U.S. patent application number 09/736895 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-28 for truck bed extension.
Invention is credited to Bauer, Cordell Eric.
Application Number | 20010005085 09/736895 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26938816 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010005085 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bauer, Cordell Eric |
June 28, 2001 |
Truck bed extension
Abstract
A truck bed extension that is convertible into a ramp. The truck
bed extension is comprised of three panels, including a back wall
and two side walls, which are hinged together to allow the truck
bed extension to be straightened when detached from the truck bed
and used as a ramp or ladder. The truck bed extension also has a
ramp lip, such that the ramp lip acts as an extension of the ramp
and is positioned on the extended tailgate of the truck. This ramp
lip reduces the angle of incline of the ramp and alleviates
"bottoming out" of the wheeled vehicles moving in and out of the
truck.
Inventors: |
Bauer, Cordell Eric; (San
Diego, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Crockett & Crockett
Suite 400
24012 Calle De La Plata
Laguna Hills
CA
92653
US
|
Family ID: |
26938816 |
Appl. No.: |
09/736895 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09736895 |
Dec 12, 2000 |
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09247651 |
Feb 9, 1999 |
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6158797 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/57.1 ;
296/26.08; 296/61 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60P 1/435 20130101;
B62D 33/0273 20130101; B60P 3/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/57.1 ;
296/26.08; 296/61 |
International
Class: |
B62D 025/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A truck bed extension for use with a truck with a truck bed
wherein the truck bed comprises a truck bed floor, a left side wall
and a right side wall, a tailgate hinged to the truck bed floor and
having latching mechanisms for releasably attaching the tailgate to
the side walls by mating with complementary latching mechanisms on
each side wall, said tailgate capable of being lowered to comprise
an essentially flat extension of the truck bed floor, said truck
bed extension comprising: a left side wall extension section, a
right side wall extension section, and a back wall section, said
left side wall extension and right wall extension being rotatably
joined by hinges to the back wall section; a ramp lip attached at a
nominal angle to one of said side wall extension sections; a first
set of latching mechanisms attached to the left side wall extension
and right side wall extension, said first set of latching
mechanisms configured to releasably engage the complementary
latching mechanisms on each side wall, and second set of latching
mechanisms attached to the left side wall extension and right side
wall extension, said second set of latching mechanisms configured
to releasably engage the latching mechanisms on the tailgate; said
left side wall extension section, right side wall extension
section, and back wall section having a folded configuration in
which the left side wall extension section and right side wall
extension section are oriented at approximately right angles to the
back wall section, forming a truck bed extension which may rest on
the tailgate when the tailgate is lowered; said left side wall
extension section, right side wall extension section, and back wall
section having a straight configuration in which the left side wall
extension section and right side wall extension section are
oriented in approximately straight alignment to the back wall
section.
2. The truck bed extension of claim 1 wherein said left side wall
extension section, right side wall extension section, and back wall
section each comprise a wall panel having a top edge and a bottom
edge, with rails extending along the top edge and bottom edge of
the wall panel, said rails extending from the wall panels so that,
when the truck bed extension is in a straight configuration forming
a ramp, the rails of the side wall extensions meet the rails of the
back wall extension to limit unfolding of the sections about the
hinges and maintain the ramp in said straight configuration, and
wherein the ramp lip can be positioned on the extended tailgate of
the truck and supported thereby.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 09/247,651 filed Feb. 9, 1999, now U.S. Pat.
No. 6,158,797 issued Dec. 12, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS
[0002] The invention relates to the field of truck design.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS
[0003] Pick up truck cargo beds may be extended with the use of
extensions added to the bed after manufacture of the truck. Ramps
may also be fitted to the pick up truck to facilitate loading
cargo. Both the truck bed extension and the ramp are often used as
temporary modifications of a typical small pick up truck. Combining
the functions of the truck bed extension and ramp, making the bed
extension releasably attached from the truck, and minimizing the
bulk of the truck bed extension, allows the owner of the truck to
temporarily modify the truck to extend the bed, eliminates the need
to carry a ramp to load, and provides for easier storage when not
in use.
SUMMARY
[0004] The truck bed extension described below is releasably
attached to a typical pick up truck bed to extend the back wall of
the bed. The truck bed extension is comprised of three panels,
including a back wall and two side walls, which are hinged together
to allow the truck bed extension to be straightened when detached
from the truck bed and used as a ramp or ladder. The truck bed
extension includes rotational stops or rotational locks which
maintain the extension in a straight condition when unfolded for
use as a ramp. The rotational stops may take the form of U-channel
rails protruding from the outside/bottom of the extension.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the truck bed extension
installed on a typical truck bed.
[0006] FIG. 2 is an illustration of the truck bed extension
detached from the truck bed and unfolded to form a ramp.
[0007] FIG. 3 is an illustration of the truck bed extension
installed on a typical truck bed.
[0008] FIG. 4 is an illustration of the truck bed extension
detached from the truck bed and unfolded to form a ramp.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a strap assembly used to affix the truck bed
extension to the truck tailgate.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a strap assembly used to affix the truck bed
extension to the inside of the truck bed wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the truck bed extension
installed on a typical truck bed. The truck may be any truck, but
for purposes of illustration it is a typical pick up truck with a
truck bed 1. The truck bed is comprised of the truck bed floor 2,
truck bed left and right sidewalls 3R and 3L, and the tailgate 4.
The tailgate is hinged to the truck bed floor, and is shown in the
open and fully lowered position. When raised, the tailgate is
secured in the upright position when latches 5 on either side of
the tailgate engage latch pins 6 near the back inside edge of the
truck bed walls. The latches are raised by the lever handle on the
outside of tailgate, which in this view is on the underside of the
open tailgate. The truck bed extension 10 is shown installed on the
truck bed. The tailgate is open, and typically lies flush with the
truck bed floor, and will serve as an extension of the truck bed
floor. The truck bed extension comprises a left wall extension 11L,
right wall extension 11R, and back wall section 12 which
reestablishes the back wall for the truck bed. The wall extensions
11L, right wall extension 11R, and back wall section 12 may be made
of aluminum or other strong material and may be of a solid
construction, mesh, solid with holes, or may be made with slats or
rungs like a ladder. The left side wall extension section and right
side wall extension section are oriented at approximately right
angles to the back wall section, and each section is vertically
oriented at substantially right angles from the lowered tailgate,
forming the truck bed extension which rests on the lowered
tailgate. Each section of the extension comprises a wall panel 13,
and each wall panel has deep rails 14 at the top and bottom of the
panel. The rails may be solid, but to limit the weight of the
entire assembly, they are preferably made of U-channel or hollow
rectangular extrusions. The back wall extension is joined to the
side wall extensions with hinges such as the piano hinges 15 shown
in the illustration.
[0012] The truck bed extension is releasably attached to the truck
with hardware that matches the latches and latch pins of the truck
(which are predetermined by the truck manufacturer). On the bottom
edge of the side wall extensions, latch pin 16 extends from the
side wall extension into mating relationship with the pre-existing
latch 5 of the tailgate. On the upper forward areas of the side
wall extensions, key holed latch plates 17 extend upwardly to the
latch pins on the truck bed, and mate with the latch pins to
secured the device in place on the truck bed. The latch pin and
latch plates of the truck bed extension are configured to match the
pre-existing truck bed latches and latch pins of the truck bed. By
using the latching hardware of the truck and matching latching
hardware on the truck bed extension, the extension latch pins 16
can be released from the tailgate latches 5 by operating the lever
handle of the tailgate which is ordinarily used to open the
tailgate. The latch plates 17 can be slipped off the truck bed
latch pins 6, and the entire truck bed extension easily removed
from the truck. Thus, the truck bed extension can be installed and
removed from the truck bed without using tools.
[0013] Alternatively, the truck bed extension can be releasably
attached to the truck with straps as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and
detailed in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the truck bed
extension installed with straps as an alternate embodiment of the
latching mechanism shown in FIG. 1. The advantage of a strap down
assembly over pre-fixed hardware latch plate and latch pin
assemblies is that it accounts for the variation in the drop or
vertical placement of tailgate latches 5 and truck bed latch pin 6,
making it easier to attach the truck bed extension to a number of
different trucks with their specific tailgate latching mechanisms.
FIGS. 3 and 4 also illustrate the wall extensions made of a rung
construction, with numerous rungs 27 spanning between the rails 14
to create surface suitable for rolling of a wheeled vehicle up or
down the ramp.
[0014] FIG. 5 details a strap assembly 18 which comprises a latch
pin 19 affixed at one end of a strap 20 and a set of D-rings 21 or
the like a distance from the latch pin end of the strap assembly.
The latch pin 19 mates with the tailgate latch 5. The end of the
strap 22 loops under the rail 14 and feeds back and through the D
rings 21, and when cinched fixes the truck bed extension 10 to the
tailgate 4. FIG. 6 details a strap assembly 23 comprising a latch
plate 24 affixed at one end of the strap 20 and a set of D-rings 21
or the like a distance from the door latch end of the strap
assembly. The latch plate 24 is key-holed to mate with the truck
bed latch pin 6. The end of the strap 22 loops under the rail 14
(or through the wall extension 11 if slatted) and feeds back and
through the D rings 21, and when cinched fixes the truck bed
extension 10 to the inside of the truck bed 3. The latch plate 24
and latch pin 19 configurations can vary depending on the type of
truck for which the truck bed extension is being attached. FIGS. 5
and 6 show latch plate 24 and latch pin 19 configurations specially
designed to work on a Ford F350.TM.. Two sets of each strap
assembly are used to affix the truck bed extension to the tailgate
and truck bed as shown in FIG. 4 (only 1 set is pictured in FIG.
3). Alternatively, all four strap down assemblies could be bunge
cords or straps with hooks.
[0015] The truck bed extension is convertible into a ramp which may
be used to load cargo into the truck bed, and is well suited to
facilitate rolling cargo such as motorcycles up into the truck bed.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the truck bed extension 10 detached
from the truck bed and unfolded to form a ramp. The sidewall
extensions 11R and 11L and backwall extension 12 unfold to form a
straight ramp. The rails 14 extend upwardly from the walking
surface 25 of the ramp and meet in interfering contact to prevent
over-rotation of the hinge and maintain the sections in flat
alignment. When the truck bed extension is in the straight
configuration, the rails of the side wall extensions meet the rails
of the back wall extension to limit unfolding of the sections about
the hinges to maintain the ramp in a substantially straight
configuration under load, and thus function as rotational stops.
Rotational locks and locking hinges, such as those used on folding
ladders, may also be employed to maintain the truck bed extension
in the flat ramp configuration. The rails also function as side
guards, preventing objects being transported on the ramp from
sliding or rolling off the ramp. A ramp lip 26 may be provided on
one or both side wall extensions, hinged to a side wall extension
to permit the lip to be folded against the inside of the side wall
extension when installed, and unfolded when the side wall extension
is unfolded, creating a landing or level extension of the ramp for
resting on the tailgate. The ramp lip need not necessarily be
hinged to a side wall extension, but could be welded, bolted, or
otherwise fastened to either side wall extension at a nominal angle
to create the level extension. Further, the ramp lip could be an
extension of either side wall extension and bent at the nominal
angle to create the ramp extension.
[0016] Thus, while the preferred embodiments of the devices and
methods have been described in reference to the environment in
which they were developed, they are merely illustrative of the
principles of the inventions. Other embodiments and configurations
may be devised without departing from the spirit of the inventions
and the scope of the appended claims.
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