Patent Application
20200079268
The invention relates generally to pickup truck boxes, and more particularly to a pickup truck carbon fiber box having integrated snowmobile ski slides.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Snowmobiling is a major winter recreational activity and a significant factor in increased winter tourism in several locations in many winter regions. Snowmobiling is great exercise that brings people outdoors to interact with nature and each other. It is an invigorating sport that is great for stress relief and good mental health.
Transporting a snowmobile by using a trailer or by loading it in to the box of a pickup truck. However, it is known that the carbides disposed on the bottom of the snowmobile skis make it difficult to slide the machines in and out of the pickup box and they have a tendency to cause damage to the box floor. Preventing such damage requires the purchase of box liner or ski glides which makes it easier to slide the machine in and out of the box.
For transporting snowmobiles in a pickup truck box it is desirable to have a means to avoid the need to purchase box floor protection to prevent damage caused by the abrasive ski carbides.
One or more exemplary embodiments address the above issue by providing a pickup truck carbon fiber box having integrated snowmobile ski slides.
According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, a carbon fiber pickup box floor includes a plurality of integrally formed slide grooves extending longitudinally between the front and rear ends of the box floor configured for providing a glide surface for snowmobile ski carbides, wherein the plurality of integrally formed slide grooves are disposed at predetermined portions of the box floor.
A further aspect in accordance with the exemplary embodiment is provided wherein the predetermined portions of the box floor are substantially 1220 millimeters apart. And another aspect wherein the predetermined portions of the box floor are substantially 125 millimeters in width. Still another aspect wherein the predetermined portions of the box floor comprises between four and seven slide grooves. And yet another aspect wherein the depth of the slide grooves is substantially 16 millimeters. And still another aspect wherein the width of the slide grooves is substantially 19 millimeters. And one other aspect wherein the slide grooves are separated substantially 7 millimeters apart.
Further features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and appended drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to the same component, element or feature.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed exemplary embodiments in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
With reference to
After a snowmobile has transgressed the loading ramps for transport in the pickup box, it will most likely be difficult for the machine to slide onto the pickup box floor without causing damage due to the carbides on the bottom surface of the skis. Currently anyone that transports a snowmobile in the box of their pickup truck will have to purchase an aftermarket box liner or have a protective liner sprayed on the box floor which does not work well because it does not let the machine slide easily into and out of the pickup box. Thus, the present disclosure seeks to provide a pickup box that incorporates deep grooved ski glides into the floor of a carbon fiber pickup box which protects the load floor from damage and allows the machine to be easily slid in and out of pickup box.
Referring now to
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
