US-20260124979-A1 - Easily Assembled Cargo Tray

US20260124979A1US 20260124979 A1US20260124979 A1US 20260124979A1US-20260124979-A1

Abstract

A cargo tray for a vehicle cargo bed includes a deck formed by elongated planks arranged side-by-side and interconnected along their lengths. Transverse front and rear support members are positioned at opposite deck ends. Tension members or flat bars span between the support members to draw them together and maintain the planks as a flat unit, enabling smooth sliding without rollers. The planks are hollow polymer extrusions having internal ribs and a low-friction surface. A handle assembly is mounted to the front support for pushing or pulling the cargo tray toward the front or back end of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the planks are pre-joined by an integral web so the deck can be folded into a bundle, which has the dimensions of the flattened cargo tray when unfolded and easily shipped for assembly. The rear support member can include an upright backstop flange and apertures for tethers.

Inventors

James Lachenberg

Assignees

James Lachenberg

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251027

Claims (19)

1 . A cargo tray for a vehicle cargo bed comprising: a deck formed by a plurality of elongate planks, each having length and width, that are interconnected side-by-side along their lengths and held together as a unit to form a flat surface; a pair of support members that are attached transverse to the plank lengths to hold them together as a flat unit, one at each end of the planks; and one or more handles that are mounted at the front end of the deck for pushing or pulling the cargo tray toward the front or back end of a vehicle.
2 . The cargo tray of claim 1 further including a plurality of tension members that extend between the support members and are configured, when tightened, to draw the support members toward one another and place the planks in longitudinal compression so that the deck behaves as a flat unit, wherein the tension members comprise wire-ropes or metal rods having threaded end fittings that are tightened by lock nuts; and a handle assembly comprising the handle and a frame, which holds the handle and allows it to rotate, is mounted on the support member at the front end of the cargo tray for pushing or pulling the tray toward the front or back end of the vehicle.
3 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the handle assembly is rotation-limited to improve pushing leverage and avoid finger pinching.
4 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the support member that is located at the rear end of the tray includes an upright flange for keeping cargo in the tray when the tray is being pulled from the vehicle.
5 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the planks have low friction on at least one side to facilitate sliding along the bed.
6 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the planks comprise vinyl.
7 . The cargo tray of claim 6 wherein the planks are hollow with a plurality of vertical ribs.
8 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the planks have equal length and are equal to one another in width.
9 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein each plank has a tongue along one side of its length and a groove along the other side of its length for supporting the planks together.
10 . The cargo tray of claim 9 wherein the tongues and grooves are shaped to interlock together.
11 . The cargo tray of claim 2 wherein the planks are pre-joined as a unit by an integral web and can be folded into a bundle, which has the dimensions of the flattened cargo tray when unfolded.
12 . A cargo tray for a vehicle cargo bed comprising: a deck formed by a plurality of elongate planks arranged side-by-side and interconnected along their lengths; lengths at opposite ends of the deck to form the planks into a flat surface; flat bars spanning between the support members and connected thereto to hold the support members and the planks together as a single unit; and on the front support member for pushing or pulling the cargo tray toward the front or back end of the vehicle.
13 . The cargo tray of claim 12 wherein each flat bar has one or more holes at its opposite ends aligned with corresponding holes in the support members, and screws connected through these holes and into the planks.
14 . The cargo tray of claim 12 wherein the handle assembly is rotation-limited to improve pushing leverage and reduce pinching.
15 . The cargo tray of claim 12 wherein the planks have low friction on at least one side to facilitate sliding along the vehicle cargo bed.
16 . The cargo tray of claim 15 wherein the planks comprise vinyl.
17 . The cargo tray of claim 16 wherein each plank is hollow and has a plurality of vertical ribs.
18 . A method of assembling a cargo tray comprising: positioning a plurality of equal-length planks together, side-by-side, along their lengths to form a deck; placing support members at the front and back ends of the deck, each support member being transverse to the length of the planks and being substantially straight; routing tension members having threaded ends between the support members and tightening the threaded ends with lock nuts to compress the planks longitudinally; and mounting a handle to the front support member for pushing or pulling the deck.
19 . A method for assembling a cargo tray comprising: positioning a plurality of equal-length planks together, side-by-side, along their lengths to form a deck; placing support members at the front and back ends of the deck, each support member being transverse to the length of the planks and being substantially straight; laying flat bars across the deck, one end of each flat bar being attached to one of the support members and the other end of each flat bar being attached to the other support member; and mounting a handle to the front support member for pushing or pulling the deck.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/833,222 filed Nov. 7, 2024, having the title “Easily Assembled Cargo Tray” by James A. Lachenberg, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pickup trucks are excellent for carrying large loads that do not fit easily, or at all, into most vehicles including SUVs. The large open space behind the enclosed seating area accommodates bulky and heavy loads, although getting such loads in and out of the vehicle bed can be quite a challenge. Typically, a truck owner needs to place the load into that part of the bed near the tailgate and then climb into the bed to move it forward so that more stuff can be loaded - a non-trivial task. This is then repeated in reverse when unloading the trunk bed. To deal with these concerns, many designs exist that provide a large flat platform (e.g. 4 ft×6 ft) that fits between the wheel wells of the truck and slides back and forth. In some cases, the platform includes wheels on its bottom side to facilitate sliding, while in other cases rails are installed in the trunk bed for the same purpose. While these solutions work well, they are quite expensive and cannot be easily shipped to, or assembled and installed by a pickup-truck owner and not require an automotive expert or company to install. Accordingly, what is desired is an easily assembled cargo tray, sometimes called a truck-bed slider, for pickup trucks, SUVs or other vehicles, that can be conveniently shipped to and installed by the vehicle owner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cargo tray comprises a plurality of side-by-side interconnected planks that are clamped by front and rear transverse support members. In one embodiment, wire-rope or cylindrical metal rod tension members draw the support members together to place the planks in longitudinal compression. Alternatively, tension members can be avoided by rotating the cargo tray 90 degrees and interchanging the length and width dimensions of its planks. In another embodiment, flat bars connect the front and rear support members to clamp the planks. The transverse support members align the planks into a flat surface so that the planks can function as a sliding deck. At least one handle is attached to the front end of the tray for pulling or pushing it. The handle may be rotation-limited to improve pushing leverage while reducing pinching. Illustratively the planks are made from vinyl and are hollow with vertical ribs. Vinyl reduces the weight of the planks when compared with other materials used in known cargo tray designs and slides easily on most surfaces to avoid the need for rollers. Its hollow structure allows the tension members to pass through the planks without interfering with the top or bottom surfaces of the tray, while its vertical ribs increase the structural integrity of the tray when carrying heavy loads. DRAWINGS Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 shows the cargo tray of the present invention installed in the bed compartment of a typical pickup truck between its wheel wells. The tailgate of the pickup truck is shown pulled down with the cargo tray pulled out a bit. FIG. 2 is a top view of the cargo tray showing a plurality of joined planks supported at its opposite ends by a pair of rigid members. The front member has a pair of attached handles to facilitate pushing or pulling the cargo tray in and out of the bed compartment. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of one plank showing its tongue and groove construction, hollow structure, and vertical ribs. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of an alternate design for a plank with interlocking tongue and groove construction. FIG. 5 is an end view of a plurality of fully connected planks that are held together as a bundle by the same material used in making the planks. FIG. 6 is a front-side perspective view of the front and rear support members that align the planks in the transverse direction and hold them together as a flat unit using tension members. FIG. 7 is a front-side perspective view of the cargo tray and a Detail A showing the shape of the front support member and one of its attached handle assemblies. FIG. 8 shows two different tension member designs that extend between the front and rear support members for pulling them towards each other in order support the planks as a unit when the cargo tray is pulled or pushed. Also shown is a metal bar that can replace the use of tension members if desired. FIG. 9 is a front-side perspective view of the front and rear support members that hold and align the planks (not s