Vehicular utility bed having end wall and seat bottom portion and vehicles including same

• US 8,585,116 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: King, Darin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROMAIN, PINEL E
• Application Number:
  US13/017,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20120193931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.43, 296/26.01, 296/26.08, 296/26.09, 296/26.1, 296/26.11, 296/69, 296/186.4, 296/65.01, 296/63, 296/65.11, 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 296/24.33
• US Class Current: 296/24.33
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3022 along longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/03 by swinging down B62D33/0273 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 utility bed comprises a bed frame, a bed floor, an end wall, a seat back, and a seat bottom. The bed floor comprises a first and second floor portion. The first floor portion is movably coupled with the bed frame and is movable between a cargo support and an opened position. The end wall is slideably coupled with the bed frame and is slideable between a cargo hauling position and a seating position. The seat back is coupled with the end wall. The seat bottom portion is pinned directly to the end wall and is pivotable about a first axis. When the end wall is slid from the cargo hauling position to the seating position, the seat bottom portion is pivotable from the stored position to the seating position.

Claims

1. A utility bed comprising:

a bed frame;

a bed floor comprising a first floor portion and a second floor portion, the first floor portion being movably coupled with the bed frame and movable with respect to the second floor portion between a cargo support position and an opened position;

an end wall slideably coupled with the bed frame and slidable between a cargo hauling position and a seating position when the first floor portion is in the opened position;

a seat back coupled with the end wall; and

a seat bottom portion pinned directly to the end wall and pivotable about a first axis with respect to the end wall between a stored position and a seating position;

wherein;

when the end wall is slid from the cargo hauling position to the seating position, the seat bottom portion is pivotable from the stored position to the seating position; and

when the end wall and the seat bottom portion are in their respective seating positions, the seat back and the seat bottom portion cooperate to define a rear seat.

2. The utility bed of claim 1 wherein the end wall comprises a front wall, the first floor portion comprises a front floor and the second floor portion comprises a rear floor.

3. The utility bed of claim 1 wherein the first floor portion is pivotally coupled with the second floor portion.

4. The utility bed of claim 1 wherein the seat bottom portion is releasably coupled with the bed frame when the seat bottom portion is in the seating position.

8. The utility bed of claim 1 further comprising a pair of rail members, wherein the end wall is coupled with the rail members to facilitate sliding of the end wall between the cargo hauling position and the seating position, and the first floor portion overlies the pair of rail members when the first floor portion is in the cargo support position.

5. A utility bed comprising:

a bed frame;

a bed floor comprising a first floor portion and a second floor portion, the first floor portion being movably coupled with the bed frame and movable with respect to the second floor portion between a cargo support position and an opened position;

an end wall slideably coupled with the bed frame and slidable between a cargo hauling position and a seating position when the first floor portion is in the opened position;

a seat back coupled with the end wall; and

a seat bottom portion pinned directly to the end wall and pivotable about a first axis with respect to the end wall between a stored position and a seating position;

wherein;

when the end wall is slid from the cargo hauling position to the seating position, the seat bottom portion is pivotable from the stored position to the seating position;

when the end wall and the seat bottom portion are in their respective seating positions, the seat back and the seat bottom portion cooperate to define a rear seat; and

the end wall is releasably coupled with the side wall when the end wall is in the seating position.

6. The utility bed of claim 5 wherein the first floor portion is positioned adjacent to, and rearward of, the end wall, when the first floor portion is in the opened position and the end wall is in the seating position.

7. The utility bed of claim 6 wherein the first floor portion and the second floor portion define an acute angle, when the first floor portion is in the opened position and the end wall is in the seating position.

9. A vehicle defining a longitudinally extending axis and comprising:

a vehicular frame comprising a support structure;

a wheel rotatably coupled to the vehicular frame; and

a utility bed coupled with the vehicular frame and comprising;

a bed frame;

a bed floor comprising a first floor portion and a second floor portion, the first floor portion being movably coupled with the bed frame and movable with respect to the bed frame between a cargo support position and an opened position;

an end wall slideably coupled with the bed frame and slidable between a cargo hauling position and a seating position when the first floor portion is in the opened position;

a seat back coupled with the end wall; and

a seat bottom portion pivotally coupled with the end wall, the seat bottom portion being pivotable about a first axis with respect to the end wall between a stored position and a seating position;

wherein;

when the end wall is slid from the cargo hauling position to the seating position, the seat bottom portion contacts the support structure such that the seat bottom portion pivots towards the seating position;

the support structure extends transversely to the longitudinally extending axis; and

the support structure provides underlying support for the seat bottom portion when the seat bottom portion is in the seating position.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the seat bottom portion is longitudinally spaced from the support structure when the seat bottom portion is in the stored position.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the support structure comprises one of a frame member and a wheel well wall.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the end wall comprises a front wall, the first floor portion comprises a front floor and the second floor portion comprises a rear floor.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the first floor portion is pivotally coupled with the second floor portion.

14. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the seat bottom portion is releasably coupled with the bed frame when the seat bottom portion is in the seating position.

15. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the end wall is releasably coupled with the side wall when the end wall is in the seating position.

16. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the utility bed further comprises a pair of rail members, wherein the end wall is coupled with the rail members to facilitate sliding of the end wall between the cargo hauling position and the seating position, and the first floor portion overlies the pair of rail members when the first floor portion is in the cargo support position.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 wherein the pair of rail members extends substantially parallel with the longitudinally extending axis, the support structure is substantially transverse to the pair of rail members, and the end wall extends between and is transverse to the pair of rail members.

18. A vehicle defining a longitudinally extending axis and comprising:

a vehicular frame comprising a support structure;

a wheel rotatably coupled to the vehicular frame; and

a utility bed coupled with the vehicular frame and comprising;

a bed frame;

a bed floor comprising a front floor portion and a rear floor portion, the front floor portion being pivotally coupled with the bed frame and pivotable with respect to the rear floor portion about a first axis between a cargo support position and an opened position;

a front wall slideably coupled with the bed frame and slideable between a cargo hauling position and a seating position when the front floor portion is in the opened position;

a seat back coupled with the front wall; and

a seat bottom portion pivotally coupled with the front wall, the seat bottom portion being pivotable about a second axis with respect to the front wall between a stored position and a seating position;

a pair of rail members, the front wall being coupled with the rail members to facilitate sliding of the front wall between the cargo hauling position and the seating position, wherein;

when the front wall is slid from the cargo hauling position to the seating position, the seat bottom portion contacts the support structure which facilitates pivoting of the seat bottom portion towards the seating position;

the support structure extends transversely to the longitudinally extending axis;

the support structure provides underlying support for the seat bottom portion when the seat bottom portion is in the seating position; and

the front floor portion overlies the pair of rail members when the front floor portion is in the cargo support position.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein the pair of rail members extends substantially parallel with the longitudinally extending axis, the support structure is substantially transverse to the pair of rail members, and the front wall extends between and is transverse to the pair of rail members.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein the seat bottom portion is pinned directly to the front wall.