Patent ID: 7104586

Claim:
A tonneau cover apparatus for removable attachment about a top of a perimeter of a cargo box of a pickup truck, the perimeter of the cargo box including a forward end, two opposing sidewalls and a tailgate, the tailgate being positioned rearward of the forward end and having an open position and a closed position, the tonneau cover apparatus comprising: a flexible cover, the flexible cover having first and second ends; a support structure for attachment to the cargo box; the support structure having two opposing side rails, each side rail including an end plate engagement member in a position rearward of the forward end when the tonneau cover apparatus is attached to the cargo box; an end plate attached to the second end of the flexible cover, the end plate configured to cooperatively engage the respective end plate engagement members; wherein each of the respective end plate engagement members include a surface for engagement with the end plate that faces rearward of the forward end, when the support structure is attached about the top of the perimeter of the cargo box, that is accessible to engagement by the end plate from a position rearward of such surface so that the respective end plate engagement members can engage respective ends of the end plate when the first end of the flexible cover is operatively connected to the support structure forward of the respective end plate engagement members; the end plate further including a locking member, the locking member being movable between a first position and a second position; wherein the locking member can prevent the end plate from being disengaged from the end plate engagement members when the locking member is in the first position and wherein the end plate can be disengaged from the respective end plate engagement members when the locking member is in the second position.