Telescoping truck bed shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11446993-B2
Application number	US-202017089460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A telescoping truck bed shell is disclosed herein. The truck bed shell is capable of being retracted so that the user can have full access to the truck bed and also extended so that the user can have a protected volume at the truck bed in order to store things. The telescoping truck bed has traversable frames and a traversable cover wherein the frames and cover may be traversed between extended and retracted positions depending on whether the truck bed shell is being deployed or stored.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A truck comprising:
a cab having a roof;
a truck bed coupled to the cab; and
a collapsible shell having:
a plurality of first frames moveable with respect to each other, the plurality of first frames being mounted to the truck bed, the plurality of first frames being traversable between a stored position, wherein the plurality of first frames are retracted with respect to each other, and a deployed position wherein the plurality of first frames are extended out with respect to each other;
a plurality of second frames moveable with respect to each other, the plurality of second frames being mounted to the truck bed, the plurality of second frames being traversable between a stored position, wherein the plurality of second frames are retracted to each other, and a deployed position wherein the plurality of second frames are extended out with each other; and
a cover traversable between a stored position and an extended position, the cover engaged to the plurality of first and second frames when the cover is in the extended position;
wherein the cover is rolled when in the stored position and unrolled when in the extended position.

2. The truck of claim 1 wherein when the cover is in the stored position and the plurality of first and second frames are in the stored position, a full length of the truck bed is usable, and when the cover is in the extended position and the plurality of first and second frames are in the extended position, the collapsible shell forms a covered interior volume over the truck bed.

3. The truck of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of first frames extending from the truck bed to define a first frame height, the first frame height of the plurality of first frames being non-uniform, and each of the plurality of second frames extending from the truck bed to define a second frame height, the second frame height of the plurality of second frames being non-uniform.

4. The truck of claim 1 wherein the cover extends between the first and second frames.

5. The truck of claim 1 wherein the cover is attachable to a front portion of the collapsible shell.

6. A truck with a shell, the truck comprising:
a cab defining a roof and a truck bed defining first and second sidewalls and a tailgate;
the shell having:
a first frame being mounted to the first sidewall;
a second frame being mounted to the second sidewall;
a cover attached to the shell, the cover being traversable between a stored position and an extended position wherein in the stored position, the truck bed is accessible to a user and the shell is traversable to the stored position, and in the extended position, the cover is engaged to the first and second frames to form an enclosed space at the bed of the truck;
wherein when the cover is in the stored position, a full length of the truck bed is usable, and when the cover is in the extended position, the shell forms a covered interior volume over the truck bed;
wherein the cover is a rollable to the stored position and may be unrolled to the extended position.

7. The truck of claim 6
wherein the cover is attachable to a front portion of the shell.

8. A shell attachable to a truck, the shell comprising:
a first frame being mountable to a first sidewall of a bed of the truck;
a second frame being mountable to a second sidewall of the bed of the truck;
a cover that is traversable between a stored position and an extended position wherein in the stored position, the cover is disposed at a front of the shell and in the extended position, the cover is engageable to the first and second frames to form an enclosed space over the truck bed;
wherein when the cover is in the stored position, a full length of the truck bed is accessible, and when the cover is in the extended position, the shell forms a covered interior volume over the truck bed;
wherein the cover is attachable to a front portion of the shell.

9. The truck of claim 8 wherein the cover is a rollable to the stored position and may be unrolled to the extended position.

Assignees

• Singer Nicholas J

Inventors

• Singer Nicholas J

Classifications

• B60J7/141 Primary

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

• B62D33/08

  comprising adjustable means (B62D33/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D33/04

  Enclosed load compartments {; Frameworks for movable panels, tarpaulins or side curtains (side curtains per se B60J5/065; tarpaulins per se B60J7/00, B60P7/04)} · CPC title

• B60J7/026

  with rigid non plate-like elements, e.g. for convertible vehicles · CPC title

• B60P3/42

  convertible from one use to a different one (vehicles capable of travelling in or on different media, rail-and-road vehicles B60F) · CPC title