Pick-up style utility vehicle with expandable cargo bed

• US 8,303,014 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Orihashi, Yoshihiko, Masuda, Naohisa, Morita, Hirokazu, Kawahara, Masahiro, Sakata, Masashi, Hisamori, Takafumi, Sasaki, Yohei, Watanabe, Yoshihiro, Nozaki, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Westbrook, Sunsurraye
• Application Number:
  US12/649,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 296/24.4, 296/26.1, 296/65.01, 296/24.43, 296/26.08, 296/26.11, 296/186.4, 296/190.11, 296/69, 160/368.1
• US Class Current: 296/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3018 about vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3022 along longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3027 along vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3031 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3056 along longitunal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3065 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3093 slides
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/36 into a loading platform B60N2/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/363 characterised by provisions for enhancing the cargo floor surface, e.g. elements closing gaps or enlarging the back-rest surface
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/423 from transport of persons to transport of goods
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/042 to create an enclosed luggage compartment of increased capacity, e.g. with ventilation apertures for transporting dogs
• 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 having a front seat, a rear seat, a cargo bed, a cabin frame surrounding a riding space, and a screen shield partitioning the cargo bed and a rear riding space in front of the cargo bed. The cargo bed can be changed between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction into the rear riding space and a non-expanded state not occupying the rear riding space. A backrest for the rear seat is attached to the screen shield. The screen shield can be shifted between a position in the expanded state and a position in the non-expanded state when a seat bottom and the backrest of the rear seat are changed between a retracted state in which the seat bottom and the backrest are erected on the same straight line and a seatable used state.

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;

a cabin frame surrounding a riding space; and

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

the cargo bed can be changed between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction into the rear riding space and a non-expanded state not occupying the rear riding space,

a backrest for the rear seat is attached to the screen shield, the backrest for the rear seat is placed so as to contact the screen shield in the expanded state and in the non-expanded state, and

the screen shield can be shifted between a position in the expanded state and a position in the non-expanded state when a seat bottom and the backrest of the rear seat are changed between a retracted state in which the seat bottom and the backrest are erected on the same straight line and a seatable use state, and

the backrest for the rear seat is placed on the upper side of the seat bottom of the rear seat in the refracted state.

2. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the seat bottom and the backrest are rotatably coupled.

3. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an upper portion of the screen shield is attached to an upper portion of the cabin frame in the expanded state.

4. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the screen shield is attached to the upper portion of the cabin frame, and

wherein the screen shield can be moved in a front-rear direction in the upper portion of the cabin frame.

5. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a lower portion of the screen shield can be attached to and detached from the seat bottom.

6. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the screen shield has a rail on the front surface thereof, and

wherein the seat bottom and the backrest are moved on the rail when the cargo bed is changed between the expanded state and the non-expanded state.

7. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a link mechanism coupling the seat bottom and the backrest, wherein the seat bottom and the backrest can be shifted between the retracted state and the used state by the link mechanism.

8. A pick-up style utility vehicle comprising:

a front seat;

a rear seat; and

a cargo bed in this order from front;

a cabin frame surrounding a riding space; and

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

the cargo bed can be changed between an expanded state in which the cargo bed is expanded in a front direction to the rear riding space and a non-expanded state not occupying the rear riding space, wherein;

a seat bottom of the rear seat and the screen shield are rotatably coupled,

the seat bottom of the rear seat is placed so as to contact the screen shield in the expanded state and in the non-expanded state, and

the screen shield can be shifted between a position in the expanded state and a position in the non-expanded state when the seat bottom and the screen shield are changed between a refracted state in which the seat bottom and the screen shield are erected on the same straight line and a seatable use state, and

the screen shield is placed on an upper side of the seat bottom of the rear seat in the refracted state.

9. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 8, wherein:

the cargo bed has a pair of right and left side panels,

the side panels are the side panels of the cargo bed in the expanded state and the non-expanded state and are the side panels of the rear seat in the non-expanded state,

the seat bottom can be rotated via the front ends of the side panels, and

the seat bottom and the screen shield are rotated via the front ends of the side panels in the expanded state and are held in the retracted state.

10. The pick-up style utility vehicle according to claim 8, wherein:

the seat bottom is provided so as to be rotatable relative to a bottom plate of the cargo bed,

the seat bottom is rotated relative to the bottom plate in the expanded state and has a bottom portion configuring an expandable bottom plate formed in a front direction from the front end of the bottom plate,

the screen shield has a pair of right and left panel members openable and closeable right and left in a rear direction, and

the panel members configure front panels of the cargo bed in the non-expanded state and configure expandable side panels expanding the side panels of the cargo bed expanded in a front direction from the front ends of the side panels of the cargo bed in the expanded state.