If it is advisable to safe cargo in a pickup mattress, tie-down straps are the go-to choice. However Toyota does not assume that is sufficient.
In a patent software launched by the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on Jan. 2, and initially filed on June 8, 2022, Toyota discusses utilizing air bladders to maintain objects from shifting whereas the truck is in movement.
Toyota air bladder cargo stabilizer patent picture
As described within the patent software, the air bladders can be connected to the underside of a mattress cowl. Air to inflate them can be provided by a compressor housed between the inside and outer partitions of the mattress. As soon as inflated, the bladders would take up sufficient of the remaining house within the mattress to forestall objects from transferring round or vibrating.
Whereas the primary focus is on vans, Toyota additionally notes that the bladder system may very well be utilized to different autos with giant cargo areas, akin to SUVs.
Toyota air bladder cargo stabilizer patent picture
If it is put into manufacturing, the air-bladder system would doubtless be supplemental to tie-down straps. These may nonetheless be used to tie down the cargo, Toyota notes within the software. However the automaker claims that “what is required are different cargo stabilizers that will also be used for different features.”
This is not the one latest automaker patent rethinking pickup beds. Ford patent functions for a reconfigurable tonneau cowl that may very well be used for lively aerodynamics, in addition to an extendable cargo mattress, have surfaced over the previous few months. With a tailgate struggle already underway among the many main truck manufacturers, maybe Toyota and Ford will kick off a mattress struggle as nicely.
