Patent Publication Number: US-2005129478-A1

Title: Storage apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/493,653 filed Aug. 08, 2003, entitled “Tailgate Rail And Bow Carrier”, having a common applicant herewith. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      The disclosures made herein relate generally to attachments for automobile accessory apparatuses for organizing and retaining cargo and, more particularly, to accessory apparatuses for organizing and retaining cargo in vehicle cargo beds.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Soft tonneau covers are widely used on beds of pick-up trucks. The typical tonneau includes bows that span the bed, rails that extend generally parallel to the bows at opposite ends of the bed, and a cover that is mounted over the bows and rails. The components of tonneaus are often removably mounted on a bed for allowing the tonneau to be removed and installed as needed.  
      Examples of why tonneaus are a desirable accessory item include their securing articles in the bed, shielding the interior of the bed from the elements, improving aesthetic appeal and improving aerodynamic characteristics. However, one drawback of soft tonneaus is that, when not installed, the individual tonneau components (i.e., bows, rails and/or cover) are left unprotected and unorganised on the floor of the bed. This often leads to such components becoming damaged and/or soiled. Therefore, a storage apparatus configured for storage of elongated articles (e.g., soft tonneau components) that provides for storage in a manner that is convenient, simple and protective is useful.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      In one embodiment, an apparatus configured for storing articles in a vehicle cargo bed comprises a housing having a plurality of article receiving stations configured for having elongated articles positioned therein, means for retaining the elongated articles within the article receiving stations and means for attaching the housing to a side rail portion of vehicle cargo bed.  
      In another embodiment, an apparatus configured for storing articles in a vehicle cargo bed comprises a housing, an article retaining member and a housing retention member. The housing has an article receiving recesses formed therein and a housing retention member mounting boss attached thereto. The article retaining member is configured for being mounted on the housing in a manner wherein the article retaining member extends across an open end of the article receiving recess. A housing retention member is configured for being attached to the housing retention member mounting boss of the housing. The housing retention member and the housing jointly define a recess configured for having a side rail portion of vehicle cargo bed captured therein.  
      In another embodiment, an apparatus configured for storing articles in a vehicle cargo bed comprises a housing, an article retaining member, a housing retention member and a compliant member. The housing has a plurality of elongated legs and a housing retention member mounting boss. Adjacent pairs of the legs each define a respective article receiving recess therbetweeen. The article retaining member includes opposing ends. At least one of the opposing ends is configured for being detachably attached to a respective one of the legs. The article retaining member is configured for extending across an open end of at least a portion of the recesses. The housing retention member is configured for being attached to the housing retention member mounting boss of the housing. The housing retention member and the housing jointly define a recess configured for having a side rail portion of vehicle cargo bed captured therein. The housing retention member and the housing retention member mounting boss are jointly configured for aligning the housing retention member in a retention position with respect to the housing. The compliant member is attached to the article retaining member in a manner wherein the complaint member is exposed at an open end of each article receiving recess when the article retaining member is mounted on the housing.  
      Correspondingly, it is a principal object of the inventive disclosures made herein to provide a storage apparatus configured for storing articles in a vehicle cargo bed that overcomes drawbacks associated with conventional approaches for storing soft tonneaus in a vehicle cargo bed. Specifically, storage apparatuses in accordance with embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein provide for secure, protected and organized storage of elongated articles such as tonneau bows and rails when such components are not installed. Accordingly, such components are far less likely to become damaged and/or soiled.  
      Turning now to specific embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein, in at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, each one of the stations include a respective recess in the housing.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the means for retaining includes an article retaining member configured for being attached to the housing.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the article retaining member is configured for being mounted on the housing in a manner wherein the article retaining member extends across an open end of the recess of each one of said stations.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the housing includes a plurality of legs, the recess of each one of the stations is defined between an adjacent pair of the legs; and the article retaining member is detachably attached to at least one of the legs.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the means for attaching includes a housing retention member and the housing is configured for having the housing retention member attached thereto.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the housing retention member and the housing jointly define a recess for having the side rail portion of said vehicle cargo bed captured therein.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the means for retaining includes an article retaining member configured for being attached to the housing, each one of said stations include a respective recess in the housing and the article retaining member is configured for being mounted on the housing in a manner wherein the article retaining member extends across an open end of the recess of each one of the stations.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the housing retention member and the housing are jointly configured for aligning the housing retention member in a retention position with respect to the housing.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, a compliant member is provided on at least one of the article retaining member and the housing within at least one of recess.  
      In at least one embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein, the article support surface of at least one of the legs of a housing has a curved profile.  
      These and other objects and embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and associated drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts a storage system in accordance with a first embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a storage apparatus of the storage system depicted in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  depicts a storage apparatus having arc-shaped article engagement surfaces; and  
       FIG. 5  depicts a storage system comprising two of the storage apparatuses depicted in  FIG. 4 .  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts a storage system  1  configured for storing articles  2  (e.g., elongated articles of a soft tonneau) in a vehicle cargo bed  3  in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive disclosures made herein. The storage system  1  includes a pair of spaced apart storage apparatuses  10 . Preferably, each one of the storage apparatuses  10  is secured to the vehicle cargo bed  3 .  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , each apparatus  10  includes a housing  12 , an article retaining member  14 , a housing retention member  16  and a compliant member  18 . The housing retention member  16  and the housing  12  jointly define a recess  20  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) configured for having a side rail portion  22  ( FIG. 1 ) of vehicle cargo bed  3  captured therein. A fastener  24  (e.g., a bolt) is provided for securing the housing retention member  16  to the housing  12 . Broadly, a side rail and a tailgate of a vehicle cargo bed are disclosed herein to be examples of the perimeter rail portion  22   
      The housing  12  has a plurality of elongated legs  26  and a housing retention member mounting boss  28 . Adjacent pairs of the legs  26  each define a respective article receiving recess  30  therbetweeen. The recesses  30  define respective article receiving stations that are configured for having elongated articles positioned therein.  
      The article retaining member  14  includes opposing ends  32 . The opposing ends  32  are configured for being detachably attached to a respective one of the legs  26 . In one embodiment, the opposing ends  32  are secured to the respective one of the legs  26  by commercially available fasteners (e.g., bolts, hitch pins, etc). The article retaining member  14  is configured for extending across an open end of at least a portion of the recesses  20 . In this manner, the apparatus  10  is provides for elongated articles (e.g., soft tonneau bows and rails) to be retained in a secure and safe manner. The article retaining member  14  is an embodiment of a means for retaining elongated articles within article receiving stations of the housing  12 .  
      The housing retention member  16  and the housing retention member mounting boss  28  are jointly configured for aligning the housing retention member  16  in a retention position with respect to the housing. Accordingly, the housing retention member  16  is configured for being attached to the housing retention member mounting boss  28  of the housing  12 . The retention position is defined herein to be a position in which the recess  20  configured for having the side rail portion  22  ( FIG. 1 ) of vehicle cargo bed  3  captured therein is provided. The housing retention member  16  and the housing retention member mounting boss  28  jointly depict an embodiment of a means for attaching the housing to a side rail portion of vehicle cargo bed.  
      The compliant member  18  is attached to the article retaining member  14 . Broadly, a compliant member in accordance with the inventive disclosures made herein is a member of a structure that is configured for offering compliant contact with engaged articles. A foam pads, a spring-loaded member and the like are examples of the compliant member  18 . In one embodiment, the complaint member  18  is exposed at an open end of each article receiving recess  20  when the article retaining member  14  is mounted on the housing  12 . In other embodiments (not shown), the compliant member is mounted on the housing within at least a portion of the recesses  20 .  
       FIGS. 4 and 5  depict a second embodiment of the housing  12  wherein an article support surface  27  of each leg  26  of the housing  12  has a profile that is curved (i.e., curved in the cross sectional view). In this manner, the article support surface  27  follows the general curvature of elongated articles that have an as-stored arched shape. In this manner, the load of the articles is better distributed on the legs  26  during storage.  
      Storage apparatuses in accordance with embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein are relatively inexpensive, easy to use and convenient to install and store. Such apparatuses are preferably configured for being secured onto the side or tailgate of a pick-up truck cargo bed. A preferred utility for storage apparatuses in accordance with embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein is storage of components (e.g., rails, bows and/or covering) of a soft tonneau used to cover a cargo bed of a pick-up truck. Such apparatuses provide a readily available and safe means for storing such soft tonneau components. Advantageously, storage apparatuses in accordance with embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein may be attached to a vehicle cargo bed in a temporary, yet firmly fastened manner. Furthermore, having such tonneau components stored directly in the vehicle cargo bed advantageously allows the tonneau to be conveniently removed and replaced, as desired and/or necessary.  
      Preferably, the major elements (i.e., housing, article retaining member, housing retention member and compliant member) of storage apparatuses in accordance with embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein are formed from plastic materials using known fabrication techniques. Examples of such fabrication techniques include molding, extrusion, vacuum forming, cutting, drilling, turning, milling, thermal forming, and/or ultrasonic welding. Optionally, all or a portion of the major components of such storage apparatuses are made from other types of materials such as aluminium, laminated composite, steel etc. Certain minor elements (e.g., fasteners) are preferably off-the-shelf articles (e.g., available from a catalog of articles  
      In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the inventive disclosures made herein. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, chemical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of such inventive disclosures. To avoid unnecessary detail, the description omits certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.