FOLDAWAY CANOPY FOR A PICK-UP TRUCK

PAVILLON PLIABLE POUR CAMIONNETTE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A canopy to cover the open box or flatbed of a pickup
truck and selectively retractable to uncover the flatbed and con-
ventionally use the truck. This foldaway canopy is characterized
by a pair of rigid end portions which cooperatively form an enclosing
case for an intermediate section of foldable material, by a simple
guide track system, and by the end portions and intermediate section
outwardly overhanging a pair of guide tracks to conceal the latter
against snow and ice. The rear rigid end portion is mounted on
carriages engaging the guide tracks and the foldable material is sup-
ported by transverse arches having their opposite ends, each slidable
on a cable mounted in the corresponding guide track. Hooks and
detents are provided to lock the rear end portion in open or
closed position.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A foldaway canopy to cover the open bed of a truck,
said open bed defining a front end and a rear end, and said
foldaway canopy comprising rigid front and rear shells, each
of inverted U-shape, upstanding from, and extending trans-
versely of,said bed and each defining a top wall and side walls,
said front shell fixed to the front end of said bed, having
a front wall and fully open at its rear end, said rear shell
fully open at both ends and having an openable closure at
its rear end, a pair of guide tracks extending endwise longi-
tudinally of said bed at each side thereof from a front point
close to said front wall of said front shell along the lower
edges of the respective side walls of said front shell and
extending rearwardly from said front shell and terminating
at a point close to the rear end of said flatbed, carriages
carried by the lower portion of the side walls of said rear
shell and located inside said rear shell and movably engaging
said guide tracks for longitudinal guided movement of said rear
shell between a rear position at the rear end of said bed,
and a front position in which its front end abuts against the
rear open end of said front shell and forms therewith a
protective case against the weather when said closure is
closed, a foldable canopy section extending between said front
and rear shells and including a flexible sheet material and
supporting arches secured to said sheet material at spaced
zones longitudinally of said bed, said sheet material and
said arches having an inverted U-shape transversely of said bed,
the lower ends of said arches engaging said guide tracks and
displaceable along the same, the front end of said sheet
material secured to said front shell inside the same and at
said front wall, the rear end of said sheet material secured
to said rear shell inside the same, said arches and sheet


material completely located within said case in the front
position of said rear shell, first manually-operated inter-
engageable latching means carried by said front and rear
shells to latch the same in abutting and protective case-
forming position and second manually-operated inter-engageable
latching means carried by said rear shell and the rear end
of said bed to latch said rear shell in rear position with said
sheet material and arches extending between said two shells.

2. A foldaway canopy as defined in claim 1, wherein
said guide tracks are each of generally C-shape cross-section
including a pair of opposite longitudinal edges spaced apart
by a longitudinal slot and all extending lengthwise at the top
of the guide tracks, said carriages extending through said slots,
the lower ends of said arches extending also through said slots
and carrying grommets at their lower ends within said guide
tracks, and further including in each guide track a guide cable
extending longitudinally thereof and through the grommets of
all the arches, said grommets slidable along said cable.

3. A foldaway canopy as defined in claim 1,
wherein said first latching means include a pair of spring-
biased hooks operatively mounted on the opposite sides,
respectively, of one of said shells in operative hooking
position relative to corresponding catch members, respectively,
mounted on the other of said shells, and a handle is connected
to each of said spring-biased hooks to selectively release the
latter from engagement with said catch members, respectively.

4. A foldaway canopy as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3,
wherein said second latching means include a pair of spring-


biased hooks positively mounted on the opposite sides
respectively, of said rear shell in operative hooking position
relative to corresponding catch members, respectively fixedly
secured relative to the rear ends of said guide tracks and an
unlatching handle is connected to each of said spring-biased
hooks to selectively release the latter from engagement with
said catch members, respectively.
5. A foldaway canopy as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3,
wherein the side walls of said front shell of said rear shell
and of said foldable sheet material hang over and conceal the
outside of said guide tracks.

Description

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This invention relates to a cover or canopy of the type
that goes over the flatbed of a truck, such as a pick-up truck,
and is collapsible or retractable to selectively uncover the
flatbed. More particularly, this invention relates to a foldaway
canopy of the above-mentioned type.
The covers, or canopies of the above type, which have
been proposed so far are not, when in retracted position, well
protected against adverse weather and environmental conditions,
such as rain, snow, ice, dust and dirt. When they are made of
strictly rigid members or components, they add substantial weight
and complexity, and, when embodying foldable material, they are
not adapted to be readily folded to uncover the flatbed for
eonventional use of the truck.
It is a general obJect of the present invention to provide
a foldaway canopy of the above type, which i5 of simple and
relatively light weight construction.
It is a more speciflc ob~ect of the present invention to
provide a foldaway canopy of the above type, wherein a simple
guide trac~ system is provided to produce the folding operation.
It is another specif~c object of the present ~nvention to
provide a foldaway ~anopy of the above type, wherein the opposite
ends of the canopy cooperatively form an all-enclosing case for
folding therein of an intermediate section of foldable material
upon retraction of the c~nopy.
The above and other ob~ect~ and advantages of the present
invention will be better underQtood with reference to the
following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof
which is illustrated,by way of example, in the accompanying
drawings, in wh~ch:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a flatbed
truck with a foldaway canopy msunted thereon according to t~e
present invention and shown in extended position;
Figure 2 is a s~de elevation view of the foldaway canopy

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of Figure 1, shown in retracted position;
Figure 3 is a rear view of the foldaway canopy;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the same foldaway
canopy with parts broken away;
Figure 5 is a cros~-ectional ~iew as seen along line 5-5
in Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a cros~-sectional view as seen along line 6-6
in Figure 4;
Figure 7 is a side elevation view as seen from the right
in Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view as seen along line 8-8
in Figure 3;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view as seen along line 9-9
in Figure 8;
Figure 10 i~ a detailed side elevation view of a portion
of the foldaway canopy; and
Figure 11 is a crosR-sectional view a~ seen along line
11-11 in Figure 10.
The illustrated foldaway canopy 1s adapted to be mounted
on the front side 1, lateral sides 2 and tail gate 3 of a
pick-up truck 4 which deflnes a flatbed surrounded by the
sides 1, 2, 2., ~Pd 3.
The foldaway canopy includes a front rigid end portion 5
comprising a shell made of a front wall 6, a top wall 7 and
opposite lateral s1de walls B. The lower edge of the walls
6 and 8 are fixedly secured against tHe sutside of the top
edge of the walls 2, 2, and 1, defining the box of the pick-up
truck. The afore-~entioned shell is preferably integrally
molded of any appropriate material, such as plastic or a fiber-
reinforced composite. The front rigid end portion 5 alsoincludes an inner wall defining a top wall portion 9 and
opposite lateral walls 10, 10 ~nwardly spaced from the walls
7, 8, and 8, respecti~ely, and cooperati~ely forming therewith

_ ~ _

an inverted U-shape space between them. The walls 9, 10, 10
extend co-extensively with the walls 7, 8, 8 of the shell,
and are integrally formed with the latter. Thus, the inverted U-
shape space ls so shaped transversely of the truck and defines
a rearwardly-open$ng end of such inverted U-shape.
A guide track system is operatively mounted on the top
of the opposite lateral sides 2, 2 of the truck, This guide track
system comprises a pair of guide tracks 11 secured longitudinally
on the sides 2, 2 and each having a C-shape cross-section, as best
seen in Figures 6, 9, and 11. Each gu~de track 11 includes a
pair of opposite lateral edges 12, which are laterally spaced
apart by a longitudinal slot 13. The guide track system also
includes a steel cable 14 in each C-shape guide track 11. Each
cable 14 i5 attached at its opposite ends to eyebolts 15 and
held ~aut under the corresponding longitudina~ slot, or space
13, and longitudinally thereof.
The ~oldaway canopy also includes a rear rigld end portion
16, of in~erted U-shape conflguration, defining a top wall 17 and
opposite sides 18. The latter defines a rear window opening 19
with slide tracks 20 along the laterally opposite side~ thereof,
A roller 21 extends lengthwise transversely of the truck and is
rot~i~ely mounted aboYe the opening 19 at the top of the rigid
end portion 16. A shutter 22, of the ~lat type, is attached at
its upper end to the roller 21 and has its opposite lateral edge~
slidable in the slide tracks 20. Thus, the shutter 22 may be
opened or closed by corre ponding manual sliding thereo~ along
the ~lideways, or slide tracks 2~, and forms 8 closure for rear
window opening 19. A latch system i8 provided to hold the
shutter in one of a plurality o~ predetermined positions ranging
from a ~ully-closed position to a fully-opened position. Th~s
latch system includ~s a pair of hand-actuated pro~ections 23
whlch are secured to push rods, not shown, which are spring
biased horizontally away from each other toward latching

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engagement in catching apertures on the opposite sides of the
wlndow. Such construction is well known an~ need not be defined
further, since it does not form a feature of the present
invention.
The foldaway canopy al~o includes an intermediate foldable
section 24 comprising a plurality of supporting arches 25 an~
a covering sheet of foldable material 26. The arches 25 have
each their opposite ends engaged in the longitudinal slots 1~
respectively and slidably engaged on the cables 14. For that
purpose, each end of each arch 25 i~ engaged on a grommet 27 which
slides on the corresponding cable 14. As shown in Figures 6 and
7, the foldable material 26 is laced by a cord 28 to the arches 25,
such that the latter will be moved apart one from another upon
extension of the foldable material in the longitudinal direction
of the guide tracks 11. As ~hown in Figure 11, the foldable
material 26 i8 ~ecured at its forward end by metal strips or
blades 29 in the closed forward end of the $nverted U-shape
~pace defined by the front end portion, or shell 5. The rear
edge of the ~oldable material i8 secured against the inside face
of the rear end portion 16 and along the ~orward edge thereof,
as shown in Figures 5 and 8. The lower edge of the foldable
material 26 and o~ the opposite lateral ~ides ~f the end portions 5
and l6 outwardly overhang the slde tracks 11, 85 shown in
Figures 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11 to conceal the ~ame against snow
and ice. As shown in Figure 5, when the end portions 5 and 16
abut eAch other $n closed posit$on, the arches 25 and foldsble
material 26 are wholly enclo~ed within the enclosing space or case~
so formed by the end portisns. The foldable material i8 thus
protected against adverse weather and environmental conditions.
~0 The rear end portion, or shell 16, is mounted on a pair
of carriages, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, to provide displacement
thereof along the gu$de tracks 11. Each carriage ~s secured in
a concealed caYi~y upwardly extending in the bottom o~ a cor-

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responding side 18. Each carriage comprises a T-shape bracket,
or frame member 30, having a horizontal plate portion 31 to fixedly
secure it to the bottom of the corresponding side 181 and a depend-
ing web 32 wh~ch downwardly extend~ through the slot 13 and
rotatably carries rollers 33. The latter rollably engage the
underside of the opposite lateral edges 12.
The rear end portion 16 is latched in forward position
against the front end portlon 5 by a hook 34 pivotally mounted
on a side wall 8 and connected to a handle 35 to be pivoted by
the latter. A spring ~6 bla~es the hook 34 toward latching
engagement with a pin 37 laterally proJecting ~utwardly from the
corresponding side 18 o~ the rear end portion 16. Preferably,
there is such latch arrangement on each side of the fixed and
movable end portions 5 and 16, re~pectively.
The rear end portion~l6 is latched in fuhly rearward or
canopy-forming position by a pair of hooks 38 rearwardly
pro~ecting from the bottom of the sides 18, respectively. AB
best shown in Flgure 8, each such latch includes a spring 39
to bias the hook 38 toward the latching position~ An unlatching
lever 40 is pivotally mounted to unlatch the hook 38 upon down-
ward pivoting through the outward handle portion 41 thereof.
The rear of each side 18 of the rear end portion is formed
with ~ hand grip cavity 42 to $acilltate rearwardly pulling of
that movable portion to get engagement of the hooks 38 with the
latch pin 43.