Sectionalized pickup truck canopy top assembly

• US 4,828,315 A
• Filed: 11/19/1987
• Issued: 05/09/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Muirhead, Scott A. W.
• Original Assignee: Muirhead, Scott A. W.
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott A. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/122,785
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 296/100, 296/102, 296/156, 296/164, 296/10, 296/99 R, 296/37.6
• US Class Current: 296/99.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/106 readily detachable hard-tops storage compartment for collapsible flexible tops B60J7/20
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/42 convertible from one use to a different one vehicles capable of travelling in or on different media, rail-and-road vehicles B60F

Abstract

A pickup truck cargo canopy assembly which is enclosed and provides complete protection from weather, theft and vandalism in the cargo area is described. The cargo canopy assembly is divided into two separate sections. The front canopy section which is mounted permanently to the truck bed sidewalls and frontwall is provided with an opening behind the pickup truck cab window and a functional window on each side. The rear canopy section which is unitarily manufactured is attached to the front section and the truck bed sidewalls by clamps that may be detached by removing a pin holding the two parts of the clamp together. This provides a removable rear section that may be stored when an open truck bed is desired. A hinged rear window assembly is attached to the rear edge of the top of the rear canopy section that also contains a latch and lock to provide a secure cargo area.

Claims

1. A light weight pickup truck having a sectional canopy top assembly comprising:

a cargo compartment having a bed, two sidewalls, a frontwall and a hinged tail gate, said sidewalls, and said frontwall and said tailgate having a top edge;

a front canopy section permanently attached to said cargo compartment with sealing means, having a top, a front portion and two side portions, said top and two side portions having a rearwardly facing edge, said front canopy section having sealing means between said front portion and the pickup truck;

a removable rear canopy section having a top, two sides and a rear window assembly, said top having a front and rear facing edges, said sides having a downward facing edge, said rear window assembly being permanently hinged to the top edge of said removable rear canopy section;

rear canopy section mounting members permanently attached with attaching means and a watertight seal to the top of each of said cargo compartment sidewalls;

a plurality of clamping latches detachably connected to said rearwardly facing edge of said front canopy section top and said front facing edge of aid rear canopy section top;

a plurality of clamping latches detachably connected to said rear canopy side downward edges and said rear canopy section mounting members.

2. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section and said removable rear canopy section enclose the entire truck bed cargo assembly.

3. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section is composed of an exterior cover and an interior liner.

4. A front canopy section as described in claim 3 wherein said exterior cover and said interior liner is formed from a suitable thermoplastic material, said inner liner being fastened to said exterior cover with sealing means therebetween.

5. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section contains opposed pivotally hinged windows located on each side of said front canopy section, said pivotally hinged windows having sealing means and latching means, said front canopy section also containing a window opening located on said front portion of said front canopy section whereby said window opening provides an access between the driver section and the front canopy section.

6. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section is permanently mounted to a front canopy section mounting member that is permanently attached with a watertight seal and attaching means to the top of said cargo compartment frontwall and to the top of part of said cargo section sidewalls.

7. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section contains a rearwardly facing flange permanently attached to said rearwardly facing edge, adapted to retain a soft rubber bulb seal gasket, said bulb seal gasket being bonded to said rearwardly facing flange.

8. A bulb seal gasket as described in claim 7 wherein said front edge of said rear canopy section is fitted in an overlap manner against the side of said bulb seal gasket.

9. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said clamping latches connected to said rearwardly facing edges of said front canopy section top and said front facing edge of said rear canopy section top when activated closed, collapse the bulb seal gasket between said rearwardly facing edge of said front canopy section and said front edge of said rear canopy section whereby the collapsing of said bulb type seal provides a weather tight joint between said rear canopy section and said front canopy section.

10. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said removable rear canopy section is unitarily formed from a copolymeric plastic material which is partially translucent.

11. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said rear window of said rear window assembly is unitarily formed from a copolymeric plastic material which is partially translucent, said window containing a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges.

12. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said rear window assembly contains a closing strut attached to both window side edges and said rear facing edges of said rear canopy section whereby said closing strut contains latching means to hold the window assembly up and snubbing means to allow the window to close slowly.

13. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said window assembly contains a latch and locking assembly between said bottom edges of said window and said top edge of said tail gate whereby said window assembly when closed engages said latch and locking assembly to allow said pickup truck cargo top assembly to be secured.

14. A window assembly as described in claim 13 wherein said window assembly when closed collapses a seal bonded to said rear facing edge of said rear canopy section thereby forming a watertight seal between said window and said rear facing edge of said rear canopy section.

15. A pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein the top edge of the cargo compartment sidewalls contains an upwardly facing flange having an upward facing groove permanently attached with attaching means and sealed to said top edge of said cargo compartment sidewall adapted to retain a soft rubber bulb seal gasket bonded to said upwardly facing flange.

16. A pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 15 wherein said downward facing edges of said rear canopy section fits into said upwardly facing groove which is formed on the upper portion of said upwardly facing flange, said groove containing said bulb seal gasket.

17. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 16 wherein said clamping latches connected to said rear canopy side downward edge and said rear canopy section mounting member, when activated closed, collapse the bulb seal gasket in said upwardly facing groove between said rear canopy mounting members and said downward facing edge of said sides of said rear canopy section whereby the collapsing of said bulb type seal provides a weather tight joint between said rear canopy section and said rear canopy mounting members.

18. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section contains an open window frame fitted inside the front canopy section with fastening and sealing means to said interior liner.

19. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said rear window assembly contains a transparent section that is offset toward the exterior portion of the rear canopy section.

20. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said front canopy section exhibits a forward facing front engaged with a rearward side of the pickup truck cab, said front extending across substantially the entire height and width of said front canopy section and further comprising compressible elastic sealing means being compressible engaged against the rearward side of the pickup truck cab to sealingly close the space between said front canopy section and said pickup truck cab.

21. A light pickup truck having a sectional top assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said detachable latches contain a removable pin that when removed allows said rear canopy section to be easily removed from the pickup truck cargo area.