Tonneau system with flexible cover
AssigneeRivian IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsJames John Alexander Dowle, Philipp Josef Wolf, Greg Witten, Andrew Frierott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Particular embodiments may provide a tonneau system for a vehicle. The tonneau system may be movable between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration. The tonneau system may include a cover, a beam, and rails. The cover may have two side edges and a tail edge, the beam may be coupled to the tail edge of the cover, and the rails may be coupled to the side edges of the cover. In some embodiments, the beam and the rails bi-directionally tension the cover when the tonneau system is in the extended configuration.
Claims20
A tonneau system for a vehicle, the tonneau system movable between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, the tonneau system comprising:
- a cover comprising two side edges, a lip along one of the side edges, and a tail edge;
- a beam coupled to the tail edge of the cover;
- a rail coupled to the lip of the cover;
- and
- a mechanism coupled to the rail and configured to move the rail to cause the lip to move outward to tension the cover in a direction parallel to the tail edge when the tonneau system is in the extended configuration.
A method of closing a tonneau system, the system comprising a cover, a rail coupled to a side edge of the cover, and a mechanism coupled to the rail, the method comprising:
- moving the tonneau system from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration;
- and
- moving the rail, using the mechanism, to cause the side edge of the cover to move outward to tension the cover in a direction parallel to a tail edge of the cover when in the extended configuration.
A vehicle comprising
- a cargo area;
- and
- a tonneau system comprising an extended configuration that overlaps the cargo area and a retracted configuration that overlaps less of the cargo area than the extended configuration, wherein the tonneau system comprises:
- a cover comprising two side edges, a lip along one of the side edges, and a tail edge;
- a beam coupled to the tail edge of the cover;
- a rail coupled to the lip of the cover;
- and
- a mechanism coupled to the rail and configured to move the rail to cause the lip to move outward to tension the cover in a direction parallel to the tail edge when the tonneau system is in the extended configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.