Accessory attachment and locking system for connection to a base plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559019-B2
Application number	US-202217993345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2022
Priority date	Nov 23, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

An accessory attachment system includes a base plate that provides a plate attachment interface and at least one accessory including an accessory attachment interface to connect to the plate attachment interface. In one example, the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one mounting foot that has a predefined shape to pull the at least one accessory against a side wall mounted base plate as the foot is inserted into an aperture in the base plate and moved vertically to a mounted position. In one example, a locking mechanism that is separate from the mounting foot is movable between a locked position where the accessory is prevented from being removed from the base plate and an unlocked position where the at least one accessory is allowed to be removed from the base plate. In one example, there is a power connection interface between the base plate and the accessory, and there is at least one accessory locking mechanism powered via the power connection interface to allow at least one of a handle and a lid to be placed in a locked condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An accessory attachment system, comprising:
a base plate configured to be positioned within a vehicle cargo area that has a floor surface and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the floor surface in a vertical direction, and wherein the base plate includes at least one plate portion that is associated with the at least one side wall; a plate attachment interface located on an outwardly facing surface of the at least one plate portion; at least one accessory comprising at least an accessory side wall extending in the vertical direction, the accessory side wall including an accessory attachment interface to connect to the plate attachment interface; wherein one of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one mounting foot and the other of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one aperture, and wherein the at least one mounting foot is formed to extend outwardly from a boss portion that extends outwardly from an outer surface of the accessory side wall of the at least one accessory, and wherein the at least one mounting foot has a predefined shape that is configured to pull the at least one accessory against the base plate as the at least one mounting foot is inserted into the at least one aperture and moved vertically to a mounted position; and wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of mounting apertures and a plurality of locking apertures that are separate from the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the plurality of mounting apertures comprise multiple rows that are spaced apart from each other in directions across both a width of the base plate and a length of the base plate, and wherein the plurality of locking apertures comprise multiple rows that are spaced apart from each other in directions across both the width of the base plate and the length of the base plate.

2 . The accessory attachment system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mounting foot comprises a plurality of mounting fee and wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of apertures, and where each foot comprises a base body that extends to a distal end that is spaced from the accessory side wall by a gap that receives an edge portion of a corresponding aperture to attach the accessory to the base plate.

3 . The accessory attachment system of claim 2 , wherein each foot is covered in a plastic material.

4 . The accessory attachment system of claim 2 , wherein the distal end extends downwardly from the base body to form the predefined shape as a hook, and wherein the gap decreases in size in a direction away from the distal end such that the gap is narrower at the base body than at the distal end.

5 . The accessory attachment system of claim 1 , including a locking mechanism that is separate from the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface, and wherein the locking mechanism is movable between a locked position where the at least one accessory is prevented from being removed from the base plate and an unlocked position where the at least one accessory is allowed to be removed from the base plate.

6 . The accessory attachment system of claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a button that is resiliently biased to extend into a corresponding button opening on the base plate when the at least one mounting foot is fitted into the at least one aperture to provide the locked position.

7 . The accessory attachment system of claim 6 , including
an actuator that slides the button in a direction transverse to the vertical direction to compress a resilient member to move the button to the unlocked position, or an actuator that moves in the vertical direction to unlock the button.

8 . A method of using the accessory attachment system of claim 1 , the method including:
attaching the at least one accessory to the base plate; inserting the at least one mounting foot into the at least one aperture, and moving the at least one accessory in the vertical direction to hook the at least one accessory to the base plate.

9 . An accessory attachment system, comprising:
a base plate configured to be positioned within a vehicle cargo area that has a floor surface and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the floor surface in a vertical direction, and wherein the base plate includes at least one plate portion that is associated with the at least one side wall; a plate attachment interface located on an outwardly facing surface of the at least one plate portion; at least one accessory comprising at least an accessory side wall extending in the vertical direction, the accessory side wall including an accessory attachment interface to connect to the plate attachment interface; and wherein one of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one mounting foot and the other of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one aperture, and wherein the at least one mounting foot has a predefined shape that is configured to pull the at least one accessory against the base plate as the at least one mounting foot is inserted into the at least one aperture and moved vertically to a mounted position; and wherein the at least one accessory comprises a container that includes at least one handle and/or a lid, and including: a power connection interface between the base plate and the at least one accessory to provide power to the at least one accessory, and at least one locking mechanism powered via the power connection interface to lock at least one of the handle and the lid in a locked condition where the handle or the lid cannot be moved relative to the container or an unlocked condition where the handle or the lid can be moved relative to the container.

10 . An accessory attachment system, comprising:
a base plate that provides a plate attachment interface on an outwardly facing surface; at least one accessory including an accessory attachment interface to connect to the plate attachment interface; one of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one mounting foot and the other of the plate attachment interface and the accessory attachment interface comprises at least one aperture, wherein the at least one mounting foot is formed to extend outwardly from a boss portion that extends outwardly from an outer surface of a wall of the at least one accessory, and wherein the at least one mounting foot is inserted into the at least one aperture to connect the at least one accessory to the base plate; a locking mechanism separate from the at least one mounting foot and the at least one aperture, the locking mechanism being movable between a locked position where the at least one accessory is prevented from being removed from the base plate and an unlocked position where the at least one accessory is allowed to be removed from the base plate; and wherein the at least one aperture comprises a plurality of mounting apertures and a plurality of locking apertures that are separate from the plurality of mounting apertures, and wherein the plurality of mounting apertures comprise multiple rows that are spaced apart from each other in directions across both a width of the base plate and a length of the base plate, and wherein the plurality of locking apertures comprise multiple rows that are spaced apart from each other in directions across both the width of the base plate and the length of the base plate.

11 . The accessory attachment system of claim 10 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a mec

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Rutman Matthew B
• Levine Eric Scott
• Glickman David Brian
• Azzouz Michael M

Classifications

• B62D33/023

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

• B60R9/06

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

• B60P7/0815

  Attachment rails or trellis · CPC title

• B60R11/06

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

• B60P7/0807 Primary

  Attachment points · CPC title