Power-operated retractable closure panel for truck bed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12428895-B2
Application number	US-202217884087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2022
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A closure system for a motor vehicle cargo bed includes a closure panel having a plurality of slats moveable between a deployed position and a retracted position, with each adjacent pair of the slats being pivotably connected to one another by a hinge unit for pivotal movement of the adjacent slats about a hinge axis. First and second guide track units are configured to be mounted to one side of the cargo bed to extend adjacent opposite side edge portions of the closure panel. A plurality of roller units, each having first and second rollers, are supported along the opposite side edge portions of the cover panel for rolling movement along the first and second guide track units, with each roller unit rolling about a roller axis that is coaxially aligned with one of the hinge axes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure system for a motor vehicle having a cargo bed, comprising:
a closure panel extending along opposite side edge portions between opposite end portions, said closure panel being moveable between a deployed position and a retracted position and having a plurality of slats, with adjacent pairs of said plurality of slats being pivotably connected to one another by at least one hinge unit to facilitate relative pivotal movement between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of slats about a hinge axis;
a guide track mechanism including a driver-side guide track unit, configured to be mounted to the cargo bed and to extend adjacent one of said opposite side edge portions, and a passenger-side guide track unit, configured to be mounted to said cargo bed and to extend adjacent the other of said opposite side edge portions;
a plurality of roller units, each of said roller units having an axle, at least one roller supported by a roller support segment of said axle for rolling movement about a roller axis along said driver-side guide track unit and along said passenger-side guide track unit, and a mounting segment coupled to said at least one hinge unit, wherein said hinge axis and said roller axis are coaxially aligned; and
wherein the at least one roller include a first roller and a second roller, wherein said driver-side guide track unit and said passenger-side guide track unit each include a first roller surface and a second roller surface, wherein said first roller is configured for rolling engagement with said first roller surface and said second roller is configured for rolling engagement with said second roller surface.

2. The closure system of claim 1 , wherein said first roller is spaced from said second roller surface and said second roller is spaced from said first roller surface.

3. The closure system of claim 2 , wherein said first roller surface has a stepped portion forming a gap between a portion of said first roller surface overlying said second roller.

4. The closure system of claim 3 , wherein said first roller surface extends solely along one side of said roller axis and said second roller surface extends solely along a diametrically opposite side of said roller axis from said first roller surface.

5. The closure system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of slat seal units, separate ones of said slat seal units extending between the adjacent pairs of said plurality of slats to provide a continuous sealed interface between the adjacent pairs of said plurality slats to prevent the ingress of fluid into the cargo bed when the closure panel is in the deployed position.

6. The closure system of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of slat seal units have a first retention segment configured for attachment to one of the adjacent pairs of said plurality slats and a second retention segment configured for attachment to the other of the adjacent pairs of said plurality slats, a first sealing segment connected to the first retention segment, a second sealing segment connected to the second retention segment, and a flexible, looped web segment extending between the first sealing segment and the second sealing segment, wherein the web segment allows the first sealing segment and the second sealing segment to move laterally toward and away from one another during movement of the cover panel between the deployed and retracted positions.

7. The closure system of claim 6 , wherein the first sealing segment and the second sealing segment have a tubular wall extending lengthwise between the opposite driver-side and passenger-side guide track units.

8. The closure system of claim 1 , further including a track sealing arrangement arranged to provide sealed engagement with the driver-side and passenger-side guide track units to seal driver-side and passenger-side guide track units to maintain first and second rollers in a sealed environment.

9. The closure system of claim 8 , wherein the track sealing arrangement includes a pair of upper track seal units that extend longitudinally along the length of the driver-side and passenger-side guide track units, and a pair of lower track seal units that extend longitudinally along the length of the driver-side and passenger-side guide track units, each of the upper track seal units having a slat seal lip and a track seal lip, the slat seal lip extending over and resiliently engaging an outer surface of the plurality of slats to provide an external sealing function relative to the cover panel when the cover panel is in the deployed position, each of the lower track seal units having a flapper seal lip including a tip end biased into sealed engagement against the track seal lip of the upper track seal units.

10. The closure system of claim 9 , wherein the track seal lip is configured to engage and ride over of the axles of the plurality of roller units.

11. The closure system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge unit comprises an aperture, wherein the mounting segment is coupled to said at least one hinge unit within the aperture using a tolerance connection.

12. A closure system for a motor vehicle having a cargo bed, comprising:
a closure panel extending along opposite side edge portions between opposite end portions, said closure panel being moveable between a deployed position and a retracted position and having a plurality of slats, with adjacent pairs of said plurality of slats being pivotably connected to one another by at least one hinge unit to facilitate relative pivotal movement between said adjacent pairs of said plurality of slats about a hinge axis;
a guide track mechanism including a driver-side guide track unit, configured to be mounted to the cargo bed and to extend adjacent one of said opposite side edge portions, and a passenger-side guide track unit, configured to be mounted to said cargo bed and to extend adjacent the other of said opposite side edge portions;
a plurality of roller units, each of said roller units having an axle, at least one roller supported by a roller support segment of said axle for rolling movement about a roller axis along said driver-side guide track unit and along said passenger-side guide track unit, and a mounting segment coupled to said at least one hinge unit, wherein said hinge axis and said roller axis are coaxially aligned;
a first power-operated drive unit and a storage box including a furling mechanism configured to be mounted in the cargo bed;
a chain linkage mechanism having a first portion connected to the closure panel and a second portion connected to the furling mechanism; and
a control system for controlling actuation of the first power-operated drive unit to cause movement of the closure panel between the retracted position stored within the furling mechanism in the storage box and the deployed position enclosing the cargo bed.

13. The closure system of claim 12 , wherein the furling mechanism includes a circuitous furling channel formed in an end plate of the storage box and which is adapted to receive the chain linkage mechanism and the closure panel therein upon movement of the closure panel to its retracted position.

14. The closure system of claim 13 , further including a cable management arrangement including a cable connecting the closure panel and the chain linkage arrangement to the furling channel and cable guide units connected to adjacent pairs of said axles of said roller units.

15. The closure system of claim 12 , further including an applique cover configured to be mounted to the cargo bed above the storage box and above a portion of the closure panel for movement between a

Assignees

• Magna Closures Inc

Inventors

• Kober Tobias
• Gierak Mariusz
• Papendorf Marcus
• Bruder Gernot
• Anders Jens
• Kostadinov Metodi
• Bertz Frank

Classifications

• E05Y2201/656

  Chains · CPC title

• E05Y2400/41

  for multiple motors · CPC title

• E05Y2201/688

  Rollers · CPC title

• E05Y2201/684

  Rails; Tracks · CPC title

• E05Y2201/668

  Pulleys; Wheels · CPC title