Abstract:
A vehicle includes a truck bed side panel, a top cover, a clamp, and a plug. The truck bed side panel has a top defining a stake pocket and an overhang extending from the top. The top cover has an upper surface defining an aperture. The clamp is secured to the top cover and engages the overhang to secure the top cover to the top of the side panel. The plug is disposed within the stake pocket and aperture to prevent slippage of the top cover.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to systems configured to facilitate the attachment of aftermarket accessories to pickup truck beds. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A multitude of aftermarket accessories for pickup trucks require altering the side panels of the truck bed to facilitate proper attachment of the accessories to the pickup truck. These alterations often include drilling holes and/or cutting sections out of the side panels, which often compromise the structural integrity of the pickup truck bed and exposes untreated material leading to corrosion. 
     SUMMARY 
     A vehicle includes a truck bed side panel, a top cover, a clamp, and a plug. The truck bed side panel has a top defining a stake pocket and an overhang extending from the top. The top cover has an upper surface defining an aperture. The clamp is secured to the top cover and engages the overhang to secure the top cover to the top of the side panel. The plug is disposed within the stake pocket and aperture to prevent slippage of the top cover. 
     A vehicle accessory attachment device includes a top surface, an external side surface, and a clamp. The top surface defines an aperture that is configured to align with a stake pocket defined by a truck bed side panel. The top surface also defines a T-slot that is configured to receive a T-nut. The external side surface defines a slot configured to receive a tonneau cover. The clamp is configured to engage an overhang on the side panel to secure the attachment device to the side panel. 
     A vehicle includes a cargo bed floor, a pair of side panels, side panel top covers, clamps, and plugs. The pair of side panels extends upward from the floor. The side panels have top surfaces defining stake pockets and overhangs extending from the top surfaces. The side panel top covers have internal and external peripheral edges and define apertures that align with the stake pockets. The clamps are secured to the internal peripheral edges of the top covers and engage the overhangs to secure the top covers to the top surfaces of the side panels. The plugs are disposed within the stakes pockets and apertures to prevent slippage of the top covers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle having a cargo or truck bed; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the truck bed having top covers disposed on side panels of the truck bed; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of one of the top covers; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of one of the top covers; 
         FIG. 5  is cross section taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is cross section taken along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is cross section taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2 , further depicting a container secured to the top cover; 
         FIG. 8  is an alternative cross section taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2 , further depicting a framing structure secured to the top cover; 
         FIG. 9  is an alternative cross section taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 2 , further depicting a tonneau cover secured to the top cover. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations. 
     Attaching aftermarket accessories to trucks may require drilling holes and removing other material from the truck bed in order to properly secure such accessories to the truck bed. Drilling holes and/or removing material from the sheet metal that the truck bed is made from may compromise the integrity of the truck bed structure. The accessory attachment system disclosed herein includes a robust solution for attaching aftermarket accessories to a pickup truck bed without drilling into the sheet metal structure of the bed. Furthermore, the system utilizes the strength of the truck bed side panels to provide support for any aftermarket accessory, while at the same time providing a mechanism to prevent the accessories (and accessory attachment system) from slipping once secured to the side panels of the truck bed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a vehicle  10  is illustrated. The vehicle  10  may be a truck that includes a cargo or truck bed  12 . The truck bed  12  may include a first side panel  14  and a second side panel  16 . The truck bed  12  may also include a truck bed floor  18  (which may also be referred to as a cargo bed floor) and a tailgate (not shown). The first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  may extend upward from the truck bed floor  18 . The components of the truck bed  12 , including the first side panel  14 , second side panel  16 , floor  18 , and tailgate, may be made from a sheet metal material, including but not limited to, steel sheet or an aluminum alloy sheet. The first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  may have top surfaces  20  that define stake pockets  22 . The stake pockets  22  are through holes that extend through the top surfaces  20 . Portions of the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  (which may be referred as overhangs  24 ) may extend away and then downward from the top surfaces  20  of the first and second side panels, towards the truck bed floor  18 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the truck bed  12  is illustrated. Side panel top covers  26  may be secured to the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16 . Specifically, the top covers  26  may be secured to the top surfaces  20  of the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16 . The top covers  26  may be configured to provide a variety of attachment mechanisms for various accessories. The top covers  26  may be referred to as truck or vehicle accessory attachment devices. At least one clamp  28  may be secured to the top covers  26 . The clamps  28  may be configured to engage the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  to secure the top covers  26  to the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16 . Specifically, the clamps  28  may be configured to secure the top covers  26  to the top surfaces  20  of the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a side view and a top view of one of the top covers  26  is illustrated. The embodiment in  FIGS. 3-6  depicts a right-handed version of the top cover  26  which is secured to the second side panel  16 . This disclosure, however, should be construed to include a left-handed version of the top cover  26  which is secured to the first side panel  14 . The left-handed version of the top cover  26  may be a minor image of the right-handed version of the top cover  26 . The top covers  26  may include upper surfaces  30  that define apertures  32 . The apertures  32  may be configured to align with the stake pockets  22 . The apertures may also be configured to receive plugs or other accessories. 
     The top covers  26  may have external side surfaces  34  (which alternatively may be referred to as external peripheral edges) that define slots  36  that are configured to receive a tonneau cover. The tonneau cover may be secured to a pair of top covers  26  by engaging the slots  36  in the pair of top covers  26 . The tonneau cover may include hooks, clasps, catches, or other mechanisms that engage the slots  36 . 
     The top covers  26  may also include internal side surfaces  38  (which alternatively may be referred to as internal peripheral edges) that may be located opposite of the external side surfaces  34 . The clamps  28  may be secured to the internal side surfaces  38  of the top covers  26 . The internal side surfaces  38  of the top covers  26  may define tapped holes  40  that are configured to receive fasteners in order to secure the clamps  28  to the top covers  26 . The upper surfaces  30  of the top covers  26  may define T-slots  42  that are configured to receive T-nuts in order to mount a variety of accessories to the top covers  26 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 5 , plugs  44  may be received within the stake pockets  22  and apertures  32  to prevent the top covers  26  from slipping relative to the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16 . The plugs  44  may include bullrings  46  that are configured to receive straps, ropes, tie-downs, etc., to secure a load that is disposed within the truck bed  12 . The plugs  44  may or may not include accessories such as bullrings  46 . The plugs  44  may include top portions  47  that are disposed within and engage the apertures  32  in the top covers  26  and bottom portions  48  that are disposed within and engage the stake pockets  22  in the side panels. The top portions  47  and bottom portions  48  of the plugs  44  may be secured to each other by one or more fasteners  50 . One of the top portion  47  and bottom portion  48  of the plugs  44  may have a through hole while the other has a tapped hole. The through hole may be a countersunk hole and the fastener  50  may be a countersunk fastener. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , a clamp  28  that is secured to the top cover  26  and engaging the second side panel  16  is illustrated. The clamp  28  may be a C-clamp. The clamp  28  may include a clamping bolt  52  that engages an underside  54  of the overhang  24  to secure the top cover  26  to the second side panel  16 . The clamping bolt  52  may be threaded into a tapped hole  56  that is defined within the clamp  28 . The clamping bolt  52  may also include the head portion  58  that engages the underside  54  of the overhang  24 . The head portion  58  may be made from a soft plastic or rubber material. The clamp  28  may define through holes  60  that are configured to align with the tapped holes  40  defined by the internal side surfaces  38  of the top covers  26 . The clamps  28  may be secured to the top covers  26  by fasteners  62  that pass through the through holes  60  and are threaded into the tapped holes  40 . The through holes  60  may be countersunk holes and the fasteners  62  may be countersunk fasteners. 
     When secured to the first side panel  14  and a second side panel  16 , the top covers  26  allow for a variety of accessories to be attached to the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  of the truck bed  12 . For example, the top covers  26  may be configured to secure ladder racks, headache racks, toolboxes, tonneau covers, and/or other accessories to the first side panel  14  and second side panel  16  of the truck bed  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a first example of an accessory that is attached to top covers  26  that are secured to the first side panel  14  and the second panel  16  of the truck bed  12  is illustrated. In the first example a container  64 , such as a toolbox or auxiliary fuel tank, is secured to the top covers  26 . The container  64  may include flanges  66  that define through holes  68 . Fasteners  70  may pass through the through holes  68  and engage T-nuts  72  that are disposed within the T-slots  42  in order to secure the container  64  to the top covers  26 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a second example of an accessory that is attached to top covers  26  that are secured to the first side panel  14  and the second panel  16  of the truck bed  12  is illustrated. In the second example a framing structure  74 , such as a ladder rack, is secured to the top covers  26 . The framing structure  74  may include flanges  76  that define through holes  78 . The fasteners  70  may pass through the through holes  78  and engage the T-nuts  72  that are disposed within the T-slots  42  in order to secure the framing structure  74  to the top covers  26 . Although the depicted example shows only one framing structure  74  secured to the top covers  26 , the disclosure should be construed to include one or more framing structures  74  secured to the top covers  26 . The framing structures may be utilized to transport various objects that may or may not exceed the overall length of the truck bed  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , a third example of an accessory that is attached to top covers  26  that are secured to the first side panel  14  and the second panel  16  of the truck bed  12  is illustrated. In the third example a tonneau cover  80  is secured to the top covers  26 . The tonneau cover  80  includes hooks or clasps  82  that engage the slots  36  defined by the top covers  26  in order to secure the tonneau cover  80  to the top covers  26 . 
     The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and may be desirable for particular applications.