Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02700005 2010-04-15
Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008
Title: Collapsible Tool/Utility Box
Inventor: Nii-Akwei Allotey
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to tool or utility storage boxes, and
more
particularly to collapsible tool or utility storage boxes that integrated into
the floor or
sidewall of a vehicle bed or cargo area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Often, it is desirable to carry items such as tools or packages in the back of
a pickup
truck or sport utility vehicle or in the trunk of car. If the items are not
secured or restrained in
place, they can slide around while the vehicle is in motion, causing noise and
possibly
damaging the items and/or the vehicle. If smaller items are carried in the
uncovered back of a
pickup truck, it is also desirable that they are placed inside a lockable
container, particularly
if the items are valuable or subject to damage from wind and weather. Ideally,
the container
is itself anchored to the bed or sides of the cargo area, so the container
cannot be easily
removed, such as by a potential thief.
Tool boxes are available that can be installed in the beds of pickup trucks.
In general,
these boxes fit into the front portion of the pickup truck cargo area, in
front of the rear wheel
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wells. Usually, these tool boxes are permanently installed, with a resulting
loss of space for
other cargo. A collapsible tool or utility storage box was described in
copending patent
application serial no. 11/137,887, invented by Nii-Akwei Allotey, filed on May
26, 2005,
entitled "Collapsible Tool/Utility Box," which is incorporated herein by
reference in its
entirety. However, it may be desirable to use the vehicle for other purposes
where the space
occupied by the container is needed. Thus, there is a need for a tool or
utility storage box
for transporting tools and/or other items in the back of a pickup truck or
sport utility vehicle
or in the trunk of a car, that can be easily set up and collapsed for compact
storage, as needed,
yet that is permanently installed into the vehicle and does not occupy
significant cargo space
when it is collapsed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose
of the
present invention broadly described herein, one embodiment of this invention
comprises a
collapsible storage box. The box comprises a housing having a wall and a lower
edge, with
two side extensions and a top extension joined to and extending from the wall.
It also
comprises two hinged, foldable side walls with hinges joining each of the side
walls to the
side edges of the housing. The side walls are foldable and unfoldable relative
to each other
and relative to the housing by rotation at the hinges. In addition, the box
has a rear wall
hingedly joined to the side walls and a cover hingedly joined to the top
extension of the
housing, with the cover pivotable between a collapsed configuration with the
cover adjacent
to and substantially parallel to the housing wall and an open configuration
providing access
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 3
to an interior space within the box. The box is adjustable between a collapsed
configuration
with the bottom, the side walls, and the cover pivoted into positions
substantially parallel to
the planar wall of the housing and an uncollapsed configuration with the
bottom and the top
substantially perpendicular to the housing wall and with the side walls
substantially
perpendicular to the bottom and the cover. The housing is integral with the
floor or a
sidewall of a vehicle cargo area. The vehicle cargo area may be in a vehicle
selected from
pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, minivans, crossover vehicles,
trailers, and boats. When
the box is collapsed, it can be stored within the floor or sidewall. The box
may form a
rectangular prism shape when uncollapsed.
The box may further comprising a bottom tray disposed between the housing and
the
side walls and hingedly attached to the housing adjacent the lower edge. The
bottom tray is
pivotable between a position substantially parallel to the housing and a
position substantially
perpendicular to the housing. Also, the box may further comprise bracing means
for
stabilizing the bottom tray and/or bracing means for stiffening the side walls
when the box is
in the uncollapsed configuration. Means for locking the box may also be
provided. The box
also may further comprise sealing means for making the box substantially dust-
and water-
tight when in the uncollapsed configuration. The sealing means may sealing
means may
comprise elastomeric seals. The box cover may comprise at least two sections
hingedly
joined to each other, and in this case, the box may also comprise means for
retaining the two
cover sections adjacent each other.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a vehicle having a floor
and
a storage well formed into the floor. The vehicle comprises first and second
floor plates
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 4
hingedly attached to the vehicle floor, with each plate independently
pivotable between a
closed position where the plate is substantially coplanar with the vehicle
floor and partially
encloses the storage well and an open position providing access to the storage
well. The
vehicle also comprises a collapsible storage box mounted to the first floor
plate and
adjustable between a collapsed configuration within the storage well and an
uncollapsed
configuration with the box positioned above the vehicle floor and resting upon
the second
floor plate. The storage box comprises a housing secured to the first floor
plate. The housing
has a wall, two side extensions and a top extension joined to and extending
from the wall,
and a lower edge. The box also comprises hinged, foldable side walls with
hinges joining the
side walls to the side edges of the housing, the side walls being foldable and
unfoldable
relative to each other and relative to the housing by rotation at the hinges.
In addition, the
box comprises a rear wall hingedly joined to the side walls and a cover
hingedly joined to the
top extension of the housing. The box is adjustable between a collapsed
configuration with
the bottom, the side walls, and the cover pivoted into positions substantially
parallel to the
first floor plate and within the storage well an uncollapsed configuration
with the cover and
the side walls substantially perpendicular to the first floor plate and the
rear wall substantially
parallel to the housing and the first floor plate, with the rear wall
supported by the second
floor plate. The cover is pivotable between a collapsed configuration with the
cover adjacent
to and substantially parallel to the housing wall and an open configuration
providing access
to an interior space within the box. The vehicle may be selected from pickup
trucks, sports
utility vehicles, minivans, crossover vehicles, cars, trailers, and boats.
The box may further comprise a bottom tray disposed between the housing and
the
CA 02700005 2010-04-15
Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 5
side walls and hingedly attached to the housing adjacent the lower edge. If
present, the
bottom tray is pivotable between a position substantially parallel to the
housing and
substantially perpendicular to the housing.
The vehicle may further comprise a drain adjacent to the storage well. The
vehicle
also may further comprising bracing means for stiffening the side walls and/or
comprising
means for locking the box when the box is in an uncollapsed configuration. The
box may
further comprise sealing means for making the box substantially dust- and
water-tight when
the box is uncollapsed. The sealing means may comprise elastomeric seals. The
box may
form a rectangular prism shape when uncollapsed. Also, the cover may comprises
at least
two sections hingedly joined to each other, preferably with means for
retaining the two cover
sections adjacent each other.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention comprises a vehicle including
a
floor and a storage well formed into a sidewall of the vehicle. The vehicle
comprises a
collapsible storage box mounted into the vehicle inside the storage well, with
the box
adjustable between a collapsed configuration within the storage well and an
uncollapsed
configuration with the box positioned above the vehicle floor. The storage box
comprises a
housing secured to the vehicle sidewall. The housing has a wall and a lower
edge, with two
side extensions and a top extension joined to and extending from the wall. The
box also
comprises hinged, foldable side walls with hinges joining the side walls to
the side edges of
the housing, the side walls being foldable and unfoldable relative to each
other and relative to
the housing by rotation at the hinges. In addition, the box comprises a rear
wall hingedly
joined to the side walls and a cover hingedly joined to the top extension of
the housing. The
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 6
box is adjustable between a collapsed configuration with the bottom, the side
walls, and the
cover pivoted into positions substantially parallel to the side wall and
within the storage well
and an uncollapsed configuration with the cover, the side walls, and the rear
wall
substantially perpendicular to the housing wall. The cover is pivotable
between a collapsed
configuration with the cover adjacent to and substantially parallel to the
housing wall and an
open configuration providing access to an interior space within the
uncollapsed box.
The vehicle storage box may further comprise a bottom tray disposed between
the
housing and the side walls and hingedly attached to the housing adjacent the
lower edge, the
bottom pivotable between a position substantially parallel to the housing and
substantially
perpendicular to the housing. The vehicle may be a pickup truck, sports
utility vehicle,
minivan, crossover vehicle, car, trailer, or boat. There may be a drain
adjacent to the storage
well.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention
will
become better understood with reference to the following description, appended
claims, and
accompanying drawings, where:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pickup truck bed modified in accordance with
the
present invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the pickup truck bed of Fig. 1 along A-A;
Fig. 3 is a partially cutaway view of the pickup truck bed of Fig. I showing a
tool/utility box in accordance with the present invention in a collapsed
configuration;
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 7
Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway view of the pickup truck bed of Fig. 1 showing
the
tool/utility box in a partially uncollapsed configuration;
Fig. 5 is a side cutaway view of the housing and lid of the box of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the cover of the box of Fig. 3;
Fig. 7 is a partially cutaway view of the pickup truck bed of Fig. 1 showing
the
tool/utility box in an uncollapsed configuration, ready for use to store
items;
Fig. 8 is a top view of the tool/utility box of Fig. 7 with the cover removed;
Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of one side of the tool/utility box of Fig. 7
showing a
stabilizing mechanism in an engaged configuration;
Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the side of the box of Fig. 7 stablizing
mechanism
of Fig. 9 in a disengaged configuration;
Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of the stablizing mechanism of Fig. 9 along
plane B-
B;
Fig. 12 is a detailed top perspective view of the sides of the tool/utility
box of Fig. 7;
Fig. 13 is a detailed top perspective view of a side and rear wall of the
tool/utility box
of Fig. 7;
Fig. 14 is a top perspective view of the tool/utility box of Fig. 7 without
the cover;
Fig. 15 is a detailed side view of the housing, tray, and cover of the
tool/utility box of
Fig. 7;
Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the tray of the tool/utility box of Fig. 7;
Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the side and rear walls of the tool/utility
box of Fig. 7;
Fig. 18 is a top view of the tool/utility box of Fig. 7 without the cover;
CA 02700005 2010-04-15
Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 8
Fig. 19 is a side perspective view of the housing of the tool/utility box of
Fig. 7;
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a tool/utility box in
accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the open cover of the tool/utility box of
Fig. 20;
Fig. 22 is a partially cut away side view of another embodiment of a
tool/utility box in
accordance with the present invention with the box in an uncollapsed
configuration; and
Fig. 23 is a partially cut away side view of the tool/utility box of Fig. 22
in a collapsed
configuration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention comprises a collapsible box suitable for use as a tool
box or
utility container mounted into the bed or sidewall of a pickup truck, sport
utility vehicle,
minivan, or crossover vehicle, or into the trunk or other cargo space of a car
or other vehicle.
Preferably, the collapsed box is relatively thin, perhaps about 2 inches
thick. In the following
description, references to orientation in space, such as horizontal, vertical,
top, bottom, or
sides are intended to describe the box in its normal configuration during use.
The terms
"front" and "rear" are used relative to the front and rear of the vehicle. It
should be
understood that the box could be rotated and used in other orientations.
One embodiment of the present invention may be understood with reference to
Figs.
1-18. Fig. 1 shows the back 102 of a pickup truck with part of one side wall
104 cut away.
Note that a pickup truck is shown as an example of a vehicle into which the
box is mounted,
but it could also be another type of vehicle, such as a sport utility vehicle,
minivan, crossover
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 9
vehicle, car, trailer, or boat. Near the front wall 106, two floor plates 108
and 110 lie
substantially coplanar with the pickup truck floor 112. Hinge 114 pivotably
attaches plate
108 to the floor 112 along the edge closest to the front of the truck, and
hinge 116 pivotably
attaches plate 110 to the floor 112 along the edge closest to the rear of the
truck. Bumper 118
is formed from a somewhat resilient material and braces and stabilizes floor
plate 108 when it
is rotated upward as described below. As shown in vertical cross section Fig.
2, plates 108
and 110 cover a well 120 recessed into the bed 102 of the pickup truck and
into which a
folded or collapsed utility box 122 fits.
Referring to Fig. 3, plates 108 and 110 can be released and lifted by a
mechanism (not
shown) that causes the plates to rotate upwards about the hinges 114 and 116,
respectively.
Any mechanism known in the art could be used, and preferred mechanisms include
mechanical and electrical spring-loaded devices that are activated from inside
the cab of the
truck or from the front seat of a vehicle. Plate 108 is attached to housing
124 of utility box
122. Housing side extensions 126 and a 128 partially enclose cover 130 of the
utility box.
As shown in Figs. 4-7, cover 130 is joined to top extension 128 via hinge 132
and is
pivotable about hinge 132 to expose rear wall 140 of the box. Hinges 146 join
side wall
portions 142 to housing 124, hinges 148 join side wall portions 142 and 144 to
each other,
and hinges 150 join side wall portions 144 to rear wall 140. To uncollapse box
122, rear
floor plate 10 can be rotated back to into a position substantially coplanar
with pickup truck
floor 112, and rear wall 140 can be pulled rearward until it rests on rear
floor plate 110. Plate
110, when rotated about hinge 116 back to its horizontal position in the plane
of the truck bed
112, provides a support for rear wall 140 when side wall portions 142 and 144
are unfolded.
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 10
A stop bar 137, seen in Fig. 6, may be mounted to the interior surface of
cover 130 and rests
on the upper edge of rear wall 140 when the lid is in the closed position over
box 122.
As shown in Fig 4, groove 134 extends across the housing top extension 128
from left
to right adjacent hinge 132 to channel water away from the box contents when
the box is in
the uncollapsed position. Side extensions 136 extend downward from the flat
surface of the
housing top past hinge 132 to divert water from the storage area. Elastomeric
seal 138 also
aids in keeping water out of the storage area. The bottom of well 120
optionally includes a
drain 139 to provide drainage for water underneath the box 120.
Referring to Figs. 9-11, side wall portions 142 and 144 are preferably
stabilized in the
uncollapsed position, such as with sliding bolt 152, when the box is in the
unfolded
configuration. Bolt 152 is slideable within bolt holders 154 and 156, mounted
to side wall
portions 142 and 144, respectively. Stop 158 limits the travel of bolt 152 out
of the holder
154. A magnet 160 within bolt holder 156 retains bolt 152 in position when the
box is in the
unfolded configuration. Optional seal 162 prevents water from leaking into the
box when it
is uncollapsed, as in Fig. 8.
If the box 122 is installed in the back of a pickup truck, where it will
potentially be
exposed to dust, rain, snow, and other weather conditions, as well as insects
and spiders, it is
desirable to provide seals where the sides and cover of the box are joined to
each other. As
shown in Fig. 9 and 10, elastomeric seals or gaskets 162 are positioned
adjacent the hinges
148 joining housing side wall portions 142 to side wall portions 144.
Referring to Fig. 12,
seals 164 are positioned adjacent hinges 146 joining housing side extensions
126 to side wall
portions 142. Elastomeric seals or gaskets 166 are positioned adjacent the
hinges 150 joining
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 11
side portions 144 to rear wall 140, as shown in Fig. 13. Seal or gasket 168
may be provided
along the top edges of side wall portions 142 and 144 and along the top edge
of rear wall 140,
as shown in Fig. 14. An additional seal or gasket (not shown) may be provided
on the
interior surface of the cover 130. These seals or gasket are particularly
desirable if the box
will be subjected to water and dust, such as if it is mounted into a pickup
truck bed.
Box 122 also optionally includes a tray 170 that can be positioned as a box
bottom,
which is particularly desirable if the box is installed in a pickup truck or
other vehicle where
it will be exposed to weather conditions and/or water, as shown in Figs. 15
and 16. The tray
bottom 172 is joined to side extensions 126 of housing 124 via hinge 174.
Braces 176 and
plate 178 support tray 170 when the box is unfolded for use. Braces 176 are
pivotable at
hinges 180, 182, and 184 to collapse or uncollapse the box, and mating notches
186 near
hinge 182 stabilize the braces 176 when the box is uncollapsed. Bottom tray
170 also has
side walls 188, 190, 192, and 194 that extend from the tray bottom 172,
oriented upward
when the box is in use. Holes 195 in side walls 190 and 194 maybe used to tie
items down
that are carried within box 122.
Referring to Figs. 15-18, bottom tray 170 preferably includes alignment tabs
196 that
extend outward from the rear side wall 192. The interior surface of rear wall
140 includes a
series of grooves or alignment features 198 that are matable with tabs 196 to
prevent
sideways motion of the tray when box 122 is in the uncollapsed configuration.
Referring to
Fig. 19, housing 124 may also include a series of alignment features 200 that
are matable
with tabs 196 when the tray 170 is folded against housing 124 for storage,
thereby stabilizing
tray 170 against sideways motion.
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Another embodiment 300 of the utility box of the present invention is shown in
Figs.
20-21. Box 300 has a cover 302 comprising front cover portion 304 joined to
rear cover
portion 306 at hinge 308. Splitting the cover into two portions allows the box
to be opened
in an environment where space is limited, such as inside a sport utility
vehicle, minivan,
"crossover" vehicle, or station wagon, or in a car trunk. Swing up handle 310
and lock 312
are attached to rear cover portion 306, and a magnet (not shown) may be
mounted to rear
cover portion 306 to retain the handle 310 against the cover when the handle
is not in use.
Although lock 312 is a keyed lock, other types of locking mechanisms could be
used, such as
hasps combined with a padlock or locking cable, electronic locks, or
combination locks. A
striker 314 and a latch 316, similar to those used on footlockers and other
storage boxes, may
be used to provide rigidity to the cover 402. Other features of box 300 are
the same as those
in box 122.
A box in accordance with the present invention can have dimensions suitable
for
storing various types of cargo. Indeed, the box may be sized to fit between
the wheel wells of
most truck models or along the side of a truck bed adjacent one wheel well for
easy access.
Alternatively, the box could be carried inside a vehicle or in a vehicle
trunk.
In use, the tool/utility box in accordance with the present invention can be
opened as
shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 7. Floor plates 108 and 110 are rotated upwards
along hinges 114
and 116, respectively, to expose housing 124. Lid 130 is rotated away from
housing along
hinge 132 to an open position. Floor plate 110 is returned to its position in
the vehicle floor,
and side walls 142 and 144 are extended until they are substantially coplanar
and rear wall
140 rests upon floor plate 110. Bolts 152 are engaged into bolt holders 156 to
stabilize the
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Attorney Docket No. NA-08-01 Filed December 31, 2008 13
side walls 142 and 144. If present, tray 170 is rotated about hinge 174 until
mating notches
186 of braces 176 are engaged with each other and, if present, alignment tabs
196 are
engaged with alignment features 198. Items to be stored may the be placed
inside box 122,
and lid 130 or 302 can be closed and locked in place, if desired, via lock 312
and/or via latch
316 and striker 314. To collapse the box, the process is reversed.
Referring to Figs. 22 and 23, another embodiment 400 of a box in accordance
with
the present invention may be mounted into a well 402 within a sidewall 404 or
other vertical
wall within a vehicle, preferably adjacent the floor 406. Cover 408 is
provided with a handle
410 and side extensions 412, and it is joined to the vehicle side wall 404
with a hinge 414.
Side wall portions 416 are joined to vehicle side wall 404 via hinges 418
inside well 406 and
also joined to side wall portions 420 via hinges 422. Rear wall 424 is joined
to side wall
portions 420 via hinges 426 and may include a handle 428. The lower edges of
side wall
portions 416, 420 and rear wall 424 may rest upon the upper surface of floor
406. Box 400
may include a bottom tray (not shown) similar to bottom tray 170 in Figs. 14-
16. When box
400 is collapsed, cover 408 fits over and around the folded side wall portions
416 and 420
and rear wall 424, as shown in Fig. 23.
The box in accordance with the present invention can be formed from any
material or
materials with suitable stiffness and durability to function as intended. For
example, the
cover, sides, and walls of the box could be formed from sheet metal, or they
could be formed
from plastic, such as by injection molding. As shown hinges 114, 116, 132,
146, 148, 150,
174, 414, 418, 422, and 424 are piano type hinges, although any type of hinge
or hinges could
be used between the sections, as long as the box is easily foldable and
unfoldable, and,
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preferably, as long as the box can be made water- and dust-tight if it is to
be exposed to the
elements.
It should be noted that, depending upon the desired dimensions of the box,
there could
be additional hinged wall sections. Also, the walls, cover, and bottom could
form a shape
other than a rectangular prism. For example, the box could have a shape that
substantially
fills the cargo area in a vehicle and conforms to wheel wells that protrude
into the cargo
space.
The foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily
occur to those
skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact
construction and process
shown and described above. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be
resorted to falling within the scope of the invention.
