Pick-up style utility vehicle with expandable cargo bed

• US 8,235,443 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kokawa, Manabu, Morotomi, Satoshi, Takagi, Daisuke, Masuda, Naohisa, Yamashita, Shigeru, Kawahara, Masahiro, Morita, Hirokazu, Sakata, Masashi, Kato, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROMAIN, PINEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/649,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.43, 296/24.11, 296/26.09, 296/26.08, 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, 280/748, 280/DIG.5
• US Class Current: 296/26.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/24 for particular purposes or particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/423 from transport of persons to transport of goods
• 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 33/08 comprising adjustable means B62D33/10 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 has a front seat and a rear seat surrounded by a cabin frame, and a cargo bed in this order from the vehicle front, a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed. The cargo bed is changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded into the riding space of the rear seat and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space of the rear seat. The screen shield is supported by the upper portion of the cabin frame and is changeable between an expanded position in which the cargo bed and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned and a non-expanded position in which the cargo bed and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned without the necessity of detaching the screen shield from the cabin frame.

Claims

1. A pick-up style utility vehicle comprising:

a cabin frame having a plurality of frame members made of pipe, the frame members including an upper right side member and an upper left side member;

a front seat and a rear seat surrounded by the cabin frame; and

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

the pick-up style utility vehicle further comprising a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a riding space in front of the cargo bed,

the cargo bed being changeable between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded into the riding space of the rear seat and a non-expanded state not occupying the riding space of the rear seat;

wherein;

the screen shield has right and left slide members on an upper portion of the screen shield,

the upper right and left side members of the cabin frame extend in front and rear directions of the vehicle, and

the right and left slide members are slidably supported by the upper right and left side members of the cabin frame so that the screen shield is changeable between an expanded position in which the cargo bed in the expanded state and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned and a non-expanded position in which the cargo bed in the non-expanded state and the riding space in front of the cargo bed are partitioned.

2. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper side members of the cabin frame are circular in cross-section, and the screen has right and left cylindrical slide members slidably fitting on outer surfaces of the upper side members of the cabin frame.

3. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the upper side members of the cabin frame are rectangular in cross-section and include lower walls having slots extending in front and rear directions;

the slide members of the screen shield has right and left rollers; and

the rollers are inserted in the upper side members of the cabin frame and supported on lower walls of the upper side members.