Pick-up style utility vehicle with expandable cargo bed

• US 8,414,050 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kosuge, Hideyoshi, Ewing, Geoffrey, Onishi, Yoji, Hamano, Takao, Masuda, Naohisa, Oda, Kenji, Boyle, Michael John, Yazaki, Mitsuhiro, Orio, Takeshi, Shimizu, Tatsunori, Sakurada, Eiji, Nishinaka, Tokishin, Nishizaki, Yui, Nakagawa, Naoto, Kishi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow, Jason S
• Application Number:
  US12/644,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 296/165, 296/171, 296/175, 296/24.3, 296/24.33, 296/24.4, 296/24.43, 296/26.08, 296/62.09, 296/26.1, 296/26.11, 296/183.1, 296/183.2, 296/190.03, 296/191, 296/37.6, 296/64, 296/65.01, 296/66, 296/65.09, 296/26.09, 280/756, 280/749
• US Class Current: 296/24.43
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/423 from transport of persons to transport of goods
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 23/005 with integrated chassis in the whole shell, e.g. meshwork, tubes, or the like B62D33/044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/08 comprising adjustable means B62D33/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A pick-up style utility vehicle according to the present invention has 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 has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel, expandable side panels, and an expandable bottom plate and can be changed between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction to a rear portion riding space and a non-expanded state not occupying the space. Each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shifted between an expanded position and a non-expanded position.

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; and

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

the cargo bed has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel movable into the riding space, expandable side panels expandable into the riding space, and an expandable bottom plate expanded into the riding space,

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,

each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield or the expandable bottom plate and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shiftable between an expanded position and a non-expanded position,

each of the expandable side panels is supported by the vehicle body configuring member so as to slide in a front or rear direction, and the screen shield is fixed at or integrally provided with a front end of the expandable side panel,

the vehicle body configuring member is the stationary side panel, and

the expandable side panel is located on an outer side of the stationary side panel in a vehicle width direction when the cargo bed is not expanded.

2. 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; and

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

the cargo bed has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel movable into the riding space, expandable side panels expandable into the riding space, and an expandable bottom plate expanded into the riding space,

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,

each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield or the expandable bottom plate and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shiftable between an expanded position and a non-expanded position,

each of the expandable side panels is supported by the vehicle body configuring member so as to slide in a front or rear direction, wherein the screen shield is fixed at or integrally provided with a front end of the expandable side panel,

the vehicle body configuring member is the stationary side panel, and

the expandable side panel is refracted in the stationary side panel formed in a hollow shape when the cargo bed is not expanded.

3. 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; and

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

the cargo bed has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel movable into the riding space, expandable side panels expandable into the riding space, and an expandable bottom plate expanded into the riding space,

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,

each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield or the expandable bottom plate and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shiftable between an expanded position and a non-expanded position,

the expandable bottom plate is located in the riding space at all times, and is retracted underneath the rear seat when the cargo bed is not expanded,

each of the expandable side panels is coupled to the front end of each of the stationary side panels so as to rotate about a vertical axis via a hinge and is shifted between the expanded position where the expandable side panel is protruded in a front direction from the stationary side panel and the non-expanded position where the expandable side panel is not protruded in a front direction from the front end of the stationary side panel,

the screen shield is integrally formed with the front panel and is supported by the expandable bottom plate so as to slide in a front or rear direction, and

the front panel and each of the expandable side panels are coupled by an interlocking mechanism.

4. 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; and

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

the cargo bed has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel movable into the riding space, expandable side panels expandable into the riding space, and an expandable bottom plate expanded into the riding space,

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,

each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield or the expandable bottom plate and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shiftable between an expanded position and a non-expanded position,

each of the expandable side panels is supported by the vehicle body configuring member so as to slide in a front or rear direction, wherein the screen shield is fixed at or integrally provided with a front end of the expandable side panel,

the vehicle body configuring member is the bottom plate and the expandable bottom plate, and

the expandable side panel is located on an outer side of the stationary side panel in a vehicle width direction when the cargo bed is not expanded.

5. 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; and

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

the cargo bed has at least a stationary bottom plate, right and left stationary side panels, a front panel movable into the riding space, expandable side panels expandable into the riding space, and an expandable bottom plate expanded into the riding space,

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,

each of the expandable side panels and the screen shield or the expandable bottom plate and the screen shield are supported by a vehicle body configuring portion so as to be integrally shiftable between an expanded position and a non-expanded position,

each of the expandable side panels is supported by the vehicle body configuring member so as to slide in a front or rear direction, wherein the screen shield is fixed at or integrally provided with a front end of the expandable side panel,

the vehicle body configuring member is the bottom plate and the expandable bottom plate, and

the expandable side panel is refracted in the stationary side panel formed in a hollow shape when the cargo bed is not expanded.