Ford Patent Filed For Sliding Crossbar For Cargo Beds

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a sliding crossbar for cargo beds, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on August 23^rd, 2021, published on February 23^rd, 2023, and assigned serial number 0055433.

The Ford Authority Take

Ford has filed quite a few truck-related patents in recent months, including one for a movable step, cargo modules that could be used on future pickup models, a cargo area tool carrier system, and a different type of cargo management system. Now, this new Ford patent continues that trend by introducing an idea for a sliding crossbar that would be located inside of a cargo bed.

Many pickup owners use the beds of those vehicles to carry things such as various types of cargo and other modes of transportation like bicycles. As such, crossbars have been around for some time as a way to provide an additional method of securing those items. However, the crossbar outlined in this new Ford patent is a bit different, as it would mount to each side of the bed and could be moved forward and backward as needed.

This particular crossbar design is also arched as high as the vehicle’s roof, providing more clearance underneath for items like bicycles, as can be seen in the patent drawings. This would presumably make it easier to secure things like bikes and motorcycles or ATVs, and the bars even have built-in lights on the undersides to make loading and unloading easier in low-light conditions.

Given the fact that many pickup owners routinely use the beds of those vehicles to haul items of different shapes and sizes, such an idea makes quite a bit of sense. There are many different types of crossbars already on the market, but most of them are a bit different than this one, and in that regard, it has some viability as a possible future product.

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