Adjustable Clamp for Tonneau Covers with Rotational Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tonneau systems lack a clamp that is height adjustable and securely contacts multiple points of the truck bed flange, preventing rotation and providing stable support for tonneau covers.
Innovation Solution
A clamp system comprising rail clamps and bed clamps that are adjustable to fit various bed flange configurations, with a contact leg and movement leg design that allows vertical and horizontal contact points, and a support arm to prevent rotation, ensuring secure attachment to both rails and bed flanges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a traditional single-point clamp is used to attach the rail to the bed flange, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability and anti-rotation capability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is divided into two separate components: a rail clamp that attaches to the rail and a bed clamp that attaches to the bed flange. These segmented clamps are connected by a support arm, allowing each clamp to independently contact its respective surface at multiple points, thereby improving stability without requiring a single complex multi-contact structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support arm extends perpendicular to the plane formed by the rail clamp and bed clamp, creating a three-dimensional structure. This dimensional extension provides rotational stability by preventing the clamp assembly from rotating around the attachment points, while keeping each individual clamp relatively simple in structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-height clamp is used, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the adaptability to different bed flange configurations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm incorporates an adjustable length mechanism that allows the distance between the rail clamp and bed clamp to be modified. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the clamp to adapt to various bed flange heights and configurations while maintaining secure attachment, without requiring multiple precisely manufactured fixed-height variants
3Reliability
If a clamp without rotation prevention is used, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the connection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is pre-configured with a specific orientation and length that naturally prevents rotation of the clamp assembly around the bed flange. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures rotational stability is built-in from installation, without requiring additional complex locking mechanisms or multi-step alignment procedures
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp comprising: (a) one or more rail clamps that are configured to contact one or more rails of a tonneau system; (b) one or more bed clamps that are configured to contact a bed flange of a bed of a vehicle, the one or more bed clamps being movable relative the one or more rail clamps so that a space between the one or more rail clamps and the one or more bed clamps can be increased and decreased, the one or more bed clamps each including: (i) a contact portion that when in a locked position has both a vertical contact location where the contact portion contacts a vertical portion of the bed flange and a horizontal contact location where the contact portion contacts a horizontal portion of the bed flange; and (ii) a movement leg in communication with the contact portion, the movement leg supporting the contact portion so that the contact portion is vertically movable relative to the movement leg.