VEHICLE TAILGATE ENCLOSURE WITH ENHANCED ADJUSTMENT

• US 20090108612A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 89908 Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/50
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/027 movable

Abstract

A vehicle tailgate enclosure can be adapted for rapid assembly and adjustable width. The enclosure includes two side sections and a center section. The center section is formed as an assembly of two portions. The side sections can each comprise beams which are advanced into recesses of the center section and retained. The width of the tailgate enclosure can be adjusted by the depth of advancement of the beams into the recesses of the center section. The center section can be constructed of a plastic material while the side sections can be metallic, thus leading to cost and weight savings. The tailgate enclosure can be easily and rapidly assembled by hand using a single tool.

Claims

1. A vehicle tailgate enclosure configured to couple to a vehicle bed having a first side wall, a second side wall and a tailgate, the tailgate enclosure comprising:

a first side section configured to couple to the first side wall of the vehicle bed;

a second side section configured to couple to the second side wall of the vehicle bed;

a center section configured to removably couple to the first side section and the second side section and to allow adjustable spacing therebetween.

2. A vehicle tailgate enclosure configured to couple to a vehicle bed having a first side wall, a second side wall and a tailgate, the tailgate enclosure comprising a first side section composed of a first material;

a second side section composed of the first material; and

a center section extending between the first side section and the second side section and composed of a second material different from the first material, the center section being removably connected to the first and second side sections.

3. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 2, wherein the first material is a metallic material.

4. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 3, wherein the second material is a thermoplastic material.

5. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 2, wherein the first and second side sections each comprise a plurality of beams.

6. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 5, wherein the center section comprises a plurality of recesses, each recess sized and configured to receive one beam of the plurality of beams.

7. A vehicle tailgate enclosure comprising:

a first side section comprising a plurality of beams;

a second side section comprising a plurality of beams; and

a center section configured to extend between the first side section and the second side section, the center section comprising;

a first portion; and

a second portion configured to couple to the first portion;

wherein the coupling of the first portion and the second portion defines a plurality of recesses, each recess configured to receive one of the plurality of beams of the first and the second side sections.

8. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the center section is shaped and configured substantially identically to the second portion of the center section.

9. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the center section defines two laterally outer surfaces of the center section and the second portion of the center section is shaped and configured to fit within the two outer surfaces.

10. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 7, wherein the center section is comprised of a thermoplastic material.

11. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 7, wherein the first portion of the center section is configured to couple to the second portion of the center section with at least one fastener.

12. A method of assembling a vehicle tailgate enclosure comprising:

assembling a center section of the vehicle tailgate enclosure;

advancing a plurality of beams of a first side section into a corresponding plurality of recesses in the center section

advancing a plurality of beams of a second side section into a corresponding plurality of recesses in the center section; and

restraining the beams of the first side section and the second side section with respect to the center section.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein assembling the center section comprises fastening a first portion of the center section to a second portion of the center section.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein restraining the beams comprises tightening the fastening of the center section.