Tonneau cover having secured flexible hinge

A tonneau cover apparatus for removable attachment about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position, the tonneau cover apparatus comprising:

• a support frame assembly for attachment to the cargo box, the support frame assembly including two siderails and at least one catch secured to one of the two siderails;
• and
• a cover assembly for attachment to the support frame assembly when the support frame assembly is attached to the cargo box;
• the cover assembly having a rigid panel;
• wherein the rigid panel can be secured to the support frame assembly when the support frame assembly is secured to the cargo box;
• wherein the cover assembly further includes at least one hook secured to the rigid panel, wherein the at least one hook is engaged with the at least one catch to limit movement of the rigid panel when the support frame assembly is secured to the cargo box;
• wherein, when the rigid panel pivots with respect to the siderail to which the at least one catch is secured, the at least one hook disengages from the at least one catch.

A method of securing a tonneau cover apparatus about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• securing a support frame assembly to the cargo box, wherein the support frame assembly includes two siderails and at least one catch engaged with one of the two siderails;
• and
• securing a cover assembly to the support frame assembly when the support frame assembly is attached to the cargo box;
• the cover assembly including a plurality of rigid panels that are foldably interconnected with one another in series;
• wherein each of the respective rigid panels is interconnected to any adjacent rigid panel in the series of rigid panels;
• wherein the cover assembly further includes at least one hook secured to one of the plurality of rigid panels, wherein the at least one hook will be engaged with the at least one catch to limit movement of the respective rigid panel to which the at least one hook is secured when the rigid panel is engaged with at least one of the respective siderails and when both of the respective siderails are secured to the cargo box, and wherein, when the rigid panel to which the hook is secured is folded over and pivots with respect to an adjacent rigid panel to which the respective rigid panel is interconnected, the at least one hook will disengage from the at least one catch.