Patent Abstract:
A pickup truck topper is provided that has a retractable rear door that can be stored in a closed position and an open position. In the open position the topper rear door is stored in a horizontal position just under the roof of the topper. In the closed position the topper rear door is fastened on the rear of the pickup topper above the tailgate of the pickup. The topper has two horizontal tracks mounted on the inside of topper near the roof. The topper rear door has two rollers fasten thereon. The rollers glide in the tracks when the door moves between the closed and the open position. The topper rear door can be locked in closed position and the topper door can be locked in the fully open and retracted position.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention relates to pick up truck accessories than can be added to pickups to make them more useful. More specifically the invention relates to an improved design for storing the rear door of a pickup truck topper. The improved design is substantially a retractable system for storing the rear door of a pickup truck topper. The side windows can also utilize the new concept for storing the windows in an retracted open position. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
       [0005]    Pickup trucks are very popular vehicles for consumers. This type of vehicle is often utilized for personal, recreational, and businesses purposes. Pickups are available from numerous manufacturers and are available in a wide variety of sizes and styles and models. There are small compact pickups, mid-size pickups, and full size pickups including half ton and three quarter ton pickups. Some of these vehicles have a regular size cab and cargo beds. Other versions have “king cabs” with front seats and rear seats. Some pickups have two doors and some have four doors. Some pickups have short cargo beds and some have long extended cargo beds. 
         [0006]    An accessory that is often added to pickups is a “truck topper.” These devices are sometimes called a “truck cap” or a “truck camper” or a “truck bed cap” or a “pickup truck cap” etc. A truck topper generally provides an enclosed compartment above the pickup cargo bed. Most toppers can be locked to prevent any enclosed tools and personal items from being stolen. Animals and humans can occupy the enclosed space of a pickup topper. Also the topper protects the cargo bed and contents from the rain and snow and bad weather, etc. 
         [0007]    Typically toppers have a roof, two side walls, a front wall adjacent the pickup cab and a rear opening with some type of rear door which opens and closes above the pickup tail gate. Typically the top of the rear door is hinged near the roof of the topper. 
         [0008]    Toppers are available in a variety of styles and shapes and designs. Consumers can purchase different designs that suit their needs. Typically the front wall of a pickup topper, which is adjacent the pickup cab, matches the contour of the truck cab. The top of the topper has a shorter length and the sides flair outward, generally matching the contour of the truck cab. The bottom edge of the front wall generally matches the dimension of front wall of the pickup bed. The topers can have a streamlined design with the front portion and the rear portion having similar height dimensions. If more cargo space is desired the roof top can arc upward as the roof makes a transition from the front of the topper to the rear of the topper. If the rear of the topper has a large opening, a large door can be incorporated. A large topper door allows bulky items to be loaded and unloaded from the back of the pickup. 
         [0009]    Some toppers utilize one piece windows that do not include a metal frame. The hinge mechanism and the struts are fastened through holes in the one piece window. 
         [0010]    Toppers can be made of a variety of materials such as aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, wood, steel, plastic, etc. 
         [0011]    The side panels of toppers can have a variety of designs. The side panels can have permanent windows that cannot be opened, plastic “bubble” windows, windows that swing outward, windows that swing inward, windows that slide horizontally, etc. Topper side panels can also have doors that swing outward, doors that swing inward, doors that slide horizontally, etc Topper side panels can also be made so that there are no windows or doors. 
         [0012]    Toppers can have sun roofs to allow light into the interior of the topper. Some toppers have interior lights and brake lights incorporated thereon. 
         [0013]    Some pickup toppers have racks incorporated thereon which can hold long items such as ladders and/or lumber, etc. 
         [0014]    The truck topper rear opening typically has a hinged door that moves between an open position and a closed position. Often the rear door has two hinges on the top and it is hinged to the topper roof. Rear doors generally have a metal frame and the door also has a clear window. Often the back window as a trapezoid shape; the top and the bottom of the door are parallel to one another and the top has a shorter length than the bottom of the door. The two side sections of the door connect the shorter top to the longer bottom portion of the door. 
         [0015]    Many toppers also have a pair of struts that are connected between the sides of the back door and the sides of the back of the truck. The struts are usually biased with a spring type of mechanism that lifts the back door to an open position and keeps the door in the open position. 
         [0016]    Most toppers have some type of locking mechanism. There are one handle designs with linkage that extend to the sides of the back wall for locking. Some toppers have two locking mechanisms; one on left side and one on the right side of the topper door. 
         [0017]    Although truck toppers with hinged rear doors are popular there are numerous problems associated with them including the following: 
         [0018]    When the topper rear door is left in the open position it can be a serious hazard for someone walking in the area. They could injure their head by walking into an opened door if they are unaware that the door is open. 
         [0019]    Also, when the topper rear door is in its open horizontal position, there is often restricted head clearance near the tailgate area of the pickup. Unloading items from the pickup bed and loading items into the pickup bed can be cumbersome if someone can not stand upright during the unloading and/or unloading. 
         [0020]    When long items are hauled in the pickup bed, the topper door must be left open and that can be problematic. The door often can flap in the wind, and vibrate and jerk and wear out the hinges and various different components. The struts can be damaged. Also, the window can break. If a rear topper door that has been left in the open position should fall from its open position, the cargo extending out from the pickup bed may be damaged. 
         [0021]    Some toppers have racks on the top for hauling long items such as ladders and or long boards, etc. When long items are hauled in the rack on top of a topper, most topper doors cannot be placed in a fully open position because the ladder and/or boards extend beyond the end of the topper. This can be problematic. As it would be hard to place items into the topper and/or take items out of the topper when the rack has items thereon. Also, the window can break if the window would ever hit any items extending rearward beyond the topper rack. 
         [0022]    The topper rear door struts tend to wear out and may not hold the door properly in the open position which can be hazardous. Worn struts can be expensive to replace. 
         [0023]    When hauling a trailer with a pickup that has a topper can lead to problems. If the topper door is left open it may be damaged by the trailer during turns. Also, if the topper door is open, working in the area of the trailer hitch can be hazardous and cumbersome. 
         [0024]    If a topper rear door is left in the open position, it can be damaged during backing of the pickup near any building or a garage or a loading dock. 
         [0025]    Some topper designs have a hinged rear door that extends beyond the horizontal position when the door is in the open position. With these designs, the hinged door, when in the open position, can be higher than the height of the back of the topper. When these doors are in the fully open position, shorter people may have a hard time reaching the open door to pull it into the closed position. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    It is an object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that can be placed in an open and a closed position and does not have the problems of conventional toppers with a hinged rear door. 
         [0027]    It is another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby eliminating the possibility of a head injury by someone walking into an opened door. 
         [0028]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby providing unrestricted head clearance near the tailgate area of the pickup. Unloading items from the pickup bed and loading items into the pickup bed will no longer be cumbersome, and anyone can stand upright during the unloading and/or unloading regardless of how tall they are. 
         [0029]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby allowing the truck owner to hall long items that may stick out of the truck beyond the bed of the truck. 
         [0030]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper that has a rack on the top that will still be allow the user to place rear door into the open position when long items in the topper rack. extend rearward beyond the rear end of the topper such as ladders and/or long boards, etc. The new design would enable a user to easily place items into the topper and/or take items out of the topper when the rack has long items thereon. 
         [0031]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and the toper does not require rear door struts which wear our and malfunction and can be expensive to replace. 
         [0032]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position thereby eliminating the problems associated with hauling a trailer. With the rear door stored out of the way, turning the pickup with the topper door is open can never cause any damage to the topper door or the trailer. Also, with the topper door stored out of the way, working in the area of the trailer hitch is no longer hazardous and cumbersome. 
         [0033]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position thereby eliminating any damage during backing of the pickup near a building or a garage or a loading dock. 
         [0034]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which has a very simple design with a minimum of parts. 
         [0035]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which would be very easy to manufacture. 
         [0036]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which would be very easy to manufacture with different topper door sizes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0037]    A pickup truck topper is provided that has a retractable rear door that can be stored in a closed position and an open position. In the open position the topper rear door is stored in a horizontal position just under the roof of the topper. In the closed position the topper rear door is fastened on the rear of the pickup topper above the tailgate of the pickup. The topper has two horizontal tracks mounted on the inside of topper near the roof. The topper rear door has two rollers fasten thereon. The rollers glide in the tracks when the door moves between the closed and the open position. The topper rear door can be locked in closed position and the topper door can be locked in the fully open and retracted position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0038]    In order that the manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying annexed drawings wherein: 
           [0039]      FIG. 1  perspective view of one embodiment of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors. The rear door is in an open position and partially retracted into the topper. Two side doors are also in an open position and partially retracted into the topper. 
           [0040]      FIG. 2  is a top view of one embodiment of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors. The rear door is in an open position and partially retracted into the topper. 
           [0041]      FIG. 3  is section view of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “A-A” of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0042]      FIG. 4  is partial side view of the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in an fully open position and fully retracted into the topper. 
           [0043]      FIG. 5  is partial view the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “C-C” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in an fully open position and fully retracted into the topper. 
           [0044]      FIG. 6  is partial view the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “D-D” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in an fully open position and fully retracted into the topper. 
           [0045]      FIG. 7  is a rear view of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in the fully open position and fully retracted into the topper. A lock retains the retractable door in the fully retracted position. 
           [0046]      FIG. 8A  is section side view of the pickup truck topper locking device with retractable door of  FIG. 7 . The section is through “E-E” of  FIG. 7 . The locking device is in the locked position. 
           [0047]      FIG. 8B  is section side view of the pickup truck topper locking device with retractable door of  FIG. 7 . The section is through “E-E” of  FIG. 7 . The locking device is in the unlocked position. 
           [0048]      FIG. 9  is side view of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in an open position retracted into the topper. Additional drawings show how the retractable door would be moved toward the closed position above the truck tailgate. 
           [0049]      FIG. 10A  is partial view the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The similar to the section through “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is fully extended toward the rear of the topper. 
           [0050]      FIG. 10B  is partial view the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is similar to the section “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is fully extended toward the rear of the topper and the door has been rotated toward the closed position. 
           [0051]      FIG. 11  is partial view the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “D-D” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door is in an fully closed position. 
           [0052]      FIG. 12  is an enlarged partial view of the track and roller and door related hardware of the pickup truck topper with retractable doors shown in  FIG. 11 . The rear door is in a fully closed position. 
           [0053]      FIG. 13  is side view of an alternate design for a the pickup truck topper with retractable door. This design has a large rear door. A partial section view shows the track and roller and door related hardware The rear door is in an fully closed position. 
           [0054]      FIG. 14  is rear view of the alternate design for a the pickup truck topper with retractable door shown in  FIG. 13 . This design has a large rear door. The rear door is in a fully closed position. 
           [0055]      FIG. 15  is side view of the side retractable door for the pickup truck topper with retractable door shown in  FIG. 2 . The side retractable door is in an open position. The section is through “F-F” of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
       [0056]    The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when the drawings are studied in conjunction with reading the following description and also reading the claims. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0057]    In keeping with the requirements of Patent Laws there is described herein below the best mode of the invention that is currently known to the applicant. For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
         [0058]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular, to  FIGS. 1-15  thereof, the preferred embodiments of the new and improved pickup truck topper with retractable door embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
         [0059]      FIG. 1  shown generally at  10  a pickup truck topper  11  with retractable doors. Shown generally at  60  is the pickup with a pickup cab  61 , a pickup bed  62  and pickup tailgate  63 . The pickup truck topper has a front wall  12  (not shown), a top wall  14 , a left side wall  16 , and left side panel, and a right side wall  18 . Topper has a rear wall  19  with a left rear wall  20 , with a left door stop  22 , and a right rear wall  24 , with a right door stop  26  and a top rear wall lip  28 . Topper  11  has a horizontal door support member  27 . The topper  11  has a rear retractable door  29  that has a door frame  30 , a window, and a locking device  32 . Topper has a left side retractable window  34  and a left side window  36  and a right side retractable window (not shown) and a right side window  40 . Topper side wall  16  has a wall section  17  above side retractable door  32 . 
         [0060]    The rear retractable door  29  is in an open position and partially retracted into the topper. The left side retractable window  32  is in an open position and partially retracted into the topper  11 . The topper  11  when viewed from the rear has substantially a rectangular rear shape. As the topper top left edge makes a transition from the rear left corner  42  toward the pickup cab  61  the left top edge of the toper has a left top contour  44 , and terminates at a left top front corner  46  where the topper  11  meets the left top rear corner  64  of the pickup cab  61 . Topper left side wall  16  angles outward as side wall  16  makes a transition from top left corner  46  to bottom left corner  48 . 
         [0061]    As the top right edge makes a transition from the right rear corner  50  toward the pickup cab  61  the right top edge of the toper has a right top contour  52 , and a right top front corner  54  where the topper  11  meets the right top rear corner  65  of the pickup cab  11 . Topper right side wall  18  angles outward as side wall  18  makes a transition from top right corner  54  to bottom right corner  55  (not seen). 
         [0062]    The front wall of the topper substantially matches the rear wall of the pickup cab. This gives the topper  11  an aerodynamic design relative to the pickup cab  61 . The rear retractable door  29  has a locking mechanism  32  which is utilized to lock the retractable rear door in a closed position above the tailgate  63 . A variety of designs could be utilized for the locking mechanism  32 . 
         [0063]    Shown generally at  70  in  FIG. 2  is a top view of one embodiment of the pickup truck topper  11  with a retractable door  29 . The pickup truck topper  11  has a front wall (not shown), a top wall  14 , a left side wall  16 , and a right side wall  18 . Topper  11  has a rear wall  19  with a left rear wall  20 , with a left door stop  22  (not shown), and a right rear wall  24 , with a right door stop  26  (not shown) and a top rear wall lip  28 . The topper has a rear retractable door  29  that has a door frame  30 , a window  31 , and a locking device  32 . The rear door  29  is in an open position and partially retracted into the topper  11 . 
         [0064]    The topper  11  when viewed from the rear has substantially a rectangular rear shape. As the top left edge makes a transition from the rear left corner  42  toward the pickup cab  61  the left top edge of the toper has a left top contour  44 , and terminates at a left top front corner  46  where the topper  11  meets the left top rear corner  64  (not shown) of the pickup cab  611  (not shown). Topper left side wall  16  angles outward as side wall  16  makes a transition from top left corner  46  to bottom left corner  48 . As topper top right edge makes a transition from the rear right corner  50  toward the pickup cab  61  the right top edge of the topper has a right top contour  52 , and terminates at a right top front corner  54  where the topper  11  meets the top right rear corner  65  (not shown) of the pickup cab  11 . Topper right side wall  18  angles outward as side wall  18  makes a transition from top right corner  54  to bottom right corner  55 . 
         [0065]    Shown generally at  80  in  FIG. 3  is section view of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable doors of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “A-A” of  FIG. 2 . The view shows the topper top wall  14  and a topper left side wall  16 , a topper right side wall  18 , and the topper front wall  12 . The shape of topper  11  front wall  12  generally matches the contour of the back wall of the pickup cab  61  (not shown). The left side wall  16  has a top left corner  46  and a bottom left corner  48 . Left side wall  16  generally angles outward as left side wall  16  makes a transition from top left corner  46  to bottom left corner  48 . The right side wall  18  has a top right corner  54  and a bottom right corner  55 . Right side wall  18  generally angles outward as right side wall  18  makes a transition from top right corner  54  to bottom right corner  55 . The topper front wall  12  has window  81 . Shown generally at  90  in  FIG. 4  is partial side view of the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable rear door  29  of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The retractable rear door  29  is in a fully open position and fully retracted into the topper  11 . Track  91  has a track top  91 A and a track bottom  91 B. Track  91  may have a fastening device (not shown) such a rivet or bolt or other mounting devices that hold the track to the topper  11 . The mounting hardware has a rigid member  100  that has a first end  101  that is securely fastened to the door  29  by welding or other fastening method. Rigid member  100  has a second end  102  that forms a pivot  103  with the wheel holding hardware member  93 . Wheel holding hardware member  93  has openings  105  that hold wheel shaft  108  which is connected to wheel  92 . Retractable door  29  has sealing lip  29 A on the top of door  29 . 
         [0066]    Shown generally at  120  in  FIG. 5  is partial view the right track  91  and roller  92  and roller related hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “C-C” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door  29  is in an fully open position and fully retracted into the topper  11 . Track  91  has a track top  91 A and a track bottom  91 B and is fastened to the right side wall  18  of the topper  11 . The mounting hardware has a rigid member  100  that has a first end  101  that is fastened to the door  29  by rivets  122 . Rigid member  100  has a second end  102  that forms a pivot with the wheel holding hardware member  93 . Wheel holding hardware member  93  has openings  105  that hold wheel shaft  108  which is connected to wheel  92 . Retractable door  29  has resilient sealing lip  124  the top of door  29 . 
         [0067]    Shown generally at  130  in  FIG. 6  is partial view the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller related hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “D-D” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door  29  is in an fully open position and fully retracted into the topper  11  The topper  11  has side windows  40  and  40 A. Horizontal door support holds door  29  in open position. 
         [0068]    Shown generally at  140  in  FIG. 7  is a rear view of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 2  shown mounted on the pickup bed  62 . The retractable rear door  29  is in the fully open position and fully retracted into the topper  11 . Horizontal door support member  27  extends across the rear of the topper  11  and holds the retractable door  29  in the retracted position. The topper rear top wall  28  and left rear wall  20  and right rear wall  24  are shown. A left rear wall  20  has a left door stop  22  and a right rear wall  24  has a right door stop  26 . The retractable door  29  fits adjacent the left door stop  22  and the right door stop  26  when the retractable door  29  is in the fully closed position. The right door stop  26  can have a flexible sealing strip (not shown) and the left door stop  22  can have a flexible sealing strip (not shown). The sealing strips help seal the retractable door  29  when the door is in the fully closed position. Lock device  141  has a lock handle  142  that retains the retractable door  29  locked in the fully retracted position ( 142  “L”). Lock handle  142  rotates to an alternate position when the retractable door  29  is in an unlocked position ( 142  “U”). 
         [0069]    Shown generally at  150  in  FIG. 8A  is a cross section view of the lock device  141  shown in  FIG. 7  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29 . The view is through section “E-E” of  FIG. 7 . Lock device  141  has a lock handle  142  that retains the retractable door  29  locked in the fully retracted position ( 142  “L”). Shown also is topper  11  top wall  14  and rear top wall lip  28 . Also shown is horizontal door support member  27  left rear wall  20  and left door stop  22 . Triangle lock support  144  that has shaft hole  153 . Lock device  141  has handle  142 , shaft  152 , spring  154  washer  155  and retaining nut  156 . Shaft  152  extends through hole  153  in triangle lock support  144 . Lock spring  154  is compressed and lock handle  142  retains door  29  in a fully retracted and locked position. 
         [0070]    Shown generally at  160  in  FIG. 8B  is a cross section view the lock device  141  shown in  FIG. 7  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29 . The view is through section “E-E” of  FIG. 7 . Lock device  141  has a lock handle  142  that can retain the retractable door  29  in a locked position. Lock device  141  has lock handle  142  rotated to an unlocked position ( 142  “U”). Shown also is topper  11  top wall  14  and rear wall top lip  28 . Also shown is horizontal door support member  27 , and left rear wall  20  and left door stop  22 . Triangle lock support  142  has shaft hole  153 . Lock device  141  has handle  142 , shaft  152 , spring  154  washer  155  and retaining nut  156 . Shaft  152  extends through hole  153  in triangle support  144 . Lock spring  154  is uncompressed and lock handle  142  is rotated to an unlocked position. ( 142  “U”). Various other locking devices could be utilized to retain retractable door  29  in a locked position. Additionally, various locking devices could be utilized to retain retractable door  29  in a locked closed position. 
         [0071]    An alternate design for topper  11  and retractable door  29  would have the door  29  fully enclosed within topper  11  when the door is in a retracted and locked position. 
         [0072]    Shown generally at  170  in  FIG. 9  is partial view of the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller related hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “D-D” of  FIG. 2 . The rear door  29  is in an open position and retracted into the topper  11  The topper  11  has side windows  40  and  40 A. Horizontal door support member  27  holds door  29  in open position. Door  29  has sealing lip  124 .  FIG. 9  shows how a door  29  would move from a retracted horizontal position (position “x”) and moving toward closed position. Position “y” and position “z” show the retractable door  29  rotating toward a closed position. (The closed position for the retractable door  29  is shown in  FIG. 11 ) 
         [0073]    Shown generally at  180  in  FIG. 10A  is partial side view of the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper with retractable rear door of  FIG. 2 . The section is through “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The retractable rear door  29  is positioned fully rearward toward the rear of the topper  11 . Rigid member  100  is adjacent horizontal door support member  27  and door  29  is resting on top of horizontal door support member  27 . Track  91  holds roller  92 . Door  29  has sealing lip  124 . The mounting hardware has a rigid member  100  has end  101  that is securely fastened to the door  29  by welding or other fastening method. Rigid member  100  has a second end  102  that forms a pivot  103  with the wheel holding hardware member  93 . Wheel holding hardware member  93  has openings  105  that hold wheel shaft  108  which is connected to wheel  92 . 
         [0074]    Shown generally at  190  in  FIG. 10B  is partial side view of the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper with retractable rear door of  FIG. 2 . The section is generally through “B-B” of  FIG. 2 . The retractable rear door  29  is in positioned fully rearward out of the topper  11  and door  29  is rotated toward the closed position similar to position “Z” in  FIG. 9 . Rigid member  100  is rotating on top of horizontal door support member  27 . Track  91  holds roller  92 . Door  29  has sealing lip  124 . The mounting hardware has a rigid member  100  has end  101  that is securely fastened to the door  29  by welding or other fastening method. Rigid member  100  has a second end  102  that forms a pivot  103  with the wheel holding hardware member  93 . Wheel holding hardware member  93  has openings  105  that hold wheel shaft  108  which is connected to wheel  92 . 
         [0075]    Shown generally at  200  in  FIG. 11  is partial view the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller related hardware  93  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 2 . The rear door  29  is in an fully closed position. Door  29  has lock  32 . Shown is topper top wall  14  and topper rear wall top lip  28  and door sealing lip  124 . The topper  11  has side windows  40  and  40 A. 
         [0076]    Shown generally at  210  in  FIG. 12  is a close up partial side view the right track  91  and right roller  92  and right roller related hardware  93 , and horizontal door support member  27  of the pickup truck topper  11  with retractable door  29  of  FIG. 11 . The rear door  29  is in an fully closed position. Shown is topper  11  top wall  14  and topper rear wall top lip  28  and door sealing lip  124 . 
         [0077]    Shown generally at  220  in  FIG. 13  is an alternate embodiment for a topper  11 A with a large retractable door  29 A. This design gives the topper extra cargo space and enables large items to be hauled by the truck. Shown is the right track  91 A and right roller  92 A and right roller related hardware  93 A of the pickup truck topper  11 A with retractable door  29 A. The large rear door  29 A is in a fully closed position. Door  29 A has lock  212  and lock  214  (not seen). Shown is topper top wall  214  and topper rear lip  28 A and door sealing lip  124 A. Pickup cap has rear corner  64 A. Topper  11 A has front top edge  215  that matches pickup cab corner  64 A. Topper top wall  14 A generally angles upward as wall extends rearward to point  215  where topper top wall  14 A generally is horizontal until it reaches the rear of the topper. The topper  11 A has side windows  217 ,  218 , and  219 . 
         [0078]    Shown generally at  230  in  FIG. 14  is rear view of the alternate design for a the pickup truck topper  11 A with retractable door  29 A shown in  FIG. 13 . The retractable rear door  29 A is in an fully closed position. The topper rear top wall  28 A and left rear wall  20 A and right rear wall  24 A are shown. The retractable door  29 A fits adjacent the left door wall  20 A and the right door wall  24 A when the retractable door  29 A is in the fully closed position. Retractable door  29 A has left side lock  212  and a right side lock  214  which retain the retractable door  29 A in the fully closed and locked position. Stop light  232  is located on top rear wall area  28 A of topper  11 A. Rear door has large window  234 . 
         [0079]    Shown generally at  240  in  FIG. 15  is section view of the side retractable door shown in  FIG. 1 . The section is through “F-F” of  FIG. 1 . The design is for a side retractable door  32  shown in  FIG. 1 . Retractable rear door  32  is in a partially open position. Also shown is topper top wall  14 , side wall section  16 A, curved track  244 , roller  246 , roller mounting hardware  248 , and roller hardware pivot  250 . Track  244  is curved up under the topper top wall  14  so that side door  32  can be stored near topper top wall  14 , thereby being out of the way when the pickup bed is utilized to haul bulky items even when side window  32  is in an open position. 
         [0080]    A variety of topper designs with retractable doors could be manufactured to accommodate the various designs of pickups that are manufactured. The different designs could be for small compact pickups, mid-size pickups, and full size pickups including half ton and three quarter ton pickups. Other topper designs with retractable doors could be made for vehicles that have regular size cabs and cargo beds, as well as pickups with “king cabs” with front and rear seats, and/or two doors and/or four doors, short cargo beds, long extended cargo beds, etc. 
         [0081]    Toppers with retractable doors can be made of a variety of materials such as aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber, wood, steel, plastic, etc. 
         [0082]    It should be very clear from the drawings and the above description that this new pickup truck topper with retractable door is unique and clearly provides a solution that the prior art does not provide. 
         [0083]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that can be placed in an open and a closed position and does not have the problems of conventional toppers with a hinged rear door. 
         [0084]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby eliminating the possibility of a head injury by someone walking into an opened door. 
         [0085]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby providing unrestricted head clearance near the tailgate area of the pickup. Unloading items from the pickup bed and loading items into the pickup bed will no longer be cumbersome, and anyone can stand upright during the unloading and/or loading regardless of how tall they are. 
         [0086]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and thereby allowing the truck owner to hall long items that may stick out of the truck beyond the bed of the truck. 
         [0087]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position and the toper does not require rear door struts which wear our and malfunction and can be expensive to replace. 
         [0088]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position thereby eliminating the problems associated with hauling a trailer. With the rear door stored out of the way, turning the pickup with the topper door is open can never cause any damage to the topper door or the trailer. Also, with the topper door stored out of the way, working in the area of the trailer hitch is no longer hazardous and cumbersome. 
         [0089]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position thereby eliminating any damage during backing of the pickup near a building or a garage or a loading dock. 
         [0090]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which has a very simple design with a minimum of parts. 
         [0091]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which would be very easy to manufacture. 
         [0092]    It should be clear that the new pickup truck topper with retractable door does provide a pickup topper with a rear door that is stored out of the way when the door is left in the open position which would be very easy to manufacture with different topper door sizes. 
         [0093]    This invention having been described in its presently contemplated best mode, it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous, variations, modifications, modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts or principles of this invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1