Penda Corporation

Graber Industries, Inc.

Karl A Niemi

Patrick J Quigley

Phillip L Emery

William L Dresen

David G Grunow

A truck cargo bed utility box blow molded of high density polyethylene which complements the styling of many truck bedliners. The utility box incorporates a mounting system for a central pneumatic spring which holds the lid of the box open. The mounting system consists of a bracket mounted to a wall forming part of the storage bin and a bracket on the bin lid. The lid bracket and the bin bracket extend to and engage with a hinge pin which joins the lid to the storage bin. The brackets are constructed of sheet metal and are mechanically joined by the hinge pin. The loads imposed on the lid and bin wall by the air spring are distributed through the hinge pin. The bin bracket is also attached to a metal rim which surrounds the opening into the box to provide load distribution. The metal rim provides a distortion resistant structure to which locking hasps can reliably latch. By distributing the loads imposed on the plastic lid and plastic bin distortion of the plastic is prevented.

Cargo bed utility box

Truck cargo bed utility box

The invention provides a tool or utility box for use in the cargo bed of a pick-up truck. The utility box includes spaced apart legs that provide a space beneath the box to accommodate sheet material and that are hollow to provide drainage compartments to collect water so that it can be effectively drained from the utility box. The utility box also includes ribbed walls that provide slots for receiving dividers, and trays can be supported inside or outside of the utility box and secured against movement by detents.

Protection for the rear carpet areas of an automobile such as a sport utility vehicle is provided by a unitary sheet of heavy-gauge extruded, high-density polyethylene. The floor liner has a floor panel which covers the floor of the cargo area of a sports utility vehicle. The floor panel has sides which extend along and are tucked under the wheel well trim panels on either side of the cargo area. Integrally formed with, and attached to, the forward edge of the floor panel, are two cargo extension panels. The cargo extension panels form a continuation of the forward edge of the cargo floor panel and are separated from each other by a seat back accommodation slot. This slot divides the cargo extension panels so that each panel corresponds to the width of the seat back positioned forward of each panel. Continuing on from the cargo extension panels are recumbent panels which are integrally formed with and joined to the cargo panels. These in turn are joined to integrally formed seat back panels. The joints between the panels are of the type known as a 'living hinge' and are cold-formed into the material of the liner itself. The double living hinges provide resilient, long-life hinges impervious to liquids and provide flat extended edges of improved appearance and safety. The spring-loaded extension panel of a vehicle urges the seat back panel against a seat back and hence retains the liner without additional fasteners.

Automotive floor liner

Automotive windshield visor

A structural reinforced injection-molded fiberglass visor shell has a laterally extending upper member which extends frontwardly above and provides shade to a vehicle windshield. Three attachment pods extend downwardly from the upper member and have pod floors which conform to the geometry of a vehicle cab upper surface. Side walls extend upwardly from the pod floors and are connected to the upper member. Access holes are provided in the upper member for the insertion of fasteners through the pod floors into the vehicle cab surface. Alternatively, the pod floors may be adhesively attached to the cab by means of structural adhesive tape or bolt-retaining strips adhesively taped the cab surface. The same visor shell may be economically manufactured for a wide variety of vehicles by substituting different pods configured for a particular make of vehicle.

Motor vehicle windshield visor

A composite rod and bracket assembly for window curtains and valances including an elongated telescopically adjustable metal inner rod. Rod end members detachably supporting the ends of the inner rod and are adjustably mounted on wall brackets to adjust the projection of the inner rod. An outer rod member having a height and cross-section substantially larger than that of the inner rod is formed of thin walled plastic and includes a face wall defining the top, front and bottom of the outer rod member, and upper and lower rear wall portions that extend downwardly and upwardly from the face wall and have grooves in adjacent edges for detachably receiving the upper and lower edges of the inner rod member to support the outer rod member thereon. Bracket covers formed of a low density foamed plastic and having a cross-sectional configuration similar to that of the outer rod member, are detachably mounted on the rod and brackets.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Karl A Niemi