Patent Abstract:
A tonneau cover assembly for use on sports trucks to cover the truck bed. The tonneau cover assembly allows for removable access to the truck bed without fully removing the cover from the truck. A multiple rail support and mounting frame is secured around the perimeter of the truck bed opening with a fabric cover releaseably secured along an upper portion of the frame&#39;s upstanding and fixed edges. An end rail secured to the cover is resiliently positioned between oppositely disposed spring urged assemblies on respective rails to stretch the cover in place and then to be secured by independent locking elements resiliently extending from the end rail.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to tonneau covers for truck beds that utilize a support and fastening frame on the bed for selectively securing a cover over the opening defined thereby. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have used a variety of different cover and frame configurations to support and secure the cover over the open truck bed against inclement weather and foreign debris. Such covers also conceal cargo and improve the aerodynamics by imparting a flush, smooth, wind resistant surface to the truck bed. A number of fastening methods have been developed including the traditional snap fasteners in which the perimeter edge of the cover is registerably secured to a support rail frame by pairs of interconnecting mechanical snaps. Fabric securing systems utilizing hook and loop fastening elements have also been used; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,272,119 and 4,757,854. 
     Quick removable cover assemblies can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,804,766, 4,762,360 and 4,792,178. 
     A number of hinge cover assemblies have been developed in prior art that allow easy access to the truck bed by lifting up a portion or all of the cover on a separate self-supporting frame held open by lift arms, see U.S. Patents Applicants own U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,301,995 and 5,511,843 are directed towards tonneau cover assemblies with transverse support bows extending between respective side parallel mounting rails. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A tonneau cover for truck beds that provides a detachable retractable cover selectively attached to a support frame which is secured along portions of the perimeter edge of the truck bed defining an opening. The cover has an elongated contoured end rail that is resiliently engaged between spaced parallel fixed support rails utilizing spring urged stretching brackets with a locking and release retention latch configuration. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a truck bed with the invention installed in partial retractable position thereon; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of an inner engagement retaining element for the bed cover of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the retaining element in fully engaged position in solid lines and disengaged in multiple broken lines; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial top plan view of the retaining assembly as seen in FIG. 3 of the drawings; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial bottom plan view of the retaining assembly as seen generally in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings; 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the cover assembly of the invention with portions broken away; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the release assembly for the retaining assembly seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a front support mounting and rail of the invention; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial top plan view of the front support and mounting rail of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the support rail secured to the respective side of the truck bed; 
     FIG. 11 is a partial side elevational view of the tonneau cover of the invention in partial retractable position; and 
     FIG. 12 is a partial end elevational view of the retaining rail assembly of the invention with portions broken away. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a retractable tonneau cover assembly  10  can be seen installed on a truck  11  having a cab portion  12 , a bed portion  13  and wheel assemblies  14 . The bed portion  13  has oppositely disposed parallel sidewalls  15  and  16  and an interconnecting end wall  17  adjacent the cab portion  12 . A hinge tailgate  18  is movably disposed between the open ends of the sidewalls  15  and  16  thus defining the interior of the truck bed. 
     The retractable tonneau cover assembly  10  of the invention has a main support frame  19  comprised of oppositely disposed elongated support side rails  20  and  21  which are interconnected by a front rail  22  secured thereto forming a generally U-shaped configuration as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings. 
     Each of the respective side rails  20  and  21  are formed from an identical metal extrusion having a wall engagement portion  22 A and a tonneau engagement portion  22 B. The wall engagement portion  22 A has a vertically oriented engagement surface  24  extending there from with an offset transition area  25 . The tonneau engagement portion  23  has a base element  26  with an upstanding curved element  27  extending there from, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 10 of the drawings. The side rails  20  and  21  are secured to their respective side walls  15  and  16  of the truck bed portion  13  by a plurality of longitudinally spaced mechanical clamps  28 . Each of the clamps  28  is formed of a two-part construction with a sidewall engagement bracket  28 A and an interdisposed rail engagement bracket  28 B in slidably disposed relation. The brackets  28 A and  28 B are adjustably secured to one another by a threaded fastener  28 C as seen in FIG. 10 of the drawings which is common within the industry. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 6,  8  and  9  of the drawings, the front rail  22  of the invention can be seen secured between the respective ends of the side rails  20  and  21  adjacent the cab portion  12  of the truck  11  as noted. The front rail  22  is secured by a pair of fasteners F extending from a channel  22 A through inner aligned apertures A in the respective side rails base  26  as will be well understood by those skilled in the art and as best seen in FIG. 8 of the drawings. The front interconnecting rail  22  is preferably of a metal extrusion configuration having a contoured upper surface  23  with an elongated cover engagement and attachment surface  23 A and oppositely disposed end portion  23 B. The cover engagement and attachment surface  23  A having an elongated arcuate channel  23 C formed therein. 
     A fabric cover  29  of the tonneau cover assembly  10  is secured along its front edge  29 A to a synthetic resin channel insert  28  which is in turn slidably disposed within a respective channel  23 C therein effectively securing the front edge of the cover through the front interconnecting rail  22 . Resilient engagement assemblies  30  can be seen having a sliding block  31  with a tapered engagement end wall  32 . A guide fastener  33  extends from the block  31  through an elongated guide opening  34  in the base  26  of the respective side rails  20  and  21 . A spring assembly  38  extends from an L-shaped mounting bracket  36  secured to the base  26  of the respective rails in spaced relation to the blocks  31 . 
     The spring assemblies  38  have a spring retainer  38 A with a spring  38 B extending there from for engaging the sliding block  31  providing a resilient retention thereto as indicated by directional arrows. The engagement assemblies  30  are positioned inwardly of the respective free ends  20 A and  21 A of the side rails  20  and  21  and provide a positive resilient engagement for the cover  29  as will be hereinafter described. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, a retractable engagement end rail  40  extrusion can be seen identical to that of front rail  22  having a contoured upper surface  41  with an elongated engagement surface  42  and an oppositely disposed cover attachment end portion  43 . The engagement surface  42  is a an elongated half circular surface that is pivotally engaged during use under the tapered end walls  32  of the respective blocks  31  as seen in broken lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings. 
     The cover attachment end portion  43  has a contoured surface  44  with a circular elongated mounting channel  45  therein. An elongated cover engagement fitting  46  is attached along a back edge  47  of the cover  29  by conventional means and is slidably positioned within the respective mounting channel  45  thus securing the free edge of the cover  29  to the front rail  22 . 
     It will be seen that the engagement portion  42  of the end rail  40  is initially engaged against the tapered end walls  32  of the respective blocks  31  as seen in broken lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The engagement portion  42  is then, as noted previously, pivoted downwardly as seen in broken lines against the tension of the fabric cover  29  displacing the sliding blocks  31  against their respective springs  38 B until full engagement with respective side rails  20  and  21  as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3 of the drawings is achieved. 
     The fabric cover  29  as seen in FIGS. 1,  6  and  8  of the drawings extends when deployed over the frame  19  in a stretched taunt fashion. In order for the cover  29  to be supported over the truck bed, it has a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse support ribs  48  attached to an under surface  29 A of the cover by engagement of a plurality of fabric elastic pockets  49  extend in spaced longitudinal relation to one another along the oppositely disposed perimeter edges  50  of the cover  29 . The ribs  48  are inserted therein by their ends, as best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8 of the drawings. The cover  29  is removably secured to the respective rails  20  and  21  by strips of hook and loop material M on their respective outer curved surfaces  27  and correspondingly aligned strips of hook and loop material M secured along the cover&#39;s underside respective longitudinal side edges  51  and  52  as seen in FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings. 
     A locking assembly  53  is mounted to the underside of the end rail  40 , best seen in FIGS. 5,  6 ,  7  and  12  of the drawings having a pair of oppositely disposed spring urged locking slides  54  and  55  which are mounted within a channel  56  formed in the under surface of the end rail  40 . Each of slides  54  and  55  having a contoured body member  57  with a tapered engagement end surface  58  and an upstanding spring retainer and guide  59  assembly which slidably retains the respective slides  54  and  55  within the channel  56  between pairs of limit fittings  60 A and  60 B. 
     Referring now specifically to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, the limit fittings  60 A and  60 B are illustrated as defining a travel path for the respective slides  54  and  55  indicated by directional arrows TP. The respective safety slides  54  and  55  will registerably extend over the respective edges  61  of the side rail base  26  by the spring retainer and guide assembly  59 . Each of the safety slides  54  and  55  have a release strap  62  and  62 A respectively extend there from to strap fastener  62 C and  62 D secured to the channel  56  by fasteners F. They can be used selectively to retract the slides  54  and  55  allowing the end rail  40  to be released from engagement with the engagement assemblies  30 . 
     Once the end rail  40  is released it is used as a core to roll up the cover  29  thereon as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 11 of the drawings. As the cover  29  is rolled up, it will release from the respective side rails  20  and  21  allowing access to the truck bed  13 . 
     It will be evident from the above description that once fully rolled up, the cover  29  is secured by a pair of retaining straps  63  and  64  having hook and loop material on their respective end surfaces  63 A and  64 A safety storing the cover  29  in rolled up fashion over the front rail  22  of the tonneau cover assembly  10 . 
     To deploy the cover  29  the respective strap pairs  63  and  64  are released and the cover  29  unrolled until the end rail  40  is exposed and then resiliently engaged against the respective sliding blocks  31  which yield as the end rail  40  is pivoted into place against the respective rails  20  and  21  and secured thereto by the automatic registration of the hereinbefore described safety slides  54  and  55 . The inner engagement i.e. interlocking of the respective hook and loop material M along the side rails  20  and  21  and the aligned, now engaged longitudinal edges of the cover  29  are confirmed, securing the cover  29  tautly in place over the truck bed  13 . 
     As noted, it is an important aspect of the hereinbefore described cover assembly  10  of the invention is that the cover  29  when deployed is temporarily held in place on the support frame by engagement of the end rail  40  under the tension of the cover  29  with the resilient locking blocks  31  of the respective engagement assemblies  30 . The respective slides  54  and  55  lock the cover in place. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel tonneau cover configuration for a pick-up truck bed has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1