Patent Publication Number: US-11376932-B2

Title: Modular canopy assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to canopy assembly and more particularly pertains to a new canopy assembly for enclosing a bed of a truck. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to canopy assemblies for enclosing beds of trucks. Prior art canopy assemblies may comprise detachable, foldable panels, meshed panels, nestable canopy sections, bed inserters upon which canopies can be positioned, and canopies having removable roof panels that can serve as ramps. What is lacking in the prior art is a modular canopy comprising a frame and a set of panels, wherein the panels are selectively couplable to the frame and the frame comprises first elements permanently mounted to a truck and second elements removably couplable to the first elements. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a frame and a set of panels. The frame comprises a set of first elements and a set of second elements. The first elements are configured to be mountable to a bed of a truck. The second elements are selectively engageable to the set of first elements so that the frame extends upwardly from the bed of the truck. The frame defines a top opening, a front opening, a rear opening, and opposed side openings. Each panel is selectively engageable to the frame to close a respective one of the top opening, the front opening, the rear opening, and the opposed side openings. The panels thus are configured to selectively enclose the bed of the truck. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of a modular canopy assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a frame an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 7  thereof, a new canopy assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 , the modular canopy assembly  10  generally comprises a frame  12  and a set of panels  14 . The frame  12  comprises a set of first elements  16  and a set of second elements  18 . The first elements  16  are configured to be mountable to a bed of a truck. The second elements  18  are selectively engageable to the set of first elements  16  so that the frame  12  extends upwardly from the bed of the truck. The frame  12  defines a top opening  20 , a front opening  22 , a rear opening  24 , and opposed side openings  26 . 
     Each panel  14  is selectively engageable to the frame  12  to close a respective one of the top opening  20 , the front opening  22 , the rear opening  24 , and the opposed side openings  26 . The panels  14  thus are configured to selectively enclose the bed of the truck. 
     The set of first elements  16  comprises a pair of lower side rails  28 , a pair of front posts  30 , and a front beam  32 . The lower side rails  28  are configured to be engaged singly to sidewalls of the bed of the truck. The present invention anticipates the lower side rails  28  being configured for screwing, bolting, or welding to the sidewalls of the bed of the truck. Each front post  30  is engaged to and extends from a forward end  34  of a respective lower side rail  28 . The front beam  32  is engaged to and extends between the front posts  30  distal from the lower side rails  28 . 
     The set of second elements  18  comprises a pair of rear posts  36 , a rear beam  38 , and a pair of upper side rails  40 . Each rear post  36  is selectively engageable to a rearward end  42  of a respective lower side rail  28 . The rear post  36  extends in parallel with an associated front post  30 . The rear beam  38  is engaged to and extends between the rear posts  36  distal from the lower side rail  28 . Each upper side rail  40  has a first end  44  and a second end  46  selectively engageable to a respective opposed end  48  of the rear beam  38  and to a respective opposing end  50  of the front beam  32 , respectively, so that the upper side rail  40  extends therebetween. 
     Each lower side rail  28  has a mortice  52  positioned therein proximate to the rearward end  42 . The rear post  36  has a tenon  54  engaged thereto and extending from a lower end  56  thereof. The tenon  54  is complementary to the mortice  52  positioned in the respective lower side rail  28 . The mortice  52  is positioned for selective insertion of the tenon  54  to removably engage the rear post  36  to the respective lower side rail  28 . 
     The lower side rail  28  has a set of first holes  58  positioned therein adjacent to the mortice  52 . The tenon  54  has a set of second holes  60  positioned therein so that each second hole  60  is aligned with an associated first hole  58  when the tenon  54  is inserted into the mortice  52 . The second hole  60  and the associated first hole  58  are positioned for insertion of a respective article of mounting hardware (not shown, but may include screws, bolts, and the like) to secure the rear post  36  to the lower side rail  28 . 
     Each opposed end  48  of the rear beam  38  and each opposing end  50  of the front beam  32  have a tab  62  engaged thereto and extending therefrom. Each of the tabs  62  has a set of fastening holes  64  positioned therethrough. Each of the fastening holes  64  is configured for insertion of a respective article of mounting hardware (not shown, but may include screws, bolts, and the like) to removably engage the upper side rails  40  to the front beam  32  and the rear beam  38 . The present invention anticipates other methods of removably engaging the upper side rails  40  between the front beam  32  and the rear beam  38 , as will be known to those skilled in the art of frame assembly. 
     The rear posts  36  and the front posts  30  may extend transversely from the lower side rails  28  so that an upper perimeter  66  of the frame  12  is circumferentially smaller than a lower perimeter  68  thereof, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The rear posts  36  and the front posts  30  also may extend transversely from the lower side rails  28  so that the upper perimeter  66  of the frame  12  is circumferentially larger than the lower perimeter  68  (not shown). Additionally, the rear posts  36  and the front posts  30  may extend perpendicularly from the lower side rails  28  so that the upper perimeter  66  and the lower perimeter  68  of the frame  12  are circumferentially equivalent (not shown). 
     The set of panels  14  comprises a roof panel  70 , a front panel  72 , a rear panel  74 , and a pair of side panels  76 . The roof panel  70  is selectively engageable to the frame  12  to close the top opening  20 . The front panel  72  is selectively engageable to the frame  12  to close the front opening  22 . The rear panel  74  is selectively engageable to the frame  12  to close the rear opening  24 . A hinge  78  is engaged to and extends between the frame  12  and an upper edge  80  of the rear panel  74  so that the rear panel  74  is hingedly engaged to the frame  12 . Each side panel  76  is selectively engageable to the frame  12  to close a respective opposed side opening  26 . 
     The roof panel  70  has a pair of channels  82  extending into a lower face  84  thereof. Each channel  82  extends along a respective opposed side  86  of the roof panel  70 . The channel  82  is positioned for slidable insertion of a respective upper side rail  40  to removably engage the roof panel  70  to the frame  12 . The roof panel  70  has an upper surface  88 , which tapers from a centerline  90  of the roof panel  70  to the opposed sides  86 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , so that the roof panel  70  is configured to shed moisture. 
     The front panel  72  and the rear panel  74  have a front cutout  92  and rear cutout  94  positioned therein, respectively. A front window  96  is engaged to the front panel  72  and closes the front cutout  92 . A rear window  98  is engaged to the rear panel  74  and closes the rear cutout  94 . Each side panel  76  has a side cutout  100  positioned therein. Each of a pair of side windows  102  is engaged to a respective side panel  76  and closes an associated side cutout  100 . 
     A latch handle  104  is rotationally engaged to the rear panel  74  and is configured to selectively engage a tailgate of the truck so that the rear panel  74  is fixedly engaged to the tailgate. The latch handle  104  is keyed so that the latch handle  104  is lockable. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the front panel  72  and each of the side panels  76  has a respective pair of first fasteners  106  engaged thereto. A plurality of second fasteners  108  is engaged to the frame  12 . The second fasteners  108  are complementary to the first fasteners  106  so that each pair of first fasteners  106  is positioned to selectively engage associated second fasteners  108  to removably engage the front panel  72  and the pair of side panels  76  to the frame  12 . 
     Each first fastener  106  comprises a keyed latch  110  and each second fastener  108  comprises a latch hole  112 , which is positioned the frame  12 . The keyed latch  110  is positioned to selectively engage an associated latch hole  112  to lock an associated one of the front panel  72  and the side panels  76  to the frame  12 . 
     The modular canopy assembly  10  also comprises a set of gaskets  114 . Each gasket  114  is engaged to a respective one of the front panel  72 , the rear panel  74 , and the pair of side panels  76  so that the gasket  114  extends around a circumference  116  thereof. The gasket  114  is positioned to sealably engage the frame  12  as the respective one of the front panel  72 , the rear panel  74 , and the pair of side panels  76  is engaged thereto. 
     In use, the set of first elements  16  is permanently affixed to the sidewalls of the bed of the truck, as shown in  FIG. 4 . In this configuration, the bed of the truck is accessible from its rear and sides and can be used for transporting a large load without interference of the set of second elements  18  and the panels  14 . The set of second elements  18  can be engaged to the set of first elements  16  to complete the frame  12 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . In this configuration, the frame  12  is available for securing a load positioned in the bed via use of tie-downs. The panels  14  can be engaged to the frame  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , to fully enclose the bed of the truck and to secure articles, such as tools and equipment, positioned therein. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.