Patent ID: 6402215
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B60P,B62D,Y10T

Abstract:
A vehicle bed extender for use with a vehicle having an open storage bed having a rear end, a first upstanding side panel to one side of said bed having an inner side, a second upstanding side panel to an opposite side of said bed having an inner side and a tailgate, a first mounting station fixed with respect to said first upstanding panel defining a first station surface, a second mounting station fixed with respect to said second upstanding panel defining a second station surface, said extender comprising:a first side wall; a second side wall; a connecting wall extending between said first side wall and said second side wall, said first side wall, said second side wall and said connecting wall cooperating to form a rigid generally U-shaped frame having a first open end and a second open end; a first mount on said first side wall comprising a first interlocking member defining a first mount surface; and a second mount on said second side wall comprising a second interlocking member defining a second mount surface, said first station surface and said first mount surface, and said second station surface and said second mount surface cooperating to secure said extender to said vehicle so that said extender is in an upright position over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed with said first open end extending horizontally and facing away from said tailgate and said second open end extending horizontally and facing toward said tailgate, and wherein one of said first station surface and said first mount surface defines a first opening through which the other of said first station surface and said first mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said first panel to disengage said extender from said first panel and one of said second station surface and said second mount surface defines a second opening through which the other of said second station surface and said second mount surface can be manually withdrawn from said inner side of said second panel to disengage said extender from said second panel, wherein when said first side wall and said second side wall are disengaged from said vehicle, said extender is disengaged from said vehicle: wherein said extender is rotatable about an axis between a first position wherein said connecting wall is in a substantially vertical posiiton over said tailgate rearward of said rear end of said bed and said first mount cooperates with said first station and said second mount cooperates with said second station to secure said extender against movement radial to said axis, and a second position wherein said connecting wall is in a nonvertical position and said first mount cooperates with said first station and said second mount cooperates with said second station to permit said extender to be movable radially with respect to said axis.