Clamp for tonneau cover
AssigneePeragon Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsHeath Copp, Cory Robinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamp for a tonneau cover including a leveling feature intended to enhance the fit between a tonneau cover and a pickup truck bed. The clamp includes a first and second jaw member capable of pivoting between open and clamping positions, allowing the first and second jaw members to securely grip a section of the pickup truck. Additionally, the clamp defines a mounting surface that serves as a platform for attaching various tonneau cover components, effectively connecting the cover to the pickup truck bed. To achieve optimal alignment, the clamp includes a first and second lever that can be adjusted by applying opposing forces to enable modification the planar angle of the mounting surface, facilitating the leveling of all mounting surfaces among the clamps attached to the pickup truck.
Claims22
A clamp for securing a portion of a tonneau cover to a flange of pickup truck box, the clamp comprising:
- a first jaw member defining a first contact surface configured to contact the flange of the pickup truck box;
- a second jaw member pivotably coupled to the first jaw member, the second jaw member defining a second contact surface configured to contact the flange of the pickup truck box, wherein the second contact surface is oriented toward the first contact surface;
- a threaded member operably coupled to the first jaw member and the second jaw member, and configured to pivot the second jaw member relative to the first jaw member to adjust a distance between the first contact surface and the second contact surface to selectively exert a gripping pressure on the flange of the pickup truck box;
- a bracket member including a first portion operably coupleable to the first jaw member and a second portion extending away from the first portion at an angle, the second portion defining a mounting surface for the portion of the tonneau cover;
- a first lever arm configured to selectively mate with the bracket member;
- and
- a second lever arm configured to selectively mate with the first jaw member, wherein application of opposing forces on the first lever arm and the second lever arm enable adjustment of the angle between the first portion and the second portion of the bracket member to enable leveling of the mounting surface for an improved fit of the tonneau cover to the pickup truck box.
A tonneau cover clamp, comprising:
- a first jaw member;
- a second jaw member pivotably coupled to the first jaw member;
- a threaded member configured to pivot the second jaw member relative to the first jaw member to exert a gripping pressure;
- a bracket member including a first portion operably coupleable to the first jaw member and a second portion extending away from the first portion at an angle, the second portion defining a mounting surface for the tonneau cover clamp;
- a first lever arm configured to selectively mate with the bracket member;
- and
- a second lever arm configured to selectively mate with the first jaw member to enable adjustment of the angle between the first portion and the second portion of the bracket member.
A method of leveling a tonneau cover clamp, comprising:
- rotating a threaded member configured to pivot a first jaw member relative to a second jaw member to exert a gripping force between the first jaw member and the second jaw member on a portion of a pickup truck box, wherein a bracket member defining a mounting surface is operably coupled to the first jaw member;
- inserting a first lever arm into a first channel defined by the bracket member;
- inserting a second lever arm into a second channel defined by the first jaw member;
- and
- applying an opposing force on the first lever arm and the second lever arm, thereby causing the bracket member to bend for leveling of the mounting surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.