Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Haworth, Inc.

Matthew B Rutman

Annette Lynn Huebner

Kristin Ann Hellman

Ryan Welch

Artur Stanislavovich Sakarian

Richard N Roslund, Jr

Eric Scott Levine

Michael John Harmon

Ryan Mathew Sandor

Stuart C Salter

Michael Musa Azzouz

Joshua Greiner

Amol Borkar

William Reese Cherry

Naveen Guntur

VijayKrishna Gundarapu

Richard N Roslund

David Brian Glickman

Dragan B Stojkovic

Jack Marchlewski

Vincent Anthony Chimento

Hussain Zoher Tajmahal

Michael Lozano

William H Wurz

Kirk E Sanborn

Ronald Meredith

Jeffrey R Sturges

Reese Cherry

Vijaykrishna Gundarapu

Johnathan Andrew Line

Christian J Hosbach

Jesse R Diephuis

Larry Allen Wilkerson

Scott Culver Anderson

Galen Keith Thomas

Josh Greiner

Vichit Chea

Daveanand M Singh

Jeff Sturges

Lisa E Petrauskas

Robert Leonetti

Gary Kiesgen

An accessory attachment method includes receiving a plurality of feet of an accessory within a plurality of apertures, wherein each foot is moveable within a corresponding aperture in multiple engagement directions, and sliding an accessory relative to a baseplate in a selected one of the multiple engagement directions to transition the accessory from a disengaged position to an engaged position. When in the disengaged position, the plurality of feet are slidable relative to the baseplate within respective apertures in a plurality of directions and can be withdrawn from the plurality of apertures. When in the engaged position, the plurality of feet are blocked from being withdrawn from the plurality of apertures, and the accessory is engaged with the baseplate to secure the accessory relative to a vehicle when the accessory is in the engaged position, the baseplate being secured to the vehicle. A biasing device is used to transition a locking assembly from an unlocked position to a locked position, the locking assembly in the locked position holding the accessory in the engaged position.

Vehicle accessory attachment system and attachment method

An accessory attachment system includes a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a vehicle. The baseplate is configured to engage with an accessory to secure the accessory to the vehicle. The baseplate and the accessory are configured to engage each other through an attachment system having feet that are each received within an apertures when engaged.

Baseplate-based accessory attachment system and attachment method for vehicle

An accessory attachment system includes a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface. The baseplate is configured to engage with at least one accessory via the attachment interface to secure the accessory to the support surface. The attachment interface provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the at least one accessory. At least one mounting foot is associated with the at least one accessory and is configured to be selectively coupled to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. The at least one mounting foot includes an adjustment feature to account for any warpage of the support surface when the at least one accessory is mounted in the desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions.

Baseplate mounting system with locking mechanism

An adjustable base plate system includes a first track structure configured to extend along one side of a vehicle cargo area and a second track structure configured to extend along an opposite side of a vehicle cargo area. At least one base plate has a first edge and a second edge opposite of the first edge, wherein the first edge is supported by the first track structure and the second edge is supported by the second track structure. The first track structure and the second track structure each comprise at least a first tier track and a second tier track such that a distance between a bottom surface of the at least one base plate and a support surface of the vehicle cargo area can be adjusted.

Adjustable base plate

A modular cargo management system for a flatbed vehicle includes a flatbed of a vehicle, at least one accessory assembly, and an attachment system that secures the at least one accessory assembly to the flatbed. The attachment system has feet that are each received within an aperture when the accessory assembly is secured to the flatbed.

Flatbed vehicle accessory assembly and flatbed vehicle cargo management method

An inductive connection system includes a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface. The baseplate is configured to engage with at least one accessory via the attachment interface to secure the accessory to the support surface. The attachment interface provides a plurality of different mounting positions for the at least one accessory. At least one puck is selectively coupled to the attachment interface to provide a desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions. One of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive transmitter and the other of the at least one puck and the at least one accessory includes an inductive receiver such that the at least one puck in the baseplate and the at least one accessory electrically connect to each other through a wireless electrical power link between the inductive transmitter and the inductive receiver when the at least one accessory is mounted in the desired one of the plurality of different mounting positions.

Baseplate inductive electrical connection system

An accessory attachment system includes a baseplate that provides an attachment interface on a support surface. The baseplate is configured to engage with an accessory to secure the accessory to the support surface. The baseplate and the accessory are configured to electrically connect to each other through a wireless electrical power link.

Baseplate inductive electrical connection

A vehicle accessory attachment system include a structure having apertures. The system further includes a plurality of feet. Each foot is receivable within one of the apertures. The system further includes a locking assembly configured to transition back-and-forth between an unlocked position and a locked position. The locking assembly includes a biasing device, an extension coupled to one of the structure or the accessory, and at least one opening in the other of the structure or the accessory. When the locking assembly is in the unlocked position, the feet are slidable relative to the structure. When the locking assembly is in the locked position, the feet are received within one of the apertures and are shifted toward a side of the aperture to secure an accessory to a vehicle. The biasing device biases the locking assembly toward the locked position where the extension is received within the at least one opening.

A cargo bed system of a vehicle includes a floor assembly of a cargo bed. The floor assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard position and an extended position. A step that moves with the floor assembly back-and-forth between the standard position and the extended position. The step is movable back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position.

Deployable step for vehicle with extendable cargo bed

A cargo bed system includes a floor assembly for a cargo bed of a vehicle. The floor assembly is configured to transition back and forth between a standard floor position and an extended floor position. The floor assembly includes a plurality of floor sections each having a cargo support surface. The floor sections are folded when the floor assembly is in the standard floor position. The floor sections are unfolded when the floor assembly is in the extended floor position.

Extendable cargo bed floor

A cargo bed system includes a side wall assembly of a cargo bed. The side wall assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard wall position and an extended wall position. The side wall assembly include an extendable portion and a fixed portion. The extendable portion extends and retracts relative to the fixed portion when the side wall assembly transitions back-and-forth between the standard wall position and the extended wall position.

Extendable cargo bed side wall

A cargo bed system of a vehicle includes a bed floor assembly of a cargo bed. The bed floor assembly is configured to transition back-and-forth between a standard bed position and an extended bed position. A ramp assembly moves together with the bed floor assembly back-and-forth between the standard bed position and the extended bed position. The ramp assembly is configured to move back-and-forth between a stowed position and a deployed position.

Ramp system for vehicle with extendable cargo bed

A vehicle hinge assembly includes a door portion, a body portion, and a hinge pin movable between an engaged position where the door portion and the body portion are rotatably coupled and a disengaged position where the door portion and the body portion are configured to be decoupled from one another. A latch is moveable relative to the hinge pin between a locked position where the latch blocks movement of the hinge pin and an unlocked position where the latch allowed movement of the hinge pin. The latch is configured to be in the unlocked position when the vehicle hinge assembly is in a first substantially upright orientation, and the latch is configured to be in the locked position when the vehicle hinge assembly is in a second substantially upside-down orientation.

Door hinge assembly incorporating a latch to facilitate selective door removal

A multi-position door hinge is coupled to a vehicle and includes a first hinge having a pin support, a pin, and a key. The multi-position door hinge additionally includes a second hinge having a receiving cam, a key way, and a cam groove. The multi-position door hinge is formed by coupling the first hinge to the second hinge by positioning the pin in the receiving cam with the key positioned in the key way.

Door hinge with integrated detent and stop

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to mount a wheel in multiple positions on a vehicle body. An example apparatus includes a bracket having a first post extending therefrom and an aperture spaced from the first post, the first post to slidably receive one of a plurality of fastener apertures in a vehicle wheel, the aperture of the bracket to receive a fastener extending through a respective other one of the fastener apertures to hold the wheel to a vehicle body in at least two different positions.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Matthew B Rutman