Sidepack floor and methods of making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926366-B2
Application number	US-202117557532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sidepack floor of a sidepack assembly configured to be integrated onto a utility vehicle, the sidepack floor comprising:
at least two sheets of thermoplastic including a first sheet of thermoplastic and a second sheet of thermoplastic,
wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are separated by a gap,
wherein the gap is fully encapsulated by the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic, and
a honeycomb core disposed within the gap.

2. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are joined using twin sheet thermoforming.

3. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are fiber reinforced thermoplastic.

4. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are formed using compression molding.

5. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the sidepack floor is integrally formed with a sidepack body of the sidepack assembly.

6. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are joined at periodic kiss-off locations.

7. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement member disposed within the gap.

8. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are joined via physical bonding.

9. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , wherein the first sheet of thermoplastic and the second sheet of thermoplastic are joined via chemical bonding.

10. The sidepack floor of claim 1 , further comprising a foam core disposed within the gap.

11. A sidepack floor of a sidepack assembly configured to be integrated onto a utility vehicle, the sidepack floor comprising:
at least two thermoset panels;
a gap that is fully encapsulated by the at least two thermoset panels,
wherein the at least two thermoset panels are separated by the gap,
wherein a first thermoset panel and a second thermoset panel of the at least two thermoset panels are joined at periodic kiss-off locations; and
a honeycomb core disposed within the gap.

12. The sidepack floor of claim 11 , wherein the at least two thermoset panels are joined during manufacture of the at least two thermoset panels via resin transfer molding.

13. The sidepack floor of claim 11 , wherein the at least two thermoset panels are fiber reinforced thermoset panels.

14. The sidepack floor of claim 11 , further comprising at least one thermoplastic material.

15. The sidepack floor of claim 11 , wherein the at least two thermoset panels are joined via welding including plastic welding.

16. The sidepack floor of claim 11 , wherein the sidepack floor is integrally formed with a sidepack body of the sidepack assembly.

17. A sidepack floor of a sidepack assembly configured to be integrated onto a utility vehicle, the sidepack floor comprising:
at least one thermoset panel;
at least one thermoplastic panel,
wherein the at least one thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are separated by a gap,
wherein the gap is fully encapsulated by the at least one thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel, and
wherein the at least one thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined at periodic kiss-off locations; and
a reinforcement member disposed within the gap.

18. The sidepack floor of claim 17 , wherein the at least one thermoplastic panel includes a fiber reinforced thermoplastic panel, and the at least one thermoset panel includes a fiber reinforced thermoset panel.

19. The sidepack floor of claim 17 , wherein the sidepack floor is integrally formed with a truck bed floor of the utility vehicle.

20. The sidepack floor of claim 17 , wherein a weight of the sidepack floor is less than 0.015 lbs per square inch and the sidepack floor deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 0.14 psi is applied to the sidepack floor.

Assignees

• Altec Ind Inc

Inventors

• Mckinney Ryan J
• Graham Austin
• Hoffmann Kyle E

Classifications

• B62D33/02 Primary

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

• B60R9/02

  at the sides, e.g. on running-board · CPC title

• B60R11/06

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

• B60R13/01

  Liners for load platforms or load compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/2054

  Load carrying floors for commercial vehicles · CPC title