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US 12,630,234 B2Granted
Modular accessory base plate
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMatthew B. Rutman, Eric Scott Levine, Stuart C. Salter, Daniel Ritz, Todd Rakus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A base plate system includes a plurality of base plate panels that are attached to each other to provide a base plate that includes a surface to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate. An attachment feature is associated with each base plate panel such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate size.
Claims21
A base plate system, comprising:
- a plurality of base plate panels that are attached to each other to provide a base plate that includes a surface to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate, and wherein each base plate panel has a contoured profile that fits with a contoured profile of an immediately adjacent base plate panel, and wherein each contoured profile for each base plate panel is comprised of a plurality of troughs that alternate with a plurality of protrusions along at least one edge of each base plate panel;
- and
- an attachment feature associated with each contoured profile such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate size.
A base plate system, comprising:
- a plurality of base plate panels that are attached to each other to provide a base plate that includes a surface to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate, wherein the plurality of base plate panels comprise at least a starter panel, an end panel, and at least one center panel having a first side attached to the starter panel and a second side, opposite to the first side, attached to the end panel;
- an attachment feature associated with each base plate panel such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate;
- a plurality of vertical bars and a plurality of horizontal rails that form a support structure, wherein the base plate is mounted to the support structure;
- and
- wherein the attachment feature comprises at least one fastener, and wherein one of the center panel, end panel, and starter panel overlaps another of the center panel, end panel, and starter panel to form an overlap area, and wherein the at least one fastener extends through the overlap area to connect the base plate to one of the plurality of horizontal rails.
2 more elements
A base plate system, comprising:
- a plurality of base plate panels that are attached to each other to provide a base plate that includes a surface to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate, wherein the plurality of base plate panels comprise at least a starter panel, an end panel, and at least one center panel having a first side attached to the starter panel and a second side, opposite to the first side, attached to the end panel;
- an attachment feature associated with each base plate panel such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate;
- a plurality of vertical bars and a plurality of horizontal rails that form a support structure, wherein the base plate is mounted to the support structure;
- and
- wherein ends of the horizontal rails float within slots formed in the vertical bars.
2 more elements
A base plate system, comprising:
- a plurality of base plate panels comprising at least a starter panel, an end panel, and at least one center panel having a first side attached to the starter panel and a second side, opposite to the first side, attached to the end panel to form a base plate, and wherein the first side of the at least one center panel comprises a first contoured profile and the second side of the at least one center panels comprises a second contoured profile, and wherein the first contoured profile overlaps a mating contoured profile along the starter panel at an overlap area, and wherein the second contoured profile overlaps a mating contoured profile along the end panel at an overlap area;
- the first contoured profile, the second contoured profile, and each mating contoured profile each comprise a plurality of troughs that alternate with a plurality of protrusions;
- a plurality of mounting foot apertures formed in the base plate that are configured to receive an accessory mounting foot to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate;
- and
- an attachment feature provided at each of the overlap areas such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate size.
2 more elements
A base plate system, comprising:
- a plurality of base plate panels comprising at least a starter panel, an end panel, and at least one center panel having a first side attached to the starter panel and a second side, opposite to the first side, attached to the end panel to form a base plate;
- a plurality of mounting foot apertures formed in the base plate that are configured to receive an accessory mounting foot to hold an accessory fixed relative to the base plate;
- an attachment feature associated with each base plate panel of the plurality of base plate panels such that adjacent base plate panels can be attached to each other to provide a desired base plate size;
- and
- a plurality of vertical bars and a plurality of horizontal rails, wherein the vertical bars include a support foot at one end and wherein an opposite end of the vertical bars are received within a slot formed in a top plate that is configured to be mounted to a vehicle side wall structure, and wherein ends of the horizontal rails float within slots formed in the vertical bars to form a support structure, and wherein the base plate is mounted to the support structure.
2 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of base plate panels that each include a surface with a plurality of mounting foot apertures configured to receive a mounting foot from an accessory, and wherein each base plate panel has a contoured profile along at least one edge;
- forming each contoured profile for each base plate panel as a plurality of troughs that alternate with a plurality of protrusions along the at least one edge;
- fitting the contoured profile of one base plate panel with the contoured profile of an immediately adjacent base plate panel to provide an overlap area;
- and
- attaching a selected number of base plate panels to each other at the overlap area to provide a base plate having a desired base plate size.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.