Pickup Truck Bed Side Wall Assembly with Retaining Pockets
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing stake and rail assemblies for pickup truck beds face issues such as rattling when in motion due to loose attachment over the tailgate and require inconvenient storage when not needed, occupying valuable cargo space and causing noise.
Innovation Solution
A side wall assembly with vertically extending pockets that allow stakes to move from a stowed to an extended position, supported for linear or rotary motion, and coupled with horizontal rails to increase cargo capacity, with locking mechanisms to prevent rattling and enable convenient storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a stake and rail assembly is used to increase cargo capacity, then the cargo carrying capacity is improved, but the assembly rattles when the truck is in motion due to loose attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The side wall is divided into multiple segments with individual pockets for each stake. Each pocket is a separate cavity that independently retains a stake, allowing the side wall to be segmented into functional units. This segmentation enables each stake to be securely retained in its own pocket while allowing the overall structure to expand capacity by adding more pockets or stakes.
2Quantity of substance
If a stake and rail assembly is mounted on the vehicle to increase cargo capacity, then the cargo carrying capacity is improved, but valuable cargo space is occupied when the assembly is stored in the bed
Solution Approach 1:
The stakes are nested within cavities or pockets formed in the side walls of the truck bed. When not in use, the stakes are stored vertically within these cavities, effectively nesting the cargo extension structure within the existing side wall volume. This eliminates the need for separate storage space in the cargo bed, as the stakes occupy space that would otherwise be structural anyway.
Solution Approach 2:
The side wall assembly is designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the stakes to move between a stowed position within the cavities and an extended position for cargo carrying. This dynamic configuration enables the structure to adapt between two states: compact storage mode where stakes are retracted, and extended mode where stakes protrude to increase cargo capacity.
3Device complexity
If the end wall extension is loosely attached to the side wall extensions, then assembly complexity is reduced, but the extension rattles when the truck is in motion
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching the end wall extension to the side wall extensions with external fasteners or brackets, the invention inverts the approach by forming the retention mechanism within the side walls themselves. The cavities in the side walls actively retain the stakes through their geometric configuration, eliminating the need for separate attachment hardware and the associated complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
At least one and, preferably, a pair of generally parallel side wall assemblies for use in a pick-up truck bed are provided. Each of the assemblies includes a vertically extending side wall having an upper surface and a set of linearly spaced pockets extending from the upper surface and into the side wall. Each of the pockets receives and retains a stake in a stowed position within the side wall wherein the bed has a first storage capacity. Each of the pockets allows its stake to move therein to an extended position above the upper surface wherein the bed has a second storage capacity greater than the first storage capacity in the extended positions of the stakes.