Multi-platform reconfigurable electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12030558-B2
Application number	US-202217691036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2022
Priority date	Mar 10, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle body for a multi-platform, reconfigurable electric truck includes a front trunk, an extendable bed and barn door tailgates, a sidewall table, and a side step and drawer. The front trunk includes a cover movable between a closed and open positions, and includes panels selectively movable between a retracted and extended positions to form a work surface. A bed extender slides between a retracted and extended positions. Barn door tailgates each move between closed, partially open, and fully open positions and include inner tailgates movable between stowed and deployed positions. The barn door tailgates and the inner tailgates enclose an extended region of a bed when the bed extender is extended position, the barn door tailgates are each partially open, and the inner tailgates are each deployed. The sidewall table folds down from a sidewall, and the drawer pulls out from a sidewall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body, comprising:
a front trunk having a cover within an interior surface forming a worktable when the cover is rotated down;
an extendable bed and a pair of barn door tailgates each having an inner gate rotatable about a connection to an end of a respective one of the barn door tailgates, the barn door tailgates and inner gates selectively movable to enclose an extended cargo area formed when the extendable bed is in an extended position;
a sidewall table formed by folding down a sidewall portion of a bed for the vehicle body and unfolding hinged segments of the sidewall portion; and
a side step formed by a sliding drawer having a retractable cover with an anti-skid surface.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the cover may be selectively rotated up to a closed position and rotated down to an open position, the cover comprising:
panels on the interior surface of the cover, each of the panels selectively movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the interior surface and the panels form an extended work surface when the panels are in the extended position.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the extendable bed comprises a bed extender slidable between a retracted position and the extended position,
wherein the barn door tailgates are each selectively movable between each of a closed position, a partially open position, and a fully open position,
wherein each inner gate is selectively movable around the connection between a stowed position and a deployed position, and
wherein the barn door tailgates and the inner gates enclose the extended cargo area when the bed extender is in the extended position, the barn door tailgates are each in the partially open position, and the inner gates are each in the deployed position.

4. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the sidewall portion of the bed selectively movable between a closed position oriented in alignment with a remainder of a sidewall of the bed and an open position extending outward from the sidewall to form a work surface, and
wherein the hinged segments are configured to be selectively unfolded to form an enlarged work surface.

5. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding drawer is configured to be selectively pulled out from a sidewall of a bed for the vehicle body, the retractable cover forming a step surface and covering storage space within the drawer.

6. A front trunk for a vehicle body, the front trunk comprising:
a storage space located at a front of the vehicle body;
a worktable surface on an interior of a movable cover over the storage space; and
a cover selectively movable between a closed position and an open position, the cover comprising panels on the worktable surface, each of the panels selectively movable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the panels and an underlying portion of the worktable surface form an extended work surface when the panels are in the extended position.

7. The front trunk according to claim 6 , further comprising:
electrical outlets within a surface of the storage space.

8. The front trunk according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a wireless charging pad on a bottom surface of the storage space.

9. The front trunk according to claim 6 , wherein each of the panels is individually movable between the retracted position and the extended position.

10. The front trunk according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical outlets comprise a universal serial bus (USB) connection.

11. A cargo bed for a vehicle body, the cargo bed comprising:
a bottom surface extending rearward from a cabin of the vehicle body;
sidewalls on side edges of the bottom surface;
a bed extender for the bottom surface, wherein the bed extender is slidable between a retracted position and an extended position; and
barn door tailgates each connected to one of the sidewalls, each of the barn door tailgates selectively movable between each of a closed position, a partially open position, and a fully open position,
wherein the barn door tailgates each comprise a body and an inner gate selectively movable between a stowed position against a respective body and a deployed position extending from an end of the respective body, and
wherein the bodies of the barn door tailgates and the inner gates enclose an extended region of a bed when the bed extender is in the extended position, the bodies of the barn door tailgates are each in the partially open position, and the inner gates are each in the deployed position.

12. The cargo bed according to claim 11 , wherein the bed extender, in a retracted position, is positioned below the bottom surface.

13. The cargo bed according to claim 11 , wherein the bed extender comprises a pull handle for manual movement between the retracted position and the extended position.

14. The cargo bed according to claim 11 , wherein the barn door tailgates each latch in the closed position and stabilize in each of the partially open position and the fully open position.

15. The cargo bed according to claim 11 , wherein the inner gates are pivotably mounted within the bodies of the barn door tailgates.

16. A vehicle body, comprising:
a sidewall of a cargo bed, wherein a portion of the sidewall is selectively movable between a closed position oriented in alignment with the sidewall and an open position extending outward from the sidewall to form a first work surface comprising an interior surface of the sidewall portion,
wherein the sidewall portion comprises hinged segments configured to be selectively unfolded to form an enlarged work surface comprising internal surfaces of the sidewall portion when the sidewall portion is in the closed position.

17. The vehicle body according to claim 16 , wherein the hinged segments configured to be selectively unfolded to form an enlarged work surface.

18. A vehicle body, comprising:
a sliding drawer retractably mounted within a sidewall of a cargo bed,
the sliding drawer configured to be selectively pulled out from the sidewall to an open position and pushed inward toward a centerline of the vehicle body to a closed position,
the sliding drawing having an end surface flush with adjoining surface of sides of the vehicle body when in the closed position,
the sliding drawer including a roll top retractable cover having an anti-skid surface forming a step and covering storage space within the sliding drawer.

19. The vehicle body according to claim 18 , wherein the sliding drawer is configured to be pushed in to initiate outward movement.

20. The vehicle body according to claim 18 , wherein the storage space is divided into compartments each including a compartment cover.

Assignees

• Canoo Tech Inc

Inventors

• Aquila Anthony
• Kim Richard
• Luttig Jackson E
• Martins Junior Arthur Henrique
• Smith Mark

Classifications

• B60R9/065

  Enclosure-type carriers, e.g. trunks · CPC title

• B60R11/06

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

• B60R3/02

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N3/001

  of tables or trays · CPC title

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title