Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Racks
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-23
2004-03-02
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Racks
C296S057100, C296S026050, C296S026090, C296S026020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698810
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a telescoping, truck tailgate extension which can be utilized in seven different configurations for eight different functions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pickup trucks have long been known for their capability of transporting a wide variety of objects. However, there are at least seven problems associated with conventional pickup truck design which the current invention solves. Pickup beds come in a variety of lengths, from just 125 cm (50″) for the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, up to 245 cm (96″) for the Ford F350 Super Duty. Many pickup truck beds are in the 180-200 cm (70″-80″) range which means that loads which exceed the bed length, such as 245 cm (8′) lumber, are typically carried by placing one end on the floor of the truck bed nearest the cab and placing the other end on either the upper edge of the closed tailgate, or on the opened the tailgate. Tailgate heights vary from approximately 40 cm (16″) up to about 50 cm (20″), with the majority being approximately 50 cm (20″). For convenience, the term “tailgate height” will be used to denote both the height of the tailgate in the closed or vertical position, as well as, the added bed length when the tailgate is in the open or horizontal position. When the tailgate is lowered to i ts horizontal position, this typically adds approximately 50 cm (20″) to the bed length, more than enough to accommodate 245 cm (8′) loads in standard beds of 180-200 cm (70″to 80″). Unfortunately, tailgates uniformly have no tie-down points which makes securing the load, in either the closed/upright or open/horizontal position, very difficult. This constitutes a major safety hazard when carrying loads longer then the bed of the truck (Problem #1).
The inability to secure cargo against a closed truck tailgate contributes to scratching and denting the upper edge of the tailgate as cargo slides back and forth or bounces up and down as the truck navigates curves and bumps (Problem #2).
Regardless of the size of the truck bed, there will always be a load longer than the bed (Problem #3). Consider trying to carry a 395 cm (13′) canoe in a standard 200 cm (80″) truck bed: even with the 50 cm (20″) tailgate lowered, 145 cm (56″) of the canoe would still have no support, posing a potential safety hazard. This problem is compounded for the new, shorter beds of the sport utility trucks, and for the crew and king cab designs.
A fourth problem with pickups is their limited capability to safely transport bicycles. Consider a party of 4 going for a day of mountain biking—these bikes average 175 cm (68″) in length, so 4 of them laying on their sides, partially on top of each other, would take up most of the cargo area in a standard sized pickup bed, no less in a short bed of only 125 cm (50″). Additionally, with no way to secure the bikes, they would be free to rub against each other and against the pickup bed, scratching both the bikes and the bed. To free up bed space and to safely carry the bikes, the truck owner would need to purchase a separate, added-cost bike rack.
A fifth problem with pickup trucks is their limited capability to safely transport skis. The newer sport trucks are designed to transport both people and equipment to a variety of sporting activities, including skiing. Skis range in length from under 120 cm (4 ft.) for children's skis to over 185 cm (6 ft) for cross country skis. While these lengths can be carried within the bed of most pickups, there is no way to secure the skis, so they would be free to slide about, scratching both the skis and the pickup bed. This would be especially true when the pickup is negotiating twisty mountain roads to get to a ski area. To free up bed space and to safely carry skis, the truck owner would need to purchase a separate, added-cost ski rack.
A sixth problem with pickup trucks is the fact that to carry loads at roof-top height the owner must purchase a separate rack system, frequently called a lumber rack or contractor's rack, which is usually permanently installed. These racks are expensive and have limited value to the average truck owner who is not hauling construction materials on a regular basis. Some truck owners attempt to carry long loads supported between the top of the closed tailgate and the rear of the truck cab roof. With only a few tie-down points to secure the cargo, this practice is particularly unsafe.
A seventh problem with pickup trucks is their limited capability to safely transport tall items which cannot be laid down in the truck bed, e.g., a refrigerator or bookcase. The truck, as it comes from the factory, has few, if any, tie-down points and has no vertical support for items taller than the bed height—usually about 40-50 cm (16″-20″).
BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
There are a variety of previous inventions which have sought to solve one or more of the above seven problems with only limited success. There are a number of inventions which are called bed extenders which place some sort of barrier or gate at the end of the lowered tailgate, including Leitner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,215, Renze, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,926, Rosebrugh, et al., U.S. Pat. 6,340,190, and De Valcourt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,593. All of these extend the usable bed space only to the end of a lowered tailgate. This accomplishes little of value over the simple expedient of lowering the tailgate. Further, all of these designs limit the length of materials that can be carried since nothing can extend over the end of the tailgate—longer items would have to be propped up over the edge of the gate which accomplishes little more than resting the items on the edge of the closed tailgate. Further, none of these designs solve the seven problems noted above. Leitner's, DeValcourt's and Rosebrugh's designs could be used to tie down cargo which was propped up on the top of their bed extenders, but none of them claim nor teach this as a benefit of their individual designs.
Stearns, U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,171, Owen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,801, and Piccariello, U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,995 have all designed tailgate extensions which effectively lengthen the tailgate to nearly twice its height. Thus, when the tailgate is lowered and the extender is extended to its full length, the effective length of the pickup bed is lengthened by nearly twice the height of the tailgate. In practice, this would be approximately 100 cm (40″) longer then the actual bed. Even though these designs allow somewhat longer loads to be carried, none of them solve the seven problems noted above. Likewise, neither Piccariello nor Stearns solve the problem of being able to safely tie down the cargo. By the very nature of their design, Owen, et al., provide a structure which can be used for tying down cargo, however Owen, et al., make no such claim and do not teach this as an advantage of their design.
Both Piccariello and Owen, et al., illustrate their extensions in the vertical position (FIG. 3 in each patent), however neither teaches us much about the function of this position. Piccariello states, “The increased height now afforded the tailgate being suitable to now properly accommodate the load, whether it be a situation in which the tailgate is in the down or the up position.” “Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tailgate extender wherein the height of a pick-up truck tailgate can be selectively adjusted.” (U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,995, Column 2, lines 14-19) Owen, et al., are equally sparse when describing the benefits of having their bed extender extended in the vertical position: “This position provides support for materials that exceed the bed height and prevents taller items from tipping out of the back of the vehicle under transportation.” (U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,801, Column 6, lines 20-22) Neither inventor claims nor teaches the possibility that his bed extender, in the vertical position, could be used to
Blankenship Gregory
Dayoan D. Glenn
LandOfFree
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