Pickup truck bed extender apparatus

• US 6,513,688 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JAC Products Incorporated (JAC Holding Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JAC Products Incorporated (JAC Holding Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alexander, James W., Munoz, Donald L., Aftanas, Jeffrey M., Kmita, Gerard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin; Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US09/855,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 224/402,403,404,488,495,497,498,500,503,504,506,509,525,526 296/26.01,26.08,26.11,37.6,57.1
• US Class Current: 224/403
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/041 extensible externally of the vehicle body, e.g. to create an open luggage compartment of increased capacity devices for anchoring the boot lid while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042

Abstract

A bed extender apparatus for use with a truck bed of a vehicle such as a pickup truck. The bed extender includes a center wall having a pair of uprights at opposite ends thereof. A pair of end walls are pivotably coupled to the uprights and can be folded down over the center wall when the bed extender is not in use, or attached to sidewalls of the truck bed to place the bed extender in a bed extending configuration. The center wall is secured to an inside surface of a tailgate of the vehicle by a pair of mounting assemblies. The mounting assemblies allow the bed extender to be quickly slidably detached from the truck bed when not needed. The bed extender can also be installed within the truck bed to provide an article restraining function.

Claims

1. A bed extender apparatus for enlarging the effective cargo area of a bed of a pickup truck, comprising:

a center wall having a length sufficient to extend along a major portion of a tailgate of said pickup truck;

a pair of end walls pivotally secured to said center wall at opposite longitudinal ends of said center wall;

at least one mounting assembly for pivotally and releasably securing said center wall to an inner wall of said tailgate;

a securing assembly operably associated with one of said end walls for securing said one end wall to one of said sidewalls of said bed of said pickup truck; and

wherein said mounting assembly enables said center wall to be detached from said tailgate, reoriented 180 degrees and resecured within said bed with said center wall resting within said bed forwardly of said end wall, and said securing assembly securing said one end wall to said sidewall, to thereby enable said bed extender to perform a cargo restraining function for articles placed inbetween said center wall and said tailgate.

2. The bed extender of claim 1, wherein said center wall includes a pair of uprights defining opposite longitudinal ends of said center wall.

3. The bed extender of claim 2, wherein said mounting assembly comprises a first element and a second element, and wherein said first element is operably associated with one of said uprights and said second element is fixedly secured to said inside surface of said tailgate;

and

wherein said first element is slidably engageable and disengageable with said second element.

4. The bed extender of claim 1, wherein said mounting assembly comprises a latching pin assembly, and

wherein said mounting assembly is pivotally secured to a portion of said center wall such that pivotal movement of said center wall serves to actuate said latching pin assembly, thereby causing said latching pin assembly to be released from said first mounting element.

5. The bed extender of claim 1, wherein said center wall is pivotally mounted by said mounting assembly to said tailgate;

and

wherein said center wall can be folded down generally flush against said interior wall of said tailgate; and

wherein said center wall includes a hold down assembly for securing said center wall in a folded orientation.

6. The bed extender of claim 1, wherein each of said end walls includes an end post;

wherein said center wall includes a support member extending longitudinally between opposite ends thereof; and

each said end post includes a recess positioned to receive said support member therein when said end walls are pivoted toward said center wall.

7. The bed extender apparatus of claim 1, wherein said uprights each comprise:

a plurality of fittings interengaged with one another to form a tubular length spanning a height of said center wall;

a rod extending through said fittings;

wherein first ends of selected ones of said fittings each include an upstanding shoulder; and

wherein second ends of selected ones of said fittings each include an inwardly protruding shoulder, said inwardly protruding shoulders engaging with said upstanding shoulders to limit pivotal movement of said end walls when said bed extender is in said cargo restraining orientation.

8. A cargo bed extender for use with a vehicle such as a pickup truck having a truck bed, said bed extender comprising:

a center wall having a pair of uprights at opposite longitudinal ends thereof;

a pair of end walls mounted pivotally to said uprights;

a mounting assembly having a first mounting element secured to one of said uprights and a second element fixedly secured to an inside surface of a tailgate of said truck bed, wherein said first and second mounting elements are slidably engageable and disengageable with one another, and wherein said first mounting element is pivotally coupled to said upright;

a pair of securing assemblies for releasably securing said end walls to interior wall portions of a pair of sidewalls of said truck bed;

said end walls being foldable generally flush with said center wall when said end walls are not secured to said sidewalls, and said center wall being foldable generally flush against said inside surface of said tailgate when said bed extender is not in use;

wherein said upright can be completely detached from said second mounting element and reoriented 180 degrees such that said center wall is supported within said bed forwardly of said tailgate, thus enabling said bed extender to be used as a cargo restraining implement for articles positioned in said bed between said center wall and said tailgate when said tailgate is in a raised position.

9. The bed extender of claim 8, wherein said center wall comprises a hold down assembly;

and

wherein said inside surface of said tailgate comprises securing structure for engaging with said hold down assembly so that said center wall can be secured in a folded orientation against said inside surface of said tailgate when said bed extender is not in use.

10. The bed extender of claim 8, wherein said end walls each include an end post;

and

wherein each said end post includes a recess adapted to receive a portion of said center wall when said end posts are folded against said center wall, to thereby place said bed extender into a compact, folded orientation.

11. The bed extender of claim 8, wherein said center wall includes a plurality of longitudinal members;

wherein said end walls each include a plurality of end wall support members; and

wherein said end wall support members reside inbetween said support members of said center wall when said end walls are folded onto said center wall, thereby forming a compact assembly when said bed extender is not in use.

12. The bed extender of claim 8, wherein said securing assembly includes:

a locking component secured to an inside surface of one of said sidewalls of said truck bed; and

a latching pin assembly having a manually engageable plunger for releasing said latching pin assembly from engagement with said locking component.

13. The bed extender of claim 12, wherein said locking component comprises a locking bar secured to said inside surface of said one sidewall.

14. A bed extender for the bed of a vehicle such as a pickup truck, said bed extender comprising:

a center wall defined by a pair of uprights and a plurality of supports extending longitudinally perpendicularly between said uprights;

a pair of mounting assemblies disposed at lower ends of said uprights;

said mounting assemblies each comprising a first element secured to one of said lower ends and a second element secured to an inside wall surface of a tailgate of said vehicle, said first and second elements further being slidably engageable to releasably secure said uprights to said inside surface of said tailgate, and further enabling pivotal movement of said center wall between a position parallel to said inside wall surface and a position perpendicular to said inside wall surface of said tailgate;

a pair of end walls pivotally secured to said uprights;

a pair of securing assemblies associated with said end walls;

a second pair of mounting components secured to inner walls of each of a pair of sidewalls of said vehicle for releasably engaging said locking assemblies; and

wherein said mounting assemblies enable said center wall to be detached from said tailgate, rotated 180 degrees and resecured such that said uprights rest within said truck bed forwardly of said tailgate and said securing assemblies secure said end walls to said mounting components, to thereby permit said bed extender to function as a cargo restraining device for articles disposed within said bed inbetween said center wall and said tailgate when said tailgate is in a raised position.

15. The bed extender of claim 14, further comprising a hold down assembly associated with said center wall for securing said center wall in a folded orientation against said inside wall surface of said tailgate.

16. The bed extender of claim 14, wherein each said securing assembly includes:

a locking component secured to an inside surface of one of said sidewalls of said truck bed; and

a latching pin assembly having a manually engageable plunger for releasing said latching pin assembly from engagement with said locking component.

17. The bed extender of claim 16, wherein said locking component comprises a locking bar secured to said inside surface of said one sidewall.

18. The bed extender of claim 14, wherein said end walls each include an end post;

and

wherein each said end post includes a recess adapted to receive a portion of said center wall when said end posts are folded against said center wall, to thereby place said bed extender into a compact, folded orientation.