Slat house hinge for laminated retractable truck bed cover

• US 6,113,176 A
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roll-N-Lock Corp. (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Roll-N-Lock Corp. (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bernardo, Richard Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US09/165,710
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 296/100.01, 296/100.09, 296/100.11, 296/100.12, 296/98, 160/235
• US Class Current: 296/100.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/041 for utility vehicles, e.g. with slidable and foldable rigid panels

Abstract

An improved slat hinge for a laminated retractable truck bed cover that permits greater relative movement between adjacent slats for slat rotation up to 45 degrees to significantly reduce roll diameter while preventing stretching or stress on a pliable surface material that forms the laminate on top of the slats. The hinge itself is formed by strategically designed leading and trailing edges of each slat which engage in an adjacent fashion to permit the desired movement while in the full open position eliminating the possibility of slat disengagement while reducing roll diameter in the stored position resulting in a smooth frictionless hinge rotation with a positive stop.

Claims

1. A laminated retractable truck bed cover that can be rolled up for storage comprising:

a pliable surface material;

a plurality of elongated substantially flat rigid slats, said slats being engaged in a side by side adjacent relationship forming a slat array and substrate;

an adhesive joining said pliable surface material and laminating it to said array of slats that form a substrate;

each of said slats having a first flat end and a second flat end, a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, and a leading edge and a trailing edge;

said slat array being formed by a plurality of slats, by joining the leading edge of one slat, to the trailing edge of an adjacent slat forming a hinge in conjunction with the pliable surface material, said adjacent slats being moveable to a first position where the slats are locked together forming a flat 180 degree angle between the adjacent slats and a second position wherein one slat is moved approximately 45 degrees relative to the adjacent slat;

each of said slats having a leading edge with a curved segment of a predefined radius of curvature on its inside surface and its outside surface, said slat trailing edge having a curved segment of a predetermined radius of curvature on its inside surface and its outside surface and a flat flange segment at the end of the curved segment angled to engage the bottom surface of an adjacent slat in approximately a 45 degree angle relative to the adjacent slat forming a positive stop, and the flat flange being biased upwardly relative to the leading edge of an adjacent slat where the leading edge and the trailing edge are locked along the flat flange and the bottom portion of the leading edge, whereby the hinged joint formed prevents stress on the pliable material in either the rolled up position, where the slats are approximately 45 degrees angled to each other, or in a flat position, 180 degrees relative to each other, wherein the distance between said leading edge and said trailing edge flange changes from said first position to said second position.

2. A laminated retractable truck bed cover that can be rolled up for storage comprising:

a pliable surface material;

a plurality of elongated substantially flat rigid slats, said slats being engaged in a side by side adjacent relationship forming a slat array and substrate;

an adhesive joining said pliable surface material and laminating it to said array of slats that form a substrate;

each of said slats having a first flat end and a second flat end, a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, and a leading edge and a trailing edge;

said slat array being formed by a plurality of slats, by joining the leading edge of one slat, to the trailing edge of an adjacent slat forming a hinge in conjunction with the pliable surface material, said adjacent slats being moveable to a first position where the slats are locked together forming a flat 180 degree angle between the adjacent slats and a second position wherein one slat is moved approximately 45 degrees relative to the adjacent slat;

each of said slats having a leading edge with a curved segment of a predefined radius of curvature on its inside surface and its outside surface;

said slat trailing edge having a curved segment of a predetermined radius of curvature on its inside surface and its outside surface and a flat flange segment at the end of the curved segment angled to engage the bottom surface of an adjacent slat in approximately a 45 degree angle relative to the adjacent slat forming a positive stop, and the flat flange being biased upwardly relative to the leading edge of an adjacent slat where the leading edge and the trailing edge are locked along the flat flange and the bottom portion of the leading edge such that the relationship between said leading edge and said adjacent trailing edge of the flat flange changes from an engaged orientation at said first position to a distal orientation at said second position;

whereby the hinged joint formed prevents stress on the pliable material in either the rolled up position, where the slats are approximately 45 degrees angled to each other, or in a flat position, 180 degrees relative to each other; and

said pliable material has an area that is not bonded to said slat array in order to permit locking of adjacent slats without stretching said material.

3. The laminated retractable truck bed cover of claim 2 wherein said leading edge and said trailing edge of each said slat does not rise above a horizontal plane defined by said slat array, thereby providing a substantially even horizontal surface in order to allow said pliable material to be placed along said slat array'"'"'s outer surface.