Cargo restraint system

Claim 2

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck comprising: a liner for the truck bed, said liner having a base surface comprising at least two spaced apart cargo support surfaces and at least one recessed portion disposed between two of said support surfaces; at least one elongated primary cargo restraining element disposed within said at least one recessed portion and having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other; and a multiplicity of second cargo restraining elements capable of acting independently of one another and capable of engaging said at least one primary cargo restraining element to be slideably adjustable along the length of said primary cargo restraining element to restrain cargo disposed on said cargo support surfaces of said liner at any location along the length of said primary cargo restraining elements, said second cargo restraining elements including clamping means disposed within said channel for engaging and disengaging said clamping surfaces, guide means spaced from said clamping means and integrally associated with and extending from said second cargo restraining element and projecting into said channel, said guide means having a width greater than a width of an opening of said channel and requiring rotation in a single plane of each of said second cargo restraining element in its entirety relative to said primary cargo restraining element to insert and remove said guide means from said channel, and rotatable means associated with said clamping means for moving said clamping means toward and away said clamping surfaces to adjustably secure said second cargo restraining element along said primary cargo restraining element.

Claim 3

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said system has a plurality of primary elements and each of said primary elements are slats.

Claim 4

A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said second cargo restraining elements further comprises abutment means comprising a vertically disposable abutment member operably engageable to restrain a load at a selected position along the length of at least one of said primary cargo restraining elements.

Claim 5

An article carrier system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said abutment member has an at least substantially vertically disposable portion and an at least substantially horizontally disposable portion, and said means for clampingly engaging further comprises manually engageable means threadably engageable with said clamping element to clampingly engage said abutment means to said primary element.

Claim 6

A cargo restraint system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said second cargo restraining elements includes abutment means for positioning articles on said cargo restraint system.

Claim 7

A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said second cargo restraining elements include a transversely extending element and a tie down element.

Claim 8

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck comprising: a liner for the truck bed; a pair of slats having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper cargo supporting surfaces; at least one cargo restraining member disposed transversely between said slats and having a bracket at each end thereof to support said cargo restraining member above said slats, said bracket having means engageable and disengageable with said clamping surfaces and guide means spaced from said means and projecting into said channel, said guide means having a width greater than a width of an opening of said channel, wherein said bracket is restricted in removability to be required to be rotated in only one plane from its position of clamping engagement in order to be removed.

Claim 9

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck comprising: a liner for the truck bed; a pair of slats having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper cargo supporting surfaces; at least one cargo restraining member disposed transversely between said slats and having a bracket at each end thereof to support said cargo restraining member above said slats, said bracket having means engageable and disengageable with said clamping surfaces and guide means spaced from said means and projecting into said channel, said guide means having a width greater than a width of an opening of said channel, wherein said bracket is restricted in removability to be required to be rotated in only one plane from its position of clamping engagement in order to be removed.

Claim 10

A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said slats are secured to said bed liner.

Claim 11

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck including a liner having at least two spaced apart cargo support surfaces and at least one recessed portion disposed between two of the cargo support surfaces, comprising: a primary cargo restraining element disposed within at least one of the recessed portions below the plane of the cargo support surfaces, said primary cargo restraining element having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper article support surfaces disposed substantially in the same plane as the cargo support surfaces; and at least one second cargo restraining element capable of engaging said primary cargo restraining element to restrain cargo disposed on the cargo support surfaces of the bed liner at any location along the length of said primary cargo restraining element, each said second cargo restraining element having first means for clampingly engaging said second cargo restraining element with said primary cargo restraining element and second means spaced from said first means and projecting into said channel, said second means having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel and requiring rotation of said second cargo restraining element in only one direction prior to removal of said second cargo restraining element from said primary cargo restraining element.

Claim 12

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck including a liner having at least two spaced apart cargo support surfaces and at least one recessed portion disposed between two of the cargo support surfaces, comprising: a primary cargo restraining element disposed within at least one of the recessed portions below the plane of the cargo support surfaces, said primary cargo restraining element having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper article support surfaces disposed substantially in the same plane as the cargo support surfaces; and at least one second cargo restraining element capable of engaging said primary cargo restraining element to restrain cargo disposed on the cargo support surfaces of the bed liner at any location along the length of said primary cargo restraining element, each said second cargo restraining element having first means for clampingly engaging said second cargo restraining element with said primary cargo restraining element and second means spaced from said first means and projecting into said channel, said second means having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel and requiring rotation of said second cargo restraining element in only one direction prior to removal of said second cargo restraining element from said primary cargo restraining element.

Claim 13

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck, comprising: a liner for the truck bed, said liner having a base surface comprising a plurality of spaced apart cargo support surfaces disposed in the same plane and a recessed portion disposed between each two adjacent support surfaces of said plurality of cargo support surfaces; an elongated primary cargo restraining element disposed within at least one of said recessed portions below the plane of said cargo support surfaces, said primary cargo restraining element having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper article support surfaces disposed substantially in the same plane as said cargo support surfaces; and at least one second cargo restraining element capable of engaging said primary cargo restraining element to restrain cargo disposed on said support surfaces of said liner at any location along the length of said primary cargo restraining element, each said second cargo restraining element including guide means integrally associated with and extending from said second cargo restraining element and projecting into said channel, said guide means having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel, and clamping means disposed within said channel for engaging and disengaging said clamping surfaces and for adjustment of said second cargo restraining element along the length of said primary cargo restraining element and having manually engageable rotatable means spaced longitudinally from said guide means for engaging and moving said clamping means toward and away said clamping surfaces for clamping said second cargo restraining element to said primary cargo restraining element and for removal of said second cargo restraining element from engagement with said primary cargo restraining element, wherein said clamping means must be disengaged from said clamping surfaces and said second cargo restraining element must be rotated to remove said guide means of said second element from said channel of said primary element.

Claim 14

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a truck, comprising: a liner for the truck bed, said liner having a base surface comprising a plurality of spaced apart cargo support surfaces disposed in the same plane and a recessed portion disposed between each two adjacent support surfaces of said plurality of cargo support surfaces; an elongated primary cargo restraining element disposed within at least one of said recessed portions below the plane of said cargo support surfaces, said primary cargo restraining element having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and clamping surfaces extending longitudinally within the channel and toward each other and upper article support surfaces disposed substantially in the same plane as said cargo support surfaces; and at least one second cargo restraining element capable of engaging said primary cargo restraining element to restrain cargo disposed on said support surfaces of said liner at any location along the length of said primary cargo restraining element, each said second cargo restraining element including guide means integrally associated with and extending from said second cargo restraining element and projecting into said channel, said guide means having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel, and clamping means disposed within said channel for engaging and disengaging said clamping surfaces and for adjustment of said second cargo restraining element along the length of said primary cargo restraining element and having manually engageable rotatable means spaced longitudinally from said guide means for engaging and moving said clamping means toward and away said clamping surfaces for clamping said second cargo restraining element to said primary cargo restraining element and for removal of said second cargo restraining element from engagement with said primary cargo restraining element, wherein said clamping means must be disengaged from said clamping surfaces and said second cargo restraining element must be rotated to remove said guide means of said second element from said channel of said primary element.

Claim 15

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a vehicle, comprising: a pair of slats having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and upper cargo supporting surface means and clamping surfaces; and at least one cargo restraining member disposed at least in part between said slats comprising a pair of brackets each including means for clamping said restraining member to said slats to restrain a load at any point along the length of each of said slats, and an elongated element disposed between said brackets, said brackets including guide means spaced from said clamping means and integrally associated with and extending from said bracket and projecting into said channel and having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel and being capable of removal only upon removal of said elongated element from disposal between said brackets and rotational movement in only one direction of each of said brackets in their entirety to remove said guide means from said channel and disengage said brackets from said slats.

Claim 16

A cargo restraint system for the bed of a vehicle, comprising: a pair of slats having an upward facing channel extending longitudinally therealong and upper cargo supporting surface means and clamping surfaces; and at least one cargo restraining member disposed at least in part between said slats comprising a pair of brackets each including means for clamping said restraining member to said slats to restrain a load at any point along the length of each of said slats, and an elongated element disposed between said brackets, said brackets including guide means spaced from said clamping means and integrally associated with and extending from said bracket and projecting into said channel and having a width greater than width of an opening of said channel and being capable of removal only upon removal of said elongated element from disposal between said brackets and rotational movement in only one direction of each of said brackets in their entirety to remove said guide means from said channel and disengage said brackets from said slats.