Pick-up style utility vehicle with expandable cargo bed

• US 8,205,924 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors Ltd (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Masuda, Yoshihiro, Tanaka, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROMAIN, PINEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/647,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 296/183.1, 296/182.1, 296/26.1, 296/26.11, 296/24.43, 160/24, 160/23.1, 280/748
• US Class Current: 296/24.43
• 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 5/047 collapsible by rolling-up

Abstract

A pick-up style utility vehicle has a front seat, a rear seat, a cargo bed that is expandable forward, and a screen shield arranged at the front end of the cargo bed. The position of the cargo bed can be changed between an expanded state and a non-expanded state. A winding device for the screen shield is provided on a front panel. The screen shield is made of a net material having flexibility, for example. One end of the screen shield is windably supported by the winding device. The other end of the screen shield has an engaging portion. A first engaged portion for a non-expanded position and a second engaged portion for an expanded position are provided in the cabin frame.

Claims

1. A pick-up style utility vehicle comprising:

a front seat;

a rear seat; and

a cargo bed in this order from a front of the vehicle,

the pick-up style utility vehicle further comprising;

a cabin frame surrounding a riding space in front of the cargo bed;

a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and the riding space; and

a winding device for the screen shield, the winding device being attached to the cabin frame, wherein;

the screen shield is made of a flexible material, and a first end of the screen shield is windably supported by the winding device;

the cargo bed is changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded forward so as to occupy at least part of the riding space and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space;

a second end of the screen shield has an engaging portion; and

a front panel of the cargo bed includes an engaged portion, and the engaging portion of the screen shield is engageable with the engaged portion on the front panel of the cargo bed.

2. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the winding device houses the screen shield in a cross member of the cabin frame.

3. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the winding device is attached to the cabin frame so as to be slidable forward and rearward.

4. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the screen shield is a bar, and the engaged portion of the front panel is a hook that the bar can engage.

5. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the screen shield is a hook.

6. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the screen shield comprises a net material.

7. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the screen shield comprises a sheet material having a transparent portion.