Tonneau trunk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9751469-B1
Application number	US-201715397916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A trunk for a bed of a truck is disclosed wherein the trunk provides an isolated enclosed space in an area of the truck bed. The trunk is configurable into different configurations and traversable between front and back positions in order to make best use of the bed of the truck. Moreover, the trunk may be configured and traversed easily so that one without great strength may still manipulate the trunk to make full use of the truck bed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck with a truck bed convertible into a trunk, the truck comprising:
the truck bed defining a front wall, a passenger side sidewall, a driver side sidewall and a tailgate pivotable between an opened position and a closed position;
a tonneau cover attached to the truck bed, the tonneau cover traversable between an opened position and a closed position;
a container slidably disposed within the bed so that the container is slidable along a length of the bed and securable in at least two different positions, the container having a rear wall with an opening having an open top and a panel selectively positionable over the opening of the rear wall, a floor of the container being immediately adjacent to a floor of the truck bed, a first position of the container being where a front wall of the container is immediately adjacent to the front wall of the truck bed so that a full length of the truck bed is utilized when the panel is removed from the opening of the rear wall of the container.

2. The truck of claim 1 wherein the container defines an upper edge which is disposed lower than a lower edge of the tonneau cover.

3. The truck of claim 1 wherein the container defines an upper edge below a lower edge of the tonneau cover.

4. The truck of claim 1 wherein the container has stepped side walls to accommodate wheel wells protruding into the truck bed.

5. The truck of claim 1 wherein the container has first and second sets of slots, the first set of slots formed in between the front wall of the container and the rear wall, the second set of slots formed near the rear wall to hold the panel for closing the opening of the rear wall.

6. The truck of claim 1 wherein the tonneau cover extends from the front wall to the tailgate to cover the entire truck bed.

7. The trunk of claim 1 further comprising:
a driver side rail attached to the driver side sidewall;
a passenger side rail attached to the passenger side sidewall;
wherein the container is attached to the truck bed via the rails.

8. The truck of claim 1 wherein the container is fabricated from a rigid material, resilient material or combinations thereof.

9. The truck of claim 7 wherein opposed sides of the container are received into the driver side and passenger side rails.

10. The truck of claim 1 wherein the tonneau cover pivots up to the opened position and down to the closed position, rolls up to the opened position and rolls out to the closed position, or flips back to the opened position and flips out to the closed position.

11. The truck of claim 7 wherein the driver side rail and the passenger side rail are attached to an interior side of the driver side sidewall and the passenger side sidewall.

12. A trunk for a truck bed, the trunk comprising:
a first side rail attached to and extending horizontally along the truck bed;
a second rail attached to and extending horizontally along the truck bed, the first and second rails being parallel to each other;
a container slidably attached to the first and second rails so that the container is slidable along a length of the bed and securable in at least two different positions, the container having a rear wall with an opening having an open top and a panel selectively positionable over the opening of the rear wall, a floor of the container being immediately adjacent to a floor of the truck bed, a first position of the container being where a front wall of the container is immediately adjacent to the front wall of the truck bed so that a flail length of the truck bed is utilized when the panel is removed from the opening of the rear wall of the container;
wherein the container forms an enclosure with a tonneau cover providing a top wall, the tonneau cover traversable between a deployed configuration and an opened position.

13. The trunk of claim 12 wherein the container is vertically telescoping so that the container is slidable in front of or behind wheel wells with the container vertically collapsed.

14. The trunk of claim 12 wherein the panel is attachable to the a back side of the container when the container is traversed to a second position to form a back wall of the container, the second position being where the panel and the back side of the container is immediately adjacent to tailgate of the truck bed.

15. A method of reconfiguring a trunk attached to a bed of a truck, the method comprising the steps of:
unlocking the trunk so that the trunk is operative to be horizontally slid to first or second positions, a tailgate of the truck bed forming a part of an enclosed space of the trunk when the trunk is in the first position, the trunk being closer to a cab of the track when the trunk is in the second position;
sliding the trunk to the second position;
locking the trunk to the second position;
traversing a cover of the trunk to an open position so that a full length of the truck bed is available for use.

Assignees

• Singer Nicholas J

Inventors

• Singer Nicholas J

Classifications

• B62D33/03

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60R9/065 Primary

  Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. trunks · CPC title

• B60P1/6427

  the load-transporting element being shifted horizontally in a fore and aft direction, combined or not with a vertical displacement · CPC title

• B60R11/06

  for tools or spare parts (for vehicle roof parts B60J7/20; for spare wheels B62D) · CPC title

• B60J7/1621

  hinged on one side · CPC title