Tonneau cover and support means
OwnerDonald G. Wheatleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tonneau cover structure in which the rear rail of the frame is at least partially movable by pivotal or longitudinal movement between a location relatively closer to the front rail to facilitate attaching the flexible sheet to the frame or detaching it from the frame and a second location at a greater distance from the front rail to hold the attached cover taut.
Claims13
Tonneau cover means for covering the cargo carrier of a vehicle, the cargo carrier being bounded by first and second side walls extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on opposite sides of the cargo carrier and having upper rims, a front wall extending transversely across a front end of the cargo carrier, and an openable tailgate having an upper rim substantially coplanar with adjacent parts of the upper rims of the side walls, the tonneau cover means comprising:
- (a) flexible sheet means comprising front, side, and rear edges;
- (b) an elongated rear rail positionable along the upper rim of the tailgate, said rear rail having a rear edge section thereof attachable to the rear edge of said flexible sheet means whereby said sheet means is anchored to the rear rail;
- said rear rail being coextensive with the tailgate rim;
- (c) side rails extending along and directly above the upper rims of the side walls to anchor the side edges of said flexible sheet means;
- (d) means at the rear end of each side rail forming a pivot hole, said pivot holes being aligned to form a transverse pivot axis located above the upper rim of the tailgate;
- and
- (e) said rear rail having aligned hinge pins extending from its opposite ends for disposition in said pivot holes, whereby said rear rail can be pivoted downwardly around said pivot axis to tension the flexible sheet means in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
Tonneau cover means for covering the cargo carrier of a vehicle, the cargo carrier being bounded by front and rear walls spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the cargo carrier and extending in a transverse direction thereof, and first and second side walls spaced apart in the transverse direction and extending in the longitudinal direction on opposite sides of the cargo carrier, all of the walls having upper rims, the rear wall comprising a tailgate having a lower edge and being hinged to pivot about an axis in the region of its lower edge, the tonneau cover means comprising:
- (a) flexible sheet means to fit over the cargo carrier and having a perimeter region comprising front, side, and rear edges, and attachment means along the edges;
- (b) elongated rear rail means extending longitudinally along the upper rim of the tailgate and comprising engagement means to connect with the attachment means along the rear edge of the cover;
- (c) force-transmission means to apply force to at least selected parts of the rear rail means to move at least the selected parts of the rear rail means, with the rear edge of the sheet means attached thereto, between a first position in which the selected parts of the rear means are a first distance away from the front wall and a second position in which the selected parts of the rear rail means are a second distance, which is greater than the first distance, away from the front wall to stretch out at least parts of the sheet means attached to the selected parts of the rear rail means;
- (d) the force-transmission means comprising means to pivot the rear rail means about an axis generally parallel to the rim of the tailgate between the first position and the second position;
- and
- (e) the means to pivot the rear rail means comprising a handle attached to the rear rail means and extending therefrom into the cargo carrier to control movement of the rear rail means between the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.