Patent ID: 9561747
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: B60J,B60P,B65D

Claim:
1. A device for covering at least part of a container using a tarpaulin, said container defining a container bottom wall, a container peripheral wall extending therefrom and a container top aperture delimited by said container peripheral wall substantially opposed to said container bottom wall, said container top aperture defining an aperture first end and a substantially opposed aperture second end, said tarpaulin defining a tarpaulin first end and a substantially opposed tarpaulin second end, said tarpaulin being secured to said container at said tarpaulin first end substantially opposed to said aperture second end and movable between tarpaulin retracted and extended configurations in which said tarpaulin is respectively substantially retracted from said container top aperture and extended across said container top aperture, said device comprising: a rod defining a rod longitudinal axis, said tarpaulin being mountable to said rod at said tarpaulin second end to allow rolling of said tarpaulin thereonto and unrolling of said tarpaulin therefrom when said rod is rotated about said rod longitudinal axis; a support arm mountable to said container for supporting said rod, said rod being rotatably mounted to said support arm so as to be rotatable about said rod longitudinal axis, wherein, when said support arm is operatively mounted to said container, said support arm is pivotally movable relative to said container about an arm pivot axis between support arms first and second positions in which said rod is respectively substantially adjacent said aperture first and second ends; a rod actuator operatively coupled to said rod for selectively rotating said rod about said rod longitudinal axis; and an arm biasing element operatively coupled to said support arm for biasing said support arm towards said support arm second position; wherein rotating said rod using said rod actuator to roll said tarpaulin therearound moves said support arm towards said support arm first position to move said tarpaulin to said tarpaulin retracted configuration and rotating said rod using said rod actuator to unroll said tarpaulin therefrom moves said support arm towards said support arm second position to move said tarpaulin to said tarpaulin extended configuration.