Vertically swingable camper shell

• US 4,101,162 A
• Filed: 01/06/1977
• Issued: 07/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leland Koehn
• Original Assignee: Leland Koehn
• Inventors: Koehn, Leland
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodman, Philip
• Application Number:
  US05/757,485
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 296/23 MC, 296/100, 296/102, 296/137 B, 312/271, 312/272, 312/373, 52/66
• US Class Current: 296/100.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/041 for utility vehicles, e.g. with slidable and foldable rigid panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1621 hinged on one side

Abstract

A specially constructed hinge, mounted within the open body of a light truck, pivotally supports a body-enclosing, box-type shell behind the truck cab for vertical swinging movement of the shell about an axis extending transversely of the truck adjacent the uppermost portion of the cab end of the shell whereby the shell may be swung selectively up or down to open or close the body without encountering interference between the shell and cab. The hinge comprises a pair of parallel, upright, laterally spaced plates each secured to a respective sidewall of the truck body and defining a pair of spaced, arcuate, non-concentric slots for captively retaining corresponding rollers carried by depending structure on said shell. An electric winch selectively retracts or releases cable and pulley assemblies associated with respective pairs of rollers for powered raising or lowering of the shell relative to the truck body.

Claims

1. In combination with a light truck of the type having an open-topped body and a cab at one end of said body extending upwardly beyond said top, a cover for the top including:

a hollow, open-bottomed, box-like shell on said body overlying said top in normally closing relationship to the latter,

said shell including an upright end wall adjacent said cab and extending transversely of the truck; and

hinge means mounting said shell on said body for swinging vertical movement of the shell about a fixed transversely extending axis adjacent the uppermost portion of said end wall whereby said shell may be selectively shifted from its closing relationship over said top to permit unobstructed access to the body of the truck.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hinge means is disposed wholly outside said hollow shell.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said hinge means underlies said shell.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 1;

and a lift mechanism for powered swinging movement of said shell.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein said lift mechanism includes an electric winch.

6. The invention as claimed in claim 5, said lift mechanism including a spring assist disposed to augment the lifting action of said winch during upward swinging of said shell.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein said hinge means includes a pair of spaced, arcuate tracks attached to said body, and depending structure on said shell supporting a pair of rollers adapted for captive engagement with said respective tracks.

8. In combination with a light truck of the type having an open-topped body and a cab at one end of said body extending upwardly beyond said top, a cover for the top including:

a hollow, open-bottomed, box-like shell on said body overlying said top in normally closing relationship to the latter,

said shell including an upright end wall adjacent said cab and extending transversely of the truck; and

hinge means mounting said shell on said body for swinging vertical movement of the shell about a transversely extending axis adjacent the uppermost portion of said end wall whereby said shell may be selectively shifted from its closing relationship over said top to permit unobstructed access to the body of the truck,

said hinge means including a pair of spaced, arcuate tracks attached to said body, and depending structure on said shell supporting a pair of rollers adapted for captive engagement with said respective tracks, wherein said tracks are coplanar comprising arcuate slots formed in an upstanding plate extending longitudinally of the truck.

9. The invention as claimed in claim 8, wherein said arcuate slots are non-concentric.

10. The invention as claimed in claim 8, wherein the width of each of said slots is substantially equal to the diameter of their respective rollers.