Load bed lift-roof cover

Claim 2

For a vehicle having a passenger cab incorporating a cab roof and cab rear wall and having a load bed comprising a floor, a load bed forward wall, a load bed left wall, a load bed right wall and a load bed rear wall with tailgate and tailgate opening: a cover including a cover forward wall attachable to said load bed in such a manner as to extend upward from the load bed forward wall behind the cab rear wall to a height approximating the height of the cab roof; said cover incorporating a lift-roof structure comprising a roof, a cover left wall, a cover right wall and a cover rear wall; said lift-roof structure being pivotally attached to the cover forward wall about a lateral axis in proximity to an upper edge of the cover forward wall, allowing the lift-roof structure to be raised at the rear about said lateral axis from a lower, closed position to a raised, open position; the cover also including means completing seating of the lift-roof structure to the cover forward wall prior to completion of seating of the lift-roof structure to load bed on lowering the lift-roof structure.

Claim 3

A cover as described in claim 1 in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said lift-roof structure is in a raised position.

Claim 4

A cover as described in claim 1 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above a lower, closed position.

Claim 5

A cover as described in claim 1 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above a lower, closed position; in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said structure is in a raised position; and in which flexible panelling may be attached to the cover left and right walls and rear wall to form a weatherproof enclosure of the load bed with the lift-roof structure in a raised position.

Claim 6

A cover as described in claim 1 incorporating lift assist means, so that lift assist is provided in raising the lift-roof structure from a lower to a raised position.

Claim 7

A cover as described in claim 1 in which compression strut means are attached between the lift-roof structure and forward pivotal attachments so that lift assist is provided in raising the lift-roof structure from the lower to the raised position, said lift-roof structure having at least one alternate location for the compression strut means attachments such that the cover forward wall may be held in a desired orientation relative to the lift-roof structure.

Claim 8

For a vehicle having a passenger cab incorporating a cab roof and cab rear wall, and having a load bed comprising a floor, a load bed forward wall, a load bed left wall, a load bed right wall and a load bed rear wall with tailgate and tailgate opening: a cover providing load bed enclosure and including a cover forward wall structure attachable to said load bed in such a manner as to extend upward from the load bed forward wall behind the cab rear wall to a height approximating the height of the cab roof; said cover incorporating a lift-roof structure comprising a roof, a cover left wall, a cover right wall and a cover rear wall; said lift-roof structure being attached to the cover forward wall structure by means allowing the lift-roof structure to be raised at a rear end and rotated substantially about an upper forward lateral edge from a lower, closed position to a raised, open position; the cover having means for angular orientation of the cover forward wall relative to the load bed to ensure closure of the lift-roof structure left and right walls to both the cover forward wall structure and the load bed on lowering the lift-roof structure from the raised, open position to the lower, closed position.

Claim 9

For a vehicle having a passenger cab incorporating a cab roof and cab rear wall, and having a load bed comprising a floor, a load bed forward wall, a load bed left wall, a load bed right wall and a load bed rear wall with tailgate and tailgate opening: a cover providing load bed enclosure and including a cover forward wall structure attachable to said load bed in such a manner as to extend upward from the load bed forward wall behind the cab rear wall to a height approximating the height of the cab roof; said cover incorporating a lift-roof structure comprising a roof, a cover left wall, a cover right wall and a cover rear wall; said lift-roof structure being attached to the cover forward wall structure by means allowing the lift-roof structure to be raised at a rear end and rotated substantially about an upper forward lateral edge from a lower, closed position to a raised, open position; the cover having means for angular orientation of the cover forward wall relative to the load bed to ensure closure of the lift-roof structure left and right walls to both the cover forward wall structure and the load bed on lowering the lift-roof structure from the raised, open position to the lower, closed position.

Claim 10

A cover as described in claim 7 in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said lift-roof structure is in the raised position.

Claim 11

A cover as described in claim 7 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position.

Claim 12

A cover as described in claim 7 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position; in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said structure is in the raised position; and in which flexible panelling may be attached to the cover left and right walls and rear wall to form a weatherproof enclosure of the load bed with the lift-roof structure in the raised position.

Claim 13

A cover as described in claim 7 incorporating lift assist means, so that lift assist is provided in raising the lift-roof structure from the lower to the raised position.

Claim 14

For a vehicle having a passenger cab incorporating a cab roof and cab rear wall, and having a load bed comprising a floor, a load bed forward wall, a load bed left wall, a load bed right wall and a load bed rear wall with tailgate and tailgate opening: a cover providing load bed enclosure and including a cover forward wall attachable to said load bed in such a manner as to extend upward from the load bed forward wall behind the cab rear wall to a height approximating the height of the cab roof; said cover incorporating a lift-roof structure comprising a roof, a cover left wall, a cover right wall and a cover rear wall; said lift-roof structure being pivotally attached to the cover forward wall about a lateral axis in proximity to an upper edge of the cover forward wall, allowing the lift-roof structure to be raised at the rear about said lateral axis from a lower, closed position to a raised open position; the cover also including means for adjusting the angular orientation of the cover forward wall relative to the load bed.

Claim 15

For a vehicle having a passenger cab incorporating a cab roof and cab rear wall, and having a load bed comprising a floor, a load bed forward wall, a load bed left wall, a load bed right wall and a load bed rear wall with tailgate and tailgate opening: a cover providing load bed enclosure and including a cover forward wall attachable to said load bed in such a manner as to extend upward from the load bed forward wall behind the cab rear wall to a height approximating the height of the cab roof; said cover incorporating a lift-roof structure comprising a roof, a cover left wall, a cover right wall and a cover rear wall; said lift-roof structure being pivotally attached to the cover forward wall about a lateral axis in proximity to an upper edge of the cover forward wall, allowing the lift-roof structure to be raised at the rear about said lateral axis from a lower, closed position to a raised open position; the cover also including means for adjusting the angular orientation of the cover forward wall relative to the load bed.

Claim 16

A cover as described in claim 12 in which rigid panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said lift-roof structure is in a raised position, the panelling remaining substantially hidden from an external side view when said lift-roof structure is in the closed position.

Claim 17

A cover as described in claim 12 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position.

Claim 18

A cover as described in claim 12 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position; in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said structure is in the raised position; and in which flexible panelling may be attached to the cover left and right walls and rear wall to form a weatherproof enclosure of the load bed with the lift-roof structure in the raised position.

Claim 19

A cover as described in claim 12 incorporating lift assist means, so that lift assist is provided in raising the lift-roof structure from the lower to the raised position.

Claim 20

A cover as described in claim 7 further comprising weather sealing between the lift-roof structure and the cover forward wall and between the lift-roof structure and the load bed on fully lowering the lift-roof structure.

Claim 21

A cover as described in claim 17 in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said lift-roof structure is in the raised position.

Claim 22

A cover as described in claim 17 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position.

Claim 23

A cover as described in claim 17 in which position holding means are employed to provide fixed orientation of the lift-roof structure in a range of positions above the lower, closed position; in which panelling provides weather protection between the cover forward wall and the lift-roof structure when said structure is in the raised position; and in which flexible panelling may be attached to the cover left and right walls and rear wall to form a weatherproof enclosure of the load bed with the lift-roof structure in the raised position.

Claim 24

A cover as described in claim 17 incorporating lift assist means, so that lift assist is provided in raising the lift-roof structure from the lower to the raised position.