Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2002-11-05
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
C224S282000, C198S710000, C198S800000, C296S037600, C312S268000, C312S295000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474521
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of storage chests for vehicles, and more particularly, to a multiple-compartment tool and hardware storage chest for use in the beds of flatbed trucks and pickup trucks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Carpenters, repairmen, mechanics, handymen and the like typically use a great many and variety of tools and hardware which are stored and/or transported to each job site in the user's vehicle. Many such workmen drive standard pickup trucks, the bed of the truck often being uncovered. In many such cases, the workman will keep his tools and hardware in one or more small, portable toolboxes and/or simply lying loose in the bed of the truck. This presents an easy target for thieves and often leads to a jumbled pile of items through which the workman must rummage to find the desired tool, caulking, or widget. Moreover, during transit, such tools and other unsecured items will slide and bounce around the truckbed, resulting in damage to the tool or truck, or worse, loss of the item as it bounces out over the side of the truckbed wall. Toolboxes have been designed that are secured in some fashion to the truckbed or truckbed walls. Examples of devices that have been devises to hold and organize tools, hardware and other such items are shown in the following United States Patents:
U.S.
Pat. No.
Inventor
Title
5,518,158
Matlack
PICKUP TRUCK TAILGATE TOOLBOX
ASSEMBLY
5,407,264
Giegerich et al.
DRIVE MECHANISM FOR MOVING A
HORIZONTAL SHELF IN A VENDING
MACHINE
5,088,636
Barajas
ROLLING TOOL BOX
4,971,234
Hay
PIVOTABLE STORAGE UNIT FOR
VEHICLES
4,936,624
West
TOOL BOX ASSEMBLY
4,890,722
Gough
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
CONVEYING MATERIALS
4,848,626
Waters
UTILITY BOX
4,844,304
McKneely
CARGO COMPARTMENT ORGANIZER
4,821,888
Hankes
CAROUSEL MATERIAL HANDLING
APPARATUS
4,722,433
Gough
CONVEYOR OR ELEVATOR SYSTEM
4,643,495
Pepping et al.
MECHANICAL STORAGE CABINET
WITH CONTAINER CONVEYOR
4,312,550
Jackson
REVOLVING DISPLAY CASE
4,296,984
Lehman
CABINET STORAGE CONVEYOR
4,288,011
Grossman
ADJUSTABLE CONTAINER
3,915,531
Morgan
RANDOM ACCESS STORAGE SYSTEM
2,976,100
A. K. Wigley
ARTICLE STORAGE ASSEMBLY
2,729,531
N. Y. Andersen
CONVEYOR TYPE FILE
While each of the foregoing patents shows a device that helps hold and organize items to be carried in the bed of a vehicle, each has some drawback such as being difficult to use, being complex and expensive to manufacture and/or having a low level of security.
What is needed is a storage device for vehicles that provides improved organization of and access to the tools, hardware and other items contained therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally speaking, there is provided a multiple-compartment storage chest for vehicles such as pickup trucks and flatbeds, the chest being mounted in the bed of the truck and having a plurality of containers for holding tools, hardware and the like.
In one embodiment, a storage chest for vehicles comprises a box defining an opening and sized for mounting to a motor vehicle; a door openably closing off the opening; a plurality of containers sized and shaped to receive and hold one or more items; a motorized drive assembly mounted to the box and connected to the plurality of containers to move the containers in a circuitous path for selective presentation thereof proximal to the opening; and, subjacent secondary support means for supporting the containers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved storage chest for vehicles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage chest that provides compartmentalized storage of tools, hardware and the like and operates to present such tools, hardware and the like in selective fashion for access by the user.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2729531 (1956-01-01), Andersen
patent: 2976100 (1961-03-01), Wigley
patent: 3915531 (1975-10-01), Morgan
patent: 4288011 (1981-09-01), Grossman
patent: 4296984 (1981-10-01), Lehman
patent: 4312550 (1982-01-01), Jackson
patent: 4643495 (1987-02-01), Pepping et al.
patent: 4722433 (1988-02-01), Gough
patent: 4821888 (1989-04-01), Hankes
patent: 4844305 (1989-07-01), McKneely
patent: 4848626 (1989-07-01), Waters
patent: 4890722 (1990-01-01), Gough
patent: 4936624 (1990-06-01), West
patent: 4971234 (1990-11-01), Hay
patent: 5088636 (1992-02-01), Barajas
patent: 5407264 (1995-04-01), Giegerich et al.
patent: 5518158 (1996-05-01), Matlack
patent: 5634577 (1997-06-01), Pearson et al.
patent: 5727835 (1998-03-01), Krush et al.
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