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US 12,643,488 B2Granted
Vehicle cargo area liner with affixation device
AssigneeMacneil IP LLC
InventorFrederick W. Masanek, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle cargo area liner, such as a pickup truck bed liner, is affixed to a vehicle wall using a pin-and-socket affixation device. The rounded free end of the pin permits an upstanding panel of the liner to have a substantial draft with respect to the vehicle wall. Use of one, two or more of the affixation devices prevents separation of the liner from the pickup truck bed in windy conditions.
Claims22
A liner for a vehicle cargo area comprising:
- a floor panel having a peripheral edge, the floor panel in use disposed on a floor of the vehicle cargo area;
- an upstanding panel upwardly extending from the peripheral edge, and in use disposed adjacent a vehicle wall bounding the floor of the vehicle cargo area, at least one hole formed through the upstanding panel;
- an attachment plate, means for attaching the attachment plate to the vehicle wall;
- a pin extending outwardly from the attachment plate along a first axis, and in use, rearwardly from the vehicle wall, the pin having a shaft and a rounded free end, the free end of the pin being enlarged relative to the shaft and having a first diameter orthogonal to the first axis;
- and
- a socket having a circumferential sidewall which extends forwardly toward the vehicle wall on a second axis, an exterior surface of the sidewall received in the at least one hole in the upstanding panel, the sidewall being formed of a resilient material, the sidewall bounding a socket interior and having a forward end, a second diameter orthogonal to the second axis across the forward end of the sidewall at rest being less than the first diameter, the second axis being disposed at an angle to the first axis.
3 more elements
A liner for a vehicle cargo area comprising:
- a floor panel having a peripheral edge, the floor panel in use disposed on a floor of the vehicle cargo area;
- an upstanding panel upwardly extending from the peripheral edge, and in use disposed adjacent a vehicle wall bounding the floor of the vehicle cargo area, a first surface of the upstanding panel facing the vehicle wall, a second surface of the upstanding panel opposed to the first surface and facing the vehicle cargo area, at least one hole formed through the upstanding panel from the first surface to the second surface;
- an attachment plate, means for attaching the attachment plate to the vehicle wall;
- a pin extending in a first direction along a first axis from the attachment plate and away from the vehicle wall, the pin having a shaft and a rounded free end, the free end of the pin being enlarged relative to the shaft and having a first diameter orthogonal to the first axis;
- and
- a socket formed on a second axis, a circumferential sidewall of the socket extending in a second direction along the second axis toward the vehicle wall, an exterior surface of the sidewall adapted to be received in the at least one hole in the upstanding panel, the sidewall being formed of a resilient material, the sidewall bounding a socket interior and having a first end, a second diameter orthogonal to the second axis across the first end of the sidewall at rest being less than the first diameter, a base of the socket disposed in a third direction opposite the second direction along the second axis from the first end of the sidewall and being disposed to be adjacent the second surface of the upstanding panel and remote from the first surface of the upstanding panel;
- wherein
- the free end of the pin may be inserted into the socket interior in the first direction beyond the first end of the sidewall to fasten the upstanding panel to the vehicle wall, the first axis capable of being at an angle to the second axis.
5 more elements
A liner for a vehicle cargo area comprising:
- a floor panel having a peripheral edge, the floor panel in use disposed on a floor of the vehicle cargo area;
- an upstanding panel upwardly extending from the peripheral edge, and in use disposed adjacent a vehicle wall bounding the floor of the vehicle cargo area, at least one hole formed through the upstanding panel;
- an attachment plate having a rear surface and an opposed front surface, means for attaching the front surface of the attachment plate to the vehicle wall;
- a nut housing formed in the attachment plate, a convexly curved rear surface of the nut housing extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the attachment plate, a concavely curved front surface of the nut housing extending rearwardly from the front surface of the attachment plate, a slot formed in the nut housing to extend from the front surface of the nut housing to the rear surface of the nut housing, the slot having parallel opposed sides separated by a predetermined slot width;
- a nut received into the nut housing and having a threaded bore, the nut having opposed parallel sides separated by a predetermined nut width larger than the predetermined slot width, the nut having a convexly curved rear surface adapted to slide along the front surface of the nut housing;
- a cap with a rear surface and a front surface, a forwardly extending endless sidewall of the cap received in the at least one hole in the upstanding panel, a forward concave annular end surface of the sidewall slidably engaged with the convexly curved surface of the nut housing, a central bore of the cap disposed radially interiorly of the endless sidewall and extending from the cap front surface to the cap rear surface;
- and
- a screw received in the central bore of the cap, extending through the slot in the nut housing, and threadably engaged with the threaded bore of the nut,
- the screw, cap and nut being disposed on a first axis, the attachment plate being disposed on a second axis, whereby the first and second axes can be at any of a plurality of angles with respect to each other.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.