Tonneau cover with airflow passages extending between different sides thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046161-B2
Application number	US-201916407858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2019
Priority date	May 9, 2019
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A tonneau cover for a vehicle cargo bed includes at least one first airflow passage extending between a first side of the tonneau cover and a second side of the tonneau cover opposite the first side, and at least one second airflow passage separate from the first airflow passage and extending between the second side of the tonneau cover and at least one side of the tonneau cover other than the second side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drying module for a vehicle cargo bed, the drying module comprising:
a first rack support structured to be coupled to a tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a first rack support surface on the first rack support resides at a first distance from the tonneau cover; and
a second rack support structured to be coupled to the tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a second rack support surface on the second rack support resides at the first distance from the tonneau cover and opposite the first rack support surface,
each of the first rack support and second rack support including at least one groove formed therealong, the at least one groove defining a rack support surface.

2. The drying module of claim 1 wherein the first rack support and the second rack support are structured to be coupled to the tonneau cover so as to be rotatable with respect to the tonneau cover.

3. The drying module of claim 2 wherein the first rack support and the second rack support are rotatably mounted to a mounting base structured to be attached to the tonneau cover.

4. The drying module of claim 2 wherein the first rack support and the second rack support are structured to be rotatable with respect to the tonneau cover to respective stowed positions in which one of the first rack support and the second rack support overlaps the other one of the first rack support and the second rack support.

5. The drying module of claim 1 further comprising a first rack structured to be supported between the first rack support and the second rack support by the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface when the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface reside at the first distance from the tonneau cover.

6. The drying module of claim 5 wherein the first rack is structured so that an interference fit is formed between the first rack and the first rack support and between the first rack and the second rack support when the first rack is supported by the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface.

7. The drying module of claim 1 wherein the first rack support is structured to be positionable so that another first rack support surface on the first rack support resides at a second distance from the tonneau cover different from the first distance, and the second rack support is structured to be positionable so that another second rack support surface on the second rack support resides at the second distance from the tonneau cover and opposite the other first rack support surface.

8. An assembly comprising:
a tonneau cover for a vehicle cargo bed; and
the drying module in accordance with claim 1 coupled to the tonneau cover.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the tonneau cover has a first airflow passage extending therethrough and a second airflow passage extending therethrough and spaced apart from the first airflow passage, and wherein the drying module is coupled to the tonneau cover between the first airflow passage and the second airflow passage.

10. An assembly comprising:
a tonneau cover for a vehicle cargo bed; and
a drying module coupled to the tonneau cover, the drying module including a first rack support structured to be coupled to a tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a first rack support surface on the first rack support resides at a first distance from the tonneau cover, and a second rack support structured to be coupled to the tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a second rack support surface on the second rack support resides at the first distance from the tonneau cover and opposite the first rack support surface,
wherein the tonneau cover has a first airflow passage extending therethrough and a second airflow passage extending therethrough and spaced apart from the first airflow passage, and wherein the drying module is coupled to the tonneau cover between the first airflow passage and the second airflow passage.

11. A drying module for a vehicle cargo bed, the drying module comprising:
a first rack support structured to be coupled to a tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a first rack support surface on the first rack support resides at a first distance from the tonneau cover;
a second rack support structured to be coupled to the tonneau cover and to be positionable so that a second rack support surface on the second rack support resides at the first distance from the tonneau cover and opposite the first rack support surface; and
a first rack structured to be supported between the first rack support and the second rack support by the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface when the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface reside at the first distance from the tonneau cover,
the first rack being structured so that an interference fit is formed between the first rack and the first rack support and between the first rack and the second rack support when the first rack is supported by the first rack support surface and the second rack support surface.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Williams Paxton S
• Frederick Scott Louis

Classifications

• B60J7/1607 Primary

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

• 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

• D06F57/125

  for attachment to, or close to, the ceiling · CPC title

• B62D33/042

  divided into compartments (movable bulk heads B60P7/14; cattle transport B60P3/04; bottled liquids B60P3/22) · CPC title