Tonneau cover assembly for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347255-A1
Application number	US-201615153871-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tonneau cover assembly for a vehicle includes a tonneau cover having flexibility, a tonneau cover winding rod, a screen having flexibility, a screen winding rod, and a case. The tonneau cover winding rod is for rolling up the tonneau cover from the first end that is fixed to the tonneau cover winding rod. The screen winding rod is for rolling up the screen from the first end that is fixed to the screen winding rod. The case holds the tonneau cover, the tonneau cover winding rod, the screen, and the screen winding rod therein. The case includes an opening for releasing and retracting the tonneau cover and the screen. The tonneau cover winding rod is configured to release the tonneau cover at a portion of the tonneau cover winding rod located higher than a portion of the screen winding rod at which the screen winding rod releases the screen.

First claim

1 . A tonneau cover assembly for a vehicle comprising
a tonneau cover having flexibility and including a first end and a second end that is a free end; a tonneau cover winding rod for rolling up the tonneau cove from the first end that is fixed to the tonneau cover winding rod; a screen having flexibility including a first end and a second end that is a free end; a screen winding rod for rolling up the screen from the first end that is fixed to the screen winding rod; and a case holding the tonneau cover, the tonneau cover winding rod, the screen, and the screen winding rod therein, the case including an opening for releasing and retracting the tonneau cover and the screen, wherein the tonneau cover winding rod is configured to release the tonneau cover at a portion thereof located higher than a portion of the screen winding rod at which the screen winding rod releases the screen.

2 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the screen winding rod is disposed with an upper end thereof located lower than an upper end of the tonneau cover winding rod.

3 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the tonneau cover winding rod is configured to release the tonneau cover at an upper portion thereof, and the screen winding rod is configured to release the screen at a lower portion thereof.

4 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the case includes an opening that opens toward a bottom and a rear of the vehicle for releasing the screen out of the case.

5 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
upper screen holders located at about the same height as the screen winding rod for holding the screen in a horizontal position; and lower screen holders located lower than the screen winding rod for holding the screen in a vertical position.

6 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the screen is a net having flexibility higher than the tonneau cover.

7 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the screen winding rod is disposed more to the front of the vehicle than the tonneau cover winding rod with the upper end of the screen winding rod at a position in the vehicle higher than a lower end of the tonneau cover winding rod.

8 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a handle fixed to the second end of the tonneau cover; and screen holding pieces fixed to the second end of the screen, wherein the handle is hooked on an upper edge of the opening when the tonneau cover is retracted in the case, and the screen holding pieces are hooked on a lower edge of the opening when the screen is retracted in the case.

9 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising rear screen holders located more to the rear than the upper screen holders and the lower screen holders for holding the screen in an oblique position.

10 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the screen holding pieces are hooked on the upper screen holders to hold the screen in the horizontal position, the screen holding pieces are hooked on the lower screen holders to hold the screen in the vertical position, and the screen holding pieces are hooked on the rear screen holders to hold the screen in the oblique position.

11 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the case includes a tonneau cover case, a screen case, and an outer case, the tonneau cover case holds the tonneau cover and the tonneau cover winding rod therein and includes an opening that opens toward a rear of the vehicle, the screen case holds the screen and the screen winding rod therein and includes an opening that opens toward a bottom and a rear of the vehicle, the outer case holds the tonneau cover case and the screen case therein and includes an opening that opens toward the bottom and the rear of the vehicle, and the tonneau cover case and the screen case are arranged in the outer case with an upper edge of the opening of the tonneau cover case is aligned with an upper edge of the opening of the outer case and a lower edge of the opening of the screen case is aligned with a lower edge of the opening of the outer case.

12 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising a front screen holders on a rear surface of a backrest of a rear seat in the vehicle for holding the screen between the case and the rear surface of the backrest of the rear seat.

13 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the case further comprises rollers disposed at intervals in a width direction of the vehicle at the lower edge of the opening of the screen case configured to rotate on the screen in a direction in which the screen is pulled out and in a direction in which the screen is rolled up.

14 . A tonneau cover assembly for a vehicle comprising:
a tonneau cover having flexibility; a tonneau cover winding rod for rolling up the tonneau cover; a screen having flexibility; a screen winding rod for rolling up the screen; and a case holding the tonneau cover winding rod and the screen winding rod therein, the case including an opening including an upper portion through which the tonneau cover is pulled out and a lower portion through which the screen is pulled out.

15 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the tonneau cover winding rod is disposed at a position in the vehicle higher than the screen winding rod.

16 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 14 , wherein
the tonneau cover winding rod is configured to roll up the tonneau cover such that the tonneau cover is released from the tonneau cover winding rod at an upper portion of the tonneau cover winding rod when the tonneau cover is pulled toward a rear of the vehicle, and the screen winding rod is configured to roll up the screen such that the screen is released from the screen winding rod at a lower portion of the screen winding rod when the screen is pulled toward the rear of the vehicle.

17 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the case includes an opening that opens toward the bottom and the rear of the vehicle and through which the screen is pulled out of the case.

18 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising screen holders for holding the screen in a horizontal position and screen holders for holding the screen in a vertical position.

19 . The tonneau cover assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the screen is a net having flexibility higher than the tonneau cover.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Fujii Eiji
• HIBINO Seiei

Classifications

• B60R5/047 Primary

  collapsible by rolling-up · CPC title

• B60J7/102

  Readily detachable tarpaulins, e.g. for utility vehicles; Frames therefor · CPC title

• B60P7/04

  by tarpaulins or like flexible members · CPC title

• B60J7/085

  winding up, e.g. for utility vehicles · CPC title