Rigid cover assembly for a pickup truck

• US 6,588,826 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott Arthur William Muirhead
• Original Assignee: Scott Arthur William Muirhead
• Inventors: Muirhead, Scott Arthur William
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KIRAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/137,787
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 296/100.06, 296/100.1, 296/100.07, 296/100.18, 296/100.17, 296/100.08, 296/100.02, 296/100.09, 296/98, 296/37.6, 296/39.2
• US Class Current: 296/100.06
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1621 hinged on one side

Abstract

A hard cover is easily installed, removed, replaced, and inspected on the open bed of a pickup truck. The hard cover is a unitary thermoformed sheet material mounted on a rail frame assembly secured to side walls of the truck bed. The hard cover is hingedly connected by a bar fastened to the cover and extending into a slot of a bracket connected to the frame assembly. The bar is pivotal on the bracket to move the cover between open and closed positions over the bed of the pickup truck. The hinged connection of the bar to the bracket is released by manually disconnecting the bar from the cover, permitting the bar to be released from the bracket only after the bar is disconnected from the cover.

Claims

1. A rigid cover assembly for a pickup truck having a cabin and an open bed defined by a front wall and two opposing side walls comprising:

a frame including a front member detachably positioned on said front wall and a pair of side members detachably positioned on said side walls,

a rigid cover movable between an open position providing access to said bed and a closed position on said frame and forming a top for covering the bed in the closed position,

a bracket connected to said front wall, said bracket having a slot,

a bar having a tabbed end portion for insertion in said slot for pivotal movement of said bar relative to said bracket to releasably connect said bar to said bracket and a flat end portion including a pair of bores, and

a manually adjustable fastening mechanism retained on said cover above the open bed and extending through said bores in said bar to releasably connect said bar to said cover with said bar tabbed end portion positioned in said bracket slot for pivotal movement of said cover with said bar between the open and closed positions.

2. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which:

said manually adjustable fastening mechanism includes a connector extending from said cover to receive said bar.

3. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 2 in which:

said connector is a U-bolt having threaded end portions extending from said cover.

4. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 2 in which:

said manually adjustable fastening mechanism includes a knob portion manually operable to engage and disengage said connector.

5. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which:

said bar is L-shaped where said tabbed end portion extends perpendicular to said flat end portion.

6. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 5 in which:

said flat end portion of said bar is substantially longer than said tabbed end portion of said bar.

7. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which:

said bracket is fixed to said frame on said front wall, and

said tabbed end portion of said bar extends through said slot in said bracket for pivotal movement of said bar on said frame.

8. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which:

said cover has a top section, and

the thickness of said top section is greater than the distance between said bracket and said cabin to limit pivotal movement of said cover between the open and closed positions on said frame.

9. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 1 in which:

said bracket is connected to said frame front member and mid slot in said bracket is positioned above said front member to receive said bar tabbed end portion.

10. The rigid cover assembly for a pickup truck having a cabin and an open bed defined by a plurality of walls comprising:

a frame having a plurality of members, said members detachably positioned on the walls,

a bracket having a slot, said bracket connected to one of said members,

a rigid cover supported by said frame and movable between an open position and a closed position for covering

said bed, said cover having a front section with a recessed portion,

a bar having a tabbed end portion releasably inserted in said bracket slot for pivotal movement of said bar relative to said bracket and a flat end portion having a bore therethrough and positioned in said cover recessed portion, and

a manually adjustable fastening mechanism retained in said cover recessed portion above the open bed to releasably connect said bar to said cover with said bar tabbed end portion positioned in said bracket slot for pivotal movement of said cover with said bar between the open and closed positions.

11. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said flat end of said bar includes the bore, and

said fastening mechanism including a connector extending through said bore to secure said bar to said cover.

12. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 11 in which:

said connector is a U-bolt having threaded end portions extending from said cover.

13. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said fastening mechanism includes a fastening portion and a knob portion, and

said fastening portion extending through said bore in said bar for connection to said knob portion to secure said bar to said cover.

14. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said bar is L-shaped where said tabbed end portion extends perpendicular to said flat end portion.

15. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 14 in which:

said flat end portion of said bar is substantially longer than said tabbed end portion of said bar.

16. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said bracket is fixed to said frame on said front wall, and

said tabbed end portion of said bar extends through said slot in said bracket for pivotal movement of said bar on said bracket.

17. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said cover has a top section, and

the thickness of said top section is greater than the distance between said bracket and said cabin to limit pivotal movement of said cover between the open and closed positions on said frame.

18. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which:

said recessed portion is integrally molded in said cover to receive said bar flat end portion.

19. The rigid cover assembly for a pickup truck having a cabin and an open bed defined by a plurality of walls comprising:

a frame having a plurality of members detachably positioned on said walls,

a bracket having a slot, said bracket connected to one of said members,

a rigid cover movably between an open position and a closed position on said frame and forming a top for covering said bed in the closed position,

a bar having a tabbed end portion for insertion in said slot to releasably connect said bar to said bracket and a flat end portion, and

means for releasably attaching said bar flat end portion to said cover with said bar tabbed end portion positioned in said bracket slot for pivotal movement of said cover with said bar between the open and closed positions.

20. The rigid cover assembly as set forth in claim 19 in which:

said means for releasably attaching said bar flat end portion to said cover includes a manually operable fastener for hand connection and release of said bar to said cover to facilitate engagement and disengagement of said bar to said bracket for mounting said cover on said frame free of the use of tools.