Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner has at least one pair of under-cut load restraint pockets formed by portions of opposed bedliner sidewalls. The pockets are recessed from the sidewall so that a load restraining member such as a 2.times.4 beam or a cylindrical pipe may be pressed downwardly to be snapped into engagement with the pockets. The pockets support the boards in a horizontal orientation, with the wide dimension of the board extending from front to back within the liner to give greater board stiffness against loads shifting from front to back. The pockets may be formed in either under the rail bedliners or in over the rail bedliners.

Abstract: A pickup truck cargo bed liner is disclosed which is vacuum formed of unitary plastic and adapted to fit within and protect the contours of a pickup truck cargo bed. An electrically conductive plastic film material is co-formed with and integrally adhered to the plastic forming the liner to provide an electrically conductive film thereon for preventing and dissipating static electricity buildup on the liner surface. Conductive means provide an electrically conductive contact between the conductive plastic film and a normally grounded portion of the vehicle.

Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner has at least one pair of under-cut load restraint pockets formed by portions of opposed bedliner sidewalls. The pockets are recessed from the sidewall so that a load restraining member such as a 2.times.4 beam may be pressed downwardly to be snapped into engagement with the pockets. The pockets support the boards in a horizontal orientation, with the wide dimension of the board extending from front to back within the liner to give greater board stiffness against loads shifting from front to back. The pockets may be formed in either under the rail bedliners or in over the rail bedliners. In an alternative embodiment, each under-cut pocket is formed in a cross shape such that a board may be positioned horizontally or vertically.

Abstract: A utility box is mounted to a truck box without piercing the wall of the truck box. A J-bolt extends through a neoprene gasket, a washer and a back-up plate to clamp the back wall of the utility box to the front rail of a truck box. For mounting within a bedliner, the utility box is held against vertical displacement by stair stepped brackets which are bolted to the utility box to extend beneath the truck side rails. The upper faces of the stair steps are designed to interface with a variety of truck models of varying widths. When mounted in a truck box with an over-the-rail bedliner, a bolt is positioned inside the utility box and such that a shank passes through the wall of the utility box and the side wall of the liner. A spacer is positioned on the shank between the utility box wall and the wall of the liner. A collapsible nut mounted or the shank passes partway through the liner wall.

Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic truck bedliner has at least one pair of under-cut load restraint pockets formed by portions of opposed bedliner sidewalls. The pockets are recessed from the sidewall so that a load restraining member such as a 2.times.4 beam may be pressed downwardly to be snapped into engagement with the pockets. The pockets support the boards in a horizontal orientation, with the wide dimension of the board extending from front to back within the liner to give greater board stiffness against loads shifting from front to back. The pockets may be formed in either under the rail bedliners or in over the rail bedliners. In an alternative embodiment, each under-cut pocket is formed in a cross shape such that a board may be positioned horizontally or vertically.

Abstract: A thermoplastic sheet is thermoformed to produce a bedliner with molded side walls which extend under the side rails of a pick-up truck. Each liner side wall has dished portions or recesses on each side of the truck box wheel well. The recesses extend beneath the truck box rail and provide access to truck box side wall structure such as board holders. Each recess is defined by a skirt which extends outwardly from the inner portions of the side wall to a generally vertical outward side wall panel which defines the outward portion of the recess. The skirt extends horizontally, for example in the plane of the board holder pocket, and extends upwardly on each side of the recess. An undercut stiffening flange is formed to extend inwardly from the outward side wall panel, and runs between the upwardly extending portions of the skirt. The undercut flange, together with the skirt and the outward side wall panel defines a rigidifying shell which contributes to the overall stiffness of the bedliner side wall.

Abstract: The invention provides a thermoplastic bed liner that is molded with side walls which are formed using large draft angles and which are hinged to the bottom wall along fold lines so that the side walls are pivotable from as molded positions to substantially more upright installed positions. To finish the molded bed liner, blank or cutout sections are removed from the front corners of the bed liner and from between wheelwell covers and the bottom wall of the bed liner. Removal of the cutout sections permits the side walls to be pivoted between their as molded positions and their installed positions.

Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic bed liner has a bottom wall which overlies the floor of a truck cargo bed and two side walls which extend upwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall on opposite sides. A vertically extending channel is formed in each liner side wall which extends exterior to the side wall and which engages with a board member to restrict movement of cargo with the truck bed. The channel extends into an intermediate volume defined between a truck bed side wall and the liner side wall. Each channel has an exterior wall and two side walls. The exterior wall extends generally perpendicular to the liner bottom wall at an angle less than the angle of the side walls. Channels may be provided which are spaced above the bottom wall for supporting elevated load restricting boards.

Abstract: The invention provides a tool or utility box for use in the cargo bed of a pick-up truck. The utility box includes spaced apart legs that provide a space beneath the box to accommodate sheet material and that are hollow to provide drainage compartments to collect water so that it can be effectively drained from the utility box. The utility box also includes ribbed walls that provide slots for receiving dividers, and trays can be supported inside or outside of the utility box and secured against movement by detents.

Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic bed liner has a bottom wall which overlies the floor of a truck cargo bed and two side walls which extend upwardly and outwardly from the bottom wall on opposite sides. A rolled lip extends downwardly from the liner bottom wall into a hole in the bed floor and allows access to a tie down pin. An alternative bed liner has a raised lip which extends above the truck bed floor to prevent the entrance of liquids into the hole. Another alternative bedliner has a routed opening around the bed hole which is fitted with a robber cap with a rolled lip or with a rubber cap with a barbed edge which engages beneath the bed floor opening.

Abstract: A four-station rotary thermoformer has a rotary carriage which transports a sheet of thermoplastic material clamped on a subframe through a load/unload station; a heating station; a forming station where the sheet is molded; and a cooling station removed from the mold where the part is cooled on the subframe. The molded sheet is cooled in a cavity which has a lower portion mounted on a lift which travels vertically to engage against an upper portion and enclose the sheet for cooling. A multiplicity of air vents discharge cooling air into the cavity. Cooling air leaves the cavity through recirculation duct. The supply of air within the cooling cavity results in a uniform current of air against the article's surface, thus providing uniform cooling. A programmable controller controls the supply of cooling air and receives input from an infrared sensor which detects the temperature of the thermoformed article and also receives information from a sensor of the cooling air temperature.

Abstract: A thermoformed thermoplastic panel has three V-shaped protrusions which extend into engagement with the ramped depressions within a truck tailgate to automatically align the upper edge of the panel with the rail cap of the tailgate. The panel forms a protective cover for the tailgate and is held in place by screws having large, wide, flat heads which overlie the upper surface of the cover. The screws have shanks which have a nonthreaded portion adjacent to the head and a tapered, threaded portion at the end. The screws are tightened to bring the tailgate cover upper edge adjacent to the tailgate cap.

Abstract: A twin sheet thermoformed pallet upper deck has a reinforcing metal substrate and downwardly protruding detents which engage with a hoisting cable or strap. Notches are formed on the sides of the top deck and restrict the escape of the cable when the pallet is elevated. A twin sheet thermoformed, metal substrate reinforced, lower deck is bolted to the upper deck through injection molded plastic legs which have upper and lower protrusions which fit within semi-circular pockets located on the upper and lower decks. Fasteners extend through metal gusset plates welded to the upper and lower deck substrates to form a rigid and strong pallet.

Abstract: Protection for the rear carpet areas of an automobile such as a sport utility vehicle is provided by a unitary sheet of heavy-gauge extruded, high-density polyethylene. The floor liner has a floor panel which covers the floor of the cargo area of a sports utility vehicle. The floor panel has sides which extend along and are tucked under the wheel well trim panels on either side of the cargo area. Integrally formed with, and attached to, the forward edge of the floor panel, are two cargo extension panels. The cargo extension panels form a continuation of the forward edge of the cargo floor panel and are separated from each other by a seat back accommodation slot. This slot divides the cargo extension panels so that each panel corresponds to the width of the seat back positioned forward of each panel. Continuing on from the cargo extension panels are recumbent panels which are integrally formed with and joined to the cargo panels. These in turn are joined to integrally formed seat back panels.

Abstract: Reinforced twin-sheet thermoformed articles are produced by heating first and second sheets of thermoplastic material; forming the sheets in molds; heating a reinforcing insert of thermoplastic material; placing the heated insert on the first sheet in its mold at the location to be reinforced; pressing the second sheet into contact with the heated first sheet and the heated insert to form the insert between the sheets so that a fusion of the thermoplastic sheets and the insert takes place to produce a reinforced section of the article having a desired shape and thickness. Alternatively, a heated quantity of thermoplastic liquid material may be extruded or injected between the first and second sheets within the first and second molds either by inserting the liquid material before the molds are closed or by injecting it through one of the molds.

Abstract: A bed liner has a bottom panel with two upwardly extending side panels and a front panel extending upwardly between the side panels. A front rail extends frontwardly from the front panel and has a lip which extends downwardly. The front rail is adapted to overlie the front rail of a vehicle truck box. The bed liner is thermoformed such that two undercut tabs extend rearwardly from the front rail lip beneath a truck box front rail. The tabs engage within a cavity formed in the front rail and snap in place to hold the liner fixed with respect to the truck box. Portions of the liner front panel are undercut to extend horizontally beneath the liner front rail towards the undercut tabs.

Abstract: A plastic pallet has a twin sheet thermoformed upper deck reinforced with a tubular metal substrate. Injection molded plastic octagonal posts have support member walls which are positioned beneath reinforced portions of the top deck. The posts also have a sleeve with a central bolt hole which is parallel to the support member walls. A twin sheet thermoformed lower deck is spaced from the upper deck by the posts and receives the posts in recessed pockets. Plastic bolts are inserted through the top deck, each post, and the bottom deck and are held in place by plastic T-nuts. The pallet is sealed against entry of liquid into the interior space of the pallet and may be stored on a flat surface or elevated on a rack.