Patent ID: 8641123

Claim:
A system for covering at least part of a vehicle platform, said vehicle platform defining a platform first end and a substantially opposed platform second end, said system comprising: a first end element mountable to said vehicle platform so as to extend substantially upwardly from said vehicle platform substantially adjacent said platform first end, said first end element defining a first end element peripheral edge; a second end element mountable to said vehicle platform so as to extend substantially upwardly from said vehicle platform substantially adjacent said platform second end, said second end element defining a second end element peripheral edge; a tarpaulin attachment element extending between said first and second end elements; a tarpaulin, said tarpaulin defining a tarpaulin movable end and a tarpaulin fixed portion extending in a substantially parallel and spaced apart relationship relative to each other, said tarpaulin also defining a pair of tarpaulin side edges extending between said tarpaulin fixed portion and movable end, said tarpaulin fixed portion being secured to said tarpaulin attachment element; an end rod mounted to said tarpaulin substantially adjacent said tarpaulin movable end and extending substantially parallel thereto; a support member extending substantially parallel to said end rod and mounted to said tarpaulin at a location intermediate said tarpaulin fixed portion and movable end; and an actuator operatively coupled to said end rod for selectively rolling said tarpaulin therearound and unrolling said tarpaulin therefrom, said actuator being operative for moving said tarpaulin between a tarpaulin retracted configuration and a tarpaulin extended configuration, wherein: in said tarpaulin retracted configuration, at least part of said tarpaulin is wound around said end rod and positioned adjacent said tarpaulin attachment element; and in said tarpaulin extended configuration, said tarpaulin is unwound from said end rod and said tarpaulin side edges extend each along at least part of a respective one of said first and second end element peripheral edges with said support member abutting against said first and second end elements.