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Old 03-16-2012, 09:28 PM   #12 (permalink)
bondo
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Recent Ford patent application.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee View Post
OK, thanks.
Found an interesting patent application filed by Ford on May 11, 2009, while searching for prior art on the pickup truck tailgate mount boatail. It seems one of the inventors is a gentleman named Kelly Kohlstrand, a member of the Ford Advanced Product Marketing and Technology Planning Team.

If you want to read the application it is - US 2010/0283280 A1

Title - Vehicle Cargo Management System

You can access it at - United States Patent and Trademark Office

From the text and drawings it can be determined that the cargo bed is covered by a panel for about the last two feet of the bed, just forward of the closed tailgate.

In the Abstract of the patent it reads:

"The systems partially cover the cargo bed and/or tailgate thereby reducing turbulence at the end of the vehicle and improving vehicle fuel efficiency."

I've heard of Ford!

Bondo
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