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US 11,142,050 B2Granted
Rigid tonneau cover
AssigneeBOS Automotive Products, Inc.
InventorsWilliam P. Pompili, Edwin Joseph Steinmetz, Jürgen Josef Salewski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retractable cover system includes laterally spaced apart guide rails that define an opening and each provide a track. A drive assembly includes a motor that drives a first gear. The first gear is coupled to a second gear. A cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration. The slats cooperate with the drive assembly and are slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive assembly. The slats are stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration. The motor is disconnected to the slats with the first and second gears in the decoupled position for manual operation.
Claims19
A retractable cover system comprising:
- laterally spaced apart guide rails defining an opening and each providing a track;
- a drive assembly includes a motor driving a first gear, the first gear coupled to a second gear;
- a cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration, the slats cooperating with the drive assembly and slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive assembly, the slats stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration, wherein the slats are configured to interlock with one another in the deployed configuration, all of the slats of the cover each have an aft edge and a forward edge, the aft edge of one slat interlocking with a forward edge of an adjacent slat in the deployed position, the slats stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration, wherein all the forward edges are arranged on one side of the stack of slats in the stowed configuration, and all of the aft edges are arranged on another side of the stack of slats in the stowed configuration, the one side opposite the other side;
- a release mechanism that cooperates with the drive assembly, wherein the cover is configured to operate manually with the release mechanism in a disengaged position that moves the first and second gears to the decoupled position, the motor coupled to the slats with the first and second gears in the coupled position for automated operation, and the motor disconnected to the slats with the first and second gears in the decoupled position for manual operation, wherein the disengaged position of the release mechanism enables the slats to be manually stacked and unstacked relative one another;
- and
- a spacer configured to maintain the first gear in the coupled position, the spacer includes a slot configured to receive a drive shaft of the motor in an installed position, the slot enabling the spacer to be slidingly removed away from the drive shaft to an uninstalled position, the first gear axially movable to the decoupled position in which the first gear occupies the location wherein the spacer was when in the installed position.
3 more elements
A retractable cover system comprising:
- laterally spaced apart guide rails defining an opening and each providing a track;
- a drive assembly includes a motor driving a first gear, the first gear coupled to a second gear;
- a cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration, the slats cooperating with the drive assembly and slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive assembly, the slats stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration, wherein the adjacent slats have complementarily shaped interlocking profiles;
- a reinforcing mechanism different than the profiles and movable between locked and unlocked positions with the profiles interlocked, the locked position configured to lock adjacent slats to one another, the reinforcing mechanism maintaining engagement between the profiles in the locked position.
1 more element
A retractable cover system comprising:
- laterally spaced apart guide rails defining an opening and each providing a track;
- a drive assembly includes a motor driving a first gear, the first gear coupled to a second gear;
- a cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration, the slats cooperating with the drive assembly and slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive assembly, the slats stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration;
- a floor supporting a leaf spring biasing the slats upward toward the tracks;
- and
- a spring-biased pulley system configured to cooperate with the floor and assist the leaf spring in biasing the slats relative to the tracks.
3 more elements
A method of retracting a tonneau cover, comprising the steps of:
- actuating a release device by pushing a handle;
- and
- decoupling the tonneau cover from a drive mechanism that is in a deployed configuration in response to the actuating step, wherein the decoupling step includes decoupling an electric motor from a gear by disengaging a driven lug from a drive lug along an axis about which the gear is coaxial;
- and
- wherein the slats are configured to interlock with one another in the deployed configuration, all of the slats of the cover each have an aft edge and a forward edge, the aft edge of one slat interlocking with a forward edge of an adjacent slat in the deployed position, the slats stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration, wherein all the forward edges are arranged on one side of the stack of slats in the stowed configuration, and all of the aft edges are arranged on another side of the stack of slats in the stowed configuration, the one side opposite the other side.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.