Patent ID: 8967172
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: B63B,E04H

Abstract:
1. A cover mechanism, comprising: a support frame adapted to rest on a surface, said support frame having a pair of parallel base supports adapted to rest on the surface; and an expandable cover slidably coupled to the support frame, said expandable cover having a pliable exterior cover and a plurality of ribs for supporting the pliable exterior cover, and a pair of guide members disposed on a front end of said expandable cover, each guide member mechanically coupled to one or more of the ribs and hingably attached in an upright position to one of the parallel base supports when the expandable cover is in a flattened compact storage position, each guide member further comprising a latching member on a distal end thereof furthest from the surface on which the support frame rests; wherein the base supports each have a groove for guiding the expandable cover; and wherein the expandable cover is deployed from a flattened compact storage position to a fully deployed position by (i) pivoting the front end of the expandable cover from an approximately horizontal orientation until it reaches an approximately vertical orientation, whereby the guide members pivot forward causing the latching member to rotate forward in a downward arc until securably latching to the parallel base supports, (ii) sliding the front end of the expandable cover forwardly along the support frame with the guide members being guided along the grooves of the base supports, and (iii) pivoting the front end of the expandable cover downwards until it lies in proximity with the surface, thereby causing the ribs to spread apart and the pliable exterior cover to expand therebetween.