I always love delving into the US Patent Office's records and applications, as I feel like I'm getting a sneak peek at what's to come over the next few months. Sure, these applications are technically spoilers, but those spoilers sometimes lead to me getting more excited about a product, machine, or direction a manufacturer is heading.
Case in point, Sea-Doo's fully electric PWC we reported on a few months back.
But every so often, we come across a patent that has us scratching our heads as to what the manufacturer was thinking. A patent that has us ask the question, "Wait, what?" And that's the sort of application I stumbled upon in my most recent scroll, finding one of the latest filings from Can-Am's parent company BRP that illustrates a truck-bed accessory rail system that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the powersports machines the brand makes.
So what's going on here and is BRP expanding into the world of truck accessories? Let's talk through this patent and see if we can figure it out.
The patent is non-descriptively titled "Accessory System for Vehicles," which doesn't exactly allude to much about anything. But as soon as you open up the patent's drawings, you get the full scale of the system proposed and it's nothing short of interesting coming from a powersport manufacturer. Why, because it doesn't describe or serve to assist any powersport machines, apart from it being a support system for accessories you may use in conjunction with towing them.
According to the patent's background introduction, "Many owners of pickup trucks and other road vehicles use their vehicles for transportation of various items and accessories, such as snowmobiles, bicycles, jerry cans and tools. In many cases, these items and accessories are secured to the vehicle using tie downs and bungee cords." It adds, "However, users may have difficulties securing items to their pickup truck using these traditional methods. Using tie downs or bungee cords can be awkward and difficult for certain items and accessories. They may also not provide a secure grip, especially on rough terrain, and items and accessories may slip off or slide around the pickup truck. In general, use of these securing methods is inconvenient for users. Therefore, there is a need for a system to easily and securely fasten accessories and items to the pickup truck."
As for what the system shows in its drawings, take a look through the pictures and drawings I've assembled here. The system apparently drops into your truck's bed—no word on which truck it'd fit—and can be assembled to fit a number of accessory mounts for you to take into the backcountry. You've got mounting points for bicycles (I wonder if they'd be strong enough for a Can-Am EV?), mounting points for RotopaX-like fuel containers, a tonneau-like hardcover, mounts for snowmobile ramps, as well as skis, snowboards, propane tanks, coolers, trash cans, and other mounts. Likewise, BRP came up with triple divider, allowing owners to subdivide a truck's bed for more organization.
There are also mounting points for what appears to be the brand's LinQ system, along with a top-mounted cage for more storage capacity, and a mounting system for inside your truck so things don't slosh around.
But the question remains, is BRP getting into the truck accessory business in addition to the powersports it deals in and is known for? I get how the two are inextricably linked, as you need a truck to really be a powersports customer, especially BRP's Can-Am UTV and ATVs, Ski-Doo's snowmobiles, and Sea-Doo's PWCs. Without a truck, you're SOL. I just didn't think we'd see the day where you could walk into a BRP dealership and not only outfit yourself with a new powersport machine, but also outfit your truck to better optimize your powersport adventures.
It's neat, though, and we'll bring you more on the system once it debuts. That is, if it debuts.
