Tonneau cover device

Abstract

The invention provides a tonneau cover device that does not increase weight or cost, is compact when not in use, and is less likely to detach even when subjected to unexpected loads during use. [Solution] The tonneau cover device comprises a sheet that covers the upper part of the vehicle's cargo area, a case in which the sheet is rolled up and stored so as to be easily retractable, and a holder that is slidably mounted parallel to the winding shaft of the sheet in the case. The case has a button provided on the surface that does not include the sheet's retraction opening, where the holder is mounted, and which has an elastic member that biases from the inside of the case toward the holder. The holder has a plurality of holes provided parallel to the winding shaft into which the button is inserted to secure the holder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a tonneau cover device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As a means for hiding the luggage and articles mounted in the luggage compartment of a vehicle so that they cannot be seen from outside or inside the vehicle, a tonneau cover device that covers the upper part of the luggage compartment is known. The tonneau cover device has a configuration including a board made of a rigid member such as a sheet metal or a resin panel, and a configuration including a roll-up sheet. In recent years, the demand for a tonneau cover device equipped with a roll-up sheet that can be easily removed and compactly stored when not in use has been increasing. The tonneau cover device equipped with a roll-up sheet has a case in which the sheet is stored installed on the front side of the luggage compartment, and the sheet is pulled out from the case toward the rear side. Inside the case, there is a winding shaft that is rotationally biased in the winding direction, and the sheet wound around the winding shaft can be pulled out from a pull-out opening formed on the rear surface of the case to the rear of the luggage compartment.

[0003] Holders are respectively attached to the ends of the winding shaft in the case, and the tonneau cover device is installed on the front side of the luggage compartment by fixing the holders to the deck side of the luggage compartment. The configuration of the tonneau cover device is described in, for example, Patent Documents 1-3.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] It is desirable that the tonneau cover device can be easily secured to the front of the cargo area when in use, and can be easily removed and compactly stored in the cargo area when not in use. Patent documents 1-3 show examples of the configuration of a holder for a tonneau cover device that realizes such functions.

[0006] The tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which the holder comprises an inner cover and an outer cover, which may lead to an increase in the weight and cost of the holder. The tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 2 has the holder constantly biased in the direction of being pushed out of the case by a spring or the like, so the holder is fixed in a specific position pushed out of the case, regardless of whether it is in use or not. Therefore, the tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 2 is in an extended state in the winding axis direction even when not in use, so it may be large and cumbersome when stored.

[0007] The tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 3 can be fixed in both the position where the holder is pulled out of the case and the position where it is pushed into the case, so it can be stored more compactly when not in use than the tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 2. However, the tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 3 has a relatively large tab area of ​​the latch mechanism for fixing the holder to the case, and this large tab protrudes beyond the outer surface of the holder. The latch mechanism is provided on the case, and when the tab protrudes beyond the outer surface of the holder, the holder is fixed by the tab, and when the tab is pushed in, the holder is released from the case. Therefore, in the event of an accidental load such as a vehicle collision or rollover, there is a risk that luggage or other items inside the vehicle may come into contact with the relatively large tab, causing the holder to release from the case. If the holder is released, the entire tonneau cover device may come off and cause danger such as collision with occupants.

[0008] This invention was made to solve the problems of the background technology described above, and aims to provide a tonneau cover device that does not increase weight or cost, is compact when not in use, and is less likely to come off even when an unexpected load is applied when in use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the tonneau cover device of the present invention comprises a sheet that covers the upper part of the cargo area of ​​a vehicle, A case in which the aforementioned sheet is rolled up and stored in a way that allows it to be easily pulled out, A holder is mounted on the end of the winding shaft of the sheet in the case, so as to be slidable parallel to the winding shaft, It has, The case has a button provided on the surface of the sheet that does not include the drawer opening, at the portion where the holder is attached, which is equipped with an elastic member that biases from the inside of the case toward the holder, The holder has a plurality of holes provided parallel to the winding shaft, into which the button is inserted to secure the holder.

[0010] Alternatively, the tonneau cover device of the present invention comprises a sheet that covers the upper part of the vehicle's cargo area, A case in which the aforementioned sheet is rolled up and stored in a way that allows it to be easily pulled out, A holder is mounted on the end of the winding shaft of the sheet in the case, so as to be slidable parallel to the winding shaft, It has, The case has a plurality of holes provided parallel to the winding shaft in the portion where the holder is mounted on the surface of the sheet that does not include the sheet's pull-out opening, and at least one communicating portion that connects the plurality of holes to each other via a narrow portion that is narrower than the plurality of holes in a direction perpendicular to the winding shaft, The holder has a button which includes a protruding portion that is inserted into the plurality of holes to fix the holder and an elastic member that biases the protruding portion toward the holder. The protruding portion has a notch with a width greater than or equal to the thickness of the case, which allows it to pass through the narrow section when the button is pressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a tonneau cover device can be obtained that does not cause an increase in weight or cost, is compact when not in use, and has little risk of coming off even under an accidental load when in use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of the tonneau cover device. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a holder included in the tonneau cover device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a holder and a case included in the tonneau cover device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a holder included in the tonneau cover device of the second embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a case included in the tonneau cover device of the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the overall configuration of the tonneau cover device. FIGS. 2(a) and (b) are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of a holder included in the tonneau cover device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a holder and a case included in the tonneau cover device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of the holder shown in FIG. 2(a) viewed from the reverse direction. FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-section of the holder and the case when cut at a position corresponding to the A-A' line shown in FIGS. 2(a) and (b).

[0015] The front, rear, left, and right shown in FIG. 1 respectively indicate the front, rear, left, and right of the vehicle. The left-right positional relationship is based on the direction of viewing the front of the vehicle. FIGS. 1 to 3, and FIGS. 4 and 5 shown in the second embodiment described later schematically show each component of the present invention, and do not accurately show the dimensions, shapes, structures, positions, etc. of each component.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the tonneau cover device 1 includes a seat 10 that covers the upper part of the vehicle's cargo compartment, a cylindrical case 20 in which the seat 10 is wound up and retractably stored, and a cylindrical holder 30 that is slidably mounted parallel to the winding shaft at the end of the winding shaft of the seat 10 in the case 20 and closes the end of the case 20. The tonneau cover device 1 is attached to the deck side 50 by inserting, for example, the end of the holder 30 fixed in the pulled-out state from the case 20 into a recess 60 provided in the deck side 50 of the cargo compartment. In FIG. 1, only the deck side 50 on the right side of the vehicle is shown, but a recess 60 is similarly provided on the deck side 50 on the left side of the vehicle.

[0017] Also, FIG. 1 shows a configuration example in which a board 40 for pulling out the seat 10 from the case 20 is attached to the rear end (tip) of the vehicle. The seat 10 only needs to be able to be pulled out from the case 20, and the board 40 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the tonneau cover device 1 of the first embodiment has a plurality of hole portions 31 provided in the holder 30 parallel to the winding shaft 22 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, the case 20 has a button 21 biased from the inside of the case 20 toward the holder 30 by an elastic member, and the button 21 is provided at a portion of the holder 30 on a surface that does not include the pull-out opening 32 of the seat 10 where the holder 30 is mounted.

[0019] In the tonneau cover device 1 of the first embodiment, when the holder 30 slides and the button 21 is inserted into the hole 31, the holder 31 is fixed by the button 21. Also, when the button 21 located in the hole 31 is pressed in and the head of the button 21 is in contact with the inner surface of the holder 30, the holder 30 is slidable. The hole 21 is provided, for example, at a position for fixing the holder 30 in a pushed-in position in the case 20 when the tonneau cover device 1 is not in use, and at a position for fixing the holder 30 in a pulled-out position when the tonneau cover device 1 is in use. There may be two or more holes 21. For example, the holes 21 may be provided at a position for fixing the holder 30 in a pushed-in position in the case 20 when stored, at a position for fixing the holder 30 in a position inserted into a recess 60 provided on the deck side 50 of the cargo compartment, and at a position where the holder 30 cannot be inserted into the recess 60 but can be fixed in a position pulled out of the case 20.

[0020] At least one of the multiple holes 31 provided in the holder 30 may be slot-shaped with its longitudinal direction parallel to the winding shaft 22 (see, for example, the right-side hole 21 in Figure 2(a)). In such a configuration, the holder 30 can slide relative to the case 20 by the width of the slot even when the button 21 is inserted into the hole 31.

[0021] The tonneau cover device 1 has variations in length in the direction parallel to its winding shaft 22, and the width of the cargo area (width in the left-right direction) of the vehicle to which the tonneau cover device 1 is installed also varies. Therefore, if the holder 30 cannot slide when installing the tonneau cover device 1 to the deck side 50 of the cargo area, or when removing the tonneau cover device 1 from the deck side 50 of the cargo area, it will not be able to accommodate the variations in the length of the tonneau cover device 1 and the width of the vehicle's cargo area, and alternative measures will be necessary.

[0022] For example, by making the hole 31 of the holder 30 used to attach or detach the tonneau cover device 1 to the deck side 50 of the cargo area a slot, the tonneau cover device 1 can be attached to / detached from the deck side 50 of the cargo area even if there are variations in the length of the tonneau cover device 1 or the width of the vehicle's cargo area. In this case, it is desirable that the case 20 be equipped with an elastic member (not shown), such as a spring, that biases the holder 30 in the direction of pushing it out. By providing such an elastic member, the holder 30 can be pushed in by the width of the slot when attaching the tonneau cover device 1, so that the tonneau cover device 1 can be easily attached to / detached from the deck side 50 of the cargo area. In addition, if the case 20 is equipped with an elastic member that biases the holder 30 in the direction of pushing it out, the attached tonneau cover device 1 will not easily come off the deck side 50 of the cargo area.

[0023] Furthermore, the holder 30 has a limited sliding width relative to the case 20 so that it does not detach from the case 20 when sliding. As a means of limiting the sliding width, as shown in Figures 2(b) and 3, the holder 30 is provided with at least one slot hole 33 which is a slot shape parallel to the winding shaft 22, and at least one screw 23 fixed to the case 20, which has a head located within the slot hole 33. The slot hole 33 is provided, for example, on a second surface of the holder 30 that is perpendicular to a first surface on which multiple holes 31 are provided. In this configuration, as the holder 30 slides, the head of the screw 23 moves within the slot hole 33, and when the head of the screw 23 reaches the end of the slot hole 33, the holder 30 can no longer slide. Therefore, the sliding width of the holder 30 relative to the case 20 is limited.

[0024] A configuration in which the holder 30 has multiple (for example, two) slot holes 33 formed so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to each other, and the case 20 has screws 23 corresponding to the number of slot holes 33, can suppress rattling of the holder 30 when sliding. However, in a configuration in which the holder 30 has multiple holes 31 as in this embodiment, the buttons 21 inserted into the holes 31 act in the same way as the heads of the screws 23 inserted into the slot holes 33, thus contributing to suppressing rattling of the holder 30 when sliding. For this reason, the tonneau cover device 1 may also have a configuration in which the holder 30 has only one slot hole 33, and the case 20 has one screw 23 corresponding to the number of slot holes 33.

[0025] The tonneau cover device 1 of this embodiment has a simple configuration in which a cylindrical holder 30 is mounted on the end of the winding shaft 22 of the sheet 10 in the case 20 so as to be slidable parallel to the winding shaft 22. Therefore, unlike the tonneau cover device described in Patent Document 1, it does not lead to an increase in the weight or cost of the holder 30. Furthermore, when not in use, the holder 30 can be fixed in a position pushed into the case 20, allowing for compact storage. On the other hand, when in use, the holder 30 can be fixed in a position pulled out from the case 20, so there is little risk of it coming off even when an unexpected load is applied. Thus, a tonneau cover device 1 is obtained that does not lead to an increase in weight or cost, is compact when not in use, and has little risk of coming off even when an unexpected load is applied when in use.

[0026] (Second Embodiment) Figure 4 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the case included in the tonneau cover device of the second embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the holder included in the tonneau cover device of the second embodiment. Figure 4 is a plan view of the case as seen from the front of the vehicle shown in Figure 1, for example. Figure 5(a) shows an example of the overall configuration of the holder of the second embodiment, and Figure 5(b) is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the protruding part included in the button shown in Figure 5(a). The overall configuration of the tonneau cover device 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, so its description is omitted.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tonneau cover device 1 of the second embodiment has a case 20 having a plurality of holes 41 and at least one connecting portion 43 that connects the plurality of holes 41 to each other via narrow portions 42 that are narrower than the plurality of holes 41, and a holder 30 has a button 51 which has a projection 52 that fixes the holder 30 when inserted into the plurality of holes 41 and an elastic member (not shown) that biases the projection 52 toward the holder 30. The projection 52 is provided on the back side of the pressing surface of the button 51 and has a notch 53 which is wider than or equal to the thickness of the case 20 and allows passage through the narrow portion 42 when the button 51 is pressed. The plurality of holes 41 are provided parallel to the winding shaft 22 in the area where the holder 30 is mounted on the surface that does not include the sheet 10 pull-out opening 32 (see Figures 2(b) and 3).

[0028] In this configuration, when the button 51 is pressed, the protruding portion can pass through the narrow portion 42, allowing the holder 30 to slide. When the button 51 is not pressed, the protruding portion is located in the hole 41 of the case 20, and the holder 30 is fixed in place because the protruding portion cannot pass through the narrow portion 42. The hole 41 can be provided, as in the first embodiment, for example, in a position to fix the holder 30 in the case 20 when the tonneau cover device 1 is not in use, and in a position to fix the holder 30 when it is pulled out of the case 20 when the tonneau cover device 1 is in use.

[0029] Furthermore, in the tonneau cover device 1 of the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, at least one of the multiple holes 41 provided in the case 20 may be a slot-shaped opening parallel to the winding shaft 22 in its longitudinal direction, and it is desirable that the case 20 be equipped with an elastic member such as a spring that biases the holder 30 in the direction of pushing it out. With this configuration, similar to the first embodiment, the holder 30 can be pushed in by the width of the slot when installing the tonneau cover device 1, so that the tonneau cover device 1 can be easily attached to and removed from the deck side 50 of the cargo compartment. In addition, if the case 20 is equipped with an elastic member that biases the holder 30 in the direction of pushing it out, the installed tonneau cover device 1 will not easily come off the deck side 50 of the cargo compartment.

[0030] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, means for limiting the sliding width relative to the case 20 may be provided so that the holder 30 does not detach from the case 20 when sliding. The means for limiting the sliding width includes at least one slot hole 33 having a slot shape parallel to the winding shaft 22 provided on the holder 30, and at least one screw 23 having a head located within the slot hole 33 fixed to the case 20. The slot hole 33 is provided, for example, on a second surface of the holder 30 facing a first surface on which the button 51 is provided. In this case, as in the first embodiment, the holder 30 may be configured to have only one slot hole 33.

[0031] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the simple configuration includes a cylindrical holder 30 that is slidably mounted parallel to the winding shaft 22 of the sheet 10 in the case 20. Therefore, it does not lead to an increase in the weight or cost of the holder 30, as described in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, when not in use, the holder 30 can be fixed in a position pushed into the case 20, allowing for compact storage. On the other hand, when in use, the holder 30 can be fixed in a position pulled out from the case 20, so there is little risk of it coming off even when an unexpected load is applied. Thus, a tonneau cover device 1 is obtained that does not lead to an increase in weight or cost, is compact when not in use, and has little risk of coming off even when an unexpected load is applied when in use. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0032] 1. Tonneau cover device 10 sheets 20 cases 21 buttons 22 Winding shaft 23 Screw 30 holders 31 Hole 32 Drawer opening 33 Slot hole section 40 boards 41 Hole 42 Narrow part 43 Communication part 50 Deckside 51 buttons 52 Protrusion 53 Notches 60 recesses

Claims

1. A sheet that covers the top of the vehicle's cargo area, A case in which the aforementioned sheet is rolled up and stored in a way that allows it to be easily pulled out, A holder is mounted on the end of the winding shaft of the sheet in the case, so as to be slidable parallel to the winding shaft, It has, The case has a button provided on the surface of the sheet that does not include the drawer opening, at the portion where the holder is attached, which is equipped with an elastic member that biases from the inside of the case toward the holder, A tonneau cover device having a holder having a plurality of holes provided parallel to the winding shaft, into which the button is inserted to secure the holder.

2. A sheet that covers the top of the vehicle's cargo area, A case in which the aforementioned sheet is rolled up and stored in a way that allows it to be easily pulled out, A holder is mounted on the end of the winding shaft of the sheet in the case, so as to be slidable parallel to the winding shaft, It has, The case has a plurality of holes provided parallel to the winding shaft in the portion where the holder is mounted on the surface of the sheet that does not include the sheet's pull-out opening, and at least one communicating portion that connects the plurality of holes to each other via a narrow portion that is narrower than the plurality of holes in a direction perpendicular to the winding shaft, The holder has a button which includes a protruding portion that is inserted into the plurality of holes to fix the holder and an elastic member that biases the protruding portion toward the holder. The tonneau cover device has a notch having a width greater than or equal to the thickness of the case, which allows the protruding portion to pass through the narrow portion when the button is pressed.

3. The tonneau cover device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of holes is slot-shaped and parallel to the winding shaft.

4. The holder has at least one slot-shaped slot hole parallel to the winding shaft, provided on a second surface perpendicular to the first surface on which the plurality of holes are provided, The tonneau cover device according to claim 1, wherein a screw having a head located within the slot hole portion, which limits the sliding width of the holder relative to the case, is fixed to the case.

5. The holder has at least one slot-shaped slot hole parallel to the winding shaft, provided on a second surface facing the first surface on which the button is provided. The tonneau cover device according to claim 2, wherein a screw having a head located within the slot hole portion, which limits the sliding width of the holder relative to the case, is fixed to the case.

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