Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Load cover
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-16
2004-03-30
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Load cover
C296S100060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06712418
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and apparatus for covering a rear cargo area of a pick-up type vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and apparatus of the type described that is durable, lightweight, versatile in use, economical to manufacture, easy to install, easy to manipulate for accessing the rear cargo area, and easy to remove if desired.
2. Description of the Background Art
Many different types of tonneau covers are known and commercially available. Tonneau covers are generally classified as either soft, being constructed of a flexible, lightweight material such as canvas, or rigid, being constructed of heavier materials such as fiberglass. Soft covers are less expensive, but provide only minimal security and load-bearing ability. Rigid tonneau covers are favored for their durability, strength, security, and load-bearing ability, but rigid tonneau covers proposed in the past have limitations and disadvantages associated therewith.
For example, attachment of an existing rigid tonneau cover to a vehicle is relatively complicated. The known rigid tonneau covers typically include specialized hardware for attaching to the vehicle, or they require drilling into the vehicle body. Some use a piano-type hinge in the front, and gas shocks drilled for support into the vehicle body at the rear. Most of the known rigid tonneau covers pivotally open at one end, like an alligator mouth, but some of the known rigid covers are hinged in the middle, and open from each side.
Once attached, the conventional rigid tonneau covers, including the various attachment options, tend to limit access to the cargo area and to limit the size of what can be carried. In order to take full advantage of the cargo area, one must completely remove the cover. Complete removal of the conventional rigid cover is, however, typically almost as complicated as attachment.
The substantial weight of the conventional rigid cover further complicates removal as well as shipping and storage thereof. Many of these covers weight around 150 pounds or more. Between the awkward size of most covers and the complicated attachment mechanisms therefor, it is nearly impossible for one unassisted person to remove the cover.
Once removed, these covers are difficult to store due to their size and weight. Freight costs, related to size and weight of the known covers, tend to restrict the distribution thereof. Large retailers do not carry them because of the high shipping costs and storage difficulties associated therewith. Many are sold from outdoor lots, usually in a graveled and fenced enclosure, which limits public exposure and distribution.
Most of the conventional rigid covers are manufactured from fiberglass, aluminum, or steel. Steel and aluminum covers are easily dented or damaged and are limited in terms of design freedom, so fiberglass is used most often. Fiberglass covers are typically made with an open-face mold using resins and fiber cloth either laid in, blown in, or sprayed in with a gun that mixes resin and chops the glass. Since there is little internal strength to a fiberglass resin product, the covers are thick and therefore very heavy. They are also typically molded as a single piece. As a single piece, the cover must be manufactured for a particular model of pickup truck, which further adds to the manufacturing cost and creates additional inventory difficulties.
As a general matter, the conventional fiberglass tonneau covers are disadvantageous in terms of durability, because there is very limited ‘give’ between the covers and the truck beds to which they are attached. When the truck bed flexes, twists, bumps, etc. so too does the tonneau cover, and with limited give between the cover and the bed, peripheral edges, connection points, and other stressed portions of the cover become damaged.
Further, in conventional designs, when pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders are used to facilitate pivotal lifting of an end of the cover, the cylinders are conventionally connected to longitudinally intermediate side portions of the cover, rather than to the non-pivoted end of the cover, to enable the non-pivoted end of the cover to be raised a relatively large extent. Such intermediate location of the cylinders undesirably places a relatively large load on the cylinders because the distance (lever arm) from the cylinders to the pivot is relatively short, and also places a relatively large load on the portions of the cover to which the cylinders are attached, because of the distance from the free end of the cover. Thus it has been conventionally necessary to use cylinders of relatively large capacity, and to significantly reinforce the connecting portions of the cover, where they receive the cylinder ends.
Another problem with conventional rigid covers is the quality of appearance. When painted, conventional fiberglass covers in time fade, crack, and show what is called print through where one can see the woven cloth within the fiberglass resin. The underside typically has a rough texture as a result of the fiberglass molding and does not paint well, if painted at all.
Fiberglass covers, due to their paint problems, and aluminum or steel covers, due to their limitations is design freedom, tend to look like an afterthought rather than an integral part of the pickup truck. Appearance problems combined with access limitations, significant weight, attachment and removal problems, and shipping and storage problems, have severely limited the marketability and appeal of known tonneau covers. The following U.S. Patents disclose some specific, conventional tonneau covers.
Dirks, U.S. Design Pat. D 398,282 discloses a tonneau cover for a pickup truck bed having two wedge-shaped vertical side members which support a large flat substantially horizontal cover plate, which appears to be pivotally mounted with respect to the side members. Forward of the front edge of the cover plate are two more square auxiliary plates which are disposed side by side and which are smaller than the cover plate.
Friesen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,214 discloses a tonneau cover made in three panel segments which are pivotally and hingedly joined together, and which are arranged in a side-by-side orientation over the truck bed. The panel segments are connected together by levers and links, somewhat like the components of a convertible top. The hinges between the panel segments run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. An actuator may be provided for moving the panel segments between an extended condition with the panel segments arranged side by side and substantially coplanar, and a folded condition with the panel segments arranged face to face at a side edge of the truck bed. Although this design provides the advantages of durability and strength gained from a rigid cover, it is somewhat complex, limits full access to the truck bed, and is difficult to remove.
Swenson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,777 discloses a hinge and connection assembly kit for a removable truck cap as opposed to a cover. Each hinge connection assembly grasps the channel rail of a box side wall, by clamping the truck rail with a tightenable threaded damping plate, and includes a hinge mounting bolt. The head of the hinge mounting bolt rests against the truck box side wall. This design provides the feature of easy removability, but is designed for use with truck cap or camper shell rather than a tonneau cover. Such a design yields a cap that is typically heavy and awkward to open or remove. It also limits access to the truck bed without full removal.
Wheatley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,960 discloses a rail attachment system for a flexible truck tonneau cover. The rail attachment system of Wheatley includes a pair of matching clamping members which clamps a rail to a truck bed side wall without drilling holes therein. A nut and bolt clamp the two clamping members together against the truck wall section. Although easy to remove, this design is limited to a flexible tonneau cover and does not provi
Blackman William D.
Carrier Joseph P.
Carrier Blackman & Associates P.C.
Pape Joseph D.
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