Kit for truck bed shield assembly

Abstract

A conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up shield assembly for a truck bed into a motorized roll-up shield assembly or a spring-assisted roll-up shield is provided, the manually operated roll-up shield assembly comprising a roller blind (1) consisting of a plurality of adjacent transverse panels (2) and a housing box (3), a housing box (3) is adapted to be mounted at the front end of a truck bed and for receiving and storing a roller blind, the housing box (3) comprising a hollow transversally rotatable shaft (4) mounted in the housing box.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a kit for converting a manually operated roll-up shield assembly mounted on a truck bed of a pickup type vehicle to a powered roll-up shield assembly or a spring assisted shield assembly, respectively. Background Art

[0002] Patent application document US2016 / 236550A1 describes a retractable protective cover system, which includes a frame providing an opening, and a drive system, wherein the flexible protective cover is configured to slide relative to the frame between a first position and a second position within the opening in response to activation of the drive system.

[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 through 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 in a housing.

[0004] There are several types of roll-up guards known. There is a roll-up guard that is manually operated in both directions, which does not use springs or motors, and includes a spiral track that allows the guard to assume a substantially rolled-up position. However, this roll-up guard cannot be converted to a spring or motor assisted guard.

[0005] There are also roll-up guards that have a spring-loaded shaft that facilitates the winding of the roller blind. The function of such roll-up guards is completely linked to the spring, so in the event of spring failure, the roll-up guard cannot be operated. In addition, such roll-up guards cannot be converted into manual or motorized guards.

[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 in a location 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 guard cannot be converted to a manual or spring-assisted guard.

[0007] Therefore, there remains a need for a guard system that allows the user to easily convert a manual guard to a motorized guard or a spring-assisted guard, or vice versa, without special tools or expertise, and that allows the spring and / or motor to be easily replaced in the event of a spring and / or motor malfunction or failure, and the above conversion is achieved through a kit of parts. Summary of the invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up shield assembly to a power-operated roll-up shield assembly.

[0009] The kit includes a motor assembly that is coaxially and slidably installed and / or removed by the user within the hollow transverse rotatable shaft of the existing shield assembly to rotate the shaft.

[0010] The kit also includes a smart artificial intelligence (AI) controller for controlling the motor assembly and other elements such as a light source disposed in the protective cover assembly, and components for remotely controlling the motor assembly and other elements disposed in the protective cover assembly.

[0011] The smart AI controller, combined with a smartphone mobile app, provides the ability for the user to control the motor assembly, configure parameters such as light brightness, enable / disable operational functions (operating the end slat actuators), and receive important maintenance alerts.

[0012] The kit also includes components for connecting the electric motor assembly, smart AI controller and vehicle powertrain.

[0013] It is another object of the present invention to provide a conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up guard assembly to a spring-assisted guard assembly.

[0014] The kit includes a torsion spring loaded assembly that is coaxially and slidably installed and / or removed by a user within a hollow transverse rotatable shaft of an existing shield assembly to allow the shaft to rotate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present invention and its advantages can be more fully understood by describing the present invention in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roll-up shield assembly mounted on a conventional pickup truck bed.

[0017] Figure 2 A conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up guard assembly to a powered roll-up guard assembly is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 is an exploded view of a first end portion of a motor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a torsion spring loaded assembly according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a torsion spring loading assembly according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 Shown is the smart AI controller circuit board mounted on the side wall of the housing box.

[0022] Figure 7 An exploded view of the smart AI controller circuit board and wiring harness mounted on the side wall of the housing box is shown.

[0023] Figure 8 An exploded view of the torsion spring loaded assembly mounted on the housing case is shown.

[0024] Fig. 9 An exploded view of the motor assembly mounted on the housing box is shown.

[0025] Fig.10 is a cross-sectional side view of a prior art protective cover assembly according to the present invention, wherein the roller blind is in a fully extended position.

[0026] Fig.11 is a wiring diagram of a motor type guard assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] According to a first aspect of the present invention, Figure 2 A conversion kit for converting an existing manually operated roll-up shield assembly to a power-operated roll-up shield assembly is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The roll-up protective cover assembly includes: a roller blind 1, such as Figure 1 As shown, the roller blind 1 comprises a plurality of laterally adjacent panels or slats 2 extending laterally across the pickup truck box; and a housing box 3, such as Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the housing box 3 is suitable for being installed at the front end of the pickup truck box to receive and store the roller blind 1, and as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the housing box 3 includes a hollow transverse rotatable shaft 4 mounted in the housing box 3 .

[0029] Reference Fig.10The housing box 3 also includes one or more foldable (tippable) roller blind engagement devices 24, each of which is mounted on one or more radially aligned sleeve elements 25, each of which is mounted on the transverse rotatable shaft 4.

[0030] The foldable engagement means 24 are evenly distributed over the entire width of the roller blind so that the transverse slats of the roller blind remain parallel to the rotatable shaft 4 and convert the rotational movement of the shaft 4 into a linear movement of the roller blind.

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

[0032] The housing box 3 further comprises a side wall, on which a spiral track 26 is arranged. The spiral track 26 is used to guide the rolling curtain 1 so that the rolling curtain 1 will not be subjected to excessive friction resistance when extending or retracting.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 The conversion kit includes a motor assembly 5, which is suitable for being coaxially and slidably installed in the hollow transverse rotatable shaft 4 of the existing protective cover assembly and / or removed in the hollow transverse rotatable shaft 4 by the user through the existing opening 20 arranged on the side wall of the housing box 3 to rotate the shaft 4.

[0034] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the motor assembly 5 includes a substantially cylindrical housing 8 , a motor (or electric motor) not shown installed in the housing 8 , and a transmission device 9 .

[0035] The transmission 9 comprises a gear arrangement 10 mounted to a first end 8 a of the housing 8 and adapted to engage with a drive arrangement 11 contained within the transmission 9 or connected to the interior of the shaft 4 .

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the transmission device 9 further comprises a drive device 11 mounted on a gear device 10 , and the drive device 11 is used to drive the transverse rotatable shaft 4 .

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive device 11 is detachably mounted on the gear device 10. The drive device 11 includes an internal shape 27 that matches the external shape 28 of the gear device 10, and the shapes 27, 28 are tapered or U-shaped to facilitate the removal of the motor assembly 5 from the rotatable shaft 4 when the power system fails.

[0038] The drive device 11 is constructed to engage with the transverse rotatable shaft 4 internally for transmitting the rotational force from the motor device (motor assembly) to the shaft 4, and is driven to engage with relevant parts arranged on the inner surface of the transverse rotatable shaft 4 through engagement recesses 12 designed at intervals around the outer circumferential surface of the drive device 11.

[0039] The outer contour of the driving device 11 matches the contour of the existing opening 20 , so the user can easily insert the motor assembly 5 from the opening 20 .

[0040] The motor assembly 5 further comprises an engagement device 13 located at the second end 8 b of the substantially cylindrical housing 8 for engagement with the side wall of the casing box 3 .

[0041] In addition, one side wall of the housing box 3 includes a retaining mechanism 22, which includes a retaining component that selectively moves between a position that blocks the engagement device 13 and a position that does not block the engagement device 13, so that a user can manually engage and disconnect the motor assembly 5 without the need for tools or expertise.

[0042] The holding member can be selectively moved by a manual actuator 23. In one embodiment of the invention, the manual actuator is a lever 23.

[0043] The shapes of the driving device 11 and the opening 20 match the engaging device 13, and the user can easily insert the motor assembly 5 into or remove it from the hollow transverse rotatable shaft 4 through the opening 20 and lock or unlock the motor assembly 5 without special tools or professional knowledge.

[0044] During operation, the shield assembly can be moved between extended, semi-extended and retracted positions by electric operation when it includes the motor assembly 5. By means of the automatic locking device, the roller blind 1 can be stopped and locked in any position.

[0045] The drive device 11 is connected to the motor device through the gear device 10, so that when the motor is driven "unwinding", the drive device 11 can rotate in a first rotation direction, and when the motor is driven "winding", the drive device 11 can rotate in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction. Therefore, when the existing roll-up protective cover includes the motor assembly 5 of the present invention, the rotational movement of the shaft is converted into the linear movement of the roller blind.

[0046] The conversion kit for converting a manual roll-up shield assembly for a truck bed to a powered roll-up shield assembly also includes a smart AI controller circuit board 6, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the smart AI controller circuit board 6 is suitable for being mounted on the housing box 3 so as to receive a command signal from a remote controller or a smart phone device and drive the motor assembly 5 accordingly.

[0047] The conversion kit for converting a manual roll-up shield assembly for a truck bed to an electric roll-up shield assembly also includes a wiring harness 7 including a plurality of connectors and a plurality of wires for connecting the motor assembly with the smart AI controller and the vehicle's powertrain.

[0048] The conversion kit for converting a manual roll-up assembly for a truck bed into a motorized roll-up assembly may optionally include a remote control element 14 for remotely controlling the movement of the roller blind 1 or the function of other possible electrical elements (e.g. lights) arranged on the roller blind 1. The remote control element 14 may include a plurality of buttons allowing the user to make various inputs.

[0049] like Fig.11 As shown, through an application installed on a smartphone, the user can remotely control the functions of the motor assembly or other electric elements arranged on the roller blind 1, so that the roller blind can be opened, closed or stopped at any position, the electric elements arranged on the roller blind, i.e., the light, can be turned on or off, the light brightness can be adjusted, maintenance alarms can be sent, end slat actuators can be enabled or disabled, etc.

[0050] According to a second aspect of the present invention, Figure 4 and Figure 5 A conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up guard assembly for a truck bed to a spring assisted roll-up guard assembly is shown.

[0051] The conversion kit includes a torsion spring loaded assembly 15 which is configured to be coaxially and slidably installed and / or removed by a user within the hollow transverse rotatable shaft of the existing shield assembly through an opening 20 disposed on the side wall of the housing box 3, thereby rotating the shaft 4.

[0052] According to the present invention, the torsion spring loading assembly 15 comprises a torsion spring 16 and a driving device 17 mounted on a first end 16 a of the torsion spring 16 , the driving device 17 being used to drive the transversely rotatable shaft 4 .

[0053] The torsion spring is tightened when the rolling curtain 1 is extended, and is loosened when the rolling curtain 1 is retracted. In this way, the torsion spring stores energy when the rolling curtain is extended, and releases energy when the rolling curtain is retracted, thereby helping the user to operate.

[0054] The drive means 17 comprises engagement recesses 18 spaced around the outer circumferential surface of the drive means 17 , the engagement recesses 18 being designed for driving engagement with relevant portions on the inner surface of the transverse rotatable shaft 4 .

[0055] The outer contour of the driving device 17 matches the contour of the existing opening 20 , so the user can easily insert the torsion spring loaded assembly 15 through the opening 20 .

[0056] The engagement means 19 is located at the second end 16 b of the torsion spring 16 and is used to engage a side wall of the housing box 3 .

[0057] The holding mechanism 22 of the housing box 3 can lock and unlock the torsion spring loaded assembly 15 by locking or unlocking the engagement device 19 .

[0058] The contours of the drive device 17 and the opening 20 match the contours of the engagement device 22 and the retaining mechanism 19, and the user can easily insert the torsion spring loaded assembly 15 into or remove it from the hollow transverse rotatable shaft 4 through the opening 20 and lock or unlock the motor assembly 5 without special tools or expertise.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the torsion spring loading assembly 15 also includes a mechanism 21 that allows a user to adjust the tension of the torsion spring.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, the mechanism is a polygonal element 21 .

[0061] The constituent elements of the motor assembly 5 and the spring-loaded assembly 15 combined with the construction or design of the shaft 4 and the housing case 3 form a sealing system once the motor assembly 5 or the spring-loaded assembly 15 is inserted into the opening 15 .

[0062] 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 conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up protective cover assembly for a truck bed into a motorized roll-up protective cover assembly, the manually operated roll-up protective cover assembly comprising a roller blind (1) and a housing box (3), the roller blind (1) consisting of a plurality of adjacent transverse panels (2), the housing box (3) being adapted to be mounted at the front end of the truck bed and for receiving and storing the roller blind, the housing box (3) comprising a hollow transverse rotatable shaft (4) mounted in the housing box (3), the kit comprising: a motor assembly (5) adapted to be coaxially and slidably mounted in the hollow transverse rotatable shaft (4) and / or removed in the hollow transverse rotatable shaft (4) by a user through an opening (20) arranged on a side wall of the housing box (3) to rotate the shaft (4); a smart AI controller circuit board (6) adapted to be mounted on the housing box (3) so as to receive a command signal from a remote controller or a smartphone device and drive the motor assembly (5) accordingly; and a wiring harness (7) comprising a plurality of connectors and a plurality of wires for connecting the motor assembly to the smart AI controller circuit board (6) and the vehicle's powertrain; The motor assembly (5) comprises a substantially cylindrical housing (8), a motor arranged in the housing (8), and a transmission device (9), wherein the transmission device (9) comprises a gear device (10) mounted at a first end (8a) of the housing (8); The transmission device (9) further comprises a driving device (11) mounted on the gear device (10), wherein the driving device (11) is used to drive the transverse rotatable shaft (4); And wherein the drive means (11) comprises engagement recesses (12) spaced around the outer circumferential surface of the drive means, the engagement recesses (12) being designed to drivingly engage with relevant parts arranged on the inner surface of the transverse rotatable shaft (4).

2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the drive device (11) is detachably mounted on the gear device (10).

3. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive device (11) comprises an internal shape (27) matching the external shape (28) of the gear device (10), the shape (27, 28) comprising a tapered shape or a U-shape.

4. A kit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the motor assembly (5) comprises a DC motor for converting electrical energy of the vehicle into mechanical energy.

5. A kit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second end (8b) of the housing (8) comprises engagement means (13) for engaging with a side wall of the housing box (3).

6. Kit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the kit further comprises a remote control element (14) for remotely controlling the movement of the roller blind (1) or any other electrical element arranged on the roller blind (1).

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein the remote control element (14) includes a plurality of buttons allowing the user to make a variety of inputs.

8. A conversion kit for converting a manually operated roll-up shield assembly for a truck bed into a spring-assisted shield assembly, the manually operated roll-up shield assembly comprising a roller blind (1) and a housing box (3), the roller blind (1) being formed by a plurality of adjacent transverse panels (2), the housing box (3) being adapted to be mounted at the front end of the truck bed and for receiving and storing the roller blind, the housing box (3) comprising a hollow transverse rotatable shaft (4) mounted in the housing box, the kit comprising a torsion spring loading assembly (13) adapted to be rotatable by a user via a spring disposed in the housing box (3) The opening (20) on the side wall is installed in the hollow rotatable shaft (4) and / or removed in the hollow rotatable shaft (4), the torsion spring loading assembly (15) includes a torsion spring (16) and a driving device (17) installed on the first end (16a) of the torsion spring, the driving device (17) is used to drive the transverse rotatable shaft (4), wherein the driving device (17) includes engagement recesses (18) spaced around the outer circumferential surface of the driving device, and the engagement recesses (18) are designed to drive engagement with relevant parts arranged on the inner surface of the transverse rotatable shaft (4).

9. A kit according to claim 8, wherein the spring-loaded assembly (15) comprises a polygonal element (21) so that a user can adjust the tension of the torsion spring.

10. A kit according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the second end (16b) of the torsion spring loaded assembly (15) comprises engagement means (19) for engaging with a side wall of the housing box (3).

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