CONVERTIBLE CARGO BED

Abstract

A convertible cargo bed assembly for a utility vehicle is provided. The assembly includes a single piece molded main body having a pair of integrally formed hip restraints that each include a passenger hand hold integrally formed within the respective hip restraint. The assembly additionally includes a molded pivoting panel that has a cargo deck side and a seat side. The cargo deck side functions as a portion of a cargo deck when the pivoting panel is in a deployed position. The seat side has at least one full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto. That is the full-sized seat cushion is approximately the same size as the forward facing driver's and passenger's seats. Therefore, when the pivoting panel is transitioned from the deployed position to a stowed position, wherein the convertible cargo bed provides a full-sized rear facing seat.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

FIG. 1 is side view of a light-weight utility vehicle including a convertible cargo bed assembly, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1A is an isometric view of the convertible cargo bed assembly shown in FIG. 1 configured to provide a full-sized rear facing seat, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the convertible cargo bed assembly configured to provide a cargo deck, in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A is an isometric view of the convertible cargo bed assembly configured to provide a cargo deck, in accordance with various other embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is an isometric illustration of a deck side of a pivoting panel included in the cargo bed assembly, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 3B is an isometric illustration of a seat side of the pivoting panel shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4 is an isometric illustration of the convertible cargo bed assembly shown in FIG. 1 having the pivoting panel shown in FIG. 3 removed, in accordance with various embodiments;

FIG. 4A is an isometric illustration of the convertible cargo bed assembly shown in FIG. 4, in accordance with various other embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the convertible cargo bed assembly configured to provide the cargo deck as shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is bottom view of the convertible cargo bed assembly shown in FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A rear facing seat assembly for a utility vehicle, said assembly comprising: a main body including a pair of integrally formed hip restraints that each include an integrally formed elongated receptacle; anda pivoting panel including a pair of hinge posts extending into the elongated receptacles, a cargo deck side adapted to provide a portion of a cargo deck when the pivoting panel is in a deployed position, and a seat side having a full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto to provide a full-sized rear facing seat when the pivoting panel is in a stowed position.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pivoting panel is transitionally pivotal from the deployed position to the stowed position wherein the cargo deck side rests on a first deck portion of the main body.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the pivoting panel is transitionally pivotal from the stowed position to the deployed position wherein the cargo deck side of the pivoting panel is substantially coplanar with the first deck portion to form a substantially flat cargo deck.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a single molded structure having the hip restraints integrally molded therewith and passenger hand holds integrally formed within the integrally molded hip restraints.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises at least one seat back cushion having at least one threaded cinch nut molded therein, the cinch nut adapted to couple the seat back cushion to an integrally formed back side of the main body by inserting a bolt through an aperture in the back side and threading the bolt into the threaded cinch nut.

6. A convertible cargo bed assembly for a utility vehicle, said assembly comprising: a main body comprising a single molded structure and including a pair of integrally formed legs and a pair of integrally formed hip restraints that each include a passenger hand hold integrally formed within the respective hip restraint;a foot rest portion comprising a single molded structure and coupled to a metal under carriage structure between the main body legs; anda pivoting panel including a cargo deck side adapted to provide a portion of a cargo deck when the pivoting panel is in a deployed position and a seat side having a full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto to provide a full-sized rear facing seat when the pivoting panel is in a stowed position.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the assembly further comprises: a metal grab rail coupled to the undercarriage and extending upward from a back edge of the foot rest portion; anda storage compartment door including a pair of bosses that snap fit into a pair of recesses formed in the foot rest portion, the storage compartment door adapted to control access to a storage area under the main body.

8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the pivoting panel is transitionally pivotal from the deployed position to the stowed position wherein the cargo deck side rests on a first deck portion of the main body such that a first portion of the pivoting panel is supported by the first deck portion and a second portion of the pivoting panel overhangs the first deck portion and is supported by hinge posts of the pivoting panel extending into elongated receptacles formed in the hip restraints, thereby allowing the pivoting panel to be sized to support the full-sized seat cushion.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the first deck portion includes an aperture adapted for draining water and removing debris from the first deck portion.

10. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the pivoting panel is transitionally pivotal from the stowed position to the deployed position wherein a top edge of the pivoting panel first portion is supported by a support bracket coupled to a grab rail and the pivoting panel second portion is supported by an edge of the pivoting panel second portion resting on a support ledge recessed along an edge of the first deck portion such that the cargo deck side of the pivoting panel is substantially coplanar with a surface of the first deck portion and the pivoting panel serves as a second deck portion to form a substantially flat cargo deck.

11. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the assembly further comprises at least one seat back cushion including a first connector and the main body comprises an integrally formed back side extending substantially perpendicular from the first deck portion, the back side including a second connector adapted mate with the first connectors such that the seat back cushions can be easily coupled to and removed from the back side.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the first connector comprises a first portion of a dove-tail connection and the second connector comprises a mating second portion of the dove-tail connection such that the seat back cushions can be easily coupled to and removed from the back side absent the use of tools.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the first connector is at least one threaded cinch nut molded into the seat back cushion and the second connector comprises at least one aperture in the back side whereby a threaded bold is adapted to extend through the aperture such that the seat back cushion is coupled to the back side by threading the bolt into the threaded cinch nut.

14. A method for providing a rear facing seat on a utility vehicle, said method comprising: coupling a molded main body structure to a mounting bracket connected to a frame of the utility vehicle and to a metal undercarriage structure coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle;rotationally transitioning a pivoting panel from a deployed position, wherein a cargo deck side of the pivoting panel provides a portion of a cargo deck, to a stowed position, wherein a seat side of the pivoting panel having a full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto provides a full-sized rear facing seat.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein rotationally transitioning the pivoting panel from the deployed position comprises resting the cargo deck side of the pivoting panel on a first deck portion of the main body such that a first portion of the pivoting panel is supported by the first deck portion and a second portion of the pivoting panel overhangs the first deck portion and is supported by hinge posts of the pivoting panel extending into elongated receptacles formed in a pair of hip restraints integrally formed in the main body, thereby allowing the pivoting panel to be sized to support the full-sized seat cushion and provide the full-sized rear facing seat.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises mating a first connector of at least one seat back cushion with a second connector included in a back side of the main body extending substantially perpendicular from the first deck portion such that the seat back cushion is removeably coupled to the back side.

17. A method for providing a convertible cargo deck on a utility vehicle, said method comprising: coupling a molded main body structure to a mounting bracket connected to a frame of the utility vehicle and to a metal undercarriage structure coupled to the frame of the utility vehicle;rotationally transitioning a pivoting panel from a stowed position, wherein a seat side of the pivoting panel having a full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto provides a full-sized rear facing seat to a deployed position, wherein a cargo deck side of the pivoting panel provides a portion of a cargo deck.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein rotationally transitioning the pivoting panel from the stowed position comprises: supporting a top edge of a first portion of the pivoting panel on a support bracket coupled to a grab rail connected to a frame of the utility vehicle; andresting an edge of a second portion of the pivoting panel on a support ledge recessed along an edge of a first deck portion of the main body such that the cargo deck side of the pivoting panel is substantially coplanar with a surface of the first deck portion and the pivoting panel serves as a second deck portion to form a substantially flat cargo deck.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises mating a first connector of at least one seat back cushion with a second connector included in a back side of the main body extending substantially perpendicular from the first deck portion such that the seat back cushion is removeably coupled to the back side.

20. A light-weight utility vehicle comprising: a convertible cargo bed assembly, said convertible cargo bed assembly comprising: a single molded main body structure including a pair of integrally formed hip restraints that each include a passenger hand hold integrally formed within the respective hip restraint;a molded foot rest structure coupled to a metal under carriage; anda pivoting panel including a cargo deck side adapted to provide a portion of a cargo deck when the pivoting panel is in a deployed position and a seat side having a full-sized seat cushion coupled thereto to provide a full-sized rear facing seat when the pivoting panel is in a stowed position.