Patent Publication Number: US-9896136-B2

Title: Truck rack system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIE THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The disclosure and prior art relates to rack devices and more particularly pertains to a new rack device being hingedly coupled to a bed of a truck. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a truck has a cab, a bed and a frame. The bed has a back end and a rack is hingedly coupled to the bed. The rack is positioned in an upright position having the rack is oriented perpendicular to the bed. Thus, the rack may support an object extending between the cab and the rack. The rack is positioned in a lowered position having the rack being oriented parallel to the bed and extending outwardly from the back end. Thus, the rack may support an object that is placed in the bed. The rack supports an object that has a length that is greater than a length of the bed. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a truck rack system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a back view of mount of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a right side view of mount of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a back perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure in an upright position. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a lowered position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new rack device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the truck rack system  10  generally comprises a truck  12  that has a cab  14 , a bed  16  and a frame  18 . The bed  16  has an upper surface  20 , a lower surface  22  and a back end  24 . The back end  24  is open and a tailgate  26  may be hingedly coupled to the back end  24 . The tailgate  26  may be selectively positioned in an open position and a closed position. The truck  12  may comprise a pickup or the like. 
     A rack  28  is provided and the rack  28  is hingedly coupled to the bed. The rack  28  is positioned in an upright position having the rack  28  being oriented perpendicular to the bed. Thus, the rack  28  may support an object  29  extending between the cab and the rack  28 . The rack  28  is positioned in a lowered position having the rack  28  being oriented parallel to the bed  16  and extending outwardly from the back end  24 . Thus, the rack  28  may support an object  29  that has a length that is greater than a length of the bed  16 . 
     The rack  28  comprises a pair of mounts  30 . Each of the mounts  30  is coupled to the upper surface of the bed  16 . The mounts  30  are spaced apart from each other. Each of the mounts  30  is aligned with the back end  24  of the bed  16 . 
     Each of the mounts  30  comprises a plate  32  that has a first surface  34 , a second surface  36  and a first end  38 . The first surface  34  is coupled to the bed  16  having the first end  38  being directed toward the cab  14 . 
     A pair of first bolts  40  is provided. Each of the first bolts  40  is coupled to and extends downwardly from the first surface  34  of the plate  32 . Each of the first bolts  40  extends downwardly through the bed  16 . A pair of first nuts  42  is provided. Each of the first nuts  42  engages an associated one of the first bolts  40  such that the plate  32  is retained on the bed  16 . 
     A pair of panels  44  is provided. Each of the panels  44  is coupled to and extends upwardly from the second surface  36 . The panels  44  are spaced apart from each other. Each of the panels  44  has a first aperture  46  extending therethrough. The first aperture  46  in each of the panels  44  is aligned with each other. 
     The pair of panels  44  includes a first panel  48  and a second panel  50 . The first panel  48  has a height that is greater than a height of the second panel  50 . The first panel  48  has a second aperture  52  extending therethrough. The second aperture  52  is positioned above the first aperture  46  corresponding to the second panel  50 . 
     A strut  54  is provided and the strut  54  has a primary end  56  and a secondary end  58 . Each of the first bolts  40  engages the primary end  56  of the strut  54 . Thus, the strut  54  is coupled to the lower surface  22  of the bed  16 . The secondary end  58  is coupled to the frame  18  such that the strut  54  reinforces the plate  32  with respect to the bed  16 . 
     The rack  28  includes a pair of uprights  60  and each of the uprights  60  has a first end  62  and a second end  64 . Each of the uprights  60  has a first bend  66  spaced from a second bend  68 . The first bend  66  and the second bend  68  define a lower portion  70 , a middle portion  72  and an upper portion  74  corresponding to each of the uprights  60 . An angle between the middle portion  72  and the lower portion  70  is congruent with an angle between the middle portion  72  and the upper portion  74 . 
     The first end  62  corresponding to each of the uprights  60  is positioned between the panels  44  of an associated one of the mounts  30 . Each of the uprights  60  is oriented perpendicular to the upper surface of the bed when the rack  28  is in the upright position. Each of the uprights  60  lies on the upper surface  20  of the bed  16  when the rack  28  is in the lowered position. Additionally, the second end  64  is directed outwardly from the back end  24  of the bed  16  when the rack  28  is in the lowered position. Each of the uprights  60  lies on the plate  32  corresponding to each of the mounts  30 . Thus, the rack  28  is retained being oriented parallel to the bed  16  when the rack  28  is in the lowered position. 
     The upper portion  74  corresponding to each of the uprights  60  is offset inwardly with respect to the lower portion  70  of the corresponding upright  60 . The rack  28  is positioned in a stored position. Thus, the second end  64  corresponding to each of the uprights  60  is directed toward the cab  14 . Each of the uprights  60  lies on the upper surface  20  of the bed  16  when the rack  28  is in the stored position. 
     A central member  76  is provided. The central member  76  extends between the upper portion  74  corresponding to each of the uprights  60 . The central member  76  is spaced from the second end  64  corresponding to each of the uprights  60 . The central member  76  may support the object extending between the cab and the rack  28  when the rack  28  is positioned in the upright position. 
     A pair of second bolts  78  is provided. Each of the second bolts  78  extends through the first apertures  46  in an associated one of the mounts  30  and an associated one of the uprights  60 . Thus, the rack  28  is hingedly coupled to the mounts  30 . 
     A pair of pins  80  is provided. Each of the pins  80  extends through the second aperture  52  in an associated one of the mounts  30  and an associated one of the uprights  60  when the rack  28  is positioned in the upright position. Thus, the rack  28  is retained in the upright position. Each of the pins  80  is removed from the associated mount and the associated upright when the rack  28  is positioned in the lowered position. 
     In use, the rack  28  is positioned in the upright position to support the object extending between the cab and the central member  76 . Each of the pins  80  is extended through the associated second aperture  52  and the associated upright. Thus, the rack  28  is retained in the upright position. Each of the pins  80  is removed from the associated second aperture  52  when the rack  28  is positioned in the lowered position. Each of the uprights  60  lies on the on the plate  32  corresponding to each of the mounts  30  when the rack  28  is in the lowered position. Moreover, the rack  28  extends outwardly through the back end of the bed. Thus, the rack  28  supports the object  29  that has a length that is greater than the length of the bed  16 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, system and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.