Pivotable storage unit for vehicles

A storage unit for mounting in the box of a pickup truck, said pickup box having a substantially horizontal bed, a pair of substantially vertical longitudinal sidewalls, and a lateral rear opening, said storaqe unit comprising:

• a base supporting plate anchorable to said pickup box bed;
• a substantially cylindrical support stanchion, said stanchion having at least one set of first and second radial holes in the exterior surface thereof, said first and second holes each being located at substantially the same axial distance along said stanchion and being spaced apart from one another by a selected angular distance;
• means for mounting said support stanchion to said base supporting plate in substantially vertical orientation to said pickup bed;
• at least one substantially cylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted about said vertical support stanchion, said cylindrical sleeve having a radial bore therethrough, said bore in said sleeve being positioned at substantially the same axial distance along said stanchion as said set of holes in said stanchion:
• a substantially horizontal storage shelf having a storage area, said storage shelf being mounted to said cylindrical sleeve so that said storage area is off-centered from said sleeve;
• at least one drawer moveably mounted to the underside of said storage shelf for selective movement between a closed position beneath said shelf and an open position wherein said drawer extends outwardly from beneath said shelf;
• a plunger having a pin end sized to pass through said radial bore in said sleeve and said radial holes in said stanchion, said plunger being mounted to said shelf so that said pin is in axial alignment with said bore in said sleeve;
• spring means for biasing said plunger inwardly towards said stanchion so that said pin passes through said radial bore in said sleeve and a said radial hole in said stanchion when said shelf is rotated to first and second selected angular positions, so as to lock said shelf in each said selected angular position;
• and
• operator actuated handle means for withdrawing said plunger pin from each said radial hole in said stanchion so as to selectively unlock said shelf to be rotated from said first selected angular position to said second selected angular position.

A storage unit for mounting in the box of a pickup truck, said pickup box having a substantially horizontal bed, a pair of substantially vertical longitudinal sidewalls, and a lateral rear opening, said storage unit comprising:

• a base supporting plate anchorable to said pickup bed;
• a substantially cylindrical support stanchion, said stanchion having at least one set of first and second radial holes in the exterior surface thereof, said first and second holes each being located at substantially the same axial distance along said stanchion and being spaced apart from one another by a selected angular distance;
• means for mounting said support stanchion to said base supporting plate in substantially vertical orientation to said pickup bed;
• at least one substantially cylindrical sleeve rotatably mounted about said vertical support stanchion;
• a substantially horizontal storage shelf having a storage area, said storage shelf being mounted to said cylindrical sleeve so that said storage area is off-centered from said sleeve;
• a substantially cylindrical collar moveably mounted about said stanchion, said collar having a substantially horizontal upper face for abutment against a substantially horizontal lower face of said sleeve, said collar having first and second radial holes in the exterior thereof, said holes on said collar being substantially coplanar and being spaced apart from one another by a selected angular distance, said collar further having at least one threaded radial bore therethrough;
• at least one set screw in threadable engagement with said bore for bearing against said stanchion so as to secure said collar at a selected height;
• a plunger having a pin end sized to pass through said radial bore in said sleeve and said radial holes in said collar, said plunger being mounted to said storage shelf so that said pin is in axial alignment with said bore in said sleeve;
• spring means for biasing said plunger so that said pin passes through said radial bore in said sleeve and a radial hole in said collar when said shelf is rotated to a first and second selected angular positions, so as to lock said shelf in each said angular position;
• operator actuated handle means for withdrawing said plunger pin from each said radial hole in said collar so as to selectively unlock said shelf to be rotated from said first selected angular position to said second selected angular position.