U.S. patent application number 09/758991 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-21 for vehicle mounted storage unit.
This patent application is currently assigned to Geneva Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Bueno, Jose, Jungels-Butler, Polly S., Lance, Marshall.
Application Number | 20010004157 09/758991 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27363631 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010004157 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lance, Marshall ; et
al. |
June 21, 2001 |
Vehicle mounted storage unit
Abstract
A vehicle mounted storage unit, adapted to be mounted to a floor
portion of a vehicle having a sidewall and a wheel well that
extends outwardly from the sidewall by a first distance, includes a
mounting bracket fixed to the floor portion of the vehicle and a
plurality of connecting members that connect the mounting bracket
to the floor portion. The mounting bracket has a width that is less
than the first distance, and the mounting bracket is fixed to the
floor portion of the vehicle at a mounting point adjacent the
sidewall of the vehicle and adjacent the wheel well of the vehicle.
The storage unit is provided with a cabinet that is attachable to
the mounting bracket, with the cabinet being removable from the
mounting bracket and having a width not greater than the first
distance. The cabinet is adapted to be mounted adjacent the
sidewall of the vehicle and adjacent the wheel well of the vehicle,
with no portion of the cabinet extending beyond the wheel well of
the vehicle. The storage unit is also provided with a quick-release
mechanism that facilitates attachment of the cabinet to the
mounting bracket and release of the cabinet from the mounting
bracket, the quick-release mechanism allowing the cabinet to be
mounted to the mounting bracket and removed from the mounting
bracket without the use of a tool.
Inventors: |
Lance, Marshall; (Geneva,
IL) ; Jungels-Butler, Polly S.; (Gilbert, IL)
; Bueno, Jose; (South Elgin, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MARSHALL, O'TOOLE, GERSTEIN, MURRAY & BORUN
6300 SEARS TOWER
233 SOUTH WACKER DRIVE
CHICAGO
IL
60606-6402
US
|
Assignee: |
Geneva Manufacturing
Company
|
Family ID: |
27363631 |
Appl. No.: |
09/758991 |
Filed: |
January 10, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09758991 |
Jan 10, 2001 |
|
|
|
09359333 |
Jul 21, 1999 |
|
|
|
6203087 |
|
|
|
|
09359333 |
Jul 21, 1999 |
|
|
|
09030301 |
Feb 25, 1998 |
|
|
|
09030301 |
Feb 25, 1998 |
|
|
|
08861183 |
May 21, 1997 |
|
|
|
5743584 |
|
|
|
|
08861183 |
May 21, 1997 |
|
|
|
08457875 |
Jun 1, 1995 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/97.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 11/00 20130101;
B60R 11/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/97.6 |
International
Class: |
B60J 003/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle mounted storage unit mounted to a floor portion of a
vehicle having a sidewall and a wheel well having a portion which
extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first distance, said
vehicle mounted storage unit comprising: a mounting bracket fixed
to said floor portion of said vehicle, said mounting bracket having
a width that is less than said first distance, said mounting
bracket being fixed to said floor portion of said vehicle at a
mounting point adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle and adjacent
said wheel well of said vehicle; a plurality of connecting members
that connect said mounting bracket to said floor portion of said
vehicle at said mounting point; a first latch member fixed to said
mounting bracket; a cabinet that is attachable to said mounting
bracket, said cabinet being removable from said mounting bracket
and having a width not greater than said first distance, said
cabinet being disposed adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle and
adjacent said wheel well of said vehicle, with no portion of said
cabinet extending beyond said wheel well of said vehicle; a
quick-release mechanism that facilitates attachment of said cabinet
to said mounting bracket and release of said cabinet from said
mounting bracket, said quick-release mechanism allowing said
cabinet to be mounted to said mounting bracket and removed from
said mounting bracket without the use of a tool, said quick-release
mechanism being disposed within an interior portion of said cabinet
and being disposed adjacent a first end of said cabinet; a door
connected to said cabinet, said door being movable between an open
position in which said quick-release mechanism may be activated and
a closed position in which said door prevents access to said
quick-release mechanism; a lock associated with said door, said
lock locking said door in said closed position to prevent access to
said quick-release mechanism; and a second latch member, said
second latch member being coupled to said cabinet adjacent a second
end of said cabinet opposite said first end of said cabinet, said
second latch member being adapted to connect to said first latch
member.
2. A vehicle mounted storage unit mounted to a floor portion of a
vehicle having a sidewall and a wheel well having a portion which
extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first distance, said
vehicle mounted storage unit comprising: a mounting bracket fixed
to said floor portion of said vehicle, said mounting bracket having
a width that is less than said first distance, said mounting
bracket being fixed to said floor portion of said vehicle at a
mounting point adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle and adjacent
said wheel well of said vehicle; a plurality of connecting members
that connect said mounting bracket to said floor portion of said
vehicle at said mounting point; a cabinet that is attachable to
said mounting bracket, said cabinet being removable from said
mounting bracket and having a width not greater than said first
distance, said cabinet being disposed adjacent said sidewall of
said vehicle and adjacent said wheel well of said vehicle, with no
portion of said cabinet extending beyond said wheel well of said
vehicle; and a quick-release mechanism that facilitates attachment
of said cabinet to said mounting bracket and release of said
cabinet from said mounting bracket, said quick-release mechanism
allowing said cabinet to be mounted to said mounting bracket and
removed from said mounting bracket without the use of a tool.
3. A storage unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said quick-release
mechanism is disposed within an interior portion of said cabinet
and wherein said storage unit additionally comprises: a door
connected to said cabinet, said door being movable between an open
position in which said quick-release mechanism may be activated and
a closed position in which said door prevents access to said
quick-release mechanism; and a lock associated with said door, said
lock locking said door in said closed position to prevent access to
said quick-release mechanism.
4. A storage unit as defined in claim 2 additionally comprising a
door pivotally connected to said cabinet, said door being movable
between an open position in which an interior portion of said
cabinet is exposed and a closed position in which said door covers
said interior portion of said cabinet.
5. A storage unit as defined in claim 2 wherein said quick-release
mechanism is attached to said cabinet adjacent a first end of said
cabinet and wherein said storage unit additionally comprises: a
first latch member fixed to said mounting bracket; and a second
latch member, said second latch member being coupled to said
cabinet adjacent a second end of said cabinet opposite said first
end of said cabinet, said second latch member being adapted to
connect to said first latch member.
6. A vehicle mounted storage unit mounted to a floor portion of a
vehicle having a sidewall, a wheel well having a portion which
extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first distance, and a
rear door that is movable between a closed position and an open
position, said rear door being spaced from a rear portion of said
wheel well by a second distance, said vehicle mounted storage unit
comprising: a mounting bracket fixed to said floor portion of said
vehicle, said mounting bracket having a width that is not greater
than said first distance and a length that is not greater than said
second distance, said mounting bracket being fixed to said floor
portion of said vehicle at a mounting point adjacent said sidewall
of said vehicle and between said rear portion of said wheel well
and said rear door of said vehicle; a plurality of connecting
members that connect said mounting bracket to said floor portion of
said vehicle at said mounting point; a cabinet fixed to said floor
portion of said vehicle, said cabinet having a width not greater
than said first distance and a length not greater than said second
distance, said cabinet being disposed adjacent said sidewall of
said vehicle and between said wheel well and said rear door of said
vehicle, with no portion of said cabinet extending outside of a
space bounded by a horizontal plane coinciding with said floor
portion of said vehicle, a first vertical plane coinciding with an
interior portion of said sidewall of said vehicle, a second
vertical plane coinciding with said outwardly extending portion of
said wheel well, a third vertical plane coinciding with said rear
portion of said wheel well, and a fourth vertical plane coinciding
with an interior portion of said rear door; and a quick-release
mechanism that facilitates attachment of said cabinet to said
mounting bracket and release of said cabinet from said mounting
bracket, said quick-release mechanism allowing said cabinet to be
mounted to said mounting bracket and removed from said mounting
bracket without the use of a tool.
7. A storage unit as defined in claim 6 wherein said quick-release
mechanism is disposed within an interior portion of said cabinet
and wherein said storage unit additionally comprises: a door
connected to said cabinet, said door being movable between an open
position in which said quick-release mechanism may be activated and
a closed position in which said door prevents access to said
quick-release mechanism; and a lock associated with said door, said
lock locking said door in said closed position to prevent access to
said quick-release mechanism.
8. A storage unit as defined in claim 6 additionally comprising a
door pivotally connected to said cabinet, said door being movable
between an open position in which an interior portion of said
cabinet is exposed and a closed position in which said door covers
said interior portion of said cabinet.
9. A storage unit as defined in claim 6 wherein said quick-release
mechanism is attached to said cabinet adjacent a first end of said
cabinet and wherein said storage unit additionally comprises: a
first latch member fixed to said mounting bracket; and a second
latch member, said second latch member being coupled to said
cabinet adjacent a second end of said cabinet opposite said first
end of said cabinet, said second latch member being adapted to
connect to said first latch member.
10. A vehicle mounted storage unit mounted to a floor portion of a
vehicle having a sidewall, a wheel well having a portion which
extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first distance, and a
vehicle surface that is perpendicular to said sidewall, said
vehicle surface being spaced from a front portion of said wheel
well by a second distance, said vehicle mounted storage unit
comprising: a mounting bracket fixed to said floor portion of said
vehicle, said mounting bracket having a width that is not greater
than said first distance and a length that is not greater than said
second distance, said mounting bracket being fixed to said floor
portion of said vehicle at a mounting point adjacent said sidewall
of said vehicle and between said front portion of said wheel well
and said vehicle surface; a plurality of connecting members that
connect said mounting bracket to said floor portion of said vehicle
at said mounting point; a cabinet fixed to said floor portion of
said vehicle, said cabinet having a width not greater than said
first distance and a length not greater than said second distance,
said cabinet being disposed adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle
and between said front portion of said wheel well and said vehicle
surface, with no portion of said cabinet extending outside of a
space bounded by a horizontal plane coinciding with said floor
portion of said vehicle, a first vertical plane coinciding with an
interior portion of said sidewall of said vehicle, a second
vertical plane coinciding with said outwardly extending portion of
said wheel well, a third vertical plane coinciding with said front
portion of said wheel well, and a fourth vertical plane coinciding
with said vehicle surface; and a quick-release mechanism that
facilitates attachment of said cabinet to said mounting bracket and
release of said cabinet from said mounting bracket, said
quick-release mechanism allowing said cabinet to be mounted to said
mounting bracket and removed from said mounting bracket without the
use of a tool.
11. A storage unit as defined in claim 10 wherein said
quick-release mechanism is disposed within an interior portion of
said cabinet and wherein said storage unit additionally comprises:
a door connected to said cabinet, said door being movable between
an open position in which said quick-release mechanism may be
activated and a closed position in which said door prevents access
to said quick-release mechanism; and a lock associated with said
door, said lock locking said door in said closed position to
prevent access to said quick-release mechanism.
12. A storage unit as defined in claim 10 additionally comprising a
door pivotally connected to said cabinet, said door being movable
between an open position in which an interior portion of said
cabinet is exposed and a closed position in which said door covers
said interior portion of said cabinet.
13. A storage unit as defined in claim 10 wherein said
quick-release mechanism is attached to said cabinet adjacent a
first end of said cabinet and wherein said storage unit
additionally comprises: a first latch member fixed to said mounting
bracket; and a second latch member, said second latch member being
coupled to said cabinet adjacent a second end of said cabinet
opposite said first end of said cabinet, said second latch member
being adapted to connect to said first latch member.
14. A vehicle mounted storage unit adapted to be mounted to a floor
portion of a vehicle having a sidewall and a wheel well having a
portion which extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first
distance, said vehicle mounted storage unit comprising: a mounting
bracket adapted to be fixed to said floor portion of said vehicle,
said mounting bracket having a width that is less than said first
distance, said mounting bracket being fixed to said floor portion
of said vehicle at a mounting point adjacent said sidewall of said
vehicle and adjacent said wheel well of said vehicle; a plurality
of connecting members adapted to connect said mounting bracket to
said floor portion of said vehicle at said mounting point; a
cabinet that is attachable to said mounting bracket, said cabinet
being removable from said mounting bracket and having a width not
greater than said first distance, said cabinet being disposed
adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle and adjacent said wheel well
of said vehicle, with no portion of said cabinet extending beyond
said wheel well of said vehicle; and a quick-release mechanism that
facilitates attachment of said cabinet to said mounting bracket and
release of said cabinet from said mounting bracket.
15. A storage unit as defined in claim 14 additionally comprising a
door pivotally connected to said cabinet, said door being movable
between an open position in which an interior portion of said
cabinet is exposed and a closed position in which said door covers
said interior portion of said cabinet.
16. A storage unit as defined in claim 14 wherein said
quick-release mechanism is attached to said cabinet adjacent a
first end of said cabinet and wherein said storage unit
additionally comprises: a first latch member fixed to said mounting
bracket; and a second latch member, said second latch member being
coupled to said cabinet adjacent a second end of said cabinet
opposite said first end of said cabinet, said second latch member
being adapted to connect to said first latch member.
17. A vehicle mounted storage unit adapted to be mounted to a floor
portion of a vehicle having a sidewall and a wheel well having a
portion which extends outwardly from said sidewall by a first
distance, said vehicle mounted storage unit comprising: a mounting
bracket adapted to be fixed to said floor portion of said vehicle,
said mounting bracket having a width that is less than said first
distance, said mounting bracket being fixed to said floor portion
of said vehicle at a mounting point adjacent said sidewall of said
vehicle and adjacent said wheel well of said vehicle; a plurality
of connecting members adapted to connect said mounting bracket to
said floor portion of said vehicle at said mounting point; a
cabinet that is attachable to said mounting bracket, said cabinet
being removable from said mounting bracket and having a width not
greater than said first distance, said cabinet being disposed
adjacent said sidewall of said vehicle and adjacent said wheel well
of said vehicle, with no portion of said cabinet extending beyond
said wheel well of said vehicle; a quick-release mechanism that
facilitates attachment of said cabinet to said mounting bracket and
release of said cabinet from said mounting bracket, said
quick-release mechanism allowing said cabinet to be mounted to said
mounting bracket and removed from said mounting bracket without the
use of a tool, said quick-release mechanism being disposed within
an interior portion of said cabinet; a door connected to said
cabinet, said door being movable between an open position in which
said quick-release mechanism may be activated and a closed position
in which said door prevents access to said quick-release mechanism;
and a lock associated with said door, said lock locking said door
in said closed position to prevent access to said quick-release
mechanism.
18. A storage unit as defined in claim 17 wherein said
quick-release mechanism is attached to said cabinet adjacent a
first end of said cabinet and wherein said storage unit
additionally comprises: a first latch member fixed to said mounting
bracket; and a second latch member, said second latch member being
coupled to said cabinet adjacent a second end of said cabinet
opposite said first end of said cabinet, said second latch member
being adapted to connect to said first latch member.
Description
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. 09/030,301 filed
Feb. 25, 1998, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/861,183
filed May 21, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,584, which is a
continuation of abandoned U.S. Ser. No. 08/457,875 filed Jun. 1,
1995, all of which are incorporated wholly herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a storage unit for
installation in a vehicle such as a pickup truck, van, or sport
utility vehicle.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,987 to Sturgis discloses a tool box
assembly for use in the bed of a pickup truck. The tool box
assembly is composed of a storage container 24 that is mounted to
the bed of the pickup truck and a tool box 26 that is pivotally
mounted to the storage container 24 about a vertical pivot axis.
The storage container 24 has a door 32 that is movable between an
open position and a closed position, and the tool box 26 has a
plurality of drawers 134, 135.
[0004] As shown in FIG. 1 of the Sturgis patent, the Sturgis tool
box 26 is pivotable between a first position in which the tool box
26 is disposed within the storage container 24 and a second
position in which the tool box 26 is disposed outside the storage
container 24. When the tool box 26 is in the second position, the
drawers 134, 135 of the tool box 26 may be pulled out of the tool
box 26 in a direction towards the rear of the pickup truck.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention is directed to a vehicle mounted storage unit
adapted to be mounted to a floor portion of a vehicle having a
sidewall and a wheel well that extends outwardly from the sidewall
by a first distance. The vehicle mounted storage unit includes a
mounting bracket adapted to be fixed to the floor portion of the
vehicle and a plurality of connecting members adapted to connect
the mounting bracket to the floor portion of the vehicle at the
mounting point. The mounting bracket has a width that is less than
the first distance, and the mounting bracket is adapted to be fixed
to the floor portion of the vehicle at a mounting point adjacent
the sidewall of the vehicle and adjacent the wheel well of the
vehicle.
[0006] The storage unit is provided with a cabinet that is
attachable to the mounting bracket, with the cabinet being
removable from the mounting bracket and having a width not greater
than the first distance. The cabinet is adapted to be mounted
adjacent the sidewall of the vehicle and adjacent the wheel well of
the vehicle, with no portion of the cabinet extending beyond the
wheel well of the vehicle. The storage unit is also provided with a
quick-release mechanism that facilitates attachment of the cabinet
to the mounting bracket and release of the cabinet from the
mounting bracket.
[0007] The quick-release mechanism may be disposed within an
interior portion of the cabinet, and the storage unit may also be
provided with a door connected to the cabinet, with the door being
movable between an open position in which the quick-release
mechanism may be activated and a closed position in which the door
prevents access to the quick-release mechanism. The storage unit is
also provided with a lock associated with the door to lock the door
in the closed position to prevent access to the quick-release
mechanism.
[0008] The features and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the
detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is made
with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is
provided below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a
storage unit in accordance with the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of
the interior of the cabinet of the storage unit of FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the cabinet of
the storage unit of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vehicle in which the
storage unit of FIG. 1 is installed;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
storage unit in accordance with the invention shown mounted in
front of the wheel well of a pickup truck;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting bracket of the
storage unit of FIG. 5 shown mounted in front of the wheel well of
a pickup truck;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the storage unit of FIG. 5
shown mounted behind the wheel well of a pickup truck;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mounting bracket shown
mounted behind the wheel well of a pickup truck;
[0017] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the storage unit of FIG. 5
with its lid open;
[0018] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the interior of the storage
unit of FIG. 5;
[0019] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of how the mounting
bracket mounts to the bed of the pickup truck;
[0020] FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate how the storage unit mounts to
the mounting bracket;
[0021] FIGS. 14-18 illustrate various mounting components of the
storage unit of FIG. 5; and
[0022] FIG. 19 is a bottom view of a portion of an alternative
quick-release mechanism that could be used with the storage unit of
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] A storage unit 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The storage unit 100 comprises
a cabinet 106 having a front 101, a back 102, a bottom 103, a top
104 and two sides 105. A door 120 in the front 101 provides access
to the contents of the cabinet. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the door
120 is mounted at holes 122 to a continuous hinge 126, which is
mounted at holes 123 to the cabinet 106. A cam lock 117 mounted in
the door 120 allows the cabinet 106 to be locked, thereby securing
the contents.
[0024] The cabinet 106 may be mounted to the cargo area of a
vehicle by attaching it to a mounting bracket 108, as shown in FIG.
1. The mounting bracket 108 may be bolted 109 or otherwise firmly
attached to the floor 113 of the cargo area so that the mounting
bracket may not be quickly and easily removed. The cabinet 106 may
then be secured to the mounting bracket 108 by screws 127, which
extend through holes 128 in the cabinet into holes 125 in the
mounting bracket. Holes 128 are located inside of cabinet 106 such
that screws 127 may be inserted or removed only if door 120 is
open. This mounting arrangement allows the cabinet 106 to be easily
detached and removed from the vehicle by simply removing the screws
127, but deters theft by preventing removal of the cabinet 106 when
the door 120 is closed and locked.
[0025] The storage unit may be made of any of a variety of
materials. For example, the cabinet 106 may be made of sheet metal,
and the top 104 and door 120 may be reinforced with aluminum tread
plates 116 and 118. The lock 117 extends through the door 120, at
hole 121, and through the aluminum tread plate 118, at hole 119. As
shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the panels are joined by rivets 124, but
any known method may be used to join the panels. The top 104 and
one side 105 may be formed from a single piece of material, and the
back 102 and the second side 105 may be formed from a single piece
of material. This construction reduces production costs and results
in a stronger cabinet.
[0026] The interior of the cabinet 106 may be fitted with drawers
107 to provide easier access to the contents of the cabinet 106. As
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to accommodate drawers 107, the interior of
the cabinet 106 may be fitted with side walls 111. The side walls
may comprise a drawer slide mounting assembly 110 having slide
rails 114 on which the drawers 107 may slide, and locating shear
forms 112 on which the slide rails 114 may be mounted.
Corresponding slide rails 115 may then be mounted on the drawers
107. The slide rails 114 permit the drawers 107 to be fully
extended or removed from the cabinet 106, as shown in FIG. 1, so
that the entire length of each drawer may be used.
[0027] The storage unit 100 may be mounted to the vehicle bed 113,
as shown in FIG. 4, along the sidewall of the cargo area 129 behind
the wheel well 131 and adjacent to the tailgate or rear 130 of the
vehicle. In other types of vehicles, such as vans, the storage unit
100 may be mounted adjacent a rear or side door. These locations
allow easy access to the contents of the storage unit, without
reaching over the sidewall or climbing into the cargo area, and
minimize interference with use of the cargo area for carrying
cargo.
[0028] A second embodiment of a storage unit 200 in accordance with
the invention is shown in FIGS. 5-17. As shown in FIG. 5, the
storage unit 200 has a storage cabinet 201 that may be removably
mounted to a floor portion 202 of a vehicle, such as a pickup
truck, at a mounting location adjacent a sidewall 204 of the
vehicle and located between a wheel well 206 of the vehicle and an
interior wall surface 208 of the vehicle. The storage cabinet 201
has a width that is not greater than the distance between the
sidewall 204 of the vehicle and the outer surface of the wheel well
206 so that when the storage unit 201 is mounted adjacent the
sidewall 204, no portion of the storage cabinet 201 extends
outwardly beyond the wheel well 206.
[0029] The storage unit 201 is removably mounted to the floor
portion 202 of the vehicle via a mounting bracket 210 that is fixed
to the floor portion 202 of the vehicle. Referring to FIG. 11, the
mounting bracket 210 may be fixed to the floor portion 202 of the
vehicle in any suitable manner, such as by a plurality of bolts 212
and nuts 214. To facilitate the removable mounting of the storage
cabinet 201 to the mounting bracket 210, the mounting bracket 210
has a first connecting rod 216 disposed adjacent one end of the
mounting bracket 210 and a second connecting rod 218 disposed
adjacent an opposite end of the mounting bracket 210.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 7-8, the storage cabinet 201 and the
mounting bracket 210 may be mounted to the floor 202 of the vehicle
at a point behind the wheel well 206, so that the storage cabinet
201 occupies the space adjacent the sidewall 204 of the vehicle and
between the wheel well 206 and a rear door (not shown) of the
vehicle. When mounted at this location, no portion of the storage
cabinet 201 extends beyond the wheel well 206 of the vehicle.
[0031] The storage cabinet 201 may be provided with a height that
does not exceed the height of the sidewall 204, and the storage
cabinet 201 may be provided in different lengths so as to
completely fill the space between the wheel well 206 and rear door
of the vehicle, when mounted as shown in FIG. 7, or the space
between the wheel well 206 and the internal wall 208 of the
vehicle, when mounted as shown in FIG. 5.
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 9-10, the storage cabinet 201 may have a
hinged door 220. The opening and closing of the door 220 may be
assisted by a damping assembly, such as a piston-and-cylinder
assembly 222. The interior of the storage cabinet 201 may have one
or more guide rails 224 having a plurality of slots 226 formed
therein, with each of the slots 226 being sized to receive a
vertically disposed divider plate 228 for dividing the interior of
the storage cabinet 201 into compartments of the desired size. The
storage cabinet 201 may be provided with a separate utility box
230, which may be used to store relatively small items, that covers
the interior of the storage cabinet 201 and over which the door 220
may be closed. The storage cabinet 201 may also have a lock 232 for
locking the door 220 in place in its closed position.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 12-13, the storage cabinet 201 has a
horizontally disposed bottom plate 240. As shown in FIG. 15, the
bottom plate 240 is disposed at a higher elevation than a bottom
rectangular edge 242 of the storage cabinet 201. A latch member in
the form of a generally C-shaped latch 244 is mounted to the lower
surface of the bottom plate 240, and a quick-release mechanism 246
is disposed in an interior portion of the storage cabinet 201.
[0034] The quick-release mechanism 246, which may be designed to
allow the cabinet 201 to be mounted to the mounting bracket 210 and
removed from the mounting bracket 210 without the use of a tool,
such as a screwdriver or wrench, is composed of a latching
mechanism 248 and an actuating mechanism 250 operatively coupled to
the latching mechanism 248. The latching mechanism 248 is mounted
to the underside of the bottom plate 240 adjacent one end of the
storage cabinet 201, and the C-shaped latch 244 is mounted to the
underside of the bottom plate 240 adjacent the opposite end of the
storage cabinet 201.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 16, the actuating mechanism 250 may
comprise a T-shaped actuator 252 that is slidably disposed within a
guide member 254 fixed to an end wall of the storage cabinet 201.
As shown in FIG. 17, the lower end of the actuator 252 may be
connected to, or provided in the form of, a U-shaped connecting
member 256. The U-shaped connecting member 256 may be connected to
a release arm 258 of the latching member 248 via a bolt 260, with
the release arm 258 being pivotally connected to the latching
mechanism 248 via a rod 262. The release arm 258 may be
spring-biased via a torsion spring (not shown) wrapped around the
rod 262.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 17-18, the latching mechanism 248 has a
housing 264 and a U-shaped latching member 266 which is pivotally
connected to the housing 264 via a rod 268. The U-shaped latching
member 266 is sized and adapted to receive the connecting rod 218
fixed to the mounting bracket 210. The U-shaped latching member 266
may be spring-biased via a torsion spring (not shown) wrapped
around the rod 268.
[0037] The U-shaped latching member 266 is operatively coupled to
the release arm 258 in the manner described below. When the
latching member 266 is pivoted from an unlocked position as shown
in FIG. 17 to a locked position as shown in FIG. 18, the release
arm 258 is caused to move from a raised position as shown in FIG.
17 to a lowered position as shown in FIG. 18. The U-shaped latching
member 266 will remain in its locked position, as shown in FIG. 18,
until the release arm 258 is forced to its raised position, as
shown in FIG. 17, at which point the latching member 266 will be
caused to move to its unlocked position.
[0038] After the mounting bracket 210 is mounted to a desired
position, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 for example, the storage
cabinet 201 may be mounted to the mounting bracket 210. In order to
accomplish such mounting, the end of the storage cabinet 201 is
moved horizontally relative to the mounting bracket 210, as shown
in FIG. 12, until the connecting rod 216 fixed to the mounting
bracket 210 is captured within the C-shaped latch 244 fixed to the
underside of the storage cabinet 201. Then (with the latch
mechanism 248 in its unlocked position as shown in FIG. 17) the
opposite end of the storage cabinet 201 may be lowered, with the
latching mechanism 248 above the connecting rod 218, until the
connecting rod 218 is received within the U-shaped member 266 of
the latching mechanism 248. Further downward movement of the
storage cabinet 201 will cause the connecting rod 218 to force the
latching mechanism 218 from its unlocked position, as shown in FIG.
17, to its locked position, as shown in FIG. 18.
[0039] The storage cabinet 201 may be removed from the mounting
bracket 210 by pulling up on the actuator 252, which will cause the
release arm 258 to pivot upwardly, which in turn will cause the
U-shaped latch to move from its locked position as shown in FIG. 18
to its unlocked position as shown in FIG. 17, thus allowing the end
of the storage cabinet 201 to be lifted off of the mounting bracket
210, and then slid so that the connecting rod 216 is no longer
disposed within the C-shaped latch 244.
[0040] The lock 232 (FIG. 10) effectively prevents or deters theft
of the storage cabinet 201 since the only way to release the
storage cabinet 201 from the mounting bracket 210 is to pull up the
actuator 252 and since the actuator 252 is disposed within the
locked interior of the storage cabinet 201.
[0041] The latching mechanism 248 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 and
described above is a conventional device that is commercially
available from Eberhard Manufacturing Co. Although a specific
latching mechanism has been described above, the particular type of
latching mechanism used is not considered important to the
invention, and any type of latching mechanism could be used.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 19, which is a bottom view of a portion of
the mounting bracket 210 and a portion of an alternative
quick-release mechanism, the alternative quick-release mechanism
could be provided in the form of a rotatable rod having an upper
end (which could be L-shaped, for example) located at a position
generally coinciding with the T-shaped top of the actuator 252 and
an L-shaped lower end 280 which is selectively rotatable relative
to a slot 282 formed in the mounting bracket 210. When the L-shaped
lower end 280 is rotated to its position shown in FIG. 19, in which
the lower end 280 is not aligned with the slot 282 in the mounting
bracket 210, removal of the storage cabinet 201 (to which the
rotatable rod is fixed) from the mounting bracket 210 would be
prevented. When the rotatable rod is aligned with the slot 282, so
that its lower end 280 may pass through the slot 282, the rotatable
rod and the storage cabinet 201 to which it is connected may be
removed from the mounting bracket 210.
[0043] To prevent the rotatable rod from being inadvertently moved
to its unlocked position, the rotatable rod could be spring-biased
upwardly, and an upwardly extending groove or indentation (not
shown) could be formed in the plate in which the slot 282 is
formed, to cause the lower end 280 to become seated within the
groove when in the locked position, so that rod could only be
rotated by simultaneously pressing down and rotating the rod.
[0044] Modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention
will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the
foregoing description. This description is to be construed as
illustrative only, and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled
in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details
of the structure and method may be varied substantially without
departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use
of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended
claims is reserved.
* * * * *