Vehicle bed storage extender

• US 6,676,182 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Todd M. Fitts
• Original Assignee: Todd M. Fitts
• Inventors: Fitts, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTMAN, HILARY L
• Application Number:
  US09/838,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.6, 296/26.08, 296/26.1, 296/26.11, 296/57.1, 224/402, 224/403, 224/404
• 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 extends the storage bed of a vehicle and creates 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, each said side wall having one end for attaching to the end wall and a free end, said side walls being 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 the tailgate is down;

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

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

(e) 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.

2. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, wherein the three sided open top box is sized to extend the bed of the vehicle when the tailgate is down and when the variable length side walls are extended to one position, and to provide full use of a storage space between vehicle wheel wells and the tailgate when the end wall of the three sided open top box is nearer the front of the vehicle bed, when the variable length side walls are extended to a second position.

3. 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.

4. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 1, 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 dividers are 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 said side wall and detachable from the top of each said side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate when the tailgate is down, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

6. 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, each said side wall having one end for attaching to the end wall and a free end, said side walls being 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 the tailgate is down, and to provide a storage area on the vehicle bed when the tailgate is up;

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

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

(e) 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 farther configured with the end wall, second wall and side walls to allow formation of a rectangular storage receptacle.

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 7, 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 dividers are not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.

9. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 8, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each said side wall and detachable from the top of each said side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate when the tailgate is down, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

10. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 7, wherein the end wall is pivotally attached to the bottom of each said side wall and detachable from the top of each said side wall, permitting the end wall to pivot into a position substantially coplanar with the vehicle tailgate when the tailgate is down, whereby the bed of the vehicle is extended.

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

12. 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 top, a bottom, 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 said cornerpost;

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

(i) a first side wall subassembly;

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

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

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

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

13. The vehicle bed storage extender as recited in claim 12, 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 wall assemblies 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 dividers are not desired, and further providing storage areas when locked in a position perpendicular to the second wall.