The present invention relates to a telescopically extendable truck bed shell and, more particularly, to a telescopically extendable truck bed shell that is remotely controlled.
Several designs for truck bed shells have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include shields that are telescopically connected and that can be extended or contracted remotely using a remote controller.
Applicant believes that a related reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,497 issued for an extendable cargo bed cap. Applicant believes that another related reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,766 issued for a telescoping cover for a pickup truck bed. None of these references, however, teach of a truck bed cap comprising a plurality of cover sections telescopically connected together and slidably mounted to the truck bed side rails, wherein the panels are extended and retracted via an electrically powered and remotely controlled motor which drives a threaded rod.
Other documents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a telescopically extendable truck bed shell that permits a user to easily retrieve items inside the truck bed
It is another object of this invention to provide a device that can be actuated wirelessly by means of a remote controller.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a telescopically extendable truck bed shell that can be easily mounted on existing truck beds.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to implement and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.
Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.
With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it basically includes a shield assembly 20, a transmission assembly 40, and an actuation assembly 60. It should be understood there are modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
Better shown in
The shield assembly 20 includes shields 22. Shields 22 may be mounted on said truck bed T as shown in
The transmission assembly 40 includes a motor 42, transmission gears 43, threaded rods 44, housings 45, and bearings 46. The motor 42 may be an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy that may be transmitted to different elements. In one embodiment, the motor 22 may be powered by a DC source. In another embodiment, the motor 42 may be powered by an AC source. In a suitable embodiment, the motor 42 may be powered by the battery (not shown in the figures) of the truck that receives the shield assembly 20. Nonetheless, in another embodiment, to motor 42 may be powered by an external source. The motor 42 may be located inside the truck bed T. In a preferred embodiment, the motor 42 may be located proximal to the shield that has the greater volume, proximal to the cabin of the truck. The motor 42 may transmit motion by means of shafts 42a that may be held by support members 47. The support members 47 may provide additional structural support. The bearings 46 may be attached to an interior surface of the shields 22 as depicted in
The actuation assembly 60 includes a remote controller 62, a receiver 66, and a driver 67. The remote controller 62 may include buttons 63, a battery 64, and a transmitter 65. The remote controller 62 may permit a user to remotely activate the motor to extend or contract the shields. The remote controller 62 may be volumetrically suitable to be handheld. The buttons 63 may be used to defined predetermined actions. In one of the embodiments, one of the buttons 63 may be used to extend the shields. In another embodiment, another button from the buttons 63 may be used to contract the shields. Transmitter 65 may send a signal having format of an electromagnetic radiation. Transmitter 65 may use wireless technology such as ultrasonic technology, infrared technology, RF technology, Wi-Fi™ technology, Bluetooth™ technology, or any variation thereof. The buttons 63 may be configured to perform predetermined actions that are transmitted by the transmitter 65. The battery 65 may be electrically connected to the transmitter to supply electrical energy. In a suitable embodiment, the battery may be removably inserted to the remote controller. The receiver 66 may be electronic component that receives the signal having an electromagnetic radiation format that may be sent by the transmitter 65, wherein the signal may include predetermined instructions. The receiver 66 may use wireless technology such as ultrasonic technology, infrared technology, RF technology, Wi-Fi™ technology, Bluetooth™ technology, or any variation thereof. The receiver 66 may be electrically connected to the driver 67. The driver 67 may be an electronic component that may be used to vary the direction in which the motor 42 generates motion. The driver 67 may be the element that indicates the motor 42 to rotate to a predetermined direction to extend the shields 22 or to contract the shields 22 depending on what button a user may press. The driver 47 may be electrically connected to the motor 42.
The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.
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