초록 ▼

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/ and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of th

An assembly for utility truck bodies having metal and/or composite reinforcement(s) and/or foam reinforcements and/or honeycomb reinforcement/ and/or wood reinforcements encapsulated within a thermoformed thermoplastic, or thermoset or fiber-reinforced thermoset walking surface floor structure of the truck bed assembly or other composite floor structure with attachable components and junctions, e.g., sidepack(s), and methods of making the same are provided.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A sidepack for a utility truck, comprising: a unitary, integral sidepack body and at least one storage compartment with a hinge and a door;wherein the at least one storage compartment is integral with the sidepack body;wherein the sidepack body includes a sidepack floor;wherein the sidepack floor

1. A sidepack for a utility truck, comprising: a unitary, integral sidepack body and at least one storage compartment with a hinge and a door;wherein the at least one storage compartment is integral with the sidepack body;wherein the sidepack body includes a sidepack floor;wherein the sidepack floor comprises an aluminum reinforcement sandwiched and encapsulated within twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic formed by twin sheet thermoforming, andwherein the sidepack floor deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 0.14 psi is applied to the sidepack floor when the sidepack floor weighs less than 0.015 lbs per square inch. 2. The sidepack of claim 1, wherein the hinge and door are integral with the sidepack body and wherein the hinge is a living hinge. 3. The sidepack of claim 1, wherein the properties of the material are selected from the group consisting of: non-slip, flame-resistant, high specific strength and stiffness, corrosion resistant, recyclable, low cost, solvent-resistant and combinations thereof. 4. The sidepack of claim 1 wherein the material further includes reinforcements selected from the group consisting of metal reinforcement, fiber reinforcement, foam reinforcement, honeycomb reinforcement, wood reinforcement and combinations thereof. 5. The sidepack of claim 1, further including an aerodynamic feature integral with the body. 6. The sidepack of claim 5, wherein the aerodynamic feature is selected from the group consisting of fairings, turbulence-producing surface textures, at least one curve and combinations thereof. 7. The sidepack of claim 6, wherein the at least one curve is tapered from just behind the passenger cabin to the rear of the truck bed. 8. The sidepack of claim 6, wherein the turbulence-producing surface textures further provide a non-slip surface. 9. The sidepack of claim 1, wherein the twin sheets are plastic welded together at kiss-off locations and the air gap between the two plastic sheets is at least twice the thickness of an individual plastic sheet. 10. The sidepack of claim 1, wherein the twin sheets are linear polymer chain plastic. 11. A truck bed, comprising: a reinforcement system;a floor covering;wherein the reinforcement system forms at least one extension beyond the boundary of the floor covering;wherein the truck bed comprises an aluminum reinforcement sandwiched and encapsulated within twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic formed by twin sheet thermoforming, andwherein the truck bed deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 1.4 psi is applied to the truck bed floor when the truck bed weighs less than 0.030 lbs per square inch. 12. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the material properties of the floor covering are selected from the group consisting of: non-slip, flame-resistant, high specific strength and stiffness, corrosion resistant, recyclable, low cost, solvent-resistant and combinations thereof. 13. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic is fiber-reinforced. 14. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the reinforcement system is selected from the group consisting of metal reinforcement, fiber reinforcement, foam reinforcement, honeycomb reinforcement, wood reinforcement and combinations thereof. 15. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the at least one extension is shaped to support a sidepack. 16. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the twin sheets are plastic welded together at kiss-off locations and the air gap between the two plastic sheets is at least twice the thickness of an individual plastic sheet. 17. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the thermoplastic sheets are linear polymer chain plastic. 18. The truck bed of claim 11, wherein the truck bed supports at least about 1500 lbs. per 2 ft.×3 ft. area. 19. A utility truck body, comprising: a truck bed and at least one sidepack;wherein the truck bed comprises a reinforcement system and a floor covering;wherein the reinforcement system forms at least one extension beyond the boundary of the floor covering;wherein the at least one sidepack comprises a unitary, integral sidepack body and at least one storage compartment with a hinge and a door;wherein the at least one storage compartment is integral with the sidepack body;wherein the at least one sidepack and the truck bed are integrally constructed; andwherein the at least one sidepack and the truck bed comprise an aluminum reinforcement sandwiched and encapsulated within twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic formed by twin sheet thermoforming,wherein the truck bed deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 1.4 psi is applied to the truck bed floor when the truck bed weighs less than 0.030 lbs per square inch;wherein the truck bed supports at least about 1500 lbs per 2 ft.×3 ft. area, andwherein the at least one sidepack is attached to the truck bed floor with rivnuts. 20. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein material properties of the floor covering are selected from the group consisting of: non-slip, flame-resistant, high specific strength and stiffness, corrosion resistant, recyclable, low cost, solvent-resistant and combinations thereof. 21. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic is fiber-reinforced. 22. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the thermoset is fiber-reinforced. 23. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the reinforcement system is selected from the group consisting of metal reinforcement, fiber reinforcement, foam reinforcement, honeycomb reinforcement, wood reinforcements and combinations thereof. 24. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the at least one extension is shaped to support the at least one sidepack. 25. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the hinge and door are integral with the unitary, integral sidepack body and wherein the hinge is a living hinge. 26. The utility truck body of claim 19, wherein the at least one sidepack further includes a reinforcement selected from the group consisting of metal and thermoset plastic. 27. The utility truck body of claim 19 wherein the floor covering further includes fiber reinforcement. 28. The utility truck body of claim 19, further including an aerodynamic feature integral with the truck body. 29. The utility truck body of claim 28, wherein the aerodynamic feature is selected from the group consisting of fairings, turbulence-producing surface textures, at least one curve and combinations thereof. 30. The utility truck body of claim 29, wherein the at least one curve is tapered from the front to rear of the truck bed. 31. The utility truck body of claim 29, wherein the turbulence producing surface texture further provides a non-slip surface. 32. The truck body of claim 19, wherein the twin sheets are plastic welded together at periodic kiss-off locations and the air gap between the two plastic sheets is at least twice the thickness of an individual plastic sheet. 33. The truck body of claim 19, wherein the thermoplastic sheets are linear polymer chain plastic. 34. The truck body of claim 19, wherein the truck bed supports at least about 1500 lbs. per 2 ft.×3 ft. area. 35. The truck body of claim 19, wherein the sidepack floor deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 0.14 psi is applied to the entire sidepack floor when the sidepack floor weighs less than 0.015 lbs per square inch. 36. A utility truck, comprising: a truck body with a truck bed and at least one sidepack;wherein the truck bed comprises a reinforcement system anda floor covering;wherein the reinforcement system forms at least one extension beyond the boundary of the floor covering;wherein the at least one sidepack comprises a unitary, integral sidepack body and at least one storage compartment with a hinge and a door;wherein the at least one storage compartment is integral with the sidepack body;wherein the at least one sidepack and bed are integrally constructed;wherein the truck bed comprises an aluminum reinforcement sandwiched and encapsulated within twin sheets of thermoformed thermoplastic formed by twin sheet thermoforming, andwherein the truck bed deflects less than ⅛th of an inch when 1.4 psi is applied to the truck bed floor when the truck bed weighs less than 0.030 lbs per square inch;wherein the truck bed supports at least about 1500 lbs per 2 ft.×3 ft. area, andwherein the at least one sidepack is attached to the truck bed floor with rivnuts. 37. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the thermoplastic is fiber-reinforced. 38. The utility truck as in claim 36, wherein the floor covering is a fiber-reinforced, thermoset plastic. 39. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the reinforcement system is selected from the group consisting of metal reinforcement, thermoset reinforcement, foam reinforcement, honeycomb reinforcement, wood reinforcement and combinations thereof. 40. The utility truck as in claim 36, wherein the at least one extension is shaped to support the at least one sidepack. 41. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the hinge and door are integral with the unitary, integral sidepack body and wherein the hinge is a living hinge. 42. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the at least one sidepack further includes a reinforcement selected from the group consisting of a metal, a thermoset and combinations thereof. 43. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the truck body is formed from material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastics, thermosets and combinations thereof. 44. The utility truck of claim 36, wherein the truck body material properties are selected from the group consisting of: non-slip, flame-resistant, high specific strength and stiffness and stiffness, corrosion resistant, recyclable, low cost, solvent-resistant and combinations thereof. 45. The utility truck of claim 44 wherein the material further includes fiber reinforcement. 46. The utility truck of claim 36, further including an aerodynamic feature integral with the truck body. 47. The utility truck of claim 46, wherein the aerodynamic feature is selected from the group consisting of fairings, turbulence-producing surface textures, curves and combinations thereof. 48. The utility truck of claim 47, wherein the at least one curve is tapered from the front to the rear of the truck bed. 49. The utility truck of claim 47, wherein the turbulence producing surface textures further provides a non-slip surface.