Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11724753-B2
Application number	US-202217821766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	Oct 27, 2006
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A tailgate enclosure for use with a vehicle can include a plurality of cross-members, a first upright, a second upright, and only one additional upright. Each of the cross-members can be vertically spaced apart from an adjacent one of the cross-members and can include a first beam, a second beam, and a central beam having a first end and a second end, the central beam positioned at least partially between the first and second beams. The first upright can secure the first beam of each of the cross-members to a first sidewall of the vehicle and the second upright can secure the second beam of each of the cross-members to a second sidewall of the vehicle. The additional upright can be positioned along the central beam of each of the cross-members between the first and second ends of the central beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle tailgate enclosure for use with a vehicle including a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a cargo bed, and a tailgate, the vehicle tailgate enclosure comprising:
a first upright configured to be secured to the first sidewall of the vehicle;
a second upright configured to be secured to the second sidewall of the vehicle;
a plurality of cross-members extending between the first and second uprights over at least a portion of the tailgate of the vehicle when the vehicle tailgate enclosure is in use, each of the plurality of cross-members vertically spaced apart from an adjacent one of the plurality of cross-members, each of the plurality of cross-members comprising:
a first beam connected to the first upright;
a second beam connected to the second upright; and
a central beam connected to the first and second beams; and

a third upright positioned along the plurality of cross-members between the first and second uprights, the third upright comprising:
a first portion comprising a first channel that receives a portion of the central beam of a first one of the plurality of cross-members, the first portion having a first width;
a second portion comprising a second channel that receives a portion of the central beam of a second one of the plurality of cross-members, the second portion having a second width; and
a third portion comprising a third channel that receives a portion of the central beam of a third one of the plurality of cross-members, the third portion having a third width;
wherein the first and third widths are different than the second width; and
wherein:
the first channel receives a portion of each of the first and second beams of the first one of the plurality of cross-members;
the second channel receives a portion of each of the first and second beams of the second one of the plurality of cross-members; and
the third channel receives a portion of each of the first and second beams of the third one of the plurality of cross-members.

2. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 1 , wherein:
the central beam of the first one of the plurality of cross-members extends within portions of the first and second beams of the first one of the plurality of cross-members;
the central beam of the second one of the plurality of cross-members extends within portions of the first and second beams of the second one of the plurality of cross-members; and
the central beam of the third one of the plurality of cross-members extends within portions of the first and second beams of the third one of the plurality of cross-members.

3. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the third upright comprises a first shell and a second shell, the first and second shells secured to one another with a plurality of fasteners.

4. The vehicle tailgate enclosure of claim 1 , wherein:
the first upright comprises a first pivot mount configured to allow the first upright to be pivotably mounted to the first sidewall of the vehicle; and
the second upright comprises a second pivot mount configured to allow the second upright to be pivotably mounted to the second sidewall of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Lund Motion Products Inc

Inventors

• Smith Anthony Nicholas

Classifications

• B62D33/033 Primary

  removable {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62D33/0273

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