Abstract:
A vehicle storage cover assembly includes a truck having a cab, a cab rear window, an open top cargo bed and a headboard, with the headboard being located below the cab rear window. A box frame is operatively mounted on the open top cargo bed; and a divider panel is operatively configured to be affixed within the box frame. A foldable cargo bed cover is operatively configured to mount on the box frame in at least one of a first partially open position, a second partially open position, a third partially open position, a fully closed position, or a stowed position. The foldable cargo bed cover is configured for stowage within a chamber defined by the box frame and the divider panel.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to a foldable cover for a truck bed. 
         [0002]    Trucks, in particular pickup trucks, are widely used on roads. One of the reasons for the popularity of the pickup truck is that such vehicles provide a great deal of versatility, especially when they are used in conjunction with a business. 
         [0003]    As is known in the automotive industry, there is a desire to use pickup trucks for both business and personal applications. For example, trucks may be used during business hours to haul merchandise, materials, or goods; and then be converted for personal use during the evenings and weekends. Given that it is sometimes necessary to transport both business and personal goods, or personal belongings that are particularly susceptible to theft, there is a need for covering the bed to protect its contents. Moreover, the cargo space of the conventional pickup truck is open, and, therefore, the contents of the truck bed are unprotected from the weather. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, pickup truck beds have typically been covered by a tonneau type cover which may be formed of cloth and has peripheral snaps that attach to corresponding snaps located on the side wall of the bed. Another type of cover includes a single panel or multi-panel cover of molded rigid fiberglass or plastic bolted or otherwise fastened to the truck bed sidewalls. Multi-panel covers can open to provide access to the cargo bed by raising one or both panels. Where there is a rigid roof structure, this rigid roof structure is placed over the truck bed, and bolted, clamped or otherwise rigidly secured to the truck bed. This type of structure normally has a rear door which is positioned above, and cooperates with the tailgate of the cargo space. Access to such cargo area of the truck bed may be exclusively through the rear opening provided by pivoting the rear door and tailgate panel to the open position. 
         [0005]    Moreover, rigid fiberglass or plastic covers are stored external to the vehicle, and do not provide a user with much flexibility in storing large personal items in the vehicle cargo bed. The user is generally required to store traditional fiberglass covers external to the vehicle, such as in one&#39;s garage, or in an open bed of a vehicle. This may in some instances subject the cover to unnecessary wear and tear, potential theft or loss of the cover, and (when stored in the vehicle bed) unnecessarily fills space that could be more efficiently used. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A vehicle storage cover assembly according to embodiment(s) disclosed herein includes a truck having a cab, a cab rear window, an open top cargo bed and a headboard, with the headboard being located below the cab rear window. A box frame is operatively mounted on the open top cargo bed; and a divider panel is operatively configured to be affixed within the box frame. A foldable cargo bed cover is operatively configured to mount on the box frame in at least one of a first partially open position, a second partially open position, a third partially open position, a fully closed position, or a stowed position. The foldable cargo bed cover is configured for stowage within a chamber defined by the box frame and the divider panel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and drawings, in which like reference numerals correspond to similar, though perhaps not identical, components. For the sake of brevity, reference numerals or features having a previously described function may or may not be described in connection with other drawings in which they appear. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle cargo bed cover of the present disclosure, shown installed on a truck and in the closed position; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway perspective view similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing the vehicle cargo bed cover being folded open as it is moved to a third partially open position; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway perspective view similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing the vehicle cargo bed cover in the third partially open position; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cutaway perspective view similar to  FIG. 1 , but showing the vehicle cargo bed cover in the first partially open position; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged, cutaway perspective view of an embodiment of the vehicle cargo bed cover in the second partially open position; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged, cutaway, perspective side view of an embodiment of the vehicle cargo bed cover in the stowed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Accordingly, the aforementioned systems have the disadvantage of complexity and operational inconvenience, particularly when the user seeks to store the cover and have full use of the truck bed; and/or when a user seeks to securely store objects of varying size. 
         [0015]    The present disclosure provides a simple yet flexible vehicle cargo bed cover  10  which can advantageously provide both open and closed cargo areas, as well as stow away when desired, thereby allowing substantially full use of the open cargo bed  12  when the vehicle cargo bed cover  10  is not in use. 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the vehicle cargo bed cover  10  is illustrated in the closed position. This closed position may generally be preferred when a vehicle user wishes to provide locked and protected storage of goods wherein the goods stored within the cargo bed  12  will be sheltered from weather or potential theft. As shown in the non-limiting example of  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the vehicle cargo bed cover  10  may include first panel  14 , second panel  16 , and third panel  18 , each of which is removably attached to the box frame  20 , thereby resulting in a completely covered cargo bed  12  area. It is to be understood that the box frame  20  is generally the area of the vehicle  32  that is mounted onto the truck bed  12 . The box frame  20  includes body structural members such as, e.g., the D-Pillar, bed rails and side walls of the vehicle truck bed  12 . 
         [0017]    The first panel  14  and second panel  16  are pivotally attached to one another. As shown in  FIG. 1 , suitable hinge(s), such as a piano hinge  22 , may provide the pivotal attachment between the first panel  14  and the second panel  16 . However, it is to be understood that a variety of mechanisms may be used to provide pivotal attachment between the first panel  14  and the second panel  16 . Moreover, the second panel  16  is also shown as being pivotally attached to the third panel  18 . Again,  FIG. 1  illustrates a piano hinge  22  as a non-limiting example as a means for pivotal attachment. However, it is to be understood that a variety of mechanisms may be used to provide the pivotal attachment between the second panel  16  and the third panel  18 . Examples of such suitable mechanisms include, but are not limited to piano hinges, living hinges, other suitable hinges, and combinations thereof. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , third panel  18  may include storage units  24  which are integral with third panel  18 . Third panel  18  has storage units  24  which have lids  26  which are pivotally attached to the storage unit  24  and/or third panel  18 .  FIG. 1  illustrates one of the integral storage units  24  with the lid  26  open. Accordingly, by having the larger cargo bed  12  area covered by the foldable cover  10  and small objects stored in the storage area(s)  24 , a user of such a vehicle  32  may have covered storage for large items in the bed  12  of the vehicle  32  as well as covered storage for smaller items in the storage units  24  of third panel  18 . It is to be understood that storage unit  24  may be integrated as part of any one or more of panels  14 ,  16 ,  18  of cargo bed cover  10 , and that the implementation of storage unit  24  in third panel  18  is a non-limiting example. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first panel  14  and the second panel  16  are being pivoted upward to illustrate pivotal connection between the first panel  14  and the second panel  16 , as well as pivotal connection between the second panel  16  and the third panel  18 . As shown, each of the three panels may include a locking mechanism  28  which cooperates with the box frame  20  to affix each of the first panel  14 , second panel  16  and third panel  18  to the box frame  20 . 
         [0020]    It is to be understood that the locking mechanism  28  may be a variety of different mechanisms. One non-limiting example of locking mechanism  28  includes a keyed lock arm  42  as shown in  FIG. 2A . Locking mechanisms  28  may connect panels  14 ,  16 ,  18  to the box frame  20 . A uniquely configured recess  29  within the locking mechanism  28  may receive and mate with a key (not shown) wherein the lock  28  is rotated by key (not shown). As is shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , locking mechanisms  28  are disposed in each of the first panel  14 , the second panel  16  and the third panel  18 . Each panel  14 ,  16 ,  18  may include a lock receiving recess/bore (not shown) which receives the lock  28 . Each locking mechanism  28  may be rotationally affixed or integral with an arm  42  which is disposed on the opposite side of the panel  14 ,  16 ,  18  such that when the key (not shown) rotates the locking mechanism  28  and the corresponding arm  42 . The arm  42  is pivoted to interlock with the box frame  20  or pivoted to disengage with the box frame  20 . 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that a sliding member (not shown) may be used instead of a rotating member in order to have the cargo bed cover  10  interlock with the box frame  20 . Moreover, it is also to be understood that the sliding member (not shown), rotating member, interlocking member, such as arm  42  of locking mechanism  28  or the like may be disposed on either the cover  10  as shown in  FIG. 2  or may be disposed on the box frame  20  and/or tailgate  30  of the vehicle  32 . 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the vehicle bed cover  10  assembly is shown in a first partially open position where the first panel  14  remains pivotally attached to the second panel  16 , and the third panel  18  is disposed on the second panel  16 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, third panel  18  differs from previous figures in that third panel  18  does not have an integrated storage unit  24 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , in the second partially open position, the second panel  16  remains pivotally attached to the third panel  18 , and the second panel  16 , in turn, is disposed on the third panel  18 . The divider panel  34  may be inserted so that divider panel  34  creates a smaller closed compartment with the folded first, second, and third panels  14 ,  16 ,  18  (respectively) operating as a cover  10 , and the box frame  20  forming side walls with the divider panel  34  so as to define the smaller closed compartment  37 . 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the vehicle bed cover  10  assembly is shown in the stowed position where the first panel  14 , the second panel  16  and the third panel  18  are folded upon each other and disposed within the chamber  36  defined by the divider panel  34  and the box frame  20 . As a non-limiting example, the divider panel  34  is held in place by the box frame  20  via an interlock between the divider panel  34  and recesses  38  formed within the composite box frame  20 . However, it is to be understood that there are a variety of means by which the divider panel  34  could be positioned relative to the box frame  20 . Some of these means include, but are not limited to mechanical fasteners, interlocking mechanisms (an example of which is shown), and the like, and combinations thereof. It is further to be understood that the box frame  20  may be formed of any suitable material as desired, some non-limiting examples of which include polymeric materials, metallic materials, metallic alloys, mixtures of metallic/composite materials, or the like, or combinations thereof, depending on the vehicle  32 . 
         [0025]    One benefit of the stowed position of  FIG. 6 , is that the user of a vehicle  32  is no longer required to stow the vehicle bed cover  10  external to the vehicle  32  (such as a garage), or inside the vehicle passenger area, or unsecured in the open bed  12  itself. This allows for neat and compact storage of the bed cover  10  while also allowing the vehicle user access to and use of a substantial area of the entire vehicle cargo bed  12 . There may advantageously be a reduced potential for damage to, or loss of the bed cover  10  in this stowed position. 
         [0026]    While several embodiments have been described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting.