Mega elongator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029741-B2
Application number	US-201715629643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A replacement tailgate for the purpose of elongating the pick up truck may be installed on a truck bed wherein the replacement tailgate can be unfolded in order to elongate a length of the truck bed. The replacement tailgate may have front and rear shells that are used to support objects placed in the truck bed as well as act as the new tailgate when the truck bed length is elongated. Various panels may be unfolded in order to trap objects within the truck bed when the replacement tailgate is unfolded in order to elongate the truck bed length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck with a truck bed extender, truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;
an actuator attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor for traversing the telescoping floor between the retracted position and the extended position;

a switch for actuator between the retracted and extended positions.

2. The truck of claim 1 wherein the switch is a handle located on the tailgate or in the cab of the truck.

3. The truck of claim 1 wherein the actuator is disengaged when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are traversed to the extended position so that the shock absorber absorbs an impact force from an automobile from behind the truck.

4. A truck with a truck bed extender, the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;
wherein the shock absorber is operative to withstand a 5 mph to 10 mph impact from an automobile from behind the truck.

5. A truck with a truck bed extender, the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;
wherein the shock absorber is attached to the stationary floor by attaching the shock absorber to a frame of the truck, and wherein the shock absorber is attached to the telescoping floor by attaching the shock absorber to the traversable bumper of the truck.

6. A truck with a truck bed extender, the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;
wherein the tailgate has left and right turn signals and the left and right sidewalls of the truck bed has left and right turn signals, the left and right turn signals of the tailgate is blended to the left and right turn signals of the left and right sidewalls.

7. The truck of claim 6 wherein upper edges of the left and right turn signals of the tailgate and the sidewalls are aligned to each other, and wherein lower edges of the left and right turn signals of the tailgate and the sidewalls are aligned to each other.

8. A truck with a truck bed extender, the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;
wherein the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are traversable horizontally backward which is parallel to a plane of the stationary floor.

9. A truck with a truck bed extender, the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate are in the extended position;

a telescoping support structure disposed below and attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to provide support to the telescoping floor to support a weight when the bumper, the telescoping floor and the tailgate are in the extended position.

10. A method of extending a length of a truck bed of a truck, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the truck comprising:
a cab for holding a passenger and a driver;
a truck bed disposed behind the cab;
the truck bed extender comprising:
a stationary floor fixedly attached to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed;
a telescoping floor, a bumper and a tailgate, all of which are traversable between retracted and extended positions to extend a length of the truck bed;
a shock absorber attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor to absorb rear impact on the bumper when the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate ate are in the extended position;

traversing the bumper, the telescoping floor and the tailgate from the retracted position to the extended position;
engaging the shock absorber when the bumper, the telescoping floor and the tailgate are in the extended position to absorb a rear end impact from another vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of providing an actuator attached to the stationary floor and the telescoping floor, and actuating the actuator to move the telescoping floor, the bumper and the tailgate from the retracted position to the extended position and back to the retracted position from the extended position.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of providing a switch in communication with the actuator, and activating the switch to control the actuator and traverse the bumper, the telescoping floor and the tailgate between the retracted and extended positions.

13. A tailgate extender of a bed of a truck, the tailgate extender comprising:
one or more floor extension panels, disposed adjacent to a floor of the bed, that extend a floor of the bed as a tailgate of the truck is moved backwards;
one or more support structures attached to the bed that extend and retract as the tailgate is moved backwards and forwards;
an actuator that extends and retracts the one or more support structures as the tailgate is moved backwards

Assignees

• Singer Nicholas J

Inventors

• Singer Nicholas J

Classifications

• B62D33/023

  Sideboard or tailgate structures {(vehicle side panels in general B62D25/02)} · CPC title

• B60R19/32

  Fluid shock absorbers {, e.g. with coaxial coil springs} · CPC title

• B60P3/40

  for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements ({E04G21/14 takes precedence}; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02) · CPC title

• B62D33/03

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62D33/0273 Primary

  Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks (B62D33/037 takes precedence) · CPC title