Ford’s New Patent for the F-150 Pickup Truck Wants You to Netflix and Chill
The Blue Oval’s newest patent appears to be a movie theater for the bed of your truck.
Pickup trucks make great utility vehicles, there's no doubt about it. Their beds are especially helpful to workers who require ample space for carrying tools, or homeowners looking to haul a large object to-and-from. But—hear me out —what if while unloaded you could put a movie theater in the bed of your Ford F-150?
A new patent published by Ford, originally filed in 2017, wants you to do just that. Titled "portable entertainment support system for a pickup truck box," the patent describes an entire drop-in solution for the bed of its truck.
Removable mounts are affixed to the sides of the truck's bed, enabling a series of cross members to be placed horizontally across the span of the bed in order to support a large T-shaped structure. The frame extends past the height of the cab, making room to fit a large articulating screen from edge to edge. Of course, it wouldn't be a drive-in theater without a projector. One is fit to another horizontal bar a few feet away from the screen, coupled with two bookshelf-sized speakers for audio.
Ford acknowledges that pickup trucks are often used for work, but continues to state that many owners of their vehicles also use the trucks for recreational purposes. Aside from taking a brand new truck off-road, one might also spend a night out at a bonfire or tailgating at a game, making a setup like Ford's newest patent such a unique and cool idea for those who like to spend life outside, but also doesn't want to miss the latest episode of their favorite Netflix show.
So load up the lawn chairs on a cool spring night, light a controlled fire, and turn on the telly.