Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Variable capacity of body
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-23
2004-04-13
Patel, Kiran (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Variable capacity of body
C296S026090, C296S026110, C296S026100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06719345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for extending a bed of a pickup truck, which extends the bed to rearward of the truck and surrounds both sides in a width direction of the tailgate and the rear side of the tailgate, on an upper side of the tailgate lowered in an approximate level with a rear direction of the truck.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
FIG. 10
is a perspective view for explaining a prior art, in which a pickup truck
100
is seen from upper rear side. In
FIG. 10
, a pickup truck
100
provided with a bed
103
having no roof which is monolithically formed with sidewalls
102
provided at the rear portion of a cab is shown.
A structure
110
for extending a bed is disposed on the upper side of a tailgate
104
lowered horizontally, and extends the bed rearwardly. The structure
110
is provided with a pair of sidewall portions
111
successively existing backward from the rear end of a sidewall
102
along both sides of the tailgate
104
, and a front wall portion
112
blockading an area between the rear ends of both sidewall portions
111
extending along the rear end of the tailgate
104
. The sidewall portion or front wall portion generally comprises plural stick-shaped members disposed at intervals, and therefore corresponds to a virtual wall.
A rotating axis
113
for supporting rotatably the structure
110
on a sidewall inner panel
102
a
located on rear portion of the sidewall
102
is provided on an outer side of the sidewall portion
111
. Thus, the structure
110
can be rotated forward on the rotating axis
113
, and the structure
110
can be housed in the bed
103
by closing the tailgate
104
with keeping the structure
110
on the floor
105
of the bed.
This structure
110
for extending the bed
103
is provided with a fixing belt
120
for fixing the structure
110
onto the tailgate
104
lowered horizontally. The fixing belt
120
is attached to each of both the sidewall portions
111
, and provided with a metal fitting (hook)
121
capable of engaging the tailgate
104
attached onto its end.
FIG. 11
is a perspective view for explaining the condition that the bed
103
extends rearwardly by the use of the structure
110
for extending the bed
103
.
FIG. 12
is a perspective view for explaining the condition that the structure
110
is housed. The structure
110
having the above-mentioned construction is, as shown in
FIG. 11
, fixed onto the tailgate
104
by engaging the metal fitting
121
with the tailgate
104
, and hence shake of the structure
110
generated during running of a truck can be suppressed.
On the other hand, when the structure
110
is rotated forward on the rotating axis
113
and disposed on the upper side of the floor
105
of the bed as shown in
FIG. 12
to be housed by closing the tailgate
104
, shake of the structure
110
is suppressed by bringing a tailgate inner panel
104
a
in contact with the end
111
a
of the sidewall portion
111
of the structure
110
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The structure
110
for extending the bed
103
is supported on the bed
103
only by the two rotating axes
113
disposed on left and right sides of the structure housed in the bed
103
, as shown in FIG.
12
. Hence, in case impact load is applied to the body of a truck to damage or deform the rotating axis
113
or a part supporting it, the structure is off the part supporting rotatably it to be thrown out from the bed
103
, which occasionally has a secondary influence on surroundings.
Hence, the object of the present invention is to provide the structure for extending a bed which is prevented from separating from the body when the structure housed in the bed is off the part supporting rotatably it.
The present invention to attain the object is provided by a structure for extending a bed of a pickup truck;
the structure (assembly) being rotatably supported on a rear portion of the bed of the pickup truck, the pickup truck having the bed (provided at the rear of a cab) including a floor, a pair of side walls extending longitudinally along both edge sides of the floor, and a tailgate configured to be lowered in succession to the rear end of the floor and approximate level with the rear end by tilting the tailgate;
the structure being provided on an upper side (hereafter referred to as a first upper side) of the tailgate to extend the bed rearwardly when the tailgate is lowered by rotation in a rear direction of the truck; and
the structure being provided on an upper side (hereafter referred to as a second upper side) of the floor to be housed in the bed when the tailgate is rotated in a forward direction of the truck;
wherein fixing means is provided for fixing the structure arranged on the second upper side of the floor onto the bed is provided.
According to the above-mentioned invention, the structure for extending a bed is fixed on the bed by fixing means, and hence if impact load is applied to the body of a truck whereby the structure is off a part supporting it, the structure can be fixed onto the bed so as to have no secondary influence on surroundings.
The present invention to attain the object is also provided by a structure for extending a bed of a pickup truck;
the structure (assembly) being rotatably supported on a rear portion of the bed of the pickup truck, the pickup truck having the bed (provided at the rear of a cab) including a floor, a pair of side walls extending longitudinally along both edge sides of the floor, and a tailgate configured to be lowered in succession to the rear end of the floor and approximate level with the rear end by tilting the tailgate;
the structure extending from the rear end of the sidewalls to rearward of the body along both sides of the tailgate and extending in the width direction of the truck along the rear end of the tailgate whereby the floor of the bed extends rearwardly to convert the first upper side of the tailgate to a part of the floor, when the tailgate is lowered by rotation in a rear direction of the truck; and
the structure being provided on a second upper side of the floor to be housed in the bed when the tailgate is rotated in a forward direction of the truck;
wherein fixing means is provided for fixing the structure arranged on the second upper side of the floor.
The above-mentioned invention is a further restricted embodiment of the first invention. According to the invention, the structure for extending a bed is fixed on the bed by a fixing means, and hence if impact load is applied to the body of a truck whereby the structure is off a part supporting it, the structure can be fixed onto the bed so as to have no secondary influence on surroundings.
In the structure for extending a bed, it is preferred that the fixing means permits fixing the structure arranged on the lowered tailgate onto the tailgate.
According to the above embodiment, by using the fixing means for fixing the structure on the bed when the structure is housed in the bed, the structure can be fixed onto the tailgate when the bed extends. Hence, the fixing means can be used when the structure is housed as well as extended, and therefore the fixing means is not needed to be provided in each case of housing and extending whereby the number of members can be reduced and the construction of the structure can be rendered simple to reduce coat.
In any of the structures for extending a bed, it is preferred that the fixing means has a fixing belt whose end is attached to the structure and whose length is adjustable, and a hook provided on the end of the fixing belt and capable of hooking on an anchor (part to be hooked) attached to the bed.
According to the above embodiment, the structure is rotated and arranged on the floor of the bed, and the hook of the fixing belt is engaged with the anchor before a length of the fixing belt is adjusted, whereby the structure can be fixed onto the bed.
In the above embodiment, it is preferred that;
the tailgate has a latch configured to be ho
Iwase Tsutomu
Ootsuka Tomonori
Takahashi Masataro
Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Patel Kiran
Smith , Gambrell & Russell, LLP
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