Freight accommodation on freight carrier – Yieldable brace – Panel
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-19
2003-04-08
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Freight accommodation on freight carrier
Yieldable brace
Panel
C410S129000, C410S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543975
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to truck bed dividers, and more specifically to a truck bed divider including a height adjustment system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pickup trucks are often used to carry items from one place to another. The bed of the truck allows the items to be retained within the bed while the truck is moving. However, on many occasions, the items that are to be carried in the bed of the truck are not large enough to be securely retained within the truck bed by the walls of the bed without an additional securing structure.
As a result, a number of truck dividers have been developed that segregate the truck bed into sections that conform closely to the size of the items placed in the truck bed in order to more securely retain the items in the bed. These dividers generally include a rectangular panel or array of panels that extends across the truck bed between the side walls. The divider is secured to the side walls of the truck bed to maintain the divider in a stationary position while the truck is moving. Some dividers are designed to engage the bottom wall of the truck bed in order to retain the divider in a position perpendicular to the bottom wall while the truck is moving. This prevents the divider from swinging outwardly when contacted by one or more of the items retained by the divider, and allowing the items to slide beneath the divider, and possibly out of the truck bed.
Many truck bed dividers have been developed which utilize various configurations for segregating the interior of a truck bed. However, these truck bed dividers have each been designed for use with a specific type of pick-up truck. Therefore, the divider will most likely not be able to be utilized with a truck other than the specific type of truck for which the divider was designed. This presents many problems when the owner of a pick-up truck purchases a truck bed divider, as he or she must know the exact dimensions of the truck bed in order to find a truck bed divider which can be adequately secured within the interior of that particular truck bed. For example, on many occasions the feet attached to the bottom of a truck bed divider cannot adequately engage the bottom wall of a truck bed to prevent the divider from pivoting when in use. This is due to the fact that the height of the side walls of the truck bed may be greater than the height of the divider, which prevents the feet on the divider from properly engaging the truck bed. Alternatively, the divider may have a height greater than the truck bed, which prevents proper engagement of the divider latch mechanism with the side walls of the truck bed.
As a result, it is desirable to develop a truck bed divider including a height adjustment mechanism to accommodate for height differences in various truck beds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a truck bed divider that includes an adjustable foot assembly capable of varying the overall height of the truck bed divider.
It is another objection of the invention to provide a foot assembly including a pair of extensions that are releasably attachable to the foot assembly in order to vary the height of the foot assembly and the divider.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a foot assembly capable of reliably securing the divider to the truck bed when using the foot assembly and the extensions, or the foot assembly alone.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a foot assembly that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to attach to a truck bed divider.
The present invention is an adjustable foot assembly for a truck bed divider used to vary the height of the divider depending upon the height of the truck bed in which the divider is positioned. The divider includes a panel having a generally rectangular shape that extends between the side walls of the truck bed. The panel includes a bottom edge or rail that is positioned slightly above, and extends along the bottom wall of the truck bed perpendicular to the side walls.
One or more resilient foot assemblies are attached to the bottom rail of the panel and contact the bottom wall of the truck bed to retain the panel in a position perpendicular to the side walls and bottom wall. Each foot assembly includes a body having an opening at one end that is adapted to engage the bottom rail of the panel. Opposite the opening, the foot assembly includes at least one bed engaging portion. Each bed engaging portion includes a number of grooves, knobs or other protrusions extending from the engaging portion that contact and frictionally engage the bottom wall of the truck bed in order to maintain the panel in a stationary position within the truck bed.
To adjust the height of the foot assembly to fit the height of a particular truck bed, the foot assembly also includes at least one extension that is releasably securable to the foot assembly. The extension is formed of a material similar to that used to form the body, and includes a securing means at one end and a bed engaging surface opposite the securing means. The securing means can be either a male or female portion of an interlocking mechanism for which the corresponding portion is disposed in the bed engaging portion of the body. The extension is engaged with the body such that the extension is disposed directly beneath the bed engaging portion of the body. In this configuration, the engaging surface of the extension contacts and engages the bottom wall of the truck bed in the same manner as the bed engaging portion on the body, while increasing the overall height of the foot assembly by the height of the extension.
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Boyle Fredrickson Newholm Stein & Gratz S.C.
Gordon Stephen T.
Loading Zone LLC
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