Tonneau cover striker assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10471815-B2
Application number	US-201715850237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

An assembly for opening and closing a tonneau cover. The assembly having a plate; a latch in communication with the plate, the latch having a finger that is adapted to engage the tonneau cover; and a shaft that is connected to the plate at one end, and at another end, the shaft has a pin that is adapted to engage a slot defined in the latch. Application of a force on the plate in a first direction causes the plate to move in the first direction, which causes the latch to move in a second direction so that the tonneau cover is moved into a closed configuration. Removal of the force from the plate causes the plate to move in a third direction, which causes the latch to move in a fourth direction so that the tonneau cover is moved into an open configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An assembly for moving a tonneau cover, the assembly comprising:
i) a plate;
ii) a latch in communication with the plate, the latch is adapted to engage the tonneau cover; the latch comprises a slot; and
iii) a shaft connected to the plate at one end, the shaft comprises a pin that is adapted to engage the slot;
wherein movement of the plate in a first direction causes the pin to slide in the slot so that the latch moves the tonneau cover into an at least partially closed configuration.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly comprises:
iv) a spring that is adapted to be compressed during movement of the plate in the first direction.

3. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a housing having an opening defined by opposing walls, the shaft is received through the opening, and the slot comprises opposing slots each one of which are defined in one of the opposing walls.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the slot extends along an axis that is at a slant relative to the first direction.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the latch comprises a housing, the housing has an opening through which the shaft extends and an engagement feature for engaging the tonneau cover.

6. The assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the engagement feature is C-shaped.

7. The assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises two slots that are engaged by the pin and slanted relative to the first direction.

8. A vehicle comprising the assembly according to claim 1 .

9. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises a tailgate, and the plate is configured to be moved in the first direction during movement of the tailgate.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises a fender, and the assembly is attached to the fender.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle comprises a tailgate, and the plate is configured to be moved in the first direction during closing of the tailgate, and the plate is configured to be moved in another direction during opening of the tailgate.

12. An assembly for moving a tonneau cover, the assembly comprising:
i) a plate;
ii) a latch in communication with the plate, the latch comprises a housing having an opening and one or more slots, the latch comprises a finger that is adapted to engage the tonneau cover,
iii) a shaft that is connected to the plate, the shaft comprises a pin that is adapted to engage the one or more slots, the shaft is received through the opening in the latch; and
iv) a spring that is engaged by the shaft,
wherein movement of the plate and the shaft in a first direction causes the pin to slide in the one or more slots so that the latch to moves the tonneau cover into an at least partially closed configuration,
wherein during the movement of the shaft in the first direction the spring is compressed; and
wherein uncompressing the spring causes the latch to move the tonneau cover into an at least partially open configuration.

13. The assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the plate is adapted to be moved in the first direction by at least partially closing a tailgate, and the plate is adapted to be moved in another direction after the tailgate is at least partially opened.

14. An assembly comprising:
i) a plate; and
ii) a latch in communication with the plate, the latch is adapted to engage a tonneau cover,
wherein movement of the plate in a first direction causes the latch to move in a second direction, which causes the tonneau cover to move, and
wherein movement of the plate in a third direction causes the latch to move in a fourth direction, which causes the tonneau cover to move.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the assembly comprises:
iii) a shaft, the shaft is connected to the plate, and the shaft comprises a pin that is adapted to engage a slot defined in the latch.

16. The assembly according to claim 15 , wherein the assembly comprises:
iv) a spring that is engaged by the shaft,
wherein movement of the plate in the first direction causes the spring to compress, and uncompressing the spring causes the plate to move in the third direction.

17. The assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the shaft comprises a pair of engagement tabs that are adapted to engage the spring.

18. The assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the latch comprises a housing, the housing comprises opposing walls defining an opening between the walls, the shaft is adapted to be received through the opening, and the slot comprises opposing slots each of which are defined in the opposing walls.

19. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the latch comprises a C-shaped feature that is adapted to engage the tonneau cover.

20. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the plate is adapted to be moved in the first direction by at least partially closing a tailgate, and the plate is adapted to be moved in the third direction when the tailgate is at least partially opened.

Assignees

• Tectum Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Carter Chad
• Stubbs Anthony

Classifications

• B60J7/141 Primary

  for covering load areas, e.g. for pick-up trucks · CPC title

• B60J7/198 Primary

  for locking tonneau covers such as covers for roof storage compartments or for pick-up truck beds · CPC title

• B62D33/03

  by swinging down {(B62D33/0273 takes precedence)} · CPC title