Patent Application
20090026783
None
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Portions of the disclosure of this patent document contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to truck rack systems, and more particularly to a storable truck rack system which can also be used for towing.
Several truck rack systems have been developed in art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,141 to Anderson discloses a demountable rack for trucks with canopies, comprising a plurality of vertical support members and horizontal members readily assembled and secured on a pick-up truck bed or the like, with or without a canopy on the truck bed, forming a load-supporting rack outside the space typically occupied by a conventional pick-up canopy. Adjustable members provide for height adjustment and for adaptation of the load mounting area to match the dimensions of the load. Rack support members are inserted vertically into base members that are rigidly mounted in typical stake holes characteristically provided on the rim of a truck bed, obviating the need to weld to the truck or to drill bolt holes in the truck. The base apertures for receiving the vertical support members extend from the rim of the truck bed outside the dimension of a typical truck canopy. The rack is also specifically designed for facile assembly and disassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,849 to Carter discloses a modular truck rack formed from a plurality of standardized preformed parts which are used along with several other parts that can be made in varying extensions, permits the interchange of the components in every rack, and the replacement of certain others to size up or size down the same rack to fit any size truck of the same type such as a pickup. An easily removable rear bar permits the truck bed of a pickup truck to carry tall upright items such as a refrigerator without the necessity of dismantling the rack other than the removal of the rear bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,787 to Knaack discloses a rack for use with a truck having a body. The rack includes upright legs each having a lower end constructed to be mounted to the truck body to define longitudinally spaced pairs of upright legs at transversely opposite sides of the truck. Each leg has an upper end portion. A pair of elongated side members is provided, one side member being clamped to the legs at one side of the truck and the other side member being clamped to the legs at the other side of the truck at longitudinally spaced portions of the side members. Transverse rack members are provided having ends carried on the upper ends of the upright legs. The ends of the transverse members are received in sockets secured to the upper leg ends. A portion of the clamp structure is fixed to the upper leg ends.
Although above truck racks serve the same purpose, the installing procedure and storing means in the present invention are different. In addition, the truck rack system of the present invention can also be used for towing.
The present invention is a truck rack system which comprises two T bars, two storing elements secured under the truck on left and right sides, two hooks and a hole on the T-bar. The T-bar comprises a side bar and an elongate bar extending perpendicularly from the side bar. Each storing element includes two holes or sleeves next to each other. The sleeves of the left and right side storing elements are coaxial. In order to store a T-bar, the elongate bar is made to pass through a pair of coaxial sleeves of the left and right side storing elements. In accordance with the present invention, the front and rear bumpers are provided with a rectangular hole and two holes on either sides of the rectangular hole. The rectangular holes receive the elongate bars for securing the T-bars in vertical position. The hooks are on the side bar and can be engaged with the holes on the front and rear bumpers. The free end of the elongate bar includes a hole for connection to tow hitch of another vehicle.
Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a truck rack system is illustrated in
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All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
