A retractable pickup truck box cover system includes a pivot joint with improved strength, durability, and manufacturability between panels of a panel assembly of the cover system. A sealing system between the panels and along ends of the panel assembly provides improved weather resistance to the cover system. A lateral support system provides resistance to binding loads when opening and closing the panel assembly. The lateral support system may also aid installation of the cover system. A ramp adjustment system allows fine tuning of the ramps that guide folding and unfolding of the panel assembly. An improved locking system and the pivot joints allow more compact storage of the panel assembly. The improved locking system includes lock rods that engage rails of the cover system. Connecting structures connect adjacent panel pairs when the cover system is deployed and do not connect the adjacent panels when the cover system is stowed.

A telescopically extendable truck bed shell including a shield assembly, a transmission assembly. The shield assembly includes shields telescopically connected together. The shields are configured to be mounted on top of a truck bed and attached at side rails. The transmission assembly includes a motor which drives motion to a threaded rod that is internally connected to the shields by means of bearing units and transmission gears. The motor is electrically powered and remotely controlled to permit a user to retract or extend the shields wirelessly. When contracted, the shields permit a user to easily retrieve items inside the truck bed.

Disclosed are embodiments of a rack assembly configured to mount to sidewalls of a truck bed of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the rack assembly comprises a pair of side rails configured to secure to the sidewalls of the truck bed, a pair of tracks, and a plurality of mounting brackets configured to mount the pair of tracks to sidewalls of the truck bed and above the side rails so as to transfer vertical load from the tracks to the sidewalls of truck bed.

A moveable tonneau cover includes multiple wheels. A tonneau cover mechanism includes multiple tracks each including an upper portion and a lower portion, and a switch that transitions to connect with the upper portion and the lower portion based on a weight of the movable tonneau cover such that the moveable tonneau cover is configured to move between a first position above a truck bed and a second position above the first position.

A moveable tonneau cover includes multiple wheels and multiple hinge elements. A tonneau cover mechanism includes multiple tracks each including an upper portion and a lower portion, and a switch that transitions to connect with the upper portion and the lower portion based on a weight of the movable tonneau cover such that the moveable tonneau cover is configured to move between a first position above a truck bed and a second position above the first position.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a storage container and storage container lid configured for stowage and extraction of panels, the panels having complementary mating interfaces that cause the panels to stack onto one another as the panels enter the storage container lid, and to couple to one another as the panels are extracted from the storage container lid. In an illustrative example, the mating interface for the panels may include a first linearly decreasing section, a linearly increasing section, and a second linearly decreasing section that complements the mating interface of an adjacent panel. The panels may slide along a channel into and out of an opening in the storage container lid. A panel storage system may advantageously store panels in the lid of the storage container, while still providing access to the contents of the storage container by opening of the lid.

A vehicle rail system has a frame mountable to a vehicle, the frame having a plurality of support legs, the support legs interconnected via support beams. One or more fixed rails are mountable to the support frame, each fixed rail comprising a plurality of bearings thereon and configured to receive a sliding rail, the sliding rail having a plurality of grooves for receiving the bearings of the fixed rail so as to be slidable thereon. The bearings are located along regular intervals of the fixed rails on each non-mounted side. The sliding rail is then able to slide along the bearings of the fixed rail, extending to the exterior of the frame mounted in the vehicle.

An active bed cover system having at least one deployable panel and at least one actuator. The deployable panel extends and retracts based on vehicle requirements and provides reduction in vehicle drag, thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy. Additionally, it allows for the system to retract within the tailgate and/or cargo bed liner allowing for access to the bed and improved usability and aesthetics. The active bed cover provides a fully deployable system with object detection, declutching of the actuator to help prevent damage, and communication with the vehicle to determine proper deployment and function.

A cover for a truck bed that can be horizontally traversed between expanded and collapsed positions is shown. Since the cover is horizontally traversed, the person manipulating the cover need not lift the cover vertically in order to reconfigure the cover between the expanded and collapsed positions. Women and elderly people who are generally not as strong as men can manipulate the cover.

A retractable cover system includes laterally spaced apart guide rails that each provide a track. A drive assembly includes a motor operatively connected to a gear. A cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration. The slats cooperate with the gear and are slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive system. The slats are stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration. A method of servicing a retractable cover system includes the step of removing an access cover from a magazine to expose a cavity housing stacked rigid slats. A method of retracting a tonneau cover includes the steps of actuating a handle and decoupling the tonneau cover from a drive mechanism.