vehicle decelerations which would tend to move the handle of the rod outwardly with respect to the top plate  32  will be stopped by the reel attached to the rod. To prevent the rods from falling out of the caddy  10  in response to vehicle accelerations that would tend to move the rod handles inwardly with respect to top plate  32 , a bungee cord  42  is fitted under the reels at their connection to the fishing rod and is clipped to holes  44  in the sides of longitudinal framing members  28 . When attached in this manner, the bungee cord  42  prevents the rods from moving inwardly upon vehicle acceleration. 
     If a user of the present invention rod caddy  10  were to orient the rod caddy such that rod handles faced the tailgate of the truck and the rod tips faced the cab of the truck, the bungee cord  42  will still serve its intended purpose of restraining movement of rods. If installed in this manner, the rod caddy  10  still functions as intended with the only change being the relative movement of the rods in response to vehicle accelerations and decelerations. 
     The foregoing detailed description and appended drawings are intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the foregoing specification and drawings, and of the claims appended below are possible and practical. It is intended that the claims cover all such modifications and alternative embodiments.