Truck bed closure

A retractable truck bed closure is disclosed herein. The retractable truck bed closure comprises a pair of frames that extend across a truck bed between sidewalls of the truck bed. The closure may be moved between a stored configuration and an extended configuration along the pair of frames to open, and close, a portion of the truck bed, respectively. The frames may be attachable to the truck, or may be integrated into portions of the truck, such as the sidewalls of the truck bed or the rear of the cab of the truck.

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The various aspects and embodiments described herein relate to a truck bed closure.

Trucks are one of the most popular types of vehicles being sold in the United States and abroad. Users will accessorize the truck with a variety of functional components in order to fit their lifestyle and needs. However, in doing so, they may add certain functionality but also disable other functional aspects of the truck.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improvement in accessorizing trucks.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The various aspects and embodiments described herein address the deficiencies discussed above, discussed below and those that are known in the art.

A truck bed closure is disclosed herein which has a closure that may be moved between two configurations—a storage configuration wherein the closure is not disposed over the truck bed, and an extended configuration wherein the closure is disposed over the truck bed. The closure may extend across a width of the truck bed from one sidewall to another sidewall, and may block a user from accessing a portion of the truck bed from a location above the truck bed when the closure is moved to the extended configuration. When the closure is moved to the extended configuration, the truck bed closure may form a closed interior volume with the truck bed acting as a floor of the closed interior volume. The closure may be disposed under the roof of the cab in the storage configuration, and above the roof of the cab in the extended configuration, to form a closed interior volume that extends above the roof of the cab. When the closure is moved to the storage configuration, a full length of the truck bed may be accessible from a location above the truck bed. The closure may move between the configurations along a track or a rail that extends across the width of the truck bed.

The truck bed closure may have a front frame with an upper front track and a rear frame with an upper rear track. The front frame may be located above a front portion of the truck bed and the rear frame may be located above a rear portion of the truck bed. Opposing sides of the closure may be mechanically coupled to the upper front track and the upper rear track such that the closure spans the length of the truck bed. The closure may be configured to move along the upper front track and the upper rear track when being moved between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. The closure may be extended from the right sidewall to the left sidewall or from the left sidewall to the right sidewall depending upon the configuration.

The front frame and the rear frame may be shaped in an arc to match the shape of the roof of the truck cab, allowing for the extended closure be arch-shaped to closure the truck bed. The front frame and rear frame may be attachable to the truck in any suitable manner, for example by coupling to the rear surface of the truck cab, or by coupling to an upper surface of the sidewalls of the truck bed. The front frame may be attachable to a front section of the left sidewall and to a front section of the right sidewall, whereas the rear frame may be attachable to a rear section of the left sidewall and to a rear section of the right sidewall. The front frame and the rear frame may be attachable to the truck, for example by attaching to the cab of the truck or to the sidewalls of the truck bed such as the stake pockets at the top sides of the left and right sidewalls. Alternatively, the front frame and/or the rear frame may be integrated to the truck. For example, the front frame may be integrated into the rear wall of the cab of the truck, and the rear frame may be integrated into the sidewalls of the truck. The front and rear frames may also be removable from the left and right sidewalls. For example, the front and rear frames may be attached to the left and right sidewalls with a quick detach latch. The quick detach latch may only require one or two movements (e.g., push lever or button, pull lever or button, push-pull lever and/or button, pull-push lever and/or button) to detach.

The front frame and the rear frame may have a track that the closure follows when being moved between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. The closure may have one or more sliders that may be mounted to the tracks to help the closure slide between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. The closure may comprise any suitable material, such as a flexible fabric that unrolls into the extended configuration and rolls up into the storage configuration, or may comprise a plurality of rigid slats that are rotatably joined together by strut joints. A closure storage box may be used to house a portion of the closure when the closure is moved to the storage configuration. For example, a closure storage box may have a pin with a spring that biases the pin to pull the end of the closure to wrap the closure around the pin, allowing for the pin to naturally pull the closure into a storage configuration wrapped around the pin. A locking mechanism may be used to hold the closure in the extended configuration to prevent the spring from pulling at the end of the closure when the locking mechanism is engaged.

Alternatively, the closure storage box may be disposed along a sidewall and the base of the truck bed to hold a closure comprising a plurality of slats that are joined together by strut joints. The storage box may also have a lower front track and a lower rear track that may be used to guide the closure in and out of the storage box when moving the closure between the storage configuration and the extended configuration, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, a truck100has a cab20having a rear window37shown inFIG. 1. Behind the truck cab20, the truck100may have a truck bed21formed by a left sidewall22, a right sidewall24, a cab wall26, and a tailgate56. A retractable closure140may extend from a closure storage box130, such that the retractable closure140may be moved between an extended configuration outside the storage box130and closing the truck bed21shown inFIG. 4, and a storage configuration stored largely within the storage box130shown inFIG. 6. When the retractable closure140is retracted into the storage box130in its storage configuration shown inFIG. 6, a user may have full access to the truck bed21of the truck100shown inFIG. 1. When the retractable closure140is pulled out of the storage box130in its extended configuration shown inFIG. 4, a user may have a protected interior volume that is formed under the closure140to protect any items placed in the truck bed21of the truck100. In this manner, the retractable closure140may provide for full access to the truck bed21when the retractable closure140is in the storage configuration and may provide for a protected interior volume of the truck bed21when the retractable closure140is in the extended configuration.

The retractable closure140may be disposed to be movable on tracks. For example, shown best inFIG. 3, the front frame120may have a track122, and the rear frame110may have a track112. The front and rear edges of the retractable closure may be disposed to follow the track122and the track112, respectively, when a user moves the retractable closure140between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. As shown inFIG. 1, the tracks122,112, may extend between the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22to allow the closure140to closure an entire section of the truck bed21between the sidewalls22,24when the closure140is extended via the tracks112,122. Each track,112,122may each comprise a groove or a recess within which an edge of the closure140may be inserted into, which provides a guide for a user that pulls or pushes the handle144of the closure140. A slider, such as the slider148shown inFIG. 3, may mate with the track122to help the edge of the closure140follow the track122when being moved between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. Such a slider may be particularly useful when the closure is made of a flexible material that may fold if the edges of the closure140are not coupled to the tracks122,112.

As shown inFIG. 3, the retractable closure140may have a latch142that is sized and disposed to mate with the recess152shown inFIG. 2. The latch142and recess152may cooperatively operate as a locking mechanism to lock the retractable closure140in place relative to the left sidewall22when the retractable closure140is fully extended as shown inFIG. 4. While the retractable closure140is shown inFIGS. 1 and 4as being extendable from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, the retractable closure140may be configured to extend from the left sidewall22to the right sidewall by reversing the closure storage box130and coupling the storage box130to the left sidewall22.

As shown inFIG. 4, the rear frame110may have an inner recess116that is shaped to accept an edge38of a rear window39. The rear window39may be detachable and attachable to the rear frame110depending upon need. When attached, the rear window39may be pivoted up and held up with a telescoping member. The recess116of the rear frame may hold the rear window39in place relative to the rear frame110to close an opening to the protected interior volume that is formed under the closure140to protect items placed in the truck bed21. Alternatively, the rear frame110may be formed to be integral with the rear window39. As shown inFIG. 5, when the closure140is extended via the rear frame110and the front frame120to closure the truck bed21, and the rear window39is coupled to the rear frame110, the closure140and the rear window39may block access to the protected interior volume that is formed under the closure140to protect items placed in the truck bed21(shown inFIG. 4).

As shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 6, the closure140may be rolled up in the storage box130ofFIG. 1in a rolled-up storage configuration. The closure140may be rolled up around a pin138(seeFIG. 6) having a spring139that is biased to pull the closure140into the rolled-up storage configuration shown inFIG. 6. When a user pulls on the handle144with a force greater than the bias of the spring139, the force unrolls the closure140about the pin138counterclockwise (as shown inFIG. 6) through the gap132in the storage box130. The user may pull the handle144until the closure140fully extends to the extended configuration (seeFIG. 4) and may engage the latch142(seeFIG. 3) to mate with the recess152(seeFIG. 2) to lock the closure140in place relative to the left sidewall22(seeFIG. 4) of the truck100. When a user disengages the latch142, the natural bias of the spring139(seeFIG. 6) may then roll the pin138clockwise (as shown inFIG. 6) to pull the closure140into the storage box130through the gap132to the storage configuration. While a spring139is shown to pull the closure140to the storage configuration, other methods of rolling the closure140about the pin138may be used. For example, a user may manually roll the closure140about the pin138, or may turn a crank coupled to an axis of the pin138to roll the closure140about the pin138.

As shown in the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 7, an alternative closure150may be stored in the storage box130, having a magnet152that may be coupled to the end of the closure150. The magnet152may be made to have a width that is wider than the gap132of the storage box130, which may prevent the magnet152from entering the storage box130when the spring139pulls the closure150into the storage configuration shown inFIG. 7. As shown inFIG. 8, the magnet152may be sized and disposed to magnetically couple with the matching ferrous plate154disposed along the top of the left sidewall22of the truck100. As shown inFIG. 9, when a user fully extends the closure150via the front frame120and the rear frame110, the magnet152and the ferrous plate154may mate with one another to hold the closure150in place relative to the left sidewall22.

An alternative closure160is shown inFIG. 10, used to closure the truck bed21of the truck100. The closure160may comprise a series of slats162(shown inFIG. 12) that are rotationally coupled to one another via strut joints163. A user may apply force to the handle161of the closure160to move the closure160in and out of the storage box170. When the closure160moves out of the storage box170, the closure may traverse between the storage configuration shown inFIG. 12and the extended configuration shown inFIG. 11by traveling along the front track122and the rear track112formed in the front frame120and the rear frame110, respectively. When the user fully extends the closure160, the closure160may closure the truck bed21of the truck100as shown inFIG. 11.

The closure160may be configured to be movable between the extended configuration shown inFIG. 11and the storage configuration shown inFIG. 12by sliding along the upper front track122of the front frame120(seeFIG. 10), the lower front track182of the lower front frame180(seeFIG. 11), the upper rear track112of the rear frame110(seeFIG. 10), and the lower rear track192of the lower rear frame190(seeFIG. 11). A storage box170(seeFIG. 10) may be positioned along the perimeter of the truck bed21to hold the closure160in its storage configuration within the storage box170, best shown inFIG. 12. A user may pull on the handle161of the closure160to pull the closure160from the storage box170to extend the closure160to the extended configuration shown inFIG. 11and may push on the handle161of the closure160to push the closure160into the gap172of the storage box170to move the closure160into the storage configuration shown inFIG. 12.

The closures140(FIG. 5),150(FIG. 9) andFIG. 160(FIG. 11) are discussed herein in relation to a truck100, respectively. However, it is also contemplated that the closures140,150, and160may also be mounted to any type of vehicle having a cargo area with an open top area. By way of example and not limitation, the closures140,150, and160, respectively, may also be mounted to a golf cart having an open cargo area or container behind the passenger area. Additionally, the closures140,150, and160may be mounted to a container having an open top.

Referring now toFIGS. 1-2, a first embodiment of an extendible closure140is shown for a truck100having a cab20. Behind the truck cab20, the truck100may have a truck bed21formed by a left sidewall22, a right sidewall24, a cab wall26, and a tailgate56. As discussed above, the closure140may be mounted to other types of vehicles as well as to a container. In this regard, the walls of such a container may be the functional equivalent of the left sidewall22, right sidewall24, cab wall26, and tailgate56. The truck cab20may also have a cab window37located above the cab wall26to form a barrier between the truck bed21and the cab20.

The truck100may have a front frame120and a rear frame110. The front frame120may be mounted to a front portion of the left sidewall22and to a front portion of the right sidewall24. The rear frame110may be mounted to a rear portion of the left sidewall22and to a rear portion of the right sidewall24. The front frame120and the rear frame110may be attached to the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24in any suitable manner, for example by using screws, nails, adhesives, or slidable tracks that lock into place using a friction fit locking mechanism or a lock. The front and rear frames120,110may be attached to the left and right sidewalls22,24at the stake pockets of the left and right sidewalls22,24. The front frame120may also be, or may alternatively be, attached to the cab20. Such an embodiment may be useful where the cab20is integral to the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24. The front frame120may have a front track122and the rear frame may have a rear track112. The edges of the closure140may be sized and disposed to mate with both the front track122and the rear track112such that the front track122and the rear track112guide the closure140as the closure140slides between the storage configuration and the extended configuration.

The front and rear frames120,110may also be removable from the left and right sidewalls22,24. For example, the front and/or rear frames may be attached to the left and right sidewalls with a quick detach latch. The quick detach latch may only require one or two movements (e.g., push lever or button, pull lever or button, push-pull lever and/or button, pull-push lever and/or button) to detach.

FIG. 3shows a close-up of the closure140with a handle144that helps a user to pull the closure140out from the gap132of the storage box130in order to extend the closure140over the truck bed21(seeFIG. 2) via the front track122and the rear track112. The front track122may comprise a recess that is sized to mate with a slider148(seeFIG. 3) of the closure140and help guide the closure140between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. An opposing slider (not shown) may be used to mate the opposing edge of the closure140with the track112of the rear frame110.

The sliding track122may have one or more races. Each race of the sliding track122may be attached to the slider148of the closure140. The slider148may comprise one or more tongues and the sliding track122may comprise one or more grooves that receive the tongue(s) of the slider148. Alternatively, the slider148may comprise a groove that receives a tongue of the sliding track122, or the slider148and the track122may comprise a ball bearing engagement between the two so that the weight of the closure140does not hinder sliding movement along the front frame120. A matching slider (not shown) may be used to attach the opposite edge of the closure140to the rear track112of the rear frame110. Any suitable sliding engagement mechanism may be used between the closure140and the front track122of the front frame120and the rear track112of the rear frame110. For example, an edge of the closure140may be shaped to have a width that is slightly smaller (e.g., 1 or 2 mm smaller) than the width of a recess of the track122. which may allow the edge of the closure140to simply slide along the recess of the track122when a user pulls or pushes on the handle144of the closure140. The track122of the front frame120may be parallel to the track112of the rear frame110to allow the closure140to be aligned between the front frame120and the rear frame110when the closure140is moved between the storage configuration and the extended configuration.

The front frame120and the rear frame110may each be fabricated from a rigid tubular material. While the front frame120and the rear frame110are shown inFIG. 1as having an arched shape, the front frame120and the rear frame110may be shaped to have any suitable shape to closure the truck bed21of the truck100, such as a rectangular shape or a trapezoidal shape. Contemplated materials for the front frame120and the rear frame110include, but are not limited to, fiberglass, carbon fiber, aluminum, metal, plastic, or solid bar. The front frame120and the rear frame110may be fabricated from a material that can withstand wind and driving forces due to the truck100driving on the freeway at speeds of up to 65-90 mph and cornering.

The closure140may have a latch142that is sized to mate with the recess152shown inFIG. 2along the top edge of the left sidewall22of the truck100. The latch142is shown inFIG. 3as extended from an edge143of the closure140, but the latch142may be configured to rotate between the extended configuration shown inFIG. 3to a recessed position folded within a recess of the edge143by engaging a rotational mechanism in the handle144. The latch142(seeFIG. 3) and the recess152(seeFIG. 2) may cooperatively form a locking mechanism that may be used to hold the closure140in place relative to the left sidewall22of the truck100, such that the closure140is not easily pulled from its extended configuration to the storage configuration. A user may engage and disengage the latch142by operating a rotational locking mechanism in the handle144that rotates the latch142between a locked position and an unlocked position.

FIG. 4illustrates the truck100when a user fully extends the closure140and locks the latch142with the recess152. The closure140may have a left window146and a right window147that are made of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic, that may allow a user to look into the truck bed21when the closure140is fully extended over the truck bed21. A rear window39may be configured to mate with the rear frame110by having an edge38that fits within a recess116of the rear frame110. When the rear window39is coupled to the rear frame110, the truck bed21may be fully enclosed, as is shown inFIG. 5, by the closure140having left window146and right window147(shown inFIG. 4), and the rear frame110having the window39.

The closure140may be fabricated from one or more flexible materials, such as a flexible plastic, vinyl, canvas, or cloth, to allow for the closure140to roll up through the gap1132of the storage box130shown inFIG. 3. The closure140may comprise a plurality of windows, such as the left window146and the right window147shown inFIG. 4, which may be made of the same, or different, materials as the rest of the closure140. For example, the body of the closure140may be made of a flexible, opaque cloth, while the left window146and the right window147may be made of a flexible, transparent or translucent plastic. While only one closure140is shown as being extended from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, a plurality of closures may be extended from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, positioned parallel to one another between a plurality of frames extended between the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24. The closure140and the frames110and120when in the deployed state shown inFIGS. 4 and 5may be waterproof so that rainwater does not and cannot enter the truck bed area21. To this end, the junctions between the closure140and the frames110and120may have rubber seals or other sealing mechanisms for keep the water out of the truck bed area21. The inner recess116of the rear frame110and the upper edge of the tailgate56may also have a rubber seal or other sealing mechanisms to help to waterproof the seal about the rear window39to prevent water from entering the truck bed area21.

The closure140may be sufficiently wide enough in order to engage both the front frame120and the rear frame110. More particularly, the closure140may form a watertight seal along the topsides of the front frame120and the rear frame110to provide a dry interior volume over the truck bed21. The closure140may have a rubber seal along the outer peripheral edges that engage the front frame120and the rear frame110to form such a watertight seal. The rubber seal may form a valve about the sliders of the closure140, such as the slider148of the closure140shown inFIG. 3.

The closure140may be configured to roll up into the storage box130in the configuration shown inFIG. 6. The storage box130may have a width134and a height135suitable to allow for a flexible closure140that extends across the front frame120and the rear frame110ofFIG. 1to fit within the storage box130in a rolled-up storage configuration. The storage box130may have a width of at least 3 inches and a height of at least 3 inches to accommodate such a closure140. The closure140may have a gap132in the storage box130that allows a section of the closure140to unroll through the gap132to the extended configuration shown inFIG. 5. The perimeter of the gap132may have cushions about the edges of the gap132to prevent the closure140from catching or tearing along the edges of the gap132as it is moved between the storage configuration and the extended configuration. For example, rubber cushions could be attached to the edges of the gap132to provide a cushion to protect the closure140while it is moved between configurations.

The closure140may be rolled up around a pin138having a spring139that is biased to pull the closure140into the rolled-up storage configuration shown inFIG. 6. The spring139may comprise a flexible metal that stretches to allow the pin138to fully unroll and allow the closure140to be extended to its full extended configuration as shown inFIG. 5. The spring139may be biased to pull the closure140back to its original configuration rolled up about the pin138. As such, when a user pulls on the handle144, the force of the user pulling upwards on the handle144may unroll the closure140about the pin138counterclockwise (as shown inFIG. 6) through the gap132in the storage box130. As the closure140continues to unroll, the force about the spring139may increase due to the stretching that occurs to the spring139as the closure140continues to unroll. The user may pull the handle144until the closure140fully extends to the extended configuration shown inFIG. 4and may engage the latch142shown inFIG. 3to mate with the recess152shown inFIG. 2to lock the closure140in place. The latch142may be configured to withstand the pulling force of the spring139on the closure140when the closure140is fully extended out of the storage box130. While only one latch142is shown inFIG. 3and one recess152is shown inFIG. 2, a plurality of latches and recesses may be used to provide for a plurality of locking mechanisms between the closure140and the left sidewall22to hold the closure140in the extended configuration shown inFIG. 4.

When a user disengages the latch142ofFIG. 3from the recess152ofFIG. 2, the spring139ofFIG. 6may then exert its biasing force to roll the pin138clockwise (as shown inFIG. 6) to pull the closure140in through the gap132in the storage box130to the storage configuration shown inFIG. 6. Spring139may be configured to only partially roll the pin138clockwise, allowing for the handle144to stick out of the gap132of the storage box when the biasing force of the spring139is fully spent and there is no longer a biasing force pulling the closure140to roll clockwise (as shown inFIG. 6). While a latch and recess is shown as the locking mechanism used to latch the closure140to the left sidewall22in place, other locking mechanisms may be used, such as a deadbolt or a threaded screw locking mechanism.

FIG. 7shows an alternative locking mechanism with a closure150having a magnet152coupled to an end of the closure150. The magnet152may be configured to have a width that is wider than the gap132of the storage box130, which may prevent the magnet152from entering the storage box130when the spring139pulls the closure150into the storage configuration shown inFIG. 7. Since the magnet152has a width that is larger than the width of the gap132of the storage box130, the spring139may be biased to fully pull the closure150into the storage box130, as the end of the closure150with the magnet152is in no danger of being pulled into the storage box130. When the spring139pulls the closure150clockwise, the magnet152may abut against the exterior surface of the storage box130about the gap132, preventing the magnet152from entering the gap132.

As shown inFIG. 8, the magnet152may extend across a length of the closure150from edge to edge. Alternatively, the magnet152may extend across only a portion of the length of the closure150, or a plurality of magnets may be disposed along the edge of the closure150. The magnet152may be sized and disposed to magnetically couple with the ferrous plate154, which may be attached to a top edge of the left sidewall22. For example, if the ferrous plate154has a magnetic charge, then the magnet152may have a north pole oriented towards the tailgate56of the truck100and a south pole oriented towards the cab wall26of the truck100, whereas the ferrous plate154may have a south pole oriented towards the tailgate56of the truck100and a north pole oriented towards the cab wall26of the truck. Or vice versa. Where the ferrous plate comprises a non-magnetic material that has no polarity, the magnet152may simply be configured to couple to the ferrous plate154by being disposed to have surface areas that abut one another when the closure150is pulled to the extended configuration. For example, the magnet152may be configured to have at least 20 sq. in., 30 sq. in, or 50 sq. in. of surface area that abuts the ferrous plate154attached to the top edge of the left sidewall22.

When a user pulls the closure150towards the extended configuration via the front track122of the front frame120and the rear track112of the rear frame110, the magnet152may be pulled towards the ferrous plate154via a magnetic force. As shown inFIG. 9, the magnet152may magnetically attach to the ferrous plate154via a magnetic connection, holding the closure150in place relative to the left sidewall22. When a user wishes to move the closure150from the extended configuration shown inFIG. 9to the storage configuration shown inFIG. 7, the user may then detach the magnet152from the ferrous plate154and allow the spring139shown inFIG. 7to pull the closure150into the storage box130. The magnet152may be an electromagnet that activates or deactivates when a user activates a switch, such as the switch151shown inFIG. 7. The switch151may comprise a push button, that may connect or disconnect the electromagnet152from a power supply. When a user pushes the button151, the electromagnet may deactivate, allowing the user to easily disengage the magnet152from the ferrous plate154and allow the closure150to return back into the storage box130.

WhileFIG. 9shows that element152is a magnet and element154is a ferrous plate, element154may be a magnet and element152may be a ferrous plate, or both elements152and154may comprise magnets to hold the closure150in the extended configuration. While the closure150is shown as being deployed out of the storage box130from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22to allow for the magnet152to mate with the ferrous plate154, the closure150may be deployed from the left sidewall22to the right sidewall24by reversing the storage box130and attaching it to the left sidewall22, and coupling the ferrous plate154to the top edge of the right sidewall24. While only one closure150is shown as being extended from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, a plurality of similar closures may be extended from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, positioned parallel to one another between a plurality of frames extended between the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24. The closure150and the frames110and120when in the deployed state shown inFIG. 9may be waterproof so that rain water does not and cannot enter the truck bed area21. To this end, the junctions between the closure150and the frames110and120may have rubber seals or other sealing mechanisms for keep the water out of the truck bed area21.

As shown inFIG. 10, an alternative truck100may have a closure160comprising a series of slats162. The slats may be rigid, in contrast to the flexible closure140ofFIG. 1and closure150ofFIG. 8. The configuration of the rigid slats162may be seen more clearly in the cross-sectional view of closure160inFIG. 12, which shows each slat162rotatably coupled to an adjoining slat via a strut joint163. Each slat162may be configured to rotate about a strut joint by at least 20, 30, 40, or even 45 degrees to allow for the closure160to be extendible along the upper front track122of upper front frame120and the upper rear track112of the upper rear frame110. The strut joints163may have a slider, similar to the slider148ofFIG. 3, which ensures that the strut joints follow the upper front track122and the upper rear track112while a user moves the closure160between the storage configuration shown inFIG. 12and the extended configuration shown inFIG. 11.

Since the closure160comprises a series of rigid struts, the storage box170that holds the closure160may be configured to wrap around the perimeter of the truck bed21, as shown inFIG. 12. The storage box170may comprise a width174and a height175which allows for the storage box170to hold a volume that may comfortably hold a closure160that extends over a truck bed21, such as a width of at least 50 inches, and a height of at least 20 inches. The storage box170may have a gap172that allows the slats of the closure160to enter the storage box170when a user moves the closure160into the storage configuration shown inFIG. 12. The gap172may have a width173of at most 1 inch to allow for the slats to flex while entering the storage box170due to vibrational forces.

As shown inFIG. 11, the storage box170may have a lower front frame180and a lower rear frame190that may be used to guide the closure160into place inside the storage box170. The lower front frame180may have a lower front track182(shown inFIG. 11), similar to the upper front track122of the upper front frame120(shown inFIG. 10), and the lower front frame190may have a lower front track192(shown inFIG. 11), similar to the upper rear track112of the upper rear frame110(shown inFIG. 10). The lower front track182may be juxtaposed with the upper front track122to allow for a slider coupled to the lower front track182to slide into the upper front track122when a user moves the closure160towards the extended configuration, and for a slider coupled to the upper front track122to slide into the lower front track182when a user moves the closure160towards the storage configuration. Likewise, the lower rear track192may be juxtaposed with the upper rear track112to allow for a slider coupled to the lower rear track192to slide into the upper rear track112when a user moves the closure160towards the extended configuration, and for a slider coupled to the upper rear track112to slide into the lower rear track192when a user moves the closure160towards the storage configuration.

While the closures140(FIG. 1),150(FIG. 8), and160(FIG. 9) are shown here as extended from a right sidewall24to a left sidewall22, retractable closures may be used that extend from the left sidewall22to the right sidewall24by reversing the design and orientation of the storage boxes130and170, respectively, about the truck bed21. While only one closure is shown that extends across an entire length of the truck bed21, a plurality of closures may be used by disposing a plurality of frames across the length of the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24to closure different sections of the truck bed21between the cab wall26and the tailgate56. While the closure160is shown as being deployed out of the storage box170from the right sidewall24to the left sidewall22, the closure160may be deployed from the left sidewall22to the right sidewall24by reversing the configuration of the storage box170relative to the left sidewall22and the right sidewall24. The closure160and the frames110and120when in the deployed state shown inFIG. 11may be waterproof so that rain water does not and cannot enter the truck bed area21. To this end, the junctions between the closure160and the frames110and120and the strut joints163may have rubber seals or other sealing mechanisms for keep the water out of the truck bed area21.