RIGID TONNEAU COVER AND CLAMP MECHANISM THEREFOR
First Claim
1. A tonneau cover for selectively enclosing a space within a cargo box, comprising:
- a substantially rigid panel having spaced front and rear edges;
said substantially rigid panel having opposite side edges between which said front and rear edges laterally extend, said substantially rigid panel provided with an elongate channel laterally extending between a proximate end located proximate one of said side edges and a distal end at which said channel terminates; and
a clamp mechanism slidably engaged with said channel, said clamp mechanism having operative and stowed positions spaced along said channel, said clamp mechanism comprising;
a handle,a block member slidably received in said channel with said handle and said block member having relative movement,an elongate rod member coupled to said handle and said block member with said handle and said rod member having relative movement, anda latch member connected to said rod member and moveable between a clamped position for operatively engaging a portion of the cargo box and a released position for spacing said latch member from and placing said latch member out of operative engagement with the cargo box;
said handle and said rod member positioned in said channel in said clamp mechanism stowed position.
13 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tonneau cover for selectively enclosing a space within a cargo box. The cover includes a substantially rigid panel provided with an elongate channel laterally extending between a proximate end located proximate a side edge of the cover and a distal end at which the channel terminates. The cover includes a clamp mechanism slidably engaged with the channel, and the clamp mechanism includes a handle, a block member slidably received in the channel, an elongate rod member coupled to the handle, and a latch or hook member connected to the rod member. The latch member is moveable between a clamped position for operatively engaging a portion of the cargo box and a released position for spacing the latch member from and placing the latch member out of operative engagement with the cargo box. The handle and rod member are positioned in the channel in the clamp mechanism stowed position. Also a clamp mechanism, and a method of operating a clamp mechanism.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A tonneau cover for selectively enclosing a space within a cargo box, comprising:
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a substantially rigid panel having spaced front and rear edges; said substantially rigid panel having opposite side edges between which said front and rear edges laterally extend, said substantially rigid panel provided with an elongate channel laterally extending between a proximate end located proximate one of said side edges and a distal end at which said channel terminates; and a clamp mechanism slidably engaged with said channel, said clamp mechanism having operative and stowed positions spaced along said channel, said clamp mechanism comprising; a handle, a block member slidably received in said channel with said handle and said block member having relative movement, an elongate rod member coupled to said handle and said block member with said handle and said rod member having relative movement, and a latch member connected to said rod member and moveable between a clamped position for operatively engaging a portion of the cargo box and a released position for spacing said latch member from and placing said latch member out of operative engagement with the cargo box; said handle and said rod member positioned in said channel in said clamp mechanism stowed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A clamp mechanism comprising:
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a handle; a block member with said handle and said block member having relative movement; an elongate rod member coupled to said handle with said handle and said rod member having relative movement, said rod member coupled to said block member and having angularly spaced depending and elevated positions relative to said block member; and a latch member connected to said rod member and having clamped and released positions when said rod member is in said depending position, said latch member having a first spacing from said block member in said clamped position, and a second spacing from said block member in said released position with said second spacing being greater than said first spacing; wherein movement of said latch member between said clamped and released positions is urged by said relative movement between said handle and said rod member. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of operating a clamp mechanism for clamping first and second objects together, comprising the steps of:
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positioning a block member of the clamp mechanism engaged with the first object to place the clamp mechanism in an operative position relative to the first object; pivotably moving a rod member of the clamp mechanism relative to the block member into a depending position relative to the block member and positioning a latch member of the clamp mechanism connected to the rod member to become operatively engaged with the second object; moving a handle of the clamp mechanism relative to the rod member and thereby moving the latch member towards the block member and into operative engagement with the second object; and drawing the first object and second object towards each other and into clamped engagement by shortening a distance between the block member and the latch member by rotatably moving the handle relative to the block member. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification