Base plate attachment structure

A vehicle comprising:

• a cargo area having a bottom wall and one or more side walls;
• one or more base plates attached to the bottom wall and/or to one or more of the side walls;
• each base plate having a plurality of mounting apertures and a plurality of lock apertures, wherein each lock aperture is spaced from each mounting aperture;
• at least one accessory having a primary surface with an attachment interface and a secondary surface providing a support structure to hold one or more items, wherein the primary surface comprises a sheet metal plate, and wherein the attachment interface comprises a plurality of tabs that are bent outwardly of the primary surface and are received within selected mounting apertures of the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the plurality of tabs are integrally formed with the sheet metal plate, with each tab comprising a base formed with the sheet metal plate and extending to a distal end that is free from contact with the sheet metal plate;
• the plurality of tabs comprise a first set of tabs for a first accessory or a second set of tabs for a second accessory, the first set of tabs comprising two tabs that are received within a single aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures and the second set of tabs comprising a single tab that is received within a single aperture of the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the single tab of the second set of tabs is greater in size than each of the two tabs in the first set of tabs;
• and
• at least one lock insert supported by the at least one accessory and selectively securable within one lock aperture of the plurality of lock apertures, and wherein the lock insert includes a portion that is selectively moveable between an installed position and an uninstalled position, wherein the portion extends outward of the lock aperture on the primary surface.

A method comprising:

• forming a base plate to include a plurality of mounting apertures, a plurality of power connection apertures, and a plurality of lock apertures, wherein:
• each lock aperture is spaced from each mounting aperture;
• each power connection aperture is spaced from each mounting aperture and each lock aperture;
• the plurality of lock apertures and the plurality of power connection apertures have a different size and/or shape than the plurality of mounting apertures;
• the plurality of mounting apertures, plurality of power connection apertures, and plurality of lock apertures form sets of apertures that are formed in a desired pattern on the base plate, with the desired pattern being provided at multiple locations on the base plate;
• and
• forming the desired pattern with mounting apertures positioned at four corners in a four corner pattern with one power aperture centered between the four corners, and with locking apertures being positioned between adjacent mounting apertures:
• integrally forming a plurality of bent tabs on a primary surface of an accessory;
• and
• inserting the plurality of bent tabs through selected mounting apertures formed within the base plate.

A method comprising:

• integrally forming a plurality of bent tabs on a primary surface of an accessory;
• inserting the plurality of bent tabs through mounting apertures formed within a base plate supported within a vehicle cargo area;
• and
• wherein the plurality of bent tabs for each accessory comprise either a first set of tabs for a first accessory or a second set of tabs for a second accessory, and including providing the first set of tabs as two tabs that are received within a single mounting aperture of the mounting apertures, and providing the second set of tabs as a single tab that is received within a single mounting aperture of the mounting apertures, and further including forming the single tab of the second set of tabs to be greater in size than each of the two tabs in the first set of tabs.