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If you have to safe cargo in a pickup mattress, tie-down straps are the go-to choice. However Toyota does not suppose that is sufficient.
In a patent utility launched by america Patent and Trademark Workplace (USPTO) on Jan. 2, and initially filed on June 8, 2022, Toyota discusses utilizing air bladders to maintain gadgets from shifting whereas the truck is in movement.
Toyota air bladder cargo stabilizer patent picture
As described within the patent utility, the air bladders could be hooked up to the underside of a mattress cowl. Air to inflate them could be equipped 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 area within the mattress to stop objects from transferring round or vibrating.
Whereas the primary focus is on vehicles, Toyota additionally notes that the bladder system might be utilized to different automobiles 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 probably be supplemental to tie-down straps. These might nonetheless be used to tie down the cargo, Toyota notes within the utility. 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 might be used for lively aerodynamics, in addition to an extendable cargo mattress, have surfaced over the previous few months. With a tailgate warfare already underway among the many main truck manufacturers, maybe Toyota and Ford will kick off a mattress warfare as properly.
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