US 7,681,935 B2Granted

Vehicle cargo bed extender

Assignee89908, Inc.

InventorsHorst Lietner, Jonathan Weisel

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An improved truck bed extender particularly adapted for ease of installation and removal. When not being used to extend the truck bed, the extender is advantageously adapted to quickly and easily create a secondary storage area. In one embodiment, the extender includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a connecting wall, a first mount and a second mount. The connecting wall extends between the first side wall and the second side wall, and cooperates with the first side wall and second side wall to form a generally U-shape frame. The first mount is secured to the first side wall and includes a first interlocking member. The second mount is secured to the second side wall and comprises a second interlocking member. The first interlocking member and the first mounting station on the vehicle and the second interlocking member and the second mounting station on the vehicle cooperate to secure the truck bed extender to the vehicle so that the extender is rotatable about an axis between a first and a second position. In the first position, the connecting wall is in an upright position over the tailgate beyond the rear end of the bed. In the second position, the connecting wall is in an upright position spaced forward from the rear end of the bed and the tailgate.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a front end and a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed, a front upstanding panel and a tailgate, said bed extender mountable in a first position and a second position, said bed extender comprising:

a first side wall;
a second side wall;
wherein the first and second side walls are positioned between said first side panel and said second side panel and a first mount attaches said first side wall to said vehicle and a second mount attaches said second side wall to said vehicle in said first position;
and
a connecting wall which connects said first side wall and said second side wall;
and
a first L-shaped section comprising said first side wall and a first portion of said connecting wall and a second L-shaped section comprising said second side wall and a second portion of said connecting wall;
wherein in said first position said connecting wall is in a substantially vertical position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said extender provides access from above to a space between said first side wall and said second side wall, and wherein said first side wall is connected to said vehicle and said second side wall is connected to said vehicle in said second position with said first side wall and second side wall extending forward of said connecting wall and said connecting wall being in an upright position spaced rearward from said front panel and forward of said rear end of said bed;
wherein said connecting wall defines a horizontal span;
and
wherein said connecting wall comprises a plurality of tubular members.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/165,512Filed 30 Jun 2008 · continuation
Priority: 21 May 1996
Published: US 2008/0258487 A123 Oct 2008
Granted: 23 Mar 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B62D 33/037
Movable: latching means therefor
B60P 3/40
Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects: for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load…
B62D 33/0273
Movable: movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks
B62D
Motor vehicles

Family

Application08/651,921Parent of this continuation · filed 21 May 1996
Application08/924,230Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Sep 1997
Application60/063,784Us provisional application · filed 31 Oct 1997
US 5,700,047 AParent of this continuation · filed 23 Dec 1997
Application09/022,951Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Feb 1998
Application60/091,623Us provisional application · filed 2 Jul 1998
Application09/347,472Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Jul 1999
Application09/524,332Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Mar 2000
US 6,113,173 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Sep 2000
Application10/171,456Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jun 2002
US 6,402,215 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jun 2002
Application10/914,384Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Aug 2004
US 6,805,392 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Oct 2004
Application11/418,547Parent of this continuation · filed 3 May 2006
US 7,063,366 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Jun 2006
US 2008/0258487 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Oct 2008
US 7,393,035 B2Parent of this continuation
Application09/347,472Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application08/924,230Parent of this continuation
US 2003/0146637 A1Published application
US 2005/0012354 A1Published application
US 2007/0068984 A1Published application
US 7,681,935 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.