Tonneau Cover Clamp Support With Shims for Variable Flange Spacing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The inconsistent spacing between metal sheets and a plastic cap in pickup truck cargo boxes creates a challenge for securely clamping a tonneau cover rail, as the gaps between flanges can vary, leading to unstable clamping and potential disengagement of the clamp.
Innovation Solution
A clamp assembly with shims of varying thicknesses is used to fill the gaps between the flanges, providing a solid structure for the clamp to secure onto, and a support bracket is attached to prevent rotation of the clamp about the rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple metal sheets and plastic cap are used to form cargo box sidewall with downward-depending flanges, then manufacturing flexibility and tolerance accommodation are improved, but consistent clamping stability deteriorates due to variable gaps between flanges
Solution Approach 1:
A shim is introduced as an intermediary component between the tonneau cover clamp and the cargo box sidewall flanges. The shim fills the variable gaps created by tolerance runout in the multi-sheet construction, providing a consistent clamping surface that maintains reliable attachment despite variations in flange spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The shim is designed with specific local properties (thickness, material composition, geometry) tailored to compensate for the local gap variations between flanges. By adjusting the shim's thickness and shape, the system achieves uniform clamping pressure at the critical interface between the clamp and sidewall, regardless of the underlying flange spacing variations.
2Ease of manufacture
If gap size between flanges varies due to metal sheet tolerance runout, then manufacturing ease is improved, but clamp security deteriorates as clamps may not securely attach or may be easily pried off
Solution Approach 1:
The shim serves as a mediator that decouples the manufacturing tolerance variations from the clamping interface. It absorbs the dimensional variations in the flange gaps while presenting a consistent, secure attachment surface to the clamp, thereby maintaining strong attachment strength without compromising manufacturing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The shim's thickness parameter is specifically selected and adjusted to match the actual gap size between flanges in each cargo box. By changing this critical parameter (thickness) to compensate for gap variations, the system maintains optimal clamping force and attachment strength across different manufacturing tolerances.
3Adaptability or versatility
If downward-depending flanges are used to accommodate sheet size variations, then adaptability is improved, but clamp reliability deteriorates due to inconsistent spacing preventing secure clamping
Solution Approach 1:
The shim acts as a reliable intermediary that bridges the inconsistent spacing between downward-depending flanges. It ensures that the tonneau cover clamp always has a stable, predictable attachment surface, converting the unreliable flange-to-flange interface into a reliable clamp-to-shim interface that maintains secure attachment.
Data Source
AI summary
A clamp assembly for use with a tonneau cover assembly is provided. Illustratively, the clamp assembly may include a first clamp member, a second clamp member, a clamp fastener, and at least one shim. The second clamp member is located opposite the first clamp member to form a space located therebetween. The clamp fastener is extended through the space between the first clamp member and the second clamp member. The at least one shim is located in the space between the first clamp member and the second clamp member.