Retractable top for a bed of a pick-up truck

• US 5,516,182 A
• Filed: 01/05/1995
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dulce M. Aragon, Jorge L. Aragon
• Original Assignee: Dulce M. Aragon, Jorge L. Aragon
• Inventors: Aragon, Dulce M., Aragon, Jorge L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US08/369,101
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 296/10, 296/100, 296/104, 296/105, 296/164, 296/165, 296/183
• US Class Current: 296/100.05
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06

Abstract

A retractable top for a bed of a pick-up truck including an elongated canopy securable over a bed of a pick-up truck, the canopy formed of a plurality of telescopically mated rigid sections with each section having a generally c-shaped vertical cross-section formed of a generally horizontal top panel and two opposed spaced outer panels and with each outer panel extended downwards from the top panel to define a generally rectangular planar side wall and then extended inwards at a location remote from the top panel to define a bottom flange, each bottom flange including a plurality of rotatable roller mechanisms coupled thereto and extended downwards therefrom; a track mechanism coupleable to side walls of a bed of a pick-up truck and slidably engaged with the roller mechanisms of the canopy for allowing extension and retraction of the canopy; an electrically-energizable drive mechanism coupled to the track mechanism and engaged with the roller mechanisms for extending and retracting the canopy.

Claims

1. A retractable top for a bed of a pick-up truck for shielding items placed within a bed of a pick-up truck comprising, in combination:

an elongated canopy securable over a bed of a pick-up truck, the canopy formed of a substantially rigid front section, a substantially rigid rear section, and a substantially rigid intermediate section, each section having a generally c-shaped vertical cross-section formed of a generally horizontal planar rectangular top panel and two opposed spaced outer panels and with each outer panel extended downwards from the top panel to define a generally rectangular planar side wall and then extended inwards at a location remote from the top panel to define a bottom flange, each section further having an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a periphery interconnecting the surfaces formed of an inboard edge, an outboard edge, and a pair of opposed side edges extended between the inboard edge and the outboard edge, each inboard edge of the intermediate section and the rear section including a lip formed thereon and with each lip projected downwards and outwards at a juncture of one of the side walls with its corresponding bottom flange, each outboard edge of the front section and the intermediate section including a stop formed thereon and with each stop projected upwards and inwards at a juncture of one of the side walls with its corresponding bottom flange, the intermediate section telescopically received and slidably disposed in facing contact with the front section and with the lips of the intermediate section abuttable against the stops of the front section to preclude their separation, the rear section telescopically received and slidably disposed in facing contact with the intermediate section and with the lips of the rear section abuttable against the stops of the intermediate section to preclude their separation, each side wall of the front section further including an oblong recess disposed thereon covered with a generally transparent sheet to define a front window, each side wall of the intermediate section further including a generally u-shaped cut out formed thereon at a location adjacent to the outboard edge thereof covered with a generally transparent sheet to define an intermediate window, each side wall of the rear section further including a generally u-shaped cut out formed thereon at a location adjacent to the inboard edge thereof covered with a generally transparent sheet to define a rear window and with the rear window aligned with the intermediate window to define a telescopically extendable composite window, the rear section additionally including a generally transparent rear wall having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of opposed side edges extended between the top edge and bottom edge and with the top edge of the rear wall hingeably secured to the outboard edge adjacent to the top panel to define a back window, the rear wall additionally having a latch mechanism coupled thereto for securing the rear wall to a tailgate of a pick-up truck;

a pair of elongated rigid tracks, each track having an inboard end and an outboard end, each track further having a generally c-shaped cross-section formed of a bottom wall with an interior surface and an exterior surface and with the exterior surface securable to a side wall of a pick-up truck adjacent to its bed, a pair of side walls extended upwards from the bottom wall, and a pair of opposed top edges extended inwardly from the side edges at a location remote from the bottom wall to define a hollow interior portion and a groove for allowing access to the interior portion, one of the tracks including a pulley disposed within its interior portion and secured to its outboard end and a through hole disposed thereon near its inboard end to thereby define a drive track;

a first pair and a second pair of roller mechanisms, each roller mechanism of the first pair coupled to a separate bottom flange of the intermediate section and with one roller mechanism of the first pair extended downwards into the drive track and the other roller mechanism of the first pair extended downwards into the other track, each roller mechanism of the second pair coupled to a separate bottom flange of the rear section and with one roller mechanism of the second pair extended downwards into the drive track and the other roller mechanism of the second pair extended downwards into the other track, each roller mechanism including a generally vertical shaft having an upper portion positioned within the groove of one of the tracks and a lower portion positioned within the interior portion of one of the tracks, a horizontal rotatable axle coupled to the lower portion of the shaft, and a pair of wheels coupled to the ends of the axle and disposed upon the interior surface of the bottom wall of one of the tracks;

a motor having a fixed stator coupled to the drive track and a rotatable rotor extended within its through hole and into its interior portion, the stator imparting rotation to the rotor when electrically energized with a positive polarity and further imparting opposite rotation to the rotor when electrically energized with a negative polarity;

a drive gear coupled to the rotor of the motor at a location within the interior portion of the drive track; and

a belt extended about the drive gear and pulley of the drive track and engaged with the axles of the roller mechanisms within the drive track;

whereby when the motor is energized with a positive polarity, the belt turns for rotating the wheels of the roller mechanisms for allowing the intermediate section and rear section to move along the tracks away from the front section, thereby extending the canopy, and when the motor is energized with a negative polarity, the belt turns for rotating the wheels of the roller mechanisms for allowing the intermediate section and rear section to move along the tracks towards the front section, thereby retracting the canopy.

2. A retractable top for a bed of a pick-up truck comprising:

an elongated canopy securable over a bed of a pick-up truck, the canopy formed of a plurality of telescopically mated substantially rigid sections with each section having a generally c-shaped vertical cross-section formed of a generally horizontal top panel and two opposed spaced outer panels and with each outer panel extended downwards from the top panel to define a generally rectangular planar side wall and then extended inwards at a location remote from the top panel to define a bottom flange, each section further having an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a periphery interconnecting the surfaces formed of an inboard edge, an outboard edge, and a pair of opposed side edges extended therebetween, each bottom flange including a plurality of rotatable roller mechanisms coupled thereto and extended downwards therefrom;

a track mechanism coupleable to side walls of a bed of a pick-up truck and slidably engaged with the roller mechanisms of the canopy for allowing extension and retraction of the canopy;

an electrically-energizable drive mechanism coupled to the track mechanism and engaged with the roller mechanisms for extending and retracting the canopy;

wherein each inboard edge of each section includes a lip formed thereon and with each lip projected downwards and outwards at a juncture of one of the side walls with its corresponding bottom flange; and

wherein each outboard edge of each section includes a stop formed thereon and with each stop projected upwards and inwards at a juncture of one of the side walls with its corresponding bottom flange and with a pair of stops abuttable against a corresponding pair of lips to preclude separation of the corresponding adjoined sections.