CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[ΘΘΘ1] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/503,544, entitled "VEHICLE BED EXTENDER," filed on June 30, 201 1, the entire application of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Field of the Disclosure

ΘΘΘ2] The present disclosure generally relates to cargo gates for vehicles, and more particularly to bed extenders for pickup tracks.

Background

[0003] Pick-up trucks are extremely popular. One of their primary advantages is the ability to haul loads in the storage bed located behind the cab of the vehicle. Unfortunately, often the storage bed is of an undesirable configuration for the load being transported. In particular, it is not unusual for the load to be larger than the truck bed, so that the tailgate of the truck needs to be lowered to enable the load to be adequately transferred. Unfortunately, this raises the risk that the load will fall out of the back of the truck, or that the load will need to be tied down, taking additional time.

[0004] For this reason, various vehicle bed extenders have been developed. Despite the great success and excellent functionality of previous bed extenders, new areas exist in which to further improve the vehicle bed extenders.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] A vehicle bed extender is disclosed that can attach to the storage bed of a vehicle having a front end, a rear end, a first side panel, a second side panel, a bottom surface, and a tailgate. The vehicle bed extender comprises a first side wall and a second side wall that are positioned adjacent to the first and second side panels, and a connecting wall that connects the two side walls. The connection between the side wails and the connecting wall can be adjusted so as to simultaneously increase or decrease the length and width of the bed extender, in various embodiments the connecting wall and side wails can be formed of a plurality of cross members, such as tubes, or can be formed in configurations whereby they are substantially solid throughout.

[ΘΘΘ6] In some embodiments where the connecting wail and side walls are formed of at least two cross members, the cross members of the connecting wall have a middle portion and first and second end portions, the first and second end portions forming an angle with the middle portion. The corners formed by said angles are located closer together for the top cross member than for the bottom cross member such that a portion of the connecting wall formed by the middle portions of the cross members is non-vertically oriented while portions of the connecting wall formed by the first, and second end portions of the cross members are generally vertically oriented. Struts that support the bed extender can attach to the end portions of the connecting wall cross members and remain vertically oriented.

[0007] In other embodiments the connecting wall of the vehicle bed extender can be supported by at least one mount which is attached to the front end of the vehicle bed. The side walls of the vehicle bed extender extend rearwardly from the connecting wall, or extend rearwardly and upwardly depending on the configuration and positioning of the vehicle bed extender. The side walls can rest on the storage bed, the wheel wells, or other surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[ΘΘΘ8] Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted on the storage bed of a truck.

[0009] Figure 2A is a perspective view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0010] Figure 2B is a perspecti ve view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0011] Figure 3 is a front view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0012] Figure 4 is a rear view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0013] Figure 5 is a side view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0014] Figure 6 is a top view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 1.

[0015] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure I, taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 3. [0016] Figure 8 is a top view illustrating the vehicle bed extender becoming both wider and longer from an initial position (shown in phantom),

ΘΘ17] Figure 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender where a portion of the connecting wall is not vertical.

[0018] Figure 10 is a top view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 9.

[00Ϊ ] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a strut.

[0020] Figure 12 is a eross-sectional view of the tubes of one embodiment, of the vehicle extender.

[0021 ] Figure 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[ΘΘ22] Figure 14 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[0023] Figure 15 is a side view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[0024] Figure 16 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[0025] Figure 17 is a side perspecti ve view of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed,

[0026] Figure 18 is a side view of another embodiment of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[0027] Figure 19 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a mount.

[0028] Figure 20 is a side view of the mount of Figure 19 and a cross-sectional view of a tube of one embodiment of the vehicle bed extender.

[0029] Figure 21 is a perspective view of the vehicle bed extender mounted to the front of the vehicle bed.

[0030] Figure 22 is a perspective view of the vehicle bed extender of Figure 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

[0031] A vehicle bed extender can be used to extend the storage area available in a vehicle, such as in a bed of a pick-up truck, for example. Several embodiments of vehicle bed extenders are described herein. With reference to many of the figures, relative directions and positions are used such as top, bottom, front, back, left, and right. With reference to the vehicle bed extender, the direction convention corresponds to a vehicle with the bed extender in the position shown in Figure 1. That is, the left side of the bed extender corresponds to the left side of the vehicle and the top of the bed extender corresponds to the top of the vehicle all from the orientation of a person sitting in the driver's seat. Similarly, the direction convention for the terms vertical and horizontal correspond to the orientation of the truck, horizontal being along a plane parallel to the bed of the truck, and vertical being substantially perpendicular to that plane. This direction convention is only intended to clarify the description and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the technology, unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0032] As illustrated in Figure 1, a bed extender 1 1 can be mounted on a truck 13 having a cab 15 to the rear of which is a storage bed 17. The storage bed 17 has a front end 19 and a rear end 21 , as well as a bottom surface 29. The front end 19 of the storage bed is defined by a front upstanding panel 23 and the sides of the storage bed are defined by a first side upstanding panel 25 and a second side upstanding panel 27. At the rear end 21 of the storage bed 37 is a tailgate 37.

[0033] A bed extender 100, shown in Figures 2A and 2B, comprises first and second side walls 102, 104, and a connecting wall 106 that connects the side walls 102, 104 such that the bed extender has a general U-shape.

[0034] The first and second side walls 102, 104 and the connecting wail 106 can be formed of a plurality of tubes, as shown in Figures 2A, 2B, and 3-6 for example. The bed extender may also have embodiments where the first and second side walls 102, 104 and the connecting wall 106 are formed of a plurality of horizontal cross members that, have cross- sectional shapes different from those of tubes. In other embodiments, the bed extender can have first and second side walls 102, 104 and a connecting wall 106 that are not formed of horizontal cross members, but of a surface that is solid across all or some of the vertical dimensions of the walls. In some embodiments, the first and second side walls 102, 104 are attached to corresponding sides of the vehicle bed such that the bed extender extends over at least a portion of a tailgate 37 of the vehicle bed, as illustrated in Figure 1 for example. In other embodiments, the first and second side walls attach to other portions of the storage bed, such as the bottom surface or the tailgate. [ΘΘ35] The first and second side walls 302, 104 of the bed extender 100 are connected with the connecting wall 106 in a telescoping arrangement, as illustrated in Figure 8. For example, in embodiments where the side walls and connecting wall comprise a plurality of generally horizontally-oriented tubes, the tubes of the side wails can be slightly larger than the tubes of the connecting wall, such that the connecting wall tubes can be inserted into the side wall tubes, as illustrated in Figure 7. In some embodiments where the side wails and connecting wall comprise a plurality of general!}' horizontally-oriented tubes, the tubes of the side wails can be slightly smaller than the tubes of the connecting wall, such that the side wall tubes can be inserted into the connecting wall tubes. The tubes may also have a detent or other mechanism that restricts movement of the connecting wall tube relative to the side wall tubes.

[ΘΘ36] As illustrated in the embodiment of Figure 8, the end portions 108 of each tube of the connecting wall form an angle with a middle portion 1 10 of the connecting wall tube 106 at bends 120. The total bend angle (β) between the bend ends of the connecting wal l tubes is greater than 0° and less than 180°, and preferably greater than 45° and less than 135°. In some embodiments, the total bend angle is greater than approximately 5° and less than approximately 175°, is greater than approximately 10° and less than approximate!}' 170°, is greater than approximately 15° and less than approximately 165°, is greater than approximately 20° and less than approximately 160°, is greater than approximately 25° and less than approximately 155°, is greater than approximately 30° and less than approximately 150°, is greater than approximately 35° and less than approximately 145°, is greater than approximately 40° and less than approximately 140°, is greater than approximately 45° and less than approximately 135°, is greater than approximately 50° and less than approximately 130°, is greater than approximately 55° and less than approximately 125°, is greater than approximately 60° and less than approximately 120°, is greater than approximately 65° and less than approximately 1 15°, is greater than approximately 70° and less than approximately 1 10°, is greater than approximately 75° and less than approximately 105°, is greater than approximately 80° and less than approximately 100°, or is greater than approximately 85° and less than approximately 95°. In some embodiments, the total bend angle is between approximately 10° and approximately 30°, approximately 20° and approximately 40°, approximately 30° and approximately 50°, approximately 40° and approximately 60°, approximately 50° and approximately 70°, approximately 60° and approximately 80°, approximately 70° and approximately 90°, approximately 80° and approximately 100°, approximately 90° and approximately 1 10°, approximately 100° and approximately 120°, approximately 1 10° and approximate!}' 130°, approximately 120° and approximately 140°, approximately 130° and approximately 150°, approximately 140° and approximately 160°, or approximately 150° and approximately 170°. In some embodiments, the total bend angle is between approximately 10° and approximately 55°, approximately 20° and approximately 65°, approximately 30° and approximately 75°, approximately 40° and approximately 85°, approximately 50° and approximately 95°, approximately 60° and approximately 105°, approximately 70° and approximately 115°, approximately 80° and approximately 125°, approximately 90° and approximately 135°, approximate!}' 100° and approximately 145°, approximately 1 10° and approximately 155°, approximately !20° and approximately 165°, or approximately 130° and approximately 175°. In some embodiments, the total bend angle is approximately 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85°, 90°, 95°, 100°, 105°, 110°, 115°, 120°, 125°, 130°, or 135°.

[0037] In some embodiments, the tubes forming the side walls 302, 104 have bends 122 such that portions 1 12 which connect to the connecting wall 106 are generally linearly aligned with the end portions 108 of the connecting wall tubes while portions 114 of the side wall tubes are oriented generally along a length of the vehicle bed and connected to the vehicle bed. In other embodiments the tubes forming the side walls 102, 104 do not have bends and are generally linearly aligned with the end portions 108 of the connecting wall tubes, but connect to the vehicle bed in a position that is not generally along a length of the vehicle bed. In other embodiments the connecting wall 106 is curved, but the end portions 108 of the connecting wall are generally aligned with the portions 1 12 of the side walls which connect to the connecting wall. Additionally or alternatively, the side walls 102, 104 may comprise multiple connectable segments, but the two segment pairs that connect in a telescoping arrangement in such embodiments connect along lines substantially nonparallel to the length and width of the bed extender, and form an angle (β) within the above-described ranges. The width of the bed extender can be defined by a distance between the outer edge of the first end and the second end of the bed extender. In the illustrated embodiment in Figure 8, the outer edge of both the first end and the second end is defined by the outer surface of the mount or connecting apparatus 126, which is used to attach the bed extender to the panel of the vehicle.

ΘΘ38] With the side walls 102, 104 and the connecting wall 106 adjustable in a direction that is not parallel to either its width or length (or the width or length of the vehicle bed), the width and the length of the bed extender can be varied simultaneously. When the side wall tubes and the connecting wall tubes are moved relative to each other in a telescoping manner, the bed extender becomes both wider and longer, or both narrower and shorter, in some embodiments, vehicle bed extenders can have walls which are not formed of tubes, but nonetheless telescope along portions that are angled with respect to the length and wide of the bed extender.

[0039] The bed extender 100 as illustrated in Figure 8 comprises a plurality of struts 1 36. The bed extender can have struts 1 16 located at or near locations of the side walls of the bed extender where the bed extender connects to the vehicle bed. The bed extender can also have stmts located between the connections to the vehicle bed. For example, as illustrated in Figure 8, the bed extender 100 can comprise a strut positioned between the bends 120 in the connecting wall and bends 122 in the side walls. Some embodiments can employ more or fewer struts than illustrated in Figure 8. In embodiments with a strut positioned between the bends 120 in the connecting wall and bends 122 in the side walls, the strut can be connected directly to the outer tube in a telescoping arrangement as illustrated in Figure 7, or to the inner tube in the telescoping arrangement.

[ΘΘ40] Where the side walls and connecting wail are formed of tubes or other cross members, preferably at least some of the struts hold the tubes in a desired configuration, as illustrated in Figure 9 for example. The tubes can have a cross-section having a height and a width, with the height being of a greater dimension than the width, as illustrated in Figures 1 1- 12. As illustrated in Figure 1 1 , the struts 1 16 can hold all of the tubes in a vertical orientation. For example, a major axis of symmetry in the cross section of a tube can be oriented to be vertical or substantially vertical when in a use configuration of the bed extender. As illustrated in Figure 12, the middle portions 1 10 of the connecting member tubes can be vertically oriented when the bed extender is in a use configuration.

[0041 ] As illustrated in Figures 8- 10, all of the struts 1 1 of the bed extender 100 can be vertically oriented. As illustrated in Figure 1 1 , the struts 1 16 can hold the tubes such that a major axis of symmetry in the cross section of the tubes can be oriented to be parallel or substantially parallel to a major dimension of the strut. As illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, the struts 1 16 at corresponding locations on opposite sides of a plane bisecting the bed extender can be identical or substantially identical. Some, all or none of the struts can be configured to rest against the tailgate to support the bed extender. As illustrated in Figure 9, the struts can have members configured for contact with support surfaces at the ends of the struts 1 16 in some embodiments.

[0042] The locations of bends 120 of each connecting wail tube between the end portions 108 and the middle portion 1 10 can be varied among the tubes that form the connecting wall. For example, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, if the locations of bends 120 are closer to a center of the connecting wall 106 at or near a top of the connecting wall than they are at a bottom the top of the connecting wall, the connecting wall 106 has a non- vertical middle portion 1 10 with the top of the connecting wall being farther from the end supports than the bottom of the connecting wall. This arrangement allows the stmts 1 16 to be vertically oriented even though the middle portion 1 10 of the connecting wail 106 is not vertical ly oriented, as illustrated in Figure 9.

[0043] Figures 13-18 illustrate an alternative location and orientation for attachment of a bed extender 100 to a vehicle bed. As illustrated in Figures 13-1 8, the bed extender 100 can be attached to a vehicle bed with the connecting wall 106 generally adjacent to a front of the bed, such as behind the cab of the truck for example, with the side walls 102, 104 extending rearwardly from the connecting wall 106. In embodiments where the connecting wail 106 has a non-vertical middle portion, the connecting wall 106 can attach to the front of the bed in such a position that the side walls 102, 104 extend rearwardly and upwardly, as illustrated in Figures 1 5 and 1 8.

[0044] As illustrated in Figures 13-18, one or more mounts 124 are connected to the vehicle bed to hold and support the bed extender in some embodiments. For example, as illustrated in Figure 13, a pair of mounts 124 can be attached to a front wall of the bed to receive and support the connecting wall 106 of the bed extender 100. The mounts 124 can be installed a height above a floor of the bed that accommodates any necessary or desired clearances, such as for wheel wells, etc. The side walls 102, 104 of the bed extender 100 can rest on a floor of the bed or, if present and properly located, wheel wells, as illustrated by figures 13-18. The mounts 124 can also be installed at various positions relative to the width of the truck.

[0045] As illustrated in Figures 19 and 20, the mounts 124 can be generally hook shaped. They are configured to receive at least a portion of one of the walls of the bed extender, as illustrated for example in Figures 21 and 22. In embodiments where the walls of the bed extender comprise tubes, the mount 124 can be configured to receive a portion of one of the tubes, as illustrated in Figures 21 and 22 for example. Preferably, the mounts 124 are configured to fle slightly as corresponding tube portions are moved into the mounts 124, then return toward their original shape such that the corresponding tube portions are retained by the mounts. In other embodiments, the shape of the mounts 124 may vary to correspond to the shape of the walls of the bed extender and to be able to successfully receive and support said walls.

[0046] Further details regarding the bed extenders, their manufacture, and use are provided in U.S. Patent No. 6,402,215, entitled "VEHICLE CARGO BED EXTENDER" and issued June 1 1 , 2002, U.S. Patent No. 7,240,940, entitled "VEHICLE CARGO BED EXTENDER" and issued July 10, 2007, U.S. Patent No. 7,841 ,638, entitled "VEHICLE CARGO TAILGATE ENCLOSURE" and issued November 30, 2010, and U.S. Patent No. 7,959,203, entitled "VEHICLE TAILGATE ENCLOSURE WITH ENHANCED ADJUSTMENT" and issued June 14, 201 1 , all which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties, are included in the attached appendix, and form a portion of this specification.