Patent ID: 8109552
Filing Date: 2012-02-07
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A truck bed extender, comprising: left and right hinge bracket assemblies adapted for attachment to a truck bed gate; an extender primary panel pivotally and removably attached to the left and right hinge bracket assemblies, the extender primary panel having a hinge attachment edge, at least one end of the hinge attachment edge of said primary panel has a semicircumferential hinge lug clearance relief formed therein, a distal edge opposite the hinge attachment edge, a left edge, a right edge opposite the left edge, an outer surface, and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, said hinge bracket assembly further comprises a protruding lug extending therefrom, the protruding lug selectively aligning with the hinge lug clearance relief of said primary panel in accordance with rotation of said primary panel relative to said hinge bracket assemblies, said primary panel further comprises a left end hinge pin and a right end hinge pin extending concentrically from the hinge attachment edge at the left and right edges of said primary panel, whereby axial movement of said primary panel disengages the left end hinge pin from the protruding lug of a corresponding said hinge bracket assembly and subsequent withdrawal of the first pin from the protruding lug of said corresponding hinge bracket assembly permits removal of said primary panel from said hinge bracket assemblies; a left side panel and a right side panel, each of the side panels having a primary panel attachment edge pivotally attached to the left and right edges, respectively, of the extender primary panel, each of the side panels having a distal edge opposite the primary panel attachment edge, an outer surface, and an inner surface opposite the outer surface; a left bed sidewall latch plate extending from the left side panel and a right bed sidewall latch plate extending from the right side panel beyond the distal edges thereof; and a left latch assembly and a right latch assembly adapted for attachment to left and right sidewalls of the truck bed, respectively, the sidewall latch plates releasably latching to the left and right latch assemblies.