Vehicle storage compartment

US6328366A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Limited · US

Inventors

• Steven Foster · Rochester Hills, US
• Holly Giangrande · Troy, US
• Roch Tolinski · Howell, US
• Charlie Hopson · Lebanon, US
• Nicholas Kalargeros · Coventry, GB
• Rainer Grimm · Frankfurt, DE
• Carmelo Mondello · Frankfurt, DE
• Laurent Arquevaux · Sully-sur-Loire, FR

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 13, 2000
• Grant date: Dec 11, 2001
• Expiry date: Apr 13, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B62D43/10
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A vehicle body includes an undercarriage storage compartment for storing items such as a spare tire, tools and/or other types of equipment underneath a pick-up truck bed. The vehicle body includes a generally flat truck bed bottom member that extends in a longitudinal direction along the vehicle. The bottom member is mounted to a vehicle structure such as, a vehicle frame, chassis, or unibody member. The storage compartment has a support surface extending underneath the bottom member for supporting items such as the spare tire and associated tools. The storage compartment slides to an open position to allow access to the spare tire and tools and is then returned to a closed position to store the tire and tools within the storage compartment. In one embodiment, the support surface is tiltable to allow ramp access to the truck bed.