Vehicle cargo box floor-to-sidewall mating configurations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292534-B2
Application number	US-202016822362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Mar 18, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Exemplary vehicle truck bed assemblies may include a unibody construction. A cargo box of an exemplary truck bed assembly may include at least two different floor-to-side wall mating configurations, and each of the at least two different mating configurations is non-visible from within a cargo space established by the cargo box. In addition, each of the at least two different mating configurations may include a fastener, such as a weld, an adhesive, and/or a bolt, for adjoining adjacent mating surfaces of the cargo box floor and side wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck bed assembly, comprising:
a vehicle frame including a longitudinally extending frame rail;
a cargo box supported on the vehicle frame and including a floor and a side wall;
a first mounting flange of the floor extending between a first mounting flange of the side wall and a first mounting flange of the longitudinally extending frame rail; and
a fastener joining together the first mounting flange of the floor, the first mounting flange of the side wall, and the first mounting flange of the longitudinally extending frame rail.

2. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the truck bed assembly includes a unibody construction.

3. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vehicle frame includes a second longitudinally extending frame rail and at least one cross member that extends between the longitudinally extending frame rail and the second longitudinally extending frame rail.

4. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a weld or an adhesive.

5. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is located outboard of an interior surface of the side wall, wherein the interior surface of the side wall faces in a direction away from a cargo space established by the cargo box.

6. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is non-visible from within the cargo box.

7. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein a second mounting flange of the floor is received against a second mounting flange of the side wall, and comprising a second fastener joining together the second mounting flange of the floor and the second mounting flange of the side wall.

8. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second fastener is located beneath the floor and is therefore non-visible from within the cargo box.

9. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 7 , wherein a third mounting flange of the floor extends between a third mounting flange of the side wall and a reinforcing cap that extends between the floor and the longitudinally extending frame rail, and further comprising a third fastener joining together the third mounting flange of the floor, the third mounting flange of the side wall, and the reinforcing cap.

10. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein the third fastener is located outboard of an interior surface of the side wall, and wherein the third fastener is non-visible from within the cargo box.

11. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 9 , wherein the first fastener and the second fastener are welds and the third fastener is a bolt.

12. The truck bed assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first mounting flange of the floor extends beneath a wheel well of the side wall.

13. A vehicle, comprising:
a unibody truck bed assembly comprised of a cargo box and an integrated vehicle frame,
wherein the cargo box includes a floor and a side wall,
wherein the cargo box includes at least three different mating configurations between the floor and the sidewall, and
wherein each of the at least three different mating configurations is non-visible from within a cargo space established by the cargo box.

14. The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein the vehicle is a pickup truck.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the at least three different mating configurations is located at a first location along the length of the side wall and includes a first mounting flange of the floor extending between a first mounting flange of the side wall and a first mounting flange of a longitudinally extending frame rail of the integrated vehicle frame, and further comprising a weld or an adhesive that joins together the first mounting flange of the floor, the first mounting flange of the side wall, and the first mounting flange of the longitudinally extending frame rail.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the at least three different mating configurations is located at a second location along the length of the side wall and includes a vertical mounting flange of the floor received against a vertical mounting flange of the side wall, and further comprising a weld or an adhesive that joins together the vertical mounting flange of the floor and the vertical mounting flange of the side wall.

17. The vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the at least three different mating configurations is located at a third location along the length of the side wall and includes a third mounting flange of the floor extending between a third mounting flange of the side wall and a reinforcing cap that extends between the floor and a longitudinally extending frame rail of the integrated vehicle frame, and further comprising a bolt joining together the third mounting flange of the floor, the third mounting flange of the side wall, and the reinforcing cap.

18. The vehicle as recited in claim 17 , comprising a weld or an adhesive located outboard of the bolt and joining together the third mounting flange of the floor, the reinforcing cap, and a mounting flange of the longitudinally extending frame rail.

19. A vehicle, comprising:
a unibody truck bed assembly comprised of a cargo box and an integrated vehicle frame,
wherein the cargo box includes a floor and a side wall,
wherein the cargo box includes at least two different mating configurations between the floor and the sidewall, and
wherein each of the at least two different mating configurations is non-visible from within a cargo space established by the cargo box,
wherein a first mating configuration of the at least two different mating configurations includes a weld located outboard of an interior surface of the side wall, and a second mating configuration of the at least two different mating configurations includes a bolt located outboard of the interior surface of the side wall.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Vijayakumar Srinath
• Chimento Vince Anthony
• Gray Jeffrey
• Childers Eric B
• Joseph Eric

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

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

• B62D33/0222 Primary

  Connecting elements between stanchions, e.g. roof supporting elements, stiffeners (non-fixed roofs B60J7/00; securing and covering of load B60P7/00) · CPC title

• B62D33/077

  characterised by the connection of the superstructure to the vehicle frame {(B62D33/06 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62D27/023

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title