Retractable trailer enclosure system

A retractable enclosure system for covering a side portion of a vehicle trailer bed, the vehicle trailer bed having upper and lower surfaces and including longitudinally extending bed sides and laterally extending ends, a cover support spaced vertically a distance about the upper surface of the bed, and an associated trailer bulkhead positioned proximate to each end, the system including,

• a flexible cover having a longitudinal length substantially corresponding to a longitudinal length an associated bed side, and a width selected whereby with the cover in a fully extended orientation supported by the cover support, the cover extends vertically downwardly to cover the upper surface of the bed along the associated bed side with a lower side edge portion of the cover extending below the lower surface of the bed,
• an elongated, axially extending rotatable spindle having a length generally corresponding to the longitudinal length of the associated bed side, the lower side edge portion of the cover being coupled to the spindle,
• a spindle guide assembly for supporting the spindle in a substantially horizontal orientation generally parallel to the longitudinal length of the associated bed side, the spindle guide assembly including,
• a drive assembly being coupled to the spindle and selectively activatable to journal the spindle in rotational movement about the spindle axis to effect winding or unwinding of at least part of the cover thereabout,
• a shuttle assembly for supporting the spindle in the retraction and extension of the cover over the associated bed side as the spindle is rotated, the shuttle assembly including a carriage, and
• a spindle support arm extending from a first arm end portion to a second arm end portion, the first arm end portion being pivotally coupled to the carriage at a pivot, the spindle being coupled to the second arm end portion, whereby the spindle support arm is moveable about the pivot to move the spindle between a winding position, wherein the spindle locates laterally outward relative to said associated bed side, and a storage position, wherein said spindle is moved beneath the upper surface,
• a biasing member selected to resiliently bias the spindle support arm at a neutral position with the spindle positioned between the storage position and the winding position and the cover is in substantially fully unwound state,
• a guide track assembly moveably mounting the shuttle assembly, the guide track coupled to an associated said bulkhead, and including a guide rail extending from a lower end spaced towards the upper surface to an upper end spaced a vertical distance thereabove, and
• the carriage slidably engaging the guide rail,
• the spindle being rotatable by the activation of the drive assembly to selectively unwind and wind the cover thereabout, whereby
• with the cover in the storage position, initial rotation of the spindle in a first direction effects movement of the spindle support arm initially to the neutral position with the cover in the substantially fully unwound state, and thereafter continued rotation effects winding of the cover, whereby continued winding of the cover moves the spindle with the carriage along the guide rail to a retracted position spaced towards the upper end to permit side access to the trailer bed,
• with the cover in the retracted position, rotation of the spindle in a second opposite direction effects movement of the carriage towards the lower end and unwinding of the cover to the fully unwound state and the return of the spindle support arm to the neutral position, and wherein continued rotation of the spindle effects rewinding of the cover to move the spindle and spindle support arm against the bias of the biasing member to reposition the spindle in the storage position.

A vehicle trailer comprising a wheel mounted trailer bed and a retractable trailer enclosure system for selectively covering or uncovering part of the trailer bed,

• the trailer bed having upper and lower surfaces and including longitudinally extending bed sides and laterally extending bed ends, a trailer bulkhead positioned proximate to each trailer end,
• the enclosure system comprising,
• a cover support spaced vertically a distance about an upper surface of the bed,
• a flexible cover having a longitudinal length substantially corresponding to a longitudinal length of the bed sides, and a width selected whereby with the cover in a fully extended orientation supported by the at least one cover support, the cover extends vertically downwardly to cover the upper surface of the bed sides with lower side edge portions of the cover extending beneath the lower surface of the bed along each respective bed side,
• a pair of elongated axially extending spindles having a length generally corresponding to the longitudinal length of the respective bed side, the lower side edges portion of the cover being coupled to an associated said spindle,
• a spindle guide assembly for support the spindles in vertical movement substantially over each respective bed side, the spindle guide assembly including,
• a first drive assembly being coupled to a first said spindle and selectively activatable to journal the spindle in rotational movement about the spindle axis to effect winding or unwinding of at least part of the cover thereabout,
• a first guide track mounted on an associated said bulkhead and having a vertical track portion extending from a lower end spaced proximate to the bed upper surface, to an upper end spaced a vertical distance thereabove, and
• a carriage movably coupled to the first guide track for selective movement along the track portion, and a spindle support arm extending from a first arm end portion to a second arm end portion, the first arm end portion being pivotally coupled to the carriage at a pivot axis, the spindle being coupled to the second arm end portion, the spindle support arm being moveable about the pivot axis to move the spindle between a winding position, wherein the spindle is moved laterally outwardly relative to the associated bed side, and a storage position, wherein the spindle is positioned laterally inwardly from the associated bed side and beneath the upper bed surface,
• a spring bearing pivotally coupling the spindle support arm to the carriage for movement about the pivot axis, the spring bearing resiliently biasing the spindle support arm to a neutral position spaced from the storage position towards or at the winding position,
• the spindle being rotatable by the activation of the drive assembly to selectively unwind and wind the cover over the respective bed side, whereby,
• with the cover in the storage position, initial rotation of the spindle in a first direction effects movement of the spindle support arm under the bias of the spring bearing to the neutral orientation with the cover in the substantially fully unwound state, and thereafter continued rotation effects winding of the cover to reposition the spindle support arm against the bias of the biasing member towards or in the winding position, whereby continued winding of the cover effects movement of the spindle with the carriage along the track portion to a retracted position moved towards the upper end to permit side access to the trailer bed, and
• with the cover in the retracted position, rotation of the spindle in a second opposite direction initially unwinds the cover to effect movement of the carriage towards the lower end, wherein with the unwinding of the cover to the substantially unwound state, the spindle support arm moving under the bias of the spring member to the neutral position, and continued rotation of the spindle effects a rewinding of the cover to move the spindle against the bias of the spring member to reposition the spindle in the storage position.