Folding Tonneau Cover with Sealed Hinges and Segmented Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tonneau cover systems for pickup trucks often obstruct the rear window view when folded, compromising safety and allow water and liquids to pass through due to porous seams, making driving unsafe and cargo vulnerable to elements.
Innovation Solution
A folding tonneau hard cover system that can be adjusted to expose the rear window and features sealed hinges and panels with no seams, utilizing hook-shaped rails and curved lips for secure and watertight folding, and adjustable stowed positions for enhanced visibility and protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the cover system is folded to facilitate loading and unloading of larger objects, then accessibility to the cargo bed is improved, but visibility through the rear window deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system is divided into multiple panels (first panel, second panel, third panel) that can be independently folded and positioned. This segmentation allows the cover to be configured in various states, including a folded position where panels are arranged to minimize obstruction of the rear window while still providing access to the cargo bed.
2Ease of operation
If conventional cover systems are folded for storage, then cargo bed accessibility is improved, but driving safety deteriorates due to blocked rear window view
Solution Approach 1:
The cover system employs dynamic hinge mechanisms that allow the panels to be positioned in multiple configurations. The hinge assembly enables the cover to transition between fully closed, partially folded, and fully open states, allowing the user to optimize the balance between cargo access and rear window visibility based on driving conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cover panels and hinges are coupled to enable folding, then flexibility and accessibility are improved, but water and liquids can pass through seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sealing members (weatherstripping, gaskets, or flexible sealing films) along the edges and seams of the cover panels and hinge assemblies. These flexible sealing elements conform to the mating surfaces, creating watertight barriers that prevent water and liquid infiltration while allowing the panels to move relative to each other during folding operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional cover systems use seams to join panels and hinges, then ease of manufacture is improved, but protection from elements deteriorates due to porous seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces sealing members as intermediary elements between the cover panels and hinge components. These sealing members act as mediators that maintain the protective function of the cover system by blocking water and liquid pathways at the joints and seams, while not interfering with the mechanical assembly and disassembly processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge for a tonneau cover includes a first hinge member and a second hinge member oriented in an opposite direction as the first hinge member. Each of the hinge members includes a hook-shaped rail having a flat portion and a hooked end directed in a direction toward a body of the hinge member. The hooked end is positioned near a same side of the hinge member as a top surface of the body. The hinge body includes an edge positioned near a base of the hook-shaped rail. The hinge includes a hinge junction having a first curved lip and a second curved lip extending from a top surface of the hinge junction. The top surface is positioned opposite a base of the hinge junction. The curved lips are configured to pivotably receive the hook-shaped rails of the first and second hinge members.