Hinge assembly for tonneau cover

• US 6,309,005 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Priest, William L., Johnson, Joseph Michael, Nicholas, Mark Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Stephen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTMAN, HILARY L
• Application Number:
  US09/685,546
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 296/100.06, 296/100.1, 296/106
• US Class Current: 296/100.06
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1621 hinged on one side

Abstract

A hard tonneau cover is pivotally attached to each side wall of a truck cargo box having a tail gate by a hinge assembly. Each hinge assembly includes a four bar linkage and a drive mechanism. The four bar linkage consists of a tonneau bracket that is secured to the tonneau cover, a mounting bracket, a hinge link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a first pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a second pivot, and a control link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a third pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a fourth pivot. The drive mechanism has a pivot arm that is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket by a fifth pivot, and a drive arm that is pivotally attached to the pivot arm by a sixth pivot and pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket by a seventh pivot so that the tonneau cover and bracket are moved between a closed position and an open position by rotation of the pivot arm. A gas spring that is attached to the mounting bracket and to the pivot arm biases the tonneau cover and tonneau bracket to the closed position. The tonneau cover is opened and closed by an electric motor and an electromagnetic clutch that are supported by the mounting bracket. The electromagnetic clutch has an input member that is driven by the electric motor and an output member that drives a pinion gear. The pinion gear in turn drives a sector gear that is attached to the pivot arm.

Claims

1. In a pick-up truck having a forward cab and a rearward cargo box that is covered by a hard tonneau cover, a hinge assembly for pivotally attaching the hard tonneau cover to a side wall of the cargo box comprising:

a tonneau bracket that is secured to the hard tonneau cover,

a mounting bracket that is secured to the sidewall of the cargo box,

a hinge link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a first pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a second pivot,

a control link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a third pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a fourth pivot,

a pivot arm that is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket by a fifth pivot, and

a drive arm that is pivotally attached to the pivot arm by a sixth pivot and that is pivotally attached to the tonneau by a seventh pivot whereby the tonneau bracket and the hard tonneau cover are moved between a closed position and an open position by rotation of the pivot arm.

2. In a pick-up truck as defined in claim 1, the hinge assembly further including a gas spring that is attached to the mounting bracket and to the pivot arm for biasing the tonneau bracket and the hard tonneau cover toward the closed position.

3. In a pick-up truck as defined in claim 1, the hinge assembly further including:

an electric motor and an electromagnetic clutch that are supported by the mounting bracket,

the electromagnetic clutch being by the electric motor, and

a sector gear that is attached to the pivot arm so as to pivot with the pivot arm about the fifth pivot, the sector gear being driven by the electromagnetic clutch.

4. In a pick-up truck as defined in claim 1, wherein the hinge link has a shallow Vee shape to maximize access to the cargo box when the hard tonneau cover is moved to the open position.

5. In a pick-up truck having a forward cab and a rearward cargo box that is covered by a hard tonneau cover, a hinge assembly for pivotally attaching the hard tonneau cover to a side wall of the cargo box comprising:

a tonneau bracket that is secured to the tonneau cover,

a mounting bracket that is secured to the side wall of the cargo box,

a hinge link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a first pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a second pivot,

a control link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a third pivot that is spaced aft of the first pivot and that is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a fourth pivot that is spaced aft of the second pivot,

the hinge link being longer that the control link and having a boomerang shape,

a Y or T shaped pivot aim that is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket by a fifth pivot that is below the second pivot and the fourth pivot, the Y or T shaped pivot arm having an upper forward branch and an upper rearward branch,

a drive arm that is pivotally attached to the upper forward branch of the pivot arm by a sixth pivot and that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket by a seventh pivot whereby the tonneau bracket and cover are moved between a closed position and an open position by rotation of the pivot arm and

a gas spring that is attached to the mounting bracket and to the upper rearward branch of he pivot arm for biasing the tonneau bracket and cover toward the closed position.

6. In a pick-up truck as defined in claim 5, the hinge assembly further including;

an electric motor and a electromagnetic clutch that are support by the mounting bracket, the electromagnetic clutch being driven by the electric motor, and

a sector gear that is attached to a lower portion of the pivot arm below the forward branch and the rearward branch so as to pivot with the pivot arm about the fifth pivot, the sector gear being driven by the electromagnetic clutch.