Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Load cover
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-10
2004-06-15
Morrow, Jason (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Load cover
Reexamination Certificate
active
06749249
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices used to lift pickup truck caps and, more specifically, to an electrically driven screw lift device that provides means for pivotally lifting a pickup truck cap or camper shell. A standard camper shell is mounted to the bed of a pickup truck and the shell is hinged on one side of the truck. Before lifting the hold down fasteners are released from the cap and a 12 volt screw linear actuator mounted to the pickup truck and to the camper shell provides positive lift and retraction when activated. The actuator pivotally lifts the hinged camper shell making the pickup truck bed accessible. When not in use, the hold down fasteners are locked in the down position.
An advantage to side access is the side loading of materials such as sand, gravel, soil and other loose materials that can be dumped into the side access by other vehicles such as bobcats, bulldozers, backhoes and so on. Other advantages include the maneuvering of large articles into the bed without a height restriction imposed by the camper shell and may be left up due to the screw drive which prevents further movement of the camper shell either up or down.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other pickup truck cap lift systems designed for this purpose. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,375 issued to Crawford on May 12, 1959.
Another patent was issued to Moe et al. on Apr. 11, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,981. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,499 was issued to Simone on Mar. 10, 1992 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 7, 1992 to Lake as U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,185.
Another patent was issued to Heinz on Jul. 21, 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,712. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,061 was issued to Micknowicz on Apr. 4, 1995. Another was issued to Miller on Apr. 2, 1996 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,450 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 8, 1999 to Nesbeth as U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,921.
Another patent was issued to Billiu et al. on Apr. 3, 2001 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,944. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,828 was issued to Young, et al. on February 2002.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,886,375
Inventor: Daniel W. Crawford
Issued: May 12, 1959
The present invention relates to the general art of automotive bodies, and more particularly to a detachable body intended for employment on the lighter trucks, such as the pickup truck and which because of its peculiar arrangement can be easily opened from either side or may be quickly removed for loading or unloading of the vehicle and then replaced and be clamped into operational position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,981
Inventor: Gilmore L. Moe et al.
Issued: Apr. 11, 1989
A cap is provided for disposition over the load bed of a pickup truck and includes opposite sidewall structures having lower marginal portions for close juxtaposed position relative to upper marginal portions of the sidewalls of the load bed. Each side wall structure and the corresponding side wall include longitudinally spaced vertically separable mounting portions supporting the side wall structure from the side wall for angular displacement relative thereto about an axis extending along the lower marginal portion of that side wall structure. In addition, each pair of mounting portions includes support and guide means interconnecting therebetween operative to guide the corresponding side wall structure relative to the corresponding side wall for up and down movement relative thereto between a lowered position juxtaposed position the side wall and an upper limit position, the support and guide structure including spring means yieldingly biasing the side wall structure toward its upper limit position. Also, each pair of mounting portions includes latch structure for releasably latching each side wall structure mounting portion against upward displacement relative to the corresponding side wall mounting portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,499
Inventor: Anthony L. Simone Jr.
Issued: Mar. 10, 1992
A raising and lowering mechanism including an electric powered winch having a cable connected to the cross bar of pivotal lever arms to raise and lower a pivotally hinged rigid cover. The winch cable is payed over a pulley system positioned at a height equal to or greater than the pivot points of the lever arms for providing a mechanical advantage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,185
Inventor: William H. R. Lake
Issued: Apr. 7, 1992
A lift-roof cover
10
for a light truck open load bed
12
, comprising a lift-roof structure
15
pivotally attached about a lateral axis A-A to the upper edge
44
of the cover forward wall
18
, the forward wall
18
being fixedly mounted to the load bed
12
so that, alternately, secure weatherproof enclosure of the load bed
12
may be provided with the lift-roof structure
15
in a lowered position, or the lift-roof structure
15
may be raised at the rear about the lateral axis A-A, providing improved access to the load bed
12
. A preferred embodiment incorporates the use of compression struts
74
,
76
to provide lift assist in raising the lift-roof structure
15
and accommodates the application of flexible curtains
146
to provide full enclosure with the lift-roof structure
15
in a raised position, while maintaining commonality with methods of manufacture, handling, shipping and storage employed for high volume production load bed covers of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,712
Inventor: David S. Heinz
Issued: Jul. 21, 1992
The specification discloses a device for tilting a truck box cover to an angular position thus providing improved access to the cargo area. The box cover is mounted to the side of the truck box by a hinge. The box cover is assisted in lifting to an open position and held open by an actuator which may be a single gas spring or a screw powered by an electric motor. The actuator is positioned near the front of the truck box so it causes minimum obstruction of the cargo space. The device may be used with conventional truck box covers. The box cover can be stabilized in a non-closed position by a steady strut. A restraint prevents over-opening of the box cover. A strong frame prevents excessive deflections of the box cover and enables the use of one actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,061
Inventor: John J. Micknowicz
Issued: Apr. 4, 1995
The invention relates to a cap for pickup truck cargo bodies that is secured in place by hinges and may be tilted by removing the hinge pins on one side and removed by removing the hinge pins from both sides. Rods are provided which engage the hinge cylinder on the body and on the cap and thereby secure and support the cap from dynamic forces that might otherwise cause the cap to lift or drop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,450
Inventor: Aden L. Miller
Issued: Apr. 2, 1996
A lid lift system wherein a lift piston is mounted within a wheeled vehicle bed to actuate a lift member which will slidingly move along a slide rail track to open and close a lid upon the wheeled vehicle bed. Furthermore, the lift piston can either be activated by a toggle switch located in the truck cab or by a remote control. Additionally, the lid lift system is configured such that it can either be factory installed or installed by a customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,921
Inventor: Roleto E. Nesbeth
Issued: Jun. 8, 1999
A lift device for a cargo cover installed on a pickup truck. The lift device includes a first member, a second member, a first expansion device, and a second expansion device. The first member is mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. The second member has a first end and a second end, with the first end pivotally-connected to the first member. The first expansion device has a first end connected to the first member and has a second end connected to the second member. The second expansion device has a first end connected to the second end of the second member and has a second end for connection to the cargo cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,944
Inventor: Charles R. Billiu et al.
Issued: Apr. 3, 2001
A stowable top or cover mounted on an open bed of a truck, such as a pickup truck, using lift frames and actuat
Kroll Michael I
Morrow Jason
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