Tonneau Cover Frame Segmentation for Uniform Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tonneau covers face challenges in maintaining a tight fit and preventing slack and wrinkles due to uneven attachment of the wire along the outer periphery, leading to weak pulling forces in certain areas.
Innovation Solution
A tonneau cover design featuring a sheet-shaped member with a hemming member and a loop-shaped core material housed in an elongated core material housing space, combined with a frame that includes divided frame members with edge housing portions and contact portions to ensure balanced tension and prevent slack and wrinkles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the wire is attached to the outer periphery of the main cover by folding and sewing the peripheral edge member, then the wire can be integrated with the cover structure, but the attachment distance becomes uneven causing slack and wrinkles
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into multiple divided frame members (first divided frame member and second divided frame member) that can be separately positioned and attached along the outer periphery of the main cover. This segmentation allows for more precise and uniform spacing compared to a continuous wire attachment, eliminating the uneven attachment distance problem while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral edge member serves as an intermediary component between the main cover and the divided frame members. It provides a standardized attachment interface that ensures uniform distribution of the frame members along the outer periphery, preventing slack and wrinkles by maintaining consistent attachment distance throughout
2Force
If the wire pulls the outer periphery toward the outer peripheral side, then the main cover is tensioned, but uneven pulling force causes slack and wrinkles in weak areas
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous wire tensioning system is segmented into multiple divided frame members distributed along the outer periphery. Each divided frame member applies pulling force at specific locations, creating uniform force distribution across the main cover surface. This prevents localized weak areas and ensures consistent tension throughout, eliminating slack and wrinkles
Solution Approach 2:
The divided frame members are strategically positioned at specific locations along the outer periphery where tension is needed. This localized approach allows for optimized force application at critical areas while maintaining overall uniformity, ensuring that each region of the main cover receives appropriate tensioning force to prevent deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A tonneau cover includes a sheet-shaped member, a hemming member sewn on an outer peripheral edge portion of the sheet-shaped member and forming a core material housing space, a loop-shaped core material housed in the core material housing space, and a frame. The frame includes a first divided frame member and a second divided frame member. At least one of the first divided frame member and the second divided frame member is formed with an edge housing portion and is provided with a contact portion. The edge housing portion forms an edge housing space. The edge housing space houses the outer peripheral edge portion, the hemming member, and the core material. The contact portion protrudes into the edge housing space to be in contact with a surface of the core material facing the sheet-shaped member via the hemming member.