Sealing mechanism for truck box cover device

[00002] This invention relates to truck box cover apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for sealing the truck box from the elements.

[00003] It is an object of the invention to provide a novel roll top storage truck box cover which rolls into storage and has straight rails for guiding the cover to cover the truck box with a cam mechanism to cam the forward end of the cover up against an overhanging flange on the top of a the device when covering the truck box.

[00004] It is another object of the invention to provide a novel mechanism for causing the forward edge of the cover to move into a flush sealed position with forward overhang portions of the device for sealing the cover to the overhang.

[00005] It is another object of the invention to provide a novel cam mechanism to cam the forward edge of the cover into a sealed position in parallel relation to a forward edge of the device.

[00006] Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[00015] Briefly stated, the invention comprises a sealing mechanism for sealing the forward front edge of the truck box cover to the forward front overhang of the device, when the cover fully covers the truck box, having a mechanism to cam the forward front edge of the cover upward flush against an overhanging flange on the box to seal the forward front edge of the cover flush to the fixed over hanging flange at the front of the truck box of the truck.

[00016] Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the truck box cover sealing apparatus 20 is illustrated mounted to the top of a truck box 21, shown in phantom lines. The apparatus 20 has a pair of spiral guide canister mechanisms 22 and 22′ at the forward end of the truck box 21 The canisters have spiral ribs or ridges 23 and 23′, respectively, positioned on the inside of each side of the truck box at the forward end of the truck box.

[00017] A pair of horizontal side strips 25 and 26 are provided along the top sides of the truck box. The straight strips extend in a straight line along the lateral sides of the truck box 21, rearward of the canisters, and have horizontal side rails 27 and 28.

[00018] A metal laterally extending front plate 30 is mounted to the forward end of the plastic cover 24. On the front plate 30 of the cover on opposite lateral sides of the plate are a pair of sealing rollers 31 and 32 rotatably mounted to the plate. The sealing rollers 31 and 32 ride upon the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ of the canisters. The upper ends 23″ of the spiral ridges terminate slightly above horizontal with the panel 24.

[00019] A plurality of support rollers 33 are rotatably mounted to the cover 24 on each side 24′ and 24″ of the truck box cover 24 and are rotatably mounted the cover at intermediate locations between the front and rear ends of the cover and rearward of the sealing rollers 31 and 32. The support rollers 33 on the intermediate portions of the cover also ride upon the lateral horizontal rails 27 and 28 on the top of the truck box when the cover 24 travels in a straight line forward and rearward across the top of the truck box, and also ride upon the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ of the canister when rolling into and out of the spiral canisters. The spiral ridges 23 and 23′ support and guide the rollers 31 and 32 and the support rollers 33 of the cover to guide the cover and rollers in a gradual spiral path and place the cover in a spiral shape when opening the cover 24 on the truck box.

[00020] At the front of the device is a fixed overhanging flange 34 fixed to the side rails 27 and 28 and extending above the canisters and adapted to rest on the top of the front wall of the truck box.

[00021] A pair of triangular cams 35 and 36 are fixed to a top portion 29 of each of the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ of the canisters. The sealing rollers 31 and 32 on the opposite lateral front edge of the cover are aligned in the path of the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ of the canisters to travel on the spiral ridges and travel in gradual spiral on the ridges during most of their travel. They are, however, further aligned in the path of the cams 35 and 36, so as to travel abruptly off the cams when initially opening the cover, and so as to travel abrupt back up onto the top 44 of the cams 35 and 36 when they reach the cams 35 and 36 when the cover is nearly closed and come to rest on the tops 44 of the cams when the cover is fully closed. The support rollers 33 are also aligned in the path of the spiral ridges 23, and 23′ to travel on the spiral ridges, but are spaced inwardly on the spiral ridges, relative to the spacing of the rollers 31 and 32 so as not to be aligned in the path of the cams 35 and 36, so as to travel continuously in a gradual spiral on the spiral ridges past the cams without engaging the cams when opening or closing the cover.

[00022] When opening the cover 24 of the box, the cover will be slid down the spiral ridges, moving from right to left when viewed from FIG. 3. The initial opening of the cover will cause the sealing rollers 31 and 32 at the forward end of the cover to immediately and abruptly drop off the cams 35 and 36 allowing rolling space for the rollers with the rollers now rolling along the spiral ridges downward.

[00023] This immediate and abrupt dropping off the sealing rollers from the cams quickly opens the cover so that the front plate 30 can drop downward from the rear edge of the overhang to clear the rear edge of the overhang when opening the cover. The abrupt dropping of the front edge of cover is desirable to assure their clearing one another, as the rear edge 46 of the overhang is at the same height as the front plate 30 and they are closely adjacent one another when the cover is closed. The abrupt dropping further acts to prevent the cover from dragging along the underside of the overhang as the cover is opened. The upper ends 23″ of the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ are high enough to initially engage and guide the front plate 30 of the cover downward into the canister to further prevent dragging along the underside of the overhang.

[00024] The rest of the cover will follow and wind in gradual spiral fashion together with the support rollers 33 riding on the side straight rails 27 and 28 and spiraling down the spiral ridges past the cams, without engaging the cams 35 and 36, until the rear edge of the cover, not shown, of the truck box cover 24 reaches the overhanging flange 34 and the spiral mechanism, thereby fully opening the top of the truck box.

[00025] When closing the cover 24 over the truck box, the cover will be slid from left to right, when viewed from FIG. 1, with the cover unwinding, spiraling gradually out of the spiral canisters and sliding along the straight side rails 27 and 28 of the side strips 25 and 26, and with the sealing rollers 31 and 32 and supporting rollers 33 both riding on the spiral ridges 23 and 23′ as the cover is initially unwound from the canisters, and with the supporting rollers 33 riding upon the inner portions of the spiral ridges beside and past the cams 35 and 36 at the top of the spiral ridges without engaging the cams 35 and 36, as shown in FIG. 3.

[00026] When the cover, in closing, reaches a point when the cover is nearly closed over the truck box; the sealing rollers 31 and 32 at the front of the cover, being aligned in the path of the cams 35 and 36 at the top 29 of the spiral ridges, will engage the cams 35 and 36 and the cams will cam the sealing rollers 31 and 32 and the front end of the cover 24 and cover plate 30 abruptly upward to move or shift the front end of the cover 24 and cover plate 30 abruptly upward on the cams 35 and 36 of the ridges 23 and 23′, respectively, departing from its normal spiral winding and unwinding path to a position where the sealing rollers are on top 44 of the cams and a rubber panel 37 of the front panel 30 is flush parallel with and against the underside of the horizontal fixed projecting over hang flange 34 at the front of the device to thereby seal the front end of the cover to the overhanging flange to its position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cover will only move a short distance to the right on the cams to be fully closed. The sealing rollers will be resting on the tops of the cams when the cover is fully closed, as shown in FIG. 2.

[00027] The front overhanging flange 34 is adjacent the front of the truck box between the spiral canisters 22 and 22′ and its front edge acts to cover the front top edge 45 of the truck box and its rear edge extends rearward a short distance from the edge 45 of the truck box when the device is mounted in the truck box.

[00028] The plate 30 at the front of the cover 24 has the rubber or resilient panel member 37 mounted the top of the front plate. The resilient panel 37 extends laterally the full width of the front edge of the cover 24 and its entire front width directly engages the underside of the rear end 34′ of the overhanging flange 34 in flush relation to seal the entire front end of the cover to the overhanging flange in watertight relation, when the cover is slid fully rearward out of the canisters to fully cover the truck box, as shown in FIG. 1.

[00029] The plastic cover 24 is formed of a plurality of molded flexible, plastic, square tubular members 38 which tubular member 38 are jointed to one another along their common sides 38′ to form the plastic cover. Rods 39 are fitted at spaced intervals along the length of the cover into the tubes 38, and the support rollers 33 are rotatably mounted to the outer ends of each of the rods 39 to rotatably support the cover on the horizontal flanges 27 and 28 at intervals along the length of the cover and on the spiral ridges

[00030] The tubular members 38 at spaced intervals have openings 38″ along the bottoms to enable the top panel 38″″ of each tubular element to flex and bends relative to one another, so that the cover can be readily rolled in the spiral canisters of the device.

[00031] The front plate 30 also has guide alignment rollers 40 and 40′ mounted at the opposite lateral sides of the front plate 30 ahead of the sealing rollers 31 and 32. The guide alignment rollers 40 and 40′ act to keep the cover 24 in alignment between the canisters and strips as it travels to open and close.

[00032] The rigid plate-30 at the forward end of the cover has a C shaped rear end 41 to receive the forward end 24′″ of the plastic cover therein. When the cover is fully closed, the rubber or resilient panel 37 rests against the underside of the overhang 34, as shown in FIG. 2, white the top of the C shaped portion of the cover 24 is horizontally beside the overhang 34, so as be at the same horizontal level as the fixed overhang 34.

[00033] The overhang 34 is a horizontal panel which lies over the storage area where the cover is wound on the spiral ridges when stored. The cover 24 is also positioned, when on the straight rails 27 and 28, with its top surface substantially at the same height at the overhang 34. Consequently, there is substantially no obstruction along top of the cover or forward of the cover 24 which might prevent water accumulating on the top surface of the cover 24 and prevent water from moving or draining or gravitating forward off the front of the cover or that would cause water or snow to accumulate on the front portions of the cover.

[00034] The side strips 25 and 26 are fixed to the top side walls of the truck box and have laterally extending overhanging flanges 25′ and 26′ with rubber seals on the overhanging flanges which over hang the lateral sides of the cover to seal the sides of the cover when the cover is resting on the rails 27 and 28 when fully closed. The strips 25 and 26 are mounted on opposite lateral sides of the box of a pick up truck.

[00035] The front pair of lateral rollers 40 and 40′ are rotatably mounted about an angular axis 42 to the lateral plate to enable the rollers 40 and 40′ to roll and engage against the vertical sides 43 and 43′ of the spiral mechanisms 23 and 23′ to keep the front end of the cover in straight perpendicular alignment as it moves forward and rearward.

[00036] A rectangular plate 45 is fixed to the bottom of the lateral plate and extends downward between the canisters 23 and 23′ to provide strength to the front of the cover for easier operation. The rubber panel 37 serves as a sealing cushion against the overhang flange having forward and rearward depending resilient flanges 46 and 46′which hook into the sides of a lateral rigid projecting portion 47 of the lateral plate to secure the rubber panel to the lateral plate 30. The panel 37 may also bulge upward in the middle away from the portion 47 to provide an added cushion effect by creating a pocket of air between them.

[00037] Thus, it will be seen that a novel sealing mechanism has been provided for effectively sealing the front edge of a flexible roll top cover to the front edge of the overhang on the device to prevent fluids and other elements from leaking between the front plate of the cover and the rear edge of the overhang on the truck box when the cover is fully closed.

[00038] It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein: