Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – End gates
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-22
2001-01-30
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
End gates
C296S055000, C296S026080, C296S026110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179360
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tailgate attachments and more particularly pertains to a new tailgate attachment for extending the cargo space of a load bed of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of tailgate attachments is known in the prior art. More specifically, tailgate attachments heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,639; U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,470; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 327,044; U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,850; U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,213; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,773.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new tailgate attachment. The inventive device includes a back panel pivotally coupled to a bottom panel. The bottom panel is designed for resting on a tailgate of a load bed of a vehicle. First and second side panels are pivotally coupled to the back panel. Each of the side panels is designed for detachable attachment to an adjacent side wall of a vehicle when the tailgate of the vehicle is generally horizontal.
In these respects, the tailgate attachment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of extending the cargo space of a load bed of a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of tailgate attachments now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new tailgate attachment construction wherein the same can be utilized for extending the cargo space of a load bed of a vehicle.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new tailgate attachment apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the tailgate attachments mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new tailgate attachment which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art tailgate attachments, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a back panel pivotally coupled to a bottom panel. The bottom panel is designed for resting on a tailgate of a load bed of a vehicle. First and second side panels are pivotally coupled to the back panel. Each of the side panels is designed for detachable attachment to an adjacent side wall of a vehicle when the tailgate of the vehicle is generally horizontal.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the general public, especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new tailgate attachment apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the tailgate attachments mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new tailgate attachment which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art tailgate attachments, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new tailgate attachment which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new tailgate attachment which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such tailgate attachment economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment for extending the cargo space of a load bed of a vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment which includes a back panel pivotally coupled to a bottom panel. The bottom panel is designed for resting on a tailgate of a load bed of a vehicle. First and second side panels are pivotally coupled to the back panel. Each of the side panels is designed for detachable attachment to an adjacent side wall of a vehicle when the tailgate of the vehicle is generally horizontal.
Still yet an other object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment that may be folded down when not in use so that the tailgate of the vehicle may be pivoted to its vertical closed position.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new tailgate attachment that helps prevent items on the load bed of the vehicle from falling out of the load bed when the tailgate is in its horizontal lowered position.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4531773 (1985-07-01), Smith
patent: 5114203 (1992-05-01), Carnes
patent: 5501500 (1996-03-01), Cannon
patent: 5735565 (1998-04-01), Papai et al.
patent: 5775759 (1998-07-01), Cummins
patent: 5788311 (1998-08-01), Tibbals
Blankenship Greg
Dayoan D. Glenn
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