Vehicle bed tie down device

• US 20070183860A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 89908 Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,549,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 410/110
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/0807 Attachment points

Abstract

A removable vehicle bed tie down device comprises a clamp body and a gripper assembly that is securely advanceable relative to the clamp body. The clamp body and the gripper assembly are shaped and configured to apply a gripping force to two intersecting walls of a bed rail of a vehicle such as a pick up truck. The clamp body includes a mount point and a rib that may be formed as an integrated unitary structure with the clamp body, thus providing high strength and stiffness with low manufacturing costs. The rib extends over substantially the entire outer surface of the clamp body and distributes loads applied to the mount point over the entire clamp body and to the gripper assembly.

Claims

1. A mounting device for a vehicle bed rail, comprising:

a clamp body comprising;

a first face;

a second face transverse to the first face; and

an anchor hoop positioned opposite the first face and configured to increase a rigidity of the clamp body, and

wherein the first and second faces are configured to overlie an edge of a vehicle bed rail having two adjoining walls; and

a gripper assembly having a first clamping surface and a second clamping surface, the gripper assembly being securely advanceable with respect to the clamp body such that the first and second clamping surfaces are advanceable toward corresponding first and second faces of the clamp body to clamp two adjoining walls of the edge of the vehicle bed rail.

2. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the anchor hoop is integrally formed with the clamp body.

3. The mounting device of claim 2, wherein the clamp body further comprises a rib extending from the anchor hoop across an outer surface of the clamp body opposite the second face.

4. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the gripper assembly comprises a wedge disposed on an end of a threaded shaft, and wherein the clamp body further comprises a threaded hub through which the threaded shaft passes such that the wedge is securely advanceable relative to the clamp body.

5. The mounting device of claim 4, wherein a total combined surface area of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface is at least about 0.75 square inches.

6. The mounting device of claim 4, wherein the total combined surface area of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface is between about 1 square inch and 1.5 square inches.

7. The mounting device of claim 4, wherein the clamp body further comprises a clamp extension extending transversely from the first face, and wherein the threaded hub is located near an end of the clamp extension.

8. The mounting device of claim 7, further comprising a rib extending from the anchor hoop across substantially all of the clamp extension.

9. The mounting device of claim 4, further comprising a grip wheel connected to the threaded shaft and positioned at an end opposite the wedge.

10. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the gripper assembly defines a single piece which defines said first clamping surface and said second clamping surface.

11. A mounting device for a vehicle bed rail of a vehicle bed, the mounting device comprising:

a clamp base comprising;

a generally L-shaped body portion configured to overlie an edge of a vehicle bed rail having two transverse walls;

an anchor hoop extending from the body portion toward an interior volume of the vehicle bed;

a clamp mount extending from the body portion; and

a rib extending from the anchor hoop to a location near an end of the body portion in a first direction and to a location near an end of the clamp mount in a second direction; and

a gripper assembly having first and second sides configured to be advanceable toward an apex of the generally L-shaped body portion to apply clamping force to the two transverse walls of the vehicle bed rail.

12. The mounting device of claim 11, wherein the clamp base is formed as a single integrated structure.

13. The mounting device of claim 11, said gripper assembly further comprising an advancer coupled to the clamp mount and configured to advance a portion of the gripper assembly with respect to the body portion.

14. The mounting device of claim 13, wherein the advancer comprises a threaded bolt.

15. The mounting device of claim 11, wherein the clamp mount extends from the body portion at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees.

16. The mounting device of claim 15, wherein an intersection of the first and second sides of the wedge forms an angle of approximately ninety degrees.

17. The mounting device of claim 16, wherein the generally L-shaped body portion has a first leg and a second leg, the first and second legs intersecting at an angle of approximately ninety degrees.

18. A vehicle mount device comprising:

a clamp body configured to overlie a rail of a vehicle bed comprising;

a first face;

a second face transverse to the first face;

a mount point; and

a rib extending over the clamp body; and

a wedge coupled to the clamp body, advanceable with respect to the clamp body to define an engaged position of the mount device with respect to the rail, and configured in the engaged position to apply a gripping force to two adjoining surfaces of the rail, and

wherein in the engaged position, the clamp body and the wedge are configured to maintain a location on the vehicle bed rail when a load of approximately 500 pounds is applied to the mount point along a longitudinal axis of the rail.