Truck bed extender

• US 6,113,173 A
• Filed: 09/05/1997
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lund Motion Products Inc (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: American Moto Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Leitner, Horst, Weisel, Jonathan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US08/924,230
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26.1, 296/27.1, 296/37.6, 296/50, 296/56, 296/57.1, 224/402, 224/403, 224/497, 224/496, 224/314, 224/404, 224/493, 224/505-506, 224/572
• US Class Current: 296/26.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/003 vehicles with loading gates B60P1/43 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02

Abstract

An improved truck bed extender particularly adapted for ease of installation and removal. When not being used to extend the truck bed, the extender is advantageously adapted to quickly and easily create a secondary storage area. In one embodiment, the extender includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a connecting wall, a first mount and a second mount. The connecting wall extends between the first side wall and the second side wall, and cooperates with the first side wall and second side wall to form a generally U-shape frame. The first mount is secured to the first side wall and includes a first interlocking member. The second mount is secured to the second side wall and comprises a second interlocking member. The first interlocking member and the first mounting station on the vehicle and the second interlocking member and the second mounting station on the vehicle cooperate to secure the truck bed extender to the vehicle so that the extender is rotatable about an axis between a first and a second position. In the first position, the connecting wall is in an upright position over the tailgate beyond the rear end of the bed. In the second position, the connecting wall is in an upright position spaced forward from the rear end of the bed and the tailgate.

Claims

1. A truck bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed having an inner side, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed having an inner side and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said apparatus comprising:

a first side wall;

a second side wall;

a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a generally U-shaped frame;

a first mount secured to said first side wall comprising a first interlocking member defining a first pivot surface; and

a second mount secured to said second side wall comprising a second interlocking member defining a second pivot surface, said first station surface and said first pivot surface, and said second station surface and said second pivot surface cooperating to secure said apparatus to said vehicle so that said apparatus is rotatable about an axis between a first position wherein said connecting wall is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and a second position wherein said connecting wall is in an upright position spaced forward from said rear end of said bed, and wherein one of said first station surface and said first pivot surface defines a first opening through which the other of said first station surface and said first pivot surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said first panel to disengage said extender from said first panel and one of said second station surface and said second pivot surface defines a second opening through which the other of said second station surface and said second pivot surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said second panel to disengage said extender from said second panel.

2. The extender of claim 1, wherein said tailgate defines a latch to secure said tailgate to one of said first upstanding side and said second upstanding side, said truck bed extender further comprising at least one buckle secured to one of said walls, sized and shaped to be releasably captured by said latch of said tailgate.

3. The truck bed extender of claim 2, wherein said connecting wall defines a horizontal span and comprises at least two sections which are slidable relative one another permitting said horizontal span to be adjusted.

4. The truck bed extender of claim 2, further comprising a first L-shaped section comprising said first side wall and a first portion of said connecting wall and a second L-shaped section comprising said second side wall and a second portion of said connecting wall.

5. The truck bed extender of claim 1, wherein said connecting wall defines a horizontal span and comprises at least two sections which are slidable relative one another permitting said horizontal span to be adjusted.

6. The truck bed extender of claim 1, further comprising a first L-shaped section comprising said first side wall and a first portion of said connecting wall and a second L-shaped section comprising said second side wall and a second portion of said connecting wall.

7. The truck bed extender of claim 1, wherein said extender includes a first cross-beam comprising metal tubing.

8. The truck bed extender of claim 7, wherein said first mount includes a body defining a throughbore through which said first cross-beam extends.

9. The truck bed extender of claim 8, further comprising a second cross-beam and a vertical strut connecting said first cross-beam and said second cross-beam.

10. The truck bed extender of claim 9, wherein said first interlocking member is retractable into said body.

11. The truck bed extender of claim 1, wherein said extender includes a first cross-beam and said first mount includes a body defining a throughbore through which said first cross-beam extends.

12. The truck bed extender of claim 11, further comprising a second cross-beam and a vertical strut connecting said first cross-beam and said second cross-beam.

13. The truck bed extender of claim 11, wherein said first interlocking member is retractable into said body.