Tailgate gap cover

A tailgate gap cover for attachment to pickup trucks of the type having a truck box defined by a truck bed, two opposing side walls, a front wall, and a pivotable tailgate that pivots about a horizontal hinge pivot axis, from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, the tailgate gap cover being provided to prevent sand, soil, gravel and debris from passing through or becoming lodged in the tailgate gap formed between the truck bed of a pickup truck and its tailgate, wherein the tailgate gap cover includes a plurality of adjacently disposed interconnected panels, the arrangement of all the panels thereof comprising;

• a truck bed panel disposed for removable attachment to the truck bed of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a tailgate panel disposed for removable attachment to the tailgate of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a folding panel operatively disposed between the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, the folding panel being pivotally connected to the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, wherein the interconnected panels substantially cover the tailgate gap when the tailgate gap cover is mounted to a pickup truck;
• the folding panel further comprising a pair of spaced apart folding joints that extend parallel to the tailgate gap, each said folding joint being defined by a groove, wherein the grooves project in opposing directions when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position;
• wherein the folding panel pivots about said folding joints when the tailgate is pivoted;
• the folding panel being foldable from an unfolded configuration when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position, to a folded configuration when the tail gate is pivoted from the horizontal open position to the vertical closed position;
• and
• wherein each panel thereof comprises at least two adjacently disposed sections, including a driver's side section and a corresponding passenger's side section.

A tailgate gap cover for attachment to pickup trucks of the type having a truck box defined by a truck bed, two opposing side walls, a front wall, and a pivotable tailgate that pivots about a horizontal hinge pivot axis, from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, the tailgate gap cover being provided to prevent sand, soil, gravel and debris from passing through or becoming lodged in the tailgate gap formed between the truck bed of a pickup truck and its tailgate, wherein the tailgate gap cover includes a plurality of adjacently disposed interconnected panels, the arrangement of all the panels thereof comprising:

• a truck bed panel disposed for removable attachment to the truck bed of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a tailgate panel disposed for removable attachment to the tailgate of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a folding panel operatively disposed between the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, the folding panel being pivotally connected to the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, wherein the interconnected panels substantially cover the tailgate gap when the tailgate gap cover is mounted to a pickup truck;
• the folding panel being foldable from an unfolded configuration when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position, to a folded configuration when the tailgate is pivoted from the horizontal open position to the vertical closed position;
• wherein the truck bed panel comprises a plurality of horizontally spaced apart connection tabs for connecting the truck bed panel to the bed of a pickup truck;
• the truck bed further including a trailing edge disposed adjacent the tailgate gap, and the tailgate further including a bottom edge disposed adjacent the tailgate gap;
• the gap cover further comprising a pair of spaced apart folding joints arranged so that when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position, a folding joint defined by an upward projecting groove is disposed adjacent the trailing edge of the truck bed in spaced relation to the bottom edge of the tailgate, and a folding joint defined by a downward projecting groove is disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the tailgate;
• wherein said tailgate hinge pivot axis being disposed within the bottom edge of the tailgate;
• and
• wherein said folding panel shifts downward, into the tailgate gap when the tailgate is pivoted from the horizontal open position to the vertical closed position.

A tailgate gap cover for attachment to pickup trucks of the type having a truck box defined by a truck bed, two opposing side walls, a front wall, and a pivotable tailgate that pivots about a horizontal hinge pivot axis, from a vertical closed position to a horizontal open position, the tailgate gap cover being provided to prevent sand, soil, gravel and debris from passing through or becoming lodged in the tailgate gap formed between the truck bed of a pickup truck and its tailgate, wherein the tailgate gap cover includes a plurality of adjacently disposed interconnected panels, the arrangement of all the panels thereof comprising:

• a truck bed panel disposed for removable attachment to the truck bed of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a tailgate panel disposed for removable attachment to the tailgate of a pickup truck, adjacent the tailgate gap;
• a folding panel operatively disposed between the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, the folding panel being pivotally connected to the truck bed panel and the tailgate panel, wherein the interconnected panels substantially cover the tailgate gap when the tailgate gap cover is mounted to a pickup truck;
• the folding panel being foldable from an unfolded configuration when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position, to a folded configuration when the tailgate is pivoted from the horizontal open position to the vertical closed position;
• and
• wherein the truck bed panel comprises a plurality of horizontally spaced apart connection tabs for connecting the truck bed panel to the bed of a pickup truck;
• the truck bed further including a trailing edge disposed adjacent the tailgate gap, and the tailgate further including a bottom edge disposed adjacent the tailgate gap;
• the gap cover further comprising a pair of spaced apart folding joints arranged so that when the tailgate is in the horizontal open position, a folding joint defined by an upward projecting groove is spaced from the bottom edge of the tailgate, disposed over the tailgate gap, and a folding joint defined by a downward projecting groove is disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the tailgate;
• wherein the tailgate hinge pivot axis is disposed within the tailgate gap between the trailing edge of the truck bed and the bottom edge of the tailgate, and
• wherein said folding panel shifts upward, adjacent the tailgate, when the tailgate is pivoted from the horizontal open position to the vertical closed position.