Abstract:
A movable platform system for a cargo bed of a pickup truck includes left and right parallel rail assemblies mountable in the bed and left and right platform supports carrying a plurality of roller bearings that engage two surfaces on each rail. A platform suspended from both platform supports is slidable between a forward and rearward position on the rail assemblies. A locking mechanism connected to the platform support allows the platform to be secured in a forward and rearward position.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates in general to movable load support assemblies and in particular to the mounting of movable storage units in the cargo bed of a pickup truck. 
         [0002]    Conventional storage units for tools and other equipment are typically mounted in the cargo bed of a pickup truck immediately behind the cab. The reason for this is to maximize the storage space in the remainder of the cargo bed for lumber, tools and occasionally camping gear. Toolboxes mounted in this fashion are readily accessible from the side of the truck by operators standing on the ground. On the other hand, the center of the toolbox is not easily accessible from outside the truck. In order to gain access an operator must climb into the cargo bed of the truck. This may be difficult, particularly if the bed is filled with tools, lumber and other materials and may lead to slip and fall injuries. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A movable platform system for a cargo bed of a pickup truck includes left and right rail assemblies mountable parallel to one another in the cargo bed of the pickup truck, a left platform support carrying a plurality of roller bearings that engage two surfaces of the left rail assembly, and a right platform support carrying a plurality of roller bearings that engage two surfaces of the right rail assembly. A platform is suspended from the left and right platform supports that is slidable on the left and right rail assemblies between a forward position and a rearward position. A locking mechanism connected to the platform support is configured to secure the platform in the forward and rearward position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a movable platform system of the invention mounted in a truck. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the invention with a toolbox mounted on the platform. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the left rail assembly. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the right rail assembly. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the rail assemblies connected by a spacing bar. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a view of a left roller bearing angular contact carrier on the rail assembly looking forward. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6A and 6B  are exploded and assembled views, respectively, of a left roller bearing angular contact carrier. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of platform saddles and assembled roller bearing angular contact carriers. 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of an assembled roller bearing angular contact carrier platform showing locking back plate and dust covers. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the locking back plate mechanism. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    A perspective view of movable platform system  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . Platform system  10  is mounted in cargo bed B of pickup truck P and allows a storage container C to be positioned forward in bed B for travel and slid to the rear of bed B for access and use. There are three major components of system  10 . Rail assembly  12 , platform  14 , and back plate assembly  16 . 
         [0015]    Rail assembly  12  is formed by left rail assembly  12 L and right rail assembly  12 R. Rail assemblies  12 L and  12 R include upward facing 90° angle rails  18 L and  18 R on box rails  20 L and  20 R attached to left side mounting brackets  22 L and  24 L and right side mounting brackets  22 R and  24 R, respectively. Brackets  22 L and  24 L are attached to the left side of cargo bed B of pickup truck P, and brackets  22 R and  24 R are attached to the right side of cargo bed B. 
         [0016]    Platform  14  is a frame that is supported on self-centering bearings  26 L and  28 L on left rail  12 L and on self-centering bearings  26 R and  28 R on right rail  12 R. Platform  14  supports storage container C, as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
         [0017]    Back plate assembly  16  is attached to platform  14 , and includes braking and locking features activated by handle  30 . Platform  14 , usually holding container C such as a tool box (see  FIG. 1B ), may be secured in the front of bed B for travel by a self-locking mechanism described later. For use such as at a job site, platform  14  may be released by pulling lever  30  and may be easily moved to the rear of bed B for access. The self-locking mechanism allows platform  14  to be secured at a preselected site or sites in the rear of bed B. Roller bearings  26 L and  28 L and roller bearings  26 R and  28 R allow easy positioning of platform  14  on rails  12 L and  12 R, respectively. 
         [0018]    Details of the left or driver&#39;s side angular contact rail assembly  12 L are shown in  FIG. 2 . Angular contact rail assembly  12 L comprises upward facing 90° angle rail  18 L attached to box rail  20 L, preferably by welding. Left rear support  22 L and left front support  24 L each comprise riser  30 L, bed mounting pad  32 L, rail mounting arm  34 L, wall mounting arm  36 L, and wall mounting pad  38 L. Risers  30 L are attached to the left side wall of bed B by wall mounting arm  36 L and wall mounting arm pad  38 L. Risers  30 L are attached to the floor of bed B by bed floor pad  32 L. Box rail  20 L is attached to risers  30 L by rail mounting arms  34 L. Also shown in  FIG. 2  are locking holes H, which are used for locking platform  14  in place. All attachments of the arms to the risers are preferably by welding. Attachments of the mounting pads to the floor and walls of the cargo bed preferably are by mechanical fasteners. 
         [0019]    Exploded views of rubber bumper  23 L and metal rubber bumper trap  25 L form carrier stops  27 L on the underside of angular contact rail  12 L. 
         [0020]    Right angular contact rail system  12 R,  22 R, and  24 R is shown in  FIG. 3 . The components are minor images of and are identical to left angular contact rail system  12 L,  22 L, and  24 L described above. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the left and right angular contact rail assemblies  12 L,  22 L and  24 L and  12 R,  22 R, and  24 R connected by spacer bar  40 . Spacer bar  40  is also a box rail and is preferably connected to left rail  12 L and right rail  12 R by mechanical fasteners. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1A and 1B  show movable platform  14  supported on four angular contact roller bearing carriers  26 L,  28 L,  26 R, and  28 R on angular contact rails  12 L and  12 R. Details of the roller bearing angular contact carriers on left rail  12 L are shown in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  shows an end view of angular contact carrier  26 L on left rail  12 L looking forward. Carrier  26 L is representative of all four carriers  26 L,  28 L,  26 R, and  28 R, each of which includes similar components.  FIG. 5  shows riser  30 L supporting left rail  12 L by rail mounting arm  34 L. Riser  30 L, and arms  34 L, and  36 L are box rails joined to each other and to box rail  20 L of angle contact rail  12 L preferably by welding. Angular contact carrier  26 L comprises carrier bracket  44 , bearing mount  46 , roller bearings  48 , carrier keeper  50  and low friction pad  52  (of a polymeric material such as polyoxymethylene e.g. Delrin®). Bearing mount  46  is a downward facing 90° angle rail attached to carrier bracket  44  preferably by welding. Roller bearings  48  are inserted in holes in bearing mount  46  such that the bearings are parallel to the bearing mount surface and perpendicular to upward facing 90° angle rail  18 L contact surface. Low friction pad  52  is supported by carrier keeper  50  attached to carrier bracket  44 . The roller bearing contact of angular contact carrier  26 L on angle rail  12 L allows easy travel of movable platform  10  on the rail system of the present invention. 
         [0023]    Exploded and assembled views respectively of driver&#39;s side angular contact carriers  26 L and  28 L are shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . Details of bearing assembly  48  include shoulder bolt  54 , bearing  56 , and spacer  58 . In  FIG. 6A , three of the four roller bearing  48  assemblies are only shown for illustrative purposes. In  FIG. 6B , two of the roller bearings are on the back side of bearing mount  46  and are not visible in the figure. Back plate mount  57  (described later) is attached to carrier bracket  44  preferably by welding. 
         [0024]    Assembly of the platform is completed by attaching saddles  60  to angular contact carriers  26 L,  28 L,  26 R, and  28 R as shown in  FIG. 7 . Both the carriers and saddles have a series of adjustment holes  62  in them in order to adjust the distance of the saddles from cargo bed floor B of the truck. Mounting holes  64  are used to secure a container such as a toolbox to the platform. 
         [0025]    An exploded view of assembled angular contact carrier platform  14  showing locking black plate  16  and dust covers  66  is shown in  FIG. 8 . The view in  FIG. 8  is from the front looking rearward so that carriers  26 R and  28 R appear on the left and carriers  26 L and  28 L appear on the right. Locking back plate  16  comprises back plate  70  bolted to back plate mounts  57  attached to angular contact carriers  28 R and  28 L. Locking back plate  16  comprises lockrod sections  72  in lockrod guides  74  attached to back plate  70  preferably by welding. T-handle  30  is pinned to back plate  70  by pin  80  and is attached to lockrod sections  72  such that movement of T-handle  30  will retract or advance lockrod sections  72  out of or into locking holes H in box rail sections  20 L and  20 R of rail assemblies  12 L and  12 R to release or pin movable platform  14 . Back plate cover  76  is bolted to backplate  70  to cover the locking mechanism. Dust covers  66  are bolted to angular contact carrier platforms  26 L,  28 L and  26 R,  28 R to finish the assembly. 
         [0026]    Details of the locking back plate mechanism are shown in  FIG. 9 . T-handle  30  is mounted on pin  80  in back plate  70  to allow it to retract or advance lockrods  72  riding in lockrod guides  74  to lock or free platform  14  during service. Tension spring  82  assures that T-handle  30  returns to an upright position when released. An added feature is that when T-handle  30  is pushed forward and lockrods  72  are not in locking holes H, the presence of the rods pushing against the rails acts as a brake against the motion of platform  14 . 
         [0027]    While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.