Lidded storage box for vehicles

Abstract

A composite lid for a vehicle storage container for use in a truck bed has an outer sheet metal member including a top portion having a first inner surface with a rim portion extending around a periphery of the top portion. The lid has an inner sheet metal member positioned in a spaced apart relationship to the top portion, where the inner sheet member has a second inner surface opposed to the first inner surface to define an enclosed interior. The lid has a sandwich panel fixedly secured in the enclosed interior for reinforcing the structural integrity of the lid, where the panel has a corrugated core bonded to the interior of both the inner and outer sheet metal members. The panel is composed of the corrugated core of a cellulosic honeycomb structure bonded between an upper paper layer and a lower paper layer.

1 . A composite lid for a vehicle storage container, the lid comprising: 
 an outer sheet member including a top portion having a first inner surface with a rim portion extending around a periphery of the top portion;    an inner sheet member positioned in a spaced apart relationship to the top portion, the inner sheet member having a second inner surface opposed to the first inner surface to define an enclosed interior; and    a sandwich member fixedly secured in the enclosed interior for reinforcing the structural integrity of the lid, the sandwich member having a corrugated core bonded on one side to the first inner surface and bonded on the other side to the second inner surface.    
   
   
       2 . The composite lid of  claim 1 , wherein the sandwich member further comprises a first face layer that is attached between the corrugated core and the first inner surface.  
   
   
       3 . The composite lid of  claim 2 , wherein the sandwich member further comprises a second face layer that is attached between the corrugated core and the second inner surface.  
   
   
       4 . The composite lid of  claim 2 , wherein the corrugated core is bonded directly to the second inner surface of the inner sheet member.  
   
   
       5 . The composite lid of  claim 4 , wherein the outer sheet member and the inner sheet member are made of similar material.  
   
   
       6 . The composite lid of  claim 5 , wherein the material is metal selected from the group comprising steel and aluminum.  
   
   
       7 . The composite lid of  claim 3  further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners for securing the inner sheet member to the outer sheet member around the rim periphery.  
   
   
       8 . The composite lid of  claim 4  further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners for securing the inner sheet member to the outer sheet member around the rim periphery.  
   
   
       9 . The composite lid of  claim 2 , wherein the corrugated core is a honeycomb structure.  
   
   
       10 . The composite lid of  claim 9 , wherein the honeycomb structure has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group comprising polygonal and circular.  
   
   
       11 . The composite lid of  claim 10 , wherein the cross-sectional shape is hexagonal.  
   
   
       12 . The composite lid of  claim 2 , wherein the corrugated core is made of material selected from the group comprising metals, plastics, and composites.  
   
   
       13 . The composite lid of  claim 2 , wherein the first face layer is made of material selected from the group comprising metals, plastics, and composites.  
   
   
       14 . The composite lid of  claim 9 , wherein the first face layer is made of cellulosic material.  
   
   
       15 . The composite lid of  claim 14 , wherein the honeycomb structure is made of cellulosic material.  
   
   
       16 . The composite lid of  claim 15  further comprising side portions for positioning the outer sheet member to the inner sheet member in the spaced apart relationship.  
   
   
       17 . The composite lid of  claim 16  further comprising the inner sheet member having a coupling configured for coupling with at least one actuator for opening the lid when connected to a box of the container.  
   
   
       18 . The composite lid of  claim 17 , wherein the bonding of the sandwich member is discontinuous around a region of the second inner surface adjacent to the coupling, the discontinuous bonding region for inhibiting delamination of the bonding between the sandwich member and the second inner surface.  
   
   
       19 . The composite lid of  claim 2  further comprising a plurality of the sandwich members.  
   
   
       20 . The composite lid of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of sandwich members are positioned in a central region of the enclosed interior and spaced from the periphery of the rim.  
   
   
       21 . A method of manufacturing a composite lid for a vehicle storage container, the method comprising the steps of: 
 forming an outer sheet member to include a top portion having a first inner surface and a rim portion extending around a periphery of the top portion;    bonding one side of a sandwich member to the first inner surface, the sandwich member having a corrugated core; and 
 bonding a second inner surface of an inner sheet member to the other side of the sandwich member for positioning the inner sheet member in a spaced apart relationship to the top portion, the second inner surface opposed to the first inner surface to define an enclosed interior;  
 wherein the sandwich member reinforces the structural integrity of the lid by having the corrugated core bonded to both the first inner surface and the second inner surface.  
   
   
   
       22 . The method of manufacturing the composite lid of  claim 21  further comprising the step of attaching a first face layer between the corrugated core and the first inner surface.  
   
   
       23 . The method of manufacturing the composite lid of  claim 22  further comprising the step of attaching a second face layer between the corrugated core and the second inner surface.  
   
   
       24 . The method of manufacturing the composite lid of  claim 22  further comprising the step of securing the inner sheet member to the outer sheet member around the rim periphery by a plurality of mechanical fasteners.  
   
   
       25 . The method of manufacturing the composite lid of  claim 23 , wherein the corrugated core is a honeycomb structure made of a cellulosic material.  
   
   
       26 . The method of manufacturing the composite lid of  claim 21 , wherein the bonding of the sandwich member in discontinuous around a region of the second inner surface adjacent to an acutator coupling for inhibiting delamination of the bonding between the sandwich member and the second inner surface, the actuator coupling configured for coupling with at least one actuator for opening the lid.