Protective cover assembly for truck bed

Abstract

A shield assembly for a truck bed of a pickup-type vehicle is provided, the shield assembly comprising: a roller blind (1) having a plurality of laterally adjacent panels (2) hinged to each other; a pair of side rails (3, 4) adapted to be mounted on the upper portion of the side wall of the truck bed and for guiding the ends of laterally adjacent panels (2); and a housing box (5) adapted to receive and store the roller blind (1) wherein the housing box (5) comprises: a transversally rotatable shaft (6) mounted in the housing box; one or more sleeve elements (7, 8) mounted on the transversely rotatable shaft (6); one or more foldable roller blind engagement means (9, 10) each mounted on the one or more sleeve elements (7, 8), the foldable roller blind engagement means being designed to engage an inner end of the roller blind (1); and side walls (11, 12), each having a continuous spiral track extending inwardly, the continuous spiral track defining a scrolling path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cover assembly for a truck bed of a pickup type vehicle, and in particular to a protective cover assembly comprising a housing box for receiving and storing a roller shutter, wherein the housing box is configured for a roller shutter manually operated by a user and is suitable for detachably receiving a torsion spring or an electric motor so that the roller shutter can be selectively operated in a semi-automatic or automatic manner. Background Art

[0002] Patent application document WO90 / 02056A1 describes a shield assembly for covering an opening, the shield assembly comprising an articulated shield and a housing, the articulated shield being mounted on a pair of tracks, the housing having a pair of spiral grooves for receiving and storing the shield in a spiral structure. Patent application document FR2824867A1 describes a rolling blind comprising a shutter consisting of a series of mutually hinged slats. In addition, FR2824867A1 also records that the shutter is wound and unwound by a drive mechanism connected to the shutter by means of a connecting element, and there is also a shutter guide element for guiding the shutter.

[0003] As is well known, retractable roll-up truck bed protection covers are designed and used to provide safety protection for cargo in open pickup truck beds. Conventional retractable roll-up truck bed protection covers generally include a plurality of individual slats that are hinged to form a slat array. The slat array forms a continuous protection cover by hinges between the individual slats. Once the continuous protection cover is mounted on a pair of side rails, it can be fully or partially extended or retracted and stored in a rolled-up configuration within a housing.

[0004] There are several types of roll-up shields known. One type of roll-up shield is a two-way manually operated roll-up shield that does not use springs or motors and includes a spiral track that causes the shield to assume a substantially rolled-up position. However, a disadvantage of this roll-up shield is that if the user applies uneven force across the width of the shield, the shield will not roll straight, resulting in the shield being skewed. Furthermore, this roll-up shield cannot be retrofitted to a spring or motor assisted shield.

[0005] There are also some roll-up guards that have a spring-loaded shaft that helps the user when rolling up the blind. The function of this roll-up guard is completely linked to the spring, so in the event of a spring failure, the roll-up guard will not operate. In addition, this roll-up guard cannot be converted to a manual or electric guard.

[0006] There are also roll-up guards with a spiral track or spring-loaded shaft that include a motor mounted on an auxiliary shaft inside the housing or outside the housing box. In an emergency or if the motor fails, the user can manually operate the roll-up guard through a mechanical device. However, since this type of roll-up guard cannot be manually operated for a long time, the motor still needs to be replaced. In addition, this type of roll-up guard cannot be converted to a manual or spring-assisted type guard.

[0007] Therefore, there remains a need for a guard system that allows the user to easily convert a manually operated guard to a guard with spring or motor assistance, and vice versa, without any tools or expertise, and that can be easily replaced in the event of a malfunction or failure of the spring and / or motor. Summary of the invention

[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a protective cover assembly for a pickup truck bed, the protective cover assembly comprising a roller blind consisting of a plurality of laterally adjacent panels or slats hinged to each other and guided along a channel portion of a pair of side rails adapted to be mounted on an upper portion of a side wall of a truck bed.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, the shield assembly comprises a housing box for receiving and storing a roller blind, the housing comprising a transversely rotatable shaft mounted in the housing and one or more foldable roller blind engaging devices, each foldable roller blind engaging device being evenly distributed along the entire width of the roller blind and mounted on one or more sleeve elements and used to convert the rotational movement of the shaft 6 into the linear movement of the roller blind 1.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a housing box for storing a rolling blind has a side wall, and the side wall includes a spiral track to help guide the rolling blind so that the rolling blind does not generate excessive friction resistance when extending or retracting.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the clamping system at the side wall of the rotatable shaft and the housing box is suitable for receiving a torsion spring loaded assembly or a motor assembly in a slidable and removable manner, so that the user can easily convert a manually operated guard assembly into a semi-automatic or automatic guard assembly, and vice versa, without any tools or expertise. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the present invention and its advantages can be more fully understood:

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective schematic diagram of a protective cover assembly according to the present invention installed on a conventional pickup truck bed.

[0014] Figure 2is a cross-sectional side view of a protective cover assembly according to the present invention, wherein the roller blind is in a fully extended position.

[0015] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a shield assembly according to the present invention with the roller blind in a partially extended position.

[0016] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side perspective view of a housing box according to the invention with the roller blind in a fully retracted position.

[0017] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional front view of a housing box according to the invention, with the roller blind in the fully retracted position.

[0018] Figure 6a is a perspective view of a shield assembly showing a torsion spring loaded assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6b yes Figure 6a Detail view of the second end of the torsion spring loaded assembly.

[0020] Figure 7a is a perspective view of a protective cover assembly showing a motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 7b yes Figure 7a Detailed cross-sectional view of a first end portion of a motor assembly.

[0022] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a retaining mechanism of a housing case including a torsion spring loading assembly or a motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unlocked state.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a holding mechanism of a housing case including a torsion spring loading assembly or a motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a locked state.

[0024] Fig.10 is a side perspective view of a housing box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Fig.11 4 is a partial top view of a rolling blind according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig.12 is a wiring diagram of a protective cover assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, in particular Figure 1, the figure shows that the shield assembly of the present invention is installed on an existing conventional pickup truck, and the roller shutter 1 includes a plurality of transversely adjacent panels or slats 2, which extend transversely across the pickup truck box and are hinged to each other. A pair of side rails 3 and 4 are respectively arranged parallel to each other on the upper part of the side wall of the truck box, and the side rails 3 and 4 include channel parts, which are used to guide the ends of the transversely adjacent panels 2.

[0028] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the figure shows a housing box 5 installed at the front end of the truck box, the housing box 5 is used to receive and store the roller blind 1. The housing box 5 includes a transverse rotatable shaft 6 installed in the housing box 5.

[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transversely rotatable shaft 6 is polygonal, for example, hexagonal.

[0030] One or more sleeve elements 7, 8 are mounted on the transverse rotatable shaft 6 for receiving one or more foldable (tippable) roller blind engagement devices 9, 10, each of which is mounted on one or more sleeve elements 7, 8 and is designed to engage the inner end of the roller blind 1 and convert the rotational movement of the shaft 6 into linear movement of the roller blind 1.

[0031] "Linear" can be understood to mean that the movement trajectory of the roller blind can be a straight line or a curve.

[0032] The one or more foldable roller blind engagement elements 9, 10 are extended to engage with the roller blind 1 and gradually fold when the roller blind 1 is retracted and gradually stand up when the roller blind 1 is extended.

[0033] Thus, when a user manually guides the roller blind 1 towards a retracted position or an extended position, a linear movement of the roller blind 1 is converted into a rotational movement of the transverse rotatable shaft 6 by means of one or more foldable roller blind engagement elements 9 , 10 .

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the one or more foldable roller blind engaging devices 9, 10 is respectively mounted to one or more sleeve elements 7, 8 in an articulated, sliding manner, such that Figure 4 As shown, as the roller blind 1 is retracted, each of the one or more foldable roller blind engaging devices 9, 10 is gradually folded and gradually slides along the grooves provided on each of the one or more sleeve elements 7, 8 until it reaches a fully folded position when the roller blind 1 is in a fully retracted position; and Figure 2 As shown, as the roller blind 1 is extended, each of the one or more foldable roller blind engaging elements 9, 10 gradually stands up and gradually slides in opposite directions until reaching a fully erected position when the roller blind 1 is in a fully extended position.

[0035] See also Figure 5 The housing box 5 includes side walls 11, 12, each of which has a continuous spiral track 13 extending inwardly, such as Figure 5 As shown, the helical track 13 defines a rolling path, the helical track 13 being aligned with the channel portions of the side rails 3, 4 to receive the laterally adjacent panels 2 as they translate forwardly to the retracted position.

[0036] By utilizing the spiral track 13 to store the protective cover in the retracted position, the protective cover is not affected by excessive frictional resistance when being extended and retracted.

[0037] At least one of the side walls 11 , 12 of the housing box 5 comprises an opening 15 .

[0038] According to the present invention, the housing box 5 further comprises an elongated opening 14 located on its top surface. Figure 1 As shown, the elongated opening 14 allows the roller blind 1 to extend outward.

[0039] The width of the opening 14 is sufficient to accommodate the width of the roller blind 1 .

[0040] The housing box 5 may include one or more drain pipes 16, which are arranged at the bottom, back or side of the housing box for draining water and promoting air circulation to minimize humidity and prevent the roller blind 1 from being corroded when stored in the housing box 5. In addition, one or more anti-blocking blade systems 27 may be provided on the inner bottom and / or inner side of the housing box 5 to prevent the drain pipe 16 from being blocked. In addition, it is also conceivable that the housing box 5 includes Figure 8 and Fig. 9 An overflow device 28 is shown, which is arranged at each side wall of the housing box.

[0041] Furthermore, it is also conceivable to install a water level sensor (not shown) in the housing box 5 .

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transverse rotatable shaft 6 is hollow and optionally receives a torsion spring loading assembly 17 or a motor assembly 18 in a coaxial, slidable, and detachable manner through the opening 15 .

[0043] The torsion spring loading assembly 17 comprises a torsion spring. When the rolling blind 1 is extended, the torsion spring is tightened, and when the rolling blind 1 is retracted, the torsion spring is loosened.

[0044] The torsion spring stores energy when the roller blind 1 is extended and releases energy when the roller blind is retracted to assist the user in operation.

[0045] The torsion spring loading assembly 17 comprises a torsion spring, a first end 17a and a second end 17b, wherein the first end 17a comprises a driving device 20 for internally engaging with the transverse rotatable shaft 6 to transmit the torsion force of the torsion spring to the transverse rotatable shaft 6; and the second end 17b comprises an engaging device 22 for engaging the torsion spring loading assembly 17 with the opening 15. In addition, the second end 17b may comprise a polygonal element 26 so that the user can adjust the tension of the torsion spring with the aid of a tool such as a wrench.

[0046] When operated semi-automatically by means of the torsion spring loading assembly 17, the roller blind 1 can be manually locked and unlocked by means of a not shown locking mechanism provided on the end slats of the roller blind 1 to maintain the spring bias when the shield is in the extended position.

[0047] In one embodiment, the motor assembly 18 includes a motor (electric motor), a first end 18a and a second end 18b, the first end 18a including a drive device 21, the drive device 21 is used to engage the transverse rotatable shaft 6 internally so as to transmit the rotational force from the motor to the transverse rotatable shaft 6; the second end 18b includes a coupling device 23, the coupling device 23 is used to engage the motor assembly 18 with a clamping system (24) located at the side wall of the housing box.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric motor is a conventional DC motor.

[0049] like Figure 6a , Figure 7a and Figure 7b As shown, the drive means 20 , 21 include engagement recesses spaced about their outer circumferential surface for mutual engagement with associated parts and for driving engagement with gear means 20 , 21 arranged on the inner surface of the transverse rotatable shaft 6 .

[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, the engagement recess has a tapered shape, generally a V-shape or a U-shape, so as to facilitate separation of the motor assembly 18 from the rotatable shaft 6 when the power system fails.

[0051] The outer contour of the drive devices 20 , 21 matches the clamping system ( 24 ) of the side wall of the housing box, so that the user can easily introduce the torsion spring loaded assembly 17 or the motor assembly 18 into the transverse rotatable shaft 6 through the opening 15 .

[0052] During operation, the shield assembly of the present invention can be moved between the extended position, the semi-extended position and the retracted position by electric operation when the motor assembly 18 is included. By means of the automatic locking device, the roller blind 1 can be stopped and locked at any position.

[0053] like Figure 7b As shown, the drive device 21 is connected to the motor device via the gear in the first part 18a, so that when the motor is driven "unwinding", the first end 18a can rotate in a first rotation direction. When the motor is driven "winding", the first end 18a can rotate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first direction.

[0054] In contemplated embodiments of the present invention, the drive device 21 is removable from the first portion 18 a so that it can be separated from the motor assembly 18 and retained within the shaft 6 .

[0055] like Fig.12 As shown, the motor is driven by a smart AI controller circuit board 19 mounted on the side walls 11, 12 of the housing box 5. The smart AI controller circuit board 19 is preferably connected to the vehicle battery.

[0056] A control panel arrangement, not shown, may be mounted on or near the housing box 5, and / or within the truck cab, and / or within the side rails, and / or within the end slats.

[0057] The motor assembly 18 can be remotely controlled by a remote control or an application installed on a smartphone. Additionally or alternatively, the motor can be operated by an actuator installed on the end slats. Thus, the roller blind 1 can be automatically opened, closed, stopped and / or locked in any position.

[0058] See also Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , the guard assembly can be manually engaged and disengaged by the user from the torsion spring loaded assembly 17 or the motor assembly 18 .

[0059] like Fig. 9 As shown, the side walls 11, 12 of the housing box 5 include a retaining mechanism 24, and the retaining mechanism 24 includes a retaining component 25. The retaining component 25 can be selectively Fig. 9 The first position A shown and Figure 8 The retaining member 25 is movable between the second position B shown in the figure, the retaining member prevents the disassembly of the torsion spring loaded assembly 17 or the motor assembly 18 in the first position A, more specifically, prevents the disassembly of the engaging device 22 of the torsion spring loaded assembly 17 or the engaging device 23 of the motor assembly 18, respectively, and the retaining member does not prevent the disassembly of the spring loaded assembly 17 or the motor assembly 18 in the second position B. The retaining member 25 can be selectively moved by a manual actuator 26, so that the user can easily engage / disengage the torsion spring loaded assembly 17 or the motor assembly 18 without the aid of tools or expertise.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9 As shown, the manual actuator is a lever 26 .

[0061] The structural elements of the motor assembly 18 and the spring-loaded assembly 17 combined with the construction or design of the shaft 6 and the opening 15 form a sealing system after the motor assembly 18 or the spring-loaded assembly 17 is inserted into the opening 15 and locked by the retaining member.

[0062] In any embodiment of the present invention, the protective cover assembly may include a plurality of cable guide elements 25, such as Fig.11 As shown, a cable guide member 25 is mounted on at least a portion of a plurality of adjacent transverse panels 2 and is configured to receive an electrical cable to provide a wired connection to the protective cover assembly.

[0063] The shield assembly of the present invention may further include a plurality of electrical components arranged on the transverse panels or slats 2 including the end slats, such as lighting components or sensor devices connected by wired connections. Fig.11 As shown, electrical components can be remotely controlled.

[0064] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, these embodiments are essentially only for illustration and not for limitation, because it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various other modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A protective cover assembly for a truck box of a pickup truck type vehicle, the protective cover assembly comprising: A roller blind (1) comprising a plurality of laterally adjacent panels (2) hinged to each other; a pair of side rails (3, 4) adapted to be mounted on the upper portion of the side walls of the truck box and comprising guide channels for guiding the ends of the transversely adjacent panels (2); a housing box (5) adapted to be mounted at the front end of the truck box and used to receive and store the roller blind (1), The housing box (5) comprises: A transverse rotatable shaft (6) mounted in the housing box (5); one or more sleeve elements (7, 8) mounted on the transverse rotatable shaft (6); one or more foldable roller blind engagement devices (9, 10), each foldable roller blind engagement device being mounted to the one or more sleeve elements (7, 8) and being designed to engage the inner end of the roller blind (1) and convert the rotational movement of the shaft (6) into a linear movement of the roller blind (1); and Side walls (11, 12), each side wall (11, 12) having an inwardly extending continuous spiral track (13), the spiral track (13) defining a rolling path, the spiral track being aligned with the guide channel of the side rails (3, 4) to receive the laterally adjacent panels (2) when the laterally adjacent panels (2) are translated forwardly to a retracted position; The one or more foldable roller blind engaging devices (9, 10) are respectively mounted on the one or more sleeve elements (7, 8) in a hinged and sliding manner.

2. The shield assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the side walls (11, 12) of the housing box (5) comprises an opening (15).

3. The shield assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transverse rotatable axis (6) is polygonal, preferably hexagonal.

4. The shield assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transverse rotatable shaft (6) is hollow.

5. The shield assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transverse rotatable shaft (6) and the clamping system (24) at the side wall of the housing box are adapted to receive a torsion spring loaded assembly (17) in a slidable and removable manner.

6. A shield assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a torsion spring loaded assembly (17).

7. The shield assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the transverse rotatable shaft (6) and the clamping system (24) at the side wall of the housing box are adapted to receive the motor assembly (18) in a slidable and removable manner.

8. The shield assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a motor assembly (18).

9. The protective cover assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the motor assembly (18) is driven by a smart AI controller circuit board (19) mounted on the housing box (5).

10. The shield assembly according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the motor assembly (18) is configured to be remotely controlled by a smart AI controller circuit board (19).

11. The protective cover assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the motor assembly (18) is remotely controlled by a remote controller or an application installed in a smartphone.

12. A shield assembly according to claims 6 and 8, wherein the torsion spring loaded assembly (17) and the motor assembly (18) include drive means (20, 21) mounted for rotation, the drive means (20, 21) being adapted to internally engage the transverse rotatable shaft (6).

13. A shield system according to claims 6 to 12, wherein the torsion spring loaded assembly (17) and the motor assembly (18) comprise engagement means (22, 23) for engaging the side walls (11, 12) of the housing box (5).

14. A protective cover system according to claims 6 to 13, wherein the side walls (11, 12) of the housing box (5) include a retaining mechanism (24), the retaining mechanism (24) including a retaining component (25), the retaining component (25) being selectively movable between a first position and a second position, respectively, the retaining component preventing the removal of the torsion spring loading assembly (17) or the motor assembly (18) in the first position, and the retaining component not preventing the removal of the spring loading assembly (17) or the motor assembly (18) in the second position.

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