Tent – canopy – umbrella – or cane – Portable shelter – Tent supported by vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-07
2001-07-10
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Tent, canopy, umbrella, or cane
Portable shelter
Tent supported by vehicle
C135S088110, C135S129000, C135S131000, C296S100180, C296S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257260
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to truck bed covers and more particularly pertains to a new retractable canvas for a truck bed for conveniently deploying and retracting a canvas which protects cargo within a truck bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of truck bed covers is known in the prior art. More specifically, truck bed covers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art truck bed covers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,346; U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,539; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 311,165; U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,548; U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,325; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 273,670.
In these respects, the retractable canvas for a truck bed according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of conveniently deploying and retracting a canvas which protects cargo within a truck bed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of truck bed covers now present in the prior art, the present _invention provides a new retractable canvas for a truck bed construction wherein the same can be utilized for conveniently deploying and retracting a canvas which protects cargo within a truck bed.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new retractable canvas for a truck bed apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the truck bed covers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new retractable canvas for a truck bed which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art truck bed covers, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention is adapted for use with a truck having a cab and a bed defined by a bottom with a peripheral side wall coupled to a periphery of the bottom and extending upwardly therefrom. As such, an interior space and an upper peripheral edge is defined. The present invention includes a pair of mounting channels each having a bottom face mounted along a side extent of the upper peripheral edge of the truck bed of the truck. A air of side walls are coupled to and extend upwardly from the bottom face. Each of such side walls of the mounting channels is equipped with an inwardly extending flange formed along an upper edge thereof for defining a slot. For reasons that will soon become apparent, an outboard one of the inwardly extending flanges of each mounting channel has a plurality of equally spaced snap fasteners mounted thereon. Further, each of the side walls of each mounting channel has a plurality of equally spaced apertures formed therein. Next provided is a retractable frame assembly including a plurality of inverted U-shaped members. Each of such members has a horizontally oriented upper portion and a pair of a vertically oriented side portions. Each side portion of each inverted U-shaped member has a lower end with a horizontally oriented cylindrical roller mounted thereon for being slidably situated within the slot of one of the mounting channels. The retractable frame further includes a plurality of retractors mounted between the side portions of each inverted U-shaped member. As shown in
FIG. 2
, each retractor includes a pair of stationary hinges fixedly mounted on upper ends of the side portions of adjacent inverted U-shaped members. A pair of sliding hinges are slidably coupled adjacent lower ends of the side portions of the adjacent inverted U-shaped members. Finally, a pair of linear interconnects are each pivotally coupled with respect to each other at a central extent thereof. Further, such interconnects are hingably coupled between the stationary hinges and the sliding hinges. By this structure, the frame assembly may be retracted or extended per the desires of the user. Mounted on an outer surface of the inverted U-shape members of the retractable frame assembly is a water-resistant canvas. Such canvas is equipped with a pair of lower side edges each having a plurality of equally spaced snap fasteners. These snap fasteners are adapted for being releasably coupled to the snap fasteners of the mounting channels. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the water resistant canvas further includes a pair of transparent panels. The transparent panels are equipped with upper and side edges coupled to the upper portions and side portions of a frontmost and a rearmost one of the inverted U-shaped members of the retractable frame assembly. Ideally, the rearmost transparent panel is openable by way of a peripheral zipper. As shown in
FIG. 4
, a plurality of pins serve for being removably inserted within the apertures of the mounting channels. In use, the pins are adapted for fixing the id inverted U-shaped members in place. Finally, a Y-shaped pull strap is provided having a pair of upper ends mounted to the upper portion of the rearmost inverted U-shaped member of the retractable frame assembly. In use, the Y-shaped pull strap is adapted for allowing a user to extend the retractable frame assembly by pulling a lower end thereof.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new retractable canvas for a truck bed apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the truck bed covers mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new retractable canvas for a truck bed which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art truck bed covers, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new retractable canvas for a truck bed which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new
Friedman Carl D.
Yip Winnie
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