This invention generally relates to a vehicle pick-up bed and more particularly to a pick-up bed including fenders made of polymeric material that can be folded into shape.
The open section in the back of a pick-up truck is commonly referred to as a pick-up bed. Pick-up beds include a base section, three side walls, and a tailgate. The base section is also known as the floor of the bed. Two of the side walls are the same size, positioned parallel to each other, and extend along the sides of the vehicle adjacent the tires. The third side wall is positioned perpendicular to and between the first two side walls, adjacent the cab of the pick-up truck. Finally, the lift-gate is positioned perpendicular to and between the first two side walls at their opposite ends from the third side wall, at the rear of the vehicle. The lift-gate is essentially a door that opens to allow access into the pick-up bed. Typically, pick-up beds are used for storing and transporting large objects. Fenders are guards positioned over each wheel of a vehicle and are generally semi-circular in shape.
Currently, pick-up beds and fenders are formed from metal. However, there are several disadvantages of metal pick-up beds and fenders, including, but not limited to, susceptibility to denting and corrosion.
Since it is common to transport objects in a pick-up bed, there is a high probability that the bed will dent or scratch during loading and unloading. Further, if the bed is made from metal, a scratch will cause corrosion. Currently pick-up truck owners sometimes use bedliners to minimize denting and scratching of the pick-up bed. Typically, a bedliner is a plastic insert that fits into the pick-up bed to protect the base section and side walls. The disadvantage of a bedliner is that it is an additional expense for the pick-up truck owner. Therefore, there is a need for a pick-up bed that resists denting and scratching without the use of a bedliner.
There is also a high probability that the fender sections will get dented or scratched when the pick-up truck is parked close to other vehicles in a parking lot. Further, if the fender sections are made from metal, scratches or dents will cause corrosion.
Another disadvantage of metal pick-up beds and fenders is that they are costly to produce because they are manufacturing intensive. There are several different methods of manufacturing pick-up beds. One method is to form the bed from several metal pieces. Each metal piece is individually stamped and, typically, all the pieces are welded together. Fenders are also manufactured separately from the body of the vehicle and attached to the body during vehicle assembly. Metal pick-up beds and fenders both require painting to match the color of the vehicle.
Yet another disadvantage of using metal for the pick-up bed and fenders is its weight. For instance, as the weight of a vehicle increases, the gas mileage of the vehicle decreases. Therefore, it is desirable to decrease the weight of the vehicle to improve a variety of vehicle performance factors, including, gas mileage.
The pick-up bed of the present invention overcomes the above problems with known pick-up beds and fenders. In general terms, the pick-up bed and fenders of the present invention include a generally flat sheet of colored material and a generally flat sheet of reinforced polymeric material molded to the sheet of colored material. The colored material is preferably a paintless polymeric film or alternatively pre-painted aluminum. Preferably, the generally flat sheet of colored material is placed in the bottom of a mold and a mixture of reinforced polymeric material is injected onto the back of the sheet of colored material. During the molding process the two materials are adhered or bond together, forming a generally flat molded pick-up bed/fenders component. Once the molding is complete, the pick-up bed/fenders component is folded into the shape of a pick-up box.
This application is related to co-pending application 09/592,325, entitled xe2x80x9cOne Piece Molded Pick-Up Bedxe2x80x9d, and filed on even date with this application.
The molded pick-up bed/fenders component includes a generally rectangular center section having three hinge edges. There are also three generally rectangular side wall sections attached to the center section, each aligned with one of the three hinge edges. There are two parallel side walls and one side wall that is positioned between and perpendicular to the other two side walls. There are also two connecting sections and two fender sections. Each connecting section is attached to one of the parallel side walls via a hinge edge and each fender section is attached to one of the connecting sections via a hinge edge. The hinge edges are bendable because fewer or no reinforcing fibers are located along the hinge edges.
The combined pick-up bed and fenders of the present invention is less expensive and simpler to manufacture than metal pick-up beds and fenders. One reason is that fewer components need to be manufactured. Further, those components that are manufactured are cheaper to produce. Also, the completely assembled pick-up bed and fenders do not need to be painted because the sheet of colored material, either paintless film or pre-painted aluminum is adhered or molded to the sheet of reinforced polymeric material prior to folding the pick-up bed and fenders into shape. Using paintless film or pre-painted aluminum to add color to the pick-up bed and fenders is less expensive than painting the bed and fenders after assembly to match the color of the vehicle.
Further, the combined pick-up bed and fenders of the present invention significantly reduces the weight of the vehicle since the materials that comprise the component are lightweight polymers or aluminum. There is no need to use a bedliner with the pick-up bed of the present invention because the polymeric material and aluminum, if used, resist denting and corrosion.
These and other features of the invention may be best understood from the following specification and drawings. The following is a brief description of the drawings.