Pick-up truck box cover

• US 8,061,758 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laurmark Enterprises Incorporated (Truck Hero, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Israel Maimin, Julian Maimin
• Inventors: Maimin, Julian, Maimin, Israel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan; Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK, MELISSA ANN
• Application Number:
  US12/471,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20090278377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 296/37.6, 296/37.1, 296/24.3, 296/136.01, 296/136.03, 296/136.04, 296/136.05, 296/136.06, 296/100.03, 296/100.04, 296/100.05, 296/100.09, 296/37.16
• US Class Current: 296/100.09
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/141 for covering load areas, e.g. for pick-up trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 7/02 Covering of load

Abstract

A cover assembly for a pick-up truck cargo box includes first and second rails attachable at the sides of the box. A cover has a first resilient hinge strip connecting a first panel to a second panel and allowing the first panel to pivot relative to the second panel. A third panel is attached to the second panel by a second resilient hinge strip, which allows the second panel to pivot relative to the third panel. The panels are supported on the rails. Latches on the panels hold the panels onto the rails. The cover may be opened by sequentially releasing the latches and folding the panels over onto each other.

Claims

1. A cover for a pick-up truck cargo box, comprising:

a first panel and a second panel;

a first lateral member attached to the front lateral edge of the first panel;

a second lateral member attached to a back lateral edge of the second panel;

a first spacer bar, and with the first lateral member including an interlocking element interlocked with the first spacer bar;

a first hinge joint pivotally attaching the first lateral member to a back side of the first spacer bar;

a second hinge joint pivotally attaching a front side of the first spacer bar to the second lateral member;

a first resilient seal compressed between the first spacer bar and at least one of the first and second lateral members, when the cover is in an unfolded position;

a third panel;

a third lateral member attached to a back lateral edge of the third panel;

a second spacer bar;

a third hinge joint pivotally attaching the third lateral member to a front side of the second spacer bar;

a second resilient seal compressed between the second spacer bar and at least one of the second and third lateral members, when the cover is in an unfolded position; and

with the second spacer bar having a width greater than the first spacer bar and less than the width of the second panel and of the third panel, and the width of the second spacer bar selected to allow the second panel to fold over substantially flat onto the third panel, with a top surface of the first panel facing a top surface of the second panel and with a bottom surface of the first panel facing a top surface of the third panel.

2. A cover for a pick-up truck cargo box, comprising:

a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, with each panel having a core material between top and bottom plates;

a first lateral member attached to the front lateral edge of the first panel;

a first spacer bar, with the first lateral frame member including a first interlocking element interlocked with a back lateral edge of the first spacer bar and with first panel pivotally attached to the first spacer bar;

a second lateral member attached to a back lateral edge of the second panel, with the second lateral member including a second interlocking element interlocked with a front lateral edge of the first spacer bar;

a second spacer bar;

a third lateral member attached to a front lateral edge of the second panel, with the third lateral member including a third interlocking element interlocked with a back lateral edge of the second spacer bar;

a fourth lateral member attached to a back lateral edge of the third panel, with the fourth lateral member including a fourth interlocking element interlocked with front lateral edge of the second spacer bar;

with the second spacer bar having a width greater than the first spacer bar and less than the width of the second panel and of the third panel, and the width of the second spacer bar selected to allow the second panel to fold over onto the third panel, with a top surface of the first panel facing and substantially parallel to a top surface of the second panel and with a bottom surface of the first panel facing and substantially parallel to a top surface of the third panel.

3. The cover of claim 2 further comprising a first resilient seal strip compressed between the first spacer bar and the first panel when the cover is in an unfolded position, and a second resilient seal strip compressed between the first spacer bar and the second panel, when the cover is in the unfolded position.

4. The cover of claim 2 with the first, second and third panels each having left and right side longitudinal side members attached to the left and right sides, respectively, of the panels, and with a resilient strip attached to each of the longitudinal side members.