Adjustable tailgate pad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12043095-B2
Application number	US-202217982154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2022
Priority date	Apr 19, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

An adjustable tailgate pad. The adjustable tailgate pad includes a front side. The adjustable tailgate pad also includes a back side. The adjustable tailgate pad further includes an adjustable top side coupled to the front side and the back side. The adjustable top side has a width which is adjustable.

First claim

We claim the following:

1. An adjustable tailgate pad comprising:
a front side;
a back side; and
an adjustable top side coupled to said front side and said back side, said adjustable top side having an adjustable width;
a plurality of retaining blocks disposed on said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad;
at least one top side strap coupled to said adjustable top side, said at least one top side strap configured to adjust said adjustable width of said adjustable top side;
at least one front side strap coupled to said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad; and
at least one strap receiving feature coupled to said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad, said at least one front side strap configured to be coupled to said at least one strap receiving feature to secure said adjustable tailgate pad to a tailgate.

2. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one retaining strap coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad, wherein said at least one retaining strap and said plurality of retaining blocks are configured to retain a portion of a vehicle in a desired position with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad.

3. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 2 wherein said at least one retaining strap is coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad at a location on said adjustable tailgate pad to enable strapping a portion of a vehicle against said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad.

4. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 further comprising:
a window formed in said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad, said window disposed to expose a tailgate feature.

5. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 wherein said at least one strap receiving feature is selected from the group consisting of: a cinch ring, a back side strap, and a portion of a hook-and-loop fastener to mate with a corresponding portion of a hook-and-loop fastener on a front side strap.

6. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one retaining strap coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad, said at least one retaining strap configured to support a vehicle in a desired position with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad.

7. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 further comprising:
padding coupled to said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad such that, when said adjustable tailgate pad is coupled to a tailgate, said padding is disposed between said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad and said tailgate, said padding having a surface selected from the group consisting of: a scratch reducing interface, a gripping interface, an adhering interface, and a low friction interface.

8. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 wherein said adjustable top side is comprised of a material having sufficient elasticity such that adjustable top side has an initial width which is less than the width of a tailgate to which said adjustable tailgate pad will be coupled.

9. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 wherein said adjustable top side is configured to fit about a tailgate without creating bunching of either said front side or said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad.

10. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 1 wherein said adjustable tailgate pad is configured for use with a plurality of tailgates each having a different respective tailgate width.

11. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 4 further comprising:
an adjustable window cover coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad, said adjustable window cover configured to extending across at least a portion of said window.

12. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of said adjustable window cover is foldable into a stacked configuration.

13. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 11 wherein said adjustable window cover has an accordion-style structure such that at least a portion of said adjustable window cover is foldable into a stacked configuration.

14. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 12 wherein said portion of said adjustable window cover which is foldable into said stacked configuration can be compactly stored with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad to eliminate bunching of said adjustable tailgate pad near said window.

15. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 13 wherein said portion of said adjustable window cover which is foldable into said stacked configuration can be compactly stored with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad to eliminate bunching of said adjustable tailgate pad near said window.

16. An adjustable tailgate pad comprising:
a front side;
a back side;
an adjustable top side coupled to said front side and said back side, said adjustable top side having a width which is adjustable;
at least one top side strap coupled to said adjustable top side, said at least one top side strap configured to adjust said adjustable width of said adjustable top side;
a window formed through said front side, said window disposed to expose a tailgate feature;
a plurality of retaining blocks disposed on said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad;
at least one retaining strap coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad, wherein said at least one retaining strap and said plurality of retaining blocks are configured to retain a portion of a vehicle in a desired position with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad; and
an adjustable window cover coupled to said front side, said adjustable window cover configured to selectively extend across a portion of said window.

17. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 16 further comprising:
at least one front side strap coupled to said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad; and
at least one strap receiving feature coupled to said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad, said at least one front side strap configured to be coupled to said at least one strap receiving feature to secure said adjustable tailgate pad to a tailgate.

18. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 17 wherein said at least one strap receiving feature is selected from the group consisting of: a cinch ring, a back side strap, and a portion of a hook-and-loop fastener to mate with a corresponding portion of a hook-and-loop fastener on a front side strap.

19. An adjustable tailgate pad comprising:
a front side;
a back side;
an adjustable top side coupled to said front side and said back side, said adjustable top side having an adjustable width;
a plurality of retaining blocks disposed on said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad; and
a window formed in said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad, said window disposed to expose a tailgate feature.

20. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 19 further comprising:
at least one retaining strap coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad, wherein said at least one retaining strap and said plurality of retaining blocks are configured to retain a portion of a vehicle in a desired position with respect to said adjustable tailgate pad.

21. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 20 wherein said at least one retaining strap is coupled to said adjustable tailgate pad at a location on said adjustable tailgate pad to enable strapping a portion of a vehicle against said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad.

22. The adjustable tailgate pad of claim 19 further comprising:
at least one front side strap coupled to said front side of said adjustable tailgate pad; and
at least one strap receiving feature coupled to said back side of said adjustable tailgate pad, said at lea

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Low Siupo
• Schreiber Gary
• Huynh Vincent

Classifications

• B60R13/01

  Liners for load platforms or load compartments · CPC title

• B60R9/10

  for cycles · CPC title

• B62D33/0273

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

• B60R9/06 Primary

  at vehicle front or rear {(rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041)} · CPC title

• B62D33/023

  Sideboard or tailgate structures {(vehicle side panels in general B62D25/02)} · CPC title