Tonneau cover and method of attachment
View Patent ↗A tonneau cover and a method of attachment are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a self-energizing clamp can be used to retain a tonneau cover onto a side wall of a truck bed, or other vehicle bed. In some embodiments, the clamp can be rotated between a usage position and a storage position in order to prevent the clamp from incidental movement or harm while accessing the truck bed.
1. A bow hanger for a tonneau cover, the bow hanger comprising:
a hanger portion, the hanger portion comprising two attachment ends connected by a connecting member; and
a clamp portion, the clamp portion comprising:
a body portion configured to at least partially surround the connecting member, wherein one of the connecting member and the body portion comprises a circumferential slot and a divot at one end of the circumferential slot, and wherein the other of the connecting member and the body portion comprises a tab configured to interact with the circumferential slot and the divot;
a hinge mechanism connected to the body portion;
a clamp associated with the hinge mechanism, the clamp configured to translate between a clamped position and an unclamped position; and
a handle configured to move the clamp between the clamped position and the unclamped position;
wherein the body portion is configured to rotate around the connecting member so that the tab rotates along the circumferential slot; and
wherein, when the tab enters the divot, the divot releasably holds the tab until a force is applied.
2. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the connecting member is generally cylindrical in shape.
3. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein a first of the two attachment ends is configured to interact with a tonneau cover.
4. The bow hanger of claim 3 , wherein a second of the two attachment ends is configured to interact with a side rail attached to a vehicle.
5. The bow hanger of claim 3 , wherein the first of the two attachment ends is configured to insert into a bow of the tonneau cover.
6. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the tab is formed of a generally flexible material.
7. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is configured to flex outwards to allow translation of the tab within the slot.
8. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential slot comprises a plurality of divots.
9. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the circumferential slot comprises a stop on an opposite end of the circumferential slot from the divot, the stop configured to prevent further rotation of the tab.
10. The bow hanger of claim 9 , wherein the clamp portion is located in a vertical position when the tab interacts with the stop.
11. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is formed of two halves clamped around the connecting member.
12. The bow hanger of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is configured to slide along a length of the connecting member.
13. A tonneau cover comprising:
a tonneau cover having at least one bow;
at least one side rail; and
at least one bow hanger comprising:
a hanger portion, the hanger portion comprising a first attachment end configured to connect to the at least one bow and a second attachment end configured to attach to the at least one side rail, the first attachment end and the second attachment end connected by a connecting member, wherein the connecting member comprises a first interacting guide portion on an external surface of the connecting member; and
a clamp portion, the clamp portion comprising:
a body portion configured to at least partially surround the connecting member, the body portion comprising second interacting guide portion configured to interact with the first interacting guide portion;
a hinge mechanism connected to the body portion;
a clamp associated with the hinge mechanism, the clamp configured to translate between a clamped position and an unclamped position; and
a handle configured to move the clamp between the clamped position and the unclamped position;
wherein the body portion is configured to rotate around the connecting member; and
wherein one of the connecting member and the body portion comprise a stop to releasably hold the connecting member and the body portion against rotation when the handle is in a storage location until a force is applied.
14. The tonneau cover of claim 13 , wherein the connecting member is generally cylindrical in shape.
15. The tonneau cover of claim 13 , wherein the first interacting guide portion comprises a circumferential slot having a divot on one end and the second interacting guide portion comprises an inward facing tab.
16. The tonneau cover of claim 15 , wherein the tab is formed of a generally flexible material.
17. The tonneau cover of claim 15 , wherein the circumferential slot comprises a plurality of divots.
18. The tonneau cover of claim 15 , wherein the clamp portion is located in a vertical position when the tab interacts with the stop.
19. The tonneau cover of claim 13 , wherein the body portion is formed of two halves clamped around the connecting member.
20. The tonneau cover of claim 13 , wherein the body portion is configured to slide along a length of the connecting member.