Patent ID: 7007995
Filing Date: 2006-03-07
Classification: B60P

Abstract:
1. A vehicle cargo bed extender adapted to be employed in conjunction with a vehicle having a cargo bed defined by a pair of upstanding bed sidewalls spaced from one another on either side of the vehicle cargo bed and a rear wall extending between the upstanding sidewalls at the rear end of the bed, wherein the rear wall is rotatable from an upright position to an extended position so as to be disposed substantially co-planar with the vehicle bed, said cargo bed extender comprising: a pair of sidewalls spaced from one another, wherein said side walls generally define at least one longitudinal extender axis; a center wall extending between said pair of sidewalls, said pair of sidewalls and said center wall cooperating to define a bed extender having an open end; each of said pair of sidewalls of said bed extender including a pivot assembly disposed between said sidewall of said bed extender and a respective one of the pair of upright sidewalls of the cargo bed, each pivot assembly including a pivot axis and a slot, said pivot axis defined by a post, and said slot adapted to slidingly accept said post, said slot further including an opening that operatively allows said post to be engaged to and separated from said slot such that said bed extender may be installed and removed from the bed of the vehicle, wherein the pivot axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal extender axis; said pivot assembly operative to facilitate selective rectilinear movement of said bed extender and pivotal movement between a stowed position and an extended position, wherein at least a portion of said bed extender selectively translates generally parallel to the longitudinal extender axis during the pivotal movement and as a result of the rectilinear movement, and wherein said open end of said bed extender is adjacent to the rear wall of the vehicle when the rear wall is in its upright position and a deployed position so as to be supported by the rear wall of the vehicle cargo bed when the rear wall is in its extended position such that the open end of said bed extender faces the cargo bed thereby increasing the effective size of the vehicle cargo bed.