Tailgate attachment for extending the cargo space of vehicles

Claim 2

A tailgate attachment for a vehicle which has a cargo space defined by a bed, upright sidewalls and a substantially rectangular pivoting tailgate, the tailgate having an inside surface which faces the cargo space when the tailgate is at a closed upright position and which extends substantially horizontally to the rear of the bed when the tailgate is at an open position, comprising: a substantially rectangular back panel and a pair of side panels having configurations adapted to form a rearward extension of said cargo space, and hinge means for attaching said panels to said tailgate while enabling pivoting of said panels between a retracted position at which said panels are parallel to said tailgate surface and an extended position at which said panels extend substantially perpendicularly from said tailgate surface when said tailgate is at said open position, wherein said hinge means couples said back panel to said tailgate along the edges thereof which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed position and wherein said hinge means pivotally couples each of said side panels to a separate side of said back panel enabling said side panels to be pivoted into parallel relationship with said back panel thereby enabling pivoting of said back panel including said side panels into parallel relationship with said inside surface of said tailgate.

Claim 3

A tailgate attachment for a vehicle which has a cargo space defined by a bed, upright sidewalls and a substantially rectangular pivoting tailgate, the tailgate having an inside surface which faces the cargo space when the tailgate is at a closed upright position and which extends substantially horizontally to the rear of the bed when the tailgate is at an open position, comprising: a substantially rectangular back panel and a pair of side panels having configurations adapted to form a rearward extension of said cargo space, and hinge means for attaching said panels to said tailgate while enabling pivoting of said panels between a retracted position at which said panels are parallel to said tailgate surface and an extended position at which said panels extend substantially perpendicularly from said tailgate surface when said tailgate is at said open position, wherein said hinge means couples said back panel to said tailgate along the edges thereof which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed position and wherein said hinge means includes at least one first hinge connected between the portions of said back panel and said tailgate which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed upright position, and at least a pair of second hinges each being connected between a separate side of said tailgate and a separate one of said side panels, the pivot axes of said second hinges being at right angles to the pivot axis of said first hinge.

Claim 4

A tailgate attachment for a vehicle which has a cargo space defined by a bed, upright sidewalls and a substantially rectangular pivoting tailgate, the tailgate having an inside surface which faces the cargo space when the tailgate is at a closed upright position and which extends substantially horizontally to the rear of the bed when the tailgate is at an open position, comprising: a substantially rectangular back panel and a pair of side panels having configurations adapted to form a rearward extension of said cargo space, and hinge means for attaching said panels to said tailgate while enabling pivoting of said panels between a retracted position at which said panels are parallel to said tailgate surface and an extended position at which said panels extend substantially perpendicularly from said tailgate surface when said tailgate is at said open position, wherein said hinge means couples said back panel to said tailgate along the edges thereof which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed position and wherein said hinge means includes at least one first hinge connected between the portions of said back panel and said tailgate which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed upright position, and at least a pair of second hinges each being connected between a separate side of said tailgate and a separate one of said side panels, the pivot axes of said second hinges being at right angles to the pivot axis of said first hinge.

Claim 5

A tailgate attachment for a vehicle which has a cargo space defined by a bed, upright sidewalls and a substantially rectangular pivoting tailgate, the tailgate having an inside surface which faces the cargo space when the tailgate is at a closed upright position and which extends substantially horizontally to the rear of the bed when the tailgate is at an open position, comprising: a substantially rectangular back panel and a pair of side panels having configurations adapted to form a rearward extension of said cargo space, and hinge means for attaching said panels to said tailgate while enabling pivoting of said panels between a retracted position at which said panels are parallel to said tailgate surface and an extended position at which said panels extend substantially perpendicularly from said tailgate surface when said tailgate is at said open position, wherein said hinge means couples said back panel to said tailgate along the edges thereof which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed position and wherein said side panels are proportioned to overlap said vehicle sidewalls when in said extended position, further including fastener means for selectively fastening said side panels to said vehicle sidewalls at the overlapping portions thereof.

Claim 6

A tailgate attachment for a vehicle which has a cargo space defined by a bed, upright sidewalls and a substantially rectangular pivoting tailgate, the tailgate having an inside surface which faces the cargo space when the tailgate is at a closed upright position and which extends substantially horizontally to the rear of the bed when the tailgate is at an open position, comprising: a substantially rectangular back panel and a pair of side panels having configurations adapted to form a rearward extension of said cargo space, and hinge means for attaching said panels to said tailgate while enabling pivoting of said panels between a retracted position at which said panels are parallel to said tailgate surface and an extended position at which said panels extend substantially perpendicularly from said tailgate surface when said tailgate is at said open position, wherein said hinge means couples said back panel to said tailgate along the edges thereof which are uppermost when said tailgate is at said closed position and wherein said side panels are proportioned to overlap said vehicle sidewalls when in said extended position, further including fastener means for selectively fastening said side panels to said vehicle sidewalls at the overlapping portions thereof.

Claim 7

In a vehicle having a bed with sidewalls for transporting articles and having a tailgate which may be pivoted from a vertical closed position to a horizontal opened position at which said tailgate forms an extension of said bed, the combination comprising: a back panel pivotally coupled to the portion of said tailgate which is remote from said bed when said tailgate is at said opened position thereof and being pivotable between a parallel relationship to said tailgate and a perpendicular relationship thereto, a pair of side panels each being pivotally coupled to said back panel at a separate side of said tailgate and each being pivotable between a parallel relationship to said back panel and a right angled relationship thereto, and means for releasably securing said side panels in said right angled relationship to said back panel.

Claim 8

In a vehicle having a bed with sidewalls for transporting articles and having a tailgate which may be pivoted from a vertical closed position to a horizontal opened position at which said tailgate forms an extension of said bed, the combination comprising: a back panel pivotally coupled to the portion of said tailgate which is remote from said bed when said tailgate is at said opened position thereof and being pivotable between a parallel relationship to said tailgate and a perpendicular relationship thereto, a pair of side panels each being pivotally coupled to said back panel at a separate side of said tailgate and each being pivotable between a parallel relationship to said back panel and a right angled relationship thereto, and means for releasably securing said side panels in said right angled relationship to said back panel.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for releasably securing said side panels in said right angled relationship to said back panel includes elements secured to said vehicle sidewalls that engage said side panels when said side panels are at said right angled relationship to said back panel, said elements being at locations on said vehicle sidewalls at which said elements are abutted by said back panel when said panels are in said parallel relationships and said tailgate is at said vertical closed position.