Tonneau cover device of vehicle

• US 7,673,921 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Haba, Noriaki, Hirayama, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder; Dennis H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Romain; Pinel E
• Application Number:
  US11/964,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20080277957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.1, 296/37.16, 296/37.5, 296/100.15, 296/100.16, 296/98
• US Class Current: 296/37.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/047 collapsible by rolling-up
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 5/048 of accordion-type, i.e. collapsible by sliding and folding

Abstract

A tonneau cover device comprises a front tonneau cover that is comprised of boards and provided on a front side of a vehicle body, a rear tonneau cover that is comprised of a rollable type of member and provided on a rear side of the vehicle body, and a slide mechanism that moves a rear end of the front tonneau cover and a front end of the rear tonneau cover substantially vertically. Accordingly, there can be provided the tonneau cover device of a vehicle, which is provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above the baggage compartment at the vehicle-body rear portion, which can pull the tonneau cover upward according to the opening-closing movement of the back door, facilitate loading of baggage when the back door is opened, and improve appearances of the back door.

Claims

1. A tonneau cover device of a vehicle, which is provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above a baggage-compartment floor at a vehicle-body rear portion that is equipped with a back door to open and close a vehicle-body opening portion formed at a vehicle-body rear face and the baggage-compartment floor disposed in front of the vehicle-body opening portion, comprising:

a pair of guide rails provided at both-side walls of a baggage compartment so as to extend obliquely relative to a vertical direction,

a first tonneau cover provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above the baggage-compartment floor, a rear end of the first tonneau cover being supported at the guide rails;

a second tonneau cover provided at the rear end of the first tonneau cover, a rear end portion of the second tonneau cover being coupled to the back door, the second tonneau cover having a rollable type of sheet member; and

a slide drive mechanism operative to move substantially vertically the rear end of the first tonneau cover and a front end of the second tonneau cover along the guide rails.

2. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first tonneau cover is comprised of a board member.

3. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sheet member of said second tonneau cover has a side cut-away portion that is operative to prevent interference with a periphery of the vehicle-body opening portion formed at the vehicle-body rear face when the back door is open.

4. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sheet member of said second tonneau cover has a transparent portion.

5. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said first tonneau cover is comprised of a plurality of board members that are disposed in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and the first tonneau cover is configured to bend between adjacent board members at a vertical movement thereof along the guide rails.

6. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein there is provided a guide means to cause a specified bending between the adjacent board members.

7. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein bending between the adjacent board members is a reverse-V-shaped bending.

8. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein at a side face of the baggage compartment is provided a guide means operative to cause the reverse-V-shape bending between the adjacent board members.

9. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said guide means comprises a support portion to support the adjacent board members in the reverse-V-shaped bending state.

10. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein the rear end of said first tonneau cover is supported at the guide rails at a position that is below a plan extending line of a front board member of the adjacent board members.

11. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein at least one board member is provided in front of the adjacent board members.

12. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 11, wherein rear-side adjacent board members are configured to bend in a first direction and front-side adjacent board members are configured to bend in a second direction when the board members move vertically along the guide rails.

13. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 12, wherein at least one board member is further provided in front of the three board members.

14. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first and second tonneau covers are provided detachably at a vehicle body.

15. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 14, wherein a foremost board member of said first tonneau cover has a fixing portion to the vehicle body.

16. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first and second tonneau covers are configured to be foldable.

17. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first tonneau cover is comprised of a rollable type of sheet member.

18. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said slide drive mechanism is configured to move vertically the rear end of the first tonneau cover and the front end of the second tonneau cover according to an opening-closing movement of the back door.

19. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 18, wherein said slide drive mechanism comprises a wire member, one end of which is fixed to the back door and the other end of which is fixed to the rear end of the first tonneau cover.

20. The tonneau cover device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said slide drive mechanism comprises an electromotive mechanism.

21. A tonneau cover device of a vehicle, which is provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above a baggage-compartment floor at a vehicle-body rear portion that is equipped with a back door to open and close a vehicle-body opening portion formed at a vehicle-body rear face and the baggage-compartment floor disposed in front of the vehicle-body opening portion, comprising:

a pair of guide rails provided at both-side walls of a baggage compartment so as to extend obliquely relative to a vertical direction;

a first tonneau cover provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above the baggage-compartment floor, a rear end of the first tonneau cover being supported at the guide rails;

a second tonneau cover provided at the rear end of the first tonneau cover, a rear end portion of the second tonneau cover being coupled to the back door, the second tonneau cover having a rollable type of sheet member; and

a slide drive mechanism operative to move substantially vertically the rear end of the first tonneau cover and a front end of the second tonneau cover along the guide rails,

wherein said first tonneau cover is comprised of a board member, and the sheet member of said second tonneau cover has a side cut-away portion that is operative to prevent interference with a periphery of the vehicle-body opening portion formed at the vehicle-body rear face when the back door is open.

22. A tonneau cover device of a vehicle, which is provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above a baggage-compartment floor at a vehicle-body rear portion that is equipped with a back door to open and close a vehicle-body opening portion formed at a vehicle-body rear face and the baggage-compartment floor disposed in front of the vehicle-body opening portion, comprising:

a pair of guide rails provided at both-side walls of a baggage compartment so as to extend obliquely relative to a vertical direction;

a first tonneau cover provided so as to extend substantially horizontally above the baggage-compartment floor, a rear end of the first tonneau cover being supported at the guide rails;

a second tonneau cover provided at the rear end of the first tonneau cover, a rear end portion of the second tonneau cover being coupled to the back door, the second tonneau cover having a rollable type of sheet member; and

a slide drive mechanism operative to move substantially vertically the rear end of the first tonneau cover and a front end of the second tonneau cover along the guide rails,

wherein said first tonneau cover is comprised of a board member, and the sheet member of said second tonneau cover has a transparent portion.