Claims
- 1. A unitary thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner for mounting within a vehicle cargo bed having an upwardly extending side wall, the bedliner comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- two one-piece side walls which extend upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall; and
- portions of each bedliner side wall which define at least one load restraint pocket, wherein each pocket has an upper segment, and a substantially horizontal lower segment which extends beneath the upper segment, the upper segment protruding inwardly above the lower segment such that a load restraining member may be received and engaged between the upper and lower segments, and wherein at least one pocket is formed in each side wall, and wherein the pockets on the two side walls are positioned opposite one another as pairs, each pair being positioned to receive opposite ends of the load restraining member which extends transversely from one pocket of the pair to the other to restrain the longitudinal movement of articles positioned within the bedliner.
- 2. The bedliner of claim 1 wherein the pocket upper segment is inclined upwardly and outwardly to assist entry of a load restraint member into the pocket.
- 3. The bedliner of claim 1 wherein the bedliner has a front wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall between the side walls, and wherein portions of the front wall define at least one load restraint pocket facing rearwardly, and further comprising:
- (a) a tailgate cover positioned rearwardly of the liner front wall and adapted to cover the tailgate of the truck; and
- (b) portions of the tailgate cover which define a frontwardly opening load restraint pocket which is positioned opposite the front wall load restraint pocket to engage a load restraint member therebetween.
- 4. The bedliner of claim 1 wherein the pocket upper segment defines a generally semicylindrical surface and the pocket lower segment defines a generally horizontal surface.
- 5. A unitary thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner for mounting within a vehicle cargo bed having an upwardly extending side wall, the bedliner comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- two one-piece side walls which extend upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall, wherein each side wall has a first section which extends upwardly from the bottom wall, a connecting section which extends outwardly from the first section, and a second section which extends upwardly from the connecting section;
- portions of each side wall connecting section which define a load restraint pocket having a horizontally extending lower segment, the load restraint pocket in one side wall being positioned opposite the load restraint pocket in the other side wall, such that the ends of a horizontally extending standard dimensioned timber load restraining member is received in opposite pockets; and
- portions of each side wall second section which protrude inwardly from the side wall second section above the lower segment to define an upper segment which is spaced above the load restraint pocket lower segment approximately the thickness of the standard dimensioned load restraining member, such that a load restraining member is insertable between the upper segment and the lower segment to be held in place.
- 6. A unitary thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner for mounting within a vehicle cargo bed having an upwardly extending side wall, the bedliner comprising:
- a bottom wall;
- two one-piece side walls which extend upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall;
- portions of each side wall which extend outwardly to define a horizontal pocket lower segment,
- portions of each side wall which extend inwardly to define a pocket upper segment spaced above each pocket lower segment; and
- portions of each side wall which define an inclined segment which extends upwardly and outwardly from the pocket upper segment to define an inclined surface to assist entry of a load restraint member into the pocket.
- 7. A unitary thermoplastic thermoformed bedliner, comprising:
- a floor;
- a one-piece side wall having a first side wall section which extends upwardly from the floor, and a second side wall section connected to the first side wall section by an outwardly extending third side wall section, the second side wall section extending in a plane which is spaced outwardly from the plane in which the first side wall section extends;
- portions of the side wall which define a pocket lower segment which extends outwardly from the first side wall section and which has a pocket floor which is positioned to receive a horizontally inwardly extending load restraining member;
- portions of the second side wall section which extend above the pocket floor to define a pocket upper segment, the pocket upper segment protruding inwardly from the second side wall section and being positioned above the pocket floor approximately the thickness of the load restraining member to engage the member and prevent it from being displaced vertically, wherein the protruding pocket upper segment is spaced from the lower segment and does not engage the side wall third section or the side wall first section.
- 8. The bedliner of claim 7 wherein the first side wall section defines an upwardly extending plane, and wherein the entire protruding pocket upper segment is spaced outwardly from the plane so defined.
- 9. The bedliner of claim 7 wherein the pocket upper segment has a top portion which is inclined downwardly and inwardly from the side wall second section, and a bottom portion which extends inwardly from the side wall second section to meet the pocket upper segment top portion, the inclined pocket upper segment top portion serving as a ramp such that a load restraint member is insertable between two pockets in opposed side walls of an integral bedliner by applying a downward force to the load restraint member to engage lips formed by the upper pocket segments and cause the outward flexing of the bedliner side walls to allow the end of the load restraint member to pass over the lip and to snap into engagement with the pockets.
- 10. A unitary thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner for mounting within a vehicle cargo bed having an upwardly extending side wall, the bedliner of the type having a bottom wall, and two one-piece side walls which extend upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom wall, wherein each side wall has a first section which extends upwardly from the bottom wall, a connecting section which extends outwardly from the first section, and a second section which extends upwardly from the connecting section, wherein the improvement comprises:
- portions of the a side wall which define a pocket lower segment which extends outwardly from the first side wall section and which has a pocket floor which is positioned to receive a horizontally inwardly extending load restraining member;
- portions of the second side wall section which extend above the pocket floor to define a pocket upper segment, the pocket upper segment protruding inwardly from the second side wall section and being positioned above the pocket floor approximately the thickness of the load restraining member to engage the member and prevent it from being displaced vertically, wherein the protruding pocket upper segment is spaced from the lower segment and is discontinuous from the pocket lower segment, being spaced from the side wall first section.
- 11. The bedliner of claim 10 wherein the first side wall section defines an upwardly extending plane, and wherein the entire protruding pocket upper segment is spaced outwardly from the plane so defined.
- 12. The bedliner of claim 10 wherein the pocket upper segment has a top portion which is inclined downwardly and inwardly from the side wall second section, and a bottom portion which extends inwardly from the side wall second section to meet the pocket upper segment top portion, the inclined pocket upper segment top portion serving as a ramp such that a load restraint member is insertable between two pockets in opposed side walls of an integral bedliner by applying a downward force to the load restraint member to engage a lip formed at a juncture of each of the top and bottom portions and cause the outward flexing of the bedliner side walls to allow the end of the load restraint member to pass over the lips and to snap into engagement with the pockets.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 08/242,592, filed May 12, 1994, entitled "BEDLINER WITH SNAP-IN LOAD RESTRAINING MEMBER, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
3627535 |
Feb 1988 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
242592 |
May 1994 |
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