Pick-up style utility vehicle with expandable cargo bed

• US 8,136,857 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takahashi, Hideyuki, Stauffer, Austin, Yamashita, Shigeru, Boyle, Mike, Shimizu, Hirohito, Kanai, Masashi, Awazu, Yoshitaka, Nakamura, Shigeto, Miyauchi, Takashi, Takehara, Yoshiya, Shimomura, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutman, H
• Application Number:
  US12/649,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.4, 296/24.43, 296/26.08, 296/26.09, 296/26.1, 296/26.11, 296/63, 296/65.01, 296/66, 296/65.05, 296/65.09, 296/183.1, 296/186.4, 280/DIG.5
• US Class Current: 296/26.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3011 the back-rest being hinged on the cushion, e.g. "portefeuille movement"
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/309 rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0083 Pick-up trucks; Light trucks; Sport utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/06 Safety nets, transparent sheets, curtains, or the like, e.g. between occupants and glass B60R21/026 , B60R21/11, B60R21/12, B60R21/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/04 arranged at rear of vehicle B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 47/003 convertible in order to modify the number of seats foldable compact cars B62D31/006; convertible from one use to a different one B60P3/42

Abstract

A pick-up style utility vehicle includes a front seat, a rear seat, a cargo bed expandable in a front direction, and a screen shield arranged at a front end of the cargo bed. The cargo bed can be changed between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction into a riding space, and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space. The screen shield is slidably supported by a vehicle body configuring portion, for example, a guide portion provided on an expandable side panel and extending in a front and rear direction, so as to be movable in a front and rear direction between an expanded position and a non-expanded position.

Claims

1. A pick-up style utility vehicle comprising:

a front seat;

a rear seat located behind the front seat;

a cargo bed located behind the rear seat and having side panels; and

a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed, wherein;

the cargo bed is changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction into the riding space, and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space;

the side panels of the cargo bed are provided with guide portions extending in a front and rear direction, respectfully;

the guide portions are formed on inner side surfaces of the side panels in a vehicle width direction; and

the screen shield is slidably supported in the front and rear direction by the guide portions so as to move in the front and rear direction between an expanded position and a non-expanded position.

2. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a lock lever engaging mechanism, for fixing the screen shield at a front end of the side panels in the expanded state, is provided at a front end of at least one of the guide portions.

3. A pick-up style utility vehicle comprising:

a front seat;

a rear seat located behind the front seat;

a cargo bed located behind the rear seat and having side panels; and

a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed, wherein;

the cargo bed is changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction into the riding space, and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space;

the side panels of the cargo bed are provided with guide portions extending in a front and rear direction, respectively;

each of the guide portions is formed on a side surface of the respective side panel in a recess shape opened laterally, and an inclined surface inclined in a downward direction outward of the guide portion is formed at a lower end of the guide portion;

the guide portions are formed on inner side surfaces of the side panels in a vehicle width direction; and

the screen shield is slidably supported in the front and rear direction by the guide portions so as to move in the front and rear direction between an expanded position and a non-expanded position.