Cargo bed cover

A cover for a pickup truck having a flat cargo bed with upright side walls, comprising:

• a pair of outer frame members adapted to be mounted to upper edges of the side walls of the cargo bed;
• two generally planar frames, each frame having an outer edge pivotally connected to one of the outer frame members for pivoting relative to the corresponding outer frame members between a closed position, in which the frames are in a single plane, and an open position, in which the frames are inclined relative to each other;
• and
• two generally planar cover panels, each cover panel being pivotally connected to one of the frames for pivoting relative to the corresponding frame between a closed position, in which each of the cover panels is generally parallel to and overlying the corresponding frame, and an open position, in which each of the cover panels is at an inclined angle relative to the corresponding frame;
• the cover panels having inner and outer edges and being laterally slidable along the corresponding frames between all inner and outer positions relative to the frames;
• and the cover panels are adapted to enclose the cargo bed when the frames are in the closed position and the cover panels are in the inner and closed positions.

A method of covering a flat cargo bed of a pickup, the cargo bed having upright side walls, the method comprising:

• (a) pivotally mounting a planar frame to an upper edge of each of the side walls, each of the frames having an outer edge;
• (b) pivotally mounting a planar cover panel to each of the frames;
• (c) to enclose the cargo bed, pivoting the frames into a closed position within a single piano spaced above the cargo bed substantially at the level of the upper edges of the side walls and pivoting the cover panels relative to the frames to a closed position parallel with and overlying the frames;
• (d) to open access to the cargo bed from the closed position, pivoting at least one of the cover panels at an inclined angle relative to the corresponding frame;
• and
• (e) to lengthen an effective height of the cargo bed from the closed position, pivoting both of the frames to an upright position relative to the sidewalls while the cover panels are parallel to and alongside the frames.