Ladder storage assembly

1. A storage assembly for storing a foldable ladder within a structure, the assembly comprising:

a first protrusion connectable to first rails of the ladder;

a second protrusion connectable to second rails of the ladder, each of the protrusions including an enlarged distal end portion;

a biasing member; and

a linear guide track connectable to the structure and to which the distal end portions of the protrusions are slidably received and retained when the ladder is in a folded position, the biasing member being configured to engage with the distal end portion of a forward said protrusion when the distal end portion of the forward said protrusion is positioned within the guide track, and the distal end portion of a rearward said protrusion being configured to fit within an enlarged slot portion of the guide track and enter within the guide track only upon the forward said protrusion acting against the biasing member, the ladder coupling to the structure thereby.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said protrusion includes an elongate member that couples the distal end portion thereof to the ladder, and wherein the guide track has a longitudinally-extending slot, the longitudinally-extending slot being shaped to enable the elongate members to slidably pass therethrough and inhibit the distal end portions of the protrusions from passing therethrough.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the protrusions includes a shaft that couples the distal end portion thereof to the ladder, the distal end portions of the protrusions coupling to and extending outwards from said shafts, and the shaft of the second protrusion being longer than the shaft of the first protrusion.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distal end portions of the protrusions are beveled.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , the ladder having a longitudinal axis and wherein the protrusions align in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the ladder.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide track has an enlarged aperture through which respective ones of the protrusions pass for positioning the distal end portions of the protrusions within the guide track.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the assembly includes a first mount subassembly coupling to and extending between the first rails of the ladder, the first protrusion coupling to the ladder via the first mount subassembly, and wherein the assembly includes a second mount subassembly coupled to the second rails of the ladder, the second protrusion coupling to the ladder via the second mount subassembly.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first mount subassembly comprises a bracket which extends between and couples to respective said first rails of the ladder via fasteners.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first mount subassembly comprises one or more protuberances which fit within one or more apertures of a top step of the ladder, with the first mount subassembly coupling to the ladder thereby.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein the one or more protuberances are one or more sleeves, and wherein the assembly further includes one or more fasteners which extend through the one or more sleeves and couple the first mount subassembly to the top step of the ladder.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion couples to a top step of the ladder extending between the first rails and wherein the second protrusion couples to a bottom horizontal member of the ladder extending between the second rails.

12. In combination, a ladder and the assembly as claimed in claim 1 .

13. The combination as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the first protrusion of the assembly couples to the first rails of the ladder and wherein the second protrusion of the assembly couples to the second rails of the ladder.

14. In combination, a vehicle, and the assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the structure to which the guide track couples is a roof of the vehicle, with the guide track coupling to an inner top surface of the roof of the vehicle.

15. In combination, auxiliary framing for a rear bed of a pickup truck and the assembly as claimed in claim 1 , the guide track coupling to an underside of said auxiliary framing.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guide track has a bottom, wherein the biasing member is positioned level with or above said bottom of the guide track, and wherein the biasing member is enclosed within the guide track.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said distal end portion of the protrusions is a frustum in shape.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , the first rails of the ladder extending along a front of the ladder and extending from a bottom of the ladder to a top of the ladder, the second rails of the ladder extending along a rear of the ladder from the bottom of the ladder to the top of the ladder, the first rails and the second rails pivotally connecting together, and wherein the distal end portions of the protrusions align with each other when the ladder is in the folded position.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein upon the rearward said protrusion entering within the guide track and the ladder thereafter being released, the biasing member biases the forward said protrusion rearward and thus the rearward said protrusion rearward and away from the enlarged slot portion of the guide track, with inadvertent dislodgement of the ladder from the guide track being inhibited thereby.