Pickup truck bed lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561749-B2
Application number	US-201213592515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Aug 23, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A pickup truck bed lighting system for mounting on a bed rail of a cargo bed side wall. The system including a scuff plate having a plurality of downward extending retention clips engaging holes in the bed rail to secure the scuff plate on top of the bed rail; and a lighting assembly including an electrical cable supported by the retention clips and a plurality of lamps mounted to the cable, the lamps spaced along the cable adjacent to the retention clips and aligning with the holes in the bed rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pickup truck bed lighting system for mounting on a bed rail of a cargo bed side wall comprising:
a scuff plate having a plurality of downward extending retention clips configured to engage holes in the bed rail to secure the scuff plate on top of the bed rail; and
a lighting assembly including an electrical cable supported by the retention clips and a plurality of lamps mounted to the cable, the lamps spaced along the cable adjacent to the retention clips and aligned with the holes in the bed rail.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the retention clips is generally U-shaped, including a first end fixed to and extending from an underside of the scuff plate, a free second end and a support cavity formed between the first and second ends, with the electrical cable supported by the support cavity.

3. The lighting system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the retention clips is integral with the scuff plate.

4. The lighting system of claim 2 wherein the at least one retention clip includes a barb adjacent to the free second end, the barb configured to engage an underside surface of the bed rail adjacent to the hole in the bed rail to retain the scuff plate on the bed rail.

5. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the lighting assembly includes an electrical connector connected to the electrical cable, the electrical connector adjacent to a rear of the scuff plate and configured to extend through one of the holes in the bed rails into a rear corner pillar of the side wall.

6. The lighting system of claim 5 including a tail lamp wire harness having an electrical connector connected to the electrical connector of the lighting assembly.

7. A pickup truck having a bed lighting system comprising:
a cargo bed having a pair of longitudinally extending side walls and a pair of bed rails, one each on a respective one of the side walls, each of the bed rails including a plurality of holes therethrough;
a pair of scuff plates, each mounted on one of the bed rails, and each of the scuff plates including at least one downwardly extending retention clip extending through one of the holes in the bed rails and engaging the bed rails to secure the scuff plates to the respective bed rails;
a lighting assembly including an electrical cable supported by the at least one retention clip on one of the scuff plates and at least one lamp mounted to the cable adjacent to the retention clip and aligned with the hole in the bed rail through which the retention clip extends.

8. The pickup truck of claim 7 wherein the lighting system includes a second electrical cable supported by the at least one retention clip on the other of the scuff plates and a least one lamp mounted to the second electrical cable adjacent to the retention clip on the other of the scuff plates and aligned with the hole in the bed rail through with the retention clip on the other of the scuff plates extends.

9. The pickup truck of claim 8 wherein the retention clips are each generally U-shaped, including a first end fixed to and extending from an underside of the respective scuff plate, a free second end and a support cavity formed between the first and second ends, with the electrical cable supported by the support cavity for the retention clip on the one scuff plate and the second electrical cable supported by the support cavity for the retention clip on the other of the scuff plates.

10. The pickup truck of claim 7 wherein the cargo bed includes a rear corner pillar extending downward from one of the bed rails and affixed to the corresponding side wall, a tail lamp assembly mounted to the side wall, the tail lamp assembly including a tail lamp wire harness having an electrical connector, and wherein the lighting assembly includes an electrical connector connected to the electrical cable and connected to the electrical connector of the tail lamp wire harness, the electrical connectors being located in the rear corner pillar.

11. A pickup truck having a bed lighting system comprising:
a cargo bed having a bed rail on a longitudinal side wall;
a scuff plate, mounted on the bed rail, including a clip extending downwardly through and engaging a hole in the bed rail to secure the scuff plate;
a lighting assembly including a cable supported by the clip, and a lamp mounted to the cable aligned with the hole.

12. The pickup truck of claim 11 , wherein the clip is generally U-shaped, including a first end fixed to and extending from an underside of the scuff plate, a free second end and a support cavity formed between the first and second ends, with the cable supported by the support cavity.

13. The pickup truck of claim 11 , wherein the cargo bed includes a rear corner pillar extending downward from the bed rail and affixed to the side wall, a tail lamp assembly mounted to the side wall, the tail lamp assembly including a tail lamp wire harness having an electrical connector, and wherein the lighting assembly includes an electrical connector connected to the electrical cable and connected to the electrical connector of the tail lamp wire harness, the electrical connectors being located in the rear corner pillar.

14. The pickup truck of claim 11 , wherein the clip is generally U-shaped, including a first end fixed to and extending from an underside of the scuff plate, a free second end and a support cavity formed between the first and second ends, with the electrical cable supported by the support cavity.

15. The pickup truck of claim 14 , wherein the clip includes a barb adjacent to the free second end, the barb configured to engage an underside surface of the bed rail adjacent to the hole in the bed rail to retain the scuff plate on the bed rail.

16. The pickup truck of claim 11 , wherein the clip is integral with the scuff plate.

Assignees

• Heaman Daniel P
• Kowalczyk John U
• Clement Chad J
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Heaman Daniel P
• Kowalczyk John U
• Clement Chad J

Classifications

• B60Q3/30 Primary

  for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments · CPC title

• B60Q3/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic