Tonneau cover with integrated drying cavity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875392-B2
Application number	US-201916395805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A tonneau cover for a vehicle cargo includes a first panel having a first opening structured to enable fluid communication between a first side of the first panel and a second side of the first panel opposite the first side. The tonneau cover defines at least one airflow passage in fluid communication with the first opening and extending along the second side of the first panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tonneau cover for a vehicle cargo bed, the tonneau cover comprising a first tonneau cover panel and a second tonneau cover panel positioned opposite the first tonneau cover panel and structured to reside between the first tonneau cover panel and a floor of the cargo bed when the tonneau cover is mounted on the vehicle so as to cover the cargo bed, the first tonneau cover panel including a first opening structured to enable fluid communication between a first side of the first panel and a second side of the first tonneau cover panel opposite the first side, the tonneau cover defining at least one airflow passage in fluid communication with the first opening and extending along the second side of the first tonneau cover panel between the first panel and the second tonneau cover panel.

2. The tonneau cover of claim 1 further comprising a second opening structured to enable fluid communication between the first side of first tonneau cover panel and the at least one airflow passage along the second side of first tonneau cover panel and wherein the at least one airflow passage extends between the first opening and the second opening.

3. The tonneau cover of claim 2 further comprising an impeller configured to be positionable within the at least one airflow passage and operable to draw air into the at least one airflow passage through one of the first opening and the second opening.

4. The tonneau cover of claim 2 further comprising a first door operable to direct a flow of air from the first side of the first tonneau cover panel into the first opening when the tonneau cover is mounted on a vehicle and the vehicle is moving in a forward direction of the vehicle, the first door also being operable to block a flow of air through the first opening between the first side of the first tonneau cover panel and the at least one airflow passage.

5. The tonneau cover of claim 4 further comprising a second door operable to permit a flow of air through the second opening between the at least one airflow passage and the first side of the first tonneau cover panel and operable to block a flow of air through the second opening between the at least one airflow passage and the first side of the first tonneau cover panel, and wherein the second door is configured to be operable to direct a flow of air from the at least one airflow passage in a direction toward the first opening.

6. The tonneau cover of claim 1 wherein the second tonneau cover panel is structured to prevent leakage of moisture from the at least one airflow passage through the second tonneau cover panel.

7. The tonneau cover of claim 1 further comprising at least one other opening extending through an associated side edge of the tonneau cover and structured to enable fluid communication between the at least one airflow passage and an exterior of the at least one airflow passage.

8. The tonneau cover of claim 1 further comprising at least one object positioning feature positioned in the at least one airflow passage.

9. The tonneau cover of claim 8 wherein the at least one object positioning feature is positioned on at least one of the first tonneau cover panel and the second tonneau cover panel.

10. The tonneau cover of claim 8 further comprising at least one mounting member positioned in the at least one airflow passage, and wherein the at least one object positioning feature is located on the at least one mounting member.

11. The tonneau cover of claim 1 further comprising one or more positionable wall portions securable within the airflow passage to guide an air flow within the airflow passage.

12. The tonneau cover of claim 1 further comprising at least one access door formed in the first tonneau cover panel and operable to enable access to the at least one airflow passage from an exterior of the tonneau cover.

13. A tonneau cover for a vehicle having a cab and a cargo bed located behind the cab, the tonneau cover comprising:
an airflow inlet located so as to be positioned along a first side of a top panel of the tonneau cover between the cab and a rear end of the tonneau cover when the tonneau cover is mounted on the vehicle so as to cover the cargo bed;
an airflow outlet located so as to be positioned along the first side of the top panel between the cab and the airflow inlet when the tonneau cover is mounted on the vehicle so as to cover the cargo bed; and
an airflow passage extending along a second side of the cover top panel opposite the first side,
the tonneau cover being structured to direct a flow of air along the airflow passage from the inlet toward the outlet when the vehicle is moving in a forward direction of the vehicle.

14. The tonneau cover of claim 2 wherein the second opening is structured to reside between the first opening and a cab of the vehicle when the tonneau cover is mounted on the vehicle.

15. The tonneau cover of claim 7 comprising a side opening extending through each side edge of a pair of opposed side edges of the tonneau cover, each side opening being structured to enable fluid communication between the at least one airflow passage and the exterior of the at least one airflow passage.

16. The tonneau cover of claim 4 wherein the at least one airflow passage is structured to direct a flow of air from the first opening toward the second opening when the tonneau cover is mounted on a vehicle and the vehicle is moving in a forward direction of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Williams Paxton S
• Frederick Scott Louis

Classifications

• F26B19/005

  Self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for agricultural produce (movable devices with radiation means F26B3/28; small self-contained devices for drying objects at rest F26B9/003) · CPC title

• B60J7/1607 Primary

  for covering load areas, e.g. rigid panels for pick-up truck beds · CPC title

• F26B23/04

  using electric heating (F26B23/10 takes precedence) · CPC title