Pickup box header and integrated toolbox assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148731-B2
Application number	US-201816233179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A pickup truck box assembly including a header, a truck bed, an upper header rail, and a toolbox is provided. The truck bed has a forward end supporting the header, a rear end having a tailgate pivotally mounted thereto, and a pair of wheel wells disposed on opposing sides of the truck bed. The upper header rail may be secured at an upper portion of the header. The toolbox may include an extruded body defining a channel extending laterally a width of the truck bed. A lower surface of the body may be spaced from the truck bed a distance greater than a height of the wheel wells. First and second body side panels may be mounted to the truck bed and arranged with the toolbox to define sidewalls of the toolbox. The upper header rail and the toolbox may be formed by extrusion as a single component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pickup truck box assembly comprising:
a bed disposed at a bottom of the pickup truck box assembly, the bed having a forward end, a right side, and a left side;
a header extending upwardly from the forward end;
a first side panel secured to the header and extending upwardly from the right side;
a second side panel secured to the header and extending upwardly from the left side;
right and left wheel wells extending upwardly from the bed to a first height and inwardly from the first and second side panels, respectively;
an upper rail secured to an upper end of the header; and
a toolbox integrated with the upper rail, the toolbox defining a channel extending between the first and second side panels, wherein a bottom surface of the toolbox is spaced above the bed to a second height that is greater than the first height, and wherein the upper rail and the toolbox are formed by extrusion as a single component.

2. A pickup truck box assembly comprising:
a bed disposed at a bottom of the pickup truck box assembly, the bed having a forward end, a right side, and a left side;
a header extending upwardly from the forward end;
a first side panel secured to the header and extending upwardly from the right side;
a second side panel secured to the header and extending upwardly from the left side;
right and left wheel wells extending upwardly from the bed to a first height and inwardly from the first and second side panels, respectively;
an upper rail secured to an upper end of the header;
a toolbox integrated with the upper rail, the toolbox defining a channel extending between the first and second side panels, wherein a bottom surface of the toolbox is spaced above the bed to a second height that is greater than the first height; and
a toolbox lid, wherein the toolbox lid is mounted to the upper rail for pivotal movement between at least a closed position in which access to the channel is prevented and an open position in which access to the channel is provided.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Reiners Robert
• Hemphill Joshua Robert
• Marchlewski Jack
• Stojkovic Dragan B

Classifications

• B60R11/06

  for tools or spare parts (for vehicle roof parts B60J7/20; for spare wheels B62D) · CPC title

• B62D29/008 Primary

  predominantly of light alloys, e.g. extruded · CPC title

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• B62D33/02

  Platforms; Open load compartments {(flat wagons including posts or standards B61D3/08)} · CPC title

• B60R9/06

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title