Vehicle bed storage extender

• US 20020153737A1
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tod M. Fitts
• Original Assignee: Tod M. Fitts
• Inventors: Fitts, Tod M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,676,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/26.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02

Abstract

A device for extending the storage bed of a vehicle and creating a storage receptacle at multiple locations on top of the storage bed. Adjustable length side walls are pivotally attached to an end wall to form an open top box. Two walls pivotally attached to each other and to the end wall allow formation of a storage receptacle when desired. The adjustability of the side walls permits the open top box, whether it is used to extend the storage bed, create a storage receptacle on top of the storage bed or both, to make optimal use of the storage space between the wheel wells of the vehicle and its raised tailgate, as well as to make optimal use of the additional storage bed space created by lowering the tailgate. Storage receptacles created by the open top box may be subdivided into multiple smaller storage receptacles.

Claims

1. A vehicle bed storage extender for use on a vehicle having a cab, a storage bed having a rear end, two side panels, a panel adjacent to the rear of the vehicle cab and a tailgate, the vehicle bed storage extender comprising:

(a) an end wall;

(b) two variable length side walls attached to the end wall to form a three sided open top box, the open top box being sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when its tailgate is down; and

(c) one or more vehicle mounts attached to the free end of each side wall for mounting to one or more of the panels of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, wherein the side walls are pivotally attached to the end wall such that the side walls may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the end wall, thereby forming a compact easily storable structure.

3. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a second wall pivotally connected to the end wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the end wall; and

(b) a third wall pivotally connected to the second wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the second wall and the end wall, and further configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

4. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 3, further comprising a plurality of locking dividers pivotally attached to the second wall, such that the dividers may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the second wall when the use of the dividers is not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

5. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each side wall and detachable from the top of each side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate in its down position, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

6. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, wherein the open top box is sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when its tailgate is down and to provide a storage area on top of the vehicle bed when the tailgate is up.

7. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 6, wherein the side walls are pivotally attached to the end wall such that the side walls may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the end wall, thereby forming a compact easily storable structure.

8. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

(a) a second wall pivotally connected to the end wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the end wall; and

(b) a third wall pivotally connected to the second wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the second wall and the end wall, and further configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

9. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of locking dividers pivotally attached to the second wall, such that the dividers may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the second wall when the use of the dividers is not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

10. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 6, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each side wall and detachable from the top of each side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate in its down position, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

11. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, wherein the open top box is sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when its tailgate is down to the full extent of the additional vehicle bed surface created by lowering the tailgate when the variable length side walls are extended to one position, and to provide full use of the storage space between the vehicle wheel wells and the tailgate when the orientation of the three sided box is reversed so that the end wall is nearer the front of the vehicle bed, when the variable length side walls are extended to a second position.

12. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 11, wherein the side walls are pivotally attached to the end wall such that the side walls may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the end wall, thereby forming a compact easily storable structure.

13. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

(a) a second wall pivotally connected to the end wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the end wall; and

(b) a third wall pivotally connected to the second wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the second wall and the end wall, and further configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

14. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 13, further comprising a plurality of locking dividers pivotally attached to the second wall, such that the dividers may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the second wall when the use of the dividers is not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

15. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 11, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each side wall and detachable from the top of each side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate in its down position, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

17. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 16, wherein the side walls are pivotally attached to the end wall such that the side walls may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the end wall, thereby forming a compact easily storable structure.

18. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

(a) a second wall pivotally connected to the end wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the end wall; and

(b) a third wall pivotally connected to the second wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the second wall and the end wall, and further configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

19. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 18, further comprising a plurality of locking dividers pivotally attached to the second wall, such that the dividers may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the second wall when the use of the dividers is not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

20. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 16, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each side wall and detachable from the top of each side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate in its down position, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

21. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 16, wherein the open top box is sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when its tailgate is down to the full extent of the additional vehicle bed surface created by lowering the tailgate when the dual length side walls are extended to one position, and to provide full use of the storage space between the vehicle wheel wells and the tailgate when the orientation of the three sided box is reversed so that the end wall is nearer the front of the vehicle bed, when the dual length side walls are extended to their second position.

22. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 21, wherein the side walls are pivotally attached to the end wall such that the side walls may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the end wall, thereby forming a compact easily storable structure.

23. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

(a) a second wall pivotally connected to the end wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the end wall; and

(b) a third wall pivotally connected to the second wall, sized to foldingly fit adjacent and parallel to the second wall and the end wall, and further configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

24. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 23, further comprising a plurality of locking dividers pivotally attached to the second wall, such that the dividers may be folded into a position parallel and adjacent to the second wall when the use of the dividers is not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

25. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 21, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each side wall and detachable from the top of each side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate in its down position, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

16. A vehicle bed storage extender for use on a vehicle having a cab, a storage bed having a rear end, two side panels, a panel adjacent to the rear of the vehicle cab and a tailgate, the vehicle bed storage extender comprising:

(a) an end wall;

(b) two dual length side walls attached to the end wall to form a three sided open top box, the open top box being sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when its tailgate is down, and to provide a storage area on top of the vehicle bed when the tailgate is up; and

(c) one or more vehicle mounts attached to the free end of each side wall for mounting to one or more of the panels of the vehicle.

26. A vehicle bed storage extender for use on a vehicle having a cab, a storage bed having a rear end, two side panels, a panel adjacent to the rear of the vehicle cab and a tailgate, the vehicle bed storage extender comprising:

(a) two cornerposts each having a side wall face, a back face and an end wall face;

(b) an end wall rotatably connected to the bottoms of the end wall face of each cornerpost;

(c) two side wall assemblies each pivotally attached to the side wall face of each respective cornerpost, each side wall assembly comprising;

(i) a first side wall subassembly;

(ii) a second side wall subassembly, having two vertical wall sides, sized and pivotally attached to the first side wall subassembly such that the side wall assembly is capable of having two distinct lengths when the end wall and side wall assemblies are configured as a three sided open top box;

(iii) one or more vehicle mounts attached to each vertical wall side of each second side wall subassembly;

(iv) means for locking the first side wall subassembly to the second side wall subassembly of each side wall assembly to form a locked wall; and

(d) means for locking the end wall to the end wall face of each cornerpost when the end wall and side wall assemblies are configured as a three sided open top box.