Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a cross bar attachment for base plates that may be used in future Ford pickups, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 16th, 2023, published on April 17th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0121891.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed a large number of patents outlining different ways its future pickups may one day give us new methods of carrying all kinds of things, with many revolving around the concept of using base plates to attach various accessories. Those ideas include an accessory attachment system, an adjustable base plate system, base plates with power outlets, and a base plate system with a swivel lock, to name just a few. Now, this newly published patent gives us another to add to that list – a cross bar attachment for base plates that may be used in future Ford pickups, too.
In this case, Ford proposes using traditional cross bars that would span the width of a pickup bed, which are something that a lot of folks already use these days as a way to attach things like cargo carriers and other accessories. In this case, those cross bars would attach to a base plate system, however, which looks a lot like a peg board, but features different attachment points that could accommodate all kinds of accessories, as we’ve seen in the aforementioned patents that Ford has already filed. Ultimately, it’s just another potential use for that type of system, if it does indeed come to fruition.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
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