Patent Abstract:
An expandable camper shell for a pickup truck which includes a cover that is to be movable from a lower position to a raised position with the cover assuming a tilted configuration relative to the bed of the pickup truck. When in the maximum raised position additional head room is provided for any individuals located within the internal compartment located between the cover and the bed. When the cover is in the maximum raised position, there is provided a gap area with this gap area to be closable by a removable, double-thickness, fabric, insert assembly. A shock strut assembly is mounted between the cover and the bed that will maintain the cover in the maximum raised position after it is manually raised.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a camper shell for a pickup truck bed where the camper shell can be moved from a lower position, which assumes a low profile during times that the pickup truck is being driven, to a maximum raised position which provides for additional head room for individuals located within the internal compartment of the bed of the truck. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many individuals, when camping, prefer a pickup truck mounted camper as opposed to a tent or a trailer that is hauled by a truck. Typically, camper shells are constructed of a hard cover that encloses the internal compartment of the bed of the pickup truck. When the pickup truck is being driven, it is desirable to have the camper shell to assume a low profile and not extend any height above the cab of the pickup truck. The reason for this is for improved aerodynamics and to significantly improve fuel mileage of the pickup truck. However, when the camper shell is being used when the pickup truck is at rest, there is provided only a limited amount of head room for the occupant or occupants of the internal compartment between the camper shell and the bed of the pickup truck. 
     In the past, it has been known to increase the head room of a camper shell in conjunction with a pickup truck. It has been known to raise the camper shell in some manner relative to the bed of the pickup truck with generally these types of shell raising structures being quite complicated and therefore inherently expensive. It has also been known to incorporate some type of mechanism that raises just one end of the camper shell with the camper shell assuming a tilted position relative to the bed of the pickup truck. These type of space increasing mechanisms have proved to be most desirable as they normally can be constructed to be less complicated and less expensive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The first embodiment of the present invention relates to an expandable camper shell for a pickup truck which utilizes a sheet material cover which is mounted over the internal compartment of the bed of the pickup truck. This cover is pivotally movable by a hinge joint which is located at the tailgate portion of the bed of the pickup truck. The front edge of the cover has mounted thereon at least one shock strut which is connected between the cover and the bed. The function of the shock strut is to permit manual movement of the camper shell to a maximum raised position, and when located in the maximum raised position the shock strut will maintain the camper shell in that maximum raised position. The force of the shock strut can be easily overcome by the application of a manual force to lower the camper shell to a lower position when such is desired. When the camper shell is in the maximum raised position, there is produced a gap between the camper shell and the bed of the truck. A fabric insert assembly is to be removably mounted within this gap which is to be used to completely enclose the internal compartment providing privacy to any occupant or occupants of the internal compartment. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by there being used two in number of shock struts. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by the fabric insert assembly being removably mounted by a zipper arrangement to both the cover and the bed of the pickup truck. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where the fabric insert assembly is modified to be formed of double thickness. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is where there is incorporated a flexible boot that surrounds the window that is located within the back wall of the cab of the pickup truck. This flexible boot is mounted on the cover and is movable with the cover. The opening that is provided by the flexible boot can be closed by a zippered fabric insert. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-complex, expandable camper shell for a pickup truck which can be easily operated by the most unskilled individual to provide a privacy enclosure while providing increased head room when the cover is in the maximum raised position. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a pickup truck upon which has been mounted the expandable camper shell of the present invention showing the camper shell in a lower position which is the normal position for driving of the pickup truck; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the camper shell in the maximum raised position relative to the bed of the pickup truck. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a gap area that is formed inherently by the raising of the camper shell relative to the bed of the pickup truck with this gap area having mounted therein a fabric insert assembly; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 3 showing the position of the cover relative to the bed of the pickup truck when it is in its maximum raised position; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing the position of the cover relative to the bed of the pickup truck when the cover is in the lower position; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 3 showing the front portion of the cover when it is in the maximum raised position showing the position of the shock struts mounted between the cover and the bed of the pickup truck; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but when the cover is in the lower position on the bed of the pickup truck; and 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 — 8  of FIG. 6 depicting the arrangement in conjunction with the boot that is mounted on the cover. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown a pickup truck  10  which has a passenger cab  12  which has a rear wall  14  located directly adjacent the bed  16  of the pickup truck  10 . The bed  16  includes an internal compartment  18  which is normally used to haul materials or articles. Mounted within the rear wall  14  is a window  20 . The window  20  can normally be slid open by an occupant of the passenger cab  12  in order to observe and communicate with any individual or individuals that are located within the internal compartment  18 . In order to prevent rain and dust from entering the window  20 , there is mounted about window  20  a flexible, normally rubber, boot  22 . The boot  22  is mounted on the forward wall  24  of a camper shell cover  26 . Boot  22  encloses opening  41  through which access to window  20  is to occur. The cover  26  will normally be constructed of a rigid material with a fiberglass or plastic material being preferred. Mounted within each side of the cover  26  are windows, such as window  28 . The cover  26  forms an interior chamber  30  which combines with and forms part of the internal compartment  18 . 
     The cover  26  is attached by hinge joint  32  to the tailgate area  34  of the bed  16 . When the cover  26  is in the lower position, which is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the flexible boot  22  completely surrounds the window  20 . The boot  22  presses and flexes against the rear wall  14  of the cab  12 . Mounted on the boot  22  and located entirely around the opening  36  of the boot  22  is a zipper half  38 . A fabric insert  40  is formed of a shape that will just enclose opening  36 . The peripheral edge of the fabric insert  40  includes a second zipper half  42 . When the zipper halves  38  and  42  are entirely engaged, the fabric insert  40  closes off the opening  36  which prevents entry of rain and dust to within the interior chamber  30  of the cover  26 . It is to be understood that the fabric insert  40  can be readily unzipped by the zipper halves  38  and  42  in order to remove such when the cover is to be moved to the lower position and the pickup truck driven. The fabric insert  40  is normally utilized when the cover  26  is in the maximum raised position, which is shown in FIGS. 2,  3  and  6  of the drawings. 
     In FIG. 8, the boot  22  is depicted in relation to the rear wall  14  of the cab  12  for explanatory purposes only. Actually, the boot  22  will be displaced from the rear wall  14  because the cover  26  is in the maximum raised position, which is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     Mounted on the forward wall  44  of the bed  16  are a plurality of spaced apart over center latching mechanisms  46 ,  48  and  50 . When the cover  26  is in the lower position, the latching mechanism  46  is to connect with latch plate  52 , latching mechanism  48  is to connect with latch plate  54  and latching mechanism  50  engages with latch plate  56 . These latching mechanisms  46 ,  48  and  50  thereby function to secure the cover  26  in the lower position when the pickup truck  10  is being driven. It is to be noted that the latching mechanism  48  and latch plate  54  are located at the transverse middle of the bed  16 , the latching mechanism  46  and latch plate  52  are mounted directly adjacent the left side of the bed  16  and latching mechanism  50  and latch plate  56  being mounted directly adjacent the right side of the bed  16 . When cover  26  is in lower position, inwardly extending flange  27  rests on upper bed edge  17 . 
     A shock strut  58  has an inner end  60  which is fixedly mounted to the bed  16  directly adjacent latching mechanism  48 . The shock strut  58  also has an outer end  62  which is mounted on the cover  26  directly adjacent the latching plate  52 . There is also utilized a shock strut  64  which has an inner end  66  which is fixedly mounted onto the bed  16  directly adjacent the latching mechanism  48 . The shock strut  64  also has an outer end  68  which is fixedly mounted onto the cover  26  directly adjacent the latch plate  56 . The shock struts  58  and  64  are basically identical and each comprise a pair of telescopingly arranged members within which is mounted a spring. The shock struts  58  and  64  always exert a continuous bias tending to extend the struts  58  and  64 . The function of the struts  58  and  64  is that when the cover  26  is manually raised after the latching mechanisms  46 ,  48  and  50  are disengaged from their respective latch plates  52 ,  54  and  56 , that immediately after the exerting of a slight manual force tending to raise the cover  26 , the force of the springs and the struts  58  and  64  will assist in this raising movement, and when the cover  26  is in the maximum raised position that the springs within the struts  58  and  64  will be sufficiently strong enough to hold and maintain the cover  26  in this maximum raised position. 
     When the cover  26  is in the maximum raised position, as shown in FIG. 2, there is formed a gap area  70 . In order to prevent the entry of rain, dust and other foreign material as well as to provide privacy to any occupants located within the internal compartment  18 , there is to be utilized a fabric insert assembly which is composed of fabric layers  72  and  74 . The fabric layer  72  has mounted thereon entirely about its periphery a zipper half  76 . The zipper half  76  is to engage with a zipper half  78  which is mounted on both the cover  26  and the bed  16 . The size of the fabric layer  72  is to be preselected so that when the cover  26  is in the maximum open position that the fabric layer  26  will completely be located in a taut manner within the width of the gap area  70 . The fabric layer  74  also includes a zipper half  80  which is to engage with a zipper half  82  which is also mounted on both the cover  26  and the bed  16 . The fabric layer  74  is located outside of the fabric layer  72  therefore fabric layer  74  will be slightly longer than fabric layer  72 . Fabric layer  74  also functions to be located in a taut manner across the width of the gap area  70 . The reason that the two fabric layers  72  and  74  are used is to provide thermal insulation by forming an air space  84  between the fabric layers  72  and  74 . Also, the use of the double layers  72  and  74  provides a further assurance of non-penetration of rain within the internal compartment  18 . Zipper halves  78  and  82  are mounted on opposite ends connecting members  79  and  81 . Connecting member  79  is fixedly mounted on inwardly extending flange  27 . Connecting member  81  is fixedly mounted on upper bed edge  17 . Connecting members  79  and  81  generally will comprise a fabric. 
     When the cover  26  is in the lower position with the bed  16 , it will normally be desirable to provide a flap  86  which will cover the joint  88  located between the cover  26  and the bed  16 . The flap  86  is to be mounted entirely along the entire length of the joint  88 . The flap  86  will normally be mounted by a plurality of rivets  90  to the cover  26 . 
     It is to be understood that when one wishes to move the cover  26  from the maximum raised position to the lower position it is only necessary that the user merely grab onto the cover  26  and move such depressing of the springs within the shock struts  58  and  64  which will then cause the cover  26  to pivot to the lower position with the shock struts  58  and  64  being compressed, as is shown in FIG.  7 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1