Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02925179 2016-03-24
PICK UP TRUCK ELONGATOR
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
[0003] The various embodiments and aspects described herein relate to an
accessory for a
truck bed to elongate a length of the truck bed.
[0004] Trucks have beds that come in a variety of sizes. By way of example
and not
limitation, the truck beds may be a short bed or long bed. The short bed may
serve the purposes
of its owner a majority of the time but at certain times, the owner may
require a slightly longer
truck bed to haul larger or longer objects. In this regard, the owner may let
down his or her
tailgate and allow the objects to hang out of the back side of the truck bed
when hauling the long
object. In doing so, the object becomes a safety hazard in that other vehicles
and pedestrians may
not see the elongated object hanging out of the truck bed and may
inadvertently hit the object
causing injury to the person and/or damage to the object.
[0005] Additionally, the objects configuration may not be conducive to
easily tying the
object down in the truck bed. The tailgate is typically lifted upward in order
to trap the object
within the truck bed so that even if the object slides in the truck bed, the
object would still
remain within the truck bed.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an accessory for a truck
bed.
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BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] A pickup truck elongator in the form of the tailgate is disclosed
herein. The factory
tailgate may be replaced with a replacement tailgate that can be pivoted
downward to elongate
the length of the factory truck bed. The replacement tailgate has a front
shell that can be pivoted
upward to function as the new tailgate when a rear shell of the replacement
tailgate acts as the
support to elongate the length of the factory truck bed. Left and right side
panels may be
unfolded in order to form an enclosure with left and right side walls of the
truck bed.
Additionally, the rear shell can be fabricated from first and second
telescoping panels that allow
the user to further expand the factory truck bed.
[0008] Alternatively, the original tailgate or replacement tailgate may act
as the support to
elongate the length of the factory truck bed. Side panels are tucked away in
the cavity adjacent a
rear side of the left and right truck side bed walls. The panels are folded
out and engaged to the
upper surface of the tailgate in order to retain objects placed in the truck
bed within the truck
bed.
[0009] More particularly, a tailgate for a bed of a truck is disclosed. The
tailgate may
comprise a rear shell, a front shell, left and right side panels and left and
right latches. The rear
shell may be sized and configured to fit between left and right sidewalls of
the truck bed. The
rear shell may be pivotally attached to a lower rear edge of the truck bed.
The front shell may be
pivotally attached to an upper edge of the rear shell. The front shell may be
pivoted greater than
180 when the front shell is disposed generally parallel to the rear shell. The
left and right side
panels may be pivotally attached to left and right side portions of the front
shell. The left and
right latches may be attached to the left and right side panels and the left
and right sidewalls of
the truck bed to mitigate unwanted movement of the rear shell, front shell and
the left and right
panels during forward movement of the truck.
[0010] The rear shell may comprise first and second telescoping panels for
elongating a
length of the bed of the truck. The first and second telescoping panels may be
attached to each
other as a tongue and groove connection.
[0011] The tailgate may further comprise left and right elongating side
panels which may be
pivotally attached to respective ones of the left and right side panels. The
left and right latches
may be attached to the left and right elongating side panels and the left and
right side walls of the
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truck bed for securing the left and right side panels and the left and right
elongating side panels
to the left and right side walls of the truck bed.
[0012] The rear shell, front shell, left and right side panels may be
fabricated from carbon
fiber, aluminum, fiberglass, plastic or steel.
[0013] The front shell may be pivoted to an angle of about 270 degrees to
allow the front
shell to hang down when loading and unloading the truck bed.
[0014] The left and right latches may be removably attached to left and
right standard latch
receivers of the truck bed.
[0015] The tailgate may further comprise a cover for a pivot joint between
the front and rear
shells.
[0016] In another aspect, a method of elongating a bed length of a truck is
disclosed. The
method may comprise the steps of providing a tailgate for a bed of a truck and
pivotally
attaching a lower edge of the rear shell to the lower rear edge of the truck
bed. In the providing
step of the method, the tailgate may comprise a rear shell, a front shell,
left and right side panels
and left and right latches. The rear shell may be sized and configured to fit
between left and
right sidewalls of the truck bed. The rear shell may be pivotally attached to
a lower rear edge of
the truck bed. The front shell may be pivotally attached to an upper edge of
the rear shell. The
front shell may be pivoted greater than 180 degrees when the front shell is
disposed generally
parallel to the rear shell. The left and right side panels may be pivotally
attached to left and right
side portions of the front shell. The left and right latches may be attached
to the left and right
side panels and the left and right sidewalls of the truck bed to mitigate
unwanted movement of
the rear shell, front shell and the left and right panels during forward
movement of the truck.
[0017] The method may further comprise the step of rotating the tailgate so
that the front and
rear shells are generally parallel to a ground. The method may also further
comprise the steps of
rotating the front shell about an upper edge of the rear shell so that the
front and rear shells are
about 90 degrees from each other; rotating the left and right side panels
toward the left and right
sidewalls of the truck bed; and securing the left and right side panels to the
left and right
sidewalls of the truck bed with the left and right latches.
[0018] The method may also further comprise the steps of elongating
telescoping first and
second panels of the front shell to elongate a length of the truck bed;
pivoting left and right
elongating side panels from the left and right side panels; and securing the
left and right
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elongating side panels to the left and right sidewalls of the truck bed with
the left and right
latches.
[0019] In another aspect, a tailgate extender for a bed of a truck is
disclosed. The tailgate
extender may comprise first, second and third driver-side vertical panels and
first, second and
third passenger-side vertical panels.
[0020] The first driver side vertical panel may be pivotally attached to a
driver side sidewall
of the bed of the truck. The second driver side vertical panel may be
pivotally attached to the
first driver side vertical panel. The third driver side vertical panels may be
pivotally attached to
the second driver side vertical panel. The first, second and third driver side
vertical panels may
be stacked adjacent to each other and disposed in a cavity formed at a rear
inner portion of the
driver side sidewall of the bed of the truck. The first driver side vertical
panel may be pivoted so
as to be parallel to a driver side edge of the tailgate. The second and third
driver side vertical
panels may be pivoted so as to be parallel to a back edge of the tailgate.
[0021] The first passenger side vertical panel may be pivotally attached to
a passenger side
sidewall of the bed of the truck. The second passenger side vertical panel may
be pivotally
attached to the first passenger side vertical panel. The third passenger side
vertical panels may
be pivotally attached to the second passenger side vertical panel. The first,
second and third
passenger side vertical panels may be stacked adjacent to each other and
disposed in a cavity
formed at a rear inner portion of the passenger side sidewall of the bed of
the truck. The first
passenger side vertical panel may be pivoted so as to be parallel to a
passenger side edge of the
tailgate. The second and third passenger side vertical panel may be pivoted so
as to be parallel to
a back edge of the tailgate.
[0022] The tailgate extender may further comprising a replacement tailgate
defining an upper
surface with a groove for receiving the second and third driver ¨side and
passenger side vertical
panels. The groove may be parallel with the back edge of the replacement
tailgate.
[0023] The second and third driver side and passenger side vertical panels
may have flexible
strips at a bottom end of the second and third driver side and passenger side
vertical panels
which are receivable in the groove formed in the replacement tailgate.
[0024] In another aspect, a method of extending a truck bed of a truck is
disclosed. The
method may comprise the steps of providing driver-side first, second and third
vertical panels
which are stacked upon each other and disposed in a driver-side cavity formed
by a driver-side
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sidewall of the truck bed; providing a passenger-side first, second and third
vertical panels which
are stacked upon each other and disposed in a passenger-side cavity formed by
a passenger-side
sidewall of the truck bed; pivoting a tailgate to an opened position so that
an upper surface of the
tailgate is generally coplanar with an upper surface of the truck bed;
pivoting the driver side first,
second and third vertical panels out from the driver side cavity so that the
driver side first
vertical panel is parallel with a driver side edge of the tailgate; pivoting
the passenger side first,
second and third vertical panels out from the passenger side cavity so that
the passenger side first
vertical panel is parallel a passenger side edge of the tailgate; and pivoting
the driver side and
passenger side second and third vertical panels away from the driver side and
passenger side first
vertical panels so that the second and third vertical panels are parallel to a
back edge of the
tailgate.
[0025] In the method, the step of pivoting the driver side and passenger
side second and third
vertical panels away from the driver side and passenger side first vertical
panels may include the
steps of pivoting the driver side third vertical panel away from the driver
side second vertical
panel; and pivoting the passenger side third vertical panel away from the
passenger side third
vertical panel.
[0026] In the method, the step of pivoting the driver side and passenger
side second and third
vertical panels away from the driver side and passenger side first vertical
panels may also
include the step of disposing weather stripping attached to bottom portions of
the driver side and
passenger side second and third vertical panels in a groove formed in the
upper surface of the
tailgate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments
disclosed herein
will be better understood with respect to the following description and
drawings, in which like
numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a truck with a replacement
tailgate installed on a bed
of the truck;
[0029] Figure 2 illustrates a cover of the tailgate shown in Figure 1
pivoted outward;
[0030] Figure 3 illustrates the tailgate shown in Figure 2 pivoted
downward;
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[00311 Figure 4 illustrates a front shell of the tailgate pivoted upward so
that the front shell
and a rear shell are at a 900 pivoting angle;
[0032] Figure 5 illustrates the front shell of the tailgate pivoted so that
the pivoting angle is
at 270 between the front shell and the rear shell;
[0033] Figure 6 illustrates the left and right side panels being pivoted
outward when the rear
shell is 90 with respect to the front shell;
[0034] Figure 7 illustrates the left and right side panels pivoted outward;
[0035] Figure 8 illustrates latches of the left and right side panels
engaging standard latch
receivers of the truck bed;
[0036] Figure 9 illustrates first and second telescoping panels of the rear
shell;
[0037] Figure 10 illustrates the front shell of the tailgate pivoted upward
so that the front
shell and the rear shell are at a 90 pivoting angle;
[0038] Figure 11 illustrates the front shell of the tailgate pivoted so
that the pivoting angle is
about 270 between the front shell and the rear shell;
[0039] Figure 12 illustrates the front shell pivoted back to the 90
pivoting angle after
objects are placed in the truck bed;
[0040] Figure 13 illustrates the left and right side panels being pivoted
outward;
[0041] Figure 14 illustrates left and right elongating side panels pivoted
outward and secured
to standard receivers of the truck bed with latches;
[0042] Figure 15 illustrates another embodiment of the pick up truck bed
elongator;
[0043] Figure 16 illustrates the elongator of Figure 15 with a tailgate in
an opened position;
[0044] Figure 17 illustrates the elongator of Figure 15 with first, second
and third vertical
panels being traversed to an expanded position;
[0045] Figure 18 illustrates the elongator of Figure 15 with the first and
second vertical
panels traversed to the expanded position;
[0046] Figure 19 illustrates the elongator of Figure 15 with the third
vertical panel being
traversed to the expanded position; and
[0047] Figure 20 illustrates the elongator of Figure 15 with the first
through third vertical
panels traversed to the expanded position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
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[0048] Referring now to the drawings, a replacement tailgate 10a for a bed
12 of the truck 14
for the purpose of elongating the pickup truck is shown. The tailgate 10a may
replace the factory
tailgate and enable the user to elongate the factory length 16 of the truck
bed 12 of the truck 14.
The tailgate 10a can elongate the factory length 16 of the truck bed 12 about
a height 18 of the
truck bed 12 or an elongated length 20 (see Figure 11). The tailgate 10, 10a
can also be secured
to standard factory latching mechanisms of the factory installed truck bed so
that no or little
modification to the truck bed 12 is necessary in order to retrofit the truck
14 with the tailgate 10.
Alternatively, the factory tailgate may be used to elongate the factory length
16 of the truck bed
12 of the truck 14.
[0049] Referring now the Figures 1-8, the tailgate 10 is shown as being
deployed to elongate
the length 16 of the truck bed 12 to the height 18 of the truck bed 12. In
particular, the tailgate 10
has cover 22. The cover 22 is disposed on top of upper ends 24, 26 of front
and rear shells 28, 30
of the tailgate 10. The cover 22 prevents objects from being inadvertently
disposed between the
front and rear shells 28, 30. The front shell 28 functions as the tailgate
when the factory length
16 of the truck 12 is elongated by the height 18 of the truck bed 12, as shown
in Figure 8. The
rear shell 30 functions as a bottom support for elongating the length 16 so
that longer objects 34
can be placed in the truck bed 12 and secured therein by the tailgate 32.
Pivoting the cover 22
about the upper end 26 of the rear shell 30 may enable the front shell 28 to
be pivoted about the
rear shell 30.
[0050] After pivoting the cover 22 to the open position as shown in Figure
2, the user may
release the tailgate 10 from the left and right side walls 36, 38 to lower the
front and rear shells
28, 30 to elongate the factory length 16 of the truck bed 12. As discussed
above, the cover 22
may be attached and configured to the tailgate 10 so that pivoting of the
cover 22 to the open
position enables pivoting of the front shell 28 about the rear shell 30. In
this regard, the cover 22
can be pivoted to the open position either before or after the tailgate 10 is
traversed to the down
position, as shown in Figure 3. Moreover, it is also contemplated that the
ability of the front and
rear shells 28, 30 to be pivoted about each other can be independent of the
position of the cover
22. The cover 22 can be held in the closed position, as shown in Figure 1 or
in the open position
as shown in Figure 2 with a detent or other latching mechanism.
[0051] Once the tailgate 10 is pivoted downward, the front shell 28 can be
pivoted upward as
shown in Figure 4. The pivoting angle 40 can be limited to between about 90
and about 270
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(see Figure 5), as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The pivoting angle 40 can be
limited by way of a
detent or other mechanism known in the art or developed in the future. When
the front shell 28 is
pivoted 2700, the user can slide objects 34 into the bed then lift the front
shell 28 upward to trap
the objects 34 in the truck bed 12, as shown in Figure 6.
[0052] The front shell 28 may have a height 42 (see Figure 4) equal to
about the height 18 of
the tailgate 10. Alternatively, the height 42 of the front shell 28 may be
greater than or less than
the height 18 but is preferably about equal to the height 18 of the tailgate
10.
[0053] As shown in Figure 7, left and right side panels 44, 46 can be
rotated outward and
secured to the left and right side walls 36, 38 of the truck bed 12 with the
latching mechanism
48. The latching mechanism 48 may be secured to the standard receivers on
truck beds so that no
or little modification to the truck bed 12 is needed. By securing the latching
member 48 to the
standard receivers on the truck bed 12, the pivoting angle 40 of the front
shell 28 is locked to
90 . Also, the elongated length 20 is set to the height 18 of the tailgate 10.
Objects 34 placed
within the truck bed 12 remain secured therein by way of the front shell 28
and the left and right
side panels 44, 46. The left and right side panels 44, 46 may remain in the un-
deployed state as
shown in Figures 4 and 5. By way of example and not limitation, the left and
right side panels
44, 46 and the front shell 28 may have magnets and/or detents that hold the
left and right side
panels 44, 46 against the front shell 28. Other mechanisms are also
contemplated such as detents,
latches, etc.
[0054] In a further feature, the tailgate 10 may be used to elongate the
factory length 16 of
the truck bed 12 greater than the height and up to an elongated length 20. To
this end, referring
now to Figures 9-14 the rear shell 30 may be fabricated from telescoping first
and second
telescoping panels 50, 52. By extending the telescoping first and second
panels 50, 52, the truck
bed 12 can be elongated by length 54 (see Figure 10) which is greater than the
height 18. The
second telescoping panel 52 may be traversed between the retracted position,
shown in Figure 3
or the elongated position, shown in Figure 10. The second telescoping panel 52
may be retained
in the retracted position or elongated position by way of a detent or other
mechanism known in
the art or developed in the future.
[0055] Once the second telescoping panel 52 is traversed to the expanded
position as shown
in Figure 10, the front shell 28 may be pivoted downward so that the front
shell 28 hangs
downward as shown in Figure 11. In this way, objects 34 can be slid onto or
off of the truck bed
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12. Once objects 34 are placed in the truck bed 12, the user can traverse the
front shell 28 so that
the front shell 28 is 900 with respect to the rear shell 30, shown in Figure
12. The left and right
side panels 44, 46 can be rotated outward as shown in Figure 13. Moreover,
left and right
elongating panels 56, 58 can also be rotated to close the gap 60 between the
left and right side
panels 44, 46 and the left and right side walls 36, 38 of the truck bed 12.
Once the latches 60, 62
are secured to the receivers, objects 34 placed on the truck bed cannot slip
out of the truck bed 12
due to the front shell 28, left and right side panels 44, 46 and the left and
right elongating panels
56, 58.
[0056] The front and rear shells 20, 30, left and right side panels 44, 46
and the left and right
elongating panels 56, 58 may be fabricated from a variety of materials
including but not limited
to carbon fiber, steel, fiberglass, plastic, aluminum, and other materials
known in the art or
developed in the future.
[0057] The tailgate 10 described herein has been describe as a replacement
to a factory
tailgate. However, it is also contemplated that the tailgate may be offered as
original equipment
from the factory or manufacturer.
[0058] Referring now to Figures 15-20, a second embodiment of the apparatus
and device
for extending the factory length 16 (see Figure 16) of the truck bed 12 of the
truck 14 is shown.
In particular, the replacement tailgate 10a may be attached to the truck bed
12 by attaching the
tailgate 10a to the standard attachment mechanisms provided in the truck 14.
By way of example
and not limitation, the tailgate 10a may be pivotally attached to a rear
portion of the truck bed 12.
The tailgate 10a may pivot about pivot axis 70. Preferably, the pivot motion
of the tailgate 10a
may be limited to 90 as shown in Figures 15 and 16. The tailgate 10a when in
the vertical
orientation may be in the locked position and unlocked only when the user
grips the handle 72
and releases the latching mechanism between the tailgate 10a and the factory
latching
mechanisms in the side walls of the truck bed 12 of the truck 14. When the
tailgate 10a is pivoted
downward as shown in Figure 16, the tailgate 10a and more particularly an
upper surface 76 of
the tailgate 10a may be coplanar with an upper surface 74 of the truck bed 12
so that the tailgate
10a now extends the length 16 of the truck bed 12 plus the tailgate 10a.
Objects 34 placed within
the truck bed 12 may be retained therein with a plurality of driver-side
vertical panels 78 and
passenger-side vertical panels 80 which are stacked, folded, and stored into
cavities 82, 84
formed by the side walls 36, 38 and the top ledge 86, 88 of the left and right
side walls 36, 38.
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[0059] The passenger-side vertical panels 80a-c and the driver-side
vertical panels 78a-c
may be pivoted out as shown in Figures 17-20. In particular, panels 78a, 80a
may pivot around
900 about vertical pivot axes 90, 92. The vertical panels 78a, 80a may extend
out until the
vertical panels 78a, 80a are parallel to left and right side edges 94, 96 of
the tailgate 10a, shown
in Figure 18. The vertical panels 78a, 80a may be secured in this position by
means known in the
art or developed in the future. By way of example and not limitation, the
vertical panels 78a, 80a
may have detents or other latching mechanisms that may be used to attach the
vertical panels
78a, 80a to the tailgate 10a.
[0060] The panels 78b, 80b may be pivoted until the panels 78b, 80b are
generally parallel
with the back edge 98 of the tailgate 10a. The panels 78b and 80b may be
pivoted about vertical
pivot axes 104, 106. Likewise, the vertical panels 78c, 80c may be pivoted to
close the opening
108 as shown in Figure 20. The vertical panels 78c, a-c may be pivoted about
vertical pivot axes
110, 112. The bottom edge portions 100 of the panels 78b, c and 80b, c may
have a rubberized
weather stripping 102. The weather stripping 102 may be received into a groove
104 formed in
the upper surface 76 of the tailgate 10a. The panels 78b, c and panels 80b, c
may be held in
position by way of latching mechanisms known in the art or developed in the
future. By way of
example and not limitation, these latching mechanisms include but are not
limited to detents,
over center latches, etc. Moreover, the disposition of the weather strip 102
of the panels 78b, c
and 80b, c also help to retain the panels 78b, c, 80b, c parallel to the back
edge 98 of the tailgate
10a. The two vertical panels 78c, 80c may also be latched together with the
latching mechanism
known in the art or developed in the future. In this manner, objects 34 placed
in the truck bed
may roll around in the truck bed 12 but will not roll out of the truck bed 12
because the objects
34 are blocked by the vertical panels 78a, b, c and panels 80a, b, c.
[0061] In a variant of the second embodiment of the tailgate 10a, the
original factory tailgate
may be utilized in conjunction with the left and right vertical panels 70a, b,
c and vertical panels
80a, b, c. To this end, the hinge that allows the panels 78a, 80a to be
pivoted about vertical pivot
axes 90, 92 may be locked in the deployed state as shown in Figure 18.
Likewise, the hinge that
enables the panels 78b, 80b to pivot about vertical pivot axes 104, 106 may be
locked in the
deployed state as shown in Figure 19. Optionally, the hinge that enables the
panels 78c, 80c to
pivot about vertical axes 110, 112 may be locked in the deployed state as
shown in Figure 20 or
alternatively the panels 78c and 80c may freely rotate out the vertical pivot
axes 110, 112 and be
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locked in the deployed state as shown in Figure 20 by way of the latching
mechanism that
secures the panels 78c to 80c and vice versa.
[0062] The
above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the
above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations may be within
the scope and spirit
of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of securing the
panels to the factory
receiver of the factory tailgate of the truck bed. Further, the various
features of the embodiments
disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other
and are not
intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the
scope of the
claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
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