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US 6,607,232 B2Granted
Gas saver air foil stabilizer
OwnerMichael A. Katulkainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gate supporting assembly for a truck bed having a bed bottom wall, a bed wall and a bed gate, the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed to pivot upwardly to close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and thereby open the bed, includes a gate supporting mechanism releasibly supporting the gate at an angle substantially midway between horizontal and vertical, to retain cargo while minimizing drag, increasing fuel efficiency, providing air foil traction enhancement while leaving the rear bumper exposed and functional.
Claims12
A gate supporting assembly for supporting a gate of a truck bed, wherein the truck bed comprises a bed bottom wall, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector, the gate supporting assembly comprising:
- a first cable;
- a primary cable connector fastened to said first cable for connecting to the bed connector;
- a secondary cable connector fastened to said first cable and spaced apart from said primary cable connector for connecting to the gate connector;
- wherein the spacing between the primary and secondary cable connectors is such that, when said first cable is at full extension, the gate is oriented at an angle substantially midway between horizontal and vertical.
3 more elements
A gate supporting assembly for supporting a gate of a truck bed, wherein the truck bed comprises a bed bottom wall, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector, the gate supporting assembly comprising:
- a first interconnection structure;
- a primary interconnection structure connector fastened to said first interconnection structure for connecting to the bed connector;
- a second interconnection structure fastened to said primary interconnection structure connector for connecting to one of the bed connectors;
- wherein the spacing between the primary and second interconnection structure connectors is such that, when said first interconnection structure is at full extension, the gate is oriented at an angle substantially midway between horizontal and vertical.
3 more elements
A gate supporting assembly for supporting a gate of a truck bed, wherein the truck bed comprises a bed bottom wall, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector, the gate supporting assembly comprising:
- a flexible member;
- a primary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member for connecting to the bed connector;
- a secondary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member and spaced apart from said primary flexible member connector for connecting to the gate connector;
- wherein the spacing between said primary flexible member connector and said secondary flexible member connector is such that, when said primary flexible member connector is connected to the bed connector and said secondary flexible member connector is connected to the gate connector and said flexible member is at full extension, and when the bed is substantially horizontal, the gate is oriented at an angle substantially midway between horizontal and vertical.
3 more elements
A truck bed with bed gate supporting assembly, comprising:
- a truck bed comprising a bed bottom wall extending substantially within a bed bottom wall plane, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector;
- a bed gate supporting assembly comprising a flexible member;
- a primary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member and connected to said bed connector;
- a secondary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member and spaced apart from said primary flexible member connector and connected to said gate connector;
- wherein the spacing between said primary flexible member connector and said secondary flexible member connector is such that, when said primary flexible member connector is connected to said bed connector and said secondary flexible member connector is connected to said gate connector and said flexible member is at full extension, and when said bed is substantially horizontal, said gate is oriented at an angle substantially midway between horizontal and vertical.
4 more elements
A truck bed with bed gate supporting assembly, comprising:
- a truck bed comprising a bed bottom wall extending substantially within a bed bottom wall plane, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector with a gate connector threaded bore;
- a bed gate supporting assembly comprising a flexible member;
- a primary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member and connected to said bed connector, said primary flexible member connector comprising a connector loop engaging said bed connector;
- a secondary flexible member connector fastened to said flexible member and spaced apart from said primary flexible member connector and connected to said gate connector, said secondary flexible member connector comprising a fastener retaining structure and a threaded fastener having a threaded fastener shank rotatably retained by said fastener retaining structure engaging said gate connector;
- wherein the spacing between said primary flexible member connector and said secondary flexible member connector is such that, when said primary flexible member connector is connected to said bed connector and said secondary flexible member connector is connected to said gate connector and said flexible member is at full extension, and when said bed is substantially horizontal, said gate is oriented at an angle substantially in a middle range between horizontal and vertical.
4 more elements
A truck bed with bed gate supporting assembly, comprising:
- a truck bed comprising a bed bottom wall, bottom wall lateral ends, a bottom wall forward end and a bottom wall rearward end;
- two opposing and spaced apart bed side walls extending upwardly from and substantially along the bottom wall lateral ends, at least one bed side wall having a side wall rearward end with a bed connector;
- the bed gate being pivotally secured to the bed at the bottom wall rearward end to pivot upwardly to meet the bed side walls and thereby close the bed and to pivot downwardly to become substantially horizontal and contiguous with the bed bottom wall and thereby open the bed, the gate having two opposing gate lateral ends, at least one gate lateral end having a gate connector;
- a bed gate supporting assembly comprising an interconnection member;
- a primary interconnection member connector fastened to said interconnection member and connected to said bed connector;
- a secondary interconnection member connector fastened to said interconnection member and spaced apart from said primary interconnection member connector and connected to said gate connector;
- wherein the spacing between said primary interconnection member connector and said secondary interconnection member connector is such that, when said primary interconnection member connector is connected to said bed connector and said secondary interconnection member connector is connected to said gate connector and said interconnection member is at full extension, and when said bed is substantially horizontal, said gate is oriented at an angle substantially in a middle range between horizontal and vertical.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.