Roll cover assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129408-A1
Application number	US-201715410240-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 22, 2014
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A roll cover assembly for covering a cargo space of a vehicle includes a cassette housing an extendable/retractable roll cover, a first receptacle adjacent a first side wall of the cargo space and having a channel configured to slidably guide a first end of the cassette during insertion or removal, a second receptacle adjacent a second side wall of the cargo space and having an opening configured to receive a second end of the cassette and permit pivoting of the cassette about the second end during removal of the first end from the first receptacle, a locking mechanism releasably locking the first end of the cassette into the first receptacle, and a release device actuatable to release the locking mechanism by pulling along a line-of-action parallel with a direction in which the first end of the cassette moves during removal from the first receptacle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for a vehicle comprising:
first and second receptacles disposed on opposite sides of a cargo space of the vehicle; a cassette receiving a roll cover extendable to cover at least a portion of the cargo space and having first and second ends engagable with the first and second receptacles respectively; a locking mechanism releasably locking the first end of the cassette into the first receptacle; and a release device connected to the locking mechanism and configured to release the first end from the first receptacle by withdrawing a latching member of the locking mechanism from engagement with the receptacle.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first receptacle includes a channel configured to slidably guide the first end of the cassette during insertion of the first end into the first receptacle.

3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the channel is tapered such that a vertical height of the channel is greater at a first end of the channel which initially receives the first end of the cassette during insertion than at a second end of the channel at which the first end of the cassette is locked by the locking mechanism.

4 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the channel is tapered such that a depth of the channel is smaller at a first end of the channel which initially receives the first end of the cassette during insertion than at a second end of the channel at which the first end of the cassette is locked by the locking mechanism.

5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first receptacle includes a recess for receiving the latching member of the locking mechanism.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second receptacle defines an opening configured to receive the second end of the cassette and permit pivoting of the second end relative to the opening during removal of the first end from the first receptacle.

7 . An assembly comprising:
a cassette for a roll cover extendable to cover a vehicle cargo space and having an end removably engagable with a receptacle of the vehicle adjacent the cargo space; and a locking mechanism retaining the end in the receptacle and releasable by pulling a release device along a line-of-action parallel with a direction in which the end moves during removal from the receptacle.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the release device is a flexible member.

9 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the release device is configured such that the line-of-action is closer to a lower surface of the cassette than an upper surface of the cassette.

10 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a latching member, the latching member configured to releasably latch into a recess provided in the receptacle.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a rack-and-pinion mechanism operated by pulling the release device to withdraw the latching member from the recess.

12 . The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the release device is connected to a rotatable carrier, the carrier being connected to the pinion with a common axis of rotation, wherein the release device is connected to the carrier at a point with a distance from the common axis that is greater than a radius of the pinion at an interface with a rack of the rack-and-pinion mechanism.

13 . The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a cam and a cam surface, the release device being operatively coupled to one of the cam or cam surface.

14 . The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the latching member is operatively coupled to an other of the cam and cam surface such that the latching member is releasable by virtue of an interaction between the cam and cam surface.

15 . A roll-cover comprising:
a cassette having an end engageable with a receptacle; and rack-and-pinion including a release device maintaining the end in a receptacle and connecting to a rotatable carrier which is connected to a pinion with a common axis of rotation where the release device is connected to the carrier at a distance from the axis that is greater than a radius of the pinion at an interface with a rack of the rack-and-pinion.

16 . The roll-cover of claim 15 , wherein the release device is a strap.

17 . The roll-cover of claim 15 , wherein the release device is connected to the carrier at a location closer to a lower surface of the cassette than an upper surface of the cassette.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Murray Andrew John
• Craven Richard
• Berry Daniel
• Neugebauer James

Classifications

• B60R5/047 Primary

  collapsible by rolling-up · CPC title

• E06B9/80

  Safety measures against dropping or unauthorised opening; Braking or immobilising devices; Devices for limiting unrolling (securing devices or arrangements for direct manual operation E06B9/78) · CPC title

• A47G5/02

  Roll-up screens · CPC title

• E06B9/08

  Roll-type closures (roller blinds E06B9/40; operating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; usable only as awnings E04F10/06) · CPC title

• B60P7/00

  Securing or covering of load on vehicles ({immobilising the load during lifting a loading platform B60P1/4457}; for railway vehicles B61D45/00) · CPC title