Extendable cargo bed side wall

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904952-B2
Application number	US-202217673886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2022
Priority date	Feb 17, 2022
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A cargo bed system includes a side wall assembly of a cargo bed. The side wall assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The side wall assembly include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo bed system, comprising:
a side wall assembly of a cargo bed, the side wall assembly configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position, the side wall assembly including an extendable portion and a fixed portion, the extendable portion extending and retracting relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position, wherein the extendable portion includes a cargo holding surface, wherein cargo coupled to the cargo holding surface is received within the fixed portion when the side wall assembly is in the standard wall position, the cargo holding surface configured to hold cargo.

2. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , further comprising a taillight of the extendable portion, the taillight extending and retracting with the extendable portion relative to the fixed portion.

3. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , wherein the extendable portion is telescopically received within the fixed portion when the side wall assembly is in the standard wall position.

4. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , further comprising a grab handle that can be actuated to release the extendable portion such that the extendable portion can extend relative to the fixed portion of the side wall assembly.

5. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , wherein the side wall assembly is a driver side wall assembly, and further comprising a passenger side wall assembly, the passenger side wall assembly configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position.

6. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bed is configured to transition back-and-forth between an extended bed position and a standard bed position, the cargo bed having an extended area when in the extended bed position, wherein the extendable portion is configured to, when extended, provide a side wall of the extended area.

7. The cargo bed system of claim 6 , further comprising a tailgate assembly that provides a floor of the extended area.

8. The cargo bed system of claim 6 , further comprising a floor assembly configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position, the floor assembly including a plurality of floor sections each having a cargo support surface, at least some of the plurality of floor sections folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position and unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position, wherein the floor assembly provides a floor of the extended area when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position.

9. The cargo bed system of claim 6 , further comprising at least one step that is configured to move from a stowed position to a deployed position when the cargo bed is in the extended bed position.

10. The cargo bed system of claim 1 , further comprising a cover that conceals cargo held by the cargo holding surface when the extendable portion is in the extended wall position.

11. The cargo bed system of claim 2 , wherein, when the side wall assembly is in the standard wall position, the taillight of the extendable portion is disposed vertically beneath some of the fixed portion.

12. A cargo bed adjustment method, comprising:
transitioning a side wall assembly of a cargo bed from a standard wall position to an extended wall position by extending an extendable portion of the side wall assembly relative to a fixed portion of the side wall assembly; and
during the extending, providing access to a storage area within the extendable portion of the side wall assembly.

13. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 12 , wherein a taillight is mounted to the extendable portion of the side wall assembly such that the taillight extends and retracts with the extendable portion of the side wall assembly.

14. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 13 , further comprising operating the taillight when the side wall assembly is in the extended wall position.

15. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 12 , wherein the side wall assembly is a first side wall assembly on a driver side, and further comprising transitioning a second side wall assembly from a standard wall position to an extended wall position by extending an extendable portion of the second side wall assembly relative to a fixed portion of the second side wall assembly.

16. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 15 , wherein the extendable portion of the first side wall assembly and the extendable portion of the second side wall assembly provide opposing sides of an extended area of the cargo bed when the cargo bed is in an extended bed position.

17. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 16 , further comprising transitioning the cargo bed back-and-forth between the extended bed position and a standard bed position, the cargo bed having the extended area when in the extended bed position.

18. The cargo bed adjustment method of claim 15 , further comprising transitioning the cargo bed from a standard bed position to an extended bed position by unfolding portions of a cargo bed floor, by sliding other portions of the cargo bed floor, and by extending the first side wall assembly and the second side wall assembly.

19. The cargo bed adjustment of claim 13 , wherein the taillight is received vertically beneath a section of the fixed portion of the side wall assembly when the side wall assembly is in the standard wall position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Harmon Michael John
• Sandor Ryan Mathew
• Rutman Matthew B
• Stojkovic Dragan B
• Borkar Amol
• Sanborn Kirk E
• Meredith Ronald
• Diephuis Jesse Rene

Classifications

• B62D33/0273 Primary

  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

• B62D33/08

  comprising adjustable means (B62D33/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R11/06

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

• B62D33/027 Primary

  movable · CPC title