Patent ID: 9421851
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: B60J

Claim Text:
1. A foldable tonneau cover apparatus for an open-topped vehicle cargo box including opposed left and right longitudinally extending side panels and opposed front and rear laterally extending end panels collectively defining a planar horizontal support surface, said tonneau cover apparatus comprising: a plurality of hard panel portions configured to collectively surmount said support surface and enclose said cargo box, each panel portion defining spaced apart upper and lower surfaces joined by edge surfaces, each said panel portion pivotally interconnected to at least one adjacent panel portion by an elongated hinge extending between adjacent edge surfaces of said interconnected panel portions, said panel portions being selectively positionable between a deployed position enclosing said cargo box and a retracted or stacked position providing access to said cargo box; an opposed cooperating pair of rotary latch mechanisms carried with the lower surface of each panel portion inwardly adjacent an opposed pair of box panels; an opposed pair of headed cantilevered striker pins, each striker pin having a shank portion and a mounting flange configured for attachment to an inner surface of said opposed pair of box panels, said mounting flange defining an aperture configured to receive a fastener, said shank portion being located higher than said aperture in an elevational direction, and said shank portion of each striker pin extending inwardly within said cargo box for selective engagement with an associated rotary latch when said associated panel portion is in said deployed position; and a release mechanism carried with the lower surface of each panel portion operatively interconnecting a single release member with both associated rotary latch mechanisms carried with said panel portion, wherein release of a panel can only be effected by manual operation of said release member subsequent to release of an adjacent tonneau cover panel or cargo box panel.