초록 ▼

A carrier rack and rack retainer for use with a pickup truck includes a rack having an assemblable set of at least two rack segments each having a transverse bridge and two columnar bridge support struts, each strut having offset, i.e. parallel but non-collinear, upper end and lower end portions. Th

A carrier rack and rack retainer for use with a pickup truck includes a rack having an assemblable set of at least two rack segments each having a transverse bridge and two columnar bridge support struts, each strut having offset, i.e. parallel but non-collinear, upper end and lower end portions. The upper end portion of each strut mates with a discrete end of the bridge of a discrete rack segment in at least two discrete rotated positions of the strut about the longitudinal axis of the upper end portion of the strut, thereby providing a rack segment with selectable spacing between the lower end portions of the struts. The rack retainer provides at least two pairs of columnar pillars mountable adjacent side walls of the pickup truck cargo area. The spacing between the lower end portions of the struts of each assembled rack segment may be selected to be approximately equal to the spacing between the pillars of a discrete pair of mounted pillars. Each mounted pillar mates with the lower end portion of a discrete one of the struts of a discrete assembled rack segment with the strut in any of its rotated positions.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] For supporting a generally horizontally aligned generally rigid load in or for use with a cargo space at least in part delimited by a floor and generally vertical side walls, a combination comprising:(a) a rack comprised of at least two assemblable rack segments, each rac

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] For supporting a generally horizontally aligned generally rigid load in or for use with a cargo space at least in part delimited by a floor and generally vertical side walls, a combination comprising:(a) a rack comprised of at least two assemblable rack segments, each rack segment comprised of one bridge and an associated pair of struts,each strut being a generally vertically extending bridge support column, each strut having an upper end portion extending along a longitudinal axis of the upper end portion and a lower end portion, each strut provided intermediate its end portions with a set of bends providing an offset from one end portion to the other end portion of the strut such that the end portions are generally parallel to each other but not collinear, andeach bridge comprising a transverse beam and means for mating each end of the transverse beam with the upper end portion of a discrete one of the associated pair of struts in a selected one of at least two rotated positions of the strut about the longitudinal axis of the upper end portion of the strut;(b) a rack retainer comprised of at least two pairs of pillars, each pillar being a generally vertically extending strut support column, each pillar having an upper end portion and mounting means for mounting the associated pillar generally adjacent to one of the side walls, the pillars, when so mounted, forming at least two spaced pairs of pillars having one pillar of each pair mounted adjacent to each side wall; and(c) means for mating the lower end portion of each strut of the pair of struts associated with a discrete one of the bridges with the upper end portion of a discrete pillar of a discrete one of the pairs of pillars when the upper end portion of that strut is mated with a discrete end of the transverse beam of the bridge in a selected one of the rotated positions of that strut about the longitudinal axis of the upper end portion of that strut and when that pair of pillars is mounted adjacent to a side wall, said means for mating comprised of a pair of mating portions consisting of the lower end portion of that strut having one of an open interior cross-section extending vertically and a tongue extending vertically downward therefrom and the upper end portion of the corresponding pillar having one of an open interior cross-section extending vertically and a discrete tongue protruding generally vertically therefrom selected to mate with the lower end portion of that strut in each of the rotated positions of that strut,whereby, when each end of the transverse beam of a bridge is mated with the upper end portion of a discrete one of the associated pair of struts, a rack segment is completed having a spacing between the lower end portions of the associated pair of struts determined by the selected rotated positions of the associated pair of struts, whereby each rack segment may be mated with a discrete one of the pairs of pillars thereby forming a horizontal supporting beam for a portion of the load, and whereby two or more spaced ones of the rack segments form a rack for supporting the load.