Pickup truck cargo-restraint system

A cargo-restraint system of a pickup-truck box including opposing sidewalls, the cargo-restraint system comprising:

• an anchor plate supported on one of the sidewalls of the box and defining an opening;
• and
• a tie-down including:
• a spool housing having a cleat adapted to be received within the opening to secure the housing to the anchor plate,
• a shaft extending through the housing and rotatable relative to the housing,
• a spool supported on the shaft within the housing, the spool being rotationally fixed to the shaft and rotatable within the housing via the shaft,
• a strap including a fix end attached to the spool and a free end adapted to attach to the box, wherein the spool is rotatable in a first direction to release a portion of the strap and is rotatable in a second direction to retract the strap,
• a strap-return mechanism including a biasing member having a first portion fixed to the housing and a second portion fixed to the shaft, wherein the biasing member urges the shaft in the second direction to retract the strap onto the spool,
• a ratchet assembly disposed in the housing and including a gear fixed to the shaft and a pawl fixed to the housing, the pawl being biased to engage with the gear, wherein the gear and the pawl are configured to mesh when the gear is rotated in the first direction to resist rotation of the shaft and inhibit extension of the strap and configured to not mesh when the gear is rotated in the second direction to permit rotation of the shaft in the second direction, and
• a release actuator connected to the pawl and configured to disengage the pawl from the gear when actuated, wherein the strap-return mechanism automatically retracts the strap when the release actuator is actuated.

An automatically retractable spool-type tie-down for use with a pickup truck, the tie-down comprising:

• a housing attachable to a sidewall of a pickup-truck box;
• a spring-loaded spool supported for rotation within the housing and biased in a return direction;
• a strap wound on the spool and extendable from the housing to secure cargo;
• a ratchet assembly supported by the housing and configured to resist rotation of the spool to maintain extension of the strap when engaged and to permit rotation in the return direction when disengaged to automatically recoil the strap;
• and
• a spiral spring having a first end fixed to the housing and a second end fixed to the spool, wherein the spring biases the spool in the return direction.