Abstract:
An off-road utility vehicle with a reconfigurable cargo bed with fore and aft sections joined to the vehicle. Each section has three walls and a floor. The fore section pivots with respect to the aft section between an open position and a closed position with the fore section on top of the aft section. In the closed position, the reconfigurable cargo bed is a container with an opening in the foremost side of the container. A movable bulkhead is provided that is adapted to close the opening of the foremost side of the container, as well as being repositionable to serve as an extended surface for hauling cargo, a work bench that extends from a side of the cargo bed, or as a divider in the center of the cargo bed.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to copending provisional patent application titled, “Multi-Purpose Vehicle”, Ser. No. 61/515,201 filed Aug. 4, 2011. The disclosure of the provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/515,201 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Multi-Purpose vehicles are used for a wide variety of off-road utility applications, such as moving materials including lumber, farm and ranch tasks, golf course maintenance, hunting, etc. These machines are typically characterized by a cargo bed located behind open top front seats. 
         [0003]    The utility of such machines is often compromised due to balancing the various needs of the users. For example, the cargo bed may be shortened to accommodate back seat passengers, or a closed trunk may be provided at the expense of an open cargo bed. However, a typical user may desire on occasion to carry additional passengers, a large heavy load, or valuable contents in a closed trunk, or need a working surface and find that they cannot accomplish all tasks with the same multi-purpose vehicle. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present invention provides solutions to the problems identified by providing an improved multi-purpose vehicle. A reconfigurable cargo bed with a fore and aft section is joined to the multi-purpose vehicle. Each section has three walls and a floor. The fore section pivots with respect to the aft section between an open position and a closed position with the fore section on top of the aft section. In the closed position, the reconfigurable cargo bed is a closed container with an opening in the foremost side of the container. 
         [0005]    A movable bulkhead is provided that is adapted to fit, among other places, in the opening of the foremost side of the container. When the container is in the open position, the bulkhead is available to be repositioned in many locations serving as an extended surface for hauling cargo, a work bench that extends off a side of the cargo bed, or the center of the cargo bed to function as a divider. The bulkhead is easily repositionable, by simply removing one or more fasteners. 
         [0006]    These and other features will be understood from examination of the detailed description, claims, and drawings, which are part of this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a multi-purpose vehicle according to the present invention with a bulkhead in the foremost position in a cargo bed. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the invention shown in FIG. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the multi-purpose vehicle of  FIG. 1  with the bulkhead in an intermediate position in the cargo bed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 5  with the cargo bed in an intermediate position as it is converted into a container. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 11  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 12  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 9  with the cargo bed nearly converted into a container. 
           [0020]      FIG. 14  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 15  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 16  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 13 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 5  with the cargo bed converted into a container. 
           [0024]      FIG. 18  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 19  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 20  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 17 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 17  with the top of the container rotative about the top of the bulkhead. 
           [0028]      FIG. 22  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 21 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 23  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 21 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 24  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 21 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 25  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  with the bulkhead moved to the front of the vehicle to create a long platform for hauling. 
           [0032]      FIG. 26  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 25 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 27  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 25 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 28  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 25 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 29  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  with the bulkhead joined to the side of the cargo bed and positioned over one of the rear wheels to create a work bench. 
           [0036]      FIG. 30  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 29 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 31  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 29 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 32  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 29 . 
           [0039]      FIG. 33  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 17  with the rear seats unfolded for carrying additional passengers. 
           [0040]      FIG. 34  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 33 . 
           [0041]      FIG. 35  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 33 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 36  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 33 . 
           [0043]      FIG. 37  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment with a bench style rear seat. 
           [0044]      FIG. 38  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 37 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 39  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 37 . 
           [0046]      FIG. 40  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 37 . 
           [0047]      FIG. 41  is a perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 25  with handles attached to the body of the vehicle. 
           [0048]      FIG. 42  is a top view of the invention shown in  FIG. 41 . 
           [0049]      FIG. 43  is a front view of the invention shown in  FIG. 41 . 
           [0050]      FIG. 44  is a left side view of the invention shown in  FIG. 41 . 
           [0051]      FIG. 45  is a perspective view of the bulkhead shown in  FIGS. 1-44 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0052]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a multi-purpose vehicle  1  quickly adaptable to numerous configurations without the need for tools. Vehicle  1  has a body  2  coupled to four wheels  4 , and two front seats  6   a,    6   b  for a driver and a passenger to sit. Body  2  is configured to fit over the frame of vehicle  1 . Body  2  has a bottom plate  26  upon which cargo bed  10  sits and two side panels  3  to constrain opposite sides of cargo bed  10  from lateral movement on bottom plate  26 . In another embodiment, side panels  3  may contribute to the structure of side walls  103 ,  105  of cargo bed  10 , be added for cosmetic purposes, or be removed. In the open topped configuration of  FIGS. 1-4 , cargo bed  10  is rectangular and includes a front wall  101 , two sidewalls  103 ,  105  and a pivotable tailgate  11  for hauling cargo. As shown in  FIG. 9 , cargo bed  10  is divided into halves, namely, foremost portion  10   a  and rear portion  10   b.  Front portion  10   a  has a front wall  101  attached to sidewalls  103 ,  105 , while rear portion  10   b  includes tailgate  11  opposing front wall  101  of foremost portion  10   a  and two side walls  103 ,  105 . 
         [0053]    Various portions of cargo bed can be molded as integral units. Foremost portion  10   a,  which includes front wall  101  and sidewalls  103 ,  105  can be molded as an integral unit. Rear portion  10   b,  which includes two side walls  103 ,  105  can be molded as an integral unit and configured to receive tailgate  11 . 
         [0054]    Vehicle  1  also includes two stowable rear seats  8   a,    8   b,  which are shown in  FIGS. 33-36 .  FIG. 1  shows rear seat  8   b  in the stowed positioned.  8   a  is also in the stowed position, but is not visible in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 45  shows a removable and repositionable bulkhead  12  that quickly adapts vehicle  1  for a wide range of tasks without the need for tools. Bulkhead  12  can function as divider for cargo bed  10 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , as a back wall for a container  14 , as shown in  FIG. 17 , as a platform on the front of vehicle  1  to extend the length of the hauling surface, as shown in  FIG. 25 , or as work bench detachably joined to the side of cargo bed  10 , as shown in  FIG. 29 . 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIG. 29 , bulkhead  12  has a right-triangular-shaped profile with a bottom surface  12   a  defining a short leg of the triangle and a flat side surface  12   b  defining a long leg of the triangle, together forming the two sides opposite the hypotenuse leg of the triangle. Bottom surface  12   a  and flat side surface  12   b  are bounded on opposite sides by a pair of side walls  19 . Referring to  FIGS. 25 and 26 , the side opposite flat side surface  12   b  is an inner surface  12   c.  Referring to  FIG. 42 , inner surface  12   c  includes stiffening ribs  15  formed in the surface similar to ribs  17  of sections  10   b  and  10   a  of cargo bed  10 . 
         [0057]      FIG. 1  shows movable bulkhead  12  positioned behind front seats  6  at the foremost end of cargo bed  10 . In this position, bulkhead  12  separates front seats  6  from the contents contained within cargo bed  10 . In an intermediate position, as shown in  FIG. 5 , bulkhead  12  is repositioned near the middle of cargo bed  10  to function as a divider to separate cargo into two compartments  10   c  and  10   d.    
         [0058]      FIGS. 9-20  show cargo bed  10  as a foremost portion  10   a  rotates upward onto a rear portion  10   b  to create an enclosed trunk for holding and locking cargo secure in a weather protected and lockable container  14 . Foremost and rear portions  10   a,    10   b,  respectively, are pivotally attached to one another by a pivot point  16 . An operator can pivot front section  10   a  upward, as shown in  FIG. 9  over bulkhead  12  where it is shown positioned in the intermediate position.  FIG. 13  shows foremost portion  10   a  as it is being folded onto rear portion  10   b  over the top of bulkhead  12 .  FIG. 17  shows foremost or top portion  10   a  on top of rear or bottom portion  10   b  forming closed container  14 . Cargo bed  10  is located with respect to side panels  3  of body  2  in a pair of notches  5  on each side panel  3 . A pair of blocks  7  are positioned on each foremost portion  10   a  and rearmost portion  10   b  of cargo bed  10 . Blocks  7  fit within notches  5  to locate cargo bed  10  in body  2 . 
         [0059]    Cargo can be placed in closed container  14  in a couple of ways. The operator can either open tailgate  11  or unhinge top portion  10   a  from bottom portion  10   b  of container  14 , as shown in  FIG. 21 . Tail gate  11  has a locking mechanism that engages top portion  10   a  to hold the two portions together. The operator can unlock the lock on tail gate  11  and either open tail gate  11  or pivot top portion  10   a  upward on pivot pin  16 . Alternatively, top portion  10   a  may be disengaged from bottom portion  10   b  by removing pin  16 . Pin  16  may then be reinstalled in alternate location at top of bulkhead  12 , effectively moving the hinge axis for container  14  to the top of bulkhead  12  to preserve the space between container  14  and rear seats  8  for other uses. See  FIGS. 21-24 . Pin  16  can be connected to a locking mechanism so container  14  cannot be accessed without an appropriate unlocking means. 
         [0060]    With top portion  10   a  on top of bottom portion  10   b,  and sliding the back portion of the cargo bed away from rear axle center point, the rear seats  8   a,    8   b  can be un-stowed to accommodate additional passengers.  FIG. 33  shows rear seats  8   a,    8   b  in the deployed position. Rear seats  8   a,    8   b  include a bottom portion  22  upon which a passenger may sit, and a backrest portion  24  configured to support the passenger&#39;s back. Bottom portion  22  is supported in the deployed configuration by a bottom plate  26  of body  2 , as shown in  FIG. 17 . A lower end of the backrest portion  24  is pivotally mounted at a pivot point  28  to a rear end of bottom portion  22 , such that the backrest portion  24  may be folded forward by a user to lie in a substantially flat intermediate position on top of bottom portion  22 . A rear end of bottom portion  22  is on a pivotable arm connected to pivot point  28  and to body  2  of vehicle  1 , so that pivot point  28  moves with rear seats  8  as rear seats  8  rotate from a generally flat position near bulkhead  12  to a generally vertical position in the foot rest area behind front seats  6 . Backrest portion  24  pivots generally one-hundred and eighty degrees between the upright position and the stowed position. Referring back to  FIG. 1 , rear seats  8  are shown rotated to the vertical position stowed in the foot rest area behind front seats  6 . Pivot point  28  is shown rotated forward toward front seats  6 . 
         [0061]      FIG. 37  shows an alternative embodiment where rear seats  8   a,    8   b  are replaced with a stowable bench  9 . Bench  9  has a single back section that extends generally the length and height of bulk head  12 , and thus can replace bulk head  12  as the rear wall of container  14 . This allows bulk head  12  to be used in other positions on vehicle  1 . Bench  9  can also accommodate an additional passenger. Bench  9  is mounted in a manner similar to rear seats  8 , and folds to a generally vertical position stowed in the foot rest area behind front seats  6 . A lower end of the backrest portion of bench  9  is pivotally mounted at a pivot point to a rear end of bottom portion of bench  9 , such that the backrest portion of bench  9  may be folded forward by a user to lie in a substantially flat intermediate position on top of the bottom portion of bench  9 . A rear end of the bottom portion of bench  9  is on a pivotable arm connected to pivot point and to body  2  of vehicle  1 , so that pivot point moves with bench  9  as bench  9  rotates from a generally flat position to a generally vertical position in the foot rest area behind front seats  6 . 
         [0062]    Cargo bed platform  26  and side rails  103 ,  105  may be supported on rails (not illustrated) on frame  2  so that the cargo bed support platform  26  can be shifted rearward with respect to the rear wheels  4 , as seen in  FIGS. 33-40 . Cargo bed  10 /container  14  is slideably mounted to the frame of vehicle  1 . Cargo bed  10 /container  14  slides on frame  2  by an appropriate means.  FIG. 33  shows container  14  and side panels moved rearward with respect to rear axle center line  27 . From another perspective, the distance between tail gate  11  and rear axle center line  27  is greater than the distance between the two, as shown in  FIG. 20 . The space created by repositioning container  14  with respect to rear axle center line can be used for a variety of needs such as providing the required space for the rear seats, addition of accessories such as coolers, additional compartments, and other hauling/storage purposes.  FIG. 25  shows bulkhead  12  repositioned onto the hood of vehicle  1  with inner surface  12   c  facing upward to create an extended inline surface to function as a dashboard for placing items or for carrying long cargo, such as a ladder. In this configuration, rear seats  8  are stowed, passenger front seat  6   b  is folded down, and cargo bed  10  is exposed. The top rim of cargo bed  10  is generally the same height from the ground as inner surface  12   c  of bulkhead  12  when inner surface  12   c  is positioned facing upward on the hood of vehicle  1 . Two support members  30  extend downward from bulkhead  12  and attach to brackets  31  on bumper  32  of vehicle  1  to support bulkhead  12 . Support members  30  may be attached to bulk head  12  and rotate down when needed or they may be provided separately and attached when needed. 
         [0063]      FIGS. 37-44  also shows bulkhead  12  positioned in the manner described with respect to  FIG. 25 .  FIGS. 37-44  show handles  33  positioned off the side of front seats  6  for passengers to grasp to assist entry and debarking or to act as a side restraint for long cargo to prevent it from sliding off the side. 
         [0064]      FIG. 29  shows bulkhead  12  repositioned with flat side surface  12   b  facing upward off the side of cargo bed  10  to function as a workbench. The top end of bulkhead  12  is attached to the upper rim of cargo bed  10  by a pair of u-shaped bolts  32 . A support member  34  attaches to the bottom of bottom surface  12   a  and to the underside of the wheel well of vehicle  1 . Support member  34  may be attached to bulk head  12  and rotated down or provided separately and attached when needed. Support member  34  could also be the same support member  30  used at the front of vehicle  1  to support bulkhead  12  as the extended surface for carrying long cargo. This configuration provides a convenient and stable working platform for the operator. 
         [0065]      FIG. 45  shows bulkhead  12 . Bulkhead  12  and cargo bed  10  are attached to the various positions by pins or u-shaped bolts. Holes  13  in bulkhead  12  align with holes in cargo bed  10 , its sections  10   a,    10   b,  or vehicle  1  to receive the u-shaped bolts and hold bulkhead  12  secure thereto. More specifically, two pairs of first holes  13   a  are positioned near a top edge of flat side surface  12   b  and inner surface  12   c,  and extend therethrough. A pair of second holes  13   b  are provided with a second hole  13   b  positioned in each one of opposing side walls  19 . Other ways to secure bulkhead  12 , cargo bed  10 , and the other attachments to vehicle  1  in a manner that allows the same to be quickly removed and repositioned without the need of tools are also contemplated. For example, any type of fastener can be used. Also, bulk head  12  could be formed with protrusions to mate with groves in cargo bed  10  such that bulk head  12  could be slid into position secure in the groove to eliminate the need for fasteners. In one embodiment, a U-shaped fastener with one leg longer than the other leg is used. The longer leg is threaded to correspond with threaded holes in cargo bed  10 , its sections  10   a,    10   b,  or vehicle  1 . 
         [0066]    In an alternative embodiment, attachment points on vehicle  1  for receiving bulkhead  12  can be used to attach a roll-over protection system (ROPS) or bulkhead  12  could be attached to support members of the ROPS. A wind shield could also be added to the front of vehicle  1  where bulkhead  12  attaches. Various other configurations and accessories can be implemented into vehicle  1  without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0067]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to illustrated embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes, substitutions and alterations could be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by appended claims and their equivalents. The invention can be better understood by reference to the following claims. For purpose of claim interpretation, the transitional phrases “including” and “having” are intended to be synonymous with the transitional phrase “comprising”.