Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703286-B2
Application number	US-201815900578-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 20, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle body structure having a cargo structure, a retractable step and a handle assembly. The cargo structure has a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate. The retractable step is installed to the cargo structure beneath the floor and the first side wall and adjacent to the tailgate. The handle assembly has a base and a grip handle extending from the base. The base is attached to an upright surface of the first side wall. The base is shaped and contoured such that the grip handle is positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from an upper surface of the first side wall within the cargo area above the floor and above the step. An individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure, comprising:
a cargo area structure having a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area, the tailgate being movable between an open orientation exposing a rear end of the cargo area and a closed orientation blocking the rear end of the cargo area;
a retractable step installed to the cargo area structure beneath the floor and the first side wall and adjacent to the tailgate; and
a handle assembly having a base and a grip handle extending from the base, the base being attached to an upright surface of the first side wall, the grip handle being non-movable when the base is tightly attached to the upright surface of the first side wall, the base being shaped and contoured such that the grip handle is positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from an upper surface of the first side wall within the cargo area above the floor of the cargo structure, the grip handle further extends horizontally above the step and above the base portion such that an individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the base of the handle assembly is directly attached to the first side wall via mechanical fasteners such that the base overlays a portion of the upright surface.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the base includes an attachment portion, a contoured portion and a handle supporting portion with the attachment portion overlying the portion of the upright surface, the contoured portion extending upward away from the attachment portion such that the grip handle is located above and outboard of the attachment portion with the grip handle being rigidly and fixedly attached to the handle supporting portion.

4. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a cargo area structure having a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area, the tailgate being movable between an open orientation exposing a rear end of the cargo area and a closed orientation blocking the rear end of the cargo area, the first side wall includes a utility track configured to receive and support cargo area accessories, the utility track being rigidly and fixedly attached to the first side wall at a location below and adjacent to an upper surface of the first side wall, the utility track defining the upright surface of the first side wall;
a retractable step installed to the cargo area structure beneath the floor and the first side wall and adjacent to the tailgate; and
a handle assembly having a base and a grip handle extending from the base, the base being attached to the upright surface of the first side wall, the base being shaped and contoured such that the grip handle is positioned adjacent to and spaced apart from the upper surface of the first side wall within the cargo area above the floor and above the step such that an individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area; and
the base of the handle assembly is directly attached to the utility track via an attachment assembly such that the base overlays a portion of the upright surface of the utility track and with the base directly attached to the utility track the grip handle extends parallel to and above the utility track and is non-movable relative to the utility track with the base being tightly attached to the utility track and the first side wall.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the utility track is an elongated member having spaced apart lengthwise extending walls that define a pair of projections with an opening between the projection that are open to an elongated hollow channel within the utility track.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5 , wherein
the attachment assembly is fixed to the base of the handle assembly and includes a clamping member and a threaded member such that with the handle assembly attached to the utility track, the clamping member is located within the elongated hollow channel and the threaded member threadedly forces the clamping member and the base together clamping to the lengthwise extending walls.

7. The vehicle body structure according to claim 6 , wherein
the base includes an attachment portion, a contoured portion and a handle supporting portion with the attachment portion overlying the portion of the upright surface and having a aperture that receives the threaded member of the attachment assembly, the contoured portion extending outboard and upward away from the attachment portion such that the grip handle portion is located above and outboard of the attachment portion with the grip handle being rigidly and fixedly attached to the handle supporting portion.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the base includes an attachment portion, a contoured portion and a handle supporting portion with the attachment portion overlying the portion of the upright surface, the contoured portion extending outboard and upward away from the attachment portion such that the grip handle is located above and outboard of the attachment portion with the grip handle being rigidly and fixedly attached to the handle supporting portion.

9. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the grip handle of the handle assembly extends in a direction parallel to the first side wall.

10. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the retractable step is moveable between a retracted orientation in which the step is partially concealed below the floor and the first side wall, and an extended orientation in which the step extends rearward and outboard away relative to the cargo area.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the grip handle of the handle assembly is positioned such that with the tailgate in the open orientation, an individual using the step to enter the cargo area grabs the grip handle for assistance in stepping up into the cargo area and stepping on to the tailgate.

12. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the grip handle has a forward end attached to the base and a distal end, the grip handle extending rearward toward the tailgate such that the distal end of the grip handle is proximate the tailgate.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the grip handle is spaced apart from the utility track with the base of the handle assembly directly attached to the utility track.

14. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the grip handle has an upper surface that is approximately level with the upper surface of the first side wall of the cargo area structure.

15. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the grip handle has a forward end attached to the base and a distal end, the grip handle extending rearward toward the tailgate such that the distal end of the grip handle is proximate the tailgate.

16. A vehicle body structure, comprising:
a cargo area structure having a floor, a first side wall and a tailgate at least partially defining a cargo area, the tailgate being movable between an open orientation exposing a rear end of the cargo area and a closed orientation blocking the rear end of the cargo area, the first side wall including a utility track configured to receive and support cargo area accessories, the utility track being rigidly and fixedly attached to the first side wall at a location below and adjacent to an upper s

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Patterson Ian
• Petersen Martin

Classifications

• B60N3/02

  of hand grips or straps · CPC title

• B60N3/023

  movable · CPC title

• B62D33/0273

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

• B60R3/02 Primary

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62D33/03

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