Tonneau cover system and clamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545835-B2
Application number	US-201514875911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A clamp for clamping a tonneau cover to a vehicle cargo box. The clamp can include a first member, a second member, a rod, and a driving member. The first member can have a proximal end pivotably coupled to the cover and a distal end pivotably coupled to a proximal end of the second member. The second member can have a distal end extending at an angle relative to its proximal end and toward the cover. The rod can be coupled to the first member's proximal end and can extend through an opening intermediate the second member's proximal and distal ends. The driving member can be mounted on the rod to engage the second member between its proximal and distal ends to drive the second member along the rod and to cause the first and second members to pivot relative to each other between unclamped and clamped positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tonneau cover system for a cargo box of a pickup truck, the cargo box comprising a ledge and a flange extending downwardly from the ledge, the tonneau cover system comprising:
a tonneau cover designed to cover the cargo box; and
a clamp designed to secure the tonneau cover to the cargo box, the clamp comprising:
a first clamp member pivotably coupled to the tonneau cover at a proximal end and having a distal end;
a second clamp member having a proximal end pivotably coupled to the distal end of the first clamp member, and the second clamp member having a distal end comprising a portion extending at an angle relative to the proximal end of the second clamp member and toward the tonneau cover; and
an elongate member coupled to the proximal end of the first clamp member and extending through an opening intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the second clamp member;

wherein sliding movement of the second clamp member along the elongate member causes the first and second clamp members to pivot relative to each other between an unclamped position and a clamped position in which the distal end of the second clamp member is designed to extend adjacent the flange and to engage a first clamping surface of the distal end of the second clamp member against an interior surface of the ledge.

2. The tonneau cover system according to claim 1 , wherein the first clamp member is designed to engage a second clamping surface against an exterior of the ledge and the first clamping surface of the second clamp member is designed to be positioned against the interior of the ledge to provide substantially aligned opposing forces against opposite surfaces of the ledge when in the clamped position.

3. The tonneau cover system according to claim 2 , wherein the proximal end of the first clamp member is coupled to a structural rail member of the tonneau cover, and the structural rail member of the tonneau cover defines the second clamping surface designed to engage against the exterior of the ledge.

4. The tonneau cover system according to claim 1 , further comprising a driving member mounted on the elongate member to engage the second clamp member between its proximal and distal ends and pivot the second clamp member relative to the first clamp member between the unclamped and clamped positions.

5. The tonneau cover system according to claim 4 , wherein the elongate member comprises a threaded rod and the driving member comprises a manually rotatable connector threadably mounted on the rod.

6. The tonneau cover system according to claim 4 , wherein the driving member is movable between a first arrangement corresponding to the unclamped position in which the driving member is spaced apart along the elongate member a first distance from the tonneau cover and said elongate member extends at a first angle relative to the tonneau cover, and a second arrangement corresponding to the clamped position in which the driving member engages the second clamp member and is spaced apart along the elongate member a second distance from the tonneau cover that is less than the first distance and the rod extends at a second angle relative to the tonneau cover that is less than the first angle.

7. The tonneau cover system according to claim 6 , wherein the elongate member comprises a threaded rod and the driving member comprises a manually rotatable connector threadably mounted on the rod.

8. The tonneau cover system according to claim 1 , wherein the second clamp member defines a recess between the proximal end and the distal end extending at the angle relative to the proximal end of the second clamp member and, when in the clamped position, the recess is designed to create a space between the downwardly extending flange and the second clamp member.

9. The tonneau cover system according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second clamp members are designed to pivot apart and to permit the clamp to be pivoted relative to the tonneau cover in order to align the downwardly extending flange with the recess when in the unclamped position.

10. A tonneau cover clamp for clamping a tonneau cover to a cargo box of a pickup truck, the cargo box comprising a ledge and a flange extending downwardly from the ledge, the tonneau cover clamp comprising:
a first clamp member designed to be pivotably coupled to the tonneau cover at a proximal end and having a distal end;
a second clamp member having a proximal end pivotably coupled to the distal end of the first clamp member, and the second clamp member having a distal end comprising a portion extending at an angle relative to the proximal end of the second clamp member and designed to extend toward the tonneau cover;
a rod defining an axis and coupled to the proximal end of the first clamp member and extending through an opening intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the second clamp member; and
a manually actuatable driving member mounted on the rod to engage the second clamp member between its proximal and distal ends to drive the second clamp member along the axis of the rod and cause the first and second clamp members to pivot relative to each other between an unclamped position and a clamped position.

11. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 10 , wherein the rod comprises threads and the manually actuatable driving member comprises a manually rotatable connector threadably mounted on the rod.

12. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 10 , wherein the angle at which the distal end of the second clamp member extends relative to the proximal end of the second clamp member is designed to allow the distal end of the second clamp member to extend adjacent to the flange and to engage a clamping surface of the distal end of the second clamp member against an interior surface of the ledge when in the clamped position.

13. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 10 , wherein the first clamp member comprises a pivotable coupling structured designed to pivotably couple the clamp to a rail of the tonneau cover.

14. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 10 , wherein the manually actuatable driving member is movable between a first arrangement corresponding to the unclamped position in which the manually actuatable driving member is spaced apart along the rod a first distance from a distal end of the rod and said elongate member extends at a first angle relative to the first clamp member, and a second arrangement corresponding to the clamped position in which the manually actuatable driving member engages against the second clamp member and is spaced apart along the rod a second distance from the distal end of the rod that is greater than the first distance, and the rod extends at a second angle relative to the first clamp member that is less than the first angle.

15. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 14 , wherein the rod comprises threads and the manually actuatable driving member comprises a manually rotatable connector threadably mounted on the rod.

16. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 10 , wherein the angle at which the distal end of the second clamp member extends relative to the proximal end of the second clamp member defines a recess between the proximal end of the second clamp member and the distal end of the second clamp member designed to receive the downwardly extending flange in a non-contacting relationship when in the clamped position.

17. The tonneau cover clamp according to claim 16 , wherein, when in the unclamped position, the first and second clamp members are designed to pivot apart sufficiently to permit the clamp

Assignees

• Extang Corp

Inventors

• Facchinello Jerome J
• Fabros Charles A
• Kozlowski Brian P

Classifications

• B60J7/141

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

• B60J7/102

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

• F16B2/185

  using levers · CPC title

• B60J7/198 Primary

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

• B60J7/106

  readily detachable hard-tops (storage compartment for collapsible flexible tops B60J7/20) · CPC title