Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Load cover
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-15
2001-04-03
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Load cover
C296S165000, C296S160000, C296S163000, C296S159000, C296S026040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209944
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stowable truck bed enclosure that covers and extends about and optionally beyond the truck bed when raised.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pickup trucks have been provided with camper enclosures in the past in the form of prefabricated, self-contained rigid sheet metal camper inserts that are received in and fastened to the truck bed. These inserts are heavy and difficult to install and remove from the pickup truck bed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,044 describes a camper insert that includes foldable walls so that the camper insert can be lowered into the bed for storage and its weight reduced.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,286,414; 3,941,415; and 4,768,824 describe pickup truck bed covers that can be raised to provide an enclosure and lowered onto the truck bed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,414 employs telescoping corner posts to raise foldable walls attached to the top. U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,415 uses foldable side posts to raise the cover and aluminum side panels that are rolled out from under the cover to side panel positions to enclose the bed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,824 includes hinged, rigid side panels that are moved from a stowed horizontal position in the truck bed to an upright side panel position as the cover is raised.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a stowable enclosure for an open bed of a truck, such as a pickup truck, comprising a cover, such as for example only a fiberglass cover, that overlies the truck bed, first and second cover lift frames disposed on opposite sides of the truck body for raising and lowering the cover, and actuator means for the first and second lift frames to raise the cover to provide a support platform above the bed and to lower the cover to stow it on the truck body. Flexible enclosure means is connected to the cover and the lift frames to form an enclosure which may be of various configurations for desired end-use applications.
In an embodiment of the present invention, each cover lift frame includes respective first and second scissor linkages proximate the truck cab and optional first and second folding arm linkages proximate a rear end of the bed and fluid or other actuators for the linkages.
The cover and the associated lift frames include means for attaching a flexible enclosure thereto such that the flexible enclosure can be deployed about and optionally beyond the truck bed after the top or cover is raised. For example, the flexible enclosure can be connected to the cover and to the associated lift frames to form a camper enclosure that encloses the truck bed after the top is raised and also optionally can extend beyond the truck bed to form a sitting room behind the truck and sleeping rooms having floors supported on separate portable tent-type posts on opposite sides of the truck bed. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a flexible awning enclosure can be attached to the cover and the lift frames to form an awning that extends from the raised cover beyond the truck bed and that is supported on separate tent-type posts at its periphery to provide a covered area for on-site work/commercial activities. In still another embodiment of the invention, a flexible office enclosure can be attached to the cover and the lift frames to form an office or meeting room on the truck bed where job-site work/meetings and the like can be conducted protected from the weather.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the top or cover is disposed on first and second lift frames each comprising an upper channel member and a lower channel member. The lower frame channel members are fixedly mounted on respective truck body side panels defining the opposite lateral sides of the truck bed. The stowable top or cover is mounted on the upper channels and interconnects them in a manner to unite the first and second lift frames as a unit. Each lift frame includes a scissor mechansism proximate the cab of the truck and a folding arm mechanism proximate the rear of the truck bed by which the top or cover is raised above the bed by suitable actuators, such a hydraulic, electrical or other actuators, operably associated with the scissor mechanisms and the folding arm mechanisms to deploy the cover.
The cover and the lift frames include means for attaching a selected flexible enclosure, such as the aforementioned camper enclosure, awning enclosure, office enclosure and the like, thereto. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, an attachment edge or strip of the flexible enclosure is received in a J-shaped peripheral channel on the cover and upper channels of the lift frames. After raising of the cover and lift frames, the flexible enclosure is connected to the raised cover for quick on-site deployment to a desired enclosure configuration.
Advantages and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken with the following drawings.
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Billiu Charles R.
Klein George W.
Piontek David P.
Dayoan D. Glenn
Morrow Jason
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