Truck Body Assembly and Methods of Making and Using Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017166263-A1
Application number	US-201715441612-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

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

1 . A truck bed assembly comprising:
a truck bed composite floor,
wherein the truck bed composite floor attaches to chassis frame rails of a truck and includes a surface which spans at least a distance between the chassis frame rails of the truck.

2 . The truck bed assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composite floor includes at least one thermoplastic material.

3 . The truck bed assembly of claim 2 , wherein the thermoplastic material is fiber reinforced thermoplastic material.

4 . The truck bed assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composite floor includes twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic formed using twin sheet thermoforming, wherein one of the twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic is an exposed walking surface of the truck bed assembly.

5 . The truck bed assembly of claim 4 , wherein the twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic are joined at periodic kiss-off locations.

6 . The truck bed assembly of claim 4 , wherein an air gap between the twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic is at least twice as thick as one of the twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic.

7 . The truck bed assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a composite reinforcement structure positioned beneath the composite floor.

8 . The truck bed assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composite floor includes at least two fiber reinforced thermoset panels, wherein one of the at least two fiber reinforced thermoset panels is an exposed walking surface of the truck bed assembly.

9 . The truck bed assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least two fiber reinforced thermoset panels are joined during manufacture of the at least two fiber reinforced thermoset panels via resin transfer molding, light resin transfer molding, compression molding using sheet molding compound, compression molding using bulk molding compound, vacuum infusion, chop spray, pultrusion, or hand layup.

10 . The truck bed assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least two fiber reinforced thermoset panels are joined with adhesive.

11 . The truck bed assembly of claim 1 , wherein the composite floor includes at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and at least one thermoplastic panel.

12 . The truck bed assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one thermoplastic panel is fiber reinforced.

13 . The truck bed assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined during manufacture of the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel via resin transfer molding, light resin transfer molding, compression molding using sheet molding compound, compression molding using bulk molding compound, vacuum infusion, chop spray, pultrusion, or hand layup.

14 . The truck bed assembly of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined with adhesive.

15 . A sidepack floor comprising:
a sidepack floor including at least two panels, the at least two panels including at least one thermoplastic panel and/or at least one thermoset panel; and a reinforcement,
wherein the reinforcement is not encapsulated between the at least two panels.

16 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the reinforcement is a composite reinforcement and is positioned beneath the sidepack floor.

17 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least one thermoplastic panel is fiber reinforced thermoplastic.

18 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least one thermoplastic panel includes fiber reinforced thermoplastic and unreinforced thermoplastic.

19 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the sidepack floor is manufactured using twin sheet thermoforming.

20 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least two panels are joined at periodic kiss-off locations, further comprising an air gap between the at least two panels in locations where the at least two panels are not joined at the periodic kiss off locations.

21 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least two panels are joined with adhesive.

22 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least two panels include at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel.

23 . The sidepack floor of claim 15 , wherein the at least two panels are reinforced thermoset panels and are joined during manufacture of the at least two panels via resin transfer molding, light resin transfer molding, compression molding using sheet molding compound, compression molding using bulk molding compound, vacuum infusion, chop spray, pultrusion, or hand layup.

24 . A sidepack door comprising:
at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel; and at least one thermoplastic panel.

25 . The sidepack door of claim 24 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined at periodic kiss-off locations, further comprising an air gap between the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel in locations where the at least two panels are not joined at the periodic kiss off locations.

26 . The sidepack door of claim 24 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined during manufacture of the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel via resin transfer molding, light resin transfer molding, compression molding using sheet molding compound, compression molding using bulk molding compound, vacuum infusion, chop spray, pultrusion, or hand layup.

27 . The sidepack door of claim 24 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined with adhesive.

28 . A sidepack storage compartment comprising:
at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel; and at least one thermoplastic panel.

29 . The sidepack storage compartment of claim 28 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined at periodic kiss-off locations, further comprising an air gap between the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel in locations where the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are not joined at the periodic kiss off locations.

30 . The sidepack storage compartment of claim 28 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined during manufacture of the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel via resin transfer molding, light resin transfer molding, compression molding using sheet molding compound, compression molding using bulk molding compound, vacuum infusion, chop spray, pultrusion, or hand layup.

31 . The sidepack storage compartment of claim 28 , wherein the at least one fiber reinforced thermoset panel and the at least one thermoplastic panel are joined with adhesive.

Assignees

• Altec Ind Inc

Inventors

• Mckinney Ryan J
• Hoffmann Kyle E

Classifications

• B60R11/06

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

• B62D29/04

  predominantly of synthetic material (working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29) · CPC title

• B62D29/041

  Understructures · CPC title

• B62D33/02 Primary

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

• B62D25/2054

  Load carrying floors for commercial vehicles · CPC title