Electronic actuated tonneau cover striker assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11725433-B2
Application number	US-202016953839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

A striker assembly comprising: (a) a latch that releasably engages a tonneau cover or a truck cap; and (b) an actuator in communication with the latch to actuate the latch between an open position and a closed position, wherein the actuation causes the tonneau cover or the truck cap to move between the open position and the closed position; wherein actuation is initiated wirelessly based on an input signal received by the actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
(a) a plunger connected to a shaft;
(b) a latch that is adapted to releasably receive and engage a portion of a tonneau cover, the tonneau cover comprising a side rail; and
(c) an actuator in communication with the latch to actuate the latch between an open position and a closed position, wherein the actuation is adapted to cause the tonneau cover to move between an open position and a closed position; and
(d) a rail lock;
wherein movement of the plunger triggers the actuator to move the latch between the open position and the closed position, whereby a slot of a latch housing is guided along a guide pin of the shaft to move the latch between the open position and the closed position, and
wherein the rail lock is configured to receive a portion of the side rail and a portion of the tonneau cover to prevent movement of the tonneau cover, and a guide pin extends into a slot of the rail lock to move the rail lock relative to the side rail during actuation of the actuator.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein movement of the plunger sends an electrical signal to the actuator to initiate the actuation.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plunger includes a threaded rod that is threaded into a bore of the shaft, and movement of the shaft based on the movement of the plunger signals the actuator to initiate the actuation.

4. An assembly comprising:
(a) a latch adapted to releasably engage a tonneau cover or a truck cap; and
(b) an actuator in communication with the latch to actuate the latch between an open position and a closed position, wherein the actuation is adapted to cause the tonneau cover or the truck cap to move between an open position and a closed position;
wherein the actuation is initiated wirelessly based on an input signal received by the actuator and the latch is guided along a slot in a housing of the latch and an axis of the slot is substantially parallel to, or coaxial with, a direction of movement of the latch,
wherein the latch includes a notch that receives and secures a portion of the tonneau cover or the truck cap, the notch secures the portion of the tonneau cover or the truck cap with a clasp movably engaged to the notch.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the actuator includes an armature connected to the latch that moves the latch between the open position and the closed position.

6. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the latch is guided along the slot in a linear direction.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the latch is guided along the slot by a stationary guide pin positioned within the housing of the latch.

8. The assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the striker assembly is mounted to a vehicle and movement of a tailgate of the vehicle sends a signal to the actuator to initiate the actuation of the latch.

9. An assembly comprising:
(a) a latch that releasably engages a tonneau cover or a truck cap, the tonneau cover or the truck cap having a side rail; and
(b) an actuator connected to the latch by linkage to actuate the latch between an open position and a closed position, the actuator comprising:
(1) a motor;
(2) a pinion driven by the motor; and
(3) a gear rack in communication with the pinion to translate movement of the pinion into movement of the gear rack, wherein a guide pin of the gear rack extends into a slot of the side rail to guide the gear rack along the side rail;
wherein the tonneau cover or the truck cap includes a rail lock that receives a portion of the side rail within a lip to prevent movement of the tonneau cover or truck cap, and the guide pin also extends into a slot of the rail lock to move the rail lock relative to the side rail during articulation.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the pinion is rotated by the motor to move the gear rack linearly to actuate the latch.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the motor communicates with an intermediary gear box to drive the pinion.

12. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the actuator further includes an actuator bracket, and the actuator bracket is secured within a side rail of a cargo box so that the actuator remains stationary while the gear rack moves along the side rail.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the rail lock moves both axially and laterally relative to the side rail.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the slot of the rail lock is substantially perpendicular to the slot of the side rail.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the rail lock includes a diagonal guide that is guided by a rail pin of the side rail during the articulation of the assembly.

Assignees

• Tectum Holdings Inc
• Extang Corp

Inventors

• Carter Chad
• Facchinello Jerome

Classifications

• E05C3/12 Primary

  with latching action (devices in which the securing part is formed or merely carried by a spring and moves only by distortion of the spring, e.g. snaps, E05C19/06; tilt-plate latches E05C19/007) · CPC title

• B60J7/198 Primary

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

• B60R16/03

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• E05Y2201/686

  Rods, links · CPC title

• E05Y2201/716

  Pinions · CPC title