Pickup truck box reinforcement for fifth wheel pedestal

A reinforcement panel for the floor of a pick-up truck bed. The reinforcement panel is assembled between the floor of the pick-up truck and a fifth wheel cross member. The reinforcement panel includes transversely extending reinforcing or stiffening ribs. The stiffening ribs resist deflection in the area of the gooseneck ball receptacle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to reinforcement structures for the floor of a pickup truck box that is adapted to receive a fifth wheel pedestal or gooseneck ball.

BACKGROUND

Fifth wheel pedestals that include a gooseneck ball receptacle are available that are structurally supported by a fifth wheel cross member on the frame rails of the pickup truck below the truck bed. The floor of the pickup truck bed above the fifth wheel cross member is subject to an unacceptable amount of deflection in the center of the pickup truck box. Unacceptable deflection is characterized by “oil canning” when pressure is applied to the floor by placing a load on the floor or walking on the floor.

There is little clearance available between the lower side of the floor of the pickup truck bed and the fifth wheel cross member. Any reinforcement of the pickup truck floor above the fifth wheel cross member must have a limited height and is restricted in the longitudinal direction by the fifth wheel pedestal receptacles. A reinforcement must also be as light weight as possible to meet fuel economy goals.

This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this disclosure, a reinforcement is provided for a pickup truck bed floor. The reinforcement comprises a panel adapted to be attached to a lower surface of the floor that defines an opening for a gooseneck ball receptacle. The reinforcement includes a downwardly extending flange on the front edge and rear edge of the panel and a weld flange oriented to engage the lower surface. Outer portions of the panel are spaced to a greater extent from the lower surface and also include a plurality of transversely extending stiffening ribs.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, a pickup truck bed is disclosed that is adapted to receive a fifth wheel pedestal. The pickup truck bed includes a floor having longitudinally extending ribs. A fifth wheel cross member assembly is spaced from the floor and attached to a pair of frame rails that directly receive loads applied by the fifth wheel pedestal. A reinforcement panel having transversely extending ribs is attached to a lower surface of the floor above the reinforcement assembly and is raised in a central area to avoid contacting the fifth wheel cross member assembly near the gooseneck receptacle.

According to other aspects of this disclosure, the stiffening ribs may include a front rib and a rear rib that extend from a pair of right side fifth wheel pedestal receptacles to a pair of left side fifth wheel pedestal receptacles. The stiffening ribs may include a front pair of gooseneck anti-deflection ribs and a rear pair of gooseneck anti-deflection ribs that each extend from the front rib and rear rib to a transverse reinforcing rib at an angle perpendicular to a radial line extending from the center of the gooseneck receptacle. The stiffening ribs and the gooseneck anti-deflection ribs may have a height that is less than a space defined between the floor and a fifth wheel cross member.

The panel may have a central section that defines the gooseneck receptacle opening that is flanked by right and left sections that extend between a front fifth wheel pedestal receptacle and a rear fifth wheel pedestal receptacle, and wherein the central section is wider in the longitudinal direction than the right and left sections. The weld flanges may be parallel to the floor and extend continuously across the central section and the right and left sections.

The longitudinally extending ribs and the transversely extending ribs form a grid when the reinforcement panel is attached to the floor that resists deflection of the floor in the longitudinal and transverse directions.

The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects are described in greater detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a pick-up truck10is shown from the rear left side to provide a view of a truck bed12. The truck bed12includes a floor16. A gooseneck ball receptacle18is shown extending through the floor16. A reinforcement panel20is shown in phantom lines as it is attached to the bottom of the floor16. The floor16includes longitudinally extending ribs22. The longitudinally extending ribs22resist deflection in the floor16in the fore-and-aft direction.

Referring toFIG. 2, the pick-up truck10is shown in a top plan view showing the pick-up truck bed12. The floor16is shown without the longitudinally extending ribs22, shown inFIG. 1. The reinforcement panel20secured to the bottom of the floor16extends between the wheel housings24. The gooseneck ball receptacle18is shown centered relative to the reinforcement panel20and the wheel housings24.

Referring toFIGS. 3-5, the reinforcement panel20and gooseneck ball receptacle18are shown with the floor removed inFIG. 3. The reinforcement panel20extends between the wheel housings24. Transverse beams26are attached to frame rails28that extend in a longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle. The transverse beams26extend in a transverse direction and are provided in front of and in back of a fifth wheel cross member30. The fifth wheel cross member30supports the truck bed12(shown inFIGS. 1 and 2) and is adapted to receive a fifth wheel pedestal (not shown) on fifth wheel pedestal receptacles32. The fifth wheel pedestal receptacles32receive the legs of the fifth wheel pedestal. Loads applied to the fifth wheel pedestal are transferred directly through the fifth wheel pedestal receptacles32and the fifth wheel cross member30to the frame rails28. The fifth wheel cross member30also includes an opening36for receiving the gooseneck ball receptacle18.

Referring specifically toFIG. 4, the reinforcement panel20includes downwardly extending flanges38on a front edge40and a rear edge42of the reinforcement panel20. Weld flanges44are provided adjacent the downwardly extending flanges38. A lower portion46of the reinforcement panel20is spaced from the floor16to make the section deeper and stronger than the lower portion of the panel around the gooseneck ball receptacle18. The lower portion46includes a front stiffening rib48and a rear stiffening rib50. A transverse stiffening rib56is formed between the front stiffening rib48and the rear stiffening rib50.

Referring toFIG. 3, four gooseneck anti-deflection stiffening ribs52are provided that extend from the front stiffening rib48and rear stiffening rib50. The gooseneck anti-deflection stiffening ribs52, as illustrated, extend at an approximately 45° angle relative to the front and rear stiffening ribs48and50. The angular orientation of the gooseneck anti-deflection stiffening ribs52may vary from 45°, but are preferably oriented perpendicular to a radial line extending from the center of the gooseneck ball receptacle18. A plurality of the transverse reinforcing ribs56are provided between the front stiffening rib48and rear stiffening rib50to provide additional transverse stiffness for the reinforcement panel20and, in turn, for the floor16(shown inFIG. 1).

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 5, the cross section taken through the gooseneck ball receptacle18in a central section58to illustrate the relationship between the floor16, reinforcement panel20and fifth wheel cross member30. The fifth wheel cross member30is closely spaced to the floor16in the central section58that defines the gooseneck ball opening36. The close spacing in the central section58limits the height of the reinforcement panel20and minimize the possibility of contact with the fifth wheel cross member30. The spacing between the reinforcement panel20and the fifth wheel cross-member30is the minimum spacing to prevent contact during vehicle operation. At the center of the reinforcement panel20, downwardly extending flanges38are provided on the front edge40and rear edge42. The weld flanges44are disposed between the downwardly extending flanges38and the front stiffening rib48and rear stiffening rib50, respectively.

Referring toFIGS. 3-5, the reinforcement panel20is shown to include the central section58, a right section60and a left section62. The central section58has a greater width centered in the longitudinal direction than the right section60and left section62. The right and left sections60and62are of reduced width to accommodate the structure of the fifth wheel pedestal receptacles32that are provided in front of and in back of the reinforcement panel20. As shown inFIG. 4, the right section60and left section62include the beads48,50and56that are spaced to a greater extent from the floor16. As shown inFIG. 5, the central section58is closer to the floor16and the beads48,50and56are shown to be in contact with the floor16.

The weld flanges may be spot welded to the floor16. The longitudinally extending ribs22in the floor16(shown inFIG. 1) in combination with the stiffening ribs48and50and transverse reinforcement rib56provide a perpendicular grid pattern of stiffening elements that resist deflection in the area corresponding to the location of the fifth wheel cross member30.

The embodiments described above are specific examples that do not describe all possible forms of this disclosure. The features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation. The scope of the following claims is broader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and also includes modifications of the illustrated embodiments.