Tonneau cover with two sets of folding legs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10017099-B2
Application number	US-201615186810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A tonneau cover is provided. That tonneau cover includes a panel, a first set of folding legs carried on the panel and a second set of folding legs carried on the panel. The first set of folding legs have a first length L 1 while the second set of folding legs have a second length L 2 where L 1 >L 2 . Depending upon which set of folding legs is deployed, the panel may be converted into a table or a bench as desired.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A tonneau cover, comprising:
a first panel;
a first set of folding legs carried on said first panel;
a second set of folding legs carried on said first panel wherein first set of folding legs have a first length L and said second set of folding legs have a second length L 2 where L 1 >L 2 ;
a second panel, wherein said second panel includes a third set of folding legs having a length L 3 and a fourth set of folding legs having a length L 4 where L 3 >L 4 , and wherein L 3 =L 1 and L 4 =L 2 ;
a third panel, wherein said third panel includes a fifth set of folding legs having a length L 5 and a sixth set of folding legs having a length L 6 where L 5 >L 6 , and wherein L 5 =L 3 =L 1 and L 6 =L 4 =L 2 ; and
a first hinge assembly connecting said panel to said second panel and a second hinge assembly connecting said second panel to said third panel, wherein said first hinge assembly includes (a) a first section comprising a slotted wall defining a cylindrical bore and (b) a second section comprising a cylindrical body carried on a lug.

2. The tonneau cover of claim 1 , wherein said cylindrical body is concentrically received within said slotted wall and held in said cylindrical bore.

3. The tonneau cover of claim 2 , wherein said first panel is disconnected from said second panel by aligning said lug with a slot in said slotted wall and sliding said first panel and said second panel apart.

4. The tonneau cover of claim 1 , further including a first support bar, a second support bar, a third support bar and a fourth support bar.

5. The tonneau cover of claim 4 , wherein said first panel spans and is supported between said first support bar and said second support bar.

6. The tonneau cover of claim 5 , wherein said second panel spans and is supported between said second support bar and said third support bar.

7. The tonneau cover of claim 6 , wherein said third panel spans and is supported between said third support bar and said fourth support bar.

8. The tonneau cover of claim 7 , wherein said first support bar and said fourth support bar each include a single panel support shoulder and said second support bar and said third support bar each include two panel support shoulders.

9. The tonneau cover of claim 8 , further including a latch mechanism securing (a) said first panel to said first support bar and said second support bar, (b) said second panel to said second support bar and said third support bar and (c) said third panel to said third support bar and said fourth support bar.

10. The tonneau cover of claim 1 , further including a first support rail and a second support rail and wherein said first panel, said second panel and said third panel span said first support rail and said second support rail.

11. The tonneau cover of claim 1 , further including a locking mechanism to receive each of said first set of legs and said second set of legs in a stowed position or a deployed position.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Yilma Benjamin
• Loew Pattrick

Classifications

• B60P7/02 Primary

  Covering of load · CPC title

• B62D33/02

  Platforms; Open load compartments {(flat wagons including posts or standards B61D3/08)} · CPC title

• B60P7/08

  Securing to the vehicle floor or sides ({B60P7/065}, B60P7/13, B60P7/135 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R5/04 Primary

  arranged at rear of vehicle {(B60R5/003, B60R5/006 take precedence; external trunks arranged at rear of vehicle B60R9/065)} · CPC title

• A47B85/00

  Furniture convertible into other kinds of furniture · CPC title