Vehicle cargo bed extender
First Claim
1. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed having an inner side, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed having an inner side and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said extender comprising:
- a first side wall;
a second side wall;
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a generally U-shaped frame having a first open side and a second open side;
a first mount on said first side wall comprising a first interlocking member defining a first mount surface; and
a second mount on said second side wall comprising a second interlocking member defining a second mount surface, said first station surface and said first mount surface, and said second station surface and said first mount surface cooperating to secure said extender to said vehicle so that said extender is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed with said first open side facing away from said tailgate and said second open side facing toward said tailgate, and wherein one of said first station surface and said first mount surface defines a first opening through which the other of said first station surface and said first mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said first panel to disengage said extender from said first panel and one of said second station surface and said second mount surface defines a second opening through which the other of said second station surface and said second mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said second panel to disengage said extender from said second panel.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved truck bed extender particularly adapted for ease of installation and removal. When not being used to extend the truck bed, the extender is advantageously adapted to quickly and easily create a secondary storage area. In one embodiment, the extender includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a connecting wall, a first mount and a second mount. The connecting wall extends between the first side wall and the second side wall, and cooperates with the first side wall and second side wall to form a generally U-shape frame. The first mount is secured to the first side wall and includes a first interlocking member. The second mount is secured to the second side wall and comprises a second interlocking member. The first interlocking member and the first mounting station on the vehicle and the second interlocking member and the second mounting station on the vehicle cooperate to secure the truck bed extender to the vehicle so that the extender is rotatable about an axis between a first and a second position. In the first position, the connecting wall is in an upright position over the tailgate beyond the rear end of the bed. In the second position, the connecting wall is in an upright position spaced forward from the rear end of the bed and the tailgate.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed having an inner side, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed having an inner side and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said extender comprising:
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a first side wall;
a second side wall;
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a generally U-shaped frame having a first open side and a second open side;
a first mount on said first side wall comprising a first interlocking member defining a first mount surface; and
a second mount on said second side wall comprising a second interlocking member defining a second mount surface, said first station surface and said first mount surface, and said second station surface and said first mount surface cooperating to secure said extender to said vehicle so that said extender is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed with said first open side facing away from said tailgate and said second open side facing toward said tailgate, and wherein one of said first station surface and said first mount surface defines a first opening through which the other of said first station surface and said first mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said first panel to disengage said extender from said first panel and one of said second station surface and said second mount surface defines a second opening through which the other of said second station surface and said second mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said second panel to disengage said extender from said second panel.
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2-6. -6. (canceled)
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7. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said extender comprising:
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a first side wall;
a second side wall;
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a generally U-shaped frame;
a first mount secured to said first side wall defining a first mount surface; and
a second mount secured to said second side wall defining a second mount surface, said first station surface and said first mount surface, and said second station surface and said first mount surface cooperating to secure said extender to said vehicle so that said connecting wall is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed, wherein said tailgate defines a latch to secure said tailgate to at least one of said first upstanding side and said second upstanding side, said vehicle bed extender further comprising at least one interlock member secured to one of said walls, sized and shaped to be releasably captured by said latch of said tailgate.
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8-11. -11. (canceled)
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12. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said extender comprising:
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a first side wall;
a second side wall;
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a generally U-shaped frame;
a first mount secured to said first side wall defining a first mount surface; and
a second mount secured to said second side wall defining a second mount surface, said first station surface and said first mount surface, and said second station surface and said first mount surface cooperating to secure said extender to said vehicle so that said connecting wall is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed, wherein said tailgate defines a latch to secure said tailgate to at least one of said first upstanding side and said second upstanding side, said vehicle bed extender further comprising at least one connector configured to secure one of said walls to said latch of said tailgate.
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13. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel, the vehicle bed extender comprising
a first side wall a second side wall; -
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall such that said first side wall, said second side wall, and said connecting wall cooperate to form a generally U-shaped frame a first mount secured to said first side wall; and
a second mount secured to said second side wall, the vehicle bed extender configured such that;
said first side wall and said second side wall are positionable between said first side panel and said second side panel, such that said first mounting station of said first side panel engages one of said first mount of said first side wall and said second mount of said second side wall, and said second mounting station of said second side panel engages the other of said first mount of said first side wall and said second mount of said second side wall, so that said bed extender is in a first mounting position with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall; and
said bed extender is configured to be moveable from said first mounting position such that said first side wall and said second side wall are positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel, such that said first mounting station of said first side panel engages one of said first mount of said first side wall and said second mount of said second side wall, and said second mounting station of said second side panel engages the other of said first mount of said first side wall and said second mount of said second side wall, so that said bed extender is in a second mounting position with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said bed forward of said rear end with said first side wall and said second side wall extending forward toward the connecting wall and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall;
wherein when said bed extender is in said first mounting position, said first mounting station of said first side panel engages said first mount of first side wall and said second mounting station of said second side panel engages said second mount of said second side wall, and in said second mounting position said first mounting station of said first side panel engages said first mount of said first side wall and said second mounting station of said second side panel engages said second mount of said second side wall.
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14. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel, the vehicle bed extender comprising:
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a first side wall;
a second side wall;
a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall such that said first side wall, said second side wall, and said connecting wall cooperate to form a generally U-shaped frame;
a first mount secured to said first side wall; and
a second mount secured to said second side wall, the vehicle bed extender configured such that;
said first side wall and said second side wall are positionable between said first side panel and said second side panel, such that said first mounting station of said first side panel, said second mounting station of said second side panel, said first mount, and said second mount cooperate such that said bed extender is in a first mounting position with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall; and
said bed extender is configured to be moveable from said first mounting position such that said first side wall and said second side wall are positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel, such that said first mounting station of said first side panel, said second mounting station of said second side panel, said first mount, and said second mount cooperate such that said bed extender is in a second mounting position with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said bed forward of said rear end with said first side wall and said second side wall extending forward toward the connecting wall and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall.
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15. A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed, and a tailgate, said bed extender mountable in a first position in which said bed extender includes:
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a first side wall and a second side wall positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel such that a first mount attaches said first side wall to said vehicle and a second mount attaches said second side wall to said vehicle in said first position with a connecting wall which connects said first side wall and said second side wall, said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall; and
said bed extender is moveable from said first position to a second position with said bed extender positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel such that said first mount attaches said first side wall to said vehicle and said second mount attaches said second side wall to said vehicle with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said bed forward of said rear end with said first side wall and said second side wall extending forward toward the connecting wall and, with said tailgate closed, said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall.
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16. A method of moving a vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed, and a tailgate, the method. comprising:
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positioning said bed extender in a first position in which said bed extender includes a first side wall and a second side wall positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel such that a first mount attaches said first side wall to said vehicle and a second mount attaches said second side wall to said vehicle in said first position with a connecting wall which connects said first side wall and said second side wall, said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall; and
moving said bed extender from said first position to a second position with said bed extender positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel such that said first mount attaches said first side wall to said vehicle and said second mount attaches said second side wall to said vehicle with said connecting wall in a substantially vertical position over said bed forward of said rear end with said first side wall and said second side wall extending forward toward the connecting wall and, with said tailgate closed, said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall.
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Specification