Folding tonneau cover apparatus

#A tonneau cover apparatus for covering an open bed or cargo box of a pickup truck or other truck or trailer. Particularly, a tonneau cover apparatus including a folding cover assembly having a plurality of panels that are interconnected in series by a series of hinges in such a manner that the respective panels can pivot with respect to one another, so as to fold up and unfold, and which is detachably fastenable to a support frame assembly including a pair of side rails, each of which is secured to one of two opposing sidewalls of the cargo box.

#Numerous protective cover assemblies for preventing rain, debris and wind from damaging or disrupting the contents of a pickup truck bed or cargo box are currently available. Among these protective cover assemblies are tonneau covers. Some tonneau covers are made of a fabric material, often a fabric coated with a polymeric material, which is fastened to a rigid frame so as to enclose and protect the pickup truck cargo box. Various covering materials are used for the tonneau covers; some are flexible or stretchable, and others are more rigid, and they are secured in various manners to cover the cargo box. Tonneau covers are opened in various manners to allow entry into the cargo box, such as by rolling them up, folding them up, pivoting the cover upward, or removing the cover from the cargo box altogether.

#Typical tonneau covers have support frames including a pair of elongated side rails that are secured to the sidewalls of the cargo box. Known tonneau covers are often secured to the side rails using hook and loop strip fastener components secured to the side rail, typically within a horizontal channel (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,036,521; 4,991,640; 6,752,449 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0212212 A1). Some tonneau covers are secured to the side rails by latches (see. e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,586).

#In the drawings, in which corresponding reference numerals and letters indicate corresponding parts of the various embodiments throughout the several views, and in which the various embodiments generally differ only in the manner described and/or shown, but otherwise include corresponding parts;

#FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a folding tonneau cover apparatus, including a folding cover assembly and a support frame assembly, and shown attached to a pickup truck which is shown in phantom;

#FIG. 2A is a top plan view of the folding tonneau cover apparatus of FIG. 1, with a cut-out illustrating a latch engaging portion engaging with a containment bracket;

#Herein, reference is made either to the “driver's side” or “passenger side” or to the “front” or to the “rear” of the folding tonneau cover apparatus or portions thereof in a manner that is consistent with the orientation of the folding tonneau cover apparatus when it is secured to a vehicle as envisioned, so that the “rear” of a folding tonneau cover apparatus or portion thereof will be consistent with what is seen when one is looking at the rear of such a vehicle when the folding tonneau cover apparatus or portion(s) thereof are attached to such a vehicle as herein envisioned, or such portion thereof which is closer to the rear. The “driver's side” refers to the side corresponding to the side of the vehicle typically used by the driver to operate the vehicle, and the “passenger side” is opposite the “driver's side”. For clarity, the “length” of the folding tonneau cover apparatus, the folding cover assembly, the hinges, and the panels described herein, refers to the “front” to “rear” direction, since the pickup truck and the cargo box are typically longer in that direction. Similarly, “width” of the folding tonneau cover apparatus, the folding cover assembly, the hinges, and the panels described herein, refers to the “driver's side” to “passenger side” direction, since the pickup truck and the cargo box are typically shorter in that direction. However, these terminologies of convenience are not intended to be limiting; the folding tonneau cover apparatus could be shorter in the “length” direction than in the “width” direction, for example. For other items such as support bows and sidebars, “length” has the normal meaning, referring to the longer dimension or to the dimension along an extruded shape, for example; any potential confusion in terminology can be eliminated by examination of the various Figures in the accompanying drawings.

#Referring now to the drawings, the folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 is attachable to sidewalls 6a, 6b of a cargo box 5, such as the cargo box of a truck or pickup truck 2. In FIG. 1, folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 is shown in a typical application covering the cargo box 5 of a pickup truck 2. The pickup truck 2 and the cargo box 5 and the sidewalls 6a and 6b and the front wall 6c at the forward end of the cargo box 5 and the tailgate 6d at the rear end of the cargo box 5 are not a part of the present invention, but are shown as environment to illustrate a typical application and function of the folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 in covering a cargo box 5, which has a length 7a and a width 7b. The perimeter of the cargo box includes the forward end or front wall 6c, the opposing sidewalls 6a and 6b, and the rearward end or tailgate 6d. As further illustrated in FIGS. 2A-3B, the folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 includes a folding tonneau cover assembly, tonneau cover assembly or cover assembly 30 and a support frame assembly 18, including side rails or rails 20a and 20b. In preferred embodiments, side rails 20a and 20b are secured to sidewalls 6a and 6b with clamps 14. In preferred embodiments, the folding cover assembly 30 is configured to be opened to an open position and closed to a closed position, and easily removed and reinstalled by a driver or other operator 8 (FIG. 12), as needed. The side rails 20a and 20b are constructed and arranged to facilitate securement of the folding cover assembly 30 to the side rails 20a and 20b. In some embodiments, the side rails 20a and 20b have a side rail lip 24 and a side rail engagement portion 22a. In this example, there are eight clamps 14 arranged to hold the side rails 20a and 20b to the sidewalls 6a, 6b of the pickup truck 2, but other numbers of clamps 14 can be used. In some embodiments, the clamps include an outer member 16a, an inner member 16b, a clamp engagement portion 16c, and a fastener assembly 16d; the fastener assembly can, for example, include a bolt 16e, a washer 16f and a nut 16g as illustrated.

#Referring again to FIGS. 2A-2C, the folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 is shown; in these views, the truck 2 and the cargo box 5 are not shown. FIG. 2A shows a top view of the folding tonneau cover apparatus 10 of FIG. 1. The top 32a of the folding cover assembly 30 is shown. The folding cover assembly 30 includes panels 36; in this example, panels 36 include rear panel 36a, middle panel 36b, front panel 36c, and spacer panel or hinge panel 36d. For ease of discussion, panels 36 are specifically referenced herein as 36a-36d, and non-specifically or collectively referenced as 36. The folding cover assembly 30 includes a plurality of panels 36, such as two to 8 panels 36; for example, 6 panels 36 could be used, including 4 “longer” panels (similar to panels 36a-36c shown herein) and 2 “shorter” panels (similar to panels 36d shown herein). While a smaller or a larger number of panels 36 can be used, we have found that the configuration illustrated herein provides a good trade-off of convenient folded configuration vs. complexity. As shown in FIG. 2A, and also as further described herein with respect to FIGS. 19A-19E, the length 39 of each of the panels 36a-36d is indicated as 39a-39d, respectively. In this example, the spacer panel 36d has a substantially smaller length 39d than the other panels, as will be further described herein. The length 39d of the spacer panel 36d is preferably no greater than about one-third of the length 39a-39c of the other panels 36a-36c. Panels 36a-36d can have similar length 39, or the length of some or all of panels 36a-36d can differ. The width 40 of each of the panels 36a-36d is indicated as 40a-40d, respectively. Panels 36a-36d can have the same width 40, or the width of some or all of panels 36a-36d can differ. The side angle 42 of each of the panels 36a-36d is indicated as 42a-42d, respectively. Panels 36a-36d can have the same side angle 42, or the side angle 42 of some or all of panels 36a-36d can differ. Alternative configurations of folding tonneau covers 30 appropriate for covering the cargo box 5 of various models of pickup truck 2 are further described below. Each panel 36 has a top surface 37 and a bottom surface or underside 38; panel 36a has a top surface 37a and a bottom surface or underside 38a, panel 36b has a top surface 37b and a bottom surface or underside 38b, panel 36c has a top surface 37c and a bottom surface or underside 38c, panel 36d has a top surface 37d and a bottom surface or underside 38d.